Fashion Friday

This weeks "Fashion Friday" is all about getting back to basics. Harper feels it's important to be comfortable in your own skin. So, with that being said, throw a leg up and enjoy.

Wishing I was back there

What was I doing 3 years ago today?

Well...I was in one of the most amazing places in the continental United States for one, The Jekyll Island Club, Jekyll Island, Georgia. If you haven't been, go, it's FABULOUS. As for what exactly I was doing, that is a loaded question. Starting at around 8 o'clock am I was getting up and ready for my bridesmaids luncheon also to include mothers and grandmothers. From there began the fury that was my wedding day. I don't remember having 30 seconds to rest, what with 6 girls getting ready, pictures, then frantically helping the staff set up (there was no way I was not going to have my hands in every last detail of such an important day.)

Now lets skip on over to where Adam was at this time. He began his day with a round of golf in the morning with all the groomsmen, fathers, etc. Then he headed over to the pool where he and his faithful buddies enjoyed pina coladas and a little vitamin D before getting ready for pictures (which took them about 20 mins by the way.)

All in all, it was a perfect day, with perfect guests, perfect weather and the perfect couple (ha ha).

The best part of the whole weekend was that it was only Saturday and we still had 2 more days to enjoy our guests and the beach. The benefits that come with having your wedding on a holiday weekend.

It was the BEST BEST BEST weekend of my life for so many reasons, number one being because I was marrying my love. Adam, I love you even more today, and I'm so proud of you and all you are doing for us. You are a true inspiration to your friends and family and I am so lucky every day for your love. Keep up your hard work, we are with you all the way.

So I DO like the swings after all.

Harper and I spent a lovely afternoon with our friends Meredith and her daughter Savannah. The girls are very close in age, Savannah is 2 months older, and have literally been live long friends. They first met when Harper was only a month old and have be buddies ever since. As they both seem to share an affinity for fashion, giving their mothers attitude, and just over all being too damn cute for words, I think the friendship will only blossom.

We all had a fantastic time at the park. The girls climbed around, made friends, went down a few slides, AND went on the swings. Now this may not be such a feat for Savannah since she doesn't have a touchy past with this particular playground equipment. Harper, on the other hand, has given us no less than a full fit when ever brought near the swings. I don't know if it was the good mood we were in that day or just not wanting to look bad in front of her friend, but she got right in it and rocked that swing for a good 15 mins. All with a big smile on her face.

I am also going to include my "Fashion Friday" in with this post. I know I've been really bad with them but, AGAIN, I was out of town this past weekend. Sometimes things just can't be helped. This week's post is brought to you by Valerie and Kealey. Nothing like a sassy new sun dress to make you feel good. Thanks guys!!

Monkey see monkey do

Even if that monkey is you? Oh yes, says Harper, no one better to imitate than yourself. If you remember this post of Harper doing her "how big is Harper". Well, as cute as that was, we have blown it out of the water. She loves to see herself in pictures, movies, mirrors, etc. This video is has become one of her favorites because it involves activities, and now that she has discovered how to replay it, there is no end to the joy.

Please keep your eyes and ears open for the upcoming debut of "Harper's interactive videos".

I've officially been replaced...

with a tap light. Yes that's right, the love of a mother, the nurturing, the doting, the affection, all superseded to a plastic battery powered light bulb. She doesn't sleep with the tap light, this was given to her as an incentive to get out of her crib. Another inanimate object that has replaced me. She will just sit in her crib sometimes after naps or in the morning and REFUSES to come out. On this particular day, she was in her own little Heaven.

Sorry for the picture quality. I couldn't use a flash or you wouldn't be able to see the glow, so therefore the shutter speed was slow. This leading to the blurriness. I'm learning the basics of our camera so we can step it up with our pictures.

Expressing yourself through your art is so important

Harper got some fun sidewalk chalk for her birthday back in March. We've been waiting for her to be old enough and ready to use it. We decided to push things along, so we started practicing with some crayons, and made it happen. This past weekend was the perfect weather, and time, to hit the patio with some chalk. The driveway is not in the best shape.
Harper had a great time seeing all the bright colors and realizing that she was doing it herself. My biggest challenge was keeping her in one area. It was the perfect Sunday afternoon activity. We even managed to get our first skinned knee, to which Harper was a very big girl. She only cried for about 10 seconds then just got right back into her art.

Thanks Alderson's for the great birthday gift.

Fashion Friday

So I'm going to combine this weeks Fashion Friday with our first lake day this year. I'm breaking my rules a little in that this post will have a little story to it but hey, there's been a lot going on lately. I already missed last Friday because we were in NYC (post to come). I guess I have figured out why no one has a weekly post on Fridays.

