Emma's First Phillies Game

Sunday was a huge day for our little family... we finally took Emma to her first Phillies game! We were busting at the seams to tell her, but knew we had to wait until right before we left the house otherwise we'd enter the never-ending cycle of "yes we're still going, just not right now." We gave her the Phanatic stuffed animal we'd been hiding from her for the past 2 years like the mean toy-limiting parents we are, and she started catching on that this was really happening. She was so excited to go to the "ballpark!" and even more so when she found out that my mom, stepdad, sister and her family were going, too. We took the Metro downtown, which was another new adventure for Emma. She loved the "ding" sound the train made before the doors closed, and standing on the platform saying "hi train!" and "bye train!" I loved making a trip like that with extra people to carry the stroller and my ever-growing toddler. (Okay, okay, family is great for other things, too, but after doing it on our own for the first year, I'm still super grateful when we go somewhere and don't have to feel like pack mules.) :)

Once we were at the ballpark, she had more fun than you can really expect a 2 year old to have at a baseball game. She loved cheering "Go Phillies!" and tasting all the yummy (i.e. terrible for you) ballpark eats. She clutched her Phanatic stuffed animal the entire day, and even more so when the reality that she hadn't napped all day started to set in. We feared impending doom, but Emma was a trooper.

Our poor Phillies ended up losing to the Nats, but we still had a great time. It was a long trek home, but Emma finally passed out about 5 minutes from the house, woke up for dinner, then promptly passed out again. She still hasn't let the Phanatic out of her sight.

PS... I also got to have some fun with Jared's telephoto lens:

Maternity Series #2: 21 Weeks

Now that we know you're a boy, I've been in full-on nursery planning mode. While I didn't have everything planned out before we left the doctor's office last week, I did have it planned out a few hours later. I'm so excited to get started on everything, especially your special name quilt. Now if only we could decide on a name... :)

Letters to My Daughter: May

This is my last letter to you as a 1 year old... a month from now you'll be 2, which is crazy to me because I feel like you've been 2 for a while now. I'm pretty sure you went from infant to toddler overnight, becoming the quintessential little miss independent. "Emma do it!" is something we hear multiple times a day, every day. And no more is this independence on display than when we're at the park...

Despite going to the park every weekend, it never fails to amaze me how fearless and adventurous you are. Our Emma... ready to take on the world.

I am joined in this “Letters to our Children” blog circle by an amazing group of photographers and moms. Together, we’ll be writing these letters every month in honor of our love for our sons and daughters. I encourage you to head over to Jessica’s blog to read her letter, and then continue on around the circle!

Maternity Series #2: 20 Weeks

My son... My son... I just keep saying it over and over again. I've felt this whole time like you were a boy, but now that we know for sure it feels so real and wonderful. It will be a whole new experience for us to have a boy, and your dad is very excited that he'll no longer be outnumbered by the girls. More than anything we're just so happy that you're healthy and growing right on track. 20 weeks down, 20 more to go!

CAN'T STOP, WON'T STOP

Another month, another Clickin Moms workshop. This is my 4th workshop in 8 months, and I'm really loving it so far. It's called "Mastering Natural Light Indoors" and it's all about how to use the available light in your house (or really any indoor location) to its fullest potential. I'm halfway through the class right now and as you can see, I've taken a lot of self portraits so far. When you're trying to get exact angles of light at exact times of day, a rambunctious toddler isn't the best subject. ;) But between this class and my maternity series, I'm a little selfie'd out. If you've never attempted a self portrait while 5 months pregnant, while standing awkwardly in your empty bathtub, while your expensive camera is perched precariously on a tripod on the other side of the tub, yeah... I don't recommend it. :) Week 1 Practice Shots:

Week 1 Assignment Submission:

Week 2 Practice Shots:

Week 2 Assignment Submission:

I'll have more on these last two photos (and why they mean so much to me) tomorrow...

Maternity Series #2: 19 Weeks

ONE WEEK! Only one more week until we find out if you are a girl or a boy and I can't wait. Your dad is convinced you're a girl, but I think you're a boy. I honestly don't care either way, I just want to know already so I can start planning everything. Knowing me, I'll have your whole nursery planned out before we even leave the doctor's office. :)

PS... missed any of the previous weeks in the series? Click here.

