feliz cinco de mayo!

fabulous lucinda posted about our wedding and family restaurant today over on glitter, glue, and fireflies.  she beat me to it and i love her for that.

images via corinna raznikov

she shared her kind words about zavala {my fam's original restaurant that is no longer} and milagro {their current restaurant located in amazebalz stonington boro, ct}. 

 my incredible sister, genine, married martin over 15 years ago.  i can barely remember the time before we were introduced to him and his beautiful and vibrant mexican culture.  he happens to be an awesome chef and ridiculously hard worker {and kind and loving, underneath his macho exterior, to boot}

his restaurant is consistently named one of the best mexican in connecticut and number one restaurant in stonington. it is as adorable as it is delicious and i'm sad we don't live closer {altho convinced i would weigh 400 lbs. if i did}

  i don't tell martin or my sister enough how proud i am that he is a part of our family and that they have accomplished so much.

i'd like to raise a margarita glass to them!

and if anyone is lucky enough to be in the area - get there early.  they don't take reservations but it is well worth the wait.  

milagro, 142 water street, stonington, ct

and an overdue word about zavala's passing.  we had some good times.  one of my bridal showers, my surprise 30th, my wedding farewell brunch, countless other over-indulgent occasions.

most pictures aren't fit to print but here are a couple that i dug up. . .

my fave drinking partner. . .

now it's on to the next generation.  

now, if only i could book the island for c &/or  p's wedding. . . {as if daddy doesn't have enough reason to raid that tequila selection!}

hoot hoot! party time! super mac!

since our super mac party was featured on amy atlas events this week (yay!), i'm finally at liberty to share all the gory details.  thank you infinity times infinity to meredith nelson photography for capturing the details of the party and the spirit of the superheroes. {and for leaving out the vomit and peepee pants}

some of the super-guests.

word on the street is that when lil hoot makes it big, she's going to purchase an iron! doh.

before

after

super mac and big brother william planning their attack on bizarro pinata mac.

the kiddos took turns drooling over the dessert table by fabulous stacey butler of sugar on top!

some super pics of super mac from his past year.

meredith's ADORBS son, cale.  swooooon.

how amazing are all of the paper goodies from paige of paiges of style?  she's the bomb!

sugar on top's amaze-cake-balls.  yum-O.

felt masks for all the kiddos.

personalized cookie favors.  

{cookies by sugar on top.  labels by paiges of style.}

awesome pinata by etsy shoppe whack.  obsessed with the name and the shoppe!

booze!  we had a container of "power punch" {ummm, totes scream and go nakeds} at the soiree but we didn't get a pic.  we were probably too busy sucking it back. . .

look at that handsome smile!

a rare "still" super mac with beautiful supermama lc.

awwwww. . . .

stacey was afraid to conquer macarons but she nailed it. {obvi} 

my p, double-fisted.  gal after my own heart.

awesome fondant shield toppers and pennant flags on baby cake by etsy shoppe cakes and kids.  they are lovely to work with!

my fave pic of the day. . . 

my very own super hero nephews!

hey meredith, stacey and paige.  you are beyond super.

thank you thank you and thank YOU. 

supermama lc- thanks for doing all the unglamorous jobs while i was sunning myself in florida. {writing the checks, dominating the paper cutter, and rolling the streamer balls}

i adore you.

and to my lil super mac, even tho i can't keep up with you, i still love you so very much and it's an honor to be your auntie, godmom, and party planner.

xoxo

love-love or not so much?

i'm trying to take the word 'hate' out of my vocab.  because really i don't hate anything.  well, short of natural disasters, canned tuna fish (omg i just vomited in my mouth a little), and the eff word {not the one most of you are thinking . . .}

okay so i've been eyeing this kate spade dress for quite some time. . .

it's finally on sale.

what do you think?

love it or . . . not so much?

last minute nifty giftys. . .

for moms like mine. . .

holy sh*tbalz, mum's day is right around the corner!

these are my favorite "quick" gifts.

i think moms are the toughest to buy for . . . not that they wouldn't appreciate anything but it's hard because they deserve so much. . .and you also want that something to be meaningful. 

