being an older sister

 

I have random memories from the early years of being an older sister. 

Meredith was born when I was 5 years old. I vividly remember "helping" my dad plant purple flowers in the front yard flower beds, discussing what it would mean to be a big sister. I remember picking out her name on mom & dad's bed after we finished reading books before bedtime. I remember getting to stay up until after 9 p.m. waiting for my grandma to get the phone call that Meredith had finally arrived. Aaaaand then I remember making up a song & singing it softly to myself, hoping someone would hear my lament about feeling left out because of the baby. Probably because of this scene from Hook, actually. I was just a little bit dramatic.

I was 8 when Lissy arrived, & she was my baby. I should have clearer memories of her since I was older, but it's mostly just memories of constantly holding her. & combing her hair when she got out of the bath because you better believe we thought those curls were pure gold. I remember dressing her up in teeny little leotards & tights to "teach" her ballet. She was totally sassy.

Being an older sister to these girls hasn't always been easy. There have been months - years? - that we've had to relearn how to talk to each other. There have been hard times & distance. & we call those the they-were-pre-teens-&-I-was-an-angry-teenager years. I haven't always been a role model, & they definitely tried to drown at least two boyfriends in the family pool.

But being an older sister to these girls has always been simple. Simple because there has always been Love. Love with a capitol L because sister love is different than most other kinds of love. I know in my heart of hearts that they are some of the best human beings I've ever encountered. I can talk to them for hours - & I do. They are best friends, & I so admire their love & loyalty to each other. They make our family complete, & I can honestly say that I no longer write songs about feeling left out. *high five*

FYI, the next part is smooshy, gooey lovey.

_____________________________________________________

Meredith, you are 19 & glowing. You exercise your middle name most perfectly every day in the grace that overflows into your very wise & very forgiving decisions. I'm actually really happy that your 18th year involved red hair & piercings, because you're exploring YOU & that's really exciting. You're beautiful, lady.

Lissy, I almost refuse to believe that you are 16. But you have 16 years of feisty going for you, & your passion shows through your dedication to the people & things you have around you. You are a curly ray of pretty sunshine, & your ability to quote How I Met Your Mother on demand is actually shocking. I'm proud of you for constantly being LISSY, no matter who or what.

& so, another February birthday week has passed, & I didn't cry. Well, actually, I teared up for like 4 seconds. I guess I'm getting to that age. Happy birthdays, ladies. I love love love you.

be mine

because I'm so completely yours.

valentine's eve

Little bits & pieces of the rest of Valentine's Day around our abode on this Valentine's Eve. Including, but not limited to: Leftover felt hearts from my front door project, Anna Rifle Bond goodies from Amelia & a wrapping paper heart to let the neighbors know that there is love in this apartment. I won't insult you with a DIY on that last one.

We're celebrating my two younger sisters' birthdays this week, so our Valentine's Day date is happening on Sunday. Guess what - The heart in the window ain't comin' down until then. Sorry/not sorry. 

I told myself I'd be in bed by 11:00 tonight & I'm already two minutes past that. DRAT. It's just so much cozier on this couch with my Jared. *happy sigh*

Have a happy day tomorrow, friends.

DIY - valentine's heart wreath

I love Valentine's Day. Even as a single high school girl, I loved the idea of the world pausing for a moment to appreciate LOVE. & naturally, now that I know the love of a dreamy husband, it's an even sweeter day.

My mom takes Valentine's Day decor as seriously as she takes Christmas decor, & even with a sister whose birthday is on the 14th, we all get & give presents in honor of St. Cupid. Or whoever it is. (That's a joke, & read this if you really want to know more about what Valentine's Day is really about.) The point is, my family loves Valentine's Day, & I am no exception.

So, here's a very simple, very cheap wreath that I made to honor the tradition that my sweet mama started. The only thing I bought was felt, which was $0.94 a sheet, so I'm marking this as a SUCCESS.  There's step by step instructions at the bottom, if you're not a visual learner like me ;)

 

 

Supplies:
wire hanger (or craft wire)

felt (2 sheets)

hot glue gun

scissors

iron

starch or hairspray

1. Bend hanger (or wire) into heart shape. The beauty of wire is that you can make your heart skinny, fat - Whatever you desire!

1 1/2. I didn't add anything to hang my heart from because our apartment door came with a convenient (& slightly off center) hook, but this is the part where you can use ribbon, twine or some of your leftover wire to make a loop. I'd do this now so your hearts cover up any part of the hook that is left visible on the front.

2. Cut felt into four strips, then quarter those strips. You'll need approximately 25 hearts if you're using a wire hanger.

3. Halve your felt squares to cut the heart shape. Trace half a heart onto your square if you don't feel comfortable free-handing. I free-handed my hearts & kinda liked that the hearts were all unique.

4. Fold the hearts in half & iron... briefly. The felt doesn't need a ton of heat, so this can be as quick as 3 seconds plus a quick burst of steam.

5. Spray hairspray or starch to help the heart retain its fold. I used hairspray because I'm a terrible housewife that doesn't have starch, but starch would definitely be ideal.

6. Follow the crease with the hot glue gun & place your felt heart on your wire heart. Press into place.

7. Continue this process until your wire is covered. I kept my hearts going in the same direction, but it would be cute to have them go in opposite directions from the center & meet at the bottom, too.

8. Step back & admire! Then have a photoshoot with leftover hearts!

You guys, this is too easy. I'm already scheming up a spring version, so stay tuned. If you make one, share it! I'd love to see them, so link up in the comments!

(I will disclaimer this to say that I have not searched the internet from top to bottom to make sure that someone else hasn't already made this. If you, your neighbor or your favorite blogger has done something similar, well, let's get coffee because great minds think alike!)

sunday best with emma

  

dress - f21 + chelsea's closet // tights - target // wedges + sunnies - h&m // lips - revlon super lucious "siren"

It's pretty hard to eliminate pictures when there's a cute pooch making all sorts of ridiculous faces throughout the batch. Emma is my parents' golden retriever & today, got to play the role of Jared's stand-in. She's more red than golden. & she's pretty much a tank. But she's probably the sweetest thang there is. Even if she's not really into modeling.

These are sort of celebratory pictures, as this is the first time since last Saturday that I've put any effort into my appearance. I'm positive that my coworkers have forgotten that I have a figure/facial features. But I'm more than positive that our couch thinks I'm beautiful in greeeey sweatpaaaaants & no maaaaake-uuuuup... (Take it away, John.)

But I'm BETTER! & nothing says better like electric blue tights.