I know, I know – so many Halloween posts in the blog world!  Seems like this year was bigger than ever. Lots of good times out there.

Last year, my boy was Darth Vader for Halloween (he was only 5 months old):

This year…

You tell me where you’ve ever seen a cuter Yoda and I’ll call you a liar.

In the afternoon, Marco’s toddler class came to trick-or-treat at my office (they’re within walking distance), and I got to show off a handsome Jedi to coworkers.

In the evening, the two of us trick-or-treated conned our neighbors into giving us candy. He actually hugged a few people after they gave him a candy bar!

So happy after a piece of KitKat bar!

Finally ready for bed…

Tim was out of town for a business trip, and missed the Halloween festivities; we missed him!!

Last week was quiet around here, mostly because our little family was super busy – IN THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH!! Disneyland post coming soon…

I’ve been ordering my cards from Shutterfly for a few years now. I’ve used them for Christmas cards two years running, and also used them for Marco’s birth announcements and 1st birthday invitations. I love the designs and the quality, so I was even more excited to be invited to take part in their Holiday Card blogging deals!

This was our card design last year:

Here’s a few of the Holiday card designs that are catching my eye for 2011:

 I love the chevron stripes, and I want a sweater in these colors!

 Cute and simple design

This design is elegant. It can be customized as a flat or folded card, with different colors. I like that there’s room for plenty of photos.

Such a cute idea for an update on the year! The back has room for another picture and some more text.

So here’s the awesome part:

I am so thrilled to be able to offer three readers an online code, each good for 25 FREE CARDS! The savings! The adorable cards – all yours!

To win, you must be a follower through Google Friend Connect, and you must leave a comment letting me know which designs you like. Be sure to include a way to contact you with the code! Winners will be contacted Tuesday, November 1st.

Disclosure: I was compensated for this post with a code for free cards from Shutterfly. 

Quick recap of my birthday dinner! Holy mac, can’t believe I’m 27 already.

Heck yes, I wore a tiara.

Check out my shoes!!

Favors for the guests! Mason jars filled with gummy bears, Dutch caramel wafers, English toffee, and madeline cookies.  I decorated them with ribbon and mini-chalkboards (yes, I gave out chalk, too!)

My birthday dinner took place at the 1515 Restaurant & Lounge in Walnut Creek. Food was good, and the cocktails were excellent.

I told them to act natural. Good spies they’d make, eh?

Adrienne couldn’t make it this year, so Justin acted as a placeholder. Personally, I think he should’ve worn the heels.

Adan and Tim lookin’ fly in their new suits

I had a wonderful time!! The restaurant was very cool inside, and though the food wasn’t amazing, it was good and I really liked their house-made hummus. Ooh and their onion rings were delicious!

For dessert, I’d brought cupcakes from Sift; Stud Muffin (Lagunitas beer and brown sugar cake, caramel buttercream frosting topped with bacon and fleur de sel) and Pink Champagne (raspberry and champagne cake with buttercream frosting).

We didn’t end up getting home until almost 2 am, but I was happy tired.

I love birthdays.

So

Pretty much…my kid is huge.

And awesome.

Coolest shirt in the West!

Yesterday was my OFFICIAL birthday, and it was fantastic!! The past week has been really enjoyable, and filled with so much love that I could burst.

Example: the balloons at my desk when I arrived at work this morning (thanks to my lovely coworkers):

and the flowers that were delivered (thanks to Timmy):

Two more days of birthday fun…can’t wait to share more fun details!

I wish I could pull off the red overalls again.

circa 1986

Alrighty – here I am in all my nerdiness:

Why yes, I do love Carl Sagan! :-D

I also LOVE my glasses!

 

Yesterday’s haul!

Clockwise from top: Strawberries, sweet peas, Early Girl tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, green beans, Serrano chile, cherry tomatoes

Only a fraction of the tomatoes I still have left!

Toe-maytoe, toh-mahtoe.

 I have to share some recent, adorable pictures of Marco. It will make your day, I swear

Getting ready for a bike ride

Marco pointed at this Panda pillow-pet (he loves those darn things! he has a frog and a puppy already), and signed “Please”, so of course I bought it for him (bad mommy). Anything that makes him this happy is so worth it.

I am a very fortunate person – look at that smile!!! (Hells yeah he’s sporting his Giants pajamas! It brought them luck!!)

 

 Last Saturday was my wonderful husband’s 29th birthday!  Adrienne and Justin came over to hang out with Timmy in the afternoon (aka eat Gott’s, play Wii, discuss books), and also to watch Marco so we could go on a date, ’cause they’re cool like that.

Tim picked Ubuntu for dinner, which is a vegetarian restaurant here in Napa.

Watermelon and cucumber foam amuse bouche

Canteloupe and sage gazpacho with pickled radish and spicy peanuts in an onion top oil

‘the garden snake’ : greens, leaves, flowers, roots and soil, dressed in olive oil and lemon

Toasted pearl pasta with fennel, chilis, corn, and a goat cheese called ‘Midnight Moon’ – DELICIOUS! I forgot to take a picture until we’d already started eating, lol

 We opted out of dessert, but the manager sent us out a small treat: it was some kind of blueberry pate di fruit, with a graham cracker crumble, fresh creme fraiche, and a lemon shortbread cookie. Quite tasty, mmmmmmmm.

The only downside to our meal was, unfortunately, our server; she was awful. We sat for 15 minutes before she asked us about wine, and repeatedly forgot to bring things we’d asked for. Hmmph!

After dinner, we walked to Fish Story and had a drink. The bartender noticed Tim’s birthday when he checked our IDs, and sent out a cornstarch pudding for dessert. OMG SO GOOD. I know cornstarch is bad…but what a way to go!

My cocktail was dangerous: blended lemon, peach bitters, green tea vodka, ginger liqueur, and mango. It tasted like a smoothie!

After our date, we headed back to the house, and finished the night eating cupcakes and chatting with the Gomers.

Nothing like an evening of food and friends to refresh you for the week ahead!

 Kind of excited that my hair is finally long enough to play with. Last weekend I successfully (more or less, LOL) braided all of my hair entirely around my head, in one continuous braid! It was messy, and I had difficulty with the back – but it felt good to have my hair off my neck, and it looked fun.

 Messy, but comfy

 View from the top

goofy face >:-)

 Any hair ideas for me?