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March 6, 2013

5 Random Things: March Edition

I love doing link ups, but rarely remember to actually do them!  This week The Style Hatch is doing a link up of “5 Random Things” so here’s mine with random pictures included…

1. I wish I had more ambition.  This might sound ridiculous to some people because they probably think that I have too much ambition, but I feel like I’m kind of a lazy personality.

2. My kids have gone to sleep after midnight every single night this week. They also haven’t been up before 10 am any day either. Our schedule got seriously thrown with dropping Joel off at the airport super late last Saturday, so the kids are just so off. Will we ever recover?

3. I’m always baffled by how rare it is that anyone asks questions while talking face to face. I think the art of conversation has completely disappeared from society, and it makes me sad that we care so little about each other.

4. I’ve been on a “new recipe” roll. Trying new foods, left and right. The joy in this is that you find new things you love. The problem, is that you realize people on food recipe sites have terrible taste. Literally. I can’t believe some of the recipes that have 4 out of 5 stars?! If you have any suggestions as to good healthy recipe site to use, or a food blogger that you love please pass it on!

5. I still love Dr Pepper. I try not to. I love my healthy gluten free, dairy free, lifestyle, but I still love Dr Pepper. I love it. I love it. I love it.

Don’t forget to leave me your recipe suggestions below, or your 5 random things!

 

by Ashley of Lovelock

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Jessie Dae - We find that most recipes don’t have enough flavor for us .. Williams Sonoma is the exception. I can recommend individual recipes but no one is good across the board. Other than that I just keep trying .. I’m on a muffin kick these days .. Yum!!

Ashley of Lovelock - Yes, same here, and most have plenty of spices, but the flavor is bland overall. Thanks for the tips!

Sue Wheelock - Hi,
Randomly stumbled onto your blog after seeing a post on Instagram on a mutual friends feed. Was intrigued by your last name as it sounds similar to mine (totally random, I know) but your blog is adorable and your kids are adorable and dressed very well I might say ( You have very similar taste in kids clothing as me) and I just might stalk your life now. Do you by chance homeschool your kiddos (since they sleep until 10)? I’m going to be homeschooling my son for first grade next year and I get excited when I meet other young homeschooling moms because I don’t come across many.

Ashley W. - Yes, we homeschool and we LOVE it! All four will be in next year, which I’m sure will be crazy, but great too. Feel free to stalk, you can also search the blog for Homeschool or Homeschool DIY and there are a few posts about our ventures in education. Do you have a blog?

Sue Wheelock - Just my neglected business/personal blog:
http://www.suewheelock.com/blog/

Ashley W. - I know it’s terrible how much I neglect all my work media. Working on that for 2013, but chances are it won’t get better. Can’t wait to check it out! xxoo

March 3, 2013

Little People, Little Thoughts

 

My kids informed me what they would name a new baby, who I’m hoping the believe is a boy based on their selections. I am still laughing at these unpredictable choices….

Jude: “Clinton White”

Zara: “Knight War”

Cruz; “Joel Junior”

Ever, “Phoenix Pete”

(Junior is the middle name, in case you might be confused.)

There is no new baby, just to clarify! Just a crazy long car ride in the middle of the night that led to some delusional children on a naming rampage. xxoo

P.S. Yes, worst picture of Joel and I, I was so sick btw, but hadn’t looked through any of our personal pictures from the past month and just came across this today. How is Jude so huge?

by Ashley of Lovelock

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chalice - phoenix pete.

this is the best:):):):)

February 28, 2013

Recently…

There’s never any pretty way to throw all the “life happenings” into one post, but I thought it was time for an update on all the items of business we usually discuss so here we go…

1. Obviously Dean is all I think about. I stalk my sister’s instagram feed, wait for texts with new pictures of him, and count down the days until I see him again.  Ruby & Quin were little angels when I watched them after he was born. Ruby couldn’t get enough “snuggles” and didn’t want me to leave just so we could snuggle more. I wanted to steal her and bring her home with me!

2. Never really got anything conclusive from the doctors about all my sickness stuff. They couldn’t figure out what was wrong and sort just dropped me. The only decent doctor I saw the whole time was the allergist who decided to try to fix me and got me tested for a million different things and guess what?! Yes, I do have asthma! Yes, I’m allergic to everything! Yes, she scared me half to death with her, “You better carry and inhaler and epi-pen everywhere. I mean EVERYWHERE. Not to scare you, but I’m trying to scare you.”

