Ryan and I finally got around to watching Little Miss Sunshine last night. Seeing all the scenes where they’re in ‘Redondo beach’ (actually filmed here in Ventura) made me realize we don’t get down there as much as we should. So, to the Promenade the boys and I went.

And yes, I felt like a nerdy tourist snapping shots with my camera. But the weather and lighting was too gorgeous to resist.

Destination: Mesa, AZ
For: Todd and Kristy’s wedding
Total hours logged on the road: 16!

And for your listening pleasure, here is ‘Silent Night’, arranged and performed by Ryan. Hope you enjoy! And have a lovely Christmas and safe travel! To all our family (mom, especially) that we won’t see this Christmas, we miss you!

Preview:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Download:
Silent Night .mp3
(Right-click on link, then ‘Save-as’ to download onto your computer)

Sick kids, preparations for tonight’s Relief Society Christmas party, and a new obsession for a certain novel series (that everyone and their mom is into) have estranged me from the blogging world — my own blog included.

But I have a guest post today at my friend Amy’s blog, Living Locurto. My post won’t be so new to you, but make sure to check out the rest of her blog, especially her great roundup of free downloads. Amy is a graphic-designing, stay-at-home mother, but on top of that, she gives back to her community in a really huge way. She is incredible and such an inspiration. Thanks for having me over, Amy!

Thank you to Joanna for posting the boys’ birthday party on Nesting today!

Did that grab your attention?

Ryan and the lovely, über-talented Anna Costa are teaming up once again to perform at church this Sunday, so I’m inviting you all to come out! If you know a thing or two about Ryan’s musical prowess, then you will be sure to attend. And Miss Anna? See for yourself here. And here (scroll down). And…here.

Sold? Then call or email me, and I’ll fill you in the when and where. I promise you it’ll be off the hook. I mean, amazing. And yes, you can bring your kiddos. Believe you me, there is many a screaming and crying fit during our church services. Maybe my children. Maybe not. Just saying…

Originally, Ryan had offered to take me to see Wicked, and spend a day down in LA, sans boys. But as much as I love musicals and the well-choreographed use of jazz hands, we are print nerds and excited to find out about a local letterpress studio. Thank you to Fiona at Lettre Sauvage!

Hopefully Santa can make out that this is from Kai and he would like a puzzle. We even went to the post office today, bought stamps, and had Kai slip the envelope into the mail slot. Exciting stuff for a three-year-old.

Need Santa’s address? Find it here. Thank you, Stephanie. : )

Without getting into how long I procrastinated these and how late I stayed up last night putting fifty of these together (cutting paper down from parent sheets by hand really bites), here are the invitations I designed for this year’s Relief Society Christmas dinner.

(Nativity illustration from iStockphoto)

I’m really late on posting this, but the birthday party was on Tangled and True last month! So nice of Brittany to share the party I poured all my blood, heart, and soul into (kidding, kind of). Thank you!

And if you haven’t been over there before, visit! To quote Brittany, “Tangled and True places a focus on the modern, simple, pretty and organic.” Lots of great products and tips for us cool moms. Yeah!

‘Twas once a gloomy, lazy Tuesday.
(But now it is the weekend and the sun is out. Happiness.)

I really love Marimekko. Here a few spreads from their latest Holiday Catalog. I’m especially digging on the plum + ruby red color scheme. What a visual treat. Those Finns are so impossibly cool.

And since we’re on the topic of things Finnish, did you know:
Ryan served his mission in Finland?
And that’s how we came up with Kai’s name? Because Ryan met a cool guy named ‘Kai’ on his mission (and not because we wanted his name to mean ‘ocean’ or ’sea’ in Hawaiian as so many believe…)