December 31, 2010

go to town!

Yesterday, we drove for 21 hours and straight home from Texas. Thank God we got home safe and sound and just before midnight! We even had to drive through a snowstorm... so crazy!!! Then, this morning we woke up early to our own little family Christmas. Santa made a late little stop to our house last night!

I have so many stories and pictures to share of our trip, my vintage finds, and just happy celebrations! Will be doing lots of catching up in this space next week! In the meantime, go to town for the New Year, just like our little Soulie did with her birthday cake frosting!!! We had another little birthday party for her with our family in Texas! Good times, I tell you, good times!
loving the frostingloving the frosting
Tonight we will be having our annual Bratcher Dance Party (depending if Ben feels better or not)! So fun and we are excited! How do you plan on ringing in the new year?

Happy New Year friends!!!

December 29, 2010

soul and boogie

soul and boogie
Twelve months. My baby is one! This month has been busy, but haven't had time to post this and I already have to post her 13 month photo in just a few days! She is determined, sweet, loves hugging and kissing, and we adore her more everyday!

See her at eleven, ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, and one month.

p.s. I still have email catching up to do, so if you emailed me I will be getting back to you hopefully by early next week!

December 28, 2010

bratcher ladies out

Our gift to Ben's mom was an afternoon of doing girly stuff, manicures and pedicures! Ben dropped off me, his mom, and sister off at La Cantera (and he took care of the little Bratcher girls) and we made our way to the spa and had a relaxing afternoon of being pampered. It was a grand time of chatting and relaxing... I love being a girl!!!
bratcher girls togetherbratcher girls togetherbratcher girls togetherbratcher girls together
I have a feeling this will become a new tradition! What is your favorite way to get pampered?

December 26, 2010

a texan christmas

Ben is from Texas, thus it was our year to travel there to celebrate Christmas with his family! After a long 21 hour drive, we arrived safe and sound on Christmas eve and we were ready bright and early Christmas morn (okay, maybe more like at 11am Christmas morning) to celebrate Jesus' birthday! It was a laid back day of opening presents, eating a whole lot, watching home videos, Ben cooking a yummy dinner and leading us in a little family worship, and all of us staying in our pajamas all day long! Did I mention I didn't even brush my teeth all day?!! Haha! Sorry to anyone who spoke to me. Also, our planned Christmas outfits never got worn, so we will just have to save that for another day. It was a wonderfully lazy day of just being together as a family! We love our Christmases in Texas!
christmas daychristmas daychristmas day
christmas day in texas
christmas daychristmas daychristmas daychristmas daychristmas daychristmas daychristmas day
Let's just say we are all are getting pretty spoiled being here with gifts, yummy food, and lots of love! This is a pretty short visit as we are pretty much turning right back around to head home (Ben's work wasn't able to give him time off). Nevertheless, we will be sure to pack in lots of memory hunting as much as we can!

hello sponsors

soulie
We got some great new sponsors lined up for the new year and if you want to be one of them, email me for rates and statistics! I love to talk about family, crafting, and my love for old things and love making friends with those who adore those three things too! Daily visits to Cakies are climbing, so if you got a cool shop or blog you want to promote, now is the time to do it!

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don't forget to enter the giveaway!
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December 23, 2010

our little message

Every year I am horrible at sending Christmas cards, so this is our Christmas card and if are reading this, consider this a card received!
this year's card
Isaiah 9:6 "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

It's not just a time to give and get gifts. It is a time to celebrate the birth of Christ! Merry Christmas all and have grand time celebrating this special birthday!!!

December 22, 2010

wednesday: wrap it up

wrap it up
Let's face it, you are running out of time, you still have a few gifts to get and tons more to wrap, there is no time to make them look pretty, so you just buy paper bags and tissue paper to stick them in. Well, you can prettify those gift wrappings too!

Tie a bow using ribbon, lace (which is what I used), trim or whatever you can get your hands on, and glue onto paper bag. Instant cuteness!
wrap it wednesday


Take some happy tape and bakers twine and make a little bunting. Tape onto the sides of the bag and you got a little more pizazz!
wrap it wednesday


And what is my fave thing to wrap things with this Christmas? That's right... pages from a catalog, particularly Anthropologie's. Cut out a cute image and glue it on. Just so chic!
wrap it wednesday
Even a little paper gift bag can be spruced up real quick and on the cheap! Makes gift giving and gift opening a bit more fun! Don't you think?

Hope you enjoyed this little wrap it up series. It was fun for me and got me done wrapping my presents really early! May you have fun doing any shopping and wrapping still left on your list!

wrap it up: gift tags
wrap it up: tissue paper
wrap it up: trim
wrap it up: paper
wrap it up: yarn

Christmas is almost here... woot! woot!

December 20, 2010

vintage here, vintage there: outerwear

vintage here, vintage there
This week we are all about vintage outerwear and though this post comes a bit later than I planned for the day, it is here. I just had a bit of fun hanging out with some of my closest girlfriends this afternoon and though we rarely get together, it is always good times catching up when we do! So, I hope by now you have gone over and seen Rachel's totally chic vintage outwear!

