Around The Web: Q1 2024

While my around the web posts are some of my favorite, this year has really gotten away from me! Going forward I plan to share quarterly, starting this month. Easter is early this year, so I loved getting to pick out Grant’s Easter basket! While he probably will enjoy it more next year, these are special days getting to watch our little guy experience the world – especially each holiday. Soon I will post Grant’s milestones photos/notes and we can’t believe we are already celebrating his first birthday! Here are a few links I wanted to take note of the first few months of the year:

December Around The Web

December has come to a close, and I’m having a hard time processing that we are leaving 2023, the year Grant was born! All month was filled with first Christmas activities: we went to our church’s Kristkindl Markt, had brunch with friends in town, took Grant to see Santa, survived a family stomach bug, attended Dale’s work holiday parties, I had my holiday dinner club favorite things exchange, our family visited Enchant KC, we got to meet baby Daphne, celebrated Dianne’s birthday, visited Union Station and Crown Center, and had a magical Christmas Eve/Christmas Day/26th visit to Lawrence! The last few days of the month were spent enjoying Smith family time and heading back to Enchant for New Year’s Eve! Around the web, I was especially inspired by these beautiful ornaments by Mille Amber. Hopefully next year I won’t miss the chance to purchase one! Take a look at her work here.

  • I also hope that I get a chance to try making these beautiful dinner rolls next Christmas!

  • London has the most beautiful holiday decorations! I hope to visit in person someday.

  • A bit of Christmas lettering inspiration

  • A new to me letterpress studio, the deep emboss is just so stunning.

  • Would you try this DIY? I would love to try a larger scale version in the doorway between my living room and dining room

  • After having a chance to try royal icing cookies this year, I could not stop watching these videos!

  • One of my favorite memories this December was making salt dough ornaments. This was the recipe I used, and despite Grant not loving the handprint ideas we had some super cute Santas to share with his teachers and family!

  • Saving this for inspiration in the new year, I would love to embroider on a sweater for Grant

  • I don’t have plans for a sparkly NYE outfit this year, but Grace always has the best roundups

Merry Christmas, friends!

Royal Iced Sugar Cookies for #My5Days

In early December I had the chance to take a royal iced sugar cookie workshop from the talented Bernard Shondell for Hallmark’s #My5Days. During the workshop he shared tips and tricks for baking the perfect sugar cookies and taught us how to decorate using royal icing. I absolutely love how my cookies turned out and can’t wait to get them out of the freezer for our Christmas Eve party!

July Around The Web

Every month that includes a holiday feels extra special this year as we celebrate with Grant! For his first Fourth of July we participated in the neighborhood popsicle parade, went to the pool and then enjoyed our traditional fireworks and homemade ice cream at Turkey Hill a week late. This month we also spent time swimming with Sonya, visited Pryde’s with my mom and Sophie, experienced a terrible storm, watched Grace preform in Footloose, visited friends in Wichita to meet Baby Zoey and Baby Casey, Grant turned four (!) months old, celebrated my dad’s birthday and last (but not least) saw The Barbie Movie! Grant and I also spent time breakfasting/lunching with friends (Mary, Matt, and Heather) and had my cousin, his wife wife and baby over for brunch. I’m so grateful to still be on maternity leave and really am soaking up every minute!

Hi, Barbie!

June Around The Web

June kicked off with Dale and I celebrating our 8 year wedding anniversary! My parents offered to babysit so that we could head to The Campground for drinks followed by a delicious dinner at Novel. That Sunday Grant was baptized and we had a great lunch after to celebrate! The rest of the month included more celebrations for our friend’s daughter Ruthie, Alex turned 30, we spent time with the Chicago Smiths, and saw Grace preform at her aerial show and at The Folly! Grace also turned 19 on the 26th and we had cupcakes at our house the night before her Folly performance. Grant is now three months old (how does time go so fast!) and has grown so much! He’s officially in mostly 3-6 month clothes and is giggling and smiling which is the BEST.

  • I was blown away by how beautiful Mackenzie’s instant hedges turned out! I’ve always admired her beautiful back yard but the hedges really brought it to a whole new level!

  • Like the rest of the internet, I am excited for the Barbie movie

  • An interesting history of the tote, we sure use Grant’s a lot!

  • I’m taking lots of early morning walks with my little guy and need a new hat

  • Bittersweet news from one of my favorite sites, Wit & Delight

  • Adding the ingredients for this recipe to our grocery list

  • Obsessed with this mirror (and little bathroom in general)

  • Bookmarking for future summer date nights

  • I love all blooms and these chairs are no exception. So beautiful!

  • The Magic Merlin is saving our sleep as Grant transitions out of his beloved Ollie!

happy summer!

Ideas + Inspiration: Grad Caps

This is an exiting week for my family as my sister Grace graduates from High School and my sister Sophie is receiving her Master’s Degree! In honor of their accomplishments I thought I would share this fun DIY created by Hallmark Ideas + Inspiration which features two of my lettering cards.

Click to view on Instagram!

© Hallmark Licensing, LLC