Tag Archives: friends

Barbie Baby Shower in Beijing

7 Aug

It is no secret to those who know me that I am a lover of all things Barbie.  So when my dear friends here in Beijing decided to throw us a baby shower – the theme was apparently a “Barbie Doll Brainer”…i.e. a no brainer.  Not to suggest that creators behind the famous doll do not have brains…it is just that if you literally squeeze the doll’s head, it is hollow – there is no plastic brain.  Perhaps something Mattel should think about adding…

While my Ken doll, Brett, was in the know, the shower was a total surprise to me!  What a fun treat to find all of my Beijing beauties dressed in their “Barbie Best” to celebrate the upcoming arrival of Baby Olive Bee.  And while the actual brunch baby shower was a surprise, I was not surprised at all to find that these special ladies had covered every detail – including a preggers Barbie centerpiece!  I will now let the pictures do the talking…

The brunch menu – complete with my face super-imposed on the Original Barbie. Each place setting came with its own pair of shoes and matching handbag…Barbie size of course!

Playing with the pregnant Barbie. She and I really bonded that day as we were the only guests not partaking in the free-flow of pink champagne!

Preggers Barbie Centerpiece

How cute are these custom Barbie cupcakes??

More of the cutest cupcakes… by Lollipop Bakery in Beijing

Brett and I with KC Connolly – i.e. Ghetto Fabulous Barbie!

2 of our Barbie Hostesses with the Mostesses! Neon Barbie Megan Connolly and Lena Abed as Skipper.

The very pink party table sprinkled with Barbie Shoes…

GIFT TIME! The must-have onesie for our future New Yorker.

Thank you ladies for all of the amazing gifts…snuggly blankies, her first Qipao, the cutest teeny tiny socks I have ever seen, and enough clothes for me to change her “look” multiple times a day. Let’s just say…you all know me well!

With our very own petite size Happy Family Set – Ken, Barbie, and Baby!

It is tough to get this many Barbies to focus at the same time… Thank you to our wonderful hostesses!

Outside of MODO, a fabulous choice for the Barbie Brunch Baby Shower, in Sanlitun village.

I would like to say another BIG Barbie THANK YOU to all of our sweet friends who organized this celebration in honor of our little one.  Being pregnant and planning to give birth in China is certainly a unique and sometimes challenging experience, but having the love and support of  such great friends is a true blessing.

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The Big Reveal

22 Jul

Next to the delicious “duckie” cupcakes at our couples’ shower in Murray to celebrate Baby Hutch. Thank you to our amazing hosts!

As I am sure I have mentioned before – one negative of living 6,800 miles away from family and friends back in the States is not celebrating the “big moments” of life with those who we love most.  So when we had the opportunity to reveal our little one’s gender with our nearest and dearest in person…we could not pass up the opportunity!

I cannot take any credit for how fun and creative the “Big Reveal” turned out to be.  Leave it to Kim Willson and Mary Kay Bowden, my best friends since we met as teeny little girls on Olive Street, to create the perfect “Margarita Mama” baby shower complete with a baby carriage piñata busting to announce GIRL or BOY!  I think you will see in the short video clip below that we were completely SURPRISED!

It’s a GIRL!!

Well…in case you couldn’t see clearly enough – all the candy inside the piñata was PINK – revealing that we are in fact having a baby GIRL.  And although Mary Kay and Kim obviously knew what we were having (as they filled the piñata themselves) they were totally shocked that we had not tried to milk it out of our mothers  – who were with us the day before at the ultrasound when the doctors determined that our little bun-in-the-oven is of the female variety.  To be fair – Donna (my mother-in-law) should also be given credit.  She read the ultrasound herself!

Brett busted it open with one swing! What a big strong baby daddy!

Honestly, it was a bit of a risk to do a big reveal so early in the pregnancy.  I was only 4 months at the time…which is still a little early to be 100% sure – but it was our only chance as it is not permitted to learn the baby’s sex here in China.  At 6 months in – we are 100% that Brett has his hands full with another “little me” on the way.  I believe my father’s words were “good luck with that”.  I am thrilled to continue on with the pink parade…and I feel confident that Brett is too!

Excited and totally surprised! Full disclosure…we had taken the “Intelligender” test (an over-the-counter pee stick type thingy” while we were in New Orleans a few days before, and it said BOY! Well…that was fifty bucks down the toilet – literally.

