Favorite Things Tea Party at the Ritz Carlton!

Favorite Things Tea Party at the Ritz Carlton!

It's no secret that I am a sucker for a good tea party. It's the little girl in me. So when my darling anglophile friend Alyson invited me to a tea party in honor of the new royal baby, how could I resist?? And when I found out it was high tea at the Ritz Carlton Buckhead, well, you kind of pull out all the stops to make that kind of affair come to life. Babysitter? CHECK. Good friends? CHECK. Awesome dress from my stylist sister? CHECK CHECK CHECK. Oh, and perhaps a little frou-frou head gear, a la Blair Waldorf. Checkedy check. Gang's all here!

To amplify the fun of high tea, Alyson decided to make this a "favorite things" party, where you bring a gift for each person at the party that is one of your favorite things. $5 limit. You know, one of those fun items that you love picking up at Target, even though you don't really need it. And so everyone goes home with a new favorite thing! It's super fun and girly. LIKE HIGH TEA IN HONOR OF A BABY PRINCESS. I hope that little Princess Charlotte knows that she is being partied for around the world. She's a little angel from Heaven. Loving babies is a relatively new thing for me. Since having my own, you know. And a baby princess?! Well, that's just all the more reason to celebrate babiessssss. Princess babbbiieeesssss.

We three. Wait - four!!

She's the raddest of them all. Look at those pearls. That fascinator. The woman the legend.

Aw macaroons make pregnant friends happy.

I'll have them all, thanks.

How gorgeous is that arm.

I want to put that on my head and be coronated.

With Kate, the gang's all here!

That's my lipstick. I'm officially a grown up.

Pinkies Out!

Okay so tea time. It was decadent. It was fancy. It was fruity. Tasty. Ruffled and spritzed and I might have sipped with my pinkies out. I blame the head gear. And I applaud sweet Alyson, because this girl really knows how to celebrate the great joys of life. And how about Janelle? Is there a hotter pregnant chick around? Well, I know a lot of preggos lately, so I can't choose favorites, but oh Janelle! What a babe, inside and out. The Ritz put on a delicious tea, complete with champagne and strawberries riddled in a bit of Grand Marnier. Yeah, I might have left tea time a little toasted. Those Brits really know how to make imbibing a gallant afternoon affair. The old-fashioned dining room was finished with oak and burgundy leather and crystal chandeliers - all things that make a tea party feel positively princessy. Which was occasion-appropriate, if you know what I mean.

The other great tea times of my life include that time at Fortnum & Mason in London, that time I surprised my sister at The Plaza in New York, that time I was surprised at Alice's Teacup in New York, the time I was ripe with pregnancy at Dr. Bombay's in Atlanta and that time I celebrated Downton Abbey's new season with my insane family.

Teething: The 7 Must Haves!

Teething: The 7 Must Haves by oykristen

The 7 Teething Products You Must Have for your Baby!

We have been in teething land up in here. For those of you who aren't familiar with teething, it's pretty much when your child turns into the hulk. They scream. They cry.  They don't sleep. They're inconsolable. And they gnaw, chew and drool on everything in sight. It's fun times people. Fun times. Everett sprouted his two lower teeth with a day of each other, so he was in significant discomfort in the days and weeks leading up to that epic milestone. He's currently working on breaking his top teeth in, and we are once again, in the throws of hulk-land. Poor baby. Poor me. Seriously... poor me.

A few products that have helped us ride out the storm:

1. Hylands Teething Tablets.

When he's teething, I make sure to give these Hyland's Homeopathic Teething Tablets to him as recommended on the bottle. Especially at night! I want him to have all the possible resources to sleep well, and these tend to knock him out. They're all-natural, and I did a bit of research on the ingredients, so I don't feel weird about giving them to him.

2. Hylands Teething Gel.

Along with the teething tablets, I rub this Hyland's Teething Gel on his gums when he's really in pain. I find this product a little bit more challenging to use, because it's hard to actually get the gel onto his gums (and he immediately licks it off, which... is that good??) but I try nonetheless because it seems to help him calm down. After the wiggling, squealing, and licking off of the gel.

