Small Style 6/9 Flower Girl Edition

Saturday was a beautiful day in the Northwest (finally!) and the perfect day for a wedding. Kalaya had her first role as a flower girl. For the whole story, click here. Her whole outfit cost less than $50. Can't beat that for a flower girl!! And, we doubled it as an Easter dress, so she got more wear out of it.

Dress, Ruby Slippers: Target
Sash: David's Bridal
Ruffled Socks: Hand-me-down
Basket: Michael's

The bow in her hair was originally attached to the back of the dress to be a sash, but I removed it and made it into a hair clip instead. She and the bride both wore red shoes under their dresses. Too cute!!

I am linking with Mama Loves Papa.

Kalaya's Flower Girl Debut

Oh my goodness. I have always wanted a girl and Saturday was the epitome of why. (Kalaya, if you eventually come to realize you were born in the wrong body, I appologize for all of the gushy girliness)

Our friends from college, David and Kim got married at a vineyard in Dallas, Oregon this weekend and it was beautiful. Nelson was a groomsman and Kalaya was the flower girl.

Kim asked me if Kalaya could be the flower girl earlier this year and I was SO excited and immediately said yes! It was so fun to shop for the dress and accessories. Then, as the day approached, I began to wonder what I had gotten Kalaya into. She is pretty timid and very shy in front of people she doesn't know, especially large crowds. But, we figured anything would be cute!

The rehearsal dinner was last Thursday and it did NOT go well. We tried to get her to walk down the aisle 3 different times, from me to Nelson. The first time she refused. The second time Nelson held a bribe (cheese stick) out to her and she started to go to him. Then, everyone watching applauded and she freaked out and cried for 20 minutes. The last time she wouldn't even think about it. So, we were pretty nervous for Saturday, especially since the wedding was during nap time and she would have already had to take a bunch of pictures as well.

She got up really early on Saturday, which actually worked out well, because she took an earlier nap. We got to the wedding site and got her all dressed up. Here she is admiring her pretty self in the mirror of the bridal room.


She posed for pictures relunctantly and only when we bribed her with (organic, sugar free) fruit snacks. (yup, I was kind of 'that parent'. Hey, it was better than the ring bearer who got bribed with M&Ms!!) She didn't smile much and wasn't too thrilled, but she did it. Luckily, she was totally in love with the junior bridesmaid, Cassie, and wanted to follow her every where. Cassie even managed to teach her to throw the petals out of the basket, something we NEVER thought we could get her to do, even in practice.

Practicing with Cassie

Sorta willing to pose for a picture....

Then, the big moment. She did great!!! She threw all of the flowers out of the basket and walked to Daddy, with only a guiding hand from Mommy. She was smiling and happy and did MUCH better than we thought she would. It was so sweet!! When I get a copy of the video, I'll definitely post it!!

Getting ready to walk to Daddy...

Elmo crackers for motivation....okay bribe....

Alright, some help from Mommy was necessary

And she definitely wasn't going to walk out on her own!

She was rewarded with an Elmo balloon at the reception. She did SO well. She was great at the reception too, even though were were at the site for over 6 HOURS!!!

Such a fun day!!!

Had to throw this one in: check out the socks the groomsmen wore under their tuxes!!
PS The bride and Kalaya both wore red shoes with their white dresses : )

Kalaya's 2nd Birthday

It's almost a month after Kalaya's 2nd birthday and I FINALLY feel like I can post about it, since it got stretched out a bit. Let's see, looking back, where to begin....

We gave Kalaya her 'big' present from Mommy and Daddy on the night before her birthday. We had plans for the whole day on the 6th (her actual birthday), so we wanted to make sure to give her the present. She got a Cozy Coupe car that looks like a firetruck that she LOVES. The best part is that it was free to us, we got it as a hand me down and it is still in great shape!

Her actual birthday actually wasn't much fun. She was up throwing up at 4am, poor girl! She didn't keep anything down during the morning and afternoon. We had planned a fun day of going to the Children's museum with our friends and a special birthday dinner, since 3 members of our 2 families have birthdays within 2 weeks of each other in May. She was also supposed to have her 2 month check up, but threw up all over herself in the car on the way, so we rescheduled. I think she actually had a pretty good day despite the vomit, because she got to sit and watch plenty of Elmo to keep her in one place, incase of another incident.

