boo...

I started and finished Little V's Halloween costume while she was taking her morning nap, which means it took less than 30 minutes to crank out! It's the first thing I've sewn since she was born, so I'm glad it was painless. She'll wear it with a little white hat. Happy Halloween!

merry christmas...

It's been a very busy year at Loop and Lil world headquarters, and I'd like to thank everyone who has helped make this year so successful for my little business! I would never have been able to make a go at this without the support of my friends, family, and our great customers! We've been so many fun places and met so many fantastic people this year, and I hope everyone has a peaceful and joyous holiday. 

Oh, and Pete would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas too!

whale of a weekend...

A peek at another of the Sea Creature tees I'll be bringing along to Renegade. And while we're on the subject of water, we're headed to the lake this weekend to celebrate the holiday, then I'll be coming back and making the final push before heading to LA next week. 

I hope you have a safe and relaxing holiday. Happy Fourth of July!

me and my dad...

Happy Father's Day!

the doctor is in...

Well, Dr. Beach has come out with his annual Memorial Day ratings of beaches around the country, and Hamoa Beach, which we frequented during our vacation, was ranked #5!

Hamoa Beach is a tiny beach – there are no real markings outside of the beach to direct you there. It's so secluded that we drove by 3 times without seeing where the beach and entry were located. It's set at the bottom of a stone stairway, and it sits crescent-shaped in a small cove, surrounded by lush vegetation, with sand they call "salt and pepper" because of its mixture of white and black grains. And because of its remote location, it isn't overrun with tourists. The days we were there, less than 20 people were on the beach at any one time, giving us the feeling it was our own personal oasis! 

It's on Dr. Beach's list, and it should be on yours as well! If you're lucky, you can hang out on one of the beaches on his list this weekend! Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!

spring has sprung!

Happy Vernal Equinox!

for you...

I wish I could remember exactly what he said to me.

Happy Valentine's Day. 

have yourself a merry little christmas...

Last weekend, we hit the highways and celebrated Christmas twice, with my husband's family in Waco, then with my brother's family just a little north of us. And the holiday Texas road show continues this week, with a trip to my parents for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I'll be signing off from posting until after the holiday! 

Merry Christmas!

Image from All the Luck in the World, via Apartment Therapy LA.

guess who's coming to dinner...

Well, we're in clean up mode here after the annual Newberry Drive block Christmas dinner party. This year, hosting duties fell to us, so we hosted our first official dinner party as a married couple! And we've been married for over three years... 

On the menu, pork tenderloin, the maple-glazed carrots from the November issue of Real Simple, super hearty mashed potatoes, and this variation of Julia Child's green beans. Plus cookies for dessert. I made the centerpieces from grocery store white carnations and cranberries. We're in the middle of our first load of dishes, and it will take another load or two before we're back in business. All in all, it was a great success!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night. 

happy cupcake holiday...

I totally missed wishing you a Happy National Cupcake Day yesterday!

If you want to do some late celebrating, I'd suggest ordering up a batch of cupcakes from here. Delicious.

Image copyright Andrea Lenardin via sprinklescupcakes.com.

the dream tree...

My oldest friend came into town last night to stay for the weekend, and on the agenda: attend King Tut today, then be part of my crowd support tomorrow during the run. After dinner last night, we strolled over to the flagship Neiman Marcus store for our annual scope out of the Christmas tree, and our drive around to look at lights. (We usually do this while drinking hot chocolate, but after last night's dinner, no one could eat/drink another bite.)

This year, NM asked 52 kids from St. Philip's School and the Scottish Rite Children's Hospital this question: What would your fantasy Christmas Tree look like, and why? They then chose 6 of those entries to build and display in the windows, using the drawings as blueprints. View the winning entries here. The theme for the grand prize tree was "The Clean Tree", and it was made of large balls made of recycled materials, and had facts about the environment in the balls. NM also powered all the lights and trees with wind technology. 

Each year, I am surprised and delighted with what the folks at Neiman's show, and this holiday tradition is one of my favorites for our little family. These "dream trees" were a reminder to me of how when you're a kid, you're not worried about how a tree made of pencils will hold together, or whether a tree made of clouds makes any sense at all. You have the freedom to dream without self-doubt, or worry, or second guessing. I need to dream like that more often. 

season's greetings...

Well, I may be spoiling the surprise for those of you who receive our Christmas cards every year, but I couldn't help but show you an outtake of last night's photoshoot. If this doesn't get you in the Christmas spirit, I don't know what will!

home for the holidays...

As I've mentioned before, our good friends Hailey and Dean have recently launched a new venture, Holiday Helpers, offering catering and decoration for the holidays. Last night, we had a great time at their open house for clients and friends. 

I am always surprised by the thoughtful details Hailey puts into her get-togethers, and this evening did not disappoint. From the delicious cake bites and holiday-themed cocktails, to the fresh holly greens for decor, to the delicious smells as soon as you walked in the door (a mix of orange juice, red wine, apples, cinnamon and other spices, and apple slices all boiling away on the stove), the open house was a hit! If you find yourself overwhelmed with everything you have to do for the holidays, give them a call!

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas...

Ok, there will be no image with today's post because of this....

Hope your Thanksgiving was great! At our house, we've jumped right from pumpkins and fall leaves into egg nog and Christmas lights! And not only are we busy getting the house ready for Christmas, we're also sewing like crazy in preparation for the Holiday Urban Street Bazaar this Saturday, December 6 in the Bishop Arts District! Like always, the Bazaar will have lots of great vendors, and is the perfect place to get all of your holiday shopping done in one place, all while buying handmade and local.

give thanks....

Image via Concierge.com.

On this day, I remind myself that I have so much to be thankful for. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.