GALentines brunch

have you ever celebrated GALentines with your ladies? this year my group of babes decided to all get together just ladies and spoil each other. we rarely ever get together anymore just us gals, so what a perfect excuse to hand the kiddos over to the hubbies and pop some rose & bubbly. oh, and waffle bar! heart shaped waffles may i add. they are just so dang cute. i bought this cute little heart shaped waffle maker at target and i am excited to make these for Olivia in the years to come for special occasions.

i bought all my little decorations at target, some in the dollar bin section!

the roses & proteas are from trader joes, of course. where else does one buy their floral?

the pampas grass was hand picked with love, sweat and fear of going to jail by me hahaha

i had this idea of doing a bouquet exchange. FUN, right? either pre-made, or make your own. we put all our names in a hat and whoever name we got, that’s the bouquet we got to keep. it was a success and so cute.

i only snapped a few photos before the ladies showed up. we were having such a great time we only got a group shot towards the end (thanks random jogger passer by-er!!)

such a wonderful group of ladies // i am trule blessed call them my friends <3

are you doing anything special with your ladies? let me know if the comments section below!

mini and me // outfit details

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iv’e been looking for a perfect linen dress and i finally found it! this linen dress is easy to style and super comfortable. && did i mention it’s nursing friendly. easy on and off. i think i know what i’ll be wearing for thanksgiving!

outfit details linked below//

HAT//

LINEN OVERALL DRESS//

SWEATER//

OLIVIAS TOP KNOT//

OLIVIAS SWEATER//gifted

OLIVIAS LEOPARD LEGGINGS//

baby shower// mama+papa

OH HAIIII

I can’t believe it took me THIS long to finally get this post up from our baby shower. Iv’e been trying to finish this post since last year. How am I even saying that? Time literally FLIES once you have a child. She will be turning ONE this November and i am semi having an anxiety attack typing this. For reals though, editing photos and taking the time to sit and write comes very rare these days. I would really love to make myself do it more. I truly love to share moments that are special to me. So here we go with our baby shower.

Back it up to August 2018 // We had the most beautiful co-ed baby shower. The fam let me create my vision of a theme I had in mind. I didn’t want it to be too much of a theme, and it was summer. So i kept it bohemian with a little Italian lemon twist. Lots of greenery and just simple touches here and there. It was everything I had imagined, surrounded by the people we love.

I made the cake and flower crown from scratch. Like I said, I had a vision, and when I have a vision I’m pretty determined to achieve that. The crown I made the night before with fresh florals and eucalyptus. Something Iabsolutly love to do. BAKE. I made a vegan lemon naked cake. It was so light and had the perfect amount of lemon tart for a summer treat. It was devoured.

Thank you to my family for making my baby shower so perfect. It was such a memorable day.

moorten botanical garden//bb on board

oh hey, im still here. if you follow me on Instagram, you know my big news. im PREGNANT! just in the midst of my second trimester. i cant believe it!  luckily, i didn't get any morning sickness, just the standard exhaustion. like.. always wanting a nap. zero energy to cook, let alone come on here to post. i wanted to, but just the thought of it made me even more tired. 

i wanted to share when i found out i was expecting and how i told my husband. about mid march we had planned a weekend away to the desert (see last blog post). aunt flo was also supposed to come that friday we were leaving. of course. so thursday night i decided to make a target run to get a pack of pregnancy tests just to see if i would receive a posi/negi. (we had been trying) so i took the test right when i got home and i got a B F P (big fat positive) and i really wasn't expecting it because i had some mild cramps. i was freaking out with excitement crying to my cats. the hubs was at work. long story short i bought a coffee mug to surprise my man with once i found out the news. SO i waited until the next morning to tell him since we were leaving for our weekend getaway. in that time frame from the first test to the next morning i took the other two tests, and all were positive. i seriously cant believe i held it in for a night.

