Let there be Light!

I've mentioned that we are currently working non-stop on the house (thank goodness for online orders!!  I'm getting a little to used to getting a package everyday).  

I've spent countless hours on overstock, wayfair, craigslist and discount sites like ballard design, joss&main, and onekingslane....looking for the perfect and AFFORDABLE light fixtures.  My budget was pretty tight - trying to spend less than $50 on hallway fixtures, and around $100-$150 on main fixtures like the living room and kitchen.  

I was able to find some that I'm really excited about (they are being installed this weekend! - paul is becoming an expert): 

Over the Kitchen table: 

{Metal-rimmed Off White 20-inch Chandelier}

Living Room: 

{Jada Clear Glass Beads Flush Mount Chandelier in Brushed Oak}

Hallway & Entryway: 

{Left: from Joss&Main Nuvo Lighting Decker Semi-flush Mount (was on sale), Right: from Home Depot Progress Lighting 3-light Flushmount}

**flush mounts are sooooo hard for me to pick out - I can't stand the standard dome ones - and most I like are around $100 a piece - not friendly for my budget when I need to buy at least 5 or 6!

Joss&Main is a great source for lighting sales - they have a great one going on now through Saturday! Below are some of my favorites:

{Springfield Chandelier in Satin Nickel}

{Warren Convertible Pendant I in Antiqued Brass - really thinking about grabbing this!}

{Ashbury Semi-Flush Mount in Antique Gold}

{Calhoun Pendant - for the bigger budget}

{Equinox 4-Light Pendant in Burnished Silver}

Below are some more finds from Overstock: 

{Shea 9-light Chandelier - loved but over my budget}

{Quoizel 'Mirren' 5-light Chandelier}

{Left: Angelo Antique Copper Lantern Chandelier, Right: Antique Copper-Finish 60-Watt Glass Lantern Chandelier}

{Left: Antique Copper Finish Glass Lantern Flushmount Chandelier, Right: Vintage Elle 1-light Matte Pendant (super affordable only $35!!)}

If anyone else has some great finds, please send my way! We still have 2 more fixtures to replace...

I'll be posting updates next week from this weekend's upgrades in the Lashway home.

Roasted Salmon

A couple weeks ago we bought some frozen Alaskan Salmon from Trader Joes.  Paul pulled it out of the freezer on Friday morning and ask that I cook it for dinner (I was working from home due to the snow - even Boston will close for 12-14").  While working from the couch, I caught an episode of Ina Garten's cooking show Barefoot Contessa.  I generally always love her recipes; they are simple & delicious while using natural ingredients.  Anyways, she happened to be highlighting a roasted fish recipe and I it was so simple that I was able to make it for dinner.  The trick was using parchment paper for the roasting, it keeps in all the flavoring and moisture.  Paul's mom gives us rolls of over 250+ parchment paper sheets at a time...we use it for everything (we even line the refrigerator shelves with it!).

While it's pretty easy to follow, you can read the full recipe here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/herb-roasted-fish-recipe/index.html

I seasoned both with salt, pepper, and olive oil.  I finished two with lemon juice and thyme (fresh is best but I didn't have any) and seasoned Paul's with lemon juice and soy sauce.  I've been trying to avoid soy in my diet lately...which is hard since it is in everything!!

{to seal the paper, brush edges with a simple egg wash}

{start rolling from one corner and finish on the other end by folding the corner under}

{place in a baking sheet and cook at 400 degrees for 15 minutes}

ta-da!

**and while some people may be skeeved out about eating fish while pregnant, I decided one serving of fish every now and then won't give the baby too much mercury.  And it's way better than feeding the baby processed foods with additives and gmo's...in my humble opinion...ya just gotta do what you think is best!** 

A Fresh, Clean Start

I love decorating for Christmas.  But I love taking it all down just as much - or at least I did this year.  Maybe with the baby on the way I felt the need to get our house in order just a little bit more than usual.  We took our Christmas decorations down before New Year's Eve and it honestly felt really nice to start the year off with a clean, organized house.  Of course one of my focal points was the mantel, there is very little on it now and it makes me really, really happy. 

