friday's fabulousness

1. loving this glee mash up

2. a certain 4th birthday party

3. wishing i could celebrate my awesome beautiful momma in person. love you super mom!

4. i need to own this house!

5. i'll be making my own curtains this weekend! yay, i can't even wait to go get my fabric tonight and head to sewing class tomorrow morn. pics to come for sure!

cinco de mayo

if you know me at all, you know that i have a deep love of all things spanish.

spain.

mexico.

south america.

central america.

latin culture.

mexican food.

fiestas.

siestas.

español.

hispanic studies.

the list could go on and on and on.

i mean, i did major in hispanic studies and spanish language.

so with that being said, you know i'll be celebrating cinco de mayo today. i can't wait to have a margarita in hand, dipping those delicious and warm tortilla chips in the most melt in your mouth guac and spicy salsa tonight!

most people think that cinco de mayo is mexico's independence day but it's not. it's actually a celebration of their victory over france in the battle of puebla. cinco de mayo isn't really that big of a deal in mexico (except in the state of puebla) but it is huge here.

so in honor of cinco de mayo i've put together some necessities for celebrating...

Source: designworklife.com via Ashley on Pinterest

send these

Source: google.com via Ashley on Pinterest

make these

Source: moredesignplease.com via Ashley on Pinterest

decorate like this

Source: pinatassonia.com via Ashley on Pinterest

hit this

Source: designspongeonline.com via Ashley on Pinterest

drink this

Source: ny-image2.etsy.com via Ashley on Pinterest

wear this

Source: myrecipes.com via Ashley on Pinterest

eat this

and if you're in the market for wedding ideas...

Source: greenweddingshoes.com via Ashley on Pinterest

wed like this!

etsy finds

i love looking at etsy. it's a bit overwhelming because of all the possibilities but the talent of some people amaze me!

here are my recent favs...

Source: etsy.com via Ashley on Pinterest

colorful twist ties

Source: etsy.com via Ashley on Pinterest

cute owl bank

Source: etsy.com via Ashley on Pinterest

fun garland

Source: etsy.com via Ashley on Pinterest

pretty pretty necklace

Source: etsy.com via Ashley on Pinterest

would love to do this at my wedding some day

Source: etsy.com via Ashley on Pinterest

speaking right into my spanish soul

Source: etsy.com via Ashley on Pinterest

my new fav shop to browse

etsy finds

i love looking at etsy. it's a bit overwhelming because of all the possibilities but the talent of some people amaze me!

here are my recent favs...

Source: etsy.com via Ashley on Pinterest

colorful twist ties

Source: etsy.com via Ashley on Pinterest

cute owl bank

Source: etsy.com via Ashley on Pinterest

fun garland

Source: etsy.com via Ashley on Pinterest

pretty pretty necklace

Source: etsy.com via Ashley on Pinterest

would love to do this at my wedding some day

Source: etsy.com via Ashley on Pinterest

speaking right into my spanish soul

Source: etsy.com via Ashley on Pinterest

my new fav shop to browse

great strides

you know how important this is, right?

i mean, how could you not?

great strides is the best fundraising for cystic fibrosis. and last year team lilly raised over $13,000.

without donations we can't find a cure.

and i won't even tell you what happens without a cure.

just look at this face and tell me you can't help! ;)

let me tell you just how much i love this kid...

it all started in february of 2010. i needed a job and wanted to get back to lexington. i interviewed for a nanny position with holly and jeremy lankster. when i went to meet them, they let me know that the reason they needed a nanny was because their three month old had recently been diagnosed with cf. i had heard of cf but didn't really know much about it. after the interview i googled cf and found so much information about the disease. i wasn't sure if i was going to get the job but i knew if i did that it would be a great responsibility but one i knew i was capable of handling.

well we all know i got the job! i was a little nervous at first but you see, the thing is she was still a normal (tiny) baby. you would've never known she had cf. and to this day you still can't, thank god.

everyone who meets lilly falls in love with her. just look!

and let's be honest, trav really wasn't a baby person. but even he loves this kid!

i've spent the last 14 months getting to know this disease. this family it plagues. this child who didn't ask for this.

and i can honestly say that the love i have for both my buddies is beyond anything i thought possible. as a nanny you always grow to love your kids but this is more than that. i feel like their my little sisters. i'm there to comfort them when they're hurt. they reach out to me and cry for me when no one is around. i hurt when they hurt. i laugh when they laugh. and i struggle with the terms of lilly's disease everyday just as the rest of her family and friends.

one day, i won't work for them anymore and my heart will hurt. they won't cry out to me or want to play with me. they may not even remember me but i can guarantee for the rest of my life i'll fight for a cure. i'll fight for donations and getting the word spread that something needs, no has to be done. no family should have to fight this battle. no child should have to live with this.

if you love me or babies or helping others please take the time to go here.

check out the great strides page and if you feel so inclined, please donate.

if you do, i'll be your best friend!

i promise.

do it for lilly.

do it for every child with cystic fibrosis.

catching up

did you miss me?

i mean, you probably didn't even know i was gone for almost a week. unless you're my mother or grandma, then you probably did notice!

well, the move went well and we're all settling in nicely. dallas loves the new place because we have two sets of stairs and man oh man, does that dog love him some stairs. it's weird, he's weird.

i'll post pics of the new place soon. we're pretty much finished except for a few finishing details. but i know me and me doesn't want to show the goods until they're as perfect as possible!

so, instead of house pics lets catch up on the last week...

1. moving sucks. having a new place to live is awesome. unpacking sucks. buying new stuff is awesome. spending a whole bunch of money sucks. getting housewarming gifts is awesome. losing your bff as a roommate sucks. getting a new one is awesome ;). a broken washer sucks. having a garage is awesome.

2. i have an awesome brother. he literally hung up 6 curtain rods, a shelf (very heavy shelf) and carried more crap up two flights of stairs just because i needed help and he loves his sisterly.

3. barclay moved to bowling green. tear. i'll miss her so much!

4. the royal wedding made me an emotional wreck. seriously? why do weddings do that to me? i mean, i know i'm a princess and all (even if it's only in my head) but i felt legitimately jealous of princess catherine. then of course i snapped out of it because when i get married i don't want thousands of people there and millions watching on tv. and while it was gorgeous and over the top, i didn't think it was that personal and intimate setting i'd love to have at my own wedding. with that being said, if prince william (or even harry for that matter) had asked me to marry him, i would have, without a second thought, said yes. sorry trav.

5. travis graduated saturday. he finally has his MBA and i couldn't be any prouder! he worked so hard and now hows the proof. now he's studying for the nursing home admin test and hopefully after that no more studying or test taking for that boy. ever. again.

6. happy 4th birthday olivia!

7. happy 10th birthday madison!

(obviously she's not ten in this pic but i just love this one so much!)

8. happy may...i'm hoping for a dryer month full of fun and sunshine!

weekend recap

unpacking. hanging up. rearranging. drilling. hammering. cleaning. admiring. nesting. shopping. louisville. graduation (yay, trav!). proud moments. celebrating. dinner with josh. an almost finished house. happy birthday olivia. sleeping in. grocery. first meal in the new place. happy birthday madison. may. kinect. fro yo. netflix. bed time. happy girl!