the heart at thriteenandahalf

i wish i could say i did this list thingy

more frequently when my girls were younger

i love pulling one of them aside
& asking questions
many, i already know the answer to
but we get a little one on one time
i get to capture a mental snapshot of their heart
that day
right where they are

with middle schoolers especially
its fun because the answers might just change
from day to day

but bottom line
a little time spent soaking up their thoughts
brings me great joy
&
they leave with their love tanks just a little more full

sweet emily is at an age
i barely remember
i think i was gosh awful ugly & certainly quite awkward
she is neither of the two



let me introduce my third daughter
born only weeks prior to loosing her biological daddy
yet
the spittin' image of him & his beloved favorite uncle
always smiling
& loved by everyone



emi has a loyal heart
& more friends than she can count

an easy going, non-judgemental spirit
loyal
tender hearted
cries easily
likes things "just so"
cringes at cuss words ( sorry 'bout those sweetie)

best friend to katelyn
keeper of a messy room
lover of pasta
wants to be a school teacher one day

purple painted toes
& a purple ipod
wears a purity ring
great at math
language arts, not so much

lady antebellum fan
smitten with liam hemsworth & channing tatum
estee lauder pleasures
& size 0 at her fave store, american eagle

worships with her entire heart
wears that same heart on her sleeve
chicken nachos, add lettuce, black beans on the side
& drinker of water

hand holder
maternal
angered easily by me
obsessed with facebook
& jon and kate plus 8

no longer afraid of the ocean
loves a photoshoot
fabulous hair
& rookie cheerleader
with awesome toe-touches

favorite scripture~ it is the lord who goes before you. he will be with you. he will not fail nor forsake you. do not fear or be dismayed. deut 3.18
when she told me last night this was her fave scripture, i just smiled. i prayed this verse over & over while i was pregnant with her during the most frightening time of my life. i probably never told her that. god's so cool like that.

i'm so proud of you angel baby
i'm proud to be your mama
& watch you continue to blow me away
with your huge heart
& your forgiving spirit

i'm sorry for the things i haven't done well
you know what they are
& i pray these next few years
for you & i
will be the best!

you are loved

Spring Day

dress, forever 21; sandals, aldo; clutch, coach; bra, victorias secret; cardigan, j.crew, bangles; vintage

Madrid is the perfect city in the spring time. The streets are buzzing with Spaniards and the ambiance is breath taking. Each cafe and restaurant up and down my street opened their outdoor seating and I am finally getting able to enjoy the weather Spain in known for. My day cannot start without walking to get my daily iced mocha and usually ends with a cupcake or two from Happy Day. The nights are warm enough to wear a light cardigan which makes it easier when going out, no coat check!

Madrid in 48 hours

Madrid is a beautiful city full of life and culture. I got a previous request to do Madrid in 48 hours. Even though 48 hours does not seem like a lot I know you can conquer the city in that amount of time. My suggestion:

Day One: Hit all the majors

For Day One I would get as much of Madrid as I could. I would suggest visiting Sol, Gran Via, and Plaza Mayor. They are all in the same area so going from each will not be hard at all.

After seeing the wonderful characters at Plaza Mayor (and yes I mean Mickey Mouse & "Fat Spider Man") I would make my way to San Miguel Marketplace where you can get a variety of tapas like croquettes, sushi, wines, fish, etc. Sit in the middle of the marketplace and enjoy the Spanish ambiance. 

With your stomach full next stop is the Royal Palace. It is simply gorgeous.

After that I would rest my feet, enjoy a nice (but small) siesta and prepare myself for Madrids nightlife. My suggestions: The Cave Bar, Areia; a bar with beds and huge cocktail list, or a night in Chueca (Spain's homosexual neighborhood- It is a blast.)

Attire: With all the walking, sight-seeing, and culture you are about to encounter my attire would be. A cute spring.summer day dress and a pair of your most comfortable flats. For night, jeans and a tank-top with sky-high heels.

Day Two:

Museums; Prado, Thyssen & Reina Sofia

The Prado and Thyssen museums are close to each other but the Reina Sofia is a little farther so before hopping on the metro (in the spring/summer I prefer the bus) stop into Retiro Park. Pack yourselves a lunch (a lot of restaurants have picnics to go) or snacks and find the best piece of grass and enjoy a picnic. Before leaving the area make sure to stop by Banco de Espana (now known as the post office) it is simply gorgeous. After leaving Retiro head to the high-end shops on Serrano Street, I would go even if you just window shop. The shops themselves are beautiful and there are well-known designers to Spanish designers like My favorite; Agatha Ruiz de la Prada.