Our sweet guests watching Brett bust the piñata. The joy of growing up in a community like Murray, Kentucky (officially American’s friendliest small town) never fades. Thank you to all of you for celebrating this moment with us!

Hugging my mom. As her side of family only seems to produce little girls – I think she was a bit relieved. I did overhear her telling Brett’s mom – “I don’t think I would have known what to do with a boy!”  Mom…I have no doubt you would have figured it out!

Getting parenting tips from my dad. With my little brother, Bailey, having just turned six…his experience is not as dated as one might think!

With my sweet Mary Kay. Thank you to you and Kimmy for all the amazing details. What a treat to share this moment with you!  I can’t wait to watch Annabelle, Drewsie, and Olive tell Sanders and Russell that “NO BOYS” are allowed just like we told Robert!

Drew, Kimmy, and Mary Kay enjoying some tasty treats!

“Baby Girl Talk” with the ladies of the family. My mother-in-law Donna, My Aunts Jane, Lorna, & Cindy, and My Grandmothers Bettie and Jean.

Admiring the gift from Nanny, my maternal grandmother, a necklace given to her when she was five by my great-grandparents. So precious! Can’t wait to give it to our little Olive Bee when she turns five.

Chatting with some of my favorite humans on the earth!

What a special day for our family of 2.5!  Thank you again to our hosts and guests who made the day even more memorable for us.  We are so blessed!

A big thank you to Tara Dennison for capturing this moment for us on video!  It is such a treasure.

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Confetti Dressing

31 Dec

Happy New Year from 3 confetti obsessed 8-year-olds circa 1988! *Check out my beautiful white tights! Hot, right?

I LOVE confetti!  Seriously – it is absolutely my favorite thing about New Year’s Eve (although I do love the midnight kiss with my husband!)  I have loved this holiday from a very young age simply because of the tremendous joy running through confetti gives me. My mother, Leigh Haverstock Moric, and Kristin Kopperud can certainly vouch for this.  You see…at just 8 years old, I convinced my mother to allow me to host a formal dinner party for 2 close friends.  What does a “formal dinner party” mean for an 8-year-old you ask?  Well – in my case, it meant asking my mom to make three coordinating evening gowns in different colors.  I chose red lamé with black velvet accents for myself, blue taffeta with sequins for Kristin, and pink satin with pearl details for Leigh.  (In my opinion – we all looked elegant and very grown up – in reality, we looked like 8-year-olds in play dresses!)  My idea of a formal dinner party also including eating our meal of choice (take-out chinese) on the china in the dining room and drinking sparkling grape juice out of the crystal.  If she didn’t realize it before, NYE 1988 undoubtedly confirmed to my mother that she was raising a super girly girl.  Truth be told – the movie Overboard with Goldie Hawn is most likely to blame for it.  I still have high hopes of going to a party like the one she dreams of in the movie.  I also have high hopes of having a revolving shoe closet someday like the one Kurt Russell builds for her on the yacht!

This year I decided that I would like to dress like confetti for NYE. Care to join me?  (My NYE outfit to come later.)  In the meantime, here are some super fun brights to inspire your “confetti dressing”.  And remember, confetti is NOT just one color – feel free to mix, match, and add other bright  accessories in the form of bags, shoes, and bangles.  I know I am going to!  Happy Confetti!!

Bill Blass Spring 2012

Antonia Marras Spring 2012

Elie Saab Spring 2012

Jenny Packham Spring 2012

Juan Carlos Obando Spring 2012

Norma Kamali Spring 2012

Roksanda Ilincic Spring 2012

Mathew Williamson Spring 2012

All images courtesy of www.style.com

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Circus of Love: Family, Friends & Festive Features!

30 Dec

My dear Auntie Lorna reminded me this week via email (during an apparent moment of insomnia…it was 4AM Beijing time) that I never finished uploading the rest of the photos from The Circus of Love.  This was a complete oversight on my part.  With the Chinese wedding, the trip to South Africa, the burn incident, the Hutchinson visit (those pics to come soon), Brett’s birthday, and then the holidays…it totally slipped my mind!

I think I have actually saved the best for last though – the pictures of our family, friends, and the festive atmosphere (created with the amazing help of my mom and Aunt Lorna) are so much fun.  Enjoy!

