.2013 in review & a happy new year.

"as the world makes a countdown to the new year, may you be wise enough to count only the blessings you have been showered with, the friends you have made, and the joys you've received in the past year" --author unknown

while i completely missed the deadline to get out my annual christmas cards this year [sorry friends!], minted helped me creatively come up with a way to say 'cheers' [and a 2013 recap] with something completely different - happy new year cards!!

brilliant, if you ask me!

and while i probably should have posted this last week when i received them giving you enough time to order your own, i really wanted to share what an incredible product minted created for us. the paper is top notch. the customer service is even more incredible. and it was so easy to use, with super fast shipping. bonus!

i know i'll be creating all my cards in the future with minted and highly recommend! stay tuned for a valentines day edition created by jack :). it's really adorable.

i also didn't want to miss the opportunity to wish you all a very happy new year from my family to yours. we expect big things for 2014, and i can't wait for the fresh start a new year brings.

*i've partnered with minted and affiliate links have been used, however all opinions are my own and i genuinely really like their products!

.gift guide 2013, for pete.

peter is getting more and more difficult to buy for. i find that he isn't into frivolous things, hates 'junk' [aka. trinkets, which i love!], he's not really into gaming or electronics, and buys any clothing items that he needs throughout the year. so when gift giving for him comes around [father's day, our anniversary, his birthday, and christmas] i usually want to hide under a rock.

that being said, here are some very cool items that i think would suit his fancy just fine. unique items that he may not have heard about or something a little extra special.

[one] bose noise cancelling headphones || pete is a music lover. and likes it loud, much to my old ears' dismay. these would solve all issues and keep that man very happy.
[two] shoe shine brush || one of peter's many quirks is how well he maintains his dress shoes. this would also help and be a perfect stocking stuffer for a proper gentleman.
[three] mason jar cocktail shaker || are you as serious about the mason jar trend as we are? this would be most excellent to add to the collection.
[four] belt || this worked in leather belt is lovely.
[five] espresso machine || we've been looking for a espresso/coffee machine for quite sometime and this year we may actually be able to brew more than a single cup at a time! halleluha! however question is, does this crazy machine brew coffee too? anyone? i'm the worst.....but it sure is pretty. and i guess this is kind of a gift for me too ;)
[six] blanket || this throw has such a beautiful hudson bay inspired feel to it and it's also manly enough to display all year long. while pete might not be into decor all that much, i know he'd snuggle under this warm and beautiful blanket night after night.
[seven] forest handkerchief set || ever gentleman needs a hanki. and i'm all about a neatly folded pocket square too, which these could brilliantly double as!

[eight] camo socks || while a little on the pricey side for socks, it would certainly be a treat! and isn't that what presents are all about? treating someone on something they may not normally purchase?

[nine] stubble & 'stache beard moisturizer || i adore my man with a little extra shadow and fuzz on his face and this cream is meant to moisturize his skin underneath the hair, which usually gets a little itchy and forgotten about. a little extra tlc never hurt anyone.

[ten] mug || who wouldn't want to wake up to this? 

*contains some affiliate links, however as usual all opinions are my own.  also - thank you for supporting those companies that help support fancy napkin.

.gift guide 2013, for jack.

now that it's the first week of december and about a million other blogs have released some form of a gift guide or another, i figure i might as well jump on the band wagon and post my annual gift guide too!
this is what my sweet jack will be whispering into old jolly st. nick's ear this year. hopefully he's been a very good boy ;)

[one] ski pajamas || this is probably more for jack's daddy than anyone as he loves skiing so much, but i have a feeling our little jack will be a master of the slopes too! and these pj's are just so darn cute.
[two] wood fire station || jack loves his le van toys [he has a pirate ship & double decker bus amongst other things] and this would be just perfect to add to his little collection.
[three] faux fur sleeping bag || as noted above, jack's play teepee needs some homey items placed inside to make it all cozy and snuggly for those reading sessions jack loves. this sleeping bag is just the ticket!

[four] the little yoga mat || i mean?! right?! utterly adorable. and now jack and momma can do a little morning stretch together.

[five] love you more blanket || simply perfect. i actually want this as a keepsake it's so great.

[six] 5 string banjo || my little budding musician would love to play like his uncle luke. this may help.

