"That's Amore" Couples Shower

On Saturday night, my parents hosted a wedding shower for the daughter of their good friends. Leave it to my mom to come up with a great theme, and pull off yet another amazing party. It's a gift, for sure! She chose "That's Amore" and planned a gorgeous Italian event around it.

Luckily some recent rain had the backyard all nice and green, but not too muddy. The weather was perfect, which made the outdoor event much more comfortable. From the entrance to the backyard, to the flower arrangements on the table, all of the details added a special touch.

For appetizers, she had a Bruschetta Bar with three different toppings, and a huge Antipasto platter with fancy cheeses from Whole Foods. There was also a table set up with wine and sparkling water, and Italian sodas and Peroni beer in galvanized containers.

After drinks and apps, the couple opened their gifts before it got too dark (so not ready for the time change!) While they finished up, my mom and I worked to swap out the food table. The dinner menu included traditional lasagna, a vegetarian gnocchi caprese salad, and a tossed green salad. (Unfortunately it got too dark for pictures). We rounded out the meal with Italian Cream Cupcakes and "Amore" cookie favors, courtesy of Sweet Elise. I think everyone had a great time, and it was such a clever theme for a wedding shower.

A few tips for planning/hosting a party:

1- Don't think you have to do ALL the cooking yourself. My mom took her lasagna trays to Pasta & Co and had them make a ready to cook lasagna in them, then made the Gnocchi Caprese salad herself. She also picked up the cheeses and used her skills to put together her own tray.

2- Music! What did we do before the days of Pandora or iTunes Radio? I just typed in "Rat Pack" in Pandora, and had an immediate playlist just perfect for the party.

3- Don't skip the small stuff. DIY is always a great way to add special (and inexpensive) touches to a party. The Amore banner at the party entrance was such a fun way to welcome guests, and a really easy thing to make yourself.

What party planning tips do you swear by?

Stellabration: A 4th Birthday Party

Yep- it's been awhile. We've been busy with kitchen and wedding and birthday celebrations. So I thought it only appropriate to share one of my most recent baking projects for a very special 4th birthday party. It was a real Stellabration!!

My friend Joy contacted me months ago (literally, like 6 months ago), to make sure she got on my baking calendar for her daughter Stella's 4th birthday party. She had been stalking the new Target "Oh Joy" collection, and stocked up on paper goods and decorations the day they were available. She sent me a picture for inspiration, and asked that I make a cake and coordinating cookies.

Coming up with the designs was really pretty simple, and I kept the look and feel pretty simple too. Sometimes less is more! I loved the ombre cake in the inspiration picture, but needed a larger cake for the party. I never get tired of the petal technique, and knew it would fit perfectly with the ombre feel of the top tier. You can't have a Stellabration without a little sparkle, so I grabbed some turquoise sparkle letters at Michaels, added a thick layer of Mod Podge to keep them from shedding, and made a name cake topper. I was thrilled with how fun her cake turned out.

Joy also wanted cookie favors to send home with the guests, and the dot paper lanterns jumped out at me immediately. Using gold luster dust, I was able to replicate them almost exactly. I added a
turquoise S to tie it all together, along with a fun custom tag.

It was a super hot day, and thankfully the staff at Kiddie Acres allowed us to keep the buttercream cake inside their air conditioned offices until it was time to cut it. Otherwise, it wouldn't have lasted more than 5 minutes. I think the kids had a great time riding rides and horses while the parents hung out in whatever shade they could find. Overall, it was the perfect Stellabration!

More fun pictures from the always talented Melanie Wright Photography:

Progress

I'm not sure if I mentioned that while we're remodeling the kitchen, we're also installing new flooring in our master. Last weekend we had to clear out our bedroom (and closet), and move temporarily into the guest room so the floors could be done. There's nothing quite like sharing a queen size bed with 4 furry friends. Brees rarely sleeps with us, but for some reason this week decided that she wanted to cuddle too. Good times!

I think that all of the work in the house has been a little stressful for the pups. They got to go to Puppy PlayCare each day (to get them out of the way of the workers), but they both had upset stomachs Thursday and Friday, and haven't been eating like they usually do. Thankfully we're in the home stretch this week, and expect to have the majority of the work in the kitchen finished by Saturday. At least work that requires the help of professionals. We will still have a laundry list of finishing touches that could take us another month or so.