**If you missed the other entries about the Circus of Love – here they are: Calling All Circus of Love Guests, An Upstaged Bride, Southern Ladies and Their Lipstick, Silly Schafers…Tricks are for kids, Happy Couple at the Circus of Love, The Classy Bride.

Tates, Raglands, Hites, Bolins, Lehnings, Neelley's, and newly wed Hutchinsons!

The Hutchinson Klan

Greeting our Guests!

Besides being greeted by us, our guests were also welcomed with the sounds of a vintage carnival themed horn section, cotton candy, and circus themed cocktails like Mint Julep Snow Cones and Spiked Pink Lemonade.

It's a Mo-Mo! My wonderful mom. I don't what was causing her to look so serious...maybe it was the power outage issues. The venue wasn't used to having so many "carnival" food stations. In fact...every time the cotton candy machine started going - the band lost power! In the end, we opted for dancing over spun sugar.

With my Dad and Becky

My sweet Alabama ladies. Brandace Burnham, Morgan Hutchinson, Christa Crow and Jessica Solon.

We really wanted to have fun with the decorations.  Hence, the Morgan and Brett flying trapeze artists in the background of the picture above.  You can get your own custom set at www.cardboardpeople.com!  We also used hundreds of yards of awning striped fabric in circus bright colors, striped table clothes, giant 36″ helium balloons, and any other circus inspired trinkets we could find to play up the theme.

Brett chatting with the Alabama gents. I have to assume the topic of conversation was SEC football.

Part of the NYC Crew. Shana Spavin and Jill Hacker.

With one of Brett's childhood friends, Kelly Campbell.

With mom and two of her best friends from college. These lovely ladies (plus 5 more) have been getting together every summer for over 30 years! Love it.

With cousin Lizzie and Aunt Cindy.

Friends since the first grade. Ellen Carpenter and Morgan Hutchinson

Columbus ladies taking advantage of the candy cigarettes!

Tate Family Dance Number. We had to at least "try" to keep up with the Schafers!

Mom and I with great family friends - Ruth and Anne Bligh.

With the Amazing Hutchinson sisters - Emmy and Jess! Looks like all of us had just made a trip to the Pabst Blue Ribbon bucket!

With my Auntie Lorna. Thank you so much for your help and creativity. The Circus of Love would not have been the same without you!

With my fantastic mother-in-law!

Pretty in Pink with Fiona!

A big thanks to the lady who introduced us in the first place! With Miss Shana Spavin.

With Leigh and Damir. Love Leigh's self-made feather accessory!

In addition to the rides and games, we also hired a stilt walker, a flame thrower, and a unicyclist to keep the guests entertained.  Truth be told though – it was the silly stuff on the prize table that kept them happy all night!  Who knew that wax lips and bangle bracelets would be so popular?

Newlyweds - Brett and Morgan Hutchinson with Andy and Jess Schemick

With Christina and George Karolis...and their little one that was still a bun-in-the-oven at the time!

Dancing with my dad

We danced to the lovely sounds of Mr. and Mrs. Todd Hill and the Todd Hill Band. Here is the lovely Kala Hill.

Todd Hill singing and playing one of the classic tunes they are known for.

Dancing with Aunt Lorna and Nannie.

With my two gorgeous grand-mothers: Jean Blankenship and Bettie Tate

One of my favorite pictures of the night. The lovely Mrs. Amy Barto getting her groove on!

Of course, Brett and I also wanted to be sure that our “outfits” were Circus of Love appropriate.  So, we added special details whenever we could – like the pink lining of Brett’s dinner jacket with M+B monogrammed on the inside and our special shoes!

Thank you to our wonderful family and friends for celebrating with us!  Sharing our Circus of Love with each of you was such a blessing.  Thank you to our parents for countless hours of help, for storing loads of “Circus” paraphernalia in your homes, and specifically to the Hutchinsons for a fantastic golf tournament, Friday Night BBQ, and Sunday Brunch at the Club.

We would also like to send big thank yous to A Catered Event – the catering company who helped create the perfect “carnie” menu, Laura at White Star Farm – our venue, Sterling Funways for the rides and entertainments, and Abigail at Eden Ink Photography for capturing every moment so perfectly.

Images courtesy of Eden Ink Photography.

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Today = 2 Years in China!