She was feeling much better the Saturday after, so we had dinner with my parents to celebrate her birthday and Mother's Day together, with dinner at Red Lobster. My parents got her a really cute sand and water table that she's been having a lot of fun with. (even if it has been staying in the garage, because Oregon is just ignoring the fact that it's spring, let alone almost summer!!)

We did get to go to dinner with our friends a week later, on Nelson's birthday. We went to PF Chang's. Here are the girls getting ready to go celebrate both daddies and Kalaya's birthdays.

We had a small party at our church, which was basically a glorified playdate with just a couple of families, snacks and cake. Everything was bunny themed and it was a nice, quiet, simple party. We had nice weather, so the kids were able to play outside on the playground and patio.

We also celebrated her birthday down in Salem with Nelson's family.

She got some really nice gifts; the car, the sand table, sand toys, lots of new clothes, new shoes, musical instruments, a veterinary kit, a tee, bat and ball, golf clubs, a toy to practice her letters, and new shoes. (probably more, but that's all I can think of off the top of my head!)

O

It's been a sad week for me. The Oprah Show had its final episode.

I know, I know. It's 'just' a TV show. But, it's really not. It's so much more.

Describing Oprah and her show is almost impossible to me. I have thought and thought of how to put into words what an amazing human being she is. And what she has done for the world. For women. For minorities. For the gay community. For victims of molestation, rape and abuse. For all of those who just want to be heard. And to feel validated.

She is more than just a talk show host. She is an inspiration. A visionary. A woman that millions of women, girls (and everyone else!) can look to as a hero, as a role model.

I can't claim to have seen every episode. Not even close. I didn't start watching Oprah regularly until I was in my 20s. My mom didn't watch her, so I found her on my own. (haha, 'OWN' is her new network :) The first episode I ever watched was an episode of her Favorite Things that she had designed just for teachers in the fall of 2004. I was hooked after that.

As a teacher, woman, and especially now as a mother, her show has come to mean so much to me. I could count on it every night on the DVR to inspire me, to entertain me, to challenge me. So many episodes it seemed as though she was speaking right to me.

Oprah has kept me grateful. She's kept me thankful for the ridiculous amount of blessings I have. She's inspired me to strive to live my Best Life and be my best self. She's taught me the power of positive thinking, of being aware of the energy we put out into the world. She's taught me how to step back and take a moment, whether to enjoy the simple pleasures or to gather myself back up and focus. She has helped me to be a better mother, better wife, a better human being.

On Wednesday, Facebook had different reactions to the ending of the show. Most of my friends (the girls at least) who commented were sad, disappointed, devastated. Many chose to say nothing at all. Many didn't know or didn't care. But, a few people said things such as, "What is the big deal about Oprah anyway?" Really? REALLY???? It's clear to me that you've a) never watched the show and b) never looked into what Oprah has done with her own life and the lives of countless others. Come on now. SHAME ON YOU

Oprah, I'll miss your show at 4 every day. I still think there's a lot you can teach me. If you would just air repeats of your show at 4:00 every weekday, I think I could catch up on what I missed out on.

Thank you for inspiring me to be my Best Self. I'll keep trying.

Small Style Birthday Edition

Last year for Kalaya's first birthday, we made a really big deal and had a large party. This isn't what I'm used to, but my husband is Pacific Islander and in that culture, the 1st birthday is the big one. Kalaya wore a cute birthday dress that I loved and got on super clearance:

Dress: Fred Meyer (Carter's)
Crown: Target

This year, we scaled WAY back on the party and just had a little playdate with a couple of friends. I wanted her to wear something, but this year I wanted her to be able to wear the outfit over and over. (the dress wasn't really something to wear just anywhere) I made the shirt myself! I am not very crafty, but I'm really proud of the shirt! I cut out an iron-on patch in the shape of a 2 and put it on a white tee from Old Navy that we already had. I outlined the patch with silver glitter puff paint. (yeah puff paint!!) I thought it turned out perfect and she can wear it all year! She knows it's her 'two shirt'!!

Shirt: Old Navy and decorated by Mommy
Tutu: Old Navy
Leggings: Fred Meyer
Shoes: Hand-me-down

Small Style 5/19

I haven't been posting much lately, but here's a small style for the week. The weather is getting nicer!!

