happy memorial day!

Hope you all have a safe & festive
Memorial Day!
I will be cleaning up around the house, wrapping up Etsy orders, and baking in the kitchen with the little bug tomorrow.
Not baking these amazing cookies, but something much simpler. :)
But aren't they divine?!
Find out more about these cookies here.
More recipes of my own coming up this week, so stay tuned!
xo!

love = ryan star.

I am going to urge you to listen to my most favorite singer of all time.
Is he well-known and ultra-famous?
No. But he is amazing.
Ryan Star.

If you happened to watch that silly little show called Rockstar a few years ago,
you might know who he is. He didn't win the show, but he did make a huge impression on me.
I have been following him ever since, going to each show he has played in San Diego.
His voice is gorgeous, his music is emotional and beautiful, and he is so darn nice as well.
Each time I've seen him live, my sister and I have been able to go up to talk with him and take photos. He never makes you feel rushed and truly wants to make a connection with his fans.

I was driving to pick up Andrew a few days ago and heard him on the radio for the first time and FLIPPED OUT. This is someone I have listened to for years, but I have never heard him on a mainstream radio station until now. I was so giddy!!! :)

His new CD will be coming out this summer, so go to his website and listen to his songs.
Seriously, you will thank me for this. :)
He's going to be very famous one day, I predict.
Oh yeah, and he is extra sexy.
{That can't hurt, right?}


October 2006


July 2009


April 2010

{Sidenote: Don't you love how my hair color has changed just a bit over the years? :) }


Here is his new single that is on the radio! :) LOVE this video and it's message.


Here's the song that has been on my blog playlist for quite some time. Gorgeous video! :)

OK, now I hope you develop a deep love for Ryan Star like my sister and I did.
Let me know what you think. :)
Happy listening!
xo!

toss on your heels and pour a cocktail!

SEX AND THE CITY 2
is here!!!!

I am a HUGE fan of the show and the first movie and seriously cannot WAIT to see the movie tomorow night! I am putting on my heels and going to get drinks with my gorgeous gals- my sister and my friend Christina! :) And we are going to enjoy every minute of this second movie!!! The friendships, the clothing, the women.... it all makes Sex and the City truly one of a kind!







The girls at the premiere... do they look fabulous or what?! I am loving SJP's bright dress!

And if you are in the mood for a new pair of shoes a la the girls from Sex and the City, here are my top faves at the moment... {minus the price tags on a few!} :)

1. Manolo Blahnik - Feather T-Strap Sandal
2. Forever 21 - Gladiator Heels
3. Steve Madden - Caryssa Pumps
4. Christian Louboutin - Spiked Patent Pumps

Happy girls night out to all of you who are going to see the movie!!! Let me know what you think of the movie! :)
xo!

summer-y.

The warm weather is creeping up on us.
With Andrew in school for only six more days {yes, six!},
and a vacation to Palm Springs planned for June,
I am so looking forward to the lazy days of summer.
And of course, I'd like to look summer-y as well!
Hello, anthropologie. :)

hat: here
pants: here
swim suit: here


hat: here
sweater: here
swim suit: here


necklace: here

And here is a summer song that will make you oh-so-happy. :)

Happy warm weather, xo!

official graduates!

We did it!
We officially graduated last December,
but my sister and I walked in the graduation ceremony this past Saturday.
It was so thrilling!
What a feeling of accomplishment. :)
Something about wearing those caps and gowns is totally contagious.
Now if I could just start nursing school, I'd be even more fabulous!
xo!

PS.
Know any other graduates?
Lots of cute congrats cards are in the shop here! :)

how is this almost over?!

As I placed the order for an "end-of-the-year" gift for Andrew's teacher this morning, {a shutterfly album of the entire year in photos!} it dawned on me that kindergarten is just about to come to a close.

How did one year fly by so quickly?

Andrew and his classmates had all the parents to visit a few nights ago for Open House in their classroom. We toured the class, saw work that has been completed over the past ten months, and let the kids be our guides for the evening. While I have sincerely loved every single second of Andrew being in school, his wonderful teacher, watching him meet new and best friends... I can't help but be so sad. This whole year, this first year of school, a huge step forward in my child's life, is over. Done.

The excitement of the first day of school has come and gone. And while I know that with each year that passes, we will have the same feeling with new teachers and classrooms, the very first year is over.

He has been introduced into a life that revolves around school, spring breaks, summer camps, and best friends. I love this age that Andrew is at, but I also can't believe he is this old already. No more babies around here.