the morning of us getting ready to go, i made us a quick breakfast and that coffee. i collect coffee mugs and my husband instantly noticed the one i gave him was one he hadn't seen before. there was a tiny heart on the top, and was a plain white mug. i played it off pretty well though and just said its an old one. he wasn't finishing his cup and i kept persisting him to drink it before it got too cold, telling him we had to leave soon. never finished it. of course. so i dumped it out and handed it to him so he could see the inside and said "are you sure you don't want one more sip?" and that's when he saw what the bottom of the mug said.  " you're going to be a dad!"  i was shaking, crying and so happy. he was not expecting that at all. iv'e never seen him so caught off guard. he was so excited; we hugged for a good few minutes. shared some laughs and lots of love. that was a moment i will never ever forget. in that moment there wasn't just the two of us anymore. there were three.

once we headed out, we made our stop in palm springs to visit moorten botcanical garden. this had been my list for a while. thankfully it wasn't too crowded since we got there just a little after they opened. we spent a lot of time in the green house. such a wide variety of rare cacti and succulents. i was in heaven. pretty sure my husbnad had to drag me out of there once we needed to get back on the road. i highly recomened visiting if your in palm springs and love plants. so here is a ton of photos from our day at the garden.

this photo below was my first official bump photo, even though i had just found out. such a special time.

5.30.15 // our wedding day

Celebrating our third wedding anniversary this year blows my mind. Time flies. I feel like yesterday we were preparing for our special day. We got married at Temecula Creek Inn at the Stone House venue. It was the perfect place for us to say 'we do'. We fell in LOVE with this venue. It was earthy and rustic. Exactly the vibe we wanted. The stone house made the wedding quaint and brought a  warmth to the setting. I loved how open the ceremony area was surrounded by trees. We wanted the floral to stay neutral with lots of eucalyptus. Posh Peony was our florist and she did it all so prefect! Every vision we had, she did it. The aisles had white rose petals trailing down the sides to the alter with babies breath on the back of chairs wrapped in burlap. I was allll about that burlap and lace.

My husband knew exactly what suit he wanted. He wanted the detailed light grey look, and thats what he got! He did a custom suit with Klein Epstein & Parker and they did a remarkable job. YEAH my husband is quite the looker, SO handsome. He was very happy with the outcome. My dress was found at Blush Bridal Couture in Tustin. I knew what dress I wanted and the first one I tried on was THE ONE. Of course I tried more on to see if anything compared. Long lace sleeves, but form fitting with an open back and a medium train. It was my perfect wedding dress. My DREAM dress. Hair and makeup was done by Design Visage team, who made it happen. I had 5 months to plan my wedding, did I mention?

Gloria and Cory McCune captured our magical day just the way we had imagined. The photos were so 'us' and there was no awkwardness with them photographing. We loved the outcome of our photos. Pieces of our day that we will forever have besides the memories. We definatly could'nt of done this day without Trina Schmidt, our wedding coordinator. She was on top of it all, setting up vendors, meetings and getting things done. Like i said, we had 5 months to plan our wedding and I couldn't imagine it happening without her! She was a life saver and a wonder woman. Highly recommend getting a wedding coordinator, for your own sanity!

I feel so blessed to have such an amazing husband by my side through this life. I truly am so lucky. I fall more and more in love with him as we grow older and closer. This year is our last anniversary with just the two of us, I will cherish all the memories we have created together and look forward to expanding our family and making more memories. We are both filled with gratitude to had have all the help, love and support from our family during our wedding. Couldn't of done it without them.

I am getting all sappy over here now, I hope you enjoyed some of my favorite shots from our wedding day. Let me know if you have any questions regarding vendors or any details. xx

patience is power

When setting goals we tend to go through frustrations on the way there. Sometimes it's hard to remember we need to go easy on ourselves and not be so rough. Even though we are our own biggest critics, we need to remind ourselves that its the journey and the challenge in between setting a goal and getting there that is the most important. Trusting the journey and accepting that it's okay where we are in the moment is so important. Being mindful is key.