DESERT ISLAND DISCS: SARAH O'BRIEN

May's Desert Island Discs come to you courtesy of my favorite May Birthday girl, and one of my very best girlfriends, Miss Sarah O'Brien. Jared thinks I like depressing music, but I've got nothing on Sarah. But depressing music is some of the best out there, and this list is no exception. And coupled with Sarah's trademark wit, this is one of my favorite D.I.D. posts yet. Here's what she had to say...

Click here to listen to all the tracks!

I’ve thought through this entire process it would be a lot easier if I could say I was bringing “Sarah Strickland’s Honeymoon Mix” from Ricky or the Original Mix CD from Beau. So many of these songs date back to the days of mix tapes traded between friends.

1) Sanguine by The Avett Brothers... I wish there were a way to calculate the hours/days/weeks I have listened to The Gleam on repeat in my car. This song, among so many gems from the band, is a personal favorite. It has a musical sort of Serenity Prayer quality, telling you to keep on going and give yourself a little damn credit now and then when you’re feeling low. Or maybe it’s a beautiful, beautiful song about “The Shining.”

2) I know it’s Going to Happen Someday by Morrissey... Choosing a favorite Morrissey or Smiths song has always been nearly impossible for me. I know some I don’t love, but whittling down to one great love is so hard. Maybe it’s the other pics I have so far, but I’ve always loved this one. Again, a hang in there, don’t give up song.

3) Breathless by Adorable... Against Perfection has to be among one of the best, most under rated shoegazing albums of all time. Trust me, when a fella sends the 19 year old you a song with lyrics like “My eager eyes came stumbling down/over this pristine view/my second-rate poetry/ just isn’t enough to describe you,” you’re going to remember it for life. It’s just the knee-buckling, story tale version of the way I would like to be adored.

4) Feels Like Home by Trio II... I’ve always imagined that Dolly, Emmylou and Linda called each other up and said “we’re not going to let those guys have all the fun with The Highwaymen, are we?! Hell no!” and formed their own ladies’ super group.  Over two albums in the 90’s these ladies knocked it out of the park. I remember listening to the first Trio album in the car on long rides up to Dallas to visit family and also coveting all those outfits they wear on the album cover.  Now, if you haven’t figured out that I’m a sad, sad sack with a hopeful heart for love, this will bring it home, as it were. “Feels like Home” is just that done/we’ve-found-it-after-all-this-time love song.

5) Blue Savannah by Erasure... I love erasure. Andy has the voice of an angel and Vince is a musical genius. Period. Again, it’s next to impossible to choose a favorite, but I’ve listened to both Blue Savannah and Chorus so many times for so many years. I flipped a coin and landed on this amazing song about finding love/home. I’m a broken record.

6) Waterloo Sunset by The Kinks... The Kinks in the late 60’s and early 70’s were amazing. Sure, they were great outside that, too, but when you can crank out “Days” and “Waterloo Sunset” two of the best songs ever written, that says something. Kirsty MacColl does a great version of “Days” you should all check out.

7) Perfect Day by Kirsty MacColl and Evan Dando... Speaking of days and Kirsty MacColl, she and Evan Dando did the most amazing cover duet of Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day.” Great, great song; I love it more than the original.

8) Hang Loose by Alabama Shakes... Let’s wrap this up with something from this decade! Apparently I self medicate with music. See above and take a listen for a guess at why I love this. There’s a fantastic version of this song at the Live at KEXP Vol. 8 CD that’s even MORE soulful, speedy and rocking than the studio version.

Runner up: Sarah by Mojave 3... This is probably my favorite ever “Sarah” song, but who chooses a namesake song?! It just seems like me.

Thanks, Sarah!! :)

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week + a free printable

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! I whipped up these gift tags last night for Emma's teacher's gifts and thought I'd share. You can download a 3x3 of the above front and back tags HERE.

Here's what ours ended up looking like:

(Yep, those would be Golden Grahams S'Mores bars. Super easy to make and even better than regular Rice Krispie Treats.)

Huge thanks to all the teachers out there who do an immensely important job for a fraction of what you deserve to get paid. Your students may not always appreciate you, but please know that us parents are forever grateful for what you're doing for our kids. So thanks!!! :)

Maternity Series #2: 18 Weeks

I've been spending a lot of time in this crazy position lately. Why, you ask? Here's the thing... your sister took two and a half days to make her grand entrance into this world, and I'm doing everything I can to make sure you come out a whole lot faster. I'm going to yoga and my chiropractor every week and doing my prescribed stretches every day in an effort to have the most open hips of all time by D-day. Will it work? No idea. But it can't hurt. Well, okay, clearly it hurts a little. But hopefully it'll all be worth it!

