so in love

so i've never been in love. with a boy my age, that is. but this boy? it's official. we love each other.

it's a boy!

i'm an auntie! unofficially, anyway. as of this evening, brave bestie sarah delivered sweet baby parker in to the world after being in labor for a little over twenty-four hours. sarah and lacey and i have been friends since about 2005 (our sophomore year of college) and i am so thankful to be sharing life's big moments with them. sarah, you're amazing and i can't wait to see the new little man in your life! so proud of you!

playing preggers with sarah at the maternity store shortly before thanksgiving. i prefer the baby bump that you can un-velcro. i'll let sarah handle the labor/caring for an infant thing for now. isn't she the cutest?

lacey, sarah, and i before stuffing ourselves with two tables worth of brunch goodies at her shower.

and also, while we're at it, lovely lindsey lee also delivered sweet baby sharpe last week as well. it's a baby extravaganza! i'm not nearly ready for my own little one at this point, so in the meantime i get to play with all these adorable tiny ones. so thankful and proud of my friends!

top image via simplygoodstuff

hometown holiday

the historic downtown concord holiday tour of homes was much more enjoyable than the charlotte one, to be honest. downtown concord is so sweet and boasts a lot of really beautiful historic homes. i love them and going inside them and enjoying all of their historic quirks and impressive renovations is so much fun. especially when your mom buys you a homemade peppermint ice cream cone at the cabarrus creamery after you're done.

home #1 had the most fantastic art collection - including a lot of local artists - and was almost condemned before the current owners gutted and renovated the entire thing. very impressive.

my favorite pieces in the house - totally smitten.

 the cannon house, one of concord's oldest and most well-known homes is for sale and can be yours for just 1.3 million. and just when you weren't sure how to spend your christmas cash. you're welcome.

my favorite home on the tour:

the dining room was the best, however i didn't get a very good picture.

quite possibly my dream kitchen. my entire house could fit in this room.

love big prints in small spaces. this wallpaper was top-notch.

house #3 is also a favorite - i spent two summers nannying for the family that lived here at the time. it's lovely and it was fun seeing the changes that the new owner has made over the last few years.

the owner collects antique british tapestries like the one shown here. cool.

 
quite possibly the sweetest girl's room ever.

and i would really love it if this were my bedroom.

 

more gorgeous powder room wallpaper.

some shots from a few other homes on the tour...

yes, that's a silver leaf ceiling. stunning.

my most favorite house in concord. if it were for sale (and i could afford it) i would live there. wish it had been on the tour so i could see inside!

love this living room (above and below).

why, yes, that is a coffee maker in the bathroom. genius.

 

i also used to nanny for the family that lives here. i didn't take a lot of photos (it was crowded), but the home is also one of my very favorites. it's so quaint and cozy with a great backyard. and, in case you're interested, the front yard is a great place for sword fighting with a five-year-old.

stay tuned for my christmas house tour!