{view from Christmas}

{view from New Year's Day}

I bought a 2014 Rifle Paper calendar at a little shop in San Fran when we were there.  I love the prints each month and the colors work really well with my decorating style.  Typically you would frame or hang a calendar, but for now, ours is resting high up on the mantel. 

{I love all of Rifle Paper Co. calendars - bought the Secret Garden one for my mom as well!}

Below are a few months I'm really looking forward to turning to this year: 

{Our baby's arrival month and Washington D.C. happens to be the location of Paul's and my first date <3 }

{our little one will be a few months old - maybe we will take a ferry ride over to Nantucket for my birthday in July}

{would go back to San Fran in November every year if I could}

Some other updates:

Paul and I are feverishly preparing our house for sweet pea's arrival.  We are both leading a few projects that we plan to complete before April 7th (3 months from today!!)  I'll be posting the finished results I'm sure, and maybe a few progress posts in between.

Nursery: all me! I've been on overstock, wayfair, craigslist, ikea, etc to be able to furnish her room on a reasonable budget (with a few gifted items as well - thanks mom!)  I have it all planned out and will hopefully be able to share it soon.

Basement: Paul is leading the way on getting our dark green (god-awful) tile floor replaced with a warmer, brighter hardwood.  I plan to paint the walls and set up the guest room down there for my mom's visits that are sure to become more frequent.

Light fixtures: It's time to replace the fixtures the builder selected 13 years ago with some that fit our home's style a little better. A few are arriving from overstock next week!

Paint: We are in the middle of picking out paint for the entire house.  It hasn't been painted since it was built and is in desperate need of a fresh coat.  I actually enjoy painting and plan to do one room at a time.  

oh and a Gun License: Paul wanted me to add that he is currently lining up classes and exams to obtain his MA gun/hunting license so he can go hunting with his Dad this Fall and get our daughter some local grassfed meat for the winter!

That's it for now! and by the way - War Eagle! SUCH a great season - unexpectedly :)  

Already excited for next season!

Sun In My Belly

Paul and I spent a week in GA for Christmas, flying back to Boston on Christmas night.  I was able to meet up with some of my girlfriends from Auburn for an early breakfast - 8am on a Saturday! It was the Saturday before Christmas and with all of our holiday schedules...it was the only time we could all meet.  I haven't lived in Atlanta for over 3 years now so I'm so glad I have friends that know of cute places for brunch.  They def know what I will like from all the brunch posts I have done on here.  Even though we don't get that much quality time together these days...it's always nice that we catch right back up - and I know this blog helps fill in the gaps just a little bit <3

{Dorsey, Meredith, Me and Amanda}

We went to Sun in My Belly...(which is exactly what I could use as I write this in single digit Boston weather!) it was beautifully decorated which I was able to capture since we were literally the first ones in the restaurant! It's located between Little 5 Points and Decatur in a historic building.

{coffee station while you wait - would love this in my home!}

{hellloooo DIY}

{patio seating for a sunnier day}

{loved the color scheme, the seating, and also the food...}

{to celebrate us actually being able to schedule this...I indulged on a southern biscuit and some coffee}

{have you had a pimento BLT? or PBLT? well I have...and it's def Sun in my Belly}

If you haven't been - it's a great spot!  Would be amazing for a girl's brunch, a dinner party, or even a shower!

Oh and Happy New Year!!  Paul and I rang in the new year with friends - an apartment crawl was organized which was so much fun that I actually stayed out til after 1am.  We spent new year's day sleeping in, making a big breakfast, cleaning out the nursery room, and a binge-fest of Walking Dead.  It really was the best day...which I think is leading into the best year. 

Baby Lashway is a.....

...GIRL!!!!

{see video at the end}

Paul and I can't believe we are going to have a DAUGHTER! We've been flowing through a range of emotions from excitement to nervousness.  Now the prepping can really begin! At 20wks+1 today I'd say it's about time!