[seven] camp socks || cozy camp socks. perfect!
[eight] farm to table apron set || my budding little chef already begs to be held while we prep dinner and this little apron set is just the sweetest! not to cutesie and just the right amount of awesome!
[nine] moose || just a really cute stocking stuffer.
[ten] felt campfire || jack got a play teepee for his birthday from momma and daddy. this little felt campfire would be just the greatest thing ever to situate just outside it's front opening. i can just imagine many many camping adventures in our future.
[eleven] boots || jack needs some new boots as his feet keep growing like little weeds. these are warm, lined and awesome.
[twelve] the jungle book by jennifer adams || jack actually has every single one of these books in this series and loves them all. so does his momma, so that's a win win in my books [pun intended!]. this would be a great addition, along with this one too!

*contains some affiliate links, however as always, all opinions are my own! and i thank you for supporting those companies that help make fancy napkin possible!

.jack's first christmas.

yes, it's january 22, 2013. and yes, i am just now posting some pictures from jack's first christmas. almost a month late!

-hey, better late than never i suppose-

but here are a few snaps from our first christmas as three.

this year, christmas eve was spent at my mother's house.  we flip each year who gets x.mas eve between my mother's side and my in-laws as it's traditional for polish and swedish to celebrate on christmas eve. this year was my mama's turn and it was a blast. we had fondue and jack got spoilt beyond all means.

then we spent christmas morning at my dad's, as usual. we wake up early, stay in our comfy's and head over to my dad's farm for breakfast [he always serves his thin swedish pancakes, amongst other things]. this year we celebrated with his new little puppy, lincoln, who love to eat my hair! so we had baby jack and baby lincoln amongst the chaos that is christmas. santa also came and was very good to us in deed!

then we cleaned up and headed over to peter's aunt's house to celebrate christmas day. jack was cuddled non-stop and i don't think he was put down for a minute, although i don't think he minded. we ate enough food that would fill us up for a week [their was goose, duck, turkey, and ham!] and mama finally got a little sip of wine :)

holiday wish list: the peter edition

[SHOP: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 ]

Still trying to decide what to get the men in your life for christmas? Be it a husband, brother, father, boyfriend or just a special someone, here's some very cool items that I'm sure would suit their fancy [except perhaps the meat grinder or pasta maker....that may just be something my weird wanna-be-chef husband wants ;) ]. And if your "male" doesn't like any of these, you can just re-package them up and  send it to my husband as he most certainly will accept any and all of these with pleasure.

1 | my husband is tall. like 6.2 ft tall. and the majority of that is all legs so he usually looks like he's preparing for a flood if you know what i mean. all his pj's are ankle biters so he could really use a new pair of lounge pants that fit. these are really nice and look damn comfy.

2 | these shoes are the most sexy thing i've seen in a while. i love the uniqueness of them and the element of class they bring to the table [or 'look', i should say]. a tad pricey, but will probably last the test of time. love them.

3 | my hubby has been looking for a great pair of dark washed jeans. we saw these at club monaco and decided they may just be the perfect jean. super cool stitching too!

4 | in paris, we decided to take a peek inside the burberry store. big mistake. the clothes in there are spectacular, in particular this classic burberry trench coat. my husband can't seem to get it out of his mind and has been drooling over it ever since. wouldn't this gift make me wife of the year? i think yes.

5 | yes, you see that correctly. that, my friends, is a meat grinder and peter is ridiculously excited about it. he wants to make homemade sausages, ground beef, etc....yep.

6 | my honey loves his music loud. like real loud. these noise-cancelling ear-blasting headphones would be just the ticket.
7 | a pocket flask. perfect for a little warm up while skiing.
8 | even though pete enjoys a trimmed beard [okay, i enjoy the beard and won't let him shave it] i love to spoil him with good quality skin products. especially from one of my favourite brands, biotherm. this after shave cream is heavenly when he actually does shave and he loves it.
9 | moccasins are becoming a must have in this house and the hubby needs a pair. simple as that.
10 | a pasta maker. again, peter wants to make his own pasta and well, quite frankly, this actually has me excited as well. fresh pasta?! yes please!

holiday wish list: the erinn edition.

[SHOP: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 ]

Since becoming a mommy, I really haven't bought myself anything or even thought about it much. I just keep spending my extra funds on our wee man as it's what brings me joy. Spoiling him rotten [yes, i am aware that i am slowly creating a monster!]. So when my family started asking what I'd like for Christmas, I was at a loss. I really hadn't looked at what's out this season, so this wish list of mine took a little more time than usual. That being said, here's some items that I'm totally lusting over and hoping to find under the tree.

1 | this cookbook has been on my radar for the past couple weeks. something about these two chefs and brothers screams 'interesting' to me and i really can't wait to try something from it. even the name, this is a cookbook: recipes for real life, appeals to me.

2 | isn't this sweater cute? the colors, the pattern, and the material would make for the perfect sweater. you could dress it up for work or play on the casual side. it would also be great for layering. and it reminds me of a skiing sweater, which i think is the coolest.

