aspen is 6 months!

Our little girl is getting so big (to us). She is avidly eating her peas and carrots that we easily make at home. She drinks her milk so fast compared to Fallon. Btw, I have ended my breastfeeding career forever! It was sad, but it's best for Aspen's growth. My milk was never enough for the girls :( She is still on the small side: 13 lbs. 12 oz. and 25 inches.

She is so happy and becoming more independent. She is starting to look more like Fallon and has similar traits, but she might be a tomboy because she is wild and thrashes like crazy in her ExerSaucer. She loves the dogs and Fallon. Fallon is great at making Aspen laugh when Aspen is on the verge of meltdown. She is definitely a thumbsucker and uses it when she is not getting food fast enough and when she needs to fall asleep. Overall, she has been sweet and we enjoy her as much as we did Fallon. We are trying to savor every moment that we have with her. What can I say? We love our girls tremendously.

fallon is 3 and 1/2

Fallon continues to make us laugh and entertain us everyday. She is currently into Fancy Nancy (thank god - less Disney princess!) and fairies. She dresses up in a dress or tutu and wings every chance she gets. I don't mind even if we have to go out in public in her full garb. She is deep in her imaginary play - which is so entertaining.

She's also been an excellent big sister to Aspen. Even when Fallon is sick, she still gives Aspen a hug or says she doesn't want to get too close so Aspen won't get sick. She is so loving that sometimes, out of nowhere, she will stop what she is doing and run over to us, give a leg hug and say, "I just love you so much - I want to eat you up!" She can also crack us up and say things like, "Mom, I told you not to make it too loud - I might get a headache." Her ability to be a drama queen is also very much a part of her antics.

Her vocabulary is unstoppable. I learned early on that I don't have to baby talk to her. When we were at Trader Joe's the other day, she grabbed a bag of raisins and said, "Mom, I need raisins because they have antioxidants." I asked her, "what are antioxidants?" She replied, "so I won't get cancer."

She also has been doing very well at Merryhill School. We are amazed at her development, especially with her socialization and motor skills. She has blossomed into a social butterfly and loves nothing more than to get up and go to school to see her friends and her wonderful teachers, Mrs. Ghanimian and Mrs. Dacarat. They have truly helped to bring out her personality and encouraged her to be herself. She has learned so much academically as well - animals, cultures, Spanish, months, holidays, manners and more! It has been worth every penny and we are excited for her to go back next year.

jaden's 4th birthday

Nika and Phil Shalala's daughter, Jaden, turned 4 today. It was a pirate theme with a real live Jack Sparrow (who was a very good impersonator)! Fallon ended up really liking Jack Sparrow and decided that pirates are nice and walk funny. The kids had a blast and Fallon especially enjoyed Jaden's bedroom with all the toys and pink things! Click collage to see larger.

pool project underway

Today is the big day where they begin digging for our pool!! Yipee - how exciting! I can't believe that we'll be splashing in a pool in 10 weeks...just in time for summer.

canvas project

We wanted to personalize the house by putting our own art on the walls. Fallon and I both did some canvases. It was fun to see Fallon creating her masterpieces. She is so into painting, drawing and writing her name - even when she's sick! Her painting below is called "Circus."

FLOR tiles

We cannot put a nice, shag rug in the great room since the dogs would think it's a really big, expensive pee pad. So we decided to use the FLOR modular carpet tiles. All FLOR products recycle like a champ and all have the lowest VOC (new carpet smell) in the industry. Love that! They have really fun colors and you can mix and match and make your own designs. Jonathan and I chose this Modern Mix. The best part is that if there is an accident (from the dogs or kids juice, etc), you can pick up the tile, rinse it off and put it back!!!

get my easter craft on

I have never been into Easter "decorating," but rather the chocolate bunny eating. We will probably make a big deal out of it since this will be the first year Fallon will enjoy egg decorating. We want to do a small easter egg hunt at our neighborhood park. I need to reach my inner Martha and decorate eggs for Easter. I love the egg tree and the bling eggs.

fireplace project

And the projects continue...We decided to tile our fireplace all the way up with the same tile on our kitchen backsplash. We sketched different layouts, but went with the same layout in the kitchen - vertical brick set. We made sure that it was cut in a way so that there was very little waste in tile scrap - only had 6 whole tiles leftover! The house was a mess for a week, but the results were worth it!

speed decorating

Our builder, Blue Heron is doing a coffee table book on our community Stone Canyon. So, we've been scrambling to finish major things in the house such as tiling the fireplace, choose lighting, painting, etc. It has been frustrating trying to choose 3 fixtures within one open space, but we finally nailed it down: Bocci lights which we plan to hang over the kitchen island; a fun conversation piece - the Zettle'z for over the dining area; and a Flos Arco lamp in the family room area. Of the Booci lights - look how amazing 100 Boccis are!!

