good morning with jade!

waking up to the sound of our happy little jade bug is truly the best start to a day that anyone can have. she smiles, sings and is in such a good mood. the fact that she is so darn cute doesn't hurt either. here is to waking up to jade!

so fun!

good morning, you're 30!

For eight fantatstic days my husband was in his 30's while I was in my 20's. During this time Calle lovingly referred to me as his trophy wife, and often commented on my youthful outlook on life. "Oh, Cotie! You have so much to learn"! he would joke.

This morning I joined my husband in being 30 although I must say I don't feel any older or wiser than I did in my 20's. I do feel loved, appreciated, and so excited about where I am at 30! I share a beautiful home in a great city with my loving husband and our precious baby girl. What more could a woman ask for?

A very special thank you to Mom, Dad, Grandma Becky, Mama Lisa, Toots, Elin, Par, and the Fredrixon's for sending such lovely birthday cards! Reading them in bed while enjoying breakfast & a latte with my family was my favorite part of the day.

dinner at javier's

nicole and i both agree that turning 30 should equal less sweat pants and more dress up.

case in point, here we are, all three of us, dressed up at javier's in newport coast, having a drink while waiting for our table and our guests, stefan & mimi.

happy 30th birthday TO calle!

carl johan albert holmgren was born in sweden with the luck of the irish on march 17, 1981. the luck of his st. patrick's day birth has followed him throughout his life, with many stories of close calls & extraordinary situations. today i celebrate the man i love, min man, the best husband and most fantastic father this side of the mississippi, or anywhere else for that matter!

somehow calle managed to squeeze two days out of his birthday; he did this by convincing me it would be easier to celebrate friday morning since i work from home & would not be rushed. since this was definitely true, i gladly agreed to the friday morning celebration which was a good idea in concept, but mid way through thursday i had a nagging feeling that i was neglecting my husband on his actual birthday...and so it was that he would be celebrated that evening with dinner of his choice. lucky for me, he chose warm sandwiches which were very easy to prepare! his birthday celebration continued on friday morning, in honor of my favorite swedish tradition, with breakfast in bed. below you will see calle with his favorite gift of all, jade bug.

calle received a variety of gifts this year including a fantastic mont blanc brown leather belt from the montazami's, a great bottle of wine from yvette, a white leather j. lindeberg belt from me, a wardrobe update courtesy of mama lisa & toots, very thoughtful cards from his beautiful sisters & their families, and countless birthday wishes & songs from friends & family near & far. i don't think he could ask for anything more! happy 30th birthday, calle!

tack aunt elin & uncle pär

jade received a fantastic & most thoughtful gift from her beloved aunt elin & uncle pär!

thank you for the stylish bodysuit & adorable postcard.

palm springs proper

early march equates to our annual philip mardh visit, which translates into our annual weekend in palm springs. this year philip was joined by his beautiful wife, yuan, who we have longed to meet! yuan and jade became fast friends & we immediately adopted the nicknames aunt yuyu & uncle poopoo.

saturday in palm springs entailed wine tasting at a local marketplace, evening tennis matches, and a very late, very delicious dinner. the best part of the trip, however, was sunday when we visited the parker. our morning at the parker began with breakfast at norma's, where everything was not only delicious, but also beautiful. the pancakes were enormous, and gave jade quite a run for her money!

once we were done with this morning treat, we strolled the incredible 13 acres of the parker which included hammocks, clay tennis courts, bocce ball, ping pong in the sand, croquet lawn, two pool areas, lawn bowling, and countless lounge areas all amidst fantastic mid century design. we absolutely fell in love with this place and are already planning our next trip!

action! snooze! drool!

jade loves friday as much as the rest of us; she gets to play at home while mama works from home. she has become fascinated with her ability to grab and hold onto everything she sees, or at least what is within her reach. this morning one of my succulents fell victim to her ferocious grabbing abilities and jade was quite pleased with herself, as you can see...

another favorite activity for jade is sleeping with a full tummy. this might actually be a second runner to the "blankie game" considering she is constantly smiling in her sleep. sometimes i actually want to eat her she is so damn cute.

and lastly, but definitely not least, jade has started to drool. not just a little dab of drool, a serious stream of drool. enough drool to completely soak her clothes, my clothes, and leave puddles behind everywhere she goes.

face of joy

nicole and i love jade's face the moment she realizes she's about to be hit with the blankie. excitement & joy in its purest form. so precious!