bowl cut

Dear Orla Kiely model,

I dig your mushroom-meets-bowl cut.

xo. ali

image via

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fall, don't fail me now

Halloween proved to be the perfect fall day.

• Oscar in his skeleton jammies for almost 24 hours
• His happy feet kicking all afternoon in his carrier
  
• Kids in costumes on the Metro
• Stomping through sidewalks flooded with leaves
• Drizzly weather but warm temps
• Lunch in the city with my friend and her adorable baby bump
• Party with new friends and gourmet Halloween-themed foods
• A spooky flick, just C and me.

Like Halloween, I wish autumn would never end.

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first place

Guess who took home the gold medal at his first-ever costume contest? Go Team Ghostbusters!

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view from here

Hanging out in the once-new, now-old crib.



Hanging out on the once-old, now-new couch.

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apple picking

We went apple picking for the first time. My kitchen smells like reds plucked fresh from the tree, which is a refreshing departure from the pumpkin-and-cinnamon aromas that typically mark the fall months.

As we all know, apples are tempting. But I prefer those cheeks.

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jump everybody jump everybody jump

Every day from approximately 4:00 to 4:30 p.m. (and sometimes more), there is a party in this doorway. Expect lots of smiles and laughing and squealing. It gets pretty crazy until the man of the hour wears out and has a little meltdown.

His shadow is my favorite part.

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names

On any given day since February 19ish, you might have caught me calling Oscar by any of the below:

01. Lamb Chop
02. Colonel Mustard
03. Little Mister
04. Pumpkin Dumpling
05. Chicken Little
06. Angel Baby
07. Doll Baby
08. Baby Boy
09. Little Pumpkin
10. Little Love
11. Oscar Monster
12. Lil Monkey
13. Ozzy Loo
14. Ozzy Loo Hoo
15. Oscar Lee Louis

Or my favorite:

Oscar Uzi Angel Baby Punkin Dumpling Smith.

("Uzi" pronounced "Oozy")

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pamma

Top ten reasons to get stuck at your mom's house for nearly an entire month:

01. She will love Oscar as much as you do.
02. She will take over when you get sick as a dog and end up one appendix short.
03. You will get to see lots of friends and almost your entire family because they like to visit her.
04. You will get a babysitter for the first time in six months.
05. You will be treated to (your favorite) homemade meals almost every night.
06. And taken to fun restaurants on the other nights.
07. Two words: Featherbed
08. Fresh blueberries, blackberries or peaches every morning. With cream. On the patio, in your jammies, with the waterfall on.
09. Nordstrom Rack, twice.
10. Having three generations under one roof really is a special thing.

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my boys

These are the two boys who taught me to love the very most. First Max, who belongs to sister. And then my very own Oscar.

Oscar is not quite as bald as he looks in this photo. He is, however, just as chunky as he looks in this photo. And kissable.

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daddy loves me

Oscar took Lake Powell by storm, and missed his daddy the whole time.

I doubt the lake has ever seen the likes of these thighs.

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the big apple

Oscar went to New York City to check out the Brooklyn Bridge, get a crush on his Auntie Lane and fall asleep on the subway in the most adorable, heart-melting way possible. He was a total champ---didn't even mind sleeping in sister's itsy bitsy kitchen---and took to city life like a champ. He's a mover and a shaker.

If I still blogged like I used to (which I keep trying to do but this habit has been replaced be a five-month-old bundle of love; go figure), I would also tell you about the fresh lemon shave ice I had at the Brooklyn Flea, the deep chocolate with a spicy after-kick at Il Laboratio del Gelato, the guilt I felt upon indulging in a creme brulee donut at Doughnut Plant, and how I enjoyed browsing the gift shop when the folks at the Tenement Museum said it wasn't a good idea to bring in an infant on such a humid day. And also, falling in love again with the black and white at Lenny's and walking loops at Riverside Park because sister and bro-in-law plan entire days around what treats we can have on the way. They're good hosts like that.

Unfortunately, my little camera-that-could is totally dying. This light leak is one I didn't want, and left me with sub-par images. On the bright side, you can still see that Oscar's baby blues are getting lost in his cheeks.

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ruby blue

I loved this Wade Robson number so much, I almost broke out my old spandex and dancin' shoes. His musical interpretation is uncanny, he's super inventive with movement, and totally unpredictable. Entertainment at its best.

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love this pillow

At long last we meet, dear pillow. Maybe no one told sister it was her birthday this week, not mine. I've been waiting for this day for a long time.

And if you were wondering if I bothered with my hair today, my answer would be: Who has time for that?

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jim franco: holland flower auction

Some favorite photos of the Holland Flower Auction by photographer Jim Franco. See the rest of the set here.

Thank you for the introduction, Jessica.

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greg byers

I like these photos by Brooks Institute student Greg Byers, available at UGallery.com. They feel like July 1 to me.

Top: "34th Street"
Bottom: "6th Street Tower"

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