A Very Merry California Chirstmas...

Kate and I...

My favorite present this year...
My Snow White Dress!

Nanie and Maggs...

All my cousins...
Neal, Kate, Jackson
and the 2009 Talley Babes~
Maggs (August), Maddie (July),
Oliver (March), and Talley (February)

Opening presents with my pals and beloved
cousins Kate and Neal on Christmas Morn at
Ya Ya and Papa Terry's new pad...

Mommy and Maggs on Christmas Night
snuggling up by the fire at Nanie's house...


As 2009 comes to end I
am so thankful for such
a merry California Christmas.
It has been delightful!
What a lovely way to end the year.
I have enjoyed my time
playing with grandparents,
aunts, uncles and cousins...

This weekend I am off to
spend some time at the
beach house with daddy and Maggs
so mommy and Aunt Jen Jen can
run away together for a little girls retreat!
Maybe someday Maggs and I will do the same.
I think I will choose Paris as my weekend getaway...
Too bad mommy and Aunt Jen Jen weren't
smart enough to think of that!

Bonne Année 2010

xxoo,
Paisley Grace

This Little Piggy Tried To Meet Snow White...

Modeling my Snow White costume
I got from Jeddi and Oma
for Christmas...


Well, today started off very exciting.
Mommy, daddy, cousins Kate and Neal,
and moi attempted to go to Disneyland.
We drove from my Ya and Papa's house
to the park which took about an hour-
We had Starbucks hot chocolates, iphone
games to play, and lists of rides to make...
We arrived in good spirits, ready to
use the restroom and conquer the park
with a start at Sleeping Beauty's Castle and
Snow White's wishing well. We were going
to get a fast pass for the Nemo ride, then hit
Fantasyland. We had it all figured out until...
We drove to the entrance and there before us
was a huge flashing sign that read
"Disneyland Park sold out!"
What????

Yes, it is true...

So, my consolation prizes were
a new Ariel nightgown from the Disney store
and lunch at the Rainforest Cafe. I loved the
RFC until the pretend thunder shook the restaurant
and the pretend elephants near our table began trumpeting.
Mommy and daddy were shocked to see me so startled and a
bit frightened knowing how much I love animals...
I did not like this at all. I do not like real thunder so why
would I even begin to enjoy pretend thunder!
NO thank you.
I will take a pass on the RFC.
I think mommy and daddy will have no problem
skipping this restaurant next time we are in town!
After lunch we headed back to Ya and Papa's.
We all handled the disappointment quite well.
Mommy and daddy were very proud of me.
No tears. No tantrums.
Just happy to be with my cousins.
And to have a new princess gown to twirl in.

Bon Nuit to all...
I am off to dreamland!

Spreading A Little Christmas Cheer...

With my Snoopy dance!

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas...

To all our dear
family and friends
far AND wide...
Have yourself a merry
little Christmas!

peace.
joy.
love...

xxoo,
The Abdine Family

Sisters Sitting With Santa...

Sisters sitting with Santa 2009


Well, we did it.
Maggs and I sat with Santa
at the local mall. And guess what?
Neither of us cried! I was very
clear about not wanting to sit on
Sana's lap. I chose to sit next to him
on his couch. Maggs had no problems being
held by the bearded guy. She just loves to be held!
We sat. We smiled. We did our thing.
I told Santa my wish list and that was that.
Off we went to ride the train.
The End!

Dear Santa...

See Santa, I am a very NICE girl...

Here I am hard at work making you
one of 5 cards I sent you...

And there lies my baby sis, Magpie...
She's been a very good girl, too!

Dear Santa,
I have been a very
good girl this year.
For Christmas I would
like a Snow White dress,
books, a computer, a new
bike, a Cars video, and
an Ariel dress.

Thank you, okay!

xxoo,
Paisley Grace Abdine

p.s. Mommy helped me write
my letter, but I told her what to say!
Santa wrote me back in an email.
YOU can have Santa Claus
send you an email, too.

Finger Mustache Friday...

Before all the craziness began...

Then mommy got out a black sharpie...

and we got a little silly
with a finger mustache...

This is in honor of Aunt Summer and
her silly friends who decided to wear
finger mustaches on Thanksgiving...

After a few silly shots, I was done
and ready to have mommy wash
the sharpie off of my finger...

Ahh, that was fun!

Happy Friday.

Happy Weekend.
Happy Holidays.

Hope your holidays
are filled with silliness,
joy, love, laughter and a
little finger mustache making!!!

xxoo,
Paisley Grace

I Wish I Were A Princess...

Maggs LoVeS to check me out as I play princess...

Here I am dressed as Belle...

Practicing my princess dance skills...

Seriously, every princess needs to know
how to twirl in heels and a gown...

Perfecting my princess profile pose!

