Wordless Wednesday

Prima Ballerina

Leila recently started taking dance at the studio I danced and taught at for ten years.  I'd been waiting for her to start dance there since the day I learned I was pregnant (only a little over 2.5 years until Gianna can start!)  Leila is taking the summer session of "Princess Ballet" and in the Fall will start a tap/ballet combo class.  To say that Leila loves dance is an understatement.  We practice moves at home, and read "Angelina Ballerina" (thanks, Mel!) all the time.  Her class is one hour long, and Leila stays focused the entire time.  I'm impressed!

Each week Leila learns a quick routine.  Here is this week's:

Leila also started gymnastic with one of her best friends:

She loves it and is doing really well with it, but I have to say - some of the things they have her doing make my palms all sweaty.  She seems too little to be hanging on balance beams, and doing leaps, but she does it well.

I can't believe my not-so-tiny little girl is big enough to be in what she calls "big girl" classes with "big girl outfits".

Wordless Wednesday

Summer Reading

I haven't read a single one of these books yet.  I should probably get crackin'

....and thanks to my mom, once I start some of those books I won't lose my place.

 

:)

What is on your summer reading list?

New S&D jewelry + shipping's on me!

Oh, hello gorgeous NEW Fall/Winter collection!  Stella & Dot just released the new line today and it is fabulous!!  I just ordered a bunch of pieces and can't wait to play around with them!

Between the new Fall jewels, cute new Fall clothes in the stores and the fact that it's over 100 degrees already, I'm feeling pretty over summer - how 'bout you?

First thing I can't wait to put on when I get my jewelry is the Petra braided bracelet:

I love that you can dress it up or down!

I'm also loving the Owl charm pendant necklace:

Plus, I can't wait for Leila and I to wear matching Charlotte necklaces:

Loooooove it all!  What is your favorite piece?

I'd love to offer you FREE SHIPPING on anything on my Stella & Dot website - just email me (heathergiustino@gmail.com) for details, *before* placing your order!

Also - the first five people to book a trunk show with me in August or September, I'm giving  you an additional $20 in hostess rewards - again, email me for details!

Hope you love it all!

Wordless Wednesday

Chunk Chunk de Mo Mo

I am in disbelief that my sweet, little Gianna (lovingly referred to as G, Geebs, Gebe, Gebe de Bebe, Coco, Coco de Monkey, Coco de Mo Mo and Chunk Chunk de Mo Mo) is already (over) four months old.  Why is time flying by so fast?  I feel like time when I had just Leila went nice and slow. Time with my two girlies is flying....kind of makes me sad.

Gianna had her four-month doctor's appointment last week.  Dr. Sam was impressed with how "ahead developmentally" she was, and sent us home with the homework to "keep doing what we're doing."  That's always nice to hear :)

Here are G's four month stats:

Weight: 15 pounds, 11 oz (90th percentile)

Height: 25" (75th percentile)

Head: 41 cm (50th percentile)

She is a dream baby.  Always happy, and sooooo easy to make smile.  She's starting to play with her voice a lot more, and is loving her toys, especially her "stolen" chihuahua (more on that later)

She is such an angel and we feel so blessed to have her!

{pictures taken July 3, 2010}

and for comparison, Leila at four months:

Monterey 2010

Last week we took off for a mini family vacation to Monterey.  First stop was the aquarium.  {Cranky girls = not many aquarium pictures}

After a few hours at the aquarium we walked Cannery Row and had dinner at Bubba Gump's. 

The next day we went to Dennis the Menace park:

we played on a big train:

went rock climbing:

climbed so, so high:

went down silly slides:

and even got a tattoo!

After the park Tony and the girls dropped me off back to our hotel for a fabulous 90-minute massage.  While I was being pampered, they headed to the beach!

{Sans swimsuit apparently}

After a long nap from Tony and both girls we headed down to the Wharf, where it was low tide.

We ate some yummy seafood, tried on some silly hats...

hung out with this girl and her cuties:

On our last day in Monterey we went paddle boating!

Leila requested a "turk-a-poise" boat with sparkles, which was (of course) totally inconvenient to get to, but the sweet guy who worked there went out of his way to get one for us to ride in.  This is Leila's new pose, by the way....every picture I've taken her over the last month she's doing that toe-pointing pose.  Cheese ball!

Gianna sat on Tony's lap the whole time, and the up and down motion made her fall right asleep!

{Safety first!}

It was so nice to get away for a few days, but it sure is great to be home!

Do you have any summer plans??

Wordless Wednesday

Fun at the Fair

On Wednesday we went to the Fair.  We love the fair - it is so different now, having kids.  As soon as we walked in Leila saw the carousel.  Obviously we had to stop and ride it:

Then we went to the 4-H section, where we made a scarecrow:

And groomed a horse:

Then we walked around looking at all of the tiny baby chicks and ducks, rabbits and guinea pigs and then headed over to the stinky animals - the cows, goats, pigs and horses.  We had some lunch and got to visit daddy's friends (the firefighter station - a bunch of our friends were working, and Leila felt very cool knowing all of the firefighters.) 

Then it was time for Leila's favorite activity of all time - pony rides:

Leila couldn't understand why the pony was named Cinnamon.  "You put cinnamon on your hot chocolate, you don't name your pony Cinnamon!"

Read more about Leila's pony riding love here and here and here and here.

Then rides!!

Dizzy dragons:

the teacups:

Wannabe Dumbo:

and after the rides we shared an ice cream, and snapped some pictures:

Finally, it was just about time to go, but not before we squeezed in one last pony ride:

After a long, hot day at the fair we went a little bananas:

After our day at the fair I went to see "Eclipse" (omgosh, best movie so far!!  Taylor Lautner = pure yum!)  I was home around 11:00 and started packing for our mini vacay in Monterey, but more on that later....