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Monday, March 31, 2014

Shopping for New Glasses!

It's finally that time, time to buy a new pair of glasses!
It's only been about 8 years since my last pair and I've been putting it off as long as possible.
It can be kinda tricky finding the right pair and when I look, I like to check out every optical store around.  Here are a few I came up with last week:
{1}
 {2}
 {3}
 {4}
 My adorable little sister who seriously looks cute in glasses =)
I've found a "buy one get one free" deal!!!!  
So which two do you think I should choose???

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Sunday Currently


This has been such an incredibly relaxing Sunday! 
My wonderful hubby has been spoiling me. 
So far it has been a day full of surprises, relaxation and 60 degree weather.
Charles took me out for a fun breakfast and on our return back home, he told me to take a nap while he did the dishes.  What a guy!
We are heading back out again for more surprises that he has planned for the afternoon.
Sundays are a wonderful thing!
Now on to more blog posts and week 16 of being pregnant....how time flies.
What are your Sunday plans?

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Spyhouse Coffee Co. & A Friend

Last week I took a mini vacation from work and boy was it lovely!
It was the perfect little breather.
I headed up north to visit this amazing woman!
She is one of those dear friends who flew in town just to surprise me the day I got engaged and then continued to be one of those "above and beyond friends" who flew in town every other month until the wedding!!!  What a faithful and sweet friend she is.  Soooo..... it was high time I went to visit her.
She and I share a great love for coffee, although, I have to admit she is much more disciplined when it comes to giving it up. =)

The morning I flew in to see Rachel, I decided to forgo a mediocre cup of Starbucks in anticipation of one of her new favorite coffee houses.
End result? It was well worth the wait!!!
Rachel enjoyed a delicious cappuccino while I sipped on a hot vanilla cardamom latte!
And the strawberry rhubarb lemon pastries were heavenly and not too sweet.
Not happy when that one cup is gone!  I can't wait for that second cup this fall.  The perfect season to drink multiple cups!
This place was adorable and I sooo wish we had a cute place like this around here. 
So. much. character.
This was a fantastic start to an amazing week.
More pictures to come soon!

xoxoxo,
Maggie



Monday, March 17, 2014

Baby Bump Week 14


We have made it all the way to week 14 and this little babe is taking her/his first plane ride tomorrow!  A two for one seat special =)
We can't wait to visit our favorite friend in MN and relax for a week together.
These days our little one is the size of a big orange and growing every day.
I'm going through another tired phase which leaves me craving a nap every day!!! Some days it happens, other days it just gets squeezed out.
I've been craving eggs...eggs, eggs, eggs!  Yesterday daddy, little babe and I went on a Sunday brunch date after Church to Egg Harbor Cafe and the little one was soooo happy with two over easy eggs on top of a spicy skillet.  That was the first time in three months that I found myself craving Egg Harbor.
I've also just discovered La Croix apple berry water which is amazing and very soothing!  Even better that it has 0 calories =)   Other strange craving has been loaded chicago hot dogs.  Probably not the best food for the little one, but if I pass a Portillos, I just can't help it!  Oh, and french fries, don't even get me started, those things are the devil.  I guess all my wrong cravings are made up with my daily fruit and frequent salads.  We are trying to be good around here!

On another positive note, as of this past week, I'm officially a Morrison!!!!  Hip, hip horray!!!