Maternity Series #2: 17 Weeks

I'm sorry if you've been feeling how stressed I've been this week. You'll find out some day when you're a parent that you'll spend a lot of time worrying about your kids. I worry about your big sister, who's been struggling to adjust to some unexpected staffing changes at school. I worry about you and you're probably the safest and most protected you'll ever be in your life right now. Worrying just comes with the territory when you're a parent. But, if there's one thing I've learned in my short time as a mother it's that there's a whole heap of stuff I have absolutely zero control over. So I try to focus on what I can control... I can't promise that I'll always be able to protect you from life's hardships, but I can promise I will do my best to make sure the smiles and the giggles far outweigh the tears - and that when the tears do fall, I'll always be there to hold your hand and dry your eyes.

LETTERS TO MY DAUGHTER: APRIL

My sweet girl... this photo is very emotional for me because it depicts a time of great transition in our journey as mother and child. After nearly 22 months of nursing, you are officially (finally) weaned. I honestly never intended to or thought I would nurse you this long. You just never lost interest, and once I didn't have to pump anymore it wasn't really much effort on my part to let you keep going. You would wake up and do your little sign and look up at me with those beautiful blue eyes saying "melk!"... a mother is pretty defenseless to that kind of cuteness. But a month or so ago you started showing small signs of indifference, so when I went away on a business trip we decided that would be it.

Even though I was as ready as I could be, it was still bittersweet once I knew I was nursing you for the last time. You were my baby. You were my first. We've been on this crazy journey together, learning together... and there were many moments during those early days when I wasn't sure I'd ever get the hang of nursing, much less be able to nurse you until you were almost 2. But we figured it out, and it ended up being one of the most rewarding and beautiful experiences of my life.

Our last nursing session came and went, and we moved on to a new phase in our relationship. One where I feel much more like the mother of a young girl than the mother of a baby. You still ask for milk almost every day, but you're perfectly fine with my saying "no." We replaced our pre-bed nursing time with rocking and singing in the chair in your room. (This photo was taken during one of those times.) We sing the same three songs every time: "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley, "Golden Slumbers" by The Beatles, and "Murder in the City" by The Avett Brothers. Some nights you even sing along, which is pretty much the cutest thing I've ever heard in my life. Mostly I'm just glad that we still get our special time together. You're growing up so fast, and before I know it you'll outgrow wanting to be rocked before bed. So I'm treasuring what I can get.

I am joined in this “Letters to our Children” blog circle by an amazing group of photographers and moms. Together, we’ll be writing these letters every month in honor of our love for our sons and daughters. I encourage you to head over to Davina's blog to read her letter, and then continue on around the circle!

MATERNITY SERIES #2: 16 Weeks

You've been growing up a storm these past few weeks... so much so that I can't button my pants anymore! And I promise that's not just due to my increased ice cream intake. I'm starting to feel you move around a bit and I so love those unexpected little thumps in my tummy. It's only a matter of time before those kicks become an hourly occurrence, and I can't wait. We love you so much already.

the right place at the right time

There's this elusive moment as a photographer when you click the shutter and  you just know you got a really great capture. The formula goes a little something like this: great light + real emotion + interesting composition = stellar photo. Obviously, there's a bit more that goes into it like nailing focus and exposure that I don't mean to gloss over, but assuming you have the technical stuff down, the above equation is what you're hoping for every single time you pick up the camera. And as someone who's still relatively new to photography, it doesn't happen nearly as often as I'd like. BUT, thanks to a lot of studying, practice, and the amazing workshops I've taken through Clickin Moms, it's happening more frequently these days. One such moment happened a few weeks ago when Emma and I were hanging out at my mom's house. I was trying to get some backlit shots for a workshop assignment while my mom and Emma were reading together when I noticed this amazing reflection in my mom's coffee table. I clicked the shutter and I just knew...

The other recent favorite shot happened this weekend when we were walking back to the car after dinner at Alexander's. (Side note - the BEST fried chicken I've ever had anywhere. If you live in the DC area, it's worth the drive.) Sometimes you're just standing there and you see the photograph come together first with your eyes and then you pray you have your camera within arm's reach. Luckily, I did.