It is ok to grow slow.

Starting a new year, we set goals and intentions. Naturally, that can cause a lot of stress and pressure on ourselves. I think its important to be mindful and honest with yourself to what is practical and what is truly important to you. All we have is now. So set the goals, start working towards them, and trust the journey. Fill your life with as many sweet and meaningful things as you can, finding joy in the small, simple delights around you. Life IS good. Always remember to be kind to yourself and make sure you take a step back if needed, and breath...do what makes YOU happy. Patience is Power. xx

“Nobody’s perfect, so give yourself credit for everything you’re doing right and be kind to yourself when you struggle. ”

— Lori Deschene

January 16th 2018-HBD hubs

Today is a special day, the day my husband was born! 31 years around the sun! HAPPY BIRTHDAY bb. I am beyond blessed to have such an incredible soul mate. Its been almost half of our lives we have spent together..and I couldn't imagine it any other way. I wanted to come on my blog to share some of my favorite photos of him. If you know me I'm pretty indecisive and I couldn't pick just one to post on 'the gram' so I decided to share them all! H A P P Y 31st B I R T H D A Y Philip Wayne Orr! I love you to the moon and back Xforever.

                                                                       TI AMO

2017 reflections

As I sit in my home, with a roof over my head, a husband I love dearly and loves me back, two cats and food in our kitchen, I cant help but to feel extreme amounts of gratitude. How did I get so lucky? One word I think that describes 2017 would be thriving. Ive grown a lot this past year, in all aspects of my life. Ive learned to love myself for who I am and know I can always improve to be a better me. Gaining stronger friendships with friends and family. Families are growing and friends are getting engaged and married. My sister is engaged and I couldn't be any more excited. One sister is away in college killing it in nursing and I am so proud of her and my youngest sis is off to college next year (how is this so??) ..we are ALL growing.  I am always working on keeping my relationship with my husband strong, who I love beyond measure. Ive learned that the way people treat YOU is a statement about who THEY are as a human being. Its not a statement about you. Ive learned to love myself enough to set boundaries. My time and energy is precious and not to let the behavior of other destroy my inner peace. In the end, you teach people how to treat you by deciding what you will and wont accept. I am so grateful for my yoga practice and meditation. This year it has been a savior for me. Ive learned to set intentions and to remind myself I don't always have control over everything in my life..and that is okay!

My husband and I created so many incredible memories this year. In January we both celebrated 30 years of life! We went to San Francisco for the first time to celebrate. Throughout the summer we went on a couple family vacations, and went to the United Kingdom to London and Scotland. Like I said, we feel so lucky we have been able to do as much traveling as we have done at our age. My favorite thing to do is going new places with my husband. Hes picked up a new love for photography that makes me so happy to see him do. His grandfather was very into photography as well. I started this blog in September and I am so proud of myself for taking to leap to do it. Ive been dreaming of starting a blog forever now. The quote below is one I often find myself reading:

“You shouldn’t try to stop everything from happening. Sometimes you’re supposed to feel awkward. Sometimes you’re supposed to be vulnerable in front of people. Sometimes its necessary because its all part of you getting to the next part of yourself. ”

— unknown

Those are just some highlights of my year in 2017. Bring on the new year, I am opening my heart for growth, more love, memories and much more!

“May the new year bring abundance of amazing opportunities, beautiful moments and joyful experiences. May your positive actions and attitude aspire others. May you be brave enough to take on and overcome rewarding challenges. May you find yourself in high spirits and excellent health. May you love with all your heart and find peace in even the most turbulent of times. May the love you give always find its way back to you multiplied. And may you forever be filled with the hope and strength necessary to make yours dreams a reality. ”

— zero dean

my home in December-2017

...wellp.... just like that Christmas is over. It always seems to come and go so quick. Am I right? Just when you start to get into the Christmas spirit POOF its over. Wahh. Can I just keep my decorations up at least until next year? I swear the house feels so much cozier and prettier with Christmas up. Anyway, this week in between Christmas and New Years always feels so strange. What day is it? What am I supposed to be doing? What is work? ANYWAY, I figured i would share some photos of my home and some yummy cakes I baked over this month of December. Oh, about that..Ive found a new love for baking cakes! I really enjoyed baking them this season. And I have to say..I think I did a pretty damn good job!

