HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

Can I just say that I am sooooo overwhelmed at all the special things my friends and family have done for me today? SO AWESOME. I woke up to about 30 balloons floating allover our bedroom that my Mom worked hours to attach baby pics to (the string at the bottom) as well as inspriational quotes & letters. Blair stuffed them all in our room for me on his way out to work & I woke up to this purdy sight.

Next step was off to the shower where my honey bunny left me a love note (we often communicate via mirror):

... and decided to stop & pick up some MEGA MILLIONS Lotto Tix (first time) at BP while refueling my gas. Come on Birthday Gods, bring it to MOMMA!!!

I received some awesome birthday gifts this year: A new Canon Rebel Digital and a couple lenses from my honey and my Mom & Dad got me a lesson from the best, Lauryn Byrdy. She's having a Beginners Photo Workshop in May (rescheduled from 3-29) that I'm looking forward to learning a ton from!! My cousin Tiff surprised me today with beautiful flowers, so so sweet & a complete surprise (that doesnt happen often)!



I went shopping for a birthday outfit this afternoon after making some calls for work & getting caught up in office & landed an adorbs outfit for my birthday celebration tonight at The Wine Bistro (my new fave). Our dear friends who can make it will be joining us to celebrate, so stay tuned for some great pics to follow :) My FB posts have all melted my heart & I feel so blessed to have this life, all 29 years of it!!

xoxo,

Andi



SPRING HAS SPRUNG

SO can we just talk about the CRAPPY aches and pains & snotty face/bronchial coughing that's come along with it? Ugh, March I love ya but you do this to me every time. I'm not mad at all about the weather getting a bit colder this week vs 80 degrees partnered with my fever and pains. BLEK. There's always a reason to complain about Ohio weather! ...must be us Ohioans b/c it has been pretty fabulous for March, regardless.

In better happenings, last weekend I took some time to join my bestie Kimi & her daughter Lucy for Lucy's 2nd birthday & a trip to PA. Kimi's grandmother isnt doing very well and she didnt want to have to make the trip alone + Lucy without any help while she spent time with her. So, off we went! GIRLS TRIPPPP! It's always a blessing to be able to spend time with my babes. Every time we're together I cant help but think what started as a 3rd grade kid-ship /turned into a life long friendship+ God Daughter. It blows me away & leaves me feeling beyond blessed and thankful. As you all know, I'm so stinkin in love with little Lucy (along with everyone else that meets her for oh, five minutes) that our girl time was invaluable. She's getting so big!!

her and Pappi Dan playing with her cake toppings

WOA it's my 2nd birthday :)

entering Pitts

smooch fest with Lu

Thank You Dr. Smith's 3rd Grade Class :)

In social news, last weekend we went to see a musical, Billy Elliot. I HIGHLY reccomend seeing it in a town near you. It's about a boy living in a single family home (dad and brother) who falls in love with ballet and his masculine family (oil miners currently protesting in the 1970's) doesnt give him the support, interest or money to allow him to do ballet vs. wrestling "like real men do". The story is an origional motion picture, and should be on Netflix if not found at your nearest Blockbuster (do those even exist anymore)?? It's fantastic and absolutely worth it. Clearly, it's a Broadway musical. Check it out. Very cool.

Funny part behind it is that my husband and his boys were the ones wanting to go see it/planning it!! They watched the movie years ago and have since used its one liners (like most men do to EVERY movie out there) and quotes. They said if it were ever a musical that it would be the first one they saw. Well, that's magical folks because now it is, and it sure went for an entertaining afternoon. If it werent for the Mucinex D, advil, 2 glasses of red wine and a fantastic show to watch, I would have never made it through the day :) The pics and their excitement made it priceless to boot. You wont see pics like this from them everyday.

Ps, peep the wedding suits, they insisted on wearing them for it. Sigh....

STARS, Clearly.

Hope you're all feeling better than I have the past 2 weeks. Send good vibes and prayer my way that I start shaking this soon, especially because my BIG 2-9 is this Friday and we have a fabulous dinner planned at The Wine Bistro. I do a decent job faking it but still feel like I'm getting hit by a bus repeatedly. Waaaaaaaa...

xoxox,
Andi

PROGRESSION

ok, ok ok--I'm sure the house updates are getting old now but ITS JUST SO EXCITING! I mean, look where it is now and where it was only 7 days ago...

