stella's wedding

one of our favorite friends got married!

i probably shouldn't have gone to the wedding b/c i gave birth only about 2 wks ago.

(now i'm paying the price-- i am in so much pain from walking around everywhere!)

but it was well worth it! my family had so much fun. we even got to take our very first family picture w/ the newest addition kate.

and it was such a beautiful wedding. the bride went all-out with all the details. and i think they might have to take out a second mortgage to pay for the wedding/reception/after-party. i can't even begin to imagine how much money they spent for it.

the important thing is, they have made a beautiful commitment to love one another and they were so happy!

congratulations to stella & danny!

goody spin pin

this is the most ingenious thing. ever.

to find out why or how, just buy the thing and try it. (or read the reviews online.)

i bought mine for $5.99 at the BX.

olivia is two!

my baby is already 2 years-old. "o" where did the time go!

soon, she will be an older sister, as i am expecting another baby in a little over a month.

happy birthday to my sweet pea!

o, lovely.

anthropolgie water lily dish towel

i love anthropolgie (store). i don't live near one to know all their products.

and when i do stumble upon a store, i want to buy so many things there.

but obviously, i can't and i shouldn't.

here's a painted water lily dish towel (for $18) that was featured in a magazine.

i find it so beautiful. reminds me of monet's paintings.

superga children's '2750 STAR' blue glitter shoes

the cutest shoes EVER!

i got these for my 5 year-old. they look as good as they look in pictures online.

got them at overstock for $19.99. but similar shoes in different colors and designs range anywhere from $20~$50, depending on where you get them. crazy...

my daughter loves them as much as i do (b/c blue is my favoritest color). but the only thing i don't like about it is the synthetic lambs wool lining. why? it's ugly and it probably makes the feet feel hot.

kate spade book clutch: pride & prejudice

i just saw this at nordstrom today.

pretty unique and interesting. but $325!

it looks something like this from different angles.

and it looks like this when held (by a thin & sophisticated looking person).

and yes, it comes in many different titles.

Ben & Jerry's Americone Dream

another discovery of something yummy.

ben & jerry's "Americone Dream."

not a big fan of the caramel swirl.

nor the vanilla~ only b/c i prefer chocolate or coffee.

but the chocolate covered waffle pieces make up for it.

alison bed

i like ethan allen style.

and i like this alison headboard b/c i like tufted headboards.

but the bedroom they showcase with this bed is even more beautiful.

tops in blue

we went to see tops in blue.

some of the things they do are so cheesy.

nonetheless, they are so fun and exciting.

so we make it a point to go when they come to our base.

the venue: cabrillo high school gymnasium.

while i understand their need to have it outside the base to open it to the general public, what a poor choice! crowded. no ventilation. hot. uncomfy seats. skewed-angle viewing (at least for us). we had sucky seats... high up in the nosebleed section of the bleachers... it was too hot, high, and dangerous for the kids to be at, with big gaping openings to the floor waaaaaaay below. even when we found a few empty seats a few rows down and decided to situate ourselves there, it wasn't much better. the special effects lighting stucture was in our line of view, blocking the center of the stage. (no wonder no one was sitting there!) plus, it's a nightmare for mothers with young kids b/c a high school is not going to be equipped with a changing station in the bathroom.

since joining the USAF, we have been to 3 Tops in Blue shows total, i think. i never had any reason to complain about it, like i am doing so now. however, today's performance was probably the most enjoyable one i've been to. maybe it had to do with the fact that all three of my kids were enjoying it, and it's really priceless to see their faces light up and dance to the music. maybe b/c we just needed to get out of the house to do/watch something out of the ordinary. maybe b/c the performers were right there in our midst, just a few feet away. whatever's the case, i just wanted to get up and dance. it was definitely good for AF families' morale.

thank you, Tops in Blue, for the wonderful performance! i know it's very draining to engage in a high-energy performance for 2 hrs. and i imagine there's not much rest between shows. to be on the road daily is another added stress. BUT, your mission was accomplished b/c it really lifted up our spirits and we had such a great time!

movie outing: tangled

we saw tangled at the base theater today.

i know we're like 2 months behind. but judging from the completely sold-out theater, i'm assuming everyone was

1) on the same boat as us (late!), or

2) has already seen it but liked it enough to see it again. anyway, we saw it and had a wonderful time as a family.

side note: i was surprised that mandy moore played rapunzel. i was convinced she sounded like amy adams as i was watching it and listening to her voice. even my daughter agreed and said the same thing, too.

primo 3-temperature water cooler

when we were at sam's yesterday, we picked up one of these guys, too.

i promise, it wasn't an impulse purchase, although it can seem like we do that quite often if you read all my posts. it's something we needed. and my hubby's been a busy bee doing his homework for the best possible choice. and this was it, he told me.

you may be laughing at me since it got a bunch of so-so reviews.

but it's a huge improvement from what we used to have: nothing.

we used to go to those GLACIER water dispensing centers and get a gallon of water for 25 cents. it can be a chore for my husband who used to go fetch water every few days. so, he's happy. i'm happy. the kids are happy about dispensing their own water. we are just a happy little fam. there is no complaint here.

plus, i think it looks much more attractive than other typical ones we see everyone else has.

(no offense to anyone who has those.)

brockton country table

we got this brockton country table for $149.

we had to drive 100 miles to go pick it up at sam's. but it was worth it b/c it was the right size and color, with the features that we wanted~ to replace a smaller table we have.

i love that it's so versatile.

it can be skinny looking as a console table if the drop-leaves were folded up.

it can be opened to use as a kitchen table.

i'm thinking we can even attach casters (if needed in a different house in the future) and use it as an island in the kitchen. that will make it more like a kitchen counter height, too.

anyway, we love it. $149 isn't chump change.

but it's not bad considering it's a nice sturdy table and so functional.

we thank God we have the means to get what we want and need.

pottery barn's antique silver jewelry box

i saw this silver antique jewelry box from pottery barn's christmas 2010 catalog.

i like the sort of the vintage look which also enables you to showcase all your pretty jewelry and watches... although i'm pretty confident it's not large enough to hold ALL your jewelry pieces.

the bad news is, it's no longer available.

maybe it's actually a good thing b/c it costs $99!