A few things to note: No one knew the gender, including Paul and myself! We delivered a sealed envelope to the baker who was great by the way! She is located in Cumming and followed specific instructions to the "t".  Check her out at: http://creationsbakeryonline.com/ We asked for light orange batter for girl and light blue batter for boy, to stay with the Auburn theme.  My one regret is I didn't announce that orange meant GIRL to everyone before we cut the cake - but I think people caught on pretty quickly ;) 

Below are pics from the entire day...my prayers were answered for safe arrivals, great weather, and a GREAT game!!  Paul's family traveled down for the memorable weekend - so happy we were able to share this moment with both families...means a lot.  A BIG thank you to my mom who did a ton of planning to make this tailgate happen.  With extended family & friends in town for the reveal and the game...she hosted 60 people at the tailgate without a hitch! 

{how cute is the pacifier?}

{nice "kissy face" Carson - it's what you get for photo-bombing!}

{amazing petit-fours}

{raw reaction!}

{some documenting by Rob}

{saving the baby tiger...a 1st birthday cake topper perhaps?}

{lite orange batter - the cake tasted really good - lemon or orange flavor}

{some table shots}

{the votes! pretty even}

{I was able to meet my friend Ashley's 2wk old baby girl}

{probably the closest we'll get to the real thing until April!}

Now on to the game...

{the infamous student section that I miss so much!}

{our eagle, Nova}

{after the WIN!}

and finally...the quick video...thank you Rob for being such a great videographer! 

San Fran!

First - I should start this post off by giving a big THANK YOU to a local food company in Boston called Boloco. {boloco.com} We won this trip back in the spring thanks to Paul's witty entry in a thier Sweet 16 contest - 2nd place prize was a trip to San Fran (flights & hotel).  Paul eats there 5 days a week, and I average a close 80% during the week - so you could say our investment in the company paid off ;)  It was perfect timing for a "baby moon" and it being somewhat free helped out our "baby budget!"

I decided to highlight what we did in a somewhat chronological order... Paul pretty much planned the whole trip (no surprise there).  Sure we hit up touristy spots, but he made sure to find out where the locals eat and we had some of the best dining experiences ever! 

{arrived on a Sunny Friday just in time for lunch @ Cafe de la Presse}

We spent the rest of Friday walking the city, we hit up Lombard St., Chinatown, & the Fisherman's wharf...then ended the night at Absinthe for a late dinner.

Saturday was jam-packed - Started it off @ Mama's - a must! 

 After stuffing ourselves, we headed over to do an Alcatraz audio tour...since Paul has a legit distaste for tourist traps - I thought he would hate this - but it wound up being one of his favorite parts of the trip! 

{We went to the Ferry Building for lunch}

Another highlight of our weekend....and one that will go down in the books as best burger for Paul....was when we hit up SUPER DUPER BURGER for a "snack" between lunch and dinner...our dinner reservations weren't until 9:30pm...and we were on vacation which meant we ate every 2-3 hours obvi! He ordered a double pattie w/ a fried egg for only $8.50...he was so pumped!  Hands down better than In&Out! eek!

{so hard to get pictures with just the two of us traveling - in the lobby of our hotel - Prescott Kimpton}

Dinner at Rich Table - another local spot and def a must try!  Only about 15 tables total, difficult to get a reservation apparently - but we were able to squeeze in a late one somehow. They serve really interesting dishes...including dried porcini doughnuts with melted raclette cheese (pictured) and Sardine Chips w/ Horseradish sauce (also pictured).

As I mentioned last week - we ventured over to Potrero Hill on Sunday morning.  

It was so nice - had a bunch of cute shops, including a sidewalk patio :)

Afterwards, we rented bikes and ventured over the Golden Gate bridge for lunch in Saulsalito.

I have to mention the gymnasium(?) we found on our bike ride...Paul couldn't help himself and immediately eyed the rings for a few muscle-ups...  This idea could come in handy when we are broke with kids and need to set up a crossfit gym in our backyard. 

Crossfit moves didn't stop there....

{the obligatory San Fran picture :) }

I think I'll end this post on MY favorite thing from the trip...dinner @ Foreign Cinema on our last night.  Set in an alley almost, the restaurant has a cool & romantic vibe all at the same time.  With red patio lights and outdoor heaters, the mood is set to have a delicious meal while a foreign film plays on the back drop.  While we were there, A Royal Affair was playing - a romance set in the 18th century.  It was perfect.  All of it.  The food, my date, the film, and the venue! 