Have a great St. Paddy's Day!
xoxoxo,
Maggie

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

A Grandma's Love

My Grandma Lois means the world to me!   
We have this special bond that will never be broken and I'm proud to call her my Grandma.
I have a few women in my life that I really look up to.  My mother comes first and my Grandma right after.
There is something so special about a Grandma's love and her presence in your life that touches a child's heart so deeply.   I have many fond memories of her as a child and more memories are still being made even to this day.  I still love to write her letters, call her on the phone, e-mail her notes and pictures, anything I can do to create more memories and bring her joy and love in return.  This women (along with my incredible Grandpa Bud, another happy post for another day) has stood by me down in Naples, Florida while I attended Ave Maria University.  Their love and support were incredible.  My Grandma and Grandpa were the ones sitting front row as I read and defended my thesis in college.  My Grandma was the one to drop off food so I wouldn't starve.  She was the one to give away her down pillows because I slept so well on them.  On more than one occasion she would take me and my girlfriends out to lunch.  She was there for my Graduation.  She was the one to introduce me to my first sip of coffee, I'll never forget the day.  Heck, she was even the hip Grandma to join in on all the fun wedding festivities, such as the manis and pedis and even waxing and threading!!!!  She was the first to volunteer to have her eye brows threaded.  Go Grandma!! It truly meant the world to me that my Grandma, who is so important to me, could be there with my mom and I as we got ready for the wedding.  I always want my Grandma to feel loved in every way possible.  She has done so much for others, and is beyond generous and loving and always wants to help people.  This past October, it was my turn to give back some of the love she had shown me.  So, on my wedding day, I really wanted my Grandma to feel loved and get pampered.  It was my chance to surprise her with something special. 

 A few months before my wedding, I pulled up a box from the basement.  In the box was my Grandma Loie's wedding dress!  I took it with me downtown Chicago when I went to visit the florist and told them how special this dress was to me, my Mom and to my Grandmother.  They were in awe over how gorgeous her dress was and promised to use the lace on all three of our bouquets!!!   So, my wedding day arrived and the florist came.  I was stunned at how perfect each of the bouquets turned out.  Then in walked my Grandma.  I told her that before she got her hair and makeup done that I had something special for her.  She said, "for me???" and I said "YES, for you Grandma".  Then I handed her her bouquet and explained how it was wrapped in her wedding dress.  She was in such shock and surprise because she didn't even know we still had her wedding dress.  
I can still hear her saying, "my wedding dress?  you wrapped it in my dress?" and seeing how touched she was, the happy tears came. 

Then I showed her how they had wrapped it around my bouquet as well, even down to the button details!
And I love to hear my Grandmother talk, he expressions, her words, her emotions, her responses, they touch me deeply and make me smile!
Here my grandma is, each step of the way.  She even rode with me on the way to the church and kept my mind off of being ridiculously excited!!!
My Grandma is so beautiful!!!  She definitely looked stunning that day!
And here we are, three generations:
These are by far, the two most important people in my life!  If it weren't for them, I wouldn't be here and I wouldn't be the person I am today.  They are both my heros and each in their own way.  I have so much love in my heart for both of them and I can't wait to share the story of my love for my mom.  If it weren't for her, I don't know where I would be.  Hopefully one day, I can be more like these women.


Sunday, March 9, 2014

The Sunday Currently, vol. 17



Reading:  The Bible daily for Lent and loving the time spent doing so.

Writing:  notes to friends.  

Listening:  background music that my husband has playing.  Whatever it is, I'm enjoying his jams!  

Thinking:  that it feels wonderful when the house is nice and tidy.  We are trying to keep up with it these days so it doesn't ever get out of hand.    

Wishing:  that the snow would move-on-out.  I'm enjoying todays warmer temps. 

Hoping:  that March continues to be a very productive month.  We've gotten so much done in the baby's room already, but still have a long ways to go!

Smelling:  a new Anthropology candle =) always a good smell.

Wearing:  my comfy Nike stretch pants and a white maternity top.

Loving:  the baby crib that we just put together today!!!  It's beautiful.  Pictures to come later.

Wanting:  this week to pass quickly so that I can head up to MN next week.

Needing:  a nap.  But I don't want to lose even an hour of time this Sunday.  Sometimes I have a hard time making myself relax and just sit still.  

Enjoying: relaxing time spent shopping for maternity cloths.   I found some wonderful skinny jeans this past week at Pea in the Pod and a few transition tops as we move into spring.    It's so tough having to re-do your whole wardrobe because you're pregnant.  It's kind of fun, but also pricey.  