While I wish those pesky cars weren't there (I know, how dare there be cars in a parking lot?!?), I love everything else about this... the sun flare, the rim lighting, the way they're walking in step together, the juxtaposition of their size difference. Moments like this are why I started taking my camera with me pretty much every time I leave the house, because you just never know...

On a side note, are you guys at all curious to see before and afters of some of these photos I've been posting? I'm happy to share my editing process with you. Just let me know! :)

DESERT ISLAND DISCS: MATT MCCARTHY

And now for something completely different... Matt McCarthy is a brilliant comedian and gave what was probably the best best man speech in history at my and Jared's wedding. Jared and I still laugh about it over 3 years later. Anyway, Matt also happens to be pretty passionate about music and I knew he'd bring something different to this little feature. I love this list because it reminds me of late nights at the cabin when Matt has taken control of the iPod... I rarely recognize the songs, but they always fit.

Click here to listen to all the tracks!

1) Soft Serve by Soul Coughing... This is the best song I've ever heard. I don't know. It's simple, melancholy yet funky and you can wiggle your ass to it. I've never heard anything like it. And the lyrics set against that ambient keyboard and sampling in the background. It feels like heartache and the fuck-all of being young and full of confused excitement.

2) We've Got A Bigger Problem Now by Dead Kennedys... "Last call for alcohol. Last call for freedom of speech. Drink up! Happy hour is now enforced by law." This is a version of "California Über Alles" that DK did about Ronald Reagan. It's perfect Dead Kennedys. It's funny, creepy, schmoozie, full of rage and political dissent. At the peak of the song Jello Biafra screams, "Making money for president Reagan! And all the friends of president Reagan!" It's so honest and angry, I love it.

3) Orion by Metallica... For me, this is the song that lifts heavy metal up to the heights of great art. This was not noise. This was not your ordinary beer guzzling scumbag filth rock. This was an opus. It's the best song on their best record, no one could say otherwise.

4) Backs Turned Looking Down The Path by Warren Zevon... I love this song. No one can touch Zevon as a song writer in my opinion. He outdoes them all. This track is him at his best.

5) Mr. Bad Example by Warren Zevon... A lot of these should be Warren Zevon. These are the best lyrics I've ever heard. It's my favorite example of how good Zevon was at rhymes that had a bloody edge. I need to learn to play it on guitar, I love singing along to it.

6) Divided Sky by Phish... Phish is one of the biggest bands in the world and I still think they're underrated. This is the song. It's gorgeous. Trey Anastasio is a chinless ginger rock guitar god. Everyone should stop taking showers and follow Phish everywhere.

7) Dogs and Chaplains by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones... This is a version of "Drunks and Children" that shows up on the Bosstones' last really great record. It swings and slams and grabs you hard by the neck and makes you drink whiskey and tells you you're the best friend it's ever had in its life. I like it!

8) Captain Lou by New Rhythm & Blues Quartet... I should've only picked songs about pro wrestling. Man On The Moon, REM. Pencil Neck Geek, Fred Blassie. The Crusher by The Ramones. To name a few that all hail from parts unknown but Captain Lou and NRBQ is the best of them all. This song makes me smile. I've met a handful of people who know it and love it. If I ever heard it in public I'd shit my pants and jump on top of cars.

Be sure to follow Matt here.

Letters to My Daughter: March

My sweet girl, you are going to be a big sister! You have been very excited about the baby, and I know you’re going to be an amazing sister. You’ll be almost 2 and a half by the time your brother or sister arrives, so it’s doubtful you’ll ever remember what life was like without him or her. And while I know that life will only get better for us with the addition of this new little person, I want you to know how much I’ve cherished our time together as just us. I know the majority of my excitement about this baby is because you’ve shown me how wonderful being a mama truly is…

From the first moments I held you in my arms, I was filled with a love I never new possible. Your dad may have taught be how to be loved, but you my girl taught me how to give love… how to love someone so much you think your heart might explode every time you lay your eyes on her… the heartbreak you feel when she’s hurting and you can’t make it better… the joy you feel when she rolls over, takes her first steps, when her signs turn into words.

As you’ve grown, the bond we share has only grown stronger. I feel like we’ve been on this great journey together… from pregnancy, to navigating those first chaotic newborn months, to all the milestones of your first year, and now seeing you develop into (it’s hard for me to even say it) a little girl. It’s been tough at times, figuring out this whole parenting thing, but mostly it’s been a pure joy… and truly the greatest honor of my life.