Hope you enjoyed this long post! Special thanks to Paul's friends for all of their recommendations! 

I have a feeling we'll be back...

Plow

Many of you know...but we went to San Fran this past weekend! I plan to do an "overall" post on the trip later but I couldn't wait to write about our amazing brunch experience at plow.  It's in the Potrero Hill area (sooo cute) and the only way we found it was because Paul loves asking locals where we should eat - aka avoiding tourist traps (die).  This place was recommended by a cool young couple and I'm soooo happy he asked! 

I grabbed a few pics of the interior from google images - it was so crowded and busy that I didn't want to be that girl walking around taking photos while people are just waking up with their first cup of coffee. 

Now back to my pictures...

{people in San Fran apparently love to wait in line - this was at 7:40am!!}

{almost all of the restaurants had bottle service water - reminded me of St. Barts}

{I allowed myself one cup of amazing coffee - it was my first in months - I'm still reminiscing}

{I was overly excited - and in a great mood for the rest of the day - go figure}

{my favorite take-away from the city was all the fresh food}

{paul ordered the plow}

{we split the BEST pumpkin muffin we have ever had - you can order them while they last}

{almond flour pancakes}

{the plow}

{my fried egg sandwich - didn't realize it was "over easy" until it came so I just ate around it - I had already had plenty of food anyways}

....this place is a MUST if you visit San Fran...

Fall 2013 Favorites

thought it would be fun to do a post things I'm lovin' these days... 

 with nursery planning + new fall items + blogs...I've found plenty to lust after.

Some of these things were already gifted to me, some of them I got a deal on, and some of them are on my dream christmas list (only 55 days left!) 

Have any of you every used polyvore?  I love it.  You can clip items from any site to your library and make inspiration boards from there.  I used it for my wedding, nursery (to be revealed soon), and this! 

1. Johnnie Boden Embellished Ballet Flats - love at first sight!

2. Sheep Skin Rug - can't wait to use this in the nursery...and then eventually over a chair.

3. Copper Tea Kettle - been wanting this for a while...found it on Joss&Main for $35 (now sold out) - but this overstock price is way better compared to most I've seen.

4. Empire Rocker - my dream rocker

5. PB Tuscan Urn - how pretty would mums be in this?

6. Target Pave Bracelet - similar to the J Crew bracelet - but only $20 bucks!

7. H&M Knitted Sweater - I can't seem to have too many cream sweaters...

8. W&S Spiced Chestnut Collection - W&S figured out a way to put Autumn in a bottle (great gift!)

9. J Crew Maternity Pants - did anyone else know jcrew has a maternity line?? My uniform could be skinny colored pants and a sweater top - wear it every day - so these would be perfect

New Bedding

One thing that changes my morning from "ehhh" to "ahhh" is a nicely made bed.  I try to make our bed 85% of the time...I have also been known to make my bed in a hotel room...  It helps me think clearer...my whole "getting ready" process a little smoother with a put-together room.  

Some brand new bedding is always bed-making motivation! I ordered the Pottery Barn euro shams and duvet for my birthday way back in July - and the duvet finally arrived last week. I was a little nervous about combining the gray with the sandalwood color...but I actually love it.  It's not too much of one color, and doesn't look like it came from a set/bag.  Also, for all of you that are sticklers on coloring matching the seasons...these are cooler summer colors I agree...but I live in the epicenter of Fall.  So all I have to do is walk outside to get that Fally feeling...and the rest of our house has some new splashes of dark orange and gold to make the place a little warmer - post on that coming!

Below is a shot of the old version.  

{I mixed and matched the neutral shades & textures....and I'm sure I'll throw in a pop of color soon}

We're expecting a special delivery...in April 2014!

I'm pregnant y'all!!!....our pumpkin is set to arrive on April 7, 2014! 

We are soooo excited!!!! 

Most of our family and close friends know - and if we've seen you in the past few weeks, then it has probably come up - we are horrible secret keepers.