The new floors are gorgeous, but after seeing them installed I realized that our current bedding is not going to work. So now I'm on the hunt for a new duvet cover and pillows. I think we're going to stick with something very neutral, and then add some fun printed pillows.

Here is our bedroom BEFORE (with really ugly brown carpet):

Here is the bedroom AFTER (minus all of our furniture):

It was nice being back in our bed last night, and not feeling quite so cramped. I think we're all getting used to the change, but I really love how it turned out. The new floor is pecan, laid in a herringbone patterned and finished with white rubio oil. It's pretty spectacular, and we feel really lucky to have it!

Putting the "Labor" in Labor Day Weekend

Three day weekends are supposed to be fun and relaxing, right? Well, we took advantage of the extra day so that we could finally complete the rest of the demo on our kitchen, install new cabinets, and make whatever progress we could before our beautiful new floors are installed next week.

This picture does not even begin to show how much crap is spread throughout the house. I couldn't bring myself to take a picture of it because my OCD was in overdrive. Everything that was in the old cabinets was scattered about the rest of house. Such a mess!

After a few bumps (like not being able to salvage the sink and countertops to use temporarily), I felt like we got a whole lot finished. We were certainly lucky to have the tremendous help from our fur babies, too.

Bailey sleeping on the job

So for the next two weeks we will be without a kitchen sink, and the second week we won't have access to the kitchen at all (bye bye refrigerator). It's not going to be easy, but with some careful planning and gracious invites from friends, we won't have to eat out for 2 weeks worth of meals. I just keep telling myself it will all be worth it in the end.


Done:

Old flooring removed
Old cabinets removed
Painting finished
New cabinets installed
Kitchen cleared out for new flooring installation


To be done:

Install new range hood
Cut and install filler panels for corner cabinets
Install new flooring (handled by professionals)
Install new countertops (handled by professionals)
New lighting (both canned and pendants)
Install hardware
Buy new furniture for seating area (this is waaaaayyyy down the road right now)

Unexplained Infertility

Unexplained infertility is the official diagnosis I received when I met with a reproductive endocrinologist last week. It was not exactly what I expected to hear, nor were the treatments that the recommended. But this is our story, like it or not.

After a year of trying to start a family (with no success, obviously), and a chemical pregnancy two months ago, I decided to seek help. My OB recommended Dr. Mo, and I was lucky to get a last minute cancellation at his practice. Hank happened to be out of town for work, so I went by myself. We had a very candid conversation, and he reviewed all of our previous testing at length. The good news? We are still both totally and completely healthy, with no obvious issues that would be preventing me from getting pregnant. After an ultrasound, he even confirmed that my reproductive system is functioning a few years younger than my actual age. So why isn't it working?!

Everyone's favorite response seems to be "just relax, and it will happen then." Easier said than done, especially when age 39 is knocking on the door. The truth is (at my age), that it doesn't always happen that easy. Obviously there is a certain time of the month that it's most likely to happen, so it takes some careful observation to make sure you know when that sweet spot is. I don't think taking a few steps to monitor your cycle is going overboard. I don't even really think I've stressed out about it that much, other than being disappointed each month when it doesn't happen.

Prior to meeting with Dr. Mo, I started seeing an acupuncturist to help with managing stress. After a rough few months at work, I figured it couldn't hurt. I've also read a ton of information on acupuncture helping with your reproductive system. Since we have an acupuncturist on staff at our office wellness center, and it only costs me $10 a visit- I knew I had to give it a try. I look forward to those appointments, and I have to believe that it's doing some kind-of good for my body and mind. 

I have never been much of a medicine person, and Hank and I have had strong feelings about the length we would go to to conceive a child. Those things combined made my appointment with the doctor a little overwhelming. Because of my diagnosis and good health, I'm not a candidate for any middle ground treatment like taking Clomid. I really didn't go into the appointment expecting to hear the recommendations that he gave. But I listened, took notes, and talked it all through with Hank over the weekend. We went back to the Dr. on Tuesday and formulated a plan. 