Flamenco at Corral de la Moreria; i would arrive early for dinner & the show. they have a wall filled of photos with each celebrity that has visit this Flamenco place who knows who will be sitting next to you! (Jenifer Aniston was there just last week)

Attire: This day is a little more casual so I would stick to jeans and shorts with converses and a short-sleeved tee-shirt or tank top. Everyone at any age wears converse shoes so you will have no problem not looking like a tourists! But, be careful of pick-pockers! They'll get you.

Rainy Day

Museums museums museums. On a rainy day (hopefully you will not encounter this) the perfect place to be is at the museums with all the famous artists like Goya and Botticelli. I would also check out Instituto Cervantes (calle Alcalá, 49) they always have new and interesting expositions.

Mens Wear

dress, free people; clutch & mens belt, coach; shoes, aldo

To me, men's wear is so confident and sexy. It shows that you are courageous yet gorgeous enough to pull off both men and women attire. I am always rummaging through my boyfriend's closet looking for anything that I can remotely pull off to give my outfit a romantic feeling because what is more romantic than sharing (for me its more like stealing) your boyfriends clothes. So, I stole this belt from my boyfriend's closet to give my outfit the finishing touch it needed. What is your favorite piece from your boyfriend's closet?

Sweet Tooth

Today I received the Gorgeous Blogger Award from Ariel. It really made my day to receive my second blog award! Ariel has a beautiful blog focused on make-up & fashion. I am super busy with the end of classes and my finals but I hope to pass this blog along soon. Thanks again Ariel!

 

Redfeet No More

spending the day in Retiro Park

Redfoot Diana White Flats

t

they fit perfectly in my bag

shirt, vintage; skirt, zara; flats, redfoot shoes; bag, longchamp; bracelet, tiffany & co.

Yesterday I squealed with excitement when I opened the package from the wonderful people at Redfoot Shoes. I could actually feel my feet thanking me for having yet another pair of Redfoot Shoes to add to my closet. I quickly opened the box and took my new babies (the shoes of course) to Retiro Park to relax, soak up the sun with friends, & enjoy my Cosmopolitan magazine. As I blogged about (here & here) Redfoot Shoes are simply the best accessories to travel with. They fit perfectly in your huge day bag or small clutch, unfold and hug your feet for ultimate comfort and style. These flats are known as the "After Party Shoe" but I also love to use the flats to run errands in or to simple just grab lunch with my girlfriends. Weither Im doing errands or out for the night with the girls my feet wont be throbbing anymore with Redfoot. Have any of you girls tried Redfoot Shoes? 

P.S. - Please check out my featured in section on my blog page.

her first prom & a zillion pictures....

i asked a girlfriend of mine how she was coping
her first born baby girl had left just weeks prior to head off to college
she quickly responded that she felt like during the senior year, there's so much bickering between mom & daughter that you're actually ready for them to head out
that stumped me
i'm not an idealist or some goofy mom that thinks my children & i have flawless relationships
but i certainly could never imagine
one of my girls bugging me so much that i'd be more than ready for them to leave

despite her bleak outlook & warning of where i would soon be headed

this last year has been the best yet for me & savannah
i can't imagine what our home will be like when she does go
the complete change in the dynamics of our home

i know
she's only a junior
but...

her first prom was a couple weeks ago
as a parent i feel like there are those events in our lives
where it feels like we're peeking through the chain link fence
looking over into the next ballfield , figuratively of course
the next playing field that they'll head into
a glimpse of our next phase

that weekend was just that for me

i love this age
16 17 18
i feel like she's this great girl
that i thoroughly enjoy hanging out with
laughing with
listening to her explain the difference between just dating
& becoming facebook official
cuz
you know there's a difference , right?


i'm so proud of where she is in her life & the choices she's made
the people she's picked as friends
& those whom she respects
that says alot about her...

anyway
her prom date is such a super guy
they've been best of buddies since she switched from private to public school five years ago
he's precious, smart, loads of fun, grounded spiritually & mighty cute

think i'll leave it at that , wink!

{ so, i apologize in advance for the ridiculous amount of photos...i realize i'm the last one to the party, but pioneer woman has free, yep, free photoshop actions over on her site. you probably already knew that. of course, i just 'bout lost my salvation trying to upload them but now those actions & i have a sweet relationship going on! therefore, i've uploaded four thousand trillion billion photos several of which i ran her actions on... }

(maybe the funniest shot of the night--the spotaneous silly friends in the background...couldn't have staged it any cuter)

{ps, last weekend on my girls trip was out of this world amazing. as soon as i can get some of the photos i'll get my post together}