Jenny took these pictures for us over the weekend while celebrating Paul and Rob's (35th!!!) birthday at his parent's house - I'd say it was about time a baby came into the mix :) 

{pumpkin was 13 wks old in this pic - measuring at a whopping 7.5cm}

{one thing I know for sure - our little sweet pea will be an Auburn fan - thank you Anna for our baby's first booties!}

{random - Paul can juggle - excited to see him juggle being a Dad}

Mantel Change-up

First - Happy Birthday to my husband Paul!!  I've highlighted him plenty on the blog - so no special post for him today -  I'm sure he is grateful.  One way I did make his birthday better was....saving money! 

I get bored with our decor pretty quickly, so one way to combat spending a whole lot on updates is to just add some new colors in the mix and rearrange what I already have. Some popular ways to update a room are to paint (in the plans), rearrange furniture (tried that) and rearrange accessories (my fav). as you've seen here.

I have yet to give in to the urge of installing the TV above the fireplace.  It makes sense, it balances out the room, but I just can't give up one of my favorite spaces to decorate.  

{mini white pumpkins from Trader Joe's - my favorite season is officially here!}

{personalized touches}

{this convex mirror was originally pewter, I painted it gold with my most fav thing..gilding wax! seen here}

{I'm a little late to join the eagle mirror band-wagon - but I happily jumped on}

Brass is Back!

and so am I!

I guess you could say I took the summer off from blogging.  It was a great summer!

Anywho - this post features one of my favorite things lately....brass! It's back in every design blog/magazine and I loveeee it. 

For Jenny's wedding day, the bridesmaids threw her a breakfast in her room and I was able to bring all of my favorite new brass/gold pieces to make it extra fancy.  Over the summer my mom found two old sets of brass flatware in her basement.  My grandfather bought them overseas years ago; they are super old with amazing details.  I'm so lucky to have these - I will be using them for years.  I found the brass chargers at an antique shop for next to nothing.

We served greek yogurt with toppings, pastries, freshly brewed coffee and mimosas.

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

It all started with finding some cute cupcake holders on clearance at Target. Sandy pulled out an old recipe from a dear friend that she had at the cottage and we whipped up some classic breakfast muffins.  I have been on a lemon kick this summer...so the lemon-blueberry combination was very fitting.

{ingredients not pictured: 1tsp of Vanilla and 2 cups of blueberries}

{the recipe calls for 8oz of lemon yogurt - I was able to add some extra protein with greek yogurt}

{1 zested lemon}

{dough will be thick but the blueberries will turn the muffins moist}

{random picture - but baking tip - if you have empty bins add water to them for even baking}

{"bake until you can't hear them anymore" Sandy}

Taste Tests:

 Recipe:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Mix dry ingredients
Mix in wet ingredients
Fold in Blueberries (2 cups)
Add lemon zest - one lemon
Spoon heaping portions into cupcake pan
Sprinkle tops with granulated sugar
Bake for 18-20 minutes, depending on oven

27th Birthday @ Temazcal

Thanks for all of the sweet well wishes yesterday.  The years just keep getting better and better.  Can't believe I'm actually in my late 20's...when I was in college this seemed so far away. The older I get the faster time goes by, and all I want to do is slow things down. I have a new appreciation for sunblock, hydration, early bedtimes and early rises, classic wardrobe pieces, books, and stretching...just to name a few.  Paul and I celebrated my actual birthday (friends&family celebrations happened over the wknd) in a pretty low key manner, just the two of us at the restaurant Tezmacal (check out more here)  It's in the Seaport area in Boston, which holds some of the best restaurants in the city.

{lime marinated grilled chicken tacos}

{chile-lime skirt steak fajitas}

{the seaport}

North Country - Chittenden, VT

We attended a wedding in Chittenden, VT two weeks ago and I fell in love.  We were right in the middle of mountains with a natural lake to boot.  It made me feel like I was right back in North GA. I mentioned to Paul that this could be a place I could raise a family - but then he reminded me that we were in Vermont and they have feet of snow covering the ground 6 months out of the year. hmm.  

We woke up early on Saturday morning and jumped in a kayak - it was right before the wind picked up so the water was like glass.  We went on a stroll afterwards in the woods and found a bunch of natural creeks.  I loved it! 

Northern Rednecks - camo and all :)

{back dirt road}

Wedding details - the ceremony was naturally beautiful.