And now I’m on a new journey… a journey that takes me from being the mom of one to being the mom of two. But I promise my journey with you doesn’t stop because of that. I will love you both the same, but uniquely. You will still be my little boo boo. You will still be the one who taught me what it really means to be a mother, and what an absolute gift it is.

I am joined in this “Letters to our Children” blog circle by an amazing group of photographers and moms. Together, we’ll be writing these letters every month in honor of our love for our sons and daughters. I encourage you to head over to Carrie’s blog to read her letter, and then continue on around the circle!

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MATERNITY SERIES #2: Weeks 4 through 12

That’s right! Our little family is expanding. :) I’m thrilled to announce that Baby Shellaway #2 is due in early October. We’ve officially made it through the First Trimester and I, for one, am quite relieved. And it’s so nice to have our little secret out of the bag. (Although it was MUCH easier to hide this one since I work from home now!)

As you can see, I decided to start my maternity series a little earlier this time with a few photos during my First Trimester. (I’ll start the weekly photos with the letters once I hit 16 weeks, just like with Emma.) I also thought I’d switch things up for this series by doing the photos as lifestyle self portraits.

The photo above was taken right after we found out I was pregnant… the excitement on my face says it all. And then the morning sickness set in…

I wasn’t Kate Middleton sick or anything, and I wasn’t even as sick as I was with Emma… as long as I ate small amounts fairly often I felt somewhat okay. But the problem was nothing in my fridge looked appealing. And I was bone tired all day every day. So naturally, I decided that was a perfect time to potty train Emma. Seriously, do NOT potty train your toddler during your First Trimester. Epically terrible decision. Potty training requires immense amounts of patience and energy, neither of which I had in spades the past few months.

But, we made it… we made it through potty training, and we made it to 12 weeks. Emma is so excited to be a big sister. She points to my belly and says “baby!” and has become so interested in the baby doll in her classroom. She reads to it, gives it a bottle, and puts it to bed. And if she sees a baby sleeping anywhere – a book, real life, the box of wipes – she says, “shhhhh! Baby sleeping!” It’s quite endearing.

Thanks as always for your support! I’m so looking forward to sharing this journey with all of you. If you want to follow along with my maternity series, be sure to subscribe via RSS, email, or like my page on Facebook.

Emma and Elmo have a tea party

I'm currently taking yet another amazing Clickin Mom's class called "Lifestyle Photography with Kids" and thought I'd share one of my first assignments. I've been wanting to take this class ever since I first joined CM, and I'm pinching myself that not only did I get into this sold out session, but I'm taking it with a bunch of my photographer friends from my very first intro class. The idea behind lifestyle photography is to tell the story of people as they are, as opposed to posing them in a contrived setting. It's similar to documentary photography, but you have the freedom to control your environment a bit by moving things into good light and removing distractions. This style of photography works particularly well for small children as it's nearly impossible to get them to do anything except whatever it is they want to be doing at that moment, anyway. :) For my first story telling assignment, I decided to throw a little tea party for Emma and her BFF, Elmo. Notice how my idea of this tea party was a kettle, two cups, and a sugar bowl. Emma quickly had other ideas...

Within about 2 minutes all the cups, a pan, utensils, a yogurt container, and a balance ball pump had joined in on the fun. We only bring out the balance ball pump for our fanciest tea parties. ;)

"Drink your damn tea, Elmo!" :)

Uh oh, I think she poisoned Elmo.

I have sooo much shooting to do this weekend for the next assignment, but I'm really looking forward to it... so many fun new techniques to try out! Also, if you haven't gotten on the CM bandwagon, I can't recommend their classes more highly. This is my 3rd workshop in 7 months, and I have another one starting at the end of April. I might be addicted. :)

Have a great weekend, everyone!!

DESERT ISLAND DISCS: KATHRYN BONORCHIS

In honor of her upcoming birthday, this month's Desert Island Discs are brought to you by my beautiful sister, Kathryn. Kathryn and I were latch-key kids and instead of doing our homework when we got home from school, we immediately threw on MTV's Top 20 Countdown, chowed down on frozen Ssips, and watched our favorite hair bands duke it out for #1. And while our tastes have digressed quite a bit since then, we'll always have Nikki Sixx playing the piano on "Home Sweet Home" and Slash's guitar solo on "November Rain." So without further adieu, here's her list...

