Easter Recap 2016

It is my long term hope that eventually readers beyond immediate family and friends will gain something positive from my writing. A laugh, creative inspiration, design idea, etc. But above all, I want to have my own words years from now to bring back vivid memories of fond family days. Here is what our Easter weekend looked like this year.

My husband is gearing up to leave for a month of training in Louisiana. Usually the Army is fairly decent at providing a little extra family time before and after periods of long separation, and this one fell perfectly timed with Easter weekend. We loved having him all to ourselves for four sunny, spring days before we kissed him goodbye.

On Friday, we headed into Nashville for the afternoon. We enjoyed a family breakfast at one of our favorite spots, the Barista Parlor, and then took Eloise to meet the Easter bunny at the Opry Mills mall. Her reaction was marginally improved from her first visit with Santa. She was still very cautious, but she did crack one small smirk this time! I considered that a big win, but Brad just wants one of those hilarious pictures of her screaming bloody murder. Maybe next time, love.

After our meet and greet, Brad was a total trooper and supported my hunt all over town for a particular Old Navy toddler tank top sold out in her size online that I had my heart set on. We did finally find it, and that night I made my first successful shirts using my new Silhouette for Eloise to wear on our Orlando trip in May. I can't wait to post a peek and beginner Silhouette tips soon (stay tuned). She will certainly be the Magic Kingdom and Harry Potter World's best dressed! Brad and I watched the last movie of the Hunger Games series on Friday night. I fell asleep on the couch a happy girl, my head on his shoulder and both cats snuggled on my lap.

When new neighbors move in, we always head over with warm cookies in hand to welcome them. Call us old fashioned, but that simple act of kindness built the foundation for an amazing friendship with our current neighbors Dave, Mandy, and their 4-year-old Noah. We swap babysitting duty for date nights, and Mandy and I are creating a garden together for our families to share this summer. She's got the green thumb and I've got the ideal garden space. Last night they brought over delicious homemade dessert just because. It is such a blessing to have neighbors that make us feel so safe and cared for.

On Saturday, they invited us to join them at Patti's Old Time Settlement for a big Easter egg hunt. Patti's is a historical log cabin village in western Kentucky. It was well worth the drive to experience their "reminder of when things moved slower." The gardens were beautifully in bloom and a perfect backdrop for Eloise's first big girl egg hunt. I was a little surprised that even for the youngest age group, parents were not allowed in the roped off area of scattered eggs for the first few minutes. There were audible gasps from multiple moms when they told us to stay back and let go of the little hands we squeezed. It was many of our first time letting our babies go do something completely on their own with peers. When I nervously set Eloise down, she took off with her little basket in hand and started gathering eggs. I cried bittersweet tears and Brad video taped. We are such goon parents! So many kiddos were frozen with fear, but Eloise was confident and determined. I am endlessly proud of the little girl my baby is becoming.

Noah just adores Eloise. Watching their friendship blossom is the cutest thing, and the rest of our afternoon was full of swoon-worthy moments. Noah is full of such sweet spunk and character, and I love that Eloise has him to look up to.

We decided to capitalize on the glorious late sunshine of early spring when we got home and work out in the yard. Taking pride in home improvement projects is one of my favorite things about owning our first place. We spruced up the front yard with trimmed hedges, fresh mulch, and a face lift for my favorite little tree. I had been asking Brad to create a stoned edge flower bed around it for months, and he seriously delivered! I love the new colorful view out our front window. I'm so thankful for the small things he does for me that create big happiness. All this while Eloise played quietly in her pack-n-play next to us, giggling and waving at every passing dog.

I spy a Ruby pup

Easter Sunday was actually our quietest day. I voiced a desire to attend a worship service, but Brad just wasn't feeling it. We haven't found a church family here that feels right, and that's okay. My mom reminded me that the best part about faith is the flexibility to express it each in our own individual ways. There were plenty of grateful moments throughout the day that allowed me to appreciate what Easter is all about.

One last egg hunt around the house led Eloise upstairs to the playroom where her basket was waiting. My favorite item the Easter bunny found for her this year was Eloise the Elephant from the Etsy shop Dunlap Love. She came with an imaginative story about her love of picking wildflowers and learning to be a good friend. The shop owner, Kaylyn, is a huge advocate for adoption. Proceeds helped her own family bring their daughter Eloise home from China and now assist other adoptive families with the financial strain. I love the quirky, whimsical friends of Dunlap Love, and I love contributing to a greater good even more. Plus Kaylyn has great taste in baby names!

We decorated eggs together Sunday afternoon using the really cute circus set I posted about a few weeks ago. Correction: Brad and I decorated. Eloise just spilled purple dye everywhere. I will definitely look for a similar set next year though. We really enjoyed it ourselves, and I think Eloise will too as she gets older. The rest of the day was a blur of board games, watching Aladdin, and plenty of Cadbury eggs. It was a perfect holiday.

Monday we played catch up on small tasks around the house. I scrubbed the floors and got my flower boxes prepped for my succulent garden and birdfeeders hung. Brad made us a yummy grilled chicken dinner and packed for his departure. We truly soaked up every fun and productive moment of this weekend. I am never glad to see time apart arrive again as frequently as it does for us, but it always gives us greater appreciation for what time we do share. I know our first weekend back together in May will be just as sweet or even sweeter than this one was. Let the countdown begin.

Witt Family Easter 2016 + our favorite photobomber

Hope you had a happy Easter doing the things that make you smile with the people you love most!

