back from travels

my ultimate favorite tea time combination

twinings redbush with honey and milk

it's been a busy, busy past few months. we're back from our European travels and now im trying to get better from a cold. (and trying not to get baby sick!)

updates:
- sister now has her nursing license (YES!)
- brother is turning 22 soon- weird!
- i have now memorized the bubble guppie theme song
- ive only now come to the realization that ive always been a total Anglophile
- women in Milan win the "effortless chic" award- i only wish i could dress like that 24/7
- the sewing continues on! so many projects so little time
- tea time happens every weekday (a resolution that started when coco was born)- see...total Anglophile
- missing our utah friends
- missing my hubby!
- missing carbs & gelato
- its summer already here in cali (91 degrees yesterday!)
- coyotes are on the prowl nearby and im not sure how to get rid of them : /


happy new year!

pics of travels to come soon...

bouchon bistro & bakery

after reading and obsessing over the bouchon bakery book i really wanted to go and try the bouchon bistro. they have locations in yountville, las vegas, and beverly hills. the closest one to us is beverly hills and we made the longish drive to get there during the weekday (in hopes to avoid crowds). 

mom paying at the bakery

not cheap but delicious

the chocolate macaroons and chocolate almond croissants were my fave

really pretty dining interior 

mom & nico 

gold hardware! 

croque madame

soooo good 

great service and pretty ambiance 

it was a really fun experience but i was shocked that they charged $7.50 for water per bottle! 

welcome to beverly hills 

ry's first time at universal studios

we headed off to universal studios hollywood the day before Thanksgiving and surprisingly it wasn't too crowded. here is ry in front of the globe.

 ry & a "statue"

 i consider him to be a mix of liev & david

lucky me!

 checking out Jaws

right before leaving

 - finally went on Jurassic Park (i hate those kind of water/drop rides). couldn't say no to ry who totally wanted to go.

- loved the Mummy ride but way too short

- experienced the new King Kong 3D, i miss the old King Kong. 3D gives a headache sometimes.

- had a fun day date with ry in sunny California

colette's first trip in pictures

more pictures from last month's big trip to california

daddy & colette at the airport

me & sister driving around town

sister way too excited about ramen

me way too excited about sweet rose creamery

all of us excited about sweet rose creamery

mom & dad being silly at long beach pier

ama & colette

cute

auntie grace & uncle daniel meet colette

colette meets uncle charles & aunt elaine

first time feeding rice cereal 

pancake wants your attention 

over a month in california

hanging out with ama

colette among the bright flowers in my childhood bedroom 

01. spent lots of time with angkong, ama, lola, and the puppies lulu + pancake

02. turned 5 months old

03. teething (two cute little teeth coming in)

04. sewing curtain after curtain

05. shopping for furniture and beyond

06. made nutella gooey bars

07. ate far too much

08. watched hgtv, food network, and once upon a time

09. skyped with daddy

10. went through old treasures (mom's old versace pants that fit me- yippee!)

11. rethinking the living room- can't wait to "finish" it up

12. making fun family plans for when we get back home

13. tried two new drugstore foundations (looking forward to sharing)
14. had some quilt envy and wanted to start a new one but decided to finish my other bazillion projects first
15. got new flats gifted from mom (thanks mom!) comfy comfy comfy 
16. purchased a jumperoo for colette and can't wait to see how she interacts with it
17. excited for halloween, not too excited for the cold though
18. made cards 
19. stayed up super late & slept in
20. drooling over new color/paint/fabric combos for rooms in the house
21. pretended to host a cooking show in my mom's new glam kitchen. subzero fridge people. its beautiful. 

travels to denver

here are some pics from our thanksgiving visit to denver

sweetie pie nieces and auntie neala

dad matt making sure the girls don't fall off the climbing tree

the uncles

churros from sams club at 10 am

cutie nephew

it was so cold!

check out our rental car- lime green fiesta!

auntie neala's flat tire :( 

isn't he adorable?!

uncle ry and cutie

his and hers subway sandwiches at 10pm 

back home & emma

hi there! we are happy to be home minus the tornado that danced through our house. we had a great time visiting with family in mexico. pictures to come tomorrow. it was a great way to enjoy the last bit of summer- even though it rained most of the time (no sunburn-yea!). unfortunately, i am under the weather and trying to get as much rest as possible right now. too bad since cleaning and cooking seriously needs to happen.

today on my twitter feed i found the new lancome fragrance ad featuring emma watson. lancome fragrance ads tend to be cheesy, but i still love them. happy wednesday!

miami pictures part four

sleeping in

pretty and practical gift from aunt serene 

a great bakery in miami

l'atelier gourmet

look at the array of macaroons

beautiful and scrumptious large macaroon

the raspberries really complimented the sweetness of the macaroon

the edible gold foil was a nice touch

macaroons brought all the way home for ry

cassis (purple), passionfruit (yellow), pistachio (green), vanilla (creme), raspberry (red), hazelnut (brown)

snacks for the plane ride home

this is my particular favorite

sweet but not too over the top

my favorite purchase of the trip

the magic key makes sure you get every bit of the lotion out

a splurge but its my fave!

straw hat + coral lips= miami

calle ocho

the view from the plane heading home

pretty mountains

favorite things about this trip to miami:

01. great cuban food

02. beautiful beaches

03. humid and warm weather (yes in moderation i love that)

04. fresh seafood

05. being with family