Sports teams are important at our house, especially our one and only local team!!

T Shirt (Daddy has one to match!), socks: Old Navy
Baby Legs: Target
Onesie: Carter's Outlet

This was taken right after her big present for her 2nd birthday!

Dress: Ross
White LS t-shirt: Fred Meyer
Leggings, socks: Target
Shoes: Hand-me-down

Kalaya with her BFF Elena right before going out to dinner for their Daddy's birthdays (they have several matching outfits...)

Dresses, turtlenecks: Christmas presents

This is to honor our blog friends from afar...my mom got this for me when I was pregnant and we were visiting Chico, which is where I grew up. Hi to Morgan and Laura!!

Chico Romper: Bird in Hand
Shoes: gift

I am linking up with Mama Loves Papa.

Ketchup

It has been a VERY busy couple of weeks. We/I have been busy! Here are the main things going on:

*With only a month before summer, I suddenly found myself the only person (apparently) who was still interested in planning our 10 year high school reunion. Everyone else I had originally started planning with had backed out on me. And, we hadn't finalized anything yet. Since I still wanted it to happen (and I know others do too, even if they don't want to plan), I decided to take it on myself. I found one other stay at home mom to help, which is actually turning out much better than having a committee. One text or phone call and decisions are made. We have had to do deadlines and such to keep prices down and get people to RSVP, but it's still not working. It's a lot of work and people don't seem interested. I'm really disappointed that the high school reunion days may be over, thanks to Facebook..... I've also discovered that people are going to complain no matter what you plan, yet some how don't want to plan it themselves. And, because of this, people don't realize what it costs to even have a simple reception/get together. Or that one person from the class would have to pay a large deposit to get things going!!!

*Birthday plans are in full swing for Kalaya (mainly) and Nelson as well. Kalaya's party is coming up and I didn't realize how much the theme I chose would save us so much money!! Since Kalaya LOVES bunnies (though we have more than enough stuffed bunnies and books about them!), I decided on bunny decorations and to make a bunny shaped cake. (Even the not so skilled cake decorator that I am knows how!) It turns out that it is SUPER cheap, because I hit up the Dollar Tree and the after Easter sales for party favors and decorations and have hardly spent anything. AND, our church said we could have the party there for FREE, which is great and it's a perfect space for a bunch of toddlers to run around and play. I can't wait!

*The housing search is continuing. We took a break for a few days during Easter week, because we were really busy and I didn't want to ask our realtor to work Easter weekend. (though it turns out she did anyway) We went out the Tuesday after Easter and found a couple that we were interested in and actually ended up making 3 offers. Sounds totally crazy, I know, but it makes sense in our market. One of the properties was bank owned, but the other 2 are short sale. Basically, (this is all new to me) that means that it could take 2-3 months to hear back from the short sales, but we'd hear back from the bank owned within a few days. (short sales are still owned by the owners, but are being sold for less than the people owe on the house, likely because they are no longer able to make payments)
We heard back quickly from the bank owned house. We knew it was a long shot. We made an offer under asking price the afternoon that it had dropped almost $20k. Someone else had offered more and it was accepted. That was okay, the location was actually our third choice. However, the house needed next to no work and was a really nice property and house, so we decided to try. So, that one is out.
The next house is in an okay location, but will need some work. However, the lot size (especially for Oregon) is HUGE. It is seriously like 2 full back yards. It is a corner lot and they had turned half of the back yard into an RV space. We would remove the gravel and put in turf. It's 4 bedrooms and priced really low. (it's been on the market a long time) It's short sale, so we won't hear back for quite awhile, but we couldn't pass it up.
The house that we are trying not to get our hopes up on too much, but REALLY hope is in God's plan is a 3 bedroom 2 bath house in Tualatin. We lived there while I was pregnant with Kalaya and really liked the area. We hadn't even looked, because almost all of the houses are WAY out of our price range and it's more than we ever dreamed for. It has a formal living and dining room, family room, and eating area. The school district is FANTASTIC and it's a really good location for us. There is a bus stop Nelson could get to work from a block from the house, which means I could actually have a car during the day and we could put off trying to buy a car for a few more years. And, get this, it has a hot tub and a POOL. In Oregon it is almost unheard of. It's an above ground pool, but the previous owners (before the current) built a really nice deck up around it. It is fenced around the deck too and off to the side, so there is still plenty of yard left. The current owners haven't kept it up, but we sure would!!!! I am focusing on praying that I trust in God's plan... This is a short sale too, but something has happened that should let us know in the next couple of weeks!!!

