those ruby red lips

I've been loving the retro red lipstick look lately.  To be honest, I've loved it for ages, but I never had the guts to do it.  I was always worried that I would buy the wrong color or that such a bold color would make my lips look too thin.  After I saw a friend rocking her red lips, I decided to take the plunge and I am delighted that I did.

A few people have asked me how I get these red lips and how I make it last.  The lipstick is called "ruby woo" and it's by MAC.  It's a very vibrant red with a matte finish. 

The trick to making the color last is in the application.  I read this trick once in a magazine and I think it might have come from Taylor Swift???  Totally random.  I apply MAC lipliner in "brick" first.  Then, I apply one thick layer of lipstick.  Blot well.  Apply powder on top of lips and then apply another generous layer of lipstick.  Voila!  The retro glam look should almost last you through a meal.

So, there you have it.  I hope this beauty tip helps anyone else who might be hesitant to go for the bold red lips.  Just do it...maybe 2013 will be a red lipstick year for you!

mommy and me red boots

Lyla has been obsessed with my red cowgirl boots for a long time now.  She often goes to my closet and tries them on or insists that I wear them.  Then she sighs and says, "I wish I had some Jessie boots".  Jessie is the cowgirl character from the Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3 movies.  Her wish finally came true this Christmas when she got these beauties.  It's so sweet that she actually wants to match her mommy.  I know this won't last, so I am enjoying it while I can. 

A White Christmas

I figured that once I became a parent I would be woken up at the crack of dawn every Christmas morning to kids jumping up and down on our bed.  I somehow escaped the torture of a 5am wake-up this year.  Our Christmas morning actually started quite late because Cody decided to sleep in.  I actually had to go and wake him up at 9:30am!  Lyla, on the other hand, woke up at about 6:30am but was being ever so patient while waiting for her little brother to wake up so we could head over to my parents' house to open presents and eat breakfast.  She never once complained or asked if we could wake him.  She just sat by the tree and looked at her presents with a huge grin on her face.  She mentioned over and over that "baby Jesus is her Lord and Savior". 

After a delicous brunch, we headed up to the mountains to see my in-laws' new house in Running Springs.  Even my parents and my sister came along for a quick trip.  We enjoyed a nice fire in their fireplace and then the sunset over the ocean from their deck.  It was COLD!

The next morning we woke up to SNOW!  We got about an inch of snow that actually stuck to the ground while we were there.  The kids were thrilled when they got to touch the snow...the cold doesn't seem to phase them like it does me.  We bundled up and headed into the Village of Lake Arrowhead to walk around and check out the little shops.  There's a cute little place called "The Tea Exchange" where we usually stop for hot chocolates.  I got a white peach tea latte that was delicious!

We took a quick stroll around the lake and stopped into a few shops.  It was a pretty lazy day...in a wonderful way.

I hope that you also had a Merry Christmas filled with love, laughter, and good food!

baby #3 is a BOY

Meet baby boy Mitchell.  He was curled up into a ball for most of the ultrasound appointment.  It took a lot to get him to unfold.  I had to try coughing, drinking cold water, standing up, doing toe-touches, etc. to get this little dude to show us the goods.  This little guy likes to stay cozy.

It's hard to see, but there are definitely boy bits between the legs!

Lyla wasn't thrilled about the results of the ultrasound.  This picture was taken right after we got in the car after the ultrasound.  But, by the end of the day, she seemed to be ok with it.  At dinner, she stood up to make an announcement.  She said, "Today we went to the doctor to find out if the baby is a boy or a girl...and it's a boy...but that's ok because I will love him anyways."  This was the first time Lyla has ever been tested on her faith...to believe that God still hears our prayers even if they don't seem to be answered the way we wanted them to be.  A concept that is difficult even for seasoned Christians to understand!

Cody is 2 - a birthday breakfast celebration

Our little man turns 2 today!  We started the big day with a birthday breakfast party.  It was a wonderful morning with family celebrating Cody over pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, and fruit cups.  There was also some spiderman themed tableware (per Cody's request). 

Silver dollar birthday pancake towers.  There are two candles on the stack in the middle.  This served as his birthday "cake". 

Big sis Lyla helps Cody blow out his two little candles.

Fruit cups.  These honeydew melons were delicious!

After breakfast Cody got to open some presents.  Cody finally got his dream lite!  He's been asking for one for ages because Lyla already has one.  He's going to love falling asleep in his crib tonight with stars on his ceiling!

Grandpa Glen got Cody an "Earth and moon in my room" astronomy explorer set.  It has an earth and a moon that you put on the wall and you can control the lights with a remote.  So cool!

Baaba gave Cody a play tent.  This is awesome!  I know Cody and Lyla will have many fun times playing under this canopy.

We have been so blessed to have Cody in our lives for the past two years.  It's funny how once you have a child, you can't imagine what life was like without them.  He's only been a part of our lives for the past two years, but it's like we've always known him.  We love him "big as the sky" and can't wait to see what the next year holds.

decking the halls

Call us old fashioned.  We go to a tree lot every year to pick out a fresh Christmas tree to adopt and take home.  It's our Christmas tradition.  One of the best smells in the world is the smell of a Christmas tree filling up the house during Christmas time.  Travis and I both grew up with this smell, and so will our kids.  This year we tried a new tree lot called "Papa Bob's".  The kids had so much fun running between all the trees and picking up pieces of tree branches off the ground.  They couldn't have cared less about which tree we chose!  But they did oblige to give the "thumbs up" on the one that Travis and I chose.  Our taste in the ideal tree is totally different, so it takes us a long time to decide.  Travis prefers the tall and skinny ones while I prefer the short and full ones.  We usually have to compromise on something in between.

And here's our tree all dressed up in Christmas glory.  I have been collecting Christmas ornaments nearly every year since we got married.  I usually go to Pier 1 for their after-Christmas sale and stock up on Christmas decor at 50% off.  Then I go home, pack them up, and forget about them.  It's always a surprise when I pull out the decorations the next year and see all the new goodies I forgot about!  My tree color scheme from the beginning has always been silver, gold, and green.  This year I added some white with the angel wings.  Lyla loves the angel wings and she placed most of them on the tree (the lower half anyways).  It was fun having the kids help to decorate the tree this year. 

I love how this garland dresses up our stairway.  I added some ribbon and felt mushrooms to it this year.

One stocking for each family member - that's five!  It's hard to believe we will have a six month old baby this time next year.  Baby will probably be crawling by then...heading for the shiny balls on the Christmas tree no doubt!

Afer decorating the whole house we paused to take a family photo in front of the tree.  It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas and we love it.