28 Dec

Two years ago today, Brett and I (along with 700 pounds of my clothing) boarded a plane in Newark bound for Beijing.  To celebrate this exciting anniversary, I would like to share photos from our Chinese Wedding party from this past August.  I think you will see that I went all out to play the part of a Chinese bride (short of dying my hair of course!)

Brett and Morgan Hutchinson

Brett and I knew that we didn’t want to host our Beijing wedding celebration in a Western style (for those of you not living in Asia – that means that we didn’t want an American or European style venue…it does not mean that Brett and I were considering a Wild-West Hoedown).  When in China, right?   So when we stumbled upon Gui Gong Fu, a restaurant famous for its history, as well as its imperial cuisine, we were sold.  Housed in the former residence of the Empress Dowager’s little brother, Gui Gong Fu set the perfect backdrop to our Chinese wedding party.  Although we didn’t hold a actual ceremony (we saved that for just he two of us in South Africa – see Chitwa Chitwa: Part 3 for more details) we did host a traditional Chinese, family style dinner for 150 of our dear friends and colleagues here in Beijing.  It was quite a feast! Luckily, Brett and I went for a tasting before hand as I don’t remember us sitting down long enough to eat any of the meal on the actual night of the party.  Between visiting each table to drink a shot of Mou Tai (Chinese liquor) with our Chinese guests and being toasted with Champagne by our Western guests…there was little time to do anything but “Cheers!”  Thankfully, I do remember being giving a bowl of rice by the lovely Connolly sisters to coat my tummy with something.

Here is the evening in pictures.  It really was such a memorable night.

Cocktail Hour. Explaining this concept to a very traditional Chinese restaurant was no easy chore. Passed hors d'oeuvres is just not the local way of doing things at a Chinese Wedding. In the end - they got it! Brett and Morgan Hutchinson

Costume change! While it is actually a Chinese custom for the bride to change from her red dress into white...I didn't need an excuse for a second dress!

Notice the size of Brett's Mou Tai glass. We are no fools! The smaller the glass...the less you have to drink! By the way...I am holding my wine glass, NOT my Mao Tai glass.

These little Chinese women can drink! Look how she is showing off her empty glass. Bottoms up!

Thank you to all of our friends in China for celebrating such a special time with us.  Thank you to Michael and Natia Davitiashvili for joining us, two great friends from New York who just happened to be in town and gave their only Saturday night in Beijing to us!

While I am in “thank you” mode…Thank you Beijing for 2 very exciting years.  We have had our moments…and let’s be honest, I have certainly “hated” you from time to time – but overall it has been loads of fun.  You have brought me dozens of amazing new friends and countless once-in-a-lifetime moments.  Most importantly though, you have given Brett at I the opportunity to share a life-changing experience together, and for that I will be forever grateful.  Xie Xie!

All images courtesy of www.sweetvision.com.  The same amazing photographers who did our engagement photo shoot.  Click here to have a peek.

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The Happy Couple at The Circus of Love!

24 Sep

We are so excited to be able to share some pictures!  Abigail at Eden Ink Photography did such an amazing job capturing our big top day!

 

More images from The Circus of Love by Eden Ink Photography to come!

 

 

 

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How Much is that Turkey in the Window?

23 Dec

In Our Turkey Day Aprons

Well…I never thought that buying a turkey would stress me out financially – but then again I never thought that a generic frozen turkey could cost over $100…and I have bought turkeys in NYC!  The truth is – turkey is quite a commodity here in China. But I wasn’t about to cook a Thanksgiving Dinner for Brett and all of our expat friends sans gobbler.  So – I forked over the money to the sweet lady working at the supermarket who giggled and said, “Tai gui le” – which means too expensive.  To which I replied, “Wo tong yi” – I agree.

With the turkey in hand (or in the trunk) I began the search for the other accoutrements.  Corn, potatoes, shallots, even finding butternut squash was a cake walk – but endives, chestnuts, canned pumpkin, and fresh cranberries?  Forget about it.  5 stops later – I gave up all together on the cranberries (eventually I just threw some craisins in a pot of hot water and plumped them up as much as possible before using them in my spicy cranberry relish).