Click here to listen to all the tracks!

1) Bad/40/Where the Streets Have No Name (live in Boston) by U2... I just could not decide between Bad or Where the Streets Have No Name. I love both. Solution? The live performance from Boston that includes both in one track. I have loved U2 for as long as I can remember, and their live performances are second to none.

2) Patience by Guns n Roses... I am pretty sure I have whistled along with Axl Rose (whom I intended to marry when I turned 16, during my lengthy love-of-guys-with-long-hair phase) over 100 times. I used to be notoriously IMpatient, and this song was a calming presence during some tumultuous childhood years.

3) Both Hands by Ani DiFranco... I remember exactly where I was and who I was with the first time I heard this song, and it was love at first listen. Who hasn’t been in a failing relationship but struggled to finally let go? “I am writing grafitti on your body / I am drawing the story of how hard we tried.”

4) All You Need is Love by The Beatles... So simple, so true, and so very appropriate for someone who wears her heart on her sleeve. I grew up listening to The Beatles with my dad and sister, and I have fond memories of being silly and singing their songs at the top of my lungs. If I’m going to be stuck on a desert island, I’ll need an uplifting and hopeful song that takes me back to happy kid moments. And at the end of the day, I really believe all we need is love. The rest can fall in line.

5) Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd... I could have easily chosen 8 Pink Floyd songs I can’t live without, but this particular song is in my Top 3 of all-time favorites. I could be in the worst mood ever and this song will make things better. “How I wish, how I wish you were here / We’re just two lost souls / Swimming in a fish bowl / Year after year / Running over the same old ground / What have we found? / The same old fears / Wish you were here”

6) Feeling Good by Nina Simone... Oh how I adore Nina Simone. Total girl crush. This song is soulful, sexy, and would be the theme song of my desert island experience. From the opening line of “birds flying high” to the climactic end, this song is flawless.

7) Fix You by Coldplay... As with Pink Floyd, I could have easily chosen 8 Coldplay songs I can’t live without. But I chose “Fix You” because it’s the kind of song you want during hard times. It helped me get through 2009. “When the tears come streaming down your face / When you lose something you can’t replace / When you love someone but it goes to waste / Could it be worse? / Lights will guide you home / And ignite your bones / And I will try to fix you.” We all love, lose, and pick ourselves back up again. For me, this song is equal parts “cry your eyes out” and “hang in there, it’ll be okay.”

8) Closer to Fine by the Indigo Girls... Because it’s fun. And it reminds me of college, which was the most fun, responsibility-free time in my adult life. I know this song by heart, pretend I can actually sing while singing it, and it puts a smile on my face whenever I hear it.

Thanks, Kat!! Happy Birthday! :)

comfort

A (BELATED) OSCAR RECAP

Aside from the telecast being SUPER long and a little heavy on the music and bad jokes (okay, so that's every Oscars telecast), I was pretty pleased with the winners and fashion this year. I thought Jessica Chastain was flawless - perfect hair, perfect makeup, and that dress! The fit was incredible. Kristen Stewart's tailor could stand to take a few notes. I thought K-Stew looked like a complete train wreck - even more than usual, which is saying something. It must be nice to get paid millions of dollars and still be able to look like a hungover mess any time you show up to a fancy event. Also, what was she even doing there? As my friend Ailsa said, "Kristen Stewart has no business being at any event purportedly rewarding good acting. No business!" Amen, sista. Anywho, my other favorite looks of the night were Naomi Watts, Jennifer Lawrence, and Jennifer Garner.

As for our menu... this is the second year in a row I've made an Oscar themed feast, and while my names were pretty weak this year, the food - thankfully - was not. We had (brace yourselves) Seth MacncheeseFarlane (using our go-to Alton Brown recipe), BroccoLincorn (which was basically just broccoli and corn... we needed a veggie that Emma would eat), and Life of Salted Caramel Apple Hand Pies.

Obviously, the hand pies were the best part of the menu. The recipe was surprisingly easy to follow, despite my perpetual fears about making pie crust from scratch. I definitely recommend eating these warm, though... they were still good cooled, but they were heaven when they were just shy of piping hot.

How did you spend your Oscar night? I'd love to hear what you thought of the fashion!