Quotable Tuesdays

Quotable Tuesdays

 

The warmest of wishes to you and yours from me and mine.

 

XOXO,

Stress Case

It's December!

In November...

 

Handsome Husband spent a few days in Portland, Oregon at a Negotiation competition, and found out he would be traveling to a few competitions in 2014 also!

I got to spend the morning catching up with Cousin Snapshot and Best Cousin during Cousin S' visit to So Cal. 

L-R: Cousin Snapshot, Me, Best Cousin

 

We hosted a fun birthday dinner at our house for birthday girl, Mother-in-Law Red!

 

Gardening Mom, Sisters Singer and Swimmer and their friends and BF YOLO, Handsome Husband and I kicked off the holiday season with the Tree Lighting Ceremony we attend every year!

HH and I at Tree Lighting

 

HH and I commemorated this pregnancy with some maternity photos (that I've yet to share on the blog...coming soon, promise!) in Old Towne Orange.

 

Sneak peak - I'll share more soon!

 

Handsome Husband kicked his studying into gear for finals - and we started getting really excited that once he is done with finals, little Baby M will be making her grand debut any day!  (And because I'm neurotic, I started worrying about what I would do if I went in to labor during one of his 3+ hour long finals.)

 

Cousin Study Buddy and Mr. UNC accompanied HH and myself to a USC basketball game when we were lucky enough to get courtside seats from Gardening Momma's boss.  The game was exciting, but I was a little nervous the entire time shielding my basketball (aka my baby belly) from stray balls and players.  Luckily we stayed out of the action.

 

Best Friend Cute Apartment hosted a lovely baby shower for me to celebrate Baby M's upcoming arrival with all of my closest girlfriends.  It was gorgeous, and I will be sharing details soon!

Me and the hostess with the mostess, Cute Apartment

 

The family got together to celebrate the birthday of Tutor Girl - she's getting close to the big 3-0, and I admire her for loving that instead of loathing it as I do!

 

We attended the wedding reception of a good friend of HH's from law school, and were happy to celebrate their recent nuptuals with them.

 

Aunt Fancy Chef treated the ladies in HH's family to a day of yummy food!  First we had a lovely breakfast, followed by a super fun cooking class!  I can't wait to go back, the cooking class was so much fun!

 

Thanksgiving was full of family and great food and as usual, we were feeling blessed to be able to see both my side and HH's side of the family on the holiday.

 

I opted out of Black Friday shopping, and instead chose to do some Black Friday crafting and wrapping with Gardening Mom and Sister Swimmer.  Gardening Mom and I managed to crank out some adorable burp cloths which will be making their way to the blog very soon!

 

We wrapped up the month with a lovely Hannukah Dinner at Gardening Mom and Hat Dad's house - and I got my annual fix of potato latkes!  I can never get enough, especially leftovers!

 

In December?  I'm crossing my fingers for a slightly early arrival of little miss Baby M, and we've got lots of fun holiday events to attend!



A Few of My Favorite Things

Maybe A Few of my Hopefully, if I'm Lucky, Favorite Things would have been a more fitting title for this little Christmas wishlist post!  I always know when we're really getting into the holiday shopping season when I start getting requests from Gardening Mom and Grandma Beach Bum for a wishlist, and both have asked in the past week, so it looks like Christmas time is a'comin!

Here are some things on my wishlist this year:

{1} Graco Pack and Play {2} A new makeup bag/case {3} An HD video camera that I can easily connect to my computer {4} Perfume!  Chanel Chance is one of my favorites {5} Photoshop Elements {6} Polar Fitness Heart Rate Monitor {7} Ergo baby carrier {8} Timi and Leslie diaper bag

As you can see, this year my list is a little dominated by Baby M items, but what can I say?  I'm excited!

What's on your list this year?

{Down with the Dearmore's}

Goodbye, October!

In October...

 

Handsome Husband and I were lucky enough to be invited to the new beautiful home of The Esquire and Baker Girl.  We enjoyed seeing their brand new place, and an amazing dinner prepared by BG!

 

I had the dreaded 1-hour glucose test, failed, freaked the eff out, took the 3-hour test, and passed!  Very typical Stress Casey behavior to have a meltdown before the problem entirely presents itself.

 

I had a lovely time catching up with an old high school teacher of mine over coffee (well, decaf tea for me).  It was so nice to hear about a program I was heavily involved with in high school (Model United Nations, for those wondering), how it's changed, and to get Mr. T updated on many of his former students and the awesome things they are doing nowadays.

 

HH and I got to head to San Diego for a soccer game on the field I spent so many days and nights watching him play on!  This season will be the last that there are players on the team HH played with, so it is a little sad for him, the end of an era, if you will.