So I will suck it up for the next two weeks and enjoy the time he has left in kindergarten.

And on his last day, I'm going to let the tears fall as they may.
Saying goodbye is never easy.

I am so proud of my kindergartner right now.

All the work he has accomplished,

all the lessons learned.

I am happy that he had such a positive experience in kindergarten with the best teacher we could have asked for.

And I will be sad to see it come to a close.

xo!

party sharks. :)

a splash park.


pretend shark fins.


lots of grass to run around.


squirtie sharks.


presents.
lots of birthday cake.
& sunshine.


and of course, best friends.

All in all,
a spectacular birthday party. :)
xo!

six years.

Dear Andrew,
The past six years have made me
happier than I could ever imagine.
{and how have six years flown by like this?!}

You have changed my life.
Watching you grow and learn is a reward each day.

At six years old today,
you are
bright,
smart,
funny,
sarcastic,
playful,
honest,
creative,
energetic,
happy,
open-minded,
friendly,
and you are my
one true love.

I love you
to the moon and back.
Happy 6th Birthday to my sweet pea! :)

xo,
Mommy

happy saturday!

Today will be a relaxing day.

The coffee is brewing,

we've checked out lots of movies from the library,

and I am ready to have a quiet day!

Yesterday, I went with Andrew's kindergarten class to

the Wild Animal Park.

It was SO fun and the kids loved it,

but now I'm ready for a calm weekend at home. :)

Pour yourself a cup of coffee and enjoy your Saturday, too!

PS.

Isn't that the cutest coffee mug?!

It is from AceroStudio on Etsy!

Happy Pink Saturday! :)

xo!

my day....

...consisted of the following so far:
coffee.
breakfast & school with andrew.
make the beds.
listing items in my shop.
off to andrew's school again to work at his book fair.
post office.
birthday shopping for andrew.
doing the dishes.
sweeping the floor.
listing more items on etsy.
coffee. again. :)


1. black damask thank you card
2. bright and happy thank you card
3. sweet strawberry and lime thank you card
4. sweet coffee cups thank you card

Hope your day was a productive one as well!
see my new things here. :)
xo!

chocolate chip blondies

I was in the mood for something sweet last night, but wanted to watch what I was eating as well. I have finally gotten back into the swing of exercising {even started running a bit!} and so I didn't want to ruin my week with a big plate of dessert.
Enter in a Weight Watchers recipe.
I changed it up a tiny bit, using Sucanat instead of brown sugar.
And I used regular butter instead of light butter.
I mean, seriously.. who keeps that kind of thing around?
Certainly not me. :)

Anyways, even with my adjustments,
it turned out delicious!
The perfect treat in the evening if you don't want to completely ruin your diet. :)

And
come to find out,
the perfect breakfast treat as well.
Does it make me a bad mom if I gave Andrew a little square of it after his breakfast this morning???? ;)

Chocolate Chip Blondies

{adapted from a Weight Watchers recipe}

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
{although i used sucanat in place of the brown sugar!}
6 tbsp butter
2 large egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup water

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl, beat brown sugar and butter until fluffy. Add egg whites and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture alternating with water. Stir in chips.

Spread into a foil-lined 9- x 13-inch baking pan. Bake until golden, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Cut into squares and enjoy!
xo!

shop love no. 7

The most
whimsical
and
fanciful
hair flair.






{Need I say more?}
Visit mandizzle
on Etsy.
And you can totally buy me a late Mother's Day gift.
{wink, wink!}
Happy Tuesday, xo!

a broken dvd player & mother's day smiles. :)

Give my child a broken piece of equipment and he will tear it apart to find out what's inside. :) My DVD player stopped working a few days ago, so I sent Andrew outside with that and a hammer. He was happily tinkering for an hour on this thing.


And having a kindergartner on Mother's Day means a day full of handmade crafts and gifts from my little one. He made me piles of adorable little things that are so meaningful to me {i love handmade!} but this has got to take the cake as the sweetest thing I received yesterday...

His teacher asked each of the kids these questions about their moms. I love reading these answers, and I'm so happy I only weigh 80 pounds! Looks like I've lost a few pounds lately haha! ;) And the drawing that Andrew made of me is the most hilarious. He drew my blonde hair on top of the dark parts underneath, which is spot on. I love it.
And I love you, Andrew!!!
Thank you for making your momma very happy on Mother's Day!
Hope all of you mommas had a super day yesterday!
xo! :)

last minute mother's day ideas.

