22 December 2016
I know I made the voting difficult on y’all this year, since I presented the options without our final photos. But you voted valiantly regardless, though I have to feel that that switcheroo threw off the final numbers :) In the end, the buffalo check was the definite favorite, with the illustrated “hark the herald” option coming in a solid second. The one we went with? It got a measly five votes (!), but I think you’ll like it when you see it with the photo we chose… This is the Bright New Life design by Shiny Penny Studio from the darlings at Minted. Our beautiful photo is by Nancy Ray. (Can’t wait to share more from our session soon!) He has brought us light and life in abundance this year, so this design couldn’t have been more perfect for 2016. Squeezing all of the good stuff from this past year into our newsletter was certainly a challenge, but one that I gladly accepted! So much sweetness packed into twelve months. On the back, we found a spot for just a couple of newborn photos (you know I had to!), plus a favorite Christmas scripture and a little room for the traditional Thomas family note. I hope you love them!! With that, I’m signing off for a few days while we celebrate the holidays with our beloved family! I am sending you all lots of love and wishes for a cozy Christmas filled with delicious food, comfy pajamas, and laughing until your cheeks hurt with the ones you love. I will see you back here next week for my year in review – one of my favorite posts of the year! P.S. Our cards from 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012!
12 October 2015
Let me tell you about my friend Stephanie, who recently moved back to the Triangle after living in DC for several years. Since she’s been here, the list of things she’s done, places she’s been, and people she’s met is mind-boggling. In fact, I’m positive she has more local friends than I do. (This is not surprising or upsetting, as I readily admit I am an introvert who prefers fewer, very closer friends over a larger circle.) She and I only recently met in person after being online friends for several years. Perhaps this emboldened me, because when she posted about a local book club she had joined, I inquired. Stephanie, bless her heart, not only told me about the book club, but went one step further: she invited me to START an articles club with her. Even though it was a little outside of my comfort zone, I was instantly enamored with the idea. Both she and I had read about the concept on A Cup of Jo last year, and Steph had successfully hosted one with friends in DC. After a flurry of back and forth emails, our new version is taking shape! And here’s where you come in: you’re invited! Yes! The first one will be on Tuesday, November 10, in the evening, in the Triangle of NC. We’ll meet about once a month (we are considering keeping it on the second Tuesday of the month). One gal will email out three articles to the group – perhaps themed, but not necessarily, and about topics that feel relevant to our age group: maybe friendship, career, work/life balance, children, or relationships. Then, we’ll gather and discuss them over appetizers, dessert, and drinks. In addition to meeting new friends, Stephanie and I are both very set on actual discussion,
10 September 2015
Right from the start, we knew we wanted to tell our families our big news in person. We live far away from everyone, and opportunities to celebrate in person are few and far between. The good news? We knew we’d have our families together on back-to-back weekends. The bad news? Those weekends were not until weeks 15 and 16 of my pregnancy. Even though waiting that long was not ideal, and certainly not for everyone, we felt firmly that it was the right decision for us. Especially since we’d waited so long, we wanted to make the announcements a little more special when they finally came, so we planned something different for each set. John’s family was up first! We were all gathered in New York City for Natalie and Joe’s baby shower, and went to brunch the next day with the whole Thomas clan. N+J opened a few more gifts, and one was ours. I ordered custom onesies from Zazzle with “Michigan 2016” for each of the three cousins in the sizes they’ll be next summer. We already have a family trip on the books, so it was a perfect opportunity on which to piggyback! The reaction? TOTAL surprise. I think I could have knocked my brother-in-law over with a feather! Natalie and Joe provided great cover for us, I think, since everyone was focused on their impending arrival! Next up was my family! Since my Dad’s birthday was later in the week, we wrapped up a package for him and handed it over once we were all gathered, saying it was something he’d want to enjoy for the rest of vacation. Inside was a faux North Carolina postcard that I’d made, and we taped our first ultrasound to the back. The reaction? Not surprised at all! Actually, we