The view from the side and back (all windows facing the treeline) is just stunning. Cant wait to have you all over to enjoy it with us :) 

HAPPY BEAUTIFUL THURSDAY TO ALL!!!

xoxo,
Andi

Mudroom Room Crush

I'm not quite sure why I didnt go into interior decorating or staging homes for a living because I lay awake at night dreaming of things to re-do and do to our home, my parents home, friends homes, it's a bit wacky, I know. If I get my ONE quick chance to snatch the remote from Blair and off of ESPN and onto HDTV, I enter the pearly gates for as long as I can before it's snatched back again (while batting my eye lashes to Blair to please keep it on my station a bit longer and not to ESPN 1, 2, 3, etc). I mean, how many ESPN's are there now?!!? ugh. I love a good game but this boy's consumed.

Anywho, as we round the 200M of our new build and are on the 'home stretch' (badumcha!) to moving in, I'm already dreaming of the decorating ways to add to or plan to add down the road, HA! Eassyyyy killer, woa horsy, slooow 'er down, I know. But, it's just the way I am. Full throttle ahead!!! Yeeeeehaw..

My recent Room Crush revolves around Mud Room's these days & there are soooo many chic, classy, cozy mud rooms that i'm pining for. For a wedding gift, one of my dear friends and former clients, Ron Huffman (who is a Carpenter) made us a BEAUTIFUL one of a kind white bench + shelving & hooks for our 'someday home' together. It's made from rare wood that he's set aside through the years of his woodworking (his entire house was made by his own hands) & I CANNOT wait to remove it from storage  & use it as an entry focal point or eventually its own mini room!! (Once we hook up W&D in basement vs main level--thanks Dominion for leaving that option out for us until it was too late). Check out some of these GORGEOUS rooms that inspire me below.

Loving the arched built ins and the floor--how creative!

Herringbone brick flooring??! Be still my heart! No worries on muddy dog feet & rainy boots with this one...

Crisp, Clean... just the way I like it! And, love how this is actually at the front door as a focal piece and motivational point to actually USE YOUR FRONT DOOR. I feel like people are straying away from that these days...

Looovingggg this gorgeous worn bench and brick flooring...so simple & rustic!

ok ok. the lighting?! how COOL! Nothing says 'kick off your shoes & enjoy a good book' more than walking into this striking mudroom....

Happy Friday All!

xoxo,

Andi



HOLY HOMESTEAD

... the house is coming along QUICKLY and will be already under roof by next week. EEeeeeeeee!! We are so excited to stop out there daily and see just how much progression has been made. I'm already dreaming of the new home smell. Fresh paint, new floors & carpet-- and no one's bum to have touched our toilet seats EVERRR. Lol! It's the little things, right? It'll be hard to have to be rational & not want to decorate and deck the pad out right away, rather have to furnish and decor as we go. Anxiously awaiting June! Last week the basement walls were poured and this week they've started building the exterior.....

The house next to us is "The Smith Family', but that's about as far as we know. Here's to hoping they enjoy fine wine & happen to have boxers--HA!

xoxo,

Andi

Monday Montage

Today is the first Monday since October that i've had off of Gymnastics, and I must say, it feels GOOD to do nothing, catch up on non-work emails & lay next to my husband as we lounge as I type this. Ahhhhhhhhhhh....bigggg sigh of relief & relaxation.

We had such a killer season, finishing 7th in the state & beating all other Central Ohio Gymnastics teams that I couldn't be happier or more proud of these girls. I'll really miss seeing them every week, but I'm looking forward to Spring for Liz's Bachelorette Party in Nashville & wedding in Memphis. A trip to see Steph in D.C & another to see Ashley in York, PA. First trip on the list is a trip to Pitts with Kimi & Lucy next weekend & I absolutely CANNOT WAIT to see their faces. But, before I cruise onto the next chapter, I want to recap on a  'Monday Photo Montage' of some great pictures from States .....

The Best Parents Around... sending us off to states!

all the girls, 7th place win!

Claire, Nicole & Anna, our Individual Qualifiers :)

Oh Anna.. work that floor gf! :)

Coach Julie...lol!

Gorgous Lena--gonna miss this Senior.

Celebrations to follow with The Carley Family, shot #5, dear God these parents can PARTY!!

Until next season-- GO ROCKS <3

xox,

Andi