Top 5 Friday: The Royal Wedding

I have been waiting and waiting for the Royal Wedding, ever since the engagement was announced last November. And dreading it too. I've been in love with William for longer than I can remember. But, that's a story for another blog.

I didn't even bother going to bed last night, I knew I was too excited. I started watching BBC at midnight and then shuffling around between the local networks to see all the action. And, it was absolutely one hundred percent worth how tired I feel today. It was absolutely perfect, a true fairy tale wedding. Every single second of it was exquisite. Here are my Top 5 favorite moments of the big day:

#5 The Vows


#4 The ride away from Buckingham Palace


#3 William whispers to Kate how beautiful she looks


#2 Tied: Kate and William each emerging from their cars and seeing them for the first time


#1 The Second Kiss


(VERY CLOSE) Runners Up:

The carriage ride

The First Kiss

Harry whispering to William as he catches a glimpse of Kate

The fabulous hats

Small Style Easter Edition 4/28

It is STILL cold and rainy almost every day here in the Northwest, so still a lot of layering going on in our house!

Dress: Old Navy
Leggings: Fred Meyer
Carrot (bubbles!) Necklace and Bunny Slippers: Easter Bunny! (Target)

(the attitude cracks me up in this picture! though it was just a coincidence of timing.)

Sweater, Socks: Target
Leggings: Fred Meyer
Shoes: Pedi Ped (thrifted)

Kalaya is going to be a flower girl for a wedding in June, so I decided to buy her dress early, so we could get some extra wear out of it for Easter. I am so glad that the bride was understanding about paying for a dress for a toddler to wear once. She requested a white dress, but didn't care where it was purchased. I looked at David's Bridal, but even the clearance dresses are $75!!! So, I found a simple dress at Target (20 bucks!) and purchased a sash ($10) at David's that will match the bridesmaids. I'll post pics of that in June! For Easter, I attempted to make a sash with ribbon and it looked okay. I don't know the first thing about even the most basic things about sewing, so this was as creative as I get!! I thought it turned out fine for what it was. : ) People at church went crazy over her, so I guess it was a hit! (on the actual day, we had to wear a turtleneck under it and tights. These pics were taken later)

Dress: Target
'Sash', Hat: The Dollar Tree

I am linking with Mama Loves Papa.

What I Wore Wednesday

Just a couple of pics this week. I swear, I'm wearing outfits cuter than sweats more days than I post, but I don't always get around to grabbing my camera. The first outfit shirt and shoes are new. I wanted to try the wedge shoes (which, by the way, make me TOWER over my husband) but didn't want to pay very much. I found a really cute pair this week that were $60 and I do NOT pay that much for shoes. So, I searched the clearance bin and found these marked down 65% (love that!) for only $13!!! Couldn't pass that up!

Shirt: Ross

Jeans: Target
Shoes: Nordstrom Rack

Yup, it is still chilly here. I can get away with these tall boots that I love and cost me next to nothing, because I bought them with Kohl's Cash and birthday money in November!!!

Sweater, T, Jeans: Target
Boots: Kohl's
Necklace: Forever 21 Accessory Store

The family picture shows my dress I wore to church for Easter. I LOVE this dress. Last summer I wanted to get a new summer print to wear to events such as weddings, etc. I absolutely love the 50s housewife-type dresses. I tried on several and made a point not to read the price tag, because I wanted to buy something that made me feel good, not just because it was inexpensive. I tried this dress on and fell in love with it (it even has housewife pockets!!) and when I checked the price tag afterward, discovered it was $100. : ( I couldn't remember if it was on a sale rack or not, because it was the last one, so I decided to brave it and go up the the cash register. And, get this???? IT WAS 75% off!!! 25 bucks!! It made it even more awesome. I love it. I may wear it to my 10 year reunion this summer. And, of course, every good house wife has to wear pearls. : )

Dress: JC Penney
Shoes (not pictured): Ross
Necklace (fake): K Mart

(Tomorrow's 'Small Style' will include a detailed description of Kalaya's Easter outfit!)