Weekend Links

 from our walk Friday morning- I love all of the colors!

Hello weekend! We've been anticipating you all week long. Henry and I kicked it off early Friday morning, with a little downtown time with Veronica and Max. She watched H. while I ran and got my eyes checked (more on this later), then we did brunch at our favorite bagel shop. Have you ever had a sushi bagel before? Wasabi cream cheese, salmon and cucumber on a sea salt bagel. To die for! After we all ate we walked around for awhile, admiring all of the pretty Fall colors. Later on Hank and I went to CrossFit, and then we finally watched Moonrise Kingdom since it's out on iTunes. We really, really enjoyed it (more on this later too).

This morning I went and did some hot yoga and then we all headed over to celebrate Zelia's first birthday after Henry's nap. We had the best time with some of our oldest friends and met some new ones too. I'm seriously loving this weekend, and there's still a lot more fun to come. Tomorrow morning we're packing it up for a mini-roadtrip and I'm really looking forward to spending a couple of hours in the car with my guys and enjoying some even cooler weather and pretty scenery.

I'm wishing you and yours the best weekend, too!

----------

Still Juxing, still loving it! I've said before and I'll say it again: it's the absolutely perfect site for capturing all of my little thoughts and daily going-ons. I also love that it's a second place I can back up my Instagram photos too.

And speaking of Instagram, have you checked out the InstaMom feed over on Elizabeth Street yet? I add a couple photos a week over there with the hashtag #esfallfun and I'm excited to see who wins this month.

"Take that, high blood pressure!" Enjoyed this post over on Liz's blog.

I've only passed through Denver on my way to Wyoming or via a connecting flight, but this post makes me want to spend more time there- lots of neat ideas and places to go!

19 pumpkin recipes from my favorite Paleo blog.

I really loved this post about taking time to slow down over on Holden On Baby. If you haven't yet visited this blog, be sure to pop over. She's a sponsor of mine this month and her blog is truly fantastic.

DYING over this engagement shoot in an ice cream parlor. So sweet!

I always, always enjoy the "foods I'm loving lately" roundups on Oh She Glows. This month's edition is especially good!

I liked this story about Megan's magical, secret garden bench.

Did you see my Bookworms feature on Small Fry yesterday? Make sure you check out part two and enter to win all TDN books listed by myself and the other mamas. So cool.

Recently found this blog and I'm loving it. Lots of inspiration and neat projects.

25 great fonts for parties. Or for anytime!

Etsy love: check out the CAPow! shop. Adorable prints that make wonderful gifts.

If you love Maddie on Things...you'll love Maddie in a Costume!

Snippets of New York. Man, I love that city.

Love this clever organizing system. This will definitely come in handy as Henry gets older, and as we eventually expand our little family into a big one!

I always like seeing what short films Cailyn shares.

And finally, some favorite posts from a few of my readers' blogs, found through my comments! I have found some amazing blogs this way and the ones I'm sharing below are some of my current favorites.

Fall Fun over on La Petite Lulu. I want to go apple picking now...and I'm dying over those suspenders!

Lindsay did the Color Run! I can't wait to do the one in our neck of the woods this winter. It looks so fun, and as always Lindsay captured the day perfectly.

I tried to pick a favorite post to share from This Little Port, but all of them are just so wonderful. I really enjoy the way Gaby writes.

Before I go I wanted to say thank you for all of the extremely thoughtful and kind comments on this post. It meant a lot to me and I really appreciate each and every one of you taking the time to send me some love. Have a great rest of your weekend! xoxo

Bookworms and Small Fries

I'll be back with my Literate & Stylish post later today, but in the meantime I wanted to point all of you over to Small Fry, to read about our current favorite kiddo books, along with some other amazing ladies.  It's such a fun feature and I can't wait to see Part Two tomorrow! Thanks for having me, Small Fry!

dimas-gallery

dimas-gallery buy blog reviews

October. I Miss Ynu.

Amidst all of the Fall fun- the pumpkin patches and changing leaves, hay rides and Halloween- October is always a weird month for me. Five years ago Hank and I lost one of our very best friends, and every year when that day rolls around I am right back there, sitting next to Hank as we got that call. It was one of those moments that stick out so vividly in my mind- it's still so real and sharp, and if I think too much about it, I can feel like I'm right back there, in our tiny apartment with the phone ringing, ringing. It was the kind of phone call where you can see the person's face change as the speaker on the other end tells them what they have to tell- the kind of phone call where you immediately know something is wrong.

I can still remember the day before when I saw Kendall at the library. We confirmed our plans for later that night, we hugged, and I told him I loved him. I didn't know everything that was going on in his life right then- all I knew was that he'd been acting weird and was starting to drift into a new circle. We still saw him regularly. He was our "little brother" and would eat dinner with us, pop over after school, run around the track with me at night- but things had become different that summer. New people and new interests pulled him away from our regular group of friends, but none of us really had a true grasp on what was going on. That next day after the library when the phone rang and Hank's Dad told us that he thought the boy he just got a call about was Kendall, it didn't seem real even though that moment is now one of the most real moments of my life. I can still feel that hollow feeling in my throat that traveled down, down all the way to the pit of my stomach, and sat there, heavy like a rock. It didn't seem right that our Kendall was just gone. He was one of the special ones, the kind of person that lit up rooms and had the most contagious smile. No way. Not him. For days I had a strange hope that he'd pop back up, knock on our door and say "hey guys, it's me, just kidding!" But of course that wouldn't happen.

