fALL fLiNg

Last Saturday we hosted a little *fall fling* with some of our church friends. It was the. perfect. gorgeous. day. We rendezvoused at our place in the early afternoon, had chili+caramel apples for lunch. And yes, these crazy devil's food Halloween cupcakes + chocolate buttercream frosting for dessert. Our friend Tyler did a pretty tricked-out job with the sprinkles, don't you think? {Note: I found these spooky jack-o-lantern picks + matching polka-dotted cupcake papers at Target.} It's too bad that my photos stopped at the cupcake feast...Because afterward, the real fun began. That's when we set out on a hike on our very favorite Land's End cliffs with sunshine + amazing views. The entire group (even 2 year-old Titus) walked all the way to Ocean Beach, where we had high hopes of staking a claim at one of the fire pits for a sunset beach fire. I guess when it's the warmest, most gorgeous Saturday in S.F. ever, everyone else has the same idea...I was so disappointed! But we were flexible...We'll save our trunk full of firewood for some other time. Everyone was perfectly content grilling brats + s'mores back at our place, with or without the sand. All in all, it was a blast!

Who knew Tyler had such strong sprinkle skills?
The extra-sprinkled cupcakes definitely made this little man's day:
Happy Fall + Early Halloween! We are heading home(!!!) on Wednesday to see fam + see my best girl cousin get married this weekend! I know I've been sparse as usual around here lately--but I can't even wait to share all of the pics and fun when we return. Take care, my friends.

filigree jack-o-lanterns

I just adore this front step display from this month's Martha! Isn't this the most welcoming fall entrance? I'd love to see what those pretty pumpkins look like, lit up, at night. See how-to here.

door cozies

In the last month, 3 of the lovely ladies in my life have moved into new places, new first apartments, new states, new adventures. And even though I won't be able to pay a visit to their darling new digs anytime soon, I wanted to send them a little housewarming love. So this weekend I crafted some door cozies--because cute old apartments can be a bit drafty in wintertime (esp. if you live in Washington, Colorado, or Wisconsin like these girlies!!). They were so simple and easy to make. I just had to sew a few straight lines to make tubes out of these groovy Amy Butler fabrics. {My dear friend Fairlight actually sent me these fabric scraps last summer...I knew I'd eventually find the perfect purpose for them!} I filled the tubes with about 3 lbs of rice (!!!), sealed them with another quick seam, and voila! You can see all 3 piled by the door in my craft room in the photo above.
I also made a few little housewarming cards with some my September Scarlet Lime kit goodies. They're officially all tucked into packages, shipped, and on their way. So fun!

delighted

First off--thank you, thank you, each and every one of you, so much for overwhelming me with your sweet + happy comments. I'm blushing and feeling even more blessed! Since breaking the news, the last few days have been nothing short of a whirlwind of fun + excitement. Seriously, fun. Today I received my second little care package of tiny onesies + sour gummies. (Thanks, Kayt!) So funny. Now that everyone knows the key to my tastebuds, I'm happy as a clam. I am loving this candy stash. The only problem is a certain husband claiming to have "sympathy cravings" just so he can score a few bites of my gummi worms. I don't think so. But today I've got the house to myself. Just me, the gummies, the babe, and the books. I'm in full preparation mode...studying up, scouring craigslist for gear, and dreaming of arranging a little nursery. (By the way--your pregnacy/parenting advice is always gladly accepted!) And I'll have these gummies gone and a few more chapters read before he even gets home. I'll worry about gestational diabetes + cavities tomorrow. Today, I'm indulging. So sweet.

surprise!

Today's a very big day. Today's the day I let you in on our little secret:

It's 14 weeks old; 3 inches long; has a healthy, beautiful little heartbeat; a button nose; and two chicken legs. (Can you spy that nobby knee in the ultrasoud pic?) Two skinny little legs that crack us up...And thus, it already has a nickname: Our little spring chicken. It's scheduled to make it's debut in the world in April and we couldn't be more delighted.

And delighted is an understatement. We're completely amazed and in awe of this itty-bitty blessing. Humbled, a little intimidated (I'll be honest), and just plain overwhelmed with joy. And I am so so so thankful that so far, things are looking so good. Our little babe is healthy, growing, and well. {Let me tell you--my paranoia is justified. You'd be more than a little freaked out too if you went to work everyday and nursed sick, sick kiddos...ones with every birth defect in the book. Just need to remember that healthy, perfect babes do exist!} We are so blessed! And ready or not, we're in for another big life chapter and a huge, amazing journey.

If I may say a few words about my brief first-hand experience with pregnancy--I'll sum it up in three points: 1. I've been a complete couch potato. You truly will and do feel exhausted. But it's been a perfect time to read Gone with the Wind and every pregnancy/birth/baby book the library has to offer. 2. While you may feel downright unpleasant and nauseous, you also gain some pretty cool mama super powers: Like a heightened sense of smell. I never knew how badly my fridge needed to be cleaned out, how awful dirty laundry smells, and how absolutely tasty that roast in my crock pot is smelling right about now. 3. The cravings are real. I've never craved and caved to so many sour gummi worms in my life. You know, the kind that are neon colored and sugar-coated? Healthy for a growing little one, I know. ;)

{my} fall foliage

Spied these yummy mums at the g-store this morning. Aren't their two-toned petals so pretty? Just what I needed to feel a bit more like fall in mean, green San Francisco. I'm ready to hop in the car and drive 'til I find a lawn full of leaves to rake...then jump in. Are you with me?

playdate

Yesterday my friend Sarah & I got together to make sock stuffies. {She's flying out tonight to visit 2 brand new nephews and needed a sweet, inexpensive gift...Talk about a super auntie!} It was such a fun, fun, and relatively easy project! Made in one afternoon's time! We began with a pair of cute & colorful knee high socks from Target, a bag of stuffing, and this awesome how-to. Isn't that green argyle to die for? When we started stuffing it--we quickly realized that it was turning into much more of a frog than a monkey! Sock monkeys are so hip right now. Everyone should make one!