Bring. It. On.

Bee-doop-bee-doop, Bee-doop-bee-doop, Bee-doop-bee-doop, Bee-doop-bee-doop-beeeeee.

Chicki-bow-dow, Chicki-bow-dow, Chicki-bow-dow, Chicki-bow-dow, bee-doop-beeeeeeeee.

Baby in a Bucket

I mean, really. Look at this child! They don't come much cuter than this, do they? Nathan's parents, my sister-in-law Melissa and her husband Al, and our adorable, squeezable, happy little nephew, Jackson, visited us in Atlanta this past June.

I of course took a million pictures of Jackson, and yes, I just had to put him in our UNC beer bucket for a photo shoot. That is just what you do!

When I wasn't chasing Jackson around the house with my camera, we went to the Atlanta Zoo, where I continued to obsessively take pictures of him. Please note again the expert camera work:He did so well on his first big trip out of town, until...he got sick. Poor baby. He caught a virus that was going around, and had to take it easy for the rest of the trip. Also, Poor Melissa, Al, and Phyllis, who stayed up ALL NIGHT with him since he couldn't fall asleep.

Hopefully the trip wasn't too much of a nightmare for them, and that they will be back to visit soon (although it's definitely our turn to head up to NC). We will see you soon!

In the meantime, I'll leave you with this gem:

Warning: May Disturb Sensitive Viewers

I am the worst "blogger" in the world. I shouldn't even be called a blogger...what do you call someone who blogs only 4 or 5 times a year?

A BLAH-ger. (So says Nathan).

I'm going to record (because it's not really an update when it's months old and everyone who might read this already knows) what we've been up to. It's going to take a few posts, but that's good! It forces me to take some time to get it all down.So, first up, the Sprint Triathlon.

Yes, that's right, Nathan and I are Triathletes.

Now I know that when you visualize a triathlete, you probably picture someone a bit like Lance Armstrong. I'm not saying we were the MOST graceful people racing, but we finished! It was a pretty amazing day:

Nathan before the race, in the transition area. Looking excited! 172 is the number of people who will eventually pass him...
This is Nathan about 2 minutes after crossing the finish line. He survived! This is what he looks like after working out for two hours straight.
These are the arms that dominated Nathan in the swim.

We did it! It was a great experience, but if you want to know the REAL story, you'll have to have Nathan tell it to you in person. It's that good.

More April Fleurs

I spent last weekend at Joanna's lovely family home in CT, as part of a girls weekend get together. It was so nice to see my UVA ladies and do nothing but relax, walk around town, and catch up. I love that we still get together every six months or so, and I'm hoping that one of the next weekends will be here in Atlanta.

It's gorgeous here right now. Our garden is amazing, and every day a new flower starts to bloom. Tonight, Nathan and I plan to borrow our neighbor's outdoor furniture (she's out of town!), and eat dinner outside amongst all of our flowers. We definitely need some permanent patio furniture at some point.

Also, Nathan and I have been busy training for our sprint triathlon, which is now just about a month away! We've been good about doing a little running or biking or swimming every day, and I think (hope) that we are going to be fine. We just need to get Nathan comfortable enough with the swim portion so that he doesn't drown. Let's just say we have a little bit of work to do!

Miami (Mee YAH Mee)!

We spent Easter weekend in Miami with Mahbod, and it was wonderful. I was desperately in need of some time near the ocean, so this was just what the doctor-and my ghostly pallor- ordered.

Corona Advertisement!

The view from my Uncle's balcony...literally on top of the ocean!

I believe a twice yearly trip to Miami is in order.

A Little Bit of Style

It's starting to warm up here in Atlanta, and the anticipation of warmer weather and sunshine suddenly has me craving lots of color. While we are directing most of our extra money right now to the house (we are in serious decorating mode), what does it hurt to compile a little wish list? Just looking at this stuff makes me happy!

