High Tea at the St. Regis Atlanta!

A goooood cup of tea and a few precious souls to giggle with.

That's all a girl really wants, right?

Well, that's all THIS girl wants. I love tea time so so SO much, and my mom was the sweetest and decided to treat me and my sister to a fancy afternoon out. She said it was our Valentine treat (3 weeks later, ha), but really I think she just wanted to play with us. We needed to have a little girl time together. AND -  she gave us these amazing essential oil diffusing bracelets! We are pretty oil-heavy in this family (I recently jumped on the Doterra train and I am just reeeeeal happy about it). I love all of this gal's jewelry - I am usually wearing either one of her necklaces or bracelets everyday!

It's been a busy season for everyone in my family. Over the past few months, my parents completely downsized from their large family home into a quaint 500-squarefoot apartment. They were ready to enact Marie Kondo in their own lives, and I am super glad they did, even though it was hard letting go of my family home. We spent a lot of time moving them out of their large space, helping them decide what to keep and what to pitch, and then the day I went into labor with Daxton they closed on their house. Needless to say, Christmas was 10 days later and then I was in was newbornland and my Dad has been swamped at work (not to mention Stevie, too) and oh, by the way, my sister and her husband are looking to move out of state and if one more major life change happens this year I might come unhinged. Deep breath.

So my mom decided it was high time for tea. Time for high tea, actually. (see what I did there??)

This place is just so gorgeous. Even the bathrooms were immaculate - literally everything was marble. MARBLE you guys.

Obligatory bathroom selfie. Because - all that marble! (Also, my mom is all ,"WHY do millennials take so many selfies??")

The Astor Court at the St. Regis has been rumored to have one of the best high tea services in Atlanta. After enjoying our time here I am completely hooked. This is the perfect way to spend a lovely afternoon - we sipped champagne and told stories. We got a lesson in tea from our waiter and picked our favorites (my sister and I chose the Mad Hatter tea, my mom chose the Jasmine). And one of my favorite things about the tea situation were the itty bitty fanciful sandwiches. Most places only serve 3ish sandwiches as part of tea service. Not the St. Regis! We had a good 7 types of tea sandwiches, and I just really appreciate a hearty balance to all the tart/scone/muffin/cookies that are always served with tea. Sometimes a girl just wants a savory bite. Every other bite :)

I just loveeeeed this experience with the women in my family. We were pretending like my older sister Kara was also with us (she lives in Florida), and we toasted in honor of my thoughtful mom.

I'm not going to lie. Sometimes I think about the fact that I have two boys, and no one to really enjoy high tea with once I get old and decrepit (just kidding, I plan to be awesome when I get old). It sounds silly, but every so often I have a feeling of sadness that I can't do tea parties or shopping dates with a daughter. If I only end up with sons (which I am totally wonderful with because who am I kidding, my boys are absolutely amazing and I am like the luckiest person in the world to get to raise them).. but if I never have a little girl, then I am going to have to cozy up to my daughters-in-law to get them to play with me. Is it weird that I think about this kind of thing? Like, I have a newborn. I should not be thinking about how he's going to get married and leave me one day.

But here I am, thinking about it.

So I'm going to live up my sister/mama time because I am so unbelievably blessed to call these beautiful women my kin. Holding them close and teasing and laughing and perhaps snorting because we laughed so hard in the fancy tea room at the Astor Court. These people, these are my people. I don't need to worry about what the future holds for my future tea companions quite yet :)

P.S. - I'm wearing this dress from Target and my sis is wearing an extraordinary one-of-a-kind dress that she bought for her wedding (though she ended up wearing something else), but here is something kinda sorta similar.

Happy Friday, friends! What are you up to this weekend? We are heading into Atlanta to have brunch + outdoor time with friends! Happy weekending to you! xox

DIY Coconut Lime Ginger Sugar Scrub.

DIY Coconut Lime Ginger Sugar Scrub.

My sister Rachel has been getting crafty lately. I have practically no capacity in my own life for craftiness - no time AND no energy for such things. But Rachel has been baking, DIY-ing, fancifying her gift wrap, hand-lettering, the works. I am a bit jealous of all the creative energy she is able to exert. I would just like to have enough oomph in me to whip up a happy cocktail. But alas. Too much work. Haha this coming from a bit of a burned out new mom. But! Rachel is a senior in college, and I am really happy that she has found such a healthy way to blow off a bit of steam from school. Being creative is one of the best ways to cope with all that school pressure. And watching her be creative? That's been my way of coping with my exhaustion. I literally poured a cup of coffee and watched her make this DIY sugar scrub. No wait. I zested some lime, too.

Rachel cleverly concocted this recipe after some trial and error of her own. And gifted to her friends (don't you wish you were her roommate? I wish she were still my roommate.) But if you're looking for a cute, handmade addition to a baby shower/wedding shower gift? Or looking for something to slip into that Easter basket? This little project is super easy and smells sublime. The aroma will put a bounce in your step and make you believe that Spring is just around the corner! (Please God. Pretty please.)

Ingredients:

- 2 cups Coconut Oil

- 3 cups Sugar

- 2 tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar

- 1 cup shredded Coconut

- Zest from 6 Limes

- Juice from 4 Limes

- 20 drops Edens Garden Ginger essential oil

Method:

Combine all the ingredients, mix well. Distribute into jars and then gift away!

Yields approximately 8 3-oz. jars.

// That's Rachel's hand. It's also the extent to which she would let me photograph her on this day. But if you want to know how breathtaking she is, see here, here and here. You're welcome. //

Scrub with Love.

Slipping down into a bathtub and getting your scrub on with this recipe is the JAM. Let me know if you decide to make this! Happy Monday to you!

Tulips for My Sister

Oh Happy Saturday.

Tulips are my sister's favorite flower. She blushes when someone gives them to her, even when its my dad. God bless him, he does that often. But Rachel is more than just beautiful. She is suuuuper witty, has a serious sense of style, a sincere depth, a ridiculous attention to detail, and is pretty enough to put the fear of God in you. For real.

When I saw these tulips last weekend at the Boston Public Garden, I couldn't stop thinking of my mesmerizing sis and how much she would adore walking through this floral processional. I'm sending her a virtual bouquet today.

My dear sister Rachel is much like her favored flower. She is continuing to blossom this Spring into a striking, gracious and impressive young woman of conviction. Here's to her and her A+ semester.