One of my favorite things about the shopping excursion(s) was running into every other

Sharpening His Carving Knife

expat “homemaker” (I can’t believe I just called myself that…although a spade is a spade) out and about in search of all the same things.  I actually exchanged email addresses with a few of the other turkey day trackers, and we are now friends!  One of the markets swarming with expats is called San Yuan Li.  This local market was established years ago to cater to all of the embassies in Beijing.  So – if you can’t find what you are looking for at Jenny Lou’s or April Gourmet – San Yuan Li is the next stop.  I would have gone there for everything – but it is outside and therefore cold, and they do not have champagne, wine, or bourbon – all of which are necessary ingredients for the type of Thanksgiving I like to host!

The Menu

Because The Mayflower did not stop in China on its way to the US of A, Thanksgiving is unfortunately not a Chinese Holiday.  So – we decided to celebrate on Saturday when no one had to work. I began the preparations on Friday by making the items that would keep: butternut squash soup, creamed corn, 14 miniature pumpkin pies (one for each of us), and the chocolate torte.  This left a lot for Saturday itself – but I had a plan.  I knew that my alma mater would be playing its number one rival that day at 3:30 AM Beijing time.  So, with game day bells on, Brett and I arose before dawn to cheer on The Crimson Tide and cook a Thanksgiving Feast.  To Tom and Donna – you did an amazing job with Brett.  He is such a great helper in the kitchen!  He carved out all 14 baby pumpkins (we used them as bowls for the butternut squash soup) while I prepped the turkey and made the oyster dressing.  He peeled the potatoes while I popped green beans, and he poured the Maker’s Mark into our Diet Cokes when it was late enough in the day to not feel like total degenerates! (I mean how do you watch SEC football without at least one bourbon and diet coke?)

Turkey Day Table

With the place settings, candles, and fresh flowers (from our wonderful and freakishly cheap flower market) on the table – we were ready for our guests to arrive.  There were 14 of us in total with representatives from England, Russia, Canada, and America – specifically: Kentucky, Ohio, North Carolina, California, Texas, D.C. and Virginia.  Surrounding ourselves with so many wonderful new friends helped ease the pain of being away from our families, and it made giving thanks especially easy.  How blessed we are to have celebrated the most American of all holidays in such a far away land.

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On to the Ancient World….EGYPT!

30 Sep

For so many years I dreamed to be gazing at the Great Pyramids on the day that I kissed 29 good-bye.  I can’t believe this dream came true!  As I write all the details about this 2 week adventure, I want to be absolutely sure to include as many travel tips as possible.  While there is quite of bit of info on trips and tours to Egypt online, I found most of it to be basic and somewhat vague.  I hope that my insights will be helpful, informative, and fun at the same time! (Please note: I am planning to do about 1 dozen posts on Egypt alone)

The journey started on a direct red-eye flight from Beijing to Cairo on Egypt Air (a Star Alliance Member).  Currently, there is only one direct flight a week out of Beijing.  It is 10 hours.  With stops it can be over 16 – so be sure to book early on the direct.  I should also add that Egypt Air is a dry airline.  Obviously this is not the end of the world…but let’s be honest, this blonde would have enjoyed a champagne toast to celebrate our departure!

After 10 hours at 30,000 feet, we touched down in the land of the pharaohs.  It was 7AM Cairo time.  Getting through customs was fairly easy.  US Citizens do need a visa; however, it can be purchased upon arrival for about $15.  You can pay in US dollars or visit an ATM and pay in Egyptian Pounds.  For all of the Beijing readers with a Union Pay Chinese Bank Card – there are very few ATM’s that work…if any.  We actually used our cards from the States the entire time.

A car service from the hotel met us at baggage claim, and we arrived at the hotel in about 30 minutes.  I strongly recommend booking a car service.  It was nice not to have to think too much after a such a long flight.  Upon arrival to our hotel, The Four Seasons at the First Residence, we were greeted with warmth and excitement.  Noha, the concierge who organized our stay, was particularly helpful.  In fact, she created an itinerary for us that exceeded all expectations!

http://www.fourseasons.com/cairofr/

After a quick rest in our huge suite overlooking the Nile (birthday upgrade courtesy of the hotel) including showers, a cheese plate, and a bottle of bubbly; we headed out to the most famous souk in Cairo.  Khan El-Khalily bazaar contains every treasure imaginable. Some are lovely and some are completely tragic.  Perhaps the world would be a more beautiful place if everyone owned a life size, gold leaf statue of an awkwardly anatomically correct King Tut – but I seriously doubt it.  Even in the sea of very aggressive salesmen pushing their wares from overstocked booths, Brett and I were able to find a few very special shops with years of history.  There are 2 places in particular that I would love to share.