We also stopped in a little town, Woodstock, VT, on our drive to Boston on Sunday.  We had iced coffee's, found the town butcher, and even dipped our feet in another natural creek.  So refreshing.

I have now spent weekends in Chittenden, VT; Portsmouth, NH; Newport, RI...and I obvi spent a lot of time exploring MA.  I have Maine and Connecticut left to discover and I will have officially experienced New England. :) 

Check out the video!

Lifestyle Photo Session by Mikhail Glabets

Paul and I were lucky enough to be featured on the blog of photographer Mikhail Glabets last week. We met him and his lovely wife (check out her blog here) in our church community group and we have been friends ever since!  While I loved our wedding pictures...I of course wish I had met Mikhail just a few months earlier so we could have had him shoot our wedding!

Anywho - Mikhail is so talented that he was able to make scrambling eggs & making almond waffles look super sweet & stylish. We had him and his wife over back in February for brunch on a Saturday, we cooked and kissed while he took pictures of us, totally normal. ;)

Check out the full feature here: http://mikhailglabets.com/blog/lauren-pauls-brunch-lifestyle-session/

{I have to give credit where credit is due, Paul does 85% of the cooking in our house #luckygirl}

{Almond Waffles - recipe here}

One of the first things to go up in our house when I moved in was my coffee bar.  I say "my coffee bar" because I'm the only one that drinks coffee in our house.  I have hundreds of coffee mugs - so this was a great solution for storage as well! 

Also - I apologize for the lack of updates.  We have been going non-stop for the past 5-6 weeks.  This will be my first weekend in Boston since April.  I'll be posting pictures of our recent trip to Vermont for a wedding soon - I fell in love! 

The Crane Estate in Ipswich, MA

I don't even know where to begin - so apologies if this is long-winded!

This past weekend Paul and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary a little early (real anniversary is May 26th or 29th if you go by our marriage license - we forgot to get it for the wedding!!) It was the perfect weekend to get away together - so quiet since most people stay local the weekend before memorial day festivities.

Personal thought:

I hear that the years you have to watch out for in a marriage (for being the toughest) are 1, 7 & 25. I'm feeling pretty blessed considering our first year was pretty much awesome...sure we had arguments but overall it was just FUN. 

Crane Estate:

Back story on why we chose Crane Estate to celebrate: our wedding was at the Crane Cottage in Jekyll Island, GA - this was the Crane Family's winter home.  The Crane Estate in Ipswich, MA was their summer home.  Very thankful for the Crane family being loaded. And really help tie in the whole North/South theme I had for the wedding.

Northshore:

Paul is a planner. When we go on trips he researches the town extensively - and the surrounding towns as well (almost to the point of being annoyingah) .  By the time we get to our destination he has multiple reservations all over town, options for daytime activities and knows the areas we want to spend our time in. It works out well since my style of traveling is basically showing up and spending half my time wandering around trying to figure out what to do. We spent a lot of time eating at great restaurants all along the Northshore.  A few highlights below:

Salt (Ipswich, MA): The place to be on a Friday night in this little town with no traffic light.  The atmosphere is cool but low key, with chalkboard menus and mason jar candles for lighting.  Locals fill up the place and everyone is happy to be there.  You must try the burger!! http://www.saltkitchenandrumbar.com/

Duckworth's (Gloucester, MA): It everyone's FAV restaurant up there....and it should be.  Really hard to get a reservation (heard the lady booking one for July 26th while we were there) but we managed to get a spot up at the bar (which is honestly one of my fav places to sit - you get a great view of the restaurant and you are closer to each other than when you sit at a table).  There are probably 10 tables total and 6 seats at the bar.  The food is SUPER local.  The bartender is friends with the lady that brings in the fresh greens from her backyard for the salads; and everyone knows and loves the guy that catches the lobster for the restaurant.  The menus changes daily and the chef is also the owner (Ken Duckworth).  If you are looking for amazing food in a small setting and personal attention from the staff - this is where you want to be! http://www.duckworthsbistrot.com/

Ceia (Newburyport, MA): Beautiful decorating and aesthetic feel.  Great menus (both food and drinks).  Great restaurant for brunch with girlfriends or dinner with parents/in-laws.  Their choices from the wine glasses (so important) to the seating were wonderful.  Newburyport is a great little town (reminded me of Salem without all the witchcraft) - head to Simply Sweet after for dessert! http://ceiakitchenbar.com/ 