ashley and i go to hotel valley ho

We had our "romantic getaway" (Valentine's gift from our hubbies) this weekend at Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale. It was all planned from the flights to the hotel room. We went straight to the Spa to our massages. We felt like new women and were relaxed enough to cruise around in the Spa robes around the hotel. It wasn't quite warm enough to take a dip, but we hung out at the pool and drooled on ourselves as we had no care in the world - no kids, no husbands, no crying, no cooking, no cleaning, no errands, nothing. Pure relaxation! Thanks hubbies - we needed that! We didn't do much, but shopped and had a nice dinner at Trader Vic's and passed out:)) A special thanks to Bill and Rebecca Nassikas for the wonderful gifts in the room upon our arrival! Valley Ho is always a great place to unwind.

summer picks at j. crew

J. Crew has had a style makeover from their usual preppy threads in the past year. I usually find reliable classics, but have not bought anything memorable in a few years. However, I love their new looks and I love the navy and orange with white. I'd love to have these for the summer (we'll see about that bathing suit)! By the way, their kids line, crewcuts, is outrageously cute, but pricey.

downsizing the car

I've been so anxious to get rid of the gas guzzler for a while, so we finally traded in our Saab 9-7X SUV for a zippy 9-3 sport sedan. What a difference in gas. Yippee! That was the most important factor in downsizing. Fallon misses the DVD player and I miss the navigator, but I love the direct iPod hookup in the new car. It's worth trading in all those bells and whistles for that!

stella mccartney for lesportsac

I have always loved leSportsac and stand by my overnight bags and totes. Their handbags border a 70's feel, but I dig that about them and the fact that it is a leather alternative. I have been looking for a summer bag and this leSportsac line designed by Stella McCartney is the next best thing to fashion eco-conscious! Isn't that bunny bag so cute?

aspen in the exersaucer

Aspen is strong enough to hang in the ExerSaucer...yeah! She loves it and I love that she can play while I'm in the kitchen or on the computer. It's so fun to watch her play with all the toys and explore.

great day at the park

It finally warmed up so we could all go for a walk across the street at the big park. Fallon is blazing along now on her low rider trike and Aspen snoozed in the stroller the whole time. It was a busy day at the playground as Fallon was all about climbing all up and down and all around. That's our house in the background!

get nude...

...at Barneys New York (yes, we have now!). NUDE is more than just another beautifully-packaged, sleek line of skincare products. Brought to you by humanitarians Bono and his gorgeous wife Ali Hewsen, it's not surprising that NUDE (EDUN - yes same married duo - spelled backwards) is completely natural, organic and minimalist. Or that it utilizes post industrial recycled plastic packaging that is fully recyclable, paired with non-GMO biodegradable cornstarch sleeves, plus no testing on animals. And behind all that, NUDE's formulas (which include probiotics) deliver exceptional and comprehensive skincare. Sold here.

she got wings

We went home shopping at the mall and dragged Fallon to all the home stores. She was such a good girl, I took her to a store filled with girly stuff and she got a pair of pink wings and a princess crown. She HAD to wear it around the mall, but it was priceless to see how much fun she had wearing it around other than at home :) Panda had to try the wings.

grabbing toes

Aspen is into grabbing her toes now and sucking her thumb. If she could reach her toes, she'd suck those, too. It's just a matter of time when that happens.

aspen's 1st valentine's day

We did not do anything special for Aspen except give her a book and let her hang out with Fallon at her school. I just love this outfit from Electra & Andy Masi. It's perfect for Valentine's Day!

fallon's v-day party at school

We joined Fallon at her school for Valentine's Day fun. Fallon and I put together treats and gave princess and Nemo Valentine cards to everyone. She also helped bake and decorate sugar cookies for some special friends. There was also a fire drill during the party, but the girls did not seem phased by it.

valentines day

Jonathan and I went to Okada at Wynn for dinner. It was a little busy because of Magic. It's a beautiful restaurant and not intimidating at all. We had some Robatayaki (grilled, skewered foods) - which was amazing, and a nice selection of sushi. It was the freshest sushi I've had in a while! We'll definitely be back - I'd love to sit outside at the 8-person table in front of the waterfall. The last amazing dining experience was at Bartolotta at Wynn for our anniversary. Okada, Corsa, DB, SW, Bartolotta have not disappointed me in the food dept. The way to my heart is really through my stomach. I almost forgot! Jonathan and Brent are sending Ashley and I to Scottsdale to stay at either Hotel Valley Ho or Sanctuary for the night - next weekend! It's kind of funny - that we get the romantic getaway!

plain zane onesie voting over

The Plain Zane promotion (below) closed for voting yesterday. There were 87 votes and only 20 lucky winners. Thanks to all my friends, design mommies, fellow bloggers and a bunch of you in Ohio! Your votes were very helpful. I especially appreciate the voters who had no need for a onesie but voted anyway. I wish I could give everyone a onesie, but early birds got the worm. Thanks for your support everyone :)

we must, we must, we must increase our milk

I indulged in a Chimay during the Super Bowl. Since I am still nursing, I heard you can increase your milk supply with a steak and a beer. Aspen and I loved it.

new plain zane onesies: get a free one!

