Wednesday, June 19, 2013

{happy birthday olive}

Olive celebrated her birthday on Tuesday! We got our baby girl two years ago, on June 18, 2011, and they thought she was about a year old. Since we don't know her exact birthday, we just celebrate on the day that we got her, and say that she's three years old!

We adopted our baby OliveDuff from a local organization that rescues small dogs from local shelters. Olive was originally an animal hoarders dog, and was eventually taken to a shelter when her owner could no longer care for all of her animals. We found her at a local Petco, at an adoption event. She was so sweet, barely made a sound, and we knew it was meant to be when Robert picked her and she put her head on his shoulder. On the way home, she cuddled into my lap like it was the one place in the world she was meant to be. 

If you've ever met Olive, you know that she's something special. She truly is one of the sweetest dogs you will ever come across, and really only barks or growls when you're playing with her. In fact, she didn't make one sound for the first two weeks that we had her, until Rober taught her how "to speak." 

She's my baby girl, and she most definitely knows that I'm her mom. I'm her person; when she's overwhelmed or scared, especially when there are a lot of people around, she wants me to hold her. Nobody else will do, and she'll follow me around until I do pick her up. She's a good girl, and doesn't run away when we open the door. We'll actually let her outside without a leash at all, because we know she'll come running to us as soon as we call her name. I honestly never thought that I would be in love with this dog as much as I am, but I know for a fact that we were all meant to be a family. 
Why yes, I did bake her a cake, which she absolutely loved. And that blurry photo with her birthday hat was the best we could get. She definitely doesn't like wearing anything on her head! For presents, she got her favorite Greenies, a pretty new harness (with a bow) and a matching leash! She was one happy girl on Tuesday.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

{mint julep}

Now, I'm not really a whiskey girl, but every once in a while my husband will make something that even I can appreciate. Last year he found some mint julep cups at our local flea market, and he's been dying to try his hand at this classic cocktail! We planted our mint a few weeks ago, and it's just now starting to grow, so he decided Saturday was the day. Let me tell you, it's not only a pretty and fun cocktail, but it's absolutely delicious as well!
To make a mint julep, just place about ten mint leaves in the bottom of your cup and pour the simple syrup on top. Gently muddle the leaves with a spoon (don't pulverize them), and pour in your in bourbon. Place some of your crushed ice in the glass and gently stir it all together, and then top with more crushed ice to create an almost snow cone. Enjoy!

Monday, June 17, 2013

{calligraphy for a charming occasion}

If you like my Facebook page, you're probably so tired of hearing this already, but I just had to share with all of you! One of my dearest vendor friends just happens to be one of my favorite photographers, and I am so fortunate that she's always willing to help me out with special projects when they come up. She agreed to photograph some samples of my calligraphy so that I could update my Etsy shop, and open up a Cloud Parade shop. I got them back Saturday morning, and I am SO excited with how they all turned out!
Thank you so much to Anna Delores Photography for the photos!

If you're looking for some calligraphy for your wedding or a special project, you can see my Etsy shop here! I love working with people on fun, creative projects, such as logos, certificates, poems, quotes, and so many other things, so feel free to email me if you are looking for something in particular, or even if you want to chat about what your options are.

{monday's mantra}

Happy Monday everyone! Hope you all had a fabulous weekend. Robert and I went on dates three nights in a row this past weekend, which is pretty much unheard of. I always love spending time with him, so I would say we had a great few days. We saw This is the End (absolutely hilarious) and Man of Steel (didn't like at all), and then used a gift card to get drinks on Saturday. Sunday we went to Orange County to spend the day with our dads, and didn't get back until late last night. In all, I'm most definitely ready to start my week refreshed. Here's to hoping that this week is better than the last. 
What's your mantra this week?