Now some pics from the weekend:

The Inn at Castle Hill:

{we stayed in the Winthrop room of 10 rooms total)

{breakfast is served here every morning}

Castle Hill on the Crane Estate:

{the Grand Allee behind Paul}

The Crane Estate Grounds:

{my tour guide/travel agent}

{living in the city makes me appreciate trees so much more}

{remains of the rose garden}

The Crane Beach:

{it was much sunnier on Saturday - the day I didn't bring my camera}

Some Wildlife:

{turkeys everywhere}

Some Personal Pics:

{Paul loved this tree - anyone know what it is?}

ta-da! Now I need to go write my last few thank you notes - only 6 days left! #procrastinator

Peanut

{my dear friend Marcia and her sister, Anneliese}

A couple weeks ago I was given the privilege of photographing a baby shower.  Marcia, my old roomie in the North End, threw her sister a baby shower.  Everyone came together to celebrate this new little life and it was so fun to capture it for them.  I have over a hundred pictures for her of that day, but these are some of my favorites to share with you! 

I'm more comfortable taking pictures of food and flowers (aka still things) - but it was fun to challenge myself to take pictures of people, movement, and expressions - whole other ball game!  

{I love the lambs ear in the arrangements - soft and sweet for baby}

{shower favors}

{such a cute idea - guests signed building blocks to help him learn and grow}

food/beverage details.....

{Marcia and her boyfriend, Ty}

{gifts for peanut!}

{I was introduced to the baby product line sugarbooger - def will be using this - so cute!}

Her mom has been saving her baby gown all these year for Anneliese to be able to use as a mother.

{I'd say it fits!}

{baby love}

{tooked a group photo of all the cousins - lovin' the love}

Neon Extreme!!!

 Hello!! Feel like putting some good out in this world today??  Want to be a part of something amazing? Then read along... :)

{can you find paul?? - I married a hippie at heart!}

THIS FRIDAY, Paul and  I will join 10 friends (team TWO!) to compete in the Cape Cod Ragnar Relay, a 24-hour/190-mile running race that stretches from Hull, MA to Provincetown, Cape Cod.   Paul will be running a total of 13.1 miles and I will be running 19.7! So excited for the challenge and to be celebrating health, life, and a good cause with our friends!!  There are few things in life more rewarding than being involved in something you are passionate about and GIVING BACK - Paul and I feel so lucky to have become active participants in this event/non-profit organization. 

{at a fundraising event in early April - NEON!}

This year, 72 members of Team Neon Extreme (total of 6 teams, Paul and I are on team 2) will be running in support of Project ReMind, a charity organization dedicated to raising awareness and funds to advance Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD) research.  FTD is a progressive, degenerative brain disease that affects areas generally associated with personality, behavior, and language.  An estimated 60,000 Americans are affected by the disease which represents between 10-20% of all dementia cases. 

Research for FTD clearly lags behind that of Alzheimer’s.  Although research during the past 10 years has contributed much to our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of FTD, little progress has been made in the development of effective therapies for the illness.

Project ReMind’s mission is to continue to expand our knowledge of this disease, increase public awareness, and aid researchers in their extraordinary efforts towards finding a cause and a cure.

Each team has set a goal to raise $17,000 ($100,000 collectively).  Please donate what you can as every cent makes a difference.  Help us reach our goal! 

CLICK TO DONATE TO TEAM 2!!!!

To see more on the charity and the history of this fundraiser please visit www.ProjectReMind.org.

Every dollar counts and we would really appreciate your support!

Lauren and Paul

Life.

Yesterday reminded me that life is a precious gift.

So many times I only look inward and focus on what is happening to me,

instead of looking up and out.

I want to be a creator of good instead of just a recipient.  We saw so much of that yesterday with strangers running towards those in danger.

I am not going to focus on what that caused all of this - but instead I'm going to refocus my attention and thoughts on the hundreds of Good Samaritans.

My prayer is that only strength comes from this - stronger community, stronger families, and stronger faith.