Mid October we will start a cycle of Intrauterine Insemination (IUI for short). We'll do two rounds of this if necessary. If neither of those work, we'll take a little break, and then discuss doing IVF early next year. I feel really good about this plan, and so does the doctor. Even better is the fact that my insurance will cover all 3 of these procedures, should we end up having to carry out the plan in full. If none of those work, then we will be done. 

Over the weekend I felt sad, disappointed and frustrated. Sad that we wouldn't be able to take a more natural approach, and disappointed that the day I find out I'm pregnant will be way more clinical than I ever imagined. I'm also frustrated that there isn't a tangible reason why it's not happening for us. Luckily I don't feel angry or jealous of all of the people I know who are pregnant, and I hope to never feel that way. Yes, I want it to happen for us. But there is no reason to be jealous.

Not knowing a ton of people who have gone through infertility issues has made it a somewhat difficult thing to talk about, and I hope to change that. There is no shame in what we're going through, and the more stories I hear, the better I feel. I'm not sure how much I'll actually write about our procedures, but this little blog is our family journal, and it has always felt like a safe place for sharing. If writing about it helps connect me to others, then all the better.

So now we get to chill out for the next 1 1/2 months, and continue to enjoy our happy little life. Our kitchen remodel is going full steam (well, after this weekend it will be), and we've got lots to do around the house. We have so much to be thankful for, and it's important to me that we just stay positive. 

Blair's First Birthday Fiesta

A couple of weekends ago we celebrated my nephew Blair's first birthday. It's incredible to me that an entire year has gone by since the day he was born. I'll never forget how excited our family was to have a little baby boy. He most certainly has not disappointed, and is just so much fun to be around. He is a mover and a shaker, and BOY does he like to get around. He's walking on his own, and he LOVES to eat. Watching him gobble up his cake was so much fun!

Blair the Birthday Boy

My sister outdid herself with a super cute birthday party. From succulents potted in salsa cans, to fresh churros- no detail was missed. We went down to San Marcos early to help set up, and there was quite a bit to do. I made Hank promise that if we ever have a baby, that I will be just fine with a pizza and beer first birthday party. I don't ever want to work that hard again.

Sombrero Showdown- Who wore it best?  

Here are a few of my favorite details from the party:

*Flowers handpicked from the garden, casually displayed in Topo Chico bottles and metal containers.
*Agua Fresca, lemonade, Topo Chico and bottles of Coke for drinks.
*Taco bar with plenty of salsas and fixings.
*Homemade praline party favors.
*Piñata and pin the tail on the donkey for games.

Of course, no family birthday party is complete without a Sweet Elise cake. I made a Papel Picado smash cake to match the party invitations, and Churro Cupcakes for everyone else. Blair had a blast going to town on his cookie and cake.

Family fun:

Sister's Family

Siblings (sorry Blake- there's no tool to fix closed eyes)

Baking Lately- Summer Edition

If you don't follow my Sweet Elise Facebook Page, then you're missing out on some of the fun baking projects I've worked on lately.  Holidays, birthday parties, and showers- OH MY! It's been a busy summer, and I'm looking forward to a much needed break in the month of September so that we can get our kitchen remodel finished. I promised Hank I would not take on any jobs for the whole month. We'll see how that goes.

First up- cakes. I'm always hesitant to take on character cakes, mainly because they often involve the use of fondant. That is my least favorite medium, as I much prefer buttercream. But I did manage to pull off a super cute panda and a lamb, so at least I know I can do them if asked. My  most favorite cake of all was the Papel Picado cake that I made for my nephew's first birthday. I'll post more details this week as my sister really outdid herself for the fiesta.

I don't mind making cakes, but I really love working on cookies. These really are my favorite things to make, and I feel like I haven't been able to do as many as I would like lately. I'm working on two orders over the next two weeks though, and before you know it, it will be time for holiday cookies. I can't wait!

Finally, I have made a few fun cupcakes. The Churro cupcakes for Blair's fiesta were delicious! I'm also working on a batch of floral cupcakes for a bridal shower this weekend. I'm making wafer paper flowers for the first time, and I can't wait to share the project with you. I have high hopes for how it turns out.