3. Amber Teething Necklace.

Yes, my baby son wears a necklace. This Amber Crown Teething Necklace to be exact. And he looks spectacular in it. He might get mistaken for being a girl from time to time, but it doesn't matter to me because that just means he's cute. No seriously, this necklace has been a lifesaver. When he's really in pain, he acts out by being fussy and wriggly and uncontrollable. Within twenty minutes of wearing this necklace, he's back to his happy self, laughing and interacting and playing. Apparently, the stone amber has anti-inflammatory properties which, when worn against the skin, helps to soothe the pain of teething. Yes, sounds hippie-dippy, I know. But sometimes that crazy hippie stuff works!

4. Honest Company Baby Teether.

This Honest Baby Teether is a great chew toy for your little rascal, since it's made of non-toxic silicone and has "handles" made by the shape of the butterfly wings. It's easy for the baby to hold and gnaw on, and I personally like that I can link his little pacifier clip around it and clip it to his clothes. That way we aren't constantly bending over to pick up his teether (which he inevitably drops like 50 times in a 20-minute gnaw session).

5. Munchkin Feeder.

Another great option for the miserable baby is this Munchkin Fresh Food Feeder. It's great because you can put a frozen piece of fruit or even ice into the mesh, click it in the feeder, and the baby can safely gum on it until is dissolves. My only qualm with this is that, depending on what you put in it, things can get messy like, lightning fast. But if you don't mind a sticky (though happy!) baby, then go for it.

6. Chew Toys.

Sophie the Giraffe is obviously the famous little French teething toy that practically every mom-to-be receives at a baby shower. We were no exception, and this has been a great teether for Everett to chew chew chew on. However, I recently found this this similar toy at Target, and it's been the biggest hit! I think because it's got some good ears to chew on.

7. Baby Tylenol.

Okay, I loathe the idea of giving my child drugs. I really really really try to avoid it at all cost. But we had one day where my sweet boy was just out of control by the pain of his teeth-to-be, and I exhausted all the above options. I also did my best to distract him by feeding, playing, rocking, reading, going for a walk outside... nothing worked! I finally gave in and gave him a bit of Infant Tylenol and within about 15 minutes, he had definitely calmed down. And within about 30 minutes he finally fell asleep. He had just cried himself silly and I think this calmed him down enough to where he could finally rest. Like I said, I don't love resorting to drugs, but this is the reason why we have them. I certainly don't want him to be in pain!

Other items I haven't tried (but I've heard good things about!):

Teething Necklace for Mom.

A friend of mine told me her son loved gnawing on this Silicone Teething Necklace. I've also heard good things about this one. It's a cute item that you can wear to match your outfit, but is safe for your child to have in his mouth. I'll admit, there are many times where I will let Everett chew on my chunky statement necklaces because they are relief for him, and when we're in public places (like church!) that activity keeps him contented and quiet. I do sort of get nervous about something breaking off in his mouth though, so this would probably be a good purchase for me to make!

Sterling Silver Teether.

It sounds fancy, because it is. We don't have one of these, but I've heard the silver feels really good on a baby's gums, because of, ya know, IT'S SILVER. Cold metal and whatnot. Some kids are really living, you know what I mean?

Mamas, any other items that have you helped your little one survive the awfulness of teething? Do share!

TBT to That Time I Roadtripped Across The United States.

TBT to That Time I Road-tripped Across The United States.

Well, the first time.

I've mentioned it before, but I thought I'd share the story. And the ridiculous photos. So here it goes.

Nine years ago, during my senior year of high school, I was all set to go to college like a good little girl. I even had a roommate lined up. We were discussing our dorm's color scheme in between classes. But then something happened. Through friends at church I kept hearing about this wild and crazy cool ministry school in Redding, California where students were getting their lives changed and having their faith in Jesus ignited in a way I had never experienced. I was intrigued. Something inside me leapt at the thought of abandoning all good reason and just going for it. Moving to California. Having this experience for myself.

So. I decided that if there were ever a time to completely changed the course of my life and try something outside the box, being 18 and straight out of high school seemed like the best option. It took some major convincing to get my parents to okay such a bold move. My dad wasn't pleased. California was far. And he had worked very very hard to provide for all his kids to go to college, and here I was... asking to instead to go an unaccredited ministry school as far away as possible within the U.S. I mean, I kind of get why he wasn't thrilled. He's such a good father and he just wanted the absolute best for me. But I explained to him what I had heard about this place and all incredible things that were happening at this school and church, and after we both visited and spent some time out there, I felt absolutely sure. It was definitely a place that I wanted to immerse myself in and a program that I wanted to experience for myself. Dad consented. Mom bought me laundry detergent. It was decided.