3 | okay, these boots i have loved pretty much since i was born. straight out the womb and i wanted a pair. and i'm not even kidding. might be time to make the purchase. black or brown?

4 | i really love this wash of denim and this cut, making this a perfect denim shirt. 

5 | such a gorgeous blanket. such a quality company. such a classic investment. i need one and this is my favourite print. 

6 | while i was worried that i would tire of the fur vest trend from last year, i find myself still drawn to a few awesome and unique cuts, like this vest.

7 | pretty much the perfect carry-all bag. 

8 | so many awesome trends going on with this sweater: military, aztec print, wool arms and simply oozing coolness. i adore it.

9 | i adore neil young. he's in my favourite top 5 musicians list. and this is his self-written auto-biography. i bet it's one hell-of-a-cool read.
10 | classic and old school, these runners are a major go-to for a new mommy. and jack has the same pair in white, so we could match! brilliant!

.holiday wish list: the jack edition.

[SHOP: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10]

This year for christmas, even though Jack is only going to be 2 months old, he sure knows what he wants ;)

And while his father thinks we shouldn't get him anything, I strongly disagree. I mean, it's his first christmas Mr. Scrooge!! So while Jack continues to be on the 'nice' list [and I continue to sneak a couple things to fill his stocking], here are some items on his wish list and that he hopes to find under the tree.

1| i have loved these little handmade moccasins forever. so i think it's about time that i ordered some for our little man. i personally love the walnut shade, but the chocolate brown suede, dark brown, sienna suede, gold and red are also on my lust list. and they will
2| mr. man needs these blocks. period. large and modern and oh so cool.
3| these blabla finger puppets are not only to die for cute, but awesome quality as well. and jack has the large version of the fox too! sadly, looks like they are sold out at the time being.....time to go on the wait list!
4| batman was always my favorite superhero. bruce was always the most mysterious and sexiest. and this sweater just rocks.
5| any of the pendleton blankets has me swooning and i just want to wrap up jack nice and tight in it. this pattern is pretty darn cool though and would go so well in jack's nursery.
6| this wood pirate ship is just awesome. a little more on the pricey side, but will last the test of time.
7| books are my favorite thing to give a child but when it features andy warhol, it just takes it to that next level of favorite.
8| manny and simon toys are some of the most durable ones that i've bought jack [he has the train set] and this manly loader truck is super cool. actually any of the manly trucks are pretty cool.
9| again with the blabla dolls. i just can't get enough of them. this wolf is the next on jack's list and i think it'll quickly become his favorite. he needs the mini one i'm thinking.
10| baby moccasins! do you even need an explanation?!? these are ridiculously adorable.

.baby things: christmas cozies.

SHOP: no.1 | no.2 | no.3 | no.4 | no.5 | no.6 | no.7 | no.8

When my hubby and I first found out we would be expecting a little babe come fall, one of the very first things that got me excited was the thought of having a baby around at Christmas time. Our first Christmas as a family of three! 

And even though he will only be 2 1/2 months old, there's just something so innocent about kids at christmas, with the wonder of it all, that makes me feel like a child as well. It makes me want to participate in all things warm and jolly.

So while I understand that it may be a little early yet, I have already begun stock-piling Jack's cozies,  Christmas edition style. Above are some of my favourites.

.And then Santa came.

Christmas was spent with mimosa's, pancakes, turkey, board games and loved ones.
And getting stocked up on lots of camera goodies, work out gear {motivation!}, clothes, perfume, shoes, a gorgeous Boss bag {one of the many gifts from husband. thank you}, jewellery and a bunch of house stuff {new headboard! yeah!}.
seriously spoiled rotten.
.CHRISTMAS MORNING.

My Dad serving up some Mimosa's.

Sister + Boyfriend.

Wife + Husband.

.CHRISTMAS DAY.

Round 2.

Mom + Stepdad.

.The Holiday Recap.

So, Friends. How was your Holidays?

Mine was just about the most awesome ever.
A little Christmas Eve recap for you all.
.CHRISTMAS EVE.

The Breaking of THE Bread
{biggest loaf I've ever seen. specially ordered}

Brothers and a Father.

Excited. And red lipped.

Pete & his Goddaughter, Kazia.

Me and my Dad.

My little cousin, Tessa. xx

Family. 

Destroying {and loving} her gifts.

My Christmas Eve Outfit
{Dress: Zara, Shoes: Nine West, Necklace: Melanie Auld, Lips: MAC Dare You}

Matching Fur and Cuddly Fur.

Family

Later that night......

Then Santa came in the morning.....but more on that tomorrow.