 

We had one busy Saturday in mid-October!  We started the day off with a kickball game (okay, I watched a kickball game) with some of HH's newer friends from law school, were hosted to a lovely BBQ at Best Cousin's new place, and ended the evening with a viewing of Captain Phillips after being invited by Aunt Fancy Chef to join her and some family at the luxury movie theater!

 

 

We got to support some fundraising Kindergarten Teacher was doing for her chosen charity by attending an evening at a local wine bar.  Though my glass was longing for wine instead of water, the conversation with some of my favorite ladies made up that.

 

Handsome Husband and I set sail on a Tiki Cruise around Newport Harbor with some law school students. 

 

Gardening Mom and I got a start on our Christmas Shopping at Citadel Outlets' annual Shopping Extravaganza!  This year, MIL Red and Grandma Beach Bum decided to join also, so it was fun to meet up for lunch and a break from the shops.

 

Aunt Fancy Chef invited us to a lovely charity event for South County Outreach called Empty Bowls, where we got to try lots of yummy soups from local restaurants, bid on some silent auction items (though we didn't win, boo!) and listen to some lovely speakers.

HH and I at Empty Bowls

 

Handsome Husband attended a Boot Camp for New Dads!  Though he said he didn't find it all that informative, I still think it's cute!

 

I was showered with love and some pretty awesome gifts for our little New Years Baby at my family baby shower!

 



 

We celebrated Cousin Halloween's 7th (he's getting way too old these days!) with pizza and cupcakes during a mid-week birthday party!

 

Halloween ended the month, and we were content with eating fajitas and handing out candy to our whopping two trick-or-treaters!  We also spent some time thinking about how fun it will be when our baby girl is here for next Halloween!

 

In November ... We've got a lot going on!  There's a few birthdays coming up, some holiday events, our maternity photos, a second baby shower for this little lady, and lots and lots of prepping for her impending arrival! 





Aloha August!

Double month recap time!  Oh yeah oh yeah!

In June...

We started off the month with birthday celebrations - dinner at Goofy's Kitchen for Sisters Singer and Swimmer, and a local Italian restaurant for Gardening Mom.

 

I had a long overdue meeting with an old friend, filled with catching up and apologies, forgiveness and moving forward.

 

We headed to the San Clemente pier to one of our favorite restaurants for a perfect Saturday lunch with Cute Apartment and her Boyfriend Number Cruncher.

 

Arizona was calling our names, and we finally got back out on the boat!  The whole family went out for Father's Day and it was so nice to spend some time in one of our favorite places (especially with the addition of brand new air conditioning!).

There was lots more family fun to be had when Uncle Firefighter, Nurse Auntie, and Cousin Snapshot and her darling kiddos came to visit!  We had two lovely dinners, and it was nice to see family that we don't get to see as often as we'd like.

We finally revealed to family that there was a little BABY in our future!  It was so fun to tell all of our family, and a relief to have the secret OUT!

I got to get some more practice in with my camera when I took some photos of Mother-in-Law Red, and Mr. Bear.

I graduated from 1st trimester to the 2nd trimester of my pregnancy - time is flying!

In July...

Handsome Husband spent some time at the International Negotiation Conference, negotiating with law students from all over the world!

We celebrated the 4th of July by hosting our friends for beers, bbq and a big surprise!

 

Best Cousin and I headed to the fair to see Colbie Callait, and I was inspired to write my first letter to our little baby on the way.

We got to see all of our favorite future lawyers at a Vegas-themed birthday bash!

HH and I spent the day with Cousin Study Buddy and company - breakfast followed by a fun-filled day at our neighborhood water park and pool!

Handsome Husband's family finally got together for another Poker Tournament!  It had been long overdue, and I was so happy (almost as happy as I would have been had I won again) that Tutor Girl took home the prize!

We got another little peak our our sweet New Years baby on the way, and a few days later held a Gender Reveal party to find out whether we are expecting a baby boy or a baby girl!  I can't wait to share with all of you in just a few days!

In August? The ladies in my family head to Seattle for a long weekend, there are lots of birthdays to celebrate, HH goes back to school, and we'll get to see our little Baby M again!



Firecracker

Along with some yummy hot dogs (and an adorable selection of toppings),

chicken sausage,

carne asada,

fruit and dip,

and lots of beer,

we treated our 4th of July guests to a little surprise...

 

 

That's right, there's a baby on the way!

Details to come!



Things Thursday: Things I've Been Doing Instead of Blogging

1. Couch surfing.  Maybe a little too much time on the couch.

2. Tons and tons of family time!  Last Sunday, we managed to have each meal with a different group of Handsome Husband's family!