Feeling:  grateful for friends who come over for dinner and games. 

Anticipating:  My week off from work.  It will be nice to take a little break.

Grab a cup of coffee and a cozy blanket and enjoy 
a very relaxing Sunday!!!
xoxoxo,
Maggie 
Linking up with Lauren's Sunday Currently

Friday, March 7, 2014

7 Quick Takes

 It's finally the weekend around the Morrison household!
Today is my day off and my hubby doesn't go to work until 2PM on Fridays....so we kinda love our Fridays together!!!  Our Friday mornings are relaxing and productive getting chores done around the house.  Later today I'll pull myself together, put on a little makeup and make a trip to the grocery store.  I may make it a quick trip so I can go looking for some maternity pants!

In the meantime, I'm linking up with Jenn for her 7 quick takes!  Britt inspired me to post this with her awesome quick takes over at The Fisk Files.

{1}
If you don't already know this about me, I LOVE to organize!  Baskets or special crates like these help me stay organized.  I recently discovered these amazing little crates at Target and can't wait to use some chalk to label each of them.  Labeling is sooo helpful in your search to find something you need or when you're quickly organizing and need to put things in their correct home.   It saves time from having to re-organize later.  I'm also loving our wonderful new dryer!!  Can't wait for the washer to break so we can have a matching washer did I just say that?!?!  Just kidding honey, really I am =)
 {2}
Our Wedding flash drive came in the mail this week and I'm thoroughly enjoying sifting and re-sifting through all the photos.  Can't wait to print up a bunch of pictures so that I can share them with so many people that have been asking to see them!
 Seriously though, how cute is the packaging?!?!  The photographer's husband handmade the box.
And this is the flash drive ~ sooo creative!

 {3}  
This past weekend I took my older sister Jenny to her special Gala dinner!!!  
Here she is standing in front of her artwork that was being auctioned off at $250, way to go Jenny!
We were accompanied by our younger sister who was so patient and well behaved the whole evening, for the most part that is :)
Jenny with some of her friends from Gigi University.  We all sat together at the same table....they are sooo adorable together! 
 If anyone knows how to boogie, it's people with Down Syndrome.  They know how to rock the house and break a sweat!  It was such an honor to be able to take my sister to this important event.  Amazing to see the support and awareness grow in the community. 
 {4}
Baking the worlds best chocolate chip cookies, thanks to a special friend for the secret recipe!!!! =) 
My husband couldn't eat enough of them.....I made him share a few. 
 {5}
Finally getting around to leisurely writing letters to dear friends.  I haven't really done this since months before my wedding.  It felt soooo therapeutic and much needed.
 {6}
The baby is going to be all set when he/she comes!  A dear friend dropped all of this off this week.   We may need to take a few of these things over to grandma and grandpas because I don't want our place to get too squished with things.  When it comes to our baby, I want our house paired down and extremely simple.  Less is more!!!  
{7}
This past week when I was in the grocery store, I jumped for joy when I saw freesias!  They were in my wedding bouquet and it was amazing how the smell of them instantly brought back the wonderful memories of October 5th.  There is something magical about smells and how you attach them to certain events and times in your life.   I remember on our wedding day smelling my bouquet throughout the entire day as I soaked up each moment and took time to breath and relax.  I always tell friends, if you're going on an important trip to a new place, take a new perfume or lotion with you because it will always remind you of those times.  It's true!  I still, to this day, have scents that remind me of specific moments in my life:  
I have a perfume that reminds me of all my college days and walking to class.
I have a deodorant that reminds me of my first days in London. Funny I know!
I have a lotion that reminds me of my three month stay in Germany.
I have a lotion that reminds me of my time in Rome with friends.
I have a perfume that reminds me of my honeymoon.
And now I have a special flower that reminds me of my wedding day!!!
So much happens in a week that I'm grateful for the weekend! 
Hope you have some fun plans and can relax a little.  I plan on doing both =)
Have an amazing Friday!!!

xoxoxo,
Maggie