Trina Turk dress...how perfect would this be for any summer weddings we attend?:

Webster's Pictorial Dictionary. The pictures look gorgeous, and I can just imagine looking through this with Nathan, who loves learning new facts. About anything and everything:

Aquamarine and Turquoise earrings from Bounkit. My favorite colors. I imagine wearing these to some lovely summer party in a grand house overlooking the ocean. and I will be tan when wearing them. Just waiting for the invitation...
The Lemon Book! I don't know what this book is all about, but if it involves any Old Wives Tales (which I am a big fan of) then I'm on board:

Stella McCartney Sunglasses. I like these because they are not all white, which was a recent trend that I didn't think I could pull off...I think the black details keep it feeling classic. Plus, I think these might be JUST big enough to cover my eyes and my eyebrows, which is a feat:

This Elva Fields necklace is wonderful, and it reminds me of something my mom would wear...orange and happy!:

This was so fun.

(btw, all pics come from Mrs. Lilien Styling House, which is one of the most fun blogs to spend time on: http://blog.mrslilien.com/

Snapshots from the Garden - March: It's ALIVE!

After a full winter of Nathan complaining that I killed every single thing in the garden (seriously, it did look especially brown and pathetic this winter), I am thrilled to report that we have signs of life! Actually, in the past week, parts of the garden have exploded in bloom and it's just so pretty.

I'm trying to figure out what kind of vine/climber we have over our fence. It's leaves are green year round, and suddenly last week it started blooming hundreds of little white flowers. It's gorgeous:

Here's a close-up of the flower:

The trees surrounding the back of the house are also in bloom. Here's a picture of my next door neighbor's guest house (ha! sounds fancy!) with some flowering tree branches:

We also have some daffodils that are in bloom, which are pretty. The rest of the garden looks like it's starting to emerge, and I'm excited to see how it all turns out. I will keep you updated!

Eideh Shoma Mobarak!

Happy Noruz!

I spent the Iranian New Year in Boston with my cousin Gigi and the rest of my family, including Arya, who came up from DC. What a wonderful weekend! Not only was the weather in Boston freakishly nice, (70 degrees in March? Unbelievable.) but I somehow mustered up the energy to do nothing but celebrate for three straight days.

Staying with my family in Wellesley is always so nice...we just like being around each other, telling stories, eating (and drinking) well, and DANCING.

Here are some pictures of the Haft Seen (the traditional table you decorate for the new year, each item represents a hope for the next year: Health, Prosperity, Happiness, Beauty, etc.)


Here's a picture of the cousins outside...it was the first really beautiful day in Boston in awhile, and you can tell just by looking at us. Doesn't it look like this is the first time any of us has been in the sun in AWHILE? Who knew Iranians could get so pale?

Holidays 'N Such

I want to finally add a few pictures from Christmas in Smithfield and New Years in DC. And OF COURSE, I have to show you pictures of our nephew, Jackson. Is it possible for this child to get any cuter? No. It is not.


I miss him already.

Thank you to the Barbours and Andersons for being so generous and getting me so many wonderful gifts! I truly am so lucky.

Now, on to New Years in DC. The Blackleys and Bacigalupos hosted an amazing black tie event to benefit Friends of Penyem, and it was such a lovely time. Joanna came down from Hopkins, and Arya and his cute girlfriend joined us for the festivities. Honestly, to have a fancy party with an open bar, great food, a DJ and your friends on NYE...what more could you ask for?

Oh, yeah. And there were masks!


My handsome men:


It's been a nice couple of weeks back in Atlanta. Work is busy, but it's good to be back on a schedule. Oh, and our living room remodel has begun! Stories and pictures to come...

2010

I am back in Atlanta today after Christmas in North Carolina and New Years in DC. It was a lovely Christmas, but I unfortunately got some very sad news on the 28th of December from my dear friend Alexandra (whom I've known since we were 12!). Her two sisters, Victoria and Elizabeth, were killed in a car accident in Fairfax on the 28th. So, it's been a week full of ups and downs. A fun New Years with Arya and a bunch of business school friends, followed by several very sad days with Alexandra and her Family.

I will update on the Holidays soon, but in the meanwhile, here is the news coverage:

http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/1209/691282.html