3. Um, Big Brother started.  Hello?

4. Using my camera.  I got to take some pretty pictures of MIL Red and her fiance, Mr. Bear, down at their oceanfront wedding location last weekend.

5. Getting more and more excited for our upcoming Beers & BBQ 4th of July Party!  Friends, booze, food, sun and 'MERICA loving...my type of day.

6. Planning (and by planning, I mean, listening to Gardening Mom's plan and loving every idea) a long weekend getaway with Gardening Mom and Sisters Singer and Swimmer.  August can't come soon enough!

7. Enjoying basking in the sun on my walks to and from my work parking lot and on the weekends, but not loving the too hot evenings that have already started. 

8. Having mini family reunions at Downtown Disney.  Lots of family was in town, and it was so nice to see everyone!

9. Really missing blogging, but really lacking the motivation to write.

10. Reading lots of blogs!  I might be lagging, but I'm reading YOU!

A Mother's Day Brunch

Last weekend, for Mother's Day, we hosted my parents, my sisters, Mother-in-Law Red and her beau, Mr. Bear for brunch.  I have so loved owning our home for many reasons, but by far my number one reason?  I love to entertain. 

I spent quite some time deciding on the perfect spread - balancing the necessities of sweet and savory breakfast items to please all those in attendance, and I did pretty well, if I do say so myself!

This, to me, is the perfect brunch spread:

Chocolate Chip Pancake Muffins

Hashbrowns

Bacon - soft and crispy!

Smoked Salmon

Strawberries and Bananas with Nutella

Cheesey Egg Bake

 

and

 

A Mimosa Bar (duh!)

 

And obviously, no Mother's Day is complete without some gifts.

 

 

My gifts for Mother-in-Law Red were lovingly bought at a craft fair (the adorable sign) and the phone case is from Etsy.

 

For Gardening Momma, I got a little crafty and my Pinspiration was from none other than the Saw it-Pinned it-Did it Queen herself, Steph! 

 

My Pinspiration:

{Pinned}

 

My Creation:

 

I went with a big of a fluffier succulent arrangement, and a different type of wooden letter, and skipped the bow for Gardening Mom's wreath, but I loved Steph's so much I just couldn't stray too much for her adorable wreath.

 

I wasn't the only one who got crafty for Mother's Day this year, Sisters Swimmer and Singer worked with Hat Dad to create the coolest succulent planter for GM also!

 

So cool, right?!

 

Sisters showing off their handiwork.

 

Linking up with: The Vintage Apple, Something Swanky, Vintage Wanna Bee, Ginger Snap Crafts, Lil Luna, I {Heart} Nap Time, A Diamond in the Stuff, Live Laugh Rowe, 504 Main, Tatertots and Jello, Be Different Act Normal, Six Sisters' Stuff, C.R.A.F.T., Delightful Order, House of Hepworths, Positively Splendid, BEAUtiful Mess/Keep Calm and Carry On, Southern Lovely, Someday Crafts, Chic on a Shoestring Budget, A Night Owl, House of Rose



Adventures in Pinterest: Easter Treats

Sometimes I wish I was one of the fabulous bloggers who thought out all their holiday crafts, recipes and decor; made them in advance and took the most gorgeous photos; and then shared their amazing ideas with their readers inspiring them to use their creativity to make their holidays even more special than years past.
 

But I'm not.
 

I'm just a girl who likes to ramble, who sometimes make some recipes and crafts and shares them on the blog.  And most of the time, if they're for a holiday?  I'm sharing them after cause I just made them that day.  Such is life.
 

This Easter, I made two adorbs treats to share with our family.  And shocker of all shocks?  They were both Pinspired.
 

Colored Easter Deviled Eggs

  

Pinspiration: 

{Originally pinned from}

Mine:

  

I sort of love how mine got this random speckled look, though I'm not completely sure how they did.  I'll refer you to the original link for the instructions, but I used about a cup of hot water, combined with about a teaspoon of vinegar and a very small amount of Wilton gel colors.  I do not have liquid food color in my house, and the gel worked just fine.  The only thing I would note that was a bit different than the original link is that I left mine in the colored water for much longer than I thought I would.  Maybe it was because of the gel icing?  Anywho, I left them in the cups of colored water for 3+ minutes each.

And just because I know everyone does it a little differently, my yolk mixture is pretty basic: egg yolk, light mayo, garlic salt, Tapatio, and dijon mustard.  

After the appetizer came a wonderful dinner full of steaks, crab legs, homemade coleslaw, green bean casserole and more!  And after that, came these:
 

Easter Nest Cupcakes

  

Pinspiration:

Mine:

 

Shout out to HH for being a hottie hand model! 

I'm gonna keep it real and admit that I used gasp box cake mix, canned frosting and obviously premade candy atop these little cuties, and you know what?  No shame.  These are very basic, and the instructions at the original site are super helpful! 

