this weekend, I headed to San Diego to celebrate Easter with my family. It was LOVELY being home (if you haven't caught on yet, i am IN LOVE with my niece, Madeline) and getting to spend some time with the fam!!! Saturday night Madeline and I hung out for a bit - we read stories - sang songs, cuddled, and then SCREAMED because it was bed-time. Life is hard when you're almost 3. Sleeping is absolutely the MOST unfortunate possibility.
Sunday we were up bright and early to set up Easter gifts and head to church. I didn't go ALL out for M, but being favorite aunt definitely requires gifts - so I obliged with a plethora of princess oriented paraphanelia. I am sure her parents are just THRILLED about the lipgloss! ha!
When M came RUNNING DOWN THE AISLE towards me at church, I almost lost it over her cuteness. Little girl had her hair curled and nails painted - as her dad would say "she is ALL girl" and i am SO happy - she is JUST like her aunt!
Seriously, just look at her - isn't she the cutest thing you've ever seen! ahhhhh TENDER! Monday was a "work day" for me...I spent a few hours with my dear friend Anna Garcia - she is graduating from Medical School in June and I have the EXTREME honor and privledge of creating her graduation announcements. They are ALMOST done - but we needed to finalize - so we met for lunch @ Panera to finish it up. After lunch we bought bridesmaid shoes for Jenny's wedding (we're both bridesmaids) and then did a quick (or not so quick because i had a really hard time being decisive - maybe Anna is rubbing off on me a bit) blitz through Macys. We ended the afternoon with frozen yogurt and a birthday necklace for Anna!
When I left Anna's, I went (almost) straight to Jenny's to work on the table number and placecard design for her wedding in July. I must say - it is SO fun and overwhelmingly gratifying getting to design for the major events in my friend's lives - it truly is my joy, and I hope it continues to be a gift I can give for MANY years!
on Friday, April 29, 2011, my little sister turned 21. wowza. 21. SO...off I went to San Diego to celebrate for the weekend. Friday evening we went out to dinner at Casa de Pico with Julie's boyfriend Tyler & his family...it was there that Julie ordered her first LEGAL beverage - a strawberry margarita (i had water in case you were wondering!).
Saturday was a non-birthday-related-day. I went to Anna's to help her with her graduation announcements and then babysat my sweet M for a while (yes she was supposed to be napping - playing with Aunt Shell is WAY more fun!) and then we all went to Costco to see Julie in her new taste-testers outfit including a hairnet...SO CUTE! ha! (she is going to HATE me for posting this on the internet!)
Saturday night I went to a "talent" show with mom and dad - but there was literally no talent in attendance. it was truely pitiful.
Sunday was a church day (par usual) and then the family came over for lunch, we ate, and then I headed back north to make it home in time for church. It was a full weekend - but I was glad to be home again. NOW for a weekend in Orange County so I can get some laundry done!
my best friend sara lives in Cullman, AL - a city that was RAVAGED yesterday by an F5 tornado...a tornado for which the state of Alabama could have never been prepared. my heart BREAKS for the 131 people who lost their lives yesterday and the many more that may be discovered as the searching continues...for the homes that have been destroyed...the people trying to live in the midst of the choas the storm has left in its wake. i PRAISE the Lord my best friend is safe and so are many others in my World Changers family. the Lord is gracious and yet there is much to pray for...join me.
I was tasked with decorating the dessert table, and I think it turned out pretty cute - I thought it needed to have a vintage feel to match her latest album cover - but it is SPRING, so I wanted it to be bright and cheery! I think I managed to succeed in combining the two style. What do YOU think? {amber, i totally followed your rules...there are flowers, a book, and candles!} 
ps, i could really go for a piece of that cake right now...
Saturday morning was the Bush Ladies Lunch. My grandma's maiden name is Bush and let me tell you, there are a LOT of Bush Ladies. However, lunch was a small group - which I think I actually prefer to the major shin-digs. We met at Jackie's house in San Clemente (their view overlooks the ocean - it's divine) and just spent some time chatting over champagne and peach nector and a light lunch! It was really nice to see my mom - I didn't realize how much I was missing home!
Saturday evening Carrie and I went to the movies - we just needed an adventure OUTSIDE the house that was FOR FUN. We saw Source Code - it was surprisingly good. I kind of need to see it again - I feel like I missed a lot of necessary details! Definitely my kind of movie though! LOVED IT! We picked up ice-cream and a couple red box movies on the way home and Steven met us for our continued movie adventure...we watched 127 hours AND the tourist before the weekend was through. I LOVE seeing movies I haven't seen yet! SO FUN! (and I will never complain about James Franco!) 
Sunday morning I met my sweet friend Melody in the Orange Circle for brunch - we literally blinked and 2 hours had passed and we needed to move our cars before getting tickets, so we said goodbye. I love when catching up with friends is SO good that the time passes instantly. It's amazing!
so yes, the weekend was busy and still not quite as restful as I needed it to be - but it was delightful to spend some time with friends...looking forward to ANOTHER weekend soon...HAPPY HUMP DAY!
for Madeline's 2nd birthday, i bought her a DARLING tu-tu...but my sweet m-girl is SO tiny that it JUST started to fit (she will be 3 in 2 months! and still only weighs like 25 pounds. it's DARLING!). SO...for my 26th birthday, we went and took some pictures together in our "birthday outfits." i thought it was going to be really uncomfortable to take professional photographs as auntie and niece...but Madeline LOVES the camera, so it turned out to be really fun! AND the pictures turned out GREAT! so happy to have some special pics of THIS time in my sweet girl's little life. I could NOT love her more! 
i am headed to Birmingham, Alabama on a RED EYE Friday, June 10 {and crazies, don't get any ideas about trying to break into my house because i'm gone - there are 4 other girls that live there!} where my BEST FRIEND sara jessica linkous
will be waiting for me in baggage claim and we will IMMEDIATELY hit the road for NOLA...one of the most amazing cities on earth! i cannot WAIT to be at Cafe DuMonde eating beignets and sipping an iced cafe ole while looking out at the french quarter and dreaming of a yummy dinner on bourbon street. AHHHHHhhhhh be still my beating heart! 
AND to make the trip even sweeter, sara and i are going to staff a project with 
could there be anything better than a week with my best friend, a dear friend from my very FIRST World Changers project {back when I was a summer missionary for the North American Mission Board} Shawn Doss {who just happens to be the creator and dedicated leader of Hope Missions} in the AMAZING city of New Orleans? I submit that there is not {unless of course SOMEHOW Pasadas ends up in New Orleans...THAT my friends would make it better!}
