A CUP OF KINDNESS: STARBUCKS GIVEAWAY

I should keep today's post short and sweet because I have a fat stack of thank-you notes to tend to (Oh, hey Christmas gifts!), and we all know that nap time is sacred around here. Anywho, I thought we could all use a little mid-week pick-me-up, so I've decided to treat my dear readers to a cup of coffee. That's right, YOU deserve a cup of sass! While I wish we could really meet in person and drone on about important topics such as striped ballet flats and polka-dot envelope liners, I've decided doling out five $10 Starbucks gift cards will just have to do for now. I repeat, FIVE lucky readers will win a gift card loaded with ten bucks to be spent at our beloved coffee chain. Interested in entering the giveaway? Prepare yourself for this next part. It's going to be a real doozy...

Leave a comment below. Tell me a joke. Ask a question. 

Offer some blog feedback. Share something random about yourself. It's not rocket science.

I typically do the talking around here, so it would be fabulous to hear from YOU for once! There have been countless occasions when your kindness has meant so much. Whether it's humoring me with J.Crew's new arrivals, reading my pointless ramblings in Thursday's Thoughts, or sending words of encouragement when this whole mom thing gets murky—it's appreciated more than you know!!! While this little giveaway pales in comparison to what you all do for me, it's only fair that I return the favor every now and then.

Note: All five caffeinated winners will be announced in this Friday's Love List. They will be selected randomly via Rafflecopter.

**GIVEAWAY OFFICIALLY CLOSED**

LIFE'S LITTLE DETAILS

"THE DETAILS ARE NOT THE DETAILS. THEY MAKE THE DESIGN." — CHARLES EAMES

Happy Tuesday, y'all! It's a new week, and I've come prepared with a fresh dose of details. Let's hop to it...

• Despite the rosy photos presented in today's post, last week definitely had its share of trying moments. You guys, I'm learning that motherhood is NOT for the faint of heart. YOWZAH! As someone who likes to complete tasks and check items off my list, I'm constantly reminded that there is NO finish line when it comes to parenting. Surviving (and occasionally thriving) another day is the only real thing I can cross off m' list each night. Just as I grow comfortable with one stage or technique, it's time to change it up. Yet again. And while I understand that each parent and child have their own set of individual needs, it's hard not to compare your wily tot with the well-behaved babe in the shopping cart behind you. With each day, Max becomes stronger and even more tenacious than I thought possible. I try to make light (cope, really...) of his stubborn and independent side with humor, but I'd be lying if I didn't say I end up in tears quite often. I know they say that great kids aren't born, they're made, and believe me when I say that I'm SO willing to put in the work. I suppose Max is just pushing me to rethink my toolkit?? In a moment of despair, I ended up on Amazon (AGAIN!) and ordered a boat load of parenting books specifically geared toward the strong-willed child. Lord help me!

• In the spirit of keeping things real and not sounding like a total downer, I should also mention that there are so many adorable aspects to this growing boy. I may count down the minutes until it's nap time, but I'm incredibly eager to play with him when he wakes. Watching him march around the house with great purpose is a hoot. This kid is ALWAYS on a mission. Oh, and I'll hand out extra bonus points if he's donning his camera or talking on his imaginary cell phone. I guess this means I'll never have to hire a social media rep in the event One Fine Day hits it BIG time. Ha Ha!

• I'm a firm believer that "introverts got to introvert." That statement probably makes NO sense grammatically, but as someone who relishes alone time, I was pretty stinking ecstatic to get my hair done on Saturday (grey strays, stay away!) and squeeze in a moment to try out my new nail polish. Every once in awhile, it's best to make primping a priority. Just as I hoped, Odeme's poppy shade called "Cuba Libre" definitely lived up to his Clambake hype.

• I think we can all agree it's tough to come off of a vacay high. To remedy this, I thought it was brilliant to bring home leftovers from Momofuku's Milk Bar. Hmm, let's see... Being left unattended with an assortment of delicious cookies and a spirited/teething 15 month old—well, that's just a recipe for disaster! No New Year's inspired juice cleanses here, although I probably should. Also, do me a favor and DON'T ask Flyboy how many of those leftovers he got to eat. Oops!

• Speaking of the man of the house, let me take a moment to be all bragadocious. I hope you don't mind! You see, we learned over the holiday break that Flyboy's Christmas lights were GRAND CHAMPION worthy. That's right, he placed FIRST overall in the base lighting contest!!! Woot woot! Of course, this meant it was rough for Captain Christmas to dismantle his outdoor holiday decor this past weekend, but I'm proud to announce that he's already brainstorming about December 2016. After my hair appointment on Saturday, I had the honor in assisting him with the twinkle-light take down. You could say it's the one day each year that he gets to boss me around. Excuse me, I think I meant assertive...