There's so many spaces in our life that should have been filled by Kendall. Our wedding, the birth of Henry, a million hangouts with all of our friends. Shows. Trips to Phoenix. I think about him often and wonder what life would be like if he was still around. And this month he's especially on my mind. There's something about the crisp air that takes me back to those days following his death; something about that feeling of fall that reminds me of so much more than just a new season.

And so in October I think about him. I think about how sometimes people have things going on inside of their head that we can have no idea about, even though we think we know them so well. I think about life, and death, about Henry's birth and about being a parent. I think about everyone I love. I think about friends that have come and gone, and I think about the people I couldn't bear to lose. Growing up and growing old, and everything in between. And October reminds me of that. The good, the bad, and how truly, truly fragile it all is.

I don't really know why I'm writing about this today. I haven't written about it in a few years, and I sat down to write about my day and this came out instead. So then I went to Kendall's old band's Myspace and sat and smiled and listened to all of the songs we used to sing along to, and I laughed to myself remembering that same funny look he'd get every time they'd play that In My Eyes cover. Funny and serious and so intense. Life is weird isn't it? It's so, so shitty sometimes. But then it can be immeasurably beautiful. I still don't understand the whys and I know I never will, but I do know that if Kendall was here, he'd be trying to make everyone around him as happy as possible. That's just what he did. He took all those shitty parts of life and made them good, blue eyes twinkling with that smile on his face. 5 years, and I miss you friend.

Henry's 2 year photos

With Henry turning 2 next month and time picking up speed everyday, we thought it would be a good idea to get some professional photographs done to capture this stage of Henry's life. And "capture" is pretty much the perfect word to describe shooting photos with a toddler. Henry is already a very rambunctious little guy, but add in a new person holding a big camera and asking him to sit still, and you've got a recipe for possible craziness.

We enlisted Emily Snitzer, a long time mutual friend and amazing photographer, to try and "capture" some pictures of Henry, and maybe a few of us too. When we started the session we weren't too sure what to expect- H. was running all over the place and it was hard to imagine Emily being able to get any photos at all of our wild man. We had periods here and there where Henry would stop for a second and pause long enough to smile, but for the most part he was on the move! At the end of our time with Emily I was a little nervous that she maybe didn't get enough to work with, but those thoughts were put to rest when I got the pictures back. WOW. I can't say thank you enough to Emily for the photos she took. She managed to truly capture the essence, the attitude, and the sheer joy of Henry at this age. I still don't know how she did it, but she did, and I am forever grateful for these pictures of our running, laughing, smiling son.

Emily is an Arizona-based photographer who does all kind of photography and photo sessions. She's really, really great at what she does and I love her aesthetic- light, bright, and so airy. I highly recommend her to all of you, and especially to those of you with small children, who can often be so tough to shoot. She's really amazing.

Right now Emily is doing November mini-sessions, which is perfect if you want to shoot some photos for a holiday or New Year's card. She also does weddings, engagements, newborn shoots, families, graduations, events, you name it. Be sure to pop by her site and say hello!

And finally, here are some photos of Henry (and a couple of us) from our session. Thanks again Emily! :)

Pumpkin Picking!

All year long I dream about Fall. Of course I still love all of the other seasons (with Christmas-time being a close second), but there's just something about September, October and November that make me the happiest. Maybe it has something to do with growing up on the East Coast, and all of the vivid memories I have of so many Fall adventures. Cinnamon sugar donuts and hot apple cider after apple picking, hot chocolate on a cold Autumn morning while we watched soccer games, the hay in our jeans (and everywhere else) after a long morning at the pumpkin patch...the list could go on and on. And now being a Mom, there are some traditions Hank and I hope to create for our own little family too.

Growing up, the pumpkin patch was always such a special time. We'd take it incredibly seriously, laboring for what seemed liked hours trying to find the perfect pumpkin to carve. My sister and I always had the best time, and it's so neat now to see Henry doing the same thing with the biggest grin on his face.

We're lucky enough to have Freeman Farms nearby, a farm that is totally reminiscent of the East Coast farms I'd visit as a child. Their Pumpkin Festival is full of so much for kids to do- they have a U-Pick pumpkin farm, sunflowers fields, hayrides, train rides, a merry-go-round, pony rides, a petting zoo, dog and horse shows, tractors for kids to ride and sit on, horses and donkeys, a huge pond full of geese, a corn maze, tons of farm-fresh food for a really great price, and many different areas for photos. And I think I'm still missing some things!