Lately all I want to play is princess.
This is my deal.
Sometimes I am
Snow White,
Ariel, Belle,
or Sleeping Beauty.
Very rarely am I Jasmine
or Cinderella.
Mommy is always
the witch.
Daddy plays the prince
who rescues me with
a kiss...
Pup is usually a
dragon
or
a
monster.
Maggs
plays a baby
version of the
princess I am
playing.
J'adore my princess dress up
costumes and I am hoping
for at least one more
for Christmas.
I have even taken this
princess thing
so far as to call my poop a
'Sleeping Beauty' poop!
I have gotten very creative
with my pretend play.
I even confiscated mommy's
plastic organizing bin.
I decided it would be
better if I played with it
and made it my
'glass box' that
Snow White sleeps in!
Today I convinced pup
to be 'Pup White' and
sleep in the 'glass box'
with moi!
Daddy had to come and kiss both of us...
Ahh, what a fabulous prince he is.
Mommy is so lucky.
I can only dream that
prince charming will
come my way one day.
I have even told mommy
that I want to marry a prince.
A girl can dream, can't she???

Birds Of A Feather...

Our bird tree...

I can even touch it
without breaking anything...

J'adore the birds~
and the peacock feathers...

Our tree makes me happy and so
does my Kitty BFF shirt...

so happy I think I might start to...

DANCE!

We have also started
a new tradition this year...

We have used some family ornaments
(vintage ornaments from mommy's great Aunt Katherine)
and we are writing on hang tags who we are grateful for...
We do this as a family every night after dinner.
I love this part. Every day I ask mommy and daddy
who they are grateful for and they ask me.
I 'write' who I am thankful for on one side of the tag,
and on the other side I stick an alphabet sticker that
is the first initial of the person I am grateful for that day.
So, we have a tree of feathers and gratitude!
WE love this so much we think we will
continue this tradition next year...
Maybe Maggs will be able to join us then!

p.s. Our bird tree ingredients:
faux birds, faux nests, peacock feathers,
vintage ornaments, hang tags with alphabet
stickers and name of person we are grateful for,
sparkly Merry Christmas sign as a tree topper,
and brown burlap for a tree skirt.

Mommy's BFF Weekend...

Mommy had a dream like weekend with her BFF,
my Aunt Summer in NYC last weekend...

She sang 'Sisters' at Aunt Summer
and Uncle David's annual White Christmas soiree...
(J'adore the feather fans! Where's mine Aunt Sum???)

She met cousin Michael's darling friends...

He even threw her a fancy dinner party
to meet his fabulous gal pals...

And she got to see the gorgeous and talented
Lauren Elder in Hair! What a treat it was for mommy to
dance on stage at the end of the show
with the cast and Kate Beckinsale...

C'est magnifique!

p.s. Daddy, Maggs and I are so glad
mommy is home! Our house is not a home
without her...and I think she feels the same!

Magpie Is Four Months Old...

Our angelic lil' Magpie...

Here's my sisters stats folks...
dum ta da dum...
(that's a drum roll y'all)

Magpie is weighing in at 11.14 lbs
AND she is 24.5 inches long!
She's still a teeny tiny thing
but Dr. J said she is perfect!
She still has some issues with reflux...
She can't keep all her milky in her tummy
poor thing~Never was an issue for moi!
Mommy is going to continue nursing
Maggs, but is adding a little formula, too
which should help M gain a little weight, we hope!

I am so thankful to have
my sis. We can't believe
it's already been 4 months since
she was born. Life is so much richer
with a sister...


"Sisters, sisters
There were never such devoted sisters,
Never had to have a chaperone, no sir,
I'm there to keep my eye on her
Caring, sharing
Every little thing that we are wearing
When a certain gentleman arrived from Rome
She wore the dress, and I stayed home
All kinds of weather, we stick together
The same in the rain and sun
Two different faces, but in tight places
We think and we act as one
Those who've seen us
Know that not a thing could come between us
Many men have tried to split us up, but no one can
Lord help the mister who comes between me and my sister
And lord help the sister, who comes between me and my man."

by Irving Berlin

p.s.Mommy loves this in White Christmas
and says Merci Beaucoup to Aunt Sum
for introducing her to this gem!

Mommy's Thought For Thursday: My Girls...

Me and My girls...
(more photos by Dore)


So, I am leaving my girls for
a weekend away in NYC to
see my Bff and cousin...
Oh, how I need this break.
I am a tired mommy who needs
a little time away to rejuvenate.
We all need a little time away
to remember who we are outside
of all the roles we take on in life.
We need a chance to say hello to
the person inside. The quiet self.
The hidden self. The one that gets
neglected time and time again.
This is my attempt at finding balance
during this crazy time of year.

My girls have changed me.
For the better.
I like me so much more
since Paisley Grace and
Magnolia True have blessed
me with their presence.
I have learned so much about
who I really am since becoming
their mom. One thing I definitely
know is that I need freedom from
this beautifully challenging role every
now and then. I know that there are a few
people in my life whom I choose to escape
with because they get me. They know me.
They embrace me.

My girls are my joy. My light. My love.
They give to me each and every day.
I give back and I give a little more...
This year is different than last.
This year Maggs is here with us.
More to love. More to give.
Things are also simpler this year.
I am choosing to let go.
I am obsessing a lot less.
Oh, this feels so good to do.
House and tree are decorated~
on such a smaller scale than before.
Holiday cards are designed
(one card versus the 5 last year)
and presents have been purchased
(just a few...we are cutting back there, too!)
So, why am I still needing an escape if
I have taken a simpler route this holiday season?
Because.
I need to remember me.
Because I am a girl, too.
And a girl needs time to play
with her best friend.
Her sister.
Her mom.
Her self.

