when i first fell in love.

First, a heartfelt thank-you for all your darling comments and well wishes on our baby announcement (and on my twinkie's blog). Our mini me is already loved by so many and nothing makes this mama-to-be happier! ♥

I didn't know what to expect at our first appointment. Everything I had read said to expect a lot of paperwork and for it to be your longest one. I didn't think we'd have an ultrasound that early so it was such a sweet surreal and emotional surprise that i got to "meet" my baby.

My legs were shaking and tears welled up in my eyes when i saw my little "kidney bean" on the screen. There is nothing like hearing your baby's heartbeat for the first time. 

At 8 weeks, that's when i first fell in love.

ps. i realize these things are hard to make out... Baby Maxham head is at the top and it's body is curved (like baby's on it's side) and that little nub in the middle is his/her hand. 

also! for those of you who've asked, we don't know what we're having just yet. We find out on April 24th and yes! we want to know. ;) i'm pretty sure baby will feel my butterflies until then. 

the happiest.

Sharing Sundays... an etsy favorite from nan lawson.

has it really been a week since i've last blogged? 

hello lovies! today's sharing sunday is a print that i actually got for my birthday from one of my favorites-- april! she surprised me with this print from nan lawson saying, "I think of you every time I watch this movie, and love that it touches your heart like it does mine!" 

thank-you so much april! like most pieces of art, it's even more stunning in person.

if you've never seen eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, watch it right.this.instant. or at least tonight-- it's on instant watch on netflix.

it is my absolute favorite movie because i've often wondered this.

Sharing Sundays... an etsy favorite from The Joy of Ex Foundation.

In my single days, i would have bought this cheeky double-sided pillow case.

It reminds me of when me and my then room mate jillian kept condoms in our lemon bowl. 

happy things to end the week with.

♥ remember when i blogged about this beauty & how much i wanted it? imagine my absolute joy when it arrives on my doorstep, a birthday surprise from my sister-in-law. It's more beautiful in person but it's even more special because i wasn't expecting it at all. 

♥ birthday pressie from my husband : Ray Ban cat eye glasses

♥ My beautiful sister Kary spoiled us for our birthday, as always! included in my birthday package was sweet treats from NYC : cookies from Magnolia, macaroons from Zabars, & mini cupcakes from Baked by Melissa. These didn't last more than an hour ;) 

♥ i truly do have the best girlfriends... part of my bestie's big birthday package to me included these ah-mazing records of our favourites!!!! there is nothing like Elton John's voice on the turntable last night when i couldn't sleep. It fits in this perfect place in my heart, just like Marisa. 

♥ i know part of my resolution was to not buy any more books until i read the ones on my bookshelf, but i couldn't resist when i saw this one. It's a classic and always reminds me of my parents. 

♥ i finally own one of these amazing hand printed cuff bracelets from Theif&Bandit, thanks to Gracie who played sweet detective in my etsy faves ;)

♥ hands down, i have the best girlfriends! and as you can see from these little snippets, i was one spoiled birthday girl. This isn't even half of the amazing things i received! thank-you to everyone who made me feel special (amanda, lauren nicole, alyssa, keiko, claudia, carrie marie & the above-- have i told you lately how amazing you are? because you are!). xoxo

Happy Friday Lovies! what happy things are you ending the week with?

+please leave a link below if you do post-- i'd love to share in your happiness xo

Book Club : The Reader.

After enjoying the experience of reading J.D. Salinger back to back together, we decided to keep our book club going. Courtney couldn't have chosen a better book than The Reader by Bernhard Schlink. In fact, i had loved the film version but never thought to read it's written form. I meant to bring this with me to keep me company on the plane, but the truth is-- i finished it long before my birthday trip. I couldn't put it down. 

again, we each came up with a question for us to answer.

Jo asked, Schlink has been criticized for The Reader. Some say it is wrong of him to try to get people to sympathize with Hanna. Others say he is trying to downplay the culpability of the educated class. Still others think he is blaming Hanna's guilt on illiteracy rather than holding her accountable. Do you agree with any of these criticisms?