• Maybe we should go ahead and discuss the fifth photo?!? It's not bad enough that Maxwell can walk, nay run, but now he's CLIMBING the furniture. What the?!? Clearly I'm all out of leftover cookies at this point, so eating my feelings is no longer an option anymore. Sigh. Perhaps it's best if I go hide in my closet again and try on my sparkly heels once more?? Can somebody tell me where I can find the #BOYMOM Handbook?? I couldn't find it on Amazon. Wink, wink.

• Finally, I'm aware Max's straps in the first photo are caddywhompus. It's only his stroller, not his car seat, and it's the best we could get considering the meltdown and wrestlemania it took to get him buckled in. I realize this may sound silly, but I feel like it's the sort of thing you have to preface anymore when you post these sorts of pictures online.

Okay, enough about me. How the heck are YOU?? Over and out.

LURVE LOAVE LUFF

Let's get right to it, shall we?

Here's what made me feel all twitterpated, smile contagiously, giggle uncontrollably, etc.

• Bolé Road Textiles // File this website for future reference, my friends, and then thank me later. You're going to be smitten with these colorful textiles handwoven in Ethiopia. The texture and patterns are absolutely incredible!
• Bug Hook // No pest control required with these adorable hooks! I'll take one in every color, por favor.
• Crack Pie // While visiting DC, we made a pit stop at Momofuku's Milk Bar. It was our first time, and it definitely didn't disappoint. We left with a dozen cookies, a slice of Crack Pie, and a bottle of Cereal Milk. Holy sweetness!
• Bobbi Brown Extra Lip Tint // Leave it to Bobbi to give us a lush and hydrating low-maintenance lip balm.
• Light Bulb Pendant Cushion // One thing I love most about being a contributor to Adore Magazine is the opportunity to discover and browse new-to-me Australian shops. I'm fairly certain I was an Aussie in my previous life.
• Rose Quartz // This isn't one of those hues I typically gravitate toward, but Victoria's homage to Pantone's Color of the Year in this post has me reconsidering the pale shade of pink. What are your thoughts??
• Charm Heels // I have to pinch myself as I type this, but would you believe my mom and dad got me these sparkly showstoppers for Christmas?? Eek! Sometimes I just go to my closet and try them on for fun. 
• Cargo Jacket // A wardrobe staple perfect for the spring-like temps we're experiencing in Swell Rio. Winter, who??
• Crystal Teardrop Earrings // My mom snagged these on one of our many trips to J.Crew. I must say, they're EXQUISITE. I definitely wouldn't mind adding them to my collection; they unexpectedly go with everything.
• Custom Hand-Lettered Word Art // I love that Mandy of Waiting on Martha fame has partnered with artist Jenny Gietzen to offer hand-lettered custom watercolors in the word and color of your choosing.
• Bonds100 Art Installation // I loved reading this article featuring typography whiz and Instagram sensation Bianca Cash.
• Correspondence Organizer // Of course I'm drawn to something so cheerful and practical.  This is a necessity!
• Mini Luggage Crossbody // After a dismal holiday collection (Did I just say that??), Kate Spade totally redeemed herself with a few pieces from their new arrivals. This sunshiny number has my name written ALL over it. Oh, hey Powerball!!
• Little Mother's Helper // The modern mother's postpartum health companion, which is chock-full of colorful cards that are useful whenever you have a question, need inspiration, direction, etc. I definitely could have used this a year ago!
• Cuba Libre Nail Polish // My sister knows that poppy red nail polish is the way to my heart because she got me a bottle of this for Christmas. I can't wait to give it a whirl this weekend. The packaging alone has got me feeling giddy!
• Chainstitch Cushion // I adore the juxtaposition of the hot pink paired with the navy tribal print. Modern meets whimsy.

Cheers to a snazzy weekend, m' dears! Make it count. 

TRIP RECAP: PART TWO

HOLIDAY HIGHLIGHTS WORTH MENTIONING (CONTINUED)...

• Remember that part in yesterday's post when I mentioned my dad dressed up like The King? I wasn't kidding. I guess he wanted to ensure we had a Blue Christmas or something. To sweeten the deal, we surprised my father with a toddler Elvis costume for Max to wear alongside him for the big performance. With a brand spanking new wireless mic in hand, the dynamic duo totally showed the karaoke machine who's boss. Me thinks Christmas Elvis needs to become a tradition.

• Speaking of karaoke, my sister made all of my Christmas dreams come true when she agreed to sing Bad Blood with me. Yaaaaaaaaas! Several drinks in and a little Swifty sweet talking, I convinced the Taylor Hater (How is that possible??) to grab a microphone already and join me front and center. Something tells me payback is going to be a real...

• We visited the Washington DC Zoo and Max turned into a real animal. After taking a brief nap and waking up just in time to see the monkeys, he wiggled his way out of the stroller and walked around the place like a champ. Something tells me his freedom to run amok that day was greater than any gift under the Christmas tree. Getting Miss Independent back into his stroller is always the fun part, but we managed to make it happen with the lure of fruit snacks and FIVE adults.