I made these eucalyptus wreaths- I used real, fresh eucalyptus so they wont last forever but i didn't use any glue, so I can just re use the twig wreath next year to create new ones! Orrrrrrr I can just make new ones monthly..hmm now thats an idea!

This was one cake I made for my first Christmas dinner we hosted. Vegan vanilla cake with chai spice icing-OMGGG this was so frickin' good. I want to make this one again for sure!

Gingerbread cake with orange buttercream. Y E P. You read that right. Insane! This one I made for Christmas day. Such a hit and how gorgeous is it?

..alright, lets bring in the New Year!

Citrus Garland- DIY

Ive really enjoyed crafting this year around the holidays. Feeling the earthy, simple touches to add to my home that also feels festive. In the beginning of December I made a pine cone wall hanging piece and I absolutely loved the way it turned out. I kept thinking it needed just a little something else. Citrus? OK- so i tried it out! Here is what I did:

Instructions

1. Set oven to 250 degrees. Slice about 5-6 oranges.
2. Pat the slices dry with a paper towel.
3. Lay on wax paper and bake until dry for about 3 hours. Make sure to flip halfway.
4. Let oranges dry on cooling rack for about two days.
5. Get a sharp tool to poke two holes at the top of each orange. (I used a nail)
6. Weave the twine in and out through the holes and connect oranges.
7. Cut twine when you get the desired length.
8. Hang the citrus garland! It looks beautiful next to pine.

I hope you enjoy this fun, earthy Christmas craft as much as I did! Let me know your experience below in the comments if you have tried this before.

DIY simple Christmas ornaments

'Tis the season to be jolly..fa lalalalaaaa..la la la la..

Today marks 26 days until Christmas. Its kind of hard to believe. Christmas is my favorite holiday if I had to choose. One of my favorite parts of Christmas, besides spending time with loved ones, is decorating. I LOVE to get the house extra cozy with Christmas decor.. from simple faux antlers, pine wreaths, candles, pine cones, nutcrackers, twinkly lights and of course the Christmas tree! We ended up scoring a great deal on black Friday this year at Michael's on a new faux tree. Yeah- we have a fake tree. It's eco friendly and it's way easier with two cats! 

 I did a little DIY on ornaments for the tree. I love the simplicity of these. I bought the ornaments from Michaels on super sale for 50cents each! Super inexpensive. You can put literally anything you want in them. I used greenery I had around the house. It doesn't take much in each ornament. I put eucalyptus, rosemary and red berries, pine and babies breath in the ornaments.

This was so easy and quick to do. All you need to do is cut little pieces from each and put it in. LOVE them! Lately Iv'e been in the crafty mood. Next up will be DIY Christmas wreaths. Stay tuned!

Oak Glen-Autumn 2017

Oak Glen//2017

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Apple season is the perfect time to visit Oak Glen, one reason being you can pick your own apples! As a kid I came here on field trips, even weekend trips with my family. Oak Glen is nestled in the heart of apple county here in Southern California. The air is crisp and it's beautiful during the change of seasons.

Nifty Fact: a glen is a small, narrow, secluded valley. It is a Sottish term.

I remember going as a kid on field trips, we would do activities such as cider pressing, rope making, hay rides, gold panning and much more! Teaching us skills and characteristics of a bygone era. There's a petting zoo, hiking trails and a village to shop or have a bite to eat or some warm cider.

