Birthday Beards.

I grew up in the bay area of California. My entire life I have wanted to be married to a corduroy wearing, paint splattered, granola-y bearded man. Until I met Freddo. He was perfect in every way. He made me forget about the corduroy, paint and granola-ness that I'd previously longed for. But I couldn't forget about the beard.

Freddo looks good with a little 5 o'clock shadow, so I knew he'd look great with a beard.

However, Freddo was not having it when I put in my request for him to grow out the fuzz... fortunately I don't give up easily... so one evening I filled his belly with the yummiest of dinners and while he was peacefully drifting off to sleep I sweetly asked him to give it a go, to grow out a "birthday beard" for me... And he agreed!
The rules: No shaving from October 9th to November 9th.
Exactly one month of true beardiness.

And I tell ya... the kicking and screaming... the complaints and mean bristle rubbing against my own little red cheeks was worth it.

While I ended up deciding at the end of the month that I prefer my Freddo to be clean shaven (a girl's cheeks can only take so much!) I was happy to have finally gotten my bearded man. Isn't he a looker?

**Sigh**

Wishing you all a little "birthday beard-y" happiness of your own,

Han

PS. How much do you love the stash? I snapped this as Freddo was shaving everything off... Cracks me up!

Toddlers & Tiaras: A UV weekend in reveiw

Our sister-in-law Laura, is a party planner at planning parties.

As evidenced below

in to form of 

Jamie's 24th:

A toddler's & tiara's affair

Laura

Winners of the sashes

Best Personality Glamour Shot

Grand Supreme goes to the Birthday Lady

Hottie #1 and her main squeeze

mini princess cakes

"Pageant Crack" and cash prizes

Top it off with dance times and glow sticking

Definitely the party to be at if you acknowledge the month of March. 

Sparkle and shine-

racha

P.S. The husbot dressed like this little lady...

it was pretty gross

Cannoli Stramboli

My husbot is kind of the best.

This year I wanted to do something special for his 30th birthday... so I saved up all my pennies and surprised him with a trip to a land far far away...

Hubs and I love the TLC show "Cake Boss".

Have you ever watched it?

It's a silly reality show about this massive Italian family that owns a famous bakery in NJ.

It's all of the Jersey accents and swag without the trashy trash that the "Shore" offers...

It's basically good fun and leaves you craving mastaccioli, loud people and your favorite cousin, Vinny.

So, for Hubs 30th we visited Carlos Bakery and ate too much cannoli.

It was kind of wonderful.

-Hansa

Happy birthday Hubs!!!

Happy weekend!

Guys- There are a ton of reasons that I'm looking forward to this weekend,

but the biggest one is that it's Hubs' birthday!!!! 

And, it's not just any birthday... he turns the big 3-0 today! 

Wahoo!!!

30 is kind of a big deal.

I know... I've been it for almost a year... yikes!

So I've got something suprah duprah special!

A huge-a-mongous surprise if you will... and I will!

xoxo- Hansie

P.S. Don't forget about the giveaway! Today's the last day to enter!

Bollywood Birthday: Weekend in Review

mr. elephanta

                                             

the ladies who did it all

opening presents

lounging

henna

pretty gold toes

Wow. Laura and Jamie, you outdid yourselves on Mike and I's joint birthday party! Thank you so much!

They hand dyed all the fabric. 

Made those little mats.

Made two german chocolate cakes: 

one vegan

one reglar style

Got me and mikey the bestest gifts ever

made the most delicious curry

soy chai martinis

handmade elephant

a million other things

It was incredible. Those girls are party planning fiends.

bollywood luvah-

racha

p.s. the night before all of us girls went out for spray tans (because they're $10 after 10PM). I've never had one before and so, of course, I forget to put the hair coving behind my hairline. And instead put it over my forehead. Behold the spray tan mishap below:

5 for 5: A Birthday Giveaway + 5 Reasons This Week Was Wonderful!

There's a lot of reasons this week has been fabulous...


1. Double-cupped-QUAD-tall-2-pump-pumpkin spice-no room americanos. Puuuur-fection.

2. Red lips.
kind. of. obsessed.

3. One word: polyvore.
Have you heard of it yet? It's sweeping pinterest and the blog world...
And- it's kind of changing my life people.
Kind of.

4. It's official. I'm a winner!!!
Elz-a-bells held a little giveaway recently for opi's "You don't know Jacques"...
And I won! Hooray!!! So so so love this color!

5. And... The bestest thing about this week is today.. Because today is Rachey-Pooh's birthday!!!
Wahoo!!!! It's Rachey's birthday and we're going to celebrate!

I'll be mailing Rachey a birthday present and...
~~Dun dun dun~~
 One of you lucky readers will win a Rach inspired prezzie too!

Giveaway closed.
The Giveaway goods:

-1 tube of smokin' hot RED lipstick
-1 jar of oh-so-yummy nutella
-1 ettagrace mustard corsage

Want the Rachey Pooh Birthday Grab bag?!?!?

Here's how to enter:

Mandatory:
*Be a Public Follow of this blog

Bonus Entries:
*Follow us on twitter @ettagraceshop
*"Like" us on facebook
*Blog about this giveaway
*Tweet or post on facebook a "Happy Birthday" wish to Rachey Pooh with a link to this giveaway

**Make sure to leave a separate comment for each of your entries!**

Giveaway closes next Friday, September 23
(winner announced on Saturday the 24th)
Giveaway closed.

Hugs and kisses and birthday wishes,
Hansie Bear

The surprise party everyone knew about: Rachel's weekend in review

Dearest:

such a fluffy pair! 

what pretty patterns our unwashed windows make!

the cake couldn't even keep it together for the party

Sister-in-love (ohmuhwerd, I hate when people say that) Laura's 24th was this saturday...and it seemed we all did our hardest to make sure that she knew we were throwing her a surprise party. 

Exhibit A: Mike sends Jama'ie a text about the party

Jama'ie proceeds to respond to text by way of Laura.

Laura responds with "You're not very good at this are you..."

Exhibit B: Mike takes Laura out back behind their apartment so that we can decorate.

Ian shows up late to decorating and

walks around back.

Mike see's him, excuses himself from Laura and tells Ian to keep it down and head inside

Ian responds with,

"why does everyone keep shushing me?!"

Exhibit C: Despite our best efforts to keep quiet while decorating,

Laura hears us.

Oh well, maybe we'll get her next time. 

lovie dovie-

ricochete rach