The thing is, the more I talked to other people, my friends and family members who were also interested in the school, the more we all got excited and there was a bit of groupthink going on and suddenly - I found myself in the middle of a wonderful, vibrant gang of outside-the-box souls who were, indeed, on board for the adventure too. Before I could even finish laughing about the irony of it all, my sister and her husband, a couple of my friends, a couple of my cousins AND my boyfriend (yes, in case you're wondering, that's STEVIE) all decided that we were in on this gig together - we were going to trek across the country and go to ministry school. Together. We were going to take out loans, find jobs, invest in some camping gear and just do this California thing. It was an enormous risk. It was probably going to change our lives forever. It was very possibly going to ruin some of our best-laid plans for stability, security, savings and career trajectory. It was going to abandon all of our hopes for the American dream. Abandon all normal.

It was going to be SO. MUCH. FUN.

I can't tell you how many people thought I was joining a cult. The college advisers at my private high school couldn't really figure me out.

Why an unaccredited school? Why??

But I had my safety net of people and I had my goals and most of all, I had that incredible feeling of peace that trumped all the whispers and judgements of those who didn't understand.

That's a really long way of saying that in August of 2006, I hopped into my '97 Honda Accord with Stevie by my side, and we (along with our 4-car caravan!) began the road trip of a lifetime: from Georgia to California. Two weeks. All the states. And ALL the awesome stops in between.

Our caravan consisted of 7 people and we all took turns picking out destinations that we wanted to see along the way. We did some of the obvious sights, like the Grand Canyon and Route 66. And we did some super weird ones, like catching the dancing ducks at the Peabody Hotel and driving through the Petrified Forest. Logistics were crazy. If we stayed at a hotel, we would all hunker down in one room (to save on cash!), which included two dogs and all our bikes. Because we couldn't very well leave our bikes hitched to the back of our cars in the parking lot - there are looters lurking! But hotels weren't the norm, we also did a good bit of camping. KOAs became a friendly stop, especially as we entered the West. And I'll admit that we bathed in more than one body of water. I told you- we did some super weird things. And kind of quickly slumped into hippie life. And when I say that, I mean it. I found mud in my hair weeks later from the Colorado River "bath".

I could talk for hours and hours about this trip, but I might as well just show you.

Loading up.

The Peabody Hotel, Memphis. Famous for the ducks.

Beale Street strolling, Memphis.

Blues City Cafe (BARBEQUE!!!), Stevie giving me a wet willie in front of Wet Willies (he's a gross boy), and BB King's Blues Club. We did Memphis pretty darn well.

Oh yeah, we went to see the King, too.

Most of my "on the road" shots were something like this.

That's my bro and sis-in-law's vehicle ahead. Along with their dog Abby. And their cooler.

Kansas is full of hay. Just full of it.

Entering Colorado. It was the first time I had ever seen the Rocky Mountains and I FREAKED OUT.

We hiked a 14er up to Kite Lake (no we didn't hike the whole thing - we drove to the trail head), but it was one of the scariest things I've ever done. Because we didn't take the trail, and instead FOLLOWED THE DOGS up the face of the mountain. The rocky part. The dangerous part. The top two photos should give you an indication of the terrain we covered. All I can say is that I was praying and crying through parts of the hike. And then we got to the top and saw people taking the trail down the other side of the mountain and we were all like, WHAT THE.

We made it! Along with my Kelty backpack, Stevie's graduation gift to me that year. I still use that bad boy.

We had a lot of time to chat. Like, a lot. We played the game of , "tell me something I don't know about you!" and by the end of the trip, we pretty much knew everything. EVERYTHING. About each other.

Rainbows are a good indicator on a road trip.

That's my girl. My first and best car, Audrey. May she rest in peace.

I mean, yeah.

I remember this because everyone ordered beer samplers and I COULDN'T. Oh the days of underaged-ness.

I remember Stevie remarking that he had never seen the speed limit set to 75. I'm telling you, the West is WILD.

We camped and mountain biked in Moab, Utah visited Arches National Park, and I was kept awake by coyotes those nights. These are the things you don't forget people.

