a baby BBQ

The other oh-so-exciting event of the past few months was an adorable baby shower my sister, best friend and mom hosted for Stefan and I at our new place.  

While I was excited to celebrate this soon-to-be babe, I wasn't into the whole traditional ladies-sitting-around-talking type of baby shower so I asked if we could make the event co-ed (Stefan did play a rather large role in this whole thing...) and super casual.  

They opted to throw a BBQ-themed, red-and-white soiree that was absolutely perfect and right up our alley.

There were lots of delicious beverages - copious amounts of wine and beer for most everyone and sparkling lemonade for the pregnant ladies among us.

They decked the place out with lots of personalized, red-and-white touches...

...and orchestrated some fun, little games for guests, including a guess-the-due-date-and-weight contest.  We always love some good competition. :)

With an August 5th due date, the jury was tipping towards a late delivery (and a big baby!).

Stefan and the guys grilled up assorted sausages (pork, chicken, vegan, you name it) and my fabulous friend Claudine - chef extraordinaire and founder of Stiletto & Spice - did all the salads and sides.  It was a top-notch menu that made this soon-to-be mama very pleased.  We were all too busy chowing down to get any shots, but let me tell you: it was as beautiful as it was delicious.

Some shots of me with the fabulous party-hosting crew:

The bump was clocking in at around 28 weeks, or for those of you who don't talk pregnancy-speak: 7ish months.  

Overall, it was a total slam-dunk of a party that made this baby girl feel very loved!

xoxo

KK

a shower for gretters

I have the great honor of serving as my lovely sister's Matron of Honor for her upcoming nuptials this fall.  While there are many important duties in such a role, one such obligation is that of the Bachelorette party - a critical rite of passage for many a bride.

Unfortunately due to Gretter's school schedule (she is a schoolteacher and is going to school herself) and my baby schedule (most airlines ground pregnant ladies ~1-2 months out for fear that they may go into labor mid-flight and force the plane to land), we couldn't find a date that worked.  After much discussion, we decided to have me opt out of said Bachelorette and instead have me host a more pregnant-lady-friendly bridal shower.

With the help of my party-planning-extraordinaire mother, we orchestrated a lovely get-together for friends and family at the condo Gretchen and Al recently bought in New Canaan, CT.  (What grown-ups!)

We opted for a low-key brunch with lots of yummy goodies catered by a local spot:

We did make-your-own yogurt parfaits, 

to-die-for mini muffins and scones, 

made-to-order lattes and cappuccinos,

fluffy, decadent baby quiche, and 

- since no bridal brunch is complete without some bubbly - assorted Mimosas.

Note: custom linen napkins with Gretchen and Al's wedding logo on them

Who doesn't love an excuse for Champagne at 11am?

After chowing down (and drinking up!), we watched as Gretters opened up some top-notch gifts - many of which would be put straight to good use in their brand new place!

There's nothing like some good place mats!

Note: coffee cups with G&A's wedding logo stamped on -

you know how I love stamping

We chatted and sipped and chatted some more as we showered the soon-to-be bride with advice, gifts, wisdom, and love.  While not quite a Bachelorette, the morning was a charming celebration of this lovely soon-to-be bride.

xoxo

KK

the mackenzies

Greetings friends!

It's been awhile.

Since I've chimed in here last:
we've had bridal showers and baby showers, 
this bump has gotten a whole lot bigger (t-minus 6 weeks!), 
I finally took my miserable test, and 
my best, best friend tied the knot!

There's lots to report back on but I'll start by filling you in on this past weekend: the sensational nuptials of my fab friend Charlotte.

After some picnic-ing and tennis playing Friday afternoon (both the bride and groom are athletic all-stars), we rehearsed our ceremony duties and got cleaned up for the Friday night festivities.  

The rehearsal dinner and welcome drinks Friday evening were a total success.  Top-notch toasts, amazing appetizers, thoughtful touches, a delicious dinner, incredible ice cream, and lots of celebrating.

some of the maids with the bride during cocktail hour

the mother of the groom went all out 

with her "perfect match" theme

Saturday I carried out my very taxing duties as a bridesmaid:

sending the bride off on a morning run,

getting my hair done,
getting my make-up done,
eating lots of delicious food,

hanging out with the bride,
lounging about in a comfy bathrobe,
getting my picture taken.