Leave it to Martha to know what's up for Mother's Day.
Here are a few fantastic gifts you or your kids can put together last minute that are still extra-special for any mom. :)

1. These teacup candles are incredibly sweet and useful!
2. Make mom a delicious breakfast in bed!
3. Whip up some pink meringue drops. What a beautiful treat!
4. The perfect gift for small children to help put together... a coupon book!

Happy Mother's Day weekend to you all
and
Happy Pink Saturday!
xo!

a project continued.

Remember this post?
The project is still under construction.
Lots of ideas were tossed around.
Windowseat? Cozy chair? Curtains?
What to put in this dormer window space?
But with the addition of the perfect piece of thrifted furniture,
the space is now coming together!

I adore the shape and feel of this desk.
It's not a beauty yet, but with a fresh coat of paint.
a cute lamp & shade,
fresh flowers,
and a fantastic little stool added to the mix,
a desk area will be born! :)
Stay tuned!
And photos of my bedroom {before & after} will be next!
xo!

piles and piles...

...of new things in the shop! :)
It's been a while since a pile of new greeting cards have been in the shop, so I am feeling so happy that Mommy Holly looks very full right now. Lots and lots of fun greeting cards for those upcoming weddings, graduations, and birthdays that may be coming up in your lives very soon.

1. Cheery Happy Birthday Card
2. Sweet Deer Congrats Card
3. Sweet Trees Thank You Card
4. Bright & Cheery Hello Sunshine Card

Take a peek!
And do you receive my newsletter yet?
It's got coupons every month for you, so don't miss out!
Happy Thursday, xo! :)

martha's snickerdoodles.

This week is Teacher Appreciation at Andrew's school, so we thought a batch of homemade cookies would be a nice treat for his kindergarten teacher tomorrow. Out came Martha Stewart's Cookie Book, and Andrew set off to find a recipe he wanted to make with me.

Snickerdoodles

From Martha Stewart's Cookies

{& recently blogged about over here at one of my favorite blogs!}

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp coarse salt

1 cups (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

-

2 tbsp sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Put butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture.
Stir together cinnamon and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl. Shape dough into 1 3/4-inch balls; roll in cinnamon sugar. Space 3 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.

*Martha says this recipe makes 20.

I made 36.

You be the judge on how many this recipe makes for you. :)

Happy baking, xo! :)

he's just so pretty!

I am listing new items on Etsy..
but
I can't stop watching/listening to this.

I love Adam Lambert.
And I am wishing someone this year
on American Idol would be this amazing.
{Not gonna happen, unfortunately.}
So I will continue to drool over the prettiness of Adam. :)
xo!

shop love no.6

I had such a hard time deciding which shop to feature this week.

With the Queen Bee Market this past weekend,

I had an abundance of shop inspiration to choose from!

SO...

I chose two!

I did a little shopping there and want to share two of my fab finds with you. :)

Onto the yummy Etsy goods....

1. Stacey Winters' Fabric and Paper Brooch

{Bought one for my momma for Mother's Day and it is oh-so-darling. And you know I love the bits of dictionary pages in this brooch. Genius!}

2. Emily Sparks Blooming Headband

{Comes in a variety of colors. I love love love my slate grey one and have had a serious problem taking it off my head. :) }

Let's just say...

These Queen Bees were extra-talented.

Happy shopping, xo! :)

a fantastic event.

Finally getting around to posting pictures.

The Queen Bee Market was such a success!

It was gorgeous & so much fun to be a part of.

Jessica & Mique did a fantastic job!!

And guess what?!

Another one will be happening this fall!! :)

You know that makes me extra excited!

Here are the only photos I got of the event...

{I am kicking myself for not taking more pictures!}

My booth from the night of set-up...

There's my mom's booth, Heidi Devlin Design, next to me! You can also see the booths of A Stone's Throw and Brixton Lane here as well! :)

My mom's gorgeous pillows!

All in all,

a spectacular event and one that will hopefully only grow in the future!!

It was so great to finally meet some blogger-friends,

and shop among friends & talented women!

And for those of you who missed the Queen Bee Market...
what were you thinking?! ;)
{Just kidding...!}
But you can shop now at Mommy Holly..
LOTS of new & exciting items in the shop...

I will be listing items like a crazy person, so keep checking in, my friends!!
And thank you again to everyone who came to the Queen Bee!

xo!