3. Keep praying for my dad!  He is doing “better” in one sense, but overall it’s not good. He has still not fused and the pain is a daily problem. He will be seeing more specialist to manage the pain, which is always in itself annoying to have appointment after appointment with no true resolve.

4. I can’t even begin to explain how grateful I am to have a small, but significant break from weddings. Nothing has been sweeter then being with my children all the time, all the time, all the time. I am still definitely working but it’s all at home and I do love what I do so it’s always a privilege in that sense. I feel so refreshed though and ready for the rush that will hit soon!

5. So excited about some conferences coming up and working with some amazing companies too. I’ll try to post as I go and keep you all in the loop, but who am I kidding?! I’m the worst blogger EVER! Following me on instagram (@houseoflovelock) is really the best way to keep up to date.

by Ashley of Lovelock

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February 25, 2013

Faux Hiking

We like to pretend that we hike. With four kids the likelihood of someone needing to be carried is too high to make legitimate hiking trips, so we faux it. Saturday we decided that this particular day & trail was too pretty to pass up and “hiked” it, leopard loafers and all. We were totally unprepared, over dressed, and once I saw the sign “beware of ticks” I was ready to turn back, but it ended up being a lovely little trip that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.

by Ashley of Lovelock

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chanel - how fun! and i love the photos. your family is seriously the cutest.

Candace Wingo - Looks like a fun time.

Tina Rollins - I can understand why you wanted to take a walk!

February 24, 2013

Baby Vespa Italia

You know how much I love to throw baby showers. If you didn’t, you do now! It is by far my favorite party to throw. I also love to find a “theme” that is so completely not baby that you wish it was so that everyone used it as a baby shower theme and all baby showers could be delicious. I obviously choose my themes around food because food really is what the shower is all about, who cares about the baby, am I right?  Okay, you know I’m kidding since I have had baby fever since I was 4 years old, BUT there is real truth when I say chatty women and good food = a good party. I also don’t “do” baby shower games because I hate them so much, but food, that I do. I do it and do it and do it. (It’s actually disgusting how much my family loves food.)

The theme: Vespa’s + Italian Food + Fun Prints = Baby Vespa Italia.  (I just invented it, so feel free to use it.)

Since we did a TINNNNYYY shower for just some near and dear friends, and since my life has been hectic lately, I sent the invitations online. There was a day in my Vogue’s Book of Etiquette life when sending an invitation online would have sent me over the edge in disgust of myself, but those days are over people. I send online invitations only with no shame. I deleted the text since it had too much personal information in there, but here was the design…

Backdrop for the photo wall.

Baby greens with homemade garlic croutons & Italian dressing

Mini Caprese with Balsamic

Tiramisu

I bought all my favorite cookies + mini cakes. (The little cakes taste like donuts!)

What else?! I seriously can’t get enough Pellegrino – I’m sure it’s got to be bad to drink as much as I do.

Mini pizza with fresh mozzarella, spinach, mushroom, artichokes, tomatoes, italian sausage and/or proscuitto. I’m a picky pizza person and these are by far my fav pizzas ever. They were a hit at the party too!

Sisters + Mom (And Kate got some cute pictures she shared here on her blog.)

Amy! Bff’s for life (Literally, our mom’s were pregnant at the same time.) HUGE thanks to Amy for hosting the party and helping me with everything – Amy you are amazing, I love you!

Some more of the best people who ever lived.

And one of a very svelte Nana who is getting skinnier as she get’s older. That defies some law of science doesn’t it?

And the sad part of every shower is that I never get enough pictures, which leads me to the conclusion that you can never have enough pictures, ever. (And I also never get a chance to do my hair before a party either. I somehow get everything else done, but then my hair is always lame!)

So who’s next?!  I thought of some more ideas for showers as I was planning this one that I must use. If you could have twin girls that would be ideal too for one of my themes…  xxoo

 

by Ashley of Lovelock

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Linnea Taylor - oh man I am down with having twin girls so if that pregnancy happens I will def let you throw me a shower :-) Oh and Ben says if we have 5 girls he wants the 5th girl to be named Bennett (a la Jane Austen). I was like that is such a great idea! kinda hoping for 5 girls now.

Ashley W. - Haha! I love it! One of my friends has 5 girls and it is the cutest, you should totally have 5.

Candace Wingo - Everything looked delicious and smiles on all the faces. A very big success I would say.