Friday Funnies

Happy Friday! We made it through another week. I hope you've been graced with the same beautiful spring weather we've been enjoying. To help roll your work week into the spirit of the weekend, here is what made us laugh the hardest at the Witt house this week:

There's a new bunny in town, thanks to Siri. My 14-month-old daughter is fascinated by the home button on my iPhone, so she and Siri are becoming accidental fast friends. As we were rushing out the door I gave Eloise my phone (mom of the year) to get her to sit still while I put my shoes on. Then I said to her, "Are you ready boo-boo bunny?" Boo-boo, one of her many nicknames, has gained a seasonal twist lately with Easter just around the corner. Then Siri chimes in.

I highly recommend listening to Siri say "boobs boobs the bunny" if you need a laugh. The pink bunny Grandma got Eloise for Easter is now affectionately known as Boobs Boobs. Obviously.

I am a bit of an obsessive neat freak. All things must have a home, and I start to feel a little twitchy if things are out of place. You can imagine my delight (and poor Brad's horror) when we caught Eloise organizing her books the other night!! Pulling them all out of her coffee table basket, spreading them out on the floor, and then one-by-one returning them to their rightful place has become a daily activity. Other things she enjoys organizing are puzzle pieces into her mini grocery shopping cart and salad dressing out of and back into the bottom fridge shelf. We laugh so hard watching her toddle back and forth, just the tip of her little tongue sticking out, huffing and puffing, concentrating so hard on which item to put back next. She is absolutely my girl!

Life is bittersweet. The sweet? Our summer trip to Italy! The bitter? Expired passports. At least we had a good laugh at these babies. Don't even get me started on our new pictures. The photo guy made me put a Walgreens shirt over my cute white top so I wasn't a floating head, and then he awkwardly tucked my hair for me. Brad looks like he just committed a felony. Let's just leave it at that.

B+K Circa 2006

Get a whiff of this. Brad tells a lot of the same funny childhood stories about a thousand times each. Just when I thought I had heard them all, this gem surfaced. When they were little, Brad's older brother Preston told him a normal bottle of cologne was actually pheromone cologne. He convinced him that for a small fee, he would share a portion of the magic with him and it would instantly make them both babe magnets. I'm not sure which part I enjoy more, Preston's idea of pheromone cologne or Brad spending all of his birthday money on his lucky purchase.

I couldn't resist sharing the Easter bunny picture my mother-in-law sent me of Brad and Preston. Who needs pheromone cologne when you're rocking red cowboy boots and Pharrell's famous hat before it was cool?

Cheers to the holiday weekend! May your days be sunny, your baskets overflowing, your chocolate eggs plentiful, and your bunny visits minimally traumatic. Happy Easter everyone!

New Life

Bradford hadn't even taken his work books off tonight before I enthusiastically blurted out, "I'm going to start blogging regularly again!" He looked at me with that I'm-happy-for-you-but-I-don't-believe-you look that only comes from an adoring husband. A lot has happened since my last post...in 2014. Gasp!

Rather than write a novel trying to catch you up on the past year and a half, let me tell you why I'm finding myself right back here again. The blunt truth is I really need a place for me. A place to serve as my creative outlet. A place to document this fleeting season of life that is so beautiful but is quickly becoming a colorful blur as it speeds by. I love to write, and in the past few years, I've grown to love reading blogs. I appreciate the inspiration gained from a peek into the lives of friends and fellow bloggers. So here I am again, and I am here to stay. I have set a lot of goals I am ready to achieve to make this something I will be proud of and cherish.

Here we go.

Spring is just around the corner for us. One of the many things I love about Tennessee is that spring actually does arrive in March as opposed to the Michigan "spring" stumbling in late in May. There is nothing better than waking up to realize you can finally hear birds chirping outside. Bright green starts to poke up through the faded mulch of last year. Paired appropriately with Easter, spring always feels like the season of new life to me in so many ways. And given the new life I am aiming to breathe into my blog, I thought a glimpse at what the Easter bunny will be bringing Eloise would be a fun first post to dive back in!

Hide N Squeak Eggs // Bunny Crown Flutter Tee // Princess Bunny Sleep Set

I am definitely one of those moms who has gone all out for holidays since day one with Eloise. I know she won't remember it. I know it's more for us than for her at this stage. But it's never too early to raise a kiddo to crave the magic and joy of holidays like I did (ahem, still do), right? Not to mention the Easter bunny likes to slip in sweet treats like Bunny Bait for Mommy and Daddy...

If you haven't heard of Usborne Books and love building your kids' libraries as much as we do, shout and I'll hook you up with my great friend who is an Usborne consultant. I got That's Not My Bunny as one of tons of free books after hosting an online party a few weeks ago. Easter basket jackpot! Eloise is big into touch and feel texture books right now, so I know she'll adore it. When you say, "Where is bunny's nose?" now she will immediately point it out for you. I'm blown away by how smart she is and how fast she is absorbing. Where did my tiny baby go?

Brad and I will probably have more fun with the egg decorating kit than Eloise will, but I expect she will enjoy a good egg lick or two in the process. Maybe try to throw one at the dog. The possibilities are endless! Our local store also had princess and pirate themed kits, too. I let my kid-at-heart husband choose. Circus eggs it is for us this year.

Last but definitely not least, I must mention Eloise's beautiful Easter basket. My Grandma hand wove and painted Easter baskets for my sister and me when we were little. You could say I'm a bit of a basket snob, but I couldn't be more pleased with the hand made basket woven by sweet Jane from the Etsy shop jasperjane. It is just the right size for tiny hands and has accents of light pink and seagrass woven into the details. We will cherish it forever and on many egg hunts. I can't wait to order more from Jane and support a small business as our family gains more little chicks.

Here's to hoping sunny, spring days are coming your way soon!