1. i know what you're thinking. . .fit flops? not so much meaningfulness.  i'm prepared to catch some heat for my fitflop suggestion.  bring it on.  these things are legit and walking is a fab form of exercise for any mama, especially for the 'older' set.  write a sweet note with a promise of a nice long walk together!  get these at zappos in time for the big day.  {btw, i am totes sporting some right now}

2. okay, let me introduce you to one of my obsessions.  o'brien schridde frames.  they are gorgeous oversized wooden frames handcrafted by a charming couple in southern california.  no joke, i have about 18 in my house and i want more, more, more!  we gave my mom two for Christmas with pics of her grandbabies and she said it was her fave gift of all.  i think any framed pic is a great gift for mom but these bring it to a new level.

3.  another obsession and fave gift to give.  helen ficalora necklaces.  these gold discs come in glorious hot pink boxes and are frequently spotted on famous peeps.  i love-love pretending i'm a celeb so these are right up my ally.  i'm rarely out of the house without my c & p charms.  and janice cherishes hers, too.

4. ummmmm, ina? obvi.  get your barefoot contessa collectible edition here, if your mom doesn't already have them.  this gift has some legs because there are at least 6 books in all.  make sure she has every last one!

5. the lily murfee scarf.  i'd call these fairly stylish. . . for a grandma {my mom is going to kick my *ss when she reads this!}  comes in a variety of prints and great price point.

6. tocca makes my all-time fave candle. (in my opinion they beat out jo malone and dyptique and cost considerably less) 

candles make awesome gifts because they are a tough thing to justify buying for yourself AND they are consumable.  bonus!

{get fast shipping from sephora}

7. i heart john derian decoupage, big-time.  this cheerful plate is so pretty and all we want for the mamas we love so dearly is for them to be happy, right?  the 5" rounds are a great price point and are so versatile.  perfect home from a helen ficalora necklace, for instance. {this was j-nice's gift last year. . .and  a tocca candle come to think of it!}

8.  so i don't know about you, but my mom and i have sat through many a terrible romantic comedy in our day.  being a mother myself is wonderful, but a drawback is that i can't exactly head off to the movies on a whim with mom anymore.  i think the best gift we can give these women, who have given us everything, is our time.  it doesn't have to be the movies but make a plan with your mom to do something fun together. . . and leave the grand babies at home.  

if it IS the movies, pre-order tix here 

and leave time for a cocktail before or after. . .or both.

now get shopping!

oh, and - hi mom. i love you! xo

super MAC!

thrilled to be featured on amy atlas again today.

and so so happy she gave my dream team some much-deserved cred.  thanks again to paiges of style, sugar on top and meredith nelson!

(and supermama lc you deserve it more than anyone.  being a mom to superheroes isn't always easy.)

here are a couple pics that weren't featured.  i know you must be dying to see the custom pinata by whack. stay tuned for some more super pics by meredith nelson.

here's supermac himself eyeing up the pinata.  do you think there is a resemblance?

MY wishlist!

so it it occurred to me that i better get the word out to CBC what this mama wishes for on sunday!

granted, i have everything i need, and then some. . .

healthy babes, roof over my head, supportive fam & hub. . .

that being said. . .

{in the words of fabulous nancy}

i want, i want, i want!

1. carcanet earrings from BHLDN.  these are only to compliment

# 2. the long time object of my affections - the gin fizz dress, also from BHLDN.  must.  have.  it.  for sweet katelyn and brian's fall wedding in woodstock, ny.  how perf?! 

3. love-love the kate spade idiom bracelets.  i think these are a fab gift for our moms, as well.  great price point.  adorbs and sweet sentiment.  these particularly struck my fancy because the feathers reminds me of lil hoot. . . 'a shining light' reminds me of my beautiful phoebe, which means "bright, shining light". . . which she very much is.  swoon.

4.  thinking about wearing a watch again so i'm not on my effing iphone every 2 seconds.  i hate myself for having that thing pretty much tied to my wrist.  so addictive and i always use the excuse that ' i need to check the time' and then fb 200 times, obvi! these michele watches are super-cute.

do you think it would help my cause?

5. this is just a cool trina turk beach bag that comes with the towel.  gotta love a bonus gift.

  

but i'm not meaning to be greedy here.  i'd be perfectly content with items 1-3.

monday {red, white and} blues

i'm not going to pretend i didn't for just a brief moment wish i was a brit last week {specifically one by the name of kate middleton}

but yesterday i was pretty pumped to live in the good ol' US of A when i hit up target for the new calypso line.  i know you savvy readers must have gone, too, but just in case you didn't - check it online HERE.  

calyp-soooooo amazebalz.

but today. . . today people, i am SO PROUD to be an American.

wave 'em high, folks.  

wave. them. high.