j loves c.

i'm pretty sure our friends couldn't have picked a better day, place, time than they did.  this wedding was right on.  the best part truly, was how honest the day was to the two of them...this is what made it the most special.

here are a few snaps of the day...congratulations jonathan & claire!

 

the venue: valhalla

the beautiful bride & groom

we all left notes on jenga pieces in lieu of a guestbook!

virginia crew represent!

no, i'm not kidding...they had a pie table.  don't ask me how many i tried.  i won't tell you.   {ok ok, it was 3...the baby made me do it.}

this wedding was just perfect...and we wish them nothing but the best.

thanks for letting us be a part of your day you two!

recovering.

we got in from tahoe late last night- it was a blast.  i can't wait to put up some pics from the week.

we ate {so much}, we visited with good friends, went sailing on lake tahoe, and the wedding...oh my word: the wedding was stunning.

i will post more soon, however while i rest {and attempt the 239084 loads of laundry staring me in the face}, here are a few snaps to tide you over.

i hope you are enjoying your weekend!

sailing!

stopped at this beach for an afternoon swim with friends

the husband-to-be and the experienced husband

wedding venue

hellllooo belly

24 weeks.

we begin our 24th week this wednesday.

technically, my doctor will tell you that we're now 23 weeks because that's how many we've completed, but i like to look ahead so here's to 24!

i can hardly believe she will be here in a short 16 weeks - it's so soon.  are we ready?  i'll tell you the honest truth: we're getting there.  i can't pretend to know anything about what we're walking into, but i am excited, and i am glad to be going at it with this guy.

is he cute or what?

{also, i hope that our kids get his photogenic qualities...the man cannot take a bad picture}

superficial reasons aside, i can't wait to see how much our little lady resembles her dad, inside and out.  i have a feeling she's going to inherit his laid-back attitude, and i hope she gets his clear-headedness.   thinking about it all gives me the warm fuzzies for sure.

how's that for foxy pajamas?  this is how to keep 'em coming back, ladies.

^^here we have a sneak-attack belly shot for your enjoyment and all of posterity^^

right now we are packing for our trip to south lake tahoe this wednesday- cannot wait!  it'll be a quick trip, but we are pumped for some mountain hikes, maybe a sailing trip on the lake, and of course celebrating two sweet friends on their wedding day. 

hope you're enjoying your monday!

wanted: bookshelf.

i'm currently looking for a bookshelf for our baby's nursery.  the room is pretty cozy as is, so i feel like a standing shelf is not in the cards.


this link has some fun inspiration, but most are too big for our space {it is fun to dream about them though}.

so far, here are some of my small-space faves...what do you think?

 

{via}

 ...by the way, have you read The Alchemist?  seriously good book...my husband and i read this together, and we both loved the new ideas it opened in our minds.

{via}

{via}

...this one is giving me the most ideas so far.  i may even be able to rig something like this up myself, if i can find the right materials...

have any favorites/ good ideas?  send them on over (:

edamame gets all fancy.

these days i'm always up for a snack.

here is one of my attempts at a quick, healthy little something.

edamame, lemon, red pepper flakes, salt...presto snack-o.

prepare edamame according to package directions.

squeeze the juice from 1 lemon over pods.

sprinkle lightly with kosher salt & red chili pepper flakes.

happy eating!

cheese.

i love cheese.  so much so, that last christmas, one of my gifts from my husband was a slice of my favorite {humbolt fog} fresh from our newly-opened whole foods.  

i am making a cheese board for a little shin-dig at our place this weekend, so i thought i'd give my two cents on what makes a good selection.

1. the stinkier the better!  ok not always, but don't turn down a bite that doesn't smell like ye olde cheddar.  there are so many interesting flavors out there- go for it!

2. make sure there is a variety- not just of flavors, but of origins...namely: cow, goat and sheep.  personally, goat cheese is my fave: i love the slight grassiness, and they are usually very creamy and rich.  everything i want in my queso.

3. add some extras.  there is always the requisite bread/ crackers, but i also like adding fruit, honey, jam, nuts, meat, etc to the mix.  i really don't think you can go wrong.

4. you don't have to spend a fortune: with the exception of the humbolt fog {which is on the pricey side, i will admit}, all of the cheeses below came from trader joe's...and you know joe loves a bargain.

here is a peek of a board i made a little bit ago...sorry i can't remember the orange one, but it was great! 

 

as always, happy eating!

super {green} stain-remover

happy monday!

you can call it nesting, but really i just love to clean.  and when i find a good product, i love to share.

in honor of our much-anticipated little mess-maker, i want to share one of my new favorite tips. 

i found this recipe on one of my favorite family/ DIY blogs, pink pistachio.  i adore missy's blog, not to mention the pics of her sweet little guys.  well, her stain-removal recipe looked awesome, if not a little too good to be true. 

so i scrounged up some dirty bits and gave it a try.  i modified the recipe slightly, using a squirt of castile soap in place of the method dish-soap {keeping it super green, and cheap}...to put it simply: it works.  to gush:  it's just about the most amazing thing to enter my laundry room.  i actually went around hunting for clothes {some of which were already washed, hah} which had stubborn stains on them.  this stain remover will take out grease, set in sweat {from the men, b/c i know you know that we ladies don't sweat}, tomatoes, bbq, grass stains, red wine, you name it. 

here you have it:

2 tablespoons baking soda

3 tablespoons hydrogen peroxide

1 squirt of castile soap {you don't need much}

mix those together, scrub into the stain with a clean toothbrush, let sit for 30-45 minutes, then wash as normal.  no problem to wash the treated items non-treated clothes, and i have tried this on all colors- no fading!  it's quite possibly magic. 

here is an example of a recent blueberry stain...missy took MUCH better pictures than i did {my laundry is clearly not photogenic}, so swing on by to her blog and check out this post.  happy laundry-ing (:

the offending stain

scrub it up!

ta-da!

it's a...

girl!  we're having a girl!

we're beyond excited to be welcoming this little lady into our family this december.

if i can judge by her sweet little kicks, she's pretty jazzed about joining team moger as well. 

thanks for all of the well-wishes - we are all healthy & happy over here...if not a little impatient (:

the holidays are going to be so good this year!

we have news!

it seems that our garden is not the only thing growing over here...

18 weeks

yes!  we are having a baby!!

don't let my expression fool you- we are thrilled!  i was at the moment however, slightly more excited to get inside and eat some burgers than to pose for pictures, but the light was just right and we couldn't resist, yada yada...

so we have it!  our first bump picture!  i think it's a cute little bump, but i am likely biased. 

we are over the moon.

come on, december!!

it's summertime!

i love summer, don't you?  so far we've spent some fun afternoons at the beach, hanging out with friends, keeping our garden alive, and cooking some good meals.


here are a few snaps of our life these days.

 ^^tell me about it^^

when life gives you lemons...you bake them.

have you tried coconut oil from TJ's?  if you do, spread it on some cut peaches, grill said peaches, top with ice cream and thank me later.

just so you don't think all we eat are sweets, here is the dinner which preceded the peach dessert.

chicken recipe from saveur, found here.  served with brown rice and black beans, recipe on its way (:

i hope you're all enjoying the warm weather and sunny days!