And...
I pray my girls will
do the same when
they are mommy's one day.

Wordfilled Wednesday: Poetry To Our Ears...

A few of our fave family shots
from our recent holiday 2009
photo shoot with our lovely pal Dore...
Oh, how we love thee!

p.s. these aren't even the pics we
chose for our holiday card! There were so
many to choose from this year!

How Do I Love Thee? ~Sonnet 43 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends
of Being and ideal Grace. I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight. I love thee freely,
as men might strive for Right; I love thee purely, as they turn
from Praise. I love thee with the passion
put to use In myold griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints,
–I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life!
–and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death."

Mommy and I have watched HBO's
Classical Baby Poetry show the past 2 days,
and we both were so moved by the
reading of this glorious poem...
Gwyneth Paltrow recites this poem
and it so touching along with the
graphics and classical music soundtrack...
It moved mommy to tears!

p.s. We think this is a fabulous introduction to poetry
and we highly recommend it to all our artsy fartsy friends!

Piggy Tales: Hey God...

Holiday pics from our recent photo shoot
from Dore...We will post more later this week!

Pais: "Mommy, what's this song called?"
Mommy: "Love is all Around."
Pais: "Like God."
Mommy: "Yes, like God. Who told you that?"
Pais: "[Grandma] Dewey."
Mommy: "God is all around you.
You can't see Him, or touch Him,
but you can feel Him in your heart."
Pais: "What's He doing in my heart?"
Mommy: "He's loving you! You can feel His love.
Remember you can talk to God anytime you want.
YOU can hear him answer you in your heart."
Pais: "HEY, God!
Mommy, I just said HEY to God!"

My ABC's Of Thanks: The 2009 Version...

A day of gratitude...

we are all so grateful for...

each other...

for sisters, mommy's, daddy's...
(ha, love that I am picking my nose!)

and for all our lovely family and friends!


We are continuing the tradition
of listing my ABC 's of thanks...
There are so many people and things
I am grateful for! My cup runneth over...

A: Aunts (Drea, Gg, Jen, Jen Jen, and Summer), Aidan, Ava,
Adalyn, Aubrey, Apples, Agave, Airplanes, and Austin
B: Bakers, Beach House, Bubble Baths, Babies of 2009,
Miss Bobbi, Backyardigans, Ballet, Books, Bubbly Water, and Belle
C: Caroline, Charlotte, Cats, Cars (the movie), Cactus,
Chips (tortilla please, with queso!) Cooking,
Coffee Cake, Cheese, Cupcakes, and Cinderella
D: Daddy, Dogs, Dancing, Dress-Up, Ducks, and Disneyland
E: Ella, Eliza, and Eggs (scrambled with cheese, salt and pepper)
F: Finley, Franks Restaurant, Flowers,
Frozen Yogurt, Fish, Freddie's Place, and French Fries
G: God, Grandmas (Nanie, Jean, Ya-Ya, Dewey, Oma, Martha)
Grandpas (Papa Fred, Papa Terry, Jeddi)
Gum, Gym Class, Grapes, Glitter, Gummy Candy and Games
H: Honor, Hawaii, Hot Dogs, The Hot Dog Song, and Hannah
I: Izzy, Ice-cream, and Ice
J: Jackson, and Jumping
K: Kate, Kylie, Ketchup, Kahala, and Kombucha
L: Lemonade, Lollipops, Library, Leaves, and Letter Factory
M: Mommy, Maggs, Mia, Mills, Miss Moe,
Michael, Milk, Mango (from Trader Joes, please!)
M and M's, Movies, Mermaids, and Music
N: Neal, Noah, Nancy, Nemo, Nuts, and Night Lights
O: Otto, Oliver, Olivia (the books, show and Ella's little sis),
Ocean, and The Great Outdoors (I love to be outside...)
P: My Favorite Letter, Popcorn, Popsicles, Pink,
Princesses, Pajamas, Pineapple, Panties, Pretend,
Playdoh, Painting, and Pooping
Q: Queens, Quesadillas (from Baker's of course), and Queso
R: Reading, Rock Band- Beatles, Running, Rocks, and Rainbows
S: Storytelling, Sea Turtles, Sand, Slides
Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Shaving Cream,
Starbucks, Swimming, Singing, Stamps,
Stickers, Snuggling, and Sage Creek Loop
T: Talley, Trails, Trains, and Tents
U: Uncles (David, Derek, Emery, Evans, Mark)
Uniqua, and Umbrellas
V: Vanilla (syrup, ice cream, yogurt, etc)
W: Webb, Wyatt, Water, Watermelon, and Weekends
X: Xavier and X-tra time to play
Y: Yogurt, and Pink Yogurt Pretzels
Z: Zach, Zippers, Zig Zags and The Zoo

Wishing y'all a day filled
with thanks, giving, and
delicious food!
xoxo,
Paisley Grace