2012 {a year in pictures}

drumroll please…and here it is, the highly anticipated 2012 in review!  it was so much fun to go back through the archives and select some of my favorite snaps to tell the story of 2012.  boy, it was tough to narrow it down.  really tough.  now, if you are looking for a leisurely activity for your friday evening, feel free to grab your beverage of choice, curl up with a big blanket, head back to january of 2012, and read all of my posts from top to bottom.  good stuff and lots of food…

this was a pretty big year for us.  and we are looking forward to all that God has in store for us in 2013.

take a peek…after the jump as to not use up all my blog real estate…

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snaps & snippets & blurbs

what a fun few days.  we have been making rather merry, our little family of three.  lots of quiet and sweet moments together PLUS plenty of incredible memories made with our families.  don’t you just love Christmas?  is anyone else kinda sad that it is over…already?  wow.  this season has flown by so fast!  i just want to rewind and then experience it all again in slow motion.  has anyone figured out how to do that yet?  nope.  okay.  well i guess that i will just have to relive it through some of my favorite little snaps.

i hope you had a most lovely holiday.

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off to christmas eve service + the glorious service of lessons and carols at our church + me and e + a burpcloth shepherd + my handsome hubby, my sweet giggling daughter, and my entertaining dad + a grainy little picture of our family + christmas morning mimosas while listening to the messiah, a festive and celebratory whitehouse tradition + a tree scene + our precious rudolph in her elf-inspired pjs + christmas morning with ben’s family.  my view from the couch.  and boy did that bugaboo come in handy as our sleigh for transporting presents! + a stocking for elinor + christmas afternoon with my family + santa was so good to us.

hustle & bustle

whew!  things have been busy ’round here.  lots of hustle and bustle happening as we prepare for CHRISTMAS…TOMORROW!  we are ready to celebrate and enjoy a day with our family.  here is a quick snapshot our life’s festivities from the past few weeks, brought to you by my iPhone.

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follow our life happenings on instagram @swankyanddapper

elinor’s first thanksgiving

my oh my, we have much to be thankful for…especially our little peanut.

we enjoyed a lovely little thanksgiving with family. you know, with all the fixin’s. a glorious turkey, sausage cornbread stuffing, cranberries, sweet potato soufflé, mashed potatoes, bacon brussels sprouts, and giblet gravy to boot!

we cooked together, ate together, fellowshipped together, walked together, and polished it all off with some fig pecan pie. oh happy day! i do think that miss elinor was disappointed that she couldn’t exactly join us at the table. but that just gives us something to look forward to for next year – elinor’s first thanksgiving feast! all wazzed up and squishy. just how the pilgrims did it. yum.

etsy love

i have been snatching up some real gems from etsy.  such a dangerous site.  so many cute things.  so many quaint collections.  so many creative people…all in one place!  oh my.

after i felt sufficiently inspired, i took all my ideas for baby girl’s room and created a design board to map it all out.  so much fun!  the springboard was my quirky idea for a kate spade-esque inspired wall that would be bright green with gold leaf polka dots. from there, i added in the furniture. once all of the big items were selected, the fun really began once i began adding in the decorative accents.  the little, special touches that would add plenty of personalization, playful pizzazz, and personality.  and so, i headed over to etsy to collect inspired pieces that would speak to my childhood favorites, meaningful quotes, and family memories.

here are the prints that i found and subsequently purchased.  i think these will provide lots of color and interest to the walls.  plus!  they will be super cute with the amazing quilt that my mom is creating.

little girl, you are in for a treat!

* the green print was our first purchase and a fabulous statement piece for the room.  it serves as a baby girl tribute to grandpa ridley’s love of golf…a typographical tour of the flowers and foliage at each of augusta’s 18 holes.  a perfect find.

6 years

well, words are kind of inadequate when it comes to expressing the joy of our sixth anniversary together.  we took a trip to our wedding location, the royal palms, for a reminiscent stroll and an incredible dinner at t.cook’s.  it was pretty spectacular, as always.

sigh.

memorable baubles: my favorite gold bangles mixed with an anniversary gift from ben and my wedding day jewelry + happiness + the scenery and ambiance of royal palms, a perfectly inmate mediterranean oasis + the estrella salon, location of the reception + the fireplace that served as the altar for our wedding + a rose petal decorated menu + my handsome husband + the best pesto and bread i have ever had.  i never turn it down + our appetizer, chef lee’s carbonara: garlic cream, prosciutto, pancetta, parmesan cheese & egg yolk + my man’s dinner of duck l’orange served with candied orange, asparagus, thyme fondant potatoes & traditional sauce + my beef tenderloin served with horseradish gratin, demi glace, carrots, and roasted pearl onions + dessert!  [pay no attention to the "happy 5th anniversary" part...even the best places get it wrong sometimes] brown sugar butterscotch creme caramel: baked custard topped with salted dulce de leche, served with s’more macaroons

happy anniversary, hubby

 six years today.  six years and counting.

six years of growth.

six years of memories.

six years of joys and sorrows.

six years of new experiences and lessons learned.

six years of a faithful God.

my dear, dear ben. 

thank you for your fierce love.  thank you for your sacrificial love.  thank you for fighting for us.  thank you for emptying yourself and seeking God for your supply.  thank you for leading us back to the cross daily.  thank you for protecting and guarding our marriage.  thank you for your quiet strength.  thank you for your forgiveness.  thank you for your willingness to learn and desire to grow.  thank you for your forbearance.

 thank you for loving my craziness.  thank you for taking care of our puppies.  thank you for making me laugh.  thank you for being my friend.  thank you for reading God’s Word to me morning and night.  thank you for taking me on yummy dates.  thank you for choosing to go through this life with me.  you are my most-est favorite-est.  the best is yet to come…

squeeze.  squeeze.  squeeze.

love, me

we know something you don’t know…the nana nana boo boo post

when hubby and i have something to celebrate…we head over to royal palms.  it was the site of our wedding almost six years ago and it is our go-to destination for all things memory-making.

what exactly are we celebrating? well, we had an ultrasound yesterday and have a happy healthy baby!  wahoo!  9 ounces and quite active.  AND…we know what the gender is!

such a vivid and picturesque setting.  like a mediterranean dreamland oasis in the middle of the arizona desert…sigh + t.cook’s + some refreshments…sparking water with lime for me and a julep-esque beverage for him + happy & smooches + enjoying a meal of yummy appetizers in the laid-back lounge + grilled bread with brie and jalapeno jelly + grilled shrimp street tacos with crispy onions + spinach and artichoke raviolis with the BEST marinara dipping sauce + what a relaxing a celebratory evening together