Hey guys! So happy to see you. I hope you enjoyed the holiday weekend. We had a great Labor Day- a little family fun and a little productivity around the house.
Do you have time for a quick chat today? I feel like it has been so long since I have seen you! I know we usually do coffee dates but how about a treadmill date this month? Can we chat on a walk? I really need to get back on track with the gym and I know you will make my treadmill time so much more fun.
How are you? No- how are you really doing? How was summer for you? Are you excited the kids are back in school or a little bummed?
I have mixed emotions. I am glad they are back and I absolutely love fall but bummed too. I just can’t believe I already have a 2nd grader and 4th grader. It seems like Kindergarten was 5 minutes ago. Do you feel the same?
Here are my little cuties- school started last Monday for us but we had (2) minimum days and a few PTA meetings and such so really the week absolutely flew past.
Also big news for our family is this little ball of energy!
Yup this is Rizzo. He is a shelter rescue pup so we aren’t quite sure what he is. So far he is fun and goofy and crazy smart. Oh and fearless. Yup you remembered we have another dog, Milo. Milo is 12 now and starting to get hip pain and he is really slowing down. We thought a second dog would possibly pep him up a bit. Milo has been the best dog anyone could ask for and we are hoping he is a good influence on the Rizz. Now we better stop talking about this because I get teary when I talk about Milo getting older and then the ugly crying won’t be far away ;). But as for now we are kicking ourselves for not getting a second dog sooner and we are loving the new addition to the household. (Except the potty training. Zero fun in that department y’all.)
This is him sleeping by the way. He sleeps on his back and it cracks me up. Why yes that is a pile of laundry waiting to be folded. Rizzo is the only member of the family that likes laundry day. He also makes little grunt noises like a piglet that are possibly the best sounds next to my girl’s laughter.
August went really fast- we had our trip to Atlanta and Charleston and Savannah. I will have a recap of Charleston up later this week. And the conference that brought me to Atlanta? Well I can’t wait to go back next year and maybe take a bit more time to really explore the south. I’d love to see Virginia, Mississippi and maybe a bit more of Tennessee and South Carolina. We will see 😉
Are you planning any trips this fall or winter? Wouldn’t a winter getaway be amazing? We got caught in that mess with Delta airlines coming home from Atlanta and wound up getting a bunch of airline vouchers. I am hoping we will do one more trip maybe around Thanksgiving. This December I will be 40 (!!) years old and what better way to celebrate than a little trip somewhere beautiful and warm?
The weekend before school started we spent a day in Lake Tahoe- such a gem of California (I have an article about travel to Tahoe here- I’ll be updating it this week with more activities we have enjoyed.) We love it there. So we did a few things in Tahoe including this gorgeous swimming pool on the top of a mountain:
But the real highlight was parasailing. So much fun! I can tell you I haven’t seen smiles that big from the kids in ages. They LOVED every second. As you know, I happen to be very afraid of heights but I don’t like to be left out either. I did go up 800 feet and I am so glad I did. Tahoe is just stunning and it is so calm and peaceful up there. I wish we had bought a GoPro for the occasion because it really was magical.
I feel like I have been talking your ear off today and I am so glad we got to spend some time together! I am so glad you are doing well. Are you as excited for fall as I am? Every season makes me excited honestly but I am ready for sweaters and apple cider doughnuts for sure. (Quit laughing- I know in California sweater season is weeks and weeks away but there are always the apple cider doughnuts.) I would totally love to grab coffee next week if you can? I heard Pumpkin Spice Lattes are back at Starbucks- nah I don’t care for them but I will enjoy a huge Cafe au Lait while you have yours!
Oh and here are a few things I am loving these days.
Skip Hop has been my favorite for years and I am so glad I was able to squeeze one more year with the adorable lunch bags. This little bunny is my 7 year old’s lunchbag. I tried to convince her to get the Pig which is completely darling but the bunny is super cute as well and was her choice. (ours is from Barnes and Noble here but Amazon has a bunch of styles too.)
Do you need any gifts for friends this fall? I have been a rotten friend and missed a dear friend’s birthday last month. It was just crazy and I like to look and look for something really special to grab for loved ones and nothing was catching my eye. So I spotted these initial necklaces at Anthro and I love them. Fantastic gift idea for yourself or someone special.
This Corkcicle canteen is cute too. I am going to pick these up and use my Cricut to add a gold foil monogram as a gift idea.
One more thing I picked up recently that I love is this Oil and Vinegar set from West Elm. I am trying to make more salads these days and I love having the O&V out and available. I don’t put many things on the counters but these look really clean and fresh to me.
Thank you for taking the time to hang out today. Always so fun to catch up with you and boom! We knocked our workout out as well. Coffee and pedicures next time for sure.
PS: I was crazy excited when Willow and Sage contacted me to publish one of my recipes in the magazine. (It was the lavender milk bath recipe from awhile back.) I have been a fan of Willow and Sage and a few other publications for a long time. The magazine is absolutely stunning and full of so much inspiration. Order a copy here or look for it at craft stores and book stores.
the cape on the corner says
ok, well, i totally love the conversational tone of this email. congrats on your new pup (glad to hear he’s a rescue). funny about his snorts-i have a cat who growls like a dog and takes her toys out of her container like a dog might. too funny. lake tahoe looks amazing, and this is totally telling me it isn’t just a ski type destination. also, winter, yes! 40 is celebratory and you must go away. we are going to antigua in december and i am super pumped for a relaxing getaway. enjoy!
b
Charlene says
Oh my gosh Antiqua sounds amazing! I bet you have the time of your life there. Yes Tahoe is even more beautiful in summer (in my humble opinion) than in winter. Such a beautiful place to visit. 🙂
Mrs S says
I love your new baby! Looks very much like my boxer/heeled/bulldog/lab mix! I’m glad he found his forever family with you!
Charlene says
Hi Mrs S- you know they say American Pit but I totally thought Boxer too. Our 12 year old was classified as a pit mix and now we realize he isn’t pit at all but Great Dane and Lab. We’ll see with Rizzo 🙂
Amy says
Hi Charlene- Awesome post. We just adopted a rescue also, 6 months old and he sleeps on his back too. It cracks me up every time I see him. I would love to hear what you have planned for your 40th or even ideas you’re throwing around. I also turn 40 this December and I’m at a loss of what to do. It’s such a busy time of year and restaurants are packed to the gills with holiday parties etc…friends are already over committed etc. I’d love to hear what you’re planning. I might have to copy. I’m at a total loss.
Thanks- Amy
Charlene says
Hi Amy, YES! Both my girls are in the Nutcracker ballet so the first two weekends of December are packed with performances and then we play cram the entire month of December into the last two weeks 😀
I was thinking before Thanksgiving this year. We have considered Maui again only because it is a relatively close trip from California. The other consideration is Arizona for a long weekend. Like a really nice resort like Omni in Phoenix or the Phoenician. Again Arizona is a close flight so we don’t have to add days for travel. I’d love to do a more exciting destination but California is just so darn far from everything… I think we could probably get away for 5 days or so but not much longer than that. 🙂 Happy almost 40th birthday!