First, forgive the bad lighting. It is raining like crazy here in southern California and so you get stuck with me trying to work with the light that I got! Anyhow, my vintage outerwear is this cute little coat with what I assume is a faux fur collar, but I am not really sure! So if it is real, please forgive me PETA as I found it at the thrift store long ago. This is the first time I am able to wear it, as I found it when I was very pregnant with Soul, thus buried it deep in my closet and forgot all about it last winter. This winter, it isn't getting forgotten!
vintage here, vintage there
I kept the whole outfit pretty quiet, but I let the tights do all the talking. I love the color and it is so fun! I feel like I should be part of the book The Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon, which is a very good book by the way.
vintage here, vintage there
vintage here, vintage there


I have also been stocking up on cute little vintage coats for the girls (they are so hard to find here), and I am so excited that it is finally cold enough to wear them! I still have to fix a few buttons on Brave's (thankfully this came with extra buttons), but I think hers is so darling and wish it fit me!
vintage here, vintage there


True's coat I got off ebay a few months ago and was bigger than I thought it was going to be. When it first came in, it fit me, but really, really snug! So I stuck it in the wash and washed it really warm and well, now it fits True! The lining is a bit off due the shrinkage, but nothing a little sewing couldn't fix.
vintage here, vintage therevintage here, vintage there


Soulie was off taking a nap when these pictures were taken, but we will soon be off to somewhere much cooler than here, so there will be plenty of pictures with all of us in (vintage) outerwear soon enough.
vintage here, vintage there
on me: coat, vintage (got on this date with ben). sweater, banana republic (really old). skirt, anthropologie. tights, anthropologie. shoes, seychelles from need supply (gift from my bff). on brave: coat, vintage. leggings, target. on true: coat, vintage from ebay.

I am always finding really cute vintage outerwear pieces for kids and adults on etsy. I just love searching for vintage clothes there so much! It really is the best and sometimes someone may not take the best picture of an item for sale, but you just have to imagine the possibilities. I have to admit, I have gotten a couple rotten apples because of poorly described items or pictures, but most things I have ordered I have loved so, so much. And if you have questions, don't hesitate to ask! Most sellers are so nice and love helping you out any way they can!



Don't forget to head "over there" and check out Rachel and Miss Ruby are stylin'! And leave us some links to the vintage you are loving and wearing!

vintage here, vintage there: week one
vintage here, vintage there: week two
vintage here, vintage there: week three, part one
vintage here, vintage there: week three, part two
vintage here, vintage there: week four
vintage here, vintage there: week five
vintage here, vintage there: everyday wear

p.s. the girls are wearing pajamas under their coats! ha!

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don't forget to enter the giveaway!
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vintage here, vintage there: roundup

vintage here, vintage there
You left us links to your vintage outfits, so Rachel and I decided to do a little roundup to share what lovely vintage things y'all are wearing wherever you are!
vintage here, vintage there roundup
I love that blue dress that Toni's wearing. That vintage cape is so sweet! And I really want to borrow that yellow dress from Alma! Those shoes are crazy cool (um, can someone lend them to me?) and look so vintage (they are jeffrey campbell), but you can see the rest of Nickie's vintage outfit here. Little Ocean Annie is so cute prego and wearing vintage... oh my gosh, so darling!

Are you wearing vintage today? Or have you worn vintage lately? Snap a picture and share it! Don't forget to leave us the link in our comments section. Rachel and I always want to see what you are wearing "over there"!

Stay tuned tonight, as Rachel and I will be sharing our own "vintage here, vintage there" posts!

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want to add some vintage flavor to your life? don't forget to enter the giveaway!
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December 18, 2010

:: sponsor welcome ::

Say hello to kakalina rose vintage.
kakalina
A lovely curated selection of vintage clothing from a range of eras. You want to go bohemian, hippy chick, jackie o, flash of the 80's, or mad men this little shop is your go-to place. Surely, you will find something here that fits the era of your liking! Not only is there a lovely selection to choose from, but the shop offers a wide range of sizes. Sometimes I come across a shop that only caters to the Twiggy-esque bodies, but no-siree, Kakalina Rose Vintage has something for everyone. I love that! I would wear this dress, paired with this coat, and these shoes (too bad not my size) for a little date night!

Since you are all so lovely, you can win a $50 gift certificate to this lovely shop! Gosh! I so wish I could enter because I know what I would pick in an instant! There a few ways to enter and get yourself more chances to win this lovely giveaway.

Here are some things you can do:
1. Leave a comment on this post telling me about your favorite item in her shop.
2. Blog, tweet, or facebook about this giveaway and leave each separate links here.

Now, if you do all of the things mentioned above, you might even be able to up your chances by getting your name in 4 times! Fantastic, right? Even if you are overseas, please feel welcomed to join in on the fun!

