love this photo. . .   not totally sure why.  could be because she was completely unaware i was taking it.  those are always the best ones.  the lighting was perfect . . .  she's perfect. 

 love her !! 

spring has sprung !

we awoke this morning to a beautiful sight. . .   a sure sign that spring has sprung.  i was summoned into isabella's room first thing this morning with a ' mommy, come quick'!   to her amazement, our tree by the mailbox, the name escapes me - i call it 'the umbrella tree'.  the blossoms are a fantastic bright pink, almost fuchsia & the leaves that remain for the summer make the tree look like a huge umbrella.  i love how excited it made her to see it!  her excitement for the 'little' things is contagious & it always makes me stop & remember to slow down or we'll miss all the fabulousness that life has to offer.

she wanted a better look, so we went downstairs for a better look.  isn't it pretty?  let's hope this marks the end of the crazy, chilly weather.  i can't wait to get my hands in the dirt this year & start planting our spring flowers - soon, real soon. 

on an unrelated topic, aren't these cute?  they're tide pods !  i picked them up last weekend to try & just plopped one in my washer this morning, so i'll have to report back.  i was reluctant, because we have an he front loader, but it says that they can be used for both. . .  we shall see.  

today should be fabulous, sunny & a high of 73.  maybe spring has really sprung ??  

isabella had a half day yesterday at nda, so we decided to check out the new dr. seuss 'thorax' movie.  what a cute movie!  i didn't recall the original story, & was somewhat surprised at what a great learning experience it is for the kiddos.  we decided on a play date with isabella's bff from school, keegan.  the girls were all smiles & i couldn't help but giggle myself at their sweet conversation & giggles at every trailer before the movie started.  what fun we had!  

how stinkin' cute is this !?!

eye opening . . .

we are in for some stormy weather tonight.  i really dislike thunderstorms that take place while i'm sleeping.  living in the south keeps you on your toes with the threat of tornados.  not to mention us girls are on our own tonight, have been since monday. . .   we are going through some changes in our household.  jon's new career path will require regular travel and quite a bit at first.  we're adjusting to our new norm & boy, is it 'eye opening' to say the least.  i can't imagine doing it all on my own on a regular basis.  single parents are amazing and deserve a medal.  we normally share our role as parents & taking on all of it for days at a time is an adjustment, but will soon become our new norm.  we are so proud of daddy & his new job . . .   can't wait to see where this new journey takes us.  

there wasn't much going on this past weekend & that's okay, trust me.  ;-)  sunday i made a fabulous caprese salad & boy was it yummy.  drizzled with an amazing aged balsamic vinegar - yum!   

Isabella & i had a spa day in her room.  complete with soaking our hands & everything.  she really enjoys getting her toes done especially.  although her toes look red in this photo, they're not.  i'm against red nails on a 4yr old.  it's actually a very bright pink (reminds me of the beach) & we only did her toes with it.  now if we only had some sand to walk in. . .  

 

i was feeling a little sassy after a morning at the salon getting my hair cut & colored.  it's amazing how that can make you feel 10 times better.  these are all iphone pictures, so sorry for the poor quality of some of them. . .  

one of my favorite smells is mint & this hand soap is so refreshing.  thought i would share . . . love, love, love it !

 enjoy the rest of your week !!

quick trip to the island

we took a quick trip to hilton head island this past weekend.  had a fantastic time with some dear friends who live in sea pines plantation.  the carters are such wonderful hosts & we always have a great time.  we hit the road at 5:30 am, so jon could make a 12:00 tee time with the boys.  the girls had lunch at harbour town, shopped & enjoyed some time in the red rocking chairs.  friday night the carters arranged a nice dinner party with yummy food & fabulous conversation.   

isabella kept wanting to sit next to this little old man, who i'm sure enjoyed her company.

saturday morning we went to lawton stables, also in sea pines.  they may just be the most beautiful stables i've ever seen.  they're nearly brand new & just amazing.  there is a great photo of the stables on the blog back two summers ago.  http://isabellasfamilyblog.blogspot.com/2010_08_01_archive.html

this little guy is 'dixie' & he was as cute as can be, but boy, was he stubborn.  isabella rode him & everytime we came back around by his stable he stopped & refused to take aother step forward.  the cute girls leading him said it was his lunch time & they continued to drag him along.  

saturday night we all had cocktails at harbour town yacht club.  isabella had a blast visiting with everyone & met a little friend.  they sat in front of the fire & chatted - so cute!  we're already looking forward to the next visit. 

i'm still here !

it's been forever since i posted.  life has simply gotten in the way.  we've been doing a little of this & a little of that.  wintertime tends to keep us closer to home, inside & doing lots of projects.  i try to get all the things done in the winter that I never want to do, or have time to do in the summer months.  we've been slowly renovating our kitchen.  lot's of home projects this winter, with the new floor, windows, & doors and we had some trees removed & pruned last week.  

in the middle of all this, we celebrated daddy's birthday - took him out for a yummy dinner at ipolito's, lot's of homemade cooking, cocktails here & there, crazy sock day at Bella's school & trips to chick-fil-a for lunch & some playtime.  

 the simple everyday is just as fun. . .  

enjoying some down time 

until next year!!  hope you are too! 

we've been enjoying lot's of time at home this week together doing a little of this & a little of that.  love being at home, especially this time of year.  we've done a lot of baking, cooking & projects since last friday & have enjoyed every minute of it.  isabella got a huge (bigger than her) savannah dollhouse from santa & we've been enjoying playing with her new barbies in it.  in the middle of all of the festivities, the 'pella' guys came & installed all new windows & doors in our house & boy does it feel nice & cozy in here!  

here is a bit of our projects from this afternoon.  bella loves to bake & i'm so thankful for that!  loving our family time.  happy holidays! 

merry christmas - from the nittos

~ oh christmas tree ~

our tree this year . . .