Weekend recap: Chicago style

Historically I’ve not been the best at weekend recaps. Especially weekends that involve all of my favorite females in one room, baby snuggles and Chicago nights. I suppose it could be because recapping a weekend means it’s over and I have to accept the finality of it all. And just like knowing when to end […]

Read More

Super Spring Break

If you couldn’t tell from my overgramming last week, my nephews (and my sister) came to visit us to celebrate their spring break. Unfortunately I spent most of the week at work, but I’m grateful for the afternoons and evenings I spent brushing up on my toilet humor, identifying fire ant hills and avoiding getting […]

Read More

April Showers

wedding shower, bridal shower, babies, wedding season, spring bridal shower, champagne bar, wedding cake

It’s wedding season! Doesn’t it seem like just yesterday we were all getting together for bridal showers and bachelorette parties every other weekend? Truth is it’s been a while since we all got together to celebrate a wedding. That’s why Matt and I decided to be the last. You know, to build the suspense and excitement. […]

Read More

The votes are in

birthday layer cake, ombre layer cake, white birthday cake, buttercream icing, blue ombre layer cake, birthday, holiday, baking,

And apparently you like my random musings. According to my content poll, many of you prefer random musings and the method in which I determine my blog content (which is basically whatever pops into my head) so I’m just going to do as you say and keep on keepin on. Feel free to comment below […]

Read More

Doing more with less

This year I’ve decided to keep my resolutions simple. Less of an attempt to reach specific goals and more of an attempt to give more of myself to those around me. More eye contact Less technology More recipes Fewer restaurants More risks Less fear More sweat Fewer excuses More focus Less multitasking More dog walks […]

Read More

Love Languages and Christmas Cookies

holiday cookies, christmas, sugar cookies, royal icing, christmas cookies, baking, iced cookies

It’s hard to believe another Christmas is already upon us. A chance to look back on the past year and celebrate your accomplishments. A chance to look forward and make resolutions for the coming year. And a chance to visit that familiar self-induced hell of cookie decorating. Just kidding. Kind of. They say people fit into […]

Read More

Holiday Greetings

greater swiss mountain dog, swissy, finn, christmas card, christmas, holiday, dog,

Happy Holidays! I’ll begin this holiday greeting by apologizing for cheating you all out of a printed Christmas card this year. Especially because opening holiday cards and hanging them up is one of my favorite traditions and I may or may not still have all of yours from the past four years in a storage box because recycling them would […]

Read More

A Christmas wish

greater swiss mountain dog, puppy, finn, swissy, gsmd, dog,

Dear Santa, This is Finnegan Murphy here. You may not have our new address because my family moved to a place where there is no snow in the wintertime. If anyone will understand my situation it’s you. I’m a Swiss MOUNTAIN dog for goodness sake. I live for snow. I like to pounce in the […]

Read More

Awkward Family Photos

family photographs, children, photography, springfield, illinois, old state capital, christmas cards, holiday, boys

Every year around this time, my sister off-handily asks me to bring my camera home to “take a couple of pictures of the boys for a Christmas card.” Seems easy enough, right? Well it used to be. Back before said boys knew what capturing a decent photograph entailed. Things like real clothes, real smiles and real […]

Read More