1:  Zaki F. Boutros Jewellers

TEL: +20 5904153

As you can see in the picture, this shop was filled from top to bottom with sterling silver and gold.  Rest assured that every piece is guaranteed with the Egyptian government stamp – and it does not look like Indian silver.  We found 2 beautiful Mint Julep(esque) cups for about half the price you pay for English silver, and they engraved Egypt 2010 on the bottom for us in about 15 minutes. During our wait they told us the history of the shop and served us hot mint tea (their specialty).

2:  Venus Palace Perfumes

5. Khan El-Khalily, Cairo, Egypt

TEL: +20 932625

Egypt has been producing pure scented oils for thousands of years.  They offer hundreds of different scents and blends, and the fact that they are so proud of their craft makes the buying experience delightful.  The shop owner goes into great depth of the effects of each scent – the home remedies, the cures, and the aphrodisiac qualities.  It was perfect timing for us – as we had just run out of Jo Malone bath oils.  Even more perfect – these were 1/10 of the price!  We selected 3: Attar of Roses (similar to Agent Provocateur…my favorite), Sandal Wood (a lovely fall and winter fragrance), and Ramsis (popular for lighting a certain fire…).

My experience with haggling all over Beijing definitely paid off.  While other tourists (from non-haggling countries) seemed overwhelmed and flustered, I practiced my perfected technique to just “walk away” from the vendor until he chased me down to give me the price I requested.  60% of the time – it works every time.  Just like Brian Fantana’s (Paul Rudd) Sex Panther Cologne in Anchor Man.

The souk, minus the more modern and tacky souvenir shops peppered throughout, was like stepping back in time.  There were a handful of hundred year old coffee shops, sheesha smoking corners packed with men in long robes, and a number of other Egyptian men asking Brett, “How many camels for your woman?”  I would be lying if I said that I didn’t like it – and I would really be lying if I said that I didn’t love it when he simply replied, “All the camels in the desert!”  Just so long as he didn’t mean all the wild camels…of which there are none.

Stay tuned for more…

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Zai Jian 20’s…Hello Big Blonde 3-0!

29 Sep

In the 3rd grade we took a family trip to Chicago.  Of course after all of these years, many of my memories blur together; however, one exhibit at the Natural History Museum of Chicago has stayed with me – a traveling treasury of Ancient Egypt.  I knew at that moment that I must someday visit that amazing country.

Turning thirty seemed like just the right time to explore the only country with the last standing wonder of the ancient world.  In fact, I actually found myself counting down the days with excitement and happiness.  And, as we all know, living in a world of botox, chemical peels, and $300 an ounce face creams claiming to make our faces feel like baby bottoms, getting older is typically not welcomed with a giant smile.

Anna, Sara, Morgan, and Brett at Carmen

Before I start to share the details of our voyage to Egypt, I must first thank my precious twenty-something ladies in Beijing for including an “old lady” like me in their September Babies’ Birthday Bash!  Below are some pics from the small group dinner at Carmen for tappas and homemade cupcakes (par moi) before the bigger party at The Beach (an outdoor rooftop bar with a sand covered dance floor).

Look how the cute 20-somethings pose for the camera, while the hungry 30 year old can't wait to dive into the cupcakes...

Realizing that I totally jumped the gun. Oops!! (Sara, Lauren, me, and Sarah)

Here is a recipe (courtesy of The Food Network) for the infamous Magnolia Bakery cupcakes that I used.  I must admit that I still managed to down them at my normal rapid rate even after discovering the amount of sugar in the icing alone!  See for yourself below…you might get a sugar high just reading it.

Magnolia Bakery Cupcake Recipe

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From Beijing with Love

31 May

The shopping in Beijing is amazing and at times completely overwhelming.  And believe me – it takes a lot for a shopping excursion to overwhelm me.  In fact, if retail therapy was considered a sport… I would be an Olympic team member.  I love to haggle, and I love the thrill of a bargain.  All of that is to say that I am currently working on A Blonde Buys – a shopping guide to Beijing (and other places in Asia) to include on the blog.

In the meantime, I will include a picture of Brett’s favorite Beijing purchase to date.  It is the most perfectly inappropriate souvenir for friends back home.  Craig, this is just the look for a new dad of a sweet baby girl.

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