Choo Choo Charlie's Two!

Our sweet Charlie bear turned two years old. TWO! We can't believe it,

My big-hearted baby boy is growing up so fast. In some ways, it breaks my heart to see him grow and change; but what a privilege it is to see his little personality blossom, to learn about the things he loves, and to watch him take in the world in a brand new way.

One thing Charlie is most passionate about is trains (or "choo choos" as he calls them). To celebrate his second birthday, we threw a small train-themed birthday party for our little conductor to celebrate with our families and a few close friends! Here are a few snapshots of his special day:

Even though he was way to busy to smile for a picture, he definitely loved his cupcake!

Christmas Home Tour 2017

Merry Christmas Eve, friends!

Since Christmas day is almost here, I wanted to share a few snapshots of our home dressed up for Christmas! We love this time of year and have all enjoyed the glow from the Christmas trees so much this season. Charlie especially loves to have all the Christmas tree lights on and loves to point to his ornaments. It really has been a special season seeing Christmas through the eyes of our two year old!

Our entryway looks exactly like last year because I love it so much! Eddie takes pride in putting up all the outdoor lights on the house and bushes. Our favorites are our Blinkie lights from my hometown!

The entryway has a eucalyptus wreath and of course a few pictures of Charlie with Santa from the past couple of years. I can't wait to add to this collection with this year's picture...two crying Santa pictures in a row! ;)

Charlie has LOVED his tree this year, and he wants the tree lights turned on as soon as he wakes up every morning. He loves to show his nutcracker ornaments to anyone who visits our house. I have loved the festive red color in his room this year! This $30 flocked tree from Walmart has held up well this season!

One of my favorite trees is our Travel Tree with ornaments from places we visit and travel to!

Since we are both Tar Heels, our UNC themed tree in our bedroom is a family favorite, and we have been collecting ornaments for over 10 years now...one of our favorite Christmas traditions!

 

The breakfast nook has a print of Silent Night by Dear Lillie, and a few wreaths on the door windows.

I absolutely LOVE Christmas card season! Checking the mail in December is so much fun :) This year I used small white clothespins to attach the cards to ribbon on our front closet door. Easy, festive, and fun! :)

I hope you enjoyed our mini Christmas home tour. Wishing you and your family a warm and peace-filled Christmas!

Our Home: 2017 Fall Home Tour

The holiday season is approaching and I love this time of year! In the past, I've waited until after Thanksgiving to start decorating for Christmas, but the last couple of years, I've started a little sooner. Maybe my best friend Ashley has finally inspired me since she breaks out the Christmas totes as soon as she can! ;)

But around our house, pumpkins and mums are still in full swing and we will enjoy them a little while longer before the Christmas decorations come up. I thought I would share with you how I incorporated fall touches around our home this year.

Eddie jokingly refers to 2017 as "the year of the white pumpkins" And...he may be right! :) We took Charlie to a local farm in October for all kinds of fall fun. I was SO happy to find out they also sell locally grown pumpkins at the most affordable prices! I decided to use them in my fall decor this year.

Here are a few snapshots of our home decorated for fall this year!

Because I was using the white pumpkins as inside decor, I wanted to make sure they would last as long as possible. After bringing them home, I soaked them in a bleach/dish detergent mixture for about 10 minutes. So far the majority of them are still going strong! 

I love these pictures of Charlie from fall time last year. He has changed so much! Baby Charlie in a pumpkin costume will forever be one of my FAVORITE things.

I found this wreath at a vintage/antique fair with my best friend Megan. I love how versatile it is and I also plan on using it for Christmas decor too :)

This is one of my favorite quotes and used a chalkpaint marker to pen it on the chalkboard that hangs in our kitchen.

I hope you enjoyed our fall home tour! We will still be enjoying the pumpkins for a little while longer before the Christmas decor starts making an appearance :)

Snapshots of Halloween 2017

The month of October seemed to fly by! A great Halloween capped off one of my favorite months of the year. Last year was special since it was Charlie's first Halloween, but this year he really knew something special was happening. He had such a blast! Eddie and I truly had so much fun watching him enjoy the day.

Here are a few snapshots of our Halloween celebrations this year!

A little Halloween celebration for Charlie's toddler buddies, complete with festive snacks (thanks to Pinterest for the easy ideas that I could do during nap time ;)

Boo cheese, applesauce with eyes, and Charlie especially loved the orange cuties that looked like mini pumpkins!

Time for trick or treating with the CUTEST little puppy I ever did see! I loved this little dalmatian costume the moment I saw it. The little dog house on the wagon turned out so cute and incredibly functional. Eddie designed and made the little house out of cardboard and Charlie loved it!

He surprised us both by staying in the wagon the whole night and he even barked for several of our neighbors! ;) We also face-timed both of our parents so they could be apart of the evening too even though we aren't close by.

After a walk around our neighborhood, puppy Charlie enjoyed handing out candy and treats to all the trick or treaters :)

Last weekend, we got in the Halloween spirit with a Trunk-or-Treat with our dear friends! Charlie loved exploring with Cinderella and Prince Charming ;)

The cutest Bat Girl and her cousin/sidekick Dalmatian puppy ;)

We had a great Halloween with family, friends, and neighbors, and we are already looking forward to next year!