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Visiting Oak Glen as an adult brought back a nostaligic feeling. My husband and I came up on a warm sunny Sunday and visited Los Rios Ranch to do our apple picking. I don't know what is it about picking your own fruit straight from the tree, but its gratifying! We brought home a 5lb bag of Fuji apples. I was going to make some apple butter but I ended up eating too many that week! OOPS. I've never made apple butter from scratch and I really want to, so perhaps I will buy some more from the next farmers market in my area. I plan to keep this tradition going strong with my family visiting Oak Glen, I highly recommend!

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LaurenGetsWilder Bridal Shower

Sunday September 10th- Laurens Bridal Shower

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The bridal party had been brainstorming for this special shower for months. Coming up with a theme, color scheme, decor, location, food, party favors, games and more! The six of us gals came up with some pretty pinterest worthy ideas! We wanted to incorporate Laurens wedding colors and theme into the shower. We kept it classy, earthy but also very boho mod..it was just magical!

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We incorporated the Monarch butterfly into the decor because its extremely special and sentimental to Lauren, in remembrance of her Father. It really made the shower so beautiful and meant a lot to Lauren. Which means a lot to all of us ladies as well!

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We held the shower at Lauren's Mama's clubhouse in Corona Del Mar. The location couldn't have been any more perfect! A little under 30 guests total came, it was such a great turnout! Lauren has so many great woman in her life that love and cherish her so much. We definately showered this beautiful lady with all of our love! She deserves it ALL.

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How adorable are these party favors for the guests!? Custom labels that say "sip sip hooray! Lauren's Bridal Shower." Filled with of rose course, Laurens fav! Oh and um, this cake..lets talk about this cake! We ordered it from Meet the Source and this is the strawberries and cream. The floral on top made it even more perfect! Also it meets pretty much any dietary restrictions as its gluten free/dairy free and made with all natural ingredients! HIGHLY recommend ordering from Roxanne for any events. We also ordered some chocolate bliss balls. Delish!

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Lauren is a very special person to so many people! We all love you and cannot wait to see you on your special day, more importantly be right by your side through it all!! XXOO

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the beginning

gratitude: the quality of being thankful, readiness to show appreciation for and return kindness.

action of gratitude- a state of mind we should remain in at all times no matter what is going on around us.

W E L C O M E to my first post! I've been wanting to start a blog for quite some time now, I just always felt discouraged and gave up. When i realized I couldn't stop thinking about it, how much I love to take photos, share my interests and joys in life i decided to just DO IT. What do I have to lose? Obviously i am a newb to this so, bear with me. Haha. Anyway, I want to express that GRATITUDE changes everything. It is the most important ingredient to living a successful and fulfilled life. I hope to express my gratitude through this blog. I heard this quote in a meditation class i took a few months back and it really gave me all the feels..

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“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance; chaos to order; and confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings us peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

— Melody Beattie

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Little bit of me// I am a California native, married to my best friend/soul mate with two orange cats who are our fur babies. Ever since becoming a home owner I have found a love for interior design. It brings happiness and warmth to my heart making the house O U R S. I find cooking/baking a hobby of mine, which is also therapeutic. I have been a vegetarian for almost two years now and have no desire to eat meat again. I love animals too much! PLANTS! I love P L A N T S. If you know me pretty well, I am not just the cat lady, I am the crazy cat/plant lady.  I cherish my family and friends more than anything; I can't imagine life without them. Traveling keeps me alive, I love being in new places and spaces. There's always time for a new adventure! Life is too short to not take the trip. I'm an Aquarius, who is very honest, open, and faithful. I don't like drama, lets just talk it out and make peace. If you hurt me, I will forgive you but wont forget. I am an emotional human who takes everything to heart, maybe a little too much! Sensitive could be my middle name, but hey..that's who I am. Well, that's all for now. Thank you for taking the time to check it out and I hope you come back! xxoo