The giveaway will end at 8am PST on Wednesday, December 22nd and don't forget to come back Thursday to this post as this is where the winner will be announced. Good luck! Thank you so much Kakalina Rose Vintage!!!

kakalina rose vintage shop...

p.s. come back tomorrow as we have another lovely giveaway from another lovely vintage shop! I decided to save the next giveaway until January, so stay tuned!

December 17, 2010

diy: we made a ticket chain

Our version of a paper chain. True and I did this together one afternoon while her little sisters were napping.

All you need is: a roll of tickets, happy tape (glue would work too), and happy workers. If have tickets in other colors, add those in as well!
our version of the paper chain
our version of the paper chain
our version of the paper chain
our version of the paper chainour version of the paper chainour version of the paper chainour version of the paper chain


After your chain is finished, go decorating happy!
our version of the paper chainour version of the paper chainour version of the paper chain
Hmm... maybe we should have a carnival-esque themed Christmas?! Just a thought. Well, we still have no tree, but hey, we got a ticket chain up (and our stockings)! Hopefully, this weekend everyone will be well enough and we can work on our Christmas tree!

Thank you for all the get well wishes. They all have been resting all day long for days now. I also have introduced them to She-ra and Jem. Ha! Those bring back good memories of when I was younger, so I thought they might like to watch it. They have taken to She-ra, but they don't really like Jem, so I only put Jem on when they finally fall asleep and I am folding laundry. I loved Jem so much! So with all the resting (and She-ra watching), Brave is very slowly recovering, and thankfully the two other girls don't seem to be as bad as Brave was. Hopefully, it is a milder form of Brave's and maybe, just maybe, the sickies will skip over Ben and me!

Can you believe Christmas will be here in about a week?!! Do you still have lots to do before next Saturday? My main project right now (when the girls nap) is getting all the messes in my house put away!

December 16, 2010

rewind

I realize I still haven't shared any pictures from Soul's birthday party (ahem... christian), but I am still waiting on the pictures. Having a breakfast birthday party is pretty crazy as simple as the menu was, due to the fact the day/night before is spent hustling and bustling around, so things would be ready bright and early. Thus, Soul's actual birth day was a blur and she didn't get a proper birth day dinner. So after all the people were gone, the mess cleaned up, we picked up some sushi and had our own little familial celebration. Nothing fancy, really simple, just us!

Soul went to town with her little california roll and she also went to town with the frosting on her birthday cupcake. Our little Soulie is absolutely sweet like honey and you just want to eat her up!
post birthday party dinnerpost birthday party dinner
post birthday party dinner
We are so blessed by this little Soul in our life. We absolutely, positively love her to pieces!!! Hopefully, her birthday party post will come soon...

Things are crazy here as now all three girlies are sick! The older two have chest and ear infections and Soulie has a cold. Ben and I are bracing ourselves cause we are bound to get hit next, so sickies if you are gonna get us... GET US ALREADY! We want to let you in and then kick you out!

Wishing all of you healthy thoughts and hope the sickies aren't paying your house a visit!

December 15, 2010

wednesday: wrap it up

wrap it up
Today is all about gift tags. Like wrapping paper, pretty much anything can be turned into a pretty little tag! Has it happened to you before, you work hard to wrap all the gifts and figure you will tag later, only to forget which gift was what?! Happens to me all the time! This year, I had to open three gifts to remember who it was for. Darn me!

This first tag used was manila shipping tags that I use for my hair clips. I just cut out little squares of fabric and sewed it right on top. Gives the tag a bit more pizazz, though I think it is fine to use just the way it is and often tag gifts that way!
wrap it up wednesday


Next, I just cut up tags from pages of an old book. Punched a hole, added some twine and now you are ready to go!
wrap it up wednesday


I went back to using my anthro catalog, so for this one I cut up squares of pretty backgrounds and patterns, then glued that onto some kraft paper, and cut up the kraft paper into little tags. If you don't have kraft paper, just use brown paper lunch bag, grocery paper bag, or any paper you fancy! Punch and hole, add the twine (or could use ribbon, bakers twine, basically anything you have on hand) and write a name and gift!
wrap it up wednesday


These tags are my favorites. I just cut up some wonderful images out of my anthro catalog (gotta love its many uses!), punched a hole, then added some twine. I think these are extra fun!!!
wrap it up wednesday
Hope you like these and remember, just to use whatever you have on hand! It is all about being resourceful and using practical things around you, instead of going out and having to buy wrapping paper and tags (not that there is anything wrong with that). It is just my preference to save 5 bucks on wrapping paper, when that same 5 bucks can go towards shoes (or my child's college education), but you get my drift right?!!

I am so glad to be done wrapping gifts and they are all nicely sitting pretty, but we still have no tree up! Oh boy! We must get on that STAT! And I still have to figure out what to get Ben! He is so hard because I am trying to think of something practical but still fun! What did you get your main squeeze for Christmas?

wrap it up: tissue paper
wrap it up: trim
wrap it up: paper
wrap it up: yarn
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