celebrate | birthday love | melanie

Happiest 27th birthday to YOU, Mel! 

Last year we started what I think will become one of my favorite birthday traditions - a progressive dinner around downtown Greenville to celebrate Melbug! 

1st course: appetizers & drinks at The Cazbah and present opening

2nd course: flatbread pizzas & fried pickles at Roost

3rd course: dessert at Nantucket (YUM!)  

We changed up the 2nd course this year (you can see last year's progression here). 

celebrate | christmas time 'round here

1. Elf Mel & me // Williams gathering

2. Ash & Avery // Richards gathering

3. Mikey & 'Mos // Christmas with M

4. Me & Mikey // Christmas Eve eve with some of the Martin crew

5. Solomon giving Sadie Christmas smooches // McCraw Christmas Eve gathering 

6. Melbug & Solomon // Christmas morning @ the Martins

7. Pop & Ria's Christmas tree // Christmas night 

Here's to hoping your Christmas was as merry & bright as ours! 

well wishes

hoping your 2016 is full of peace & joy

celebrate | my 29th birthday

Birthday Maximization 

Y'all. My people spoiled me on my 29th (eeeeeek) birthday! Mikey planned a full day, starting with breakfast at CFA & a sunrise trip to Pretty Place (where we went on the 1st birthday of mine that we spent together...in 2004). We missed the sunrise, but Pretty Place was simply stunning. The boys loved the big steps, the rain puddles and checking out the mountains. I loved just being with them. 

Next up we swung by Mast General in Hendersonville...more of a pit stop, really, before heading on to The Fresh Market for 2nd breakfast on our way to the Tobacco Barn in Asheville for hours of hunting and picking. Surprisingly, the boys did really well while I perused endless amounts of the good stuff. We came home with a kitchen sink, fireplace dogs & a basket that I plan on turning into a light fixture for the upstairs bathroom. 

On our way back to Greenville we stopped at the Flat Rock Bakery for lunch. We lunched outside and enjoyed the 75ish degree weather (best birthday weather ever) before hopping back in the car. Once back in Greenville, Mimi & Papa met us to scoop up the boys for the rest of the afternoon. Mikey informed me that their part of "birthday maximization" was over. He'd scheduled a couples massage for us at Urban Nirvana (thanks Mom for the gift card!) which was wonderful! (Can it be my birthday every day?!) We finished our massages & headed (unbeknownst to me) to Simpsonville for an early dinner with some of our family at El Tejano. Annnnndddd, we finished off the day with a movie (along with most of Simpsonville)! 

Seriously, Mikey's going to have his work cut out for him next year! I loved every minute of "birthday maximization" and am so thankful for a day with my people doing things that I love. Here's to my last year of my twenties & all that it's already promising to bring! 

merry, merry!

We stuck to Something to Wear, Something to Read, Something you Want, & Something you Need for gifts + our $100 budget (+ a $25 stocking allowance). I particularly enjoyed shopping for Mikey and the boys this year. Both boys personalities have developed so much over the past year so it was fun to shop for treats for them & to watch them open the gifts we'd carefully chosen.

Mikey received one of my all time favorite gifts that I've given to him in our 12 (TWELVE) Christmas' together...a handcrafted frame that my dad made from the banister that came from our new house with a picture of the house that Mike drew 10 years ago for Wayne. I cannot wait to find the most perfect place for that framed picture to hang.

Amos wanted ONE thing for Christmas: a nerf gun. We debated not getting the nerf gun because let's be real...he just got a ton of them for his birthday. BUT, in the end we decided it was the one thing he wanted. Boy, oh boy, was his reaction worth it! He literally trembled with excitement as he opened it! Don't mind us when you see us out and about and he's toting 2-3 (nerf) guns with him. We have to take them everywhere "for protection." He also got a red watch that he was pretty excited about!

My second favorite gift to give this year was Solomon's sleepy dog blanket (that picture above tho...). He has a small sleepy dog that is pretty ratted out, so when I found the blanket I thought it was perfect! He doesn't love it (yet) like the small one, but he's pretty darn sweet carrying them both around.

Mikey gave me some twinkle lights for our new house (I've wanted some since I visited Alexa several years ago) and a nice new purse for carrying my camera & computer (+ all of my kids stuff..)!

Seriously, I love doing the 4 gifts + stocking stuffers (with a budget). It takes a lot of planning, especially adding kids to the mix, but that's part of the fun!

Merry, merry Christmas from the #martinfamilyoffive! xoxo

|Christmas 2013, Christmas 2014|