Last week, May 2nd to be exact, we all, and by all I mean the dog too, headed up to Lake Gaston to have a day on the boat. We brought Harper on the boat a couple times last summer when she was really little and she seemed to enjoy it. Never a complain of the wind, noise, or bumps. Her only outburst came when we tried to sneak her into the water, a little to cold. She had a life jacket that she wore that was HUGE on her but she toughed it out despite an obvious distaste for it. This year was quite a bit different for our princess. She now has 2 life jackets to wear, the one from last year that fits her pretty well but won't for long, and another one that is just a bit big on her. We tried them both to see which was more comfortable for her and I'm pretty sure the reaction was the same for both, pure and utter hatred. Anyhow, the day went on and we met up with a friend of ours, Kim, at her parents lake house. We all just relaxed on their dock and Harper played in the kiddie pool.

It was a successful first lake day for the family and hopefully, with some more practice, Harper will get her sea legs. Loosing her balance on top of wearing a life jacket was definitely not her idea of a good time.

Not happy!!

Better, but still not her favorite.

And here's where the "fashion" fits into the post.

Fashion Friday

Ahhhhh!! This post is long over due.

We have been with out a computer for the past 2 weeks!! Our hard drive crashed and we have been waiting with bated breath to see if we were going to get all of our pictures back. WE DID!!!
We do have a backup drive that we use but it's been about 3 months since we did it and we have racked up quite a few pictures in 3 months.

Anyway, back to the point of this post. I have noticed that several of my fellow bloggers have cute little "day of the week" posts that don't require a long explanation, they are just a fun thing to look forward to each week. I have seen "Wordless Wednesday", "Thankful Thursday", etc. I have yet to see one for Friday so I hope I'm not stepping on anyone's toes, at least those that are in my blog circle.

I decided that "Fashion Friday" would be a perfect way to be able to share Harper's trendiest moments. Sometimes I just want to show off an outfit that doesn't really have a story behind it, other than it was cute.

So here goes the beginning of a new tradition in the Brown Blog.


This post is a little full since we are backlogged 2 weeks.

Making the most of it

If we made every day count as much as we did this past weekend, we could tour the world in a week.

Adam's dad and step-mom were in town this weekend from Colorado. It's always nice when they come back to Raleigh. The boys and Beth take time off work, and it's like having a mini vacation ourselves. It was a flying trip for them this time, they were only here Thursday night through Sunday morning, however, we got the most out of those 4 days that we possibly could.

Thursday: Kenny, Beth, Adam, Harper and I went up to North Hills for the first Beach Music Concert of the season. It felt so good to welcome summer's return and see everyone back at our regular table. We went a few times last year with Harper but this year will be much more enjoyable with her able to take part in the kids play area and dance her little heart out.

Kate & Harper

Friday: The boys went out golfing that morning while the girls went shopping. Harper and I hung back until after her nap, then had lunch in NH with the boys. Adam and I then brought Harper over to the square where she could run around with the kids and met up with Missy and Beth. The girls then went out for some additional shopping.
That night we all went over to my parents house to take part in a "make your own pizza party" with my dad's self built pizza oven. We invited some other close friends and everyone had a BLAST playing pool and creating their own masterpieces. My dad had added the finishing touches on Harper's wagon so we put all the girls in it for it's maiden voyage.














Saturday: Adam, Harper and I took his parents over to the Farmer's Market in the NH square. We sat and listened to some blue grass music after walking around and checking out all the booths. From there, we met up with Kenny and Beth and headed down to Cameron Village to walk around and have lunch outside. We then went back to our house where we grilled out and had dinner and cocktails on the patio and enjoyed the fire pit. It was a perfect day/night for all our outdoor activities.







Sunday: Early that morning Don and Missy left to catch their flight back to CO. Adam and I then went out to Umstead Park for a hike. Don and Missy had bought us a great carrier backpack, and we were so excited to use it. As the pictures show, it was a BIG hit. I have said before, Harper is not a stroller lover, not to mention, even our jogger stroller with the big rubber tires doesn't do very well on the rooty trails we go on. Therefore, the backpack was a perfect option. She sat high enough to see everything and really enjoyed herself. We went down to the water for a snack and to stretch her legs. By the end of the hike she was pretty worn out and unfortunately did not get to see the finish line. I guess that is the proof that the weekend was eventful and the backpack is comfortable.










We can't wait until August when they come back. We should probably start saving our energy now.

Under Construction

Ok...I need help. I see everyone changing their blog backgrounds all the time, and I just want to be one of them. I want to change with the seasons, holidays, my mood...I am a designer you know, it's in my nature. Hopefully I can get a hold of my tech support, ie Emilee, and get this all worked out. Thanks for hanging in there.