A NEW YEAR

Edwin turned 2 on Friday, the year doesn't really feel like it starts for me until Edwin's birthday. I remember feeling the same way when I was pregnant with him, like our year was defined by his entrance into it, by the beginning of his journey. Not to mention, this is the second year going where we were all taken down by a nasty bug in early January, on the mend though and eager to get started on my to do list that was a little neglected due to the holidays and illness, and life.

I hope your year is off to a great start!
xo Bess

1st Birthday!

It's official, my baby boy is now one! Does that make him a toddler? I'm not sure I'm quite ready for him to have toddler status yet! Edwin's first birthday party was so much fun. It always surprises me how much more 'real' events in your life feel when celebrated together with friends or family. It is so important to mark these moments in time, and although I get a little pre-party nuts, I'm very glad we did it. The significance of the day really hit me when we were singing happy birthday—our little family had actually made it to this amazing milestone in all our lives, I won't lie, I got a little choked up. 

Edwin was the lucky recipient of some very thoughtful and beautiful gifts, one of which was this wooden airplane handmade by his friend Aoife's grandfather. There's even a pilot inside and his name on the plane!

For his birthday cake I found a recipe for a Banana Blueberry Cake with Cream Cheese Icing that was baby-friendly. If you're looking for a first birthday cake recipe I would definitely recommend this one. It was really delicious, even thought I over cooked the bottom a little—oops! The babies didn't seem to mind, though ;)

xo Bess

We're having a party!

Edwin turned 1 year old last week and we were all set to celebrate this momentous event with some of his closest baby friends, but as probably often happens with winter birthday parties, we had to cancel because little Edwin was quite sick. He had a trio of maladies: an ear infection, strep throat and Scarlet Fever. Yes, I said Scarlet Fever. My jaw dropped when the doctor told me that my poor baby's rash—which I had assumed was a heat rash because of his fever—was actually Scarlet Fever. For those of you who have had it, or who's children have had it, you know that in the early stages it is not serious, it is associated with the same virus that causes strep throat. After a couple days of antibiotics he was already looking and feeling much better, however, we still had to call off his party to make sure we didn't spread any germs.

So, we are going ahead with the first birthday party celebration this weekend. I'm very excited to celebrate this big event. I think it will be a nice way to mark the end of Edwin's first year and the beginning of everything else to come. He already seems more like a kid than a baby, it breaks my heart and makes it leap all at the same time.


Happy birthday sweet boy. You are one of a kind.

xoxo Bess

30 years old

Today is my 30th birthday! It sounds like a pretty big number, and I expected that I would feel some anxiety or a little fear about the weight of the big 3-0, or at least a bit different when I woke up today, but nope – still the same me. There are so many wonderful things going on right now in both my personal life and with English Muffin, that it seems silly to want to put the breaks on, to think that best isn't yet to come. With all the ups and downs in life I want to be present and positive in each and every day. That's what 30 means to me.

Have a wonderful day!

xo bess

Happy Birthday to Me + Music Monday

Today is my 29th birthday! Since having a birthday on a Monday is really not festive at all, we decided celebrate it on Saturday instead. Big Chuck and I started the day by heading out to our favourite market and visiting our friends at the Italian table. Oh how I wish we had learned Italian instead of German (no offense to anyone who speaks/loves deutsch, but I'm sure you understand where I'm coming from). We bought some prosciutto, funghi antipasti, and mortadella, our friend even threw in a focaccia bread on the house/stand. Then we walked down to the flower part of the market and bought those gorgeous pink tulips you see in the photo. They are in our living room and every time I walk by them I exclaim, "they are soooo beautiful!" I can't help myself. After a winter of grey days and damp weather it's the most joyful thing in the world to have a bunch of fresh flowers in the house.

Saturday night Big Chuck, our good friend the Guerilla Gourmand, and I, went out for a really fabulous meal at Hidori, a japanese restaurant here in Vienna. Our friend, the g.g., made me the most beautiful handmade book. She printed out the entire text of Romeo & Juliet and hand bound the entire book herself. She wrote a really sweet inscription in the front that I must say brought a few birthday tears to my eyes. I have never had a handmade book before and love it so much. (thanks g.g.)

I'm so happy to be turning 29, it took a little while to get over the "one more year to 30" shock, but I'm convinced the year ahead is going to be a great one.

Have a happy Monday,

bess

Oh yes, Music Monday! Don't worry, I didn't forget...

(photos: Bess Callard)

Birthday Weekend

Well it's official, Big Chuck is 30!! We had a great weekend celebrating. Here are few late night photos from Friday's celebration.


Mayer Hawthorne concert at the Roxy. Before the concert we ate a wonderful meal at Zum Roten Elephanten, a french restaurant, and attended a friend's house party in a beautiful old Viennese flat. I really should have taken pictures - sorry!


Big Chuck lines up for a late night snack.


The Christmas lights went up around the city 2 weeks ago. It was nice to walk around and see Vienna all dressed up for Christmas.


The Ring Hotel

Happy Monday :)
bess

Dancing Shoes

Repetto Shoes

So it's Big Chuck's birthday this weekend and tonight we are heading out for a night on the town. There will be dinner, dancing and all manner of celebration. Our first stop is the new-to-us French restaurant, Zum Roten Elephanten, then off to a friend's house party and finally to the Mayer Hawthorne concert.

Better get out my dancing shoes!


Bloch


Bloch


Bloch

The shoe companies, Bloch and Repetto, were know to me at first only as point shoe manufacturers. I'm pretty sure that I had a few pairs of both during my ballet dancing days. They look so scrumptious and comfy that I think my feet would still appreciate they beautifully made shoes.

Have a wonderful Friday and weekend!
bess