It was a really tough day.

At 5pm the bride and groom sealed the deal in the most gorgeous of settings:

They then surprised all of their guests with an adorable, perfectly choreographed dance number that charmed the whole lot. 

I was waterworks galore watching them tear up the dance floor.

Again, the party was a smashing success and full of fab moments, best of which was watching how over-the-moon happy both the bride and groom were.

Sadly, the weekend was over just as soon as it started and I was back on a plane to SF.  Luckily, my fabulous husband spoiled me with a business-class upgrade (one of the few pros of him traveling all. the. time.) so I nursed my sadness with warm nuts, a made-to-order ice cream sundae, and lots of on-demand movies.  Had to take advantage of my last pre-baby flight! :)

More news on happenings here soon.

xoxo

KK

1st of August

In addition to attempting to learn German while in der Schweiz, I've been trying to soak up as much Swiss culture as possible.  And for a country of so few people (Stefan loves to remind me that he comes from a very limited population...), there is quite a lot of culture.  Tradition, customs, and routine play an enormous role in everyday life.

In addition to being lucky enough to marry one of the very few Swiss males on the planet, I was lucky enough to be in Switzerland for their national holiday: the 1st of August.  Like most things in Switzerland, the day was packed full with good Swiss customs.

We started the day with a big Swiss Frühstück (breakfast) on a Bauernhof (farm).  

  

This celebratory Frühstück included copious amounts of classic Swiss fare:

viel Brot

viel Käse

viel Milch

(direkt von der Kuh)

und Rösti natürlich!

(a traditional Swiss dish made of 

farm-fresh, shredded potatoes - 

originally a common breakfast eaten 

by farmers in the canton of Bern)

 In addition to eating, there was lots of entertainment for young and old alike:

Traditionellen Alphorn Musik!

The festivities didn't end after the morning meal, however.  That evening we headed to the local village fest for more tradition and excitement.  After a hike up ein Berg (mountain), we partook in traditional Swiss singing, sausage eating and local beer drinking among the other villagers.  

Then, as the sun began to set, each villager (children included) took a lit torch and marched to the top of the Berg to help light a massive bonfire.  

I was told this village's fire was a mere baby compared to those of some neighboring villages.  I said I was quite fine with this one's size and took care to remain a safe distance away.

All in all: ein wunderschöner Tag!

xoxo
KK  

happy 4th!

What are you up to this weekend?

We're hanging around here and partaking in typical fourth-fare: watching the fireworks from our roof, doing some extra-long hikes over in Marin, and eating lots of corn on the cob.  

While I'm excited for a weekend of not-so-much after so much action these past few weeks, I am missing the big fourth of July festivities I grew up with (family soccer and sparklers and barbecue and sitting by the lake and a flag sheet cake homemade by my little brother early that morning).  

So to quench my thirst for the holiday, I'm bringing you my favs for the fourth.

For eating:

from here and here and here

For drinking:

from here and here

For dessert-ing:

from here and here and here

And for wearing:

from here and here and here

Happy fourth!

xoxo

KK

we're on style me pretty!

I'm excited to announce that our wedding is on Style Me Pretty today!

cheers to that!

Head on over there to check out all the details!

I'm currently in Williamstown with some of these folks:

(namely the funny guy on the right 

who is graduating from college this Sunday)

What are you up to this weekend?
Happy Friday!

xoxo
KK

long weekend

In addition to having an extra day (and lots of gorgeous sun) this past weekend, we had two sets of friends in town.  First: my wonderful friend Char and her boyfriend Scott who were here for a wedding, and then second: Stefan's friend from Liechtenstein, who is currently living in Brazil and was in town doing some Series B fundraising for an exciting new venture.

As is always the case when we have friends in town, we were jam-packed with activities.  The highlights were:

a wild glow-in-the-dark night out dancing

watching bayern munich take home the championship

a friend-filled walk on Crissy Field

The most delicious cocktail hour ever 

(with goodies fresh from the farmer's market)

hosted by Scott's sensational mother Randy

Randy (in the middle) is one of those mothers who has a magical way of 

making everyone feel super welcome and right at home 

(and VERY well fed)

a Sunday morning hike

(me trying (unsuccessfully) to strike a sexy pose)

more on this to come

some wine (and chocolate) tasting that afternoon

What were you up to this weekend?

xoxo

KK