Isn't it crazy how fake this looks? It was real. REAL I TELL YOU.

And then we made the obligatory stop at the Grand Canyon. You can take a moment here. I know.

We found ourselves on Route 66!

From there we hightailed it through the rest of the stops, including a brief visit to Las Vegas. For some reason I didn't have any photos from Vegas... I guess what happens there truly stays there.

The first thing we did when we arrived in Redding, California? Ate at In and Out. I was convinced I would live there forever. Right there. In the parking lot of that glorious fast food joint. HAVE YOU HAD THE MILKSHAKE?!!

Across the Country.

I lived in Redding for two years, and had the privilege of forever altering my life for the better. Stevie and I still believe that our time in ministry school was the best investment we could have ever made in our relationship and marriage (8 years in June! Crazyyyy.) And my bond with these incredible people that I trekked out there with? To this day, it's pretty rock solid. Nothing brings you together like sharing bath water in Lake Powell and brushing your teeth together in a crappy hotel bathroom at 4:30am. I have taken this drive several times since 2006. In fact, I have trekked back and forth across this country 4 times now. But nothing was quite like that first time, when I took the Kerouac cruise with this incredible group of friends and we devoured the sites and cities that make this nation great. And every time I think about this trip, I want to do it all over again.

Happy Mothers Day Gift Guide

Happy Mothers Day Gift Guide by oykristen

She deserves a present. 

I was doing a little happy hunting for my mom for Mothers Day and I thought I would share a few fun picks that inspired me. Friends, don't forget, Mother's Day is May 10! Waiting until last minute normally doesn't pan out too well (plus, all the good cards are taken!), so make sure to plan a bit early. You still have time to score an amazing, thoughtful and pampering gift for that woman who BIRTHED YOU. Mom, if you're reading this, you aren't getting any of these - the surprise shall remain intact.

1. Diptyque Gardenia Candle

These delicious candles are totally a luxury and they smell ahhhhhmazing. They feel like a decadent gift because it's not really the kind of thing you would ever buy yourself. But to receive as a gift? Well that's just fancy pants. Include along with a vial of bath salts and you might just win the kid-of-the-year award for this one.

2. Terrain Hydrangea Petal Cuff

My mom would rock this cuff so hard. It's so pretty and delicate, and yet the bronze material is sturdy and tough. Wow. A metaphor for moms everywhere - pretty, delicate, sturdy, tough. I'M WRITING THE POEM FOR YOUR MOTHER'S DAY CARD RIGHT HERE. Copy and paste. You're welcome.

3. Rifle Paper Co. Vintage Blossoms Notebook Set

This is such a goodie. If someone gave me anything Rifle Paper Company, I would melt. These products are just so frilly and inspiring. And let's face it, moms everywhere could use a pretty journal. We have thoughts.

4.

Anthropologie Papua Fedora

Because there is very little in life that can say what a peach fedora can say. (In case you're wondering, it says I LOVE YOUR SWAG, MOM in that hushed powdery shade).

5. Terrain Zinc Sphere Hanging Basket

You could put a plant in this one and really knock her socks off. Who doesn't want a bit of green earth hanging in the corner of the room? INSTANT ATMOSPHERE BOOSTER.

6. Anthropologie Color-Daze Scarf

This scarf makes me want to eat a Popsicle. Here mom, have a popsicle scarf.

7. Sundance Glass Jewelry Box

A dainty home for all the necklaces you've given her for the past ten Mother's Days. 

May 10! May 10! May 10! DON'T FORGET!!! K you've been fairly warned. May 10. Mom's day for the win.

Meditating.

Meditating.

I've been a bit quiet here on the blog, and I thank you for understanding. My family has attended two funerals in the past week, and it just doesn't feel right to be all "blah blah blah" about fun and life happenings in this space when people that I know are hurting and grieving begone souls. I hope you will join me in knitting together a few prayers for the families who are grappling with their losses, figuring out what to do with all their unanswered questions and aching hearts. There aren't really words that can do justice to completely comfort anyone's loss, but prayers can be stealthy and powerful beyond my own flawed human ability. So that's what I'm taking this time to do - pray, meditate on scripture on their behalf, and try to dream up a good meal that can be delivered to their doorsteps.

Be back tomorrow.