Linking up with: The Vintage Apple, Something Swanky, Vintage Wanna Bee, Ginger Snap Crafts, Lil Luna, I {Heart} Nap Time, A Diamond in the Stuff, Live Laugh Rowe, 504 Main, Tatertots and Jello, Be Different Act Normal, Six Sisters' Stuff, C.R.A.F.T., Delightful Order, House of Hepworths, Positively Splendid, BEAUtiful Mess/Keep Calm and Carry On, Southern Lovely, Someday Crafts, Chic on a Shoestring Budget, A Night Owl

Kiss Me, It's April

In March...

We returned home from our East Coast Vacation, which you can read about HERE.  Look out for another vacation recap coming this week!

I hosted a birthday dinner for Hat Daddy-o, and made the most adorable miniature desserts, also coming to a Stress Case blog post near you soon!

Gardening Mom and I made it all the way to Pasadena to check out the famous Rose Bowl Flea Market, and walked away with two wooden ducks (Mom, not me).  It was at the same time slightly overhyped and completely overwhelming.

I turned the big 2-5 and my generous parents took me and Handsome Hubs to a wonderful surf and turf dinner at Fleming's Steakhouse in Newport Beach to celebrate.

Handsome Hubs and I hosted a birthday party to celebrate our 25th birthdays (we are a week apart!).  The theme was Tacky Las Vegas, which you can read more about HERE.

San Diego friends!

Me and Twin Unicorn on the L, Best Friend Swagger and I on the R

St. Patrick's Day came, and with it came Tutor Girl and Cousin Ronomon's new bundle of joy, Lucky P.

HH and I with P on St. Patty's

A week after me, HH turned 25, and we had a fancy date night at the movies.  Have y'all heard of Cinepolis?  It's amazeballs, gotta check it out.

The super comfy seats at Cinepolis

Mother-in-Law Red and Mr. Bear hosted a yummy Italian birthday dinner for us to celebrate our big days with HH's fam.

Cousin Study Buddy turned a year older, and we got together over Mexican food and Coors Lights (and funfetti cake!) to celebrate!

We had a little belated dinner with my family at our place to celebrate HH's birthday with his all-time favorite dinner - Salsa Chicken.

We ended the month with a family fun day at Grandpa Beach Bum's to celebrate two awesome things: Easter, and Cousin Teeny Girl's 5th birthday!  

R: Cousin Teeny Girl aka The Birthday Girl! L top: The Heartfelt Family, R bottom: Me and Lucky P

January is OVA!

I can hardly believe we are already one month deep in 2013...time is flying!

In January...

 

We started off the year dancing and drinking our asses off at The Derby, our local dueling piano bar, with some wonderful friends.

 

 

We headed to the boonies San Bernardino to welcome our good friend Twin Navy home during his short leave.

 

Twin Navy himself, with his cutie wife looking on.

 

Handsome Husband went back to school to kick ass in the Spring semester the way he did this past Fall.

 

To celebrate the new semester, we headed to the diviest bar in Orange for a little Law School Karaoke Contest.  I'm just going to come right out and say it: my rendition of Call Me Maybe would have won if I was eligible (students only shmudents only).  Though, HH's track did a cute little number themselves:

 

 

Tutor Girl and I kicked it into gear and started walking again like we used to so much pre full-time job, house hunting, crazy life stress.  And I realized how out of shape I was when the pregnant chick was doing better than me and my legs were sore for days.  A few weeks later I even incorporated C25K back into my routine, maybe I'll make a runner out of myself afterall.

 

Handsome Husband had his last day of work as an official employee (the dude is working from home now, lucky right?), and a week later had a lunch to say goodbye to his coworkers friends that he's worked with for the past two years.

 

My best girls and I headed to Solvang, CA for our annual Girls' Weekend!  We drank lots of wine, and even went on a fantastic wine tour.  Check out the favors I made for the ladies HERE, and even see the Instagrams HERE.  And keep an eye out for the full recap coming later this week!

 

We had a double date dinner at Cute Apartments' new place (a cute condo this time!) with boyfriend, Number Cruncher. 

 

A whole lot of us headed up to San Pedro to see Mother-in-Law Red's new home.  Lots of drinks and fun were had with family and her closest friends.

 

And we ended the month with a long overdue meeting of the Taco Tuesday Club where we had a margarita or three and ate some Mexican food with some of our favorite people.







A Ridiculously Late Holiday Tour

Because I took great time in taking these photos (the difference between those taken before I got my fancy new camera for Christmas and those taken after is insane), I had to post them even though I think it's officially inappropriate to be recapping Christmas still.

Enjoy!