This year we had a blast. We've been going to Freeman Farms for a few years but this year was the best yet because Henry totally got into it. Between the pumpkins ("I pick a pumpkin!"), the train and Henry yelling "Choo-choo!" the entire time, and the hayride, I'm not sure which part was his favorite. It was such a fun day!

Currently.

Watching: Nashville! I am so excited about this show. I had a feeling I would love it when I first saw the preview and really, what's not to love: country music, Connie Britton from my beloved Friday Night Lights, and what looks like a great storyline? Sold! And thankfully, the premiere did NOT disappoint! I could watch it just for the music alone but one episode in and I'm hooked. Did any of you catch it?

Listening to: I don't know why, but the other day I decided to put on the Amelie soundtrack and I fell back in love with it. It's such nice music to just have on in the background and it's an album I used to listen to pretty frequently. I love that movie and especially love all the music used in it. So I've been listening that, along with TLC's Greatest Hits. Why, I don't know, but I ain't too proud to admit it (or 2 beg, for the record).

Thinking about: so much. I've been thinking a lot- thinking about blogging, about this blog and especially what/how I share. I've been thinking about how strange it is to have people read this space and think they know it all, and then to be able to read about all of these things they apparently know so much about. I've also learned a few lessons in regards to this, but the biggest thing is that I thought all along that speaking up or giving my two cents would help, but it really doesn't. People have their perspective on something (that thing being me and this blog), and nothing I say back to them will change a thing. For example this statement- "I am having the best time on vacation- loving my girlfriends!" read by two different people can mean two very different thing depending on who they are. I've learned that one person may think I am being annoying talking about this "wonderful" vacation, bragging about having a good time, thinking I talk too much about my girlfriends, etc. Someone else may read it just as it is and just how I meant it- that I am having a good time with my friends and I am really excited about it. I need to remember that those who want to read into every little thing will always do just that. No amount of trying to explain where I am coming from or show them my perspective will help them see that I am not this horrible person they think I am, so I just need to stop trying. Lesson learned. And I'll hopefully never bring this up again, but if I do, I give you all permission to tell me to get a life. Deal? And moving onto a totally different and much more important topic, I've been thinking about Henry turning two and how bittersweet it all is. In one hand we have this walking, talking little person, but in the other hand are all these thoughts about my little baby being "all grown up." I think bittersweet is the best way to describe it. I've also been thinking a lot about volunteering. It was a big part of my life in college but sadly haven't made much time for it since, and I really want to get back to it. Last week I looked into volunteering at the library, but their needed hours don't coincide with hours Hank can watch Henry, so I'm going to look around and see what else I can find. I was thinking I will check up at the high school- maybe they need tutors. Do any of you volunteer your time anywhere? I'd love to hear about it.

Loving: this past weekend I got to spend a couple of days with two of my favorite girls. Anita is a long time "real life" friend (how weird does that sound?) and she and I met Andy through the internet (also: how weird does that sound?!). Anyway, over the past couple of years these two girls have become a couple of my closest friends and every once and awhile we try to get together. Anita and I are able to see each other a lot more because we live just about two hours apart, but Andy lives up in the Northwest so we really look forward to our occasional visits. Andy last came out to Arizona for my 30th birthday, and now that she is pregnant and due in the winter, we thought we would plan one more little trip before she gives birth. So...we picked Las Vegas. Great choice for a pregnant gal right? ha. Really though, we picked it because it was a cheap, close enough place to all meet, and all of us love good food (which Vegas has a ton of), so Vegas it was. We had a great time and I especially loved staying up late every night talking. It was wonderful.

Reading: this time I thought I would share a couple of the blogs I've been reading religiously. First up, Small Fry. I posted about them in a previous post but seriously, I love this blog. It's a new project from a few super talented Moms, all about savoring and enjoying moments with your kids. I've already found so much inspiration through them and want everyone I know to read it, Mom or not! The second blog I'm loving is my always-favorite, Katie's Pencil Box. Her blog is chock full of wonderful things, but is especially wonderful right now as she shares all of her pretty Fall photos and adventures. And finally, I've been reading another blog by another Katie (Katy!), and it's just lovely. Katy Verga writes about her family, all of her creative endeavors (she's so talented!), and her beautiful life. Seriously, check it out. I know you'll love her. And speaking of blogs, I deleted the post below after receiving a comment and a couple of very thoughtful emails from readers, in addition to realizing that perhaps some things I found funny last year aren't very "funny" at all. You can still read it in the Hello Giggles archives, but the page here was removed! <3

Making me happy: CrossFit, our trip to the pumpkin patch today (photos soon), falling in complete love with a new author and also rediscovering some old favorites, Lauren and Abe moving into their new home this week, thinking of Lucy being born in just three months, realizations and moving forward in some key things, and all of the Autumn things I love so much: capes and sweaters, boots (this is a new thing for me), hot tea on a cool night, changing leaves in our beautiful town, and long walks with my boys. So, so excited.

So, how about you? What are you up to today? Feel free to do your own "currently" post on your blog and link back in the comments for everyone to check out. And thanks again to my dear friend Megan for providing the original inspiration for these posts.