• And since we're on the topic of tenacious toddlers who outsmart their elders, I should probably mention that Max snuck out of my parents' house. Gulp! As the days pass, I find the story a tad bit funnier, but I mostly want to bury my head in shame at the idea of it happening. You see, we returned home from a walk at a nearby lake. Upon our return, the guys went into the living room to imbibe and watch football while the girls opted to change into something comfy and prepare dinner. We all assumed the babe was being tended to by someone else (Whoops!) because he was quiet and peaceful. Trust me when I say that the entire house knows when Maxwell is disgruntled. With security gates in place and shut doors, what could possibly go wrong?? I guess we failed to realize that our Wild Thing had two whole weeks to case the joint. Yikes! He enjoyed being on my parents' deck and was entertained whenever our family dog, Schatz, would go outside. From time to time, I saw him mess with the door handle, but he'd only ever been a little curious with the hardware. I should have anticipated Miss Independent was ready to take the plunge and open the deck door. Gasp! We still have NO clue how long he was out there, but thank goodness for my sister who heard a crying sound and asked about Max's whereabouts. After checking with my dad and Flyboy, we all rushed to the backyard (it's fenced, thankfully!) and found Max outdoors playing with mulch and rocks. He sat there sniffling with a scratch or two on his cheek. Max has little experience going down stairs, so we imagine he took a tumble at some point. Ugh! Sharing this little anecdote makes me feel like a twit of a mother, but I'm glad it happened when we were around family. I suppose I'd gotten too comfortable with Max's current level of mischief. It was only a matter of time before our spirited fella went off to discover on his own. I'm learning that with each day he becomes smarter and faster—a wicked combination!

• Whenever our family is together, I'm terrible about documenting moments with my camera. I tried to make a conscious effort this year, but I could honestly care less about technology when I'm surrounded by so much goodness. Does anyone else feel that way?? I guess all of the little moments reside in my head and my heart and that's perfectly acceptable, even in this visual world we're living in. These images don't fully capture all that occurred in a period of three weeks, but they definitely represent little details that deserve to be documented. When the distance from family becomes too hard to bear, I need a quick mental escape from Swell Rio, or I wish to reminisce about my once tiny babe (stop growing!!), I have a handful of pictures to take me back to these wonderful moments. Colorful and charming details aside, I find the most beauty in a fuzzy family portrait in front of the Christmas tree (smother alert!), a playful image of my mom and sister doting on Max in the hallway, and an unfiltered snapshot of my dad wrangling Max as he does with great finesse.

Life is so very good. 

Happy Thursday, m' dears! As always, thanks for stopping by!

TRIP RECAP: PART ONE

Happy Wednesday, m' dears! I hope your 2016 is off to a bright start. While I warmly welcome the new year, the greedy side of me wishes I could relive these past three weeks all over again. We had such a wonderful time with family. As cliche as it might sound, it was everything I hoped it would be and MORE! In an effort to ease back into blogging and our Swell Rio routine (What's nap time??), I thought I'd share some highlights from our trip in two different posts. I suppose it's my way of reminiscing about the time spent together and a reminder of how grateful I am to be surrounded by so much love.

HOLIDAY HIGHLIGHTS WORTH MENTIONING...

• My mom and dad surprised me with tickets to see the musical Matilda at The Kennedy Center. Squee!!! The Roald Dahl loving tween in me was over the moon. Just as I expected, Trunchbull stole the show with an epic performance. Now I wonder how long it will be before I stop humming, "My mummy says I'm a miracle..."??

• Speaking of Matilda and The Kennedy Center, my mom and I attempted to take a selfie to document the experience and we failed miserably. Two selfie novices with little experience working angles, along with my nervous blinking, result in comical outtakes. Our failed attempts to take one good photo are more smile-inducing than any picture could ever be. 

• Whenever I visit my parents, I'm eager to visit an art museum or two and STAT. Being in the presence of Ellsworth Kelly, Franz Kline, Helen Frankenthaler, and Elaine de Kooning is ALWAYS a good thing. Surrounded by such color and beauty brings me a sense of creative renewal. Sigh. Is anyone else swooning over the abstracts like I am?! Be still my heart.

• The photos in today's post were primarily taken before my sister, her boyfriend, and Flyboy arrived (with a few random colorful details sprinkled in the mix, because aesthetics...). In anticipation of their homecoming, we spent time shopping, getting manicures, wrapping gifts, and visiting my parents at work. The opportunity to see my mom in her element with the kids at school made me tremendously proud to call her MY mother, and just the thought of watching my dad show Max around his office is enough to make me grin from ear to ear. Moments like these are far greater than any gift.

• Stay tuned for tomorrow's post, which will include Max unfiltered and my dad dressed as The King. Yep! Get up for it.

Alright, enough about me. How the heck are YOU? Tell me something great about your holiday.