Hey friends, family, bloggers: My onesies are selling out! They are high quality onesies printed with eco-friendly inks. Here's a chance to vote on your top 3 onesies (in order) and I will send your 1st choice (or 2nd or 3rd) if it's still in stock! There are only 20 to give away, so vote now! Sizes depend on availability, so email your preferred size. Free onesie and free shipping! Will ship March 10. Email your votes with your address to this email: info@plainzane.com. Click photo to see larger.

aspen is 5 months and eating

How the months are flying by... Since her fourth month, she has been getting stronger and is able to pull herself up while grabbing onto something (usually my hair). Her rasping is getting louder and she's teething since she recently had low grade fevers. She absolutely loves 2 things: a clean diaper and sitting up. She had her first rice cereal meal and loves that, too. She made funny faces, but complained when she wasn't getting it fast enough! Here are some photos of this milestone.

a ring with no bling

Gotta have this "diamond" ring from Carrie Weston. Love her graphic designs.

fun with letters

I'm always drawn to bold, graphic elements which I try to include in every room in the house. I want to get all our initials (J, C, F, A) in these letter mugs at Anthropologie. I love how they look like old-fashioned teacups. It's also the perfect size for my morning coffee.

chinese new year

We celebrated Chinese New Year's Eve at Frank and Thanya (Chinakarn) Lee's house at MacDonald Highlands yesterday. It was nice to finally visit her at their beautiful home and meet their friends. I also got to catch up with Laurine Tibaldi (from my high school) and meet baby Nico. Little did I know, she lives less than a mile away from my house! It was great to meet everyone - hope to do it again soon! And today, Fallon and her classmates had made a dragon and paraded around school to show it off. I didn't get to see it, but maybe it'll show up in her yearbook.

gorgeous dream house

My friend Stephanie, lent me her issue of Elle Decor to see the newly renovated home of wedding dress designer, Monique Lhuillier (who's half Filipino). Since I want warm grays on the walls with whites and black, she thought I could take some inspiration from this. She's so right - it's exactly what I want, but I can only wish the final look in the house can turn out as beautiful. Thanks, Steph!

fallon's sweet tooth

This is a series of pics Armando, my old college friend, took of Fallon with his iPhone when we ate at Bleu Gourmet last November. She has every reason to be hoarding their amazing peanut butter cups. It's sooooo yummy!

my getaway mobile

If I could afford to splurge on an airstream I'd love to have this limited edition by DWR to get in some quality "Char Time." I'd also hire a driver to drive me somewhere in style and comfort. I'm sure the whole family would love to spend time in it, too!

dwell studio @ target

I am flipping out about the lower-priced dwell line at Target. I checked it out today (I gave in and got 2 plush blankets for the girls) and it makes me sick to think of the time and money we spent to put together a modern "dwell" baby room! After our second (and last) baby they come out with it at our local Target! We had gotten some original dwell accent pieces for Aspen's room, but I'd grab these furniture pieces if I was still decorating her room.

aspen sucks

Aspen has been soothing herself to sleep with her thumb lately. She refuses the binky just like Fallon did. Anyway, it's cute for now. Hopefully it won't last.

sledding at mt. charleston

It was a beautiful day, so we decided to go sledding at Mt. Charleston last minute this morning (only a 35 minute drive). It was Fallon's first time to play in the snow - which she was more interested in doing than sledding. She had a blast. Jonathan and I realized how out of shape we were when we found ourselves lacking umph in the higher altitude. Maybe next time we'll hit the slopes.

oxo pop containers

I am ecstatic about these OXO Pop Containers. Since our kitchen storage is lacking, the square design maximizes cabinet space. It'll be nice to see all our cereal, pasta, and kids snacks and to know when it's time to replenish. It's nice enough to stack on the counter. I know all you organization freaks will be all over this - if not already.

easy chopsticks for kids

Fallon has been craving Japanese food more than I have been and she is now getting into sushi. She is almost able to hold the chopsticks without any rubber bands or contraptions, but it's a long time before her sushi gets into the mouth. I found this fun chopstick cheater to help use her use chopsticks until she learns.

plain zane onesies are here!

New ad for Plain Zane onesies - not for the easily offended. Aspen sporting hot seller for nursing babies. More sayings available.
















Check out Sidney Mupas who is fresh out of the oven!

barneys new york in las vegas

The Palazzo opened last week next to the Venetian. It's just as beautiful as the LA Barney's (but it does not have a Barney's Greengrass Restaurant). They have the coolest animal art fixtures: Fallon's favorite is the denim giraffe - which she requested to put in our house. My favorite is the wire hanger elephant. Barney's may be the only store that I would willfully go bankrupt. It's the next best thing to heaven, but at the same time the devil makes me go there. The best part is that it is open "normal" Las Vegas hours: until 11pm and midnight on weekends!