Being Gifted: The Hostess Gift

I'm writing this from a ferry in between Wales & Ireland

as I make the last leg of the final trip

for my fall semester with my group.

Predictably, it's foggy and cold outside

but inside the ferry it's warm 

and I'm nursing a cup of tea

while my eye wanders back and forth from my computer

to the fat wedges of carrot cake sitting at the ship's cafe.

Speaking of fat,

my belly is getting pretty big these days.

I can officially no longer button my regular pants,

have split one pre-maternity dress all the way up the backside,

and have started being asked by strangers when I'm due.

At the finale of my semester and 24 weeks,

I now have the ability to tell when my babies are sleeping or awake,

and the awakening sensation that "this" is actually happening.

I'm going to have two babies...

and it's not going to be that far away.

Besides the tragic blowout of that dress, 

the other mile marker that is making all of this seem real

are my upcoming baby showers.

I'll be headed back to the States next week 

for two showers and an early Christmas in Oklahoma.

While I've been happily stocking our registry

full of cute things might someday fill our little flat,

I've also been shopping around for a way to say thanks

to the friends and family who are graciously sharing 

in this exciting time by hosting baby showers for me.

Hostess gifts are alway tricky for me.

What I want to buy and what I can afford to buy

for all of these great women

is a difficult equation to crack.

Today, I'm loving these new books

that my long-time favorite stationer & design studio,

Mr. Boddington has designed for these Penguin classics.

   All $17.99 at Anthropologie: Little Women | Jane Eyre | Pride & Prejudice | Sense & Sensibility | Alice In Wonderland

Classics like Pride & Prejudice, Alice & Wonderland & Jane Eyre

have been made to look oh-so-lovely.

I love any addition that can pretty up any home

without infringing on too much space.

{I'm not sure I can say the same for these two babies.}

You all have pretty good taste...

help me a sister out.

What's a hostess gift you have given/received that you loved?

ONE for the Press.

My friend, Beth, has a kid.

His name is Maxton, 

and he is pretty flippin cute.

And he looked extra adorable

in Dallas Child's latest issue

on his 1st birthday party!

Holy cow, Beth, 

stop being so creative & cute.

...or at least offer to be my surrogate.

*photos by Kevin Dotolo

*check out Heather & Carolina's mention

The Perfect Setting.

Some combinations in life are pretty obvious:

... truffles & cream sauce...

... short skirts & over-knee-boots...

... Posh & Becks...

But what do you get when you combine

a luxury-display-stylist-turned-calligraphy-queen

+

 NYC-fashion-illustrator-gone-Texan-stationery-goddess?

Well, I actually don't know how to articulate all that awesomeness...

but fortunately, 

Antiquaria

speaks for itself.

The polished duo behind the new site,

 Bailey Amon & Emma James, 

claim that their brain child 

was born out of a love for vintage items.

But it takes more than love to create a business like this.

It takes talent,

...and an inherent nature of being adorable.

{Because regular people couldn't be this charming, could they?}

At Antiquaria,

you'll find bright and colorful pieces that merge 
traditional hosting & modern living 

in a gorgeously approachable way.

The coolest part of Antiquaria's vintage collection

is their bridal registry.

These talented ladies will curate china settings uniquely for you,

and will send you a link for your guests to shop these specific pieces for you alone.

Then the gifts get  pristinely wrapped, 

stamped with a custom calligraphy stamp,

{that is later a gift to the bride & groom},

& sent to the happy couple!

Which makes me think that this may be even a better combination

than these chocolate cookies with oreos baked inside.

Valentine's Day... in a Cookie Way.

This afternoon-

there was a Valentine's Day party.

And let me tell,

it was a good one.

We snacked,

made Valentines, 

& most importantly-

we made cookies.

Lots & lots of cookies.

My friend, Grace, walked us through 

her grandmother's famous recipe...

or as her family calls her "Aunt Sis."

You may also know these cookies as,

Aunt Sis's Strawberry Tarts...

Gourmet Magazine touts it as their best cookie ever-

and it's the cover of their gorgeous cookie book!

I'm a bit skeptical about people's "coveted recipe" for anything,

but this one actually lives up to the hype.

These tiny tarts are the marriage of a cookie & pastry-

with the holy blessing of strawberry jam.

Take a peek at the recipe.

 You probably have all the ingredients in your pantry,

& these gorgeous cookies 

would package up prettily for any of your Valentines!

If Cupid is aiming for me tomorrow,

his target just got a little bigger.

To Rabbie Burns!

If you had driven through to the Oxfordshire countryside this evening,

you might have passed a cozy house

with a table full of happy people in the window.

Those people might have been having a Robert Burns dinner of 

haggis, neeps, & tatties.

{ "neeps" = turnips / "tatties" = potatoes}

And they would have been having a grand time.

My friend, Ali, put on amazing evening....

complete with a Scottish brogue to welcome the haggis.

and the single malt whiskey at the end of dinner.

Haggis as it turns out....

is kind of tasty.

Next time though,

 I'll be opting for the veggie version made of lentils!

Robert Burns is a famous Scot poet who you might know as 

the author of your favorite song of each new year,

Auld Lang Syne.

I love this version of the song

that I first saw on Sex & The City....

Cheers to Rabbie Burns!
{as the Scots will call him...}

Sunday Blues.

Today we had a baby shower 

for a friend in Oxford.

It was a fun party,

that ended up lasting for hours.

Which, in my opinion, 

means it was a success.

It was held in our friend's house

in the middle of the Oxford Observatory...

which is student housing!

Oh and do you see the bread in the bottom right?

It's a staple at parties for Aussies & Kiwis...

and as this party was hosted by both, 

I got to try it!

It's called Fairy Bread.

{cute, huh?}

Happy Sunday to you!

and the winner is...

source

Congrats to Belle on Heels for winning

the Bella Card Co. giveaway 

by Hello, Splendor & Aspiring Kennedy!

Email beth [at] bethdotolo [dot] com to claim your amazing love birds party collection! 

Thanks to everyone who entered!!

Have a lovely weekend...

Shake, Rattle, & Roll

Yesterday, I was privileged to 

throw a shower for one of

my dearest friends, Kellee...

The Baby Mama

Kellee is due in November with a sweet little girl,

and since we do everything together
(travel, eat dinner every night, text/email all day, etc.)...

I thought it only made sense to have a baby shower for her, too.

And I must say... 
the shower went exceedingly well.

The weather was ideal...

the decorations turned out amazing

{thank you, Tobin!}...

and even the cake that I made

 two times because the first one bombed

was really yummy

despite being on the verge of looking kinda homely.

The best part of the day

was watching such a good friend 

get completely showered in love & gifts...

the loot

by so many people who love her dearly.
{Like me. Who loves her guts. }

Lauren  & Kellee

The other best part...

was when the hostesses jumped in the pool after the shower.

Tobin & Jill... mid flight