good morning birthday baby!

{ birthday post part one }

good morning birthday boy! mommy snuck in your room this morning and took your picture at exactly 7:45am! {on another camera...mine is too loud!} you were sleeping soundly! a little more calm at that exact moment than you were 12 months ago! when you did wake up this morning you were sooo surprised to see 12 balloons floating on your floor! you just kept pointing at them in confusion!

for breakfast mommy made you your favorite...pancakes!
today it was a special breakfast...they were a firetruck and fire hydrant pancakes!




you were impressed!!!

so southern : so momma

i've recently learned...that setting place cards at the table is very southern...raised in the south...it would make sense i suppose that i thought everyone did it! well it explains why my southern born, raised, living momma always decks out her table for dinner complete with place cards...even on no "special" occasion!

they, of course, are no ordinary place cards...they are ones she makes! here are the current ones...

she made the candle with cinnamon sticks, a skinny cut of burlap, a bit of paper for the name and a small piece of vintage brown transferware! aren't they precious! and mom doesn't stop at the place cards...her chair toppers are made of burlap pipped in a green dupioni silk...so very fall...and quite impressive...she's just that good!

its always a treat to pull up a chair at mom's table!!!

the fair

what is a visit to texas in september without a trip to the fair! this was the mister's first fair...and he got to bring his noni and lala along!

every little buckaroo needs to be properly introduced to a moo-cow!

yes! my little cowpoke has a mouth full of teeth...he got no. 8 today

{ thanks aunt sissy for fanci-ing up a postcard from the day! }

little red boots

longtime blog readers might recognize the little red boots! we tried them on recently and our buckaroo is still waiting to grow into them... they sit on his shelf and he enjoys looking at them! { and yes...lala was in town recently! it was a birthday treat!! }

1st trip to the zoo

the little mister boy and i ventured to the zoo this week with some dear friends. it was wonderful weather and it was little handsome's first trip!

the visit to the lions was amazing! we walked up and he was lounged up on the rock ROARING...showing off his teeth and all! he was quite the talkative fellow!

... hanging out with the antilope ...



he seemed to really notice the elephants



... he didn't seem as impressed with the giraffes {they were kinda far away} as he did with the ducks...



and the sea lions...



...and again from a different angle...underwater. the mister was pretty mesmerized by this!

pretty sure it was a successful first trip to the zoo! we are excited to take daddy next time!

blushing. blushing, blushing

so many blushing thanks to ms. catherine @ design editor for the shout out about teacups and tadpoles's shopping cart covers...and a bit about the rest of my irons in the fire!

if by the slim chance you've never stumbled onto her beautiful online pad then quite the plethora of inspiration awaits you! click on over and be prepared to stay awhile!

he's.on.a.roll

my little over achiever started crawling and the next day started pulling up and cruising the furniture! "firsts" come in such huge helpings these days!

my new favorite MUST-HAVE

picky as always...i am most excited to have finally found a shopping cart & high chair cover that i love, use,...AND share it with my customers! i have been on the hunt for one that provided the most amount of surface protection without folding up to be the size of a king size pillow. i have plenty to lug around without adding another large baby must-have to my trunk! plus...i wanted one that was comfortable enough without being so big and plush that it was bulky...we all know my little mister won't be falling asleep as we stroll down the grocery store aisle! so i didn't need a cover that boasted the ultimate dream-like comfort! ;)

the mister and i love this cover! he gets to chew on his attached toys and i get my hand and hip back as we head through the grocery store...all while i have peace of mind that he is touching his own space and not every one else's! in addition to the obvious stylish fabric choices i am most impressed with a few other features...

1. 100% soft quilted cotton - machine washable. Provides a 360 degree germ-free zone. Folds to a compact, convenient size that can be easily stored in a diaper bag.

2. Four elastic corners for easy one-hand installation.

3. Toy loops to attach baby's favorite playthings.

4. Extra wide safety strap comfortably keeps baby secure while attaching cover to shopping cart or high chair.

...and did i mention how small and compact it folds up to be...

you can find them here...