When i read this question, i automatically thought of the part in the book during the trial. Hanna asks the Judge what he would have done. When Michael questions why she would rather be exposed as a criminal rather than an illiterate, what he comes to believe (page 133) is how i felt. She was held accountable even at the very end. I think what she chose to do with her small earnings in prison shows that she knew what she had done-- intentionally or because of circumstance. 

Courtney asked, Throughout the novel, Michael always makes note of Hanna's strength and strong physical presence. Do you think this was to build a strong description of her for us readers, or do you think it was to make her deterioration in prison and the sad ending more dramatic and sad? 

Both. Definitely for the ending. Page 209, "As I looked and looked, the living face became visible in the dead, the young in the old. This is what must happen to old married couples, I thought : the young man is preserved in the old one for her, the beauty and grace of the young woman stay fresh in the old one for him. Why had I not seen this reflection a week ago? I must not cry." 

My question was comparing the film version to the book. How did it measure up? Any big changes that you preferred from the book that the movie left out or vice versa? 

I think the book was well adapted on the big screen. They could not have picked better actors to portray Schlink's characters which i believe may have made all the difference. In fact, i can't think of something the movie changed-- it was that well done. 

Quotes that are dog-eared in my book:

"It is one of the pictures of Hanna that has stayed with me. I have them stored away, i can project them on a mental screen and watch them, unchanged, unconsumed. There are long periods when I don't think about them at all. But they always come back into my head, and then I sometimes have to run them repeatedly through my mental projector and watch them. " -p 62

"She also gave herself in a way she had never done before. She didn't abandon all reserve, she never did that. But it was as if she wanted us to drown together." -p 79

Once again, I enjoyed reading this much more with these two girls & i can't wait to see what they thought. Read Jo's answers here // Courtney's answers here. 

I would definitely recommend both the book and the movie. 

what if.

i love tyler knott's work but especially these two pieces.

they're like silent prayers of art.


silent prayers, i might have said for you.

my birthday trip home.

i got to spend ten glorious days with my parents and twinkie, all thanks to Marianne's husband {it was his birthday gift to us}. We did so much! from family movie dates to catching up with friends over lunches. Here's a few photos from home : 

my momma always bakes us our favorite cakes

before maddie drove back to austin - i love our sports shirts! 

sister cuddles

and a family that believes in group hugs :) 

for our birthday, the beautiful faiza absolutely surprised us by sending us this ADORABLE yard sign! how thoughtful and amazing right? just like her.

we were showered with birthday love-- here's a digital billboard marianne's boss & coworkers put up for us on a busy intersection. we felt like rockstars!

since my husband couldn't take time off work, he surprised me with this beautiful bouquet for my bday.

happy hour with the girls! ashleigh, lauren, and you know steph! :) 

we had a pajama movie night at ashleigh's and watched Like Crazy. Isn't her son Chase just adorable?!

i couldn't get enough of him! (yep, posting a pic of me with little make-up)

late eating at IHOP with our adorable Pappa

us Lechugas after church

visiting Marianne at the office

It never gets easier, saying bye to family when you live so far away {i think it's double worse if you're a twin}. Me and Marianne are already counting down to May when we'll see each other again for our epic girls trip to Cali!!! 

P.S. thanks for welcoming each blogger while i was away-- i love "showing our hearts" with each other and seeing how beautiful and unique each one is. to the girls who blog-sitted, you are lovely & i might have fallen in love with you even more if that's possible xo

Meg Fee's Heart.

hi lovies! i just got back from wichita falls on Saturday and then had to go back to work Sunday. While i'm spending my day off unpacking and cleaning, i thought i'd give my readers an extra treat with one more "heart." I think you're going to like this heart, it's a good heart. xo Micaela

micaela was one of the first ladies i was attracted to in the crazy and wonderful world of blogging. we began around the same time--you can find me at the wild and wily ways of a brunette bombshell--and it has been such a joy to watch her flourish and grow--to marry the love of her life and honor that commitment each day in such a joyous and bold way.

i was so honored when she asked me to participate in this series and i only hope that what offer lives up to the all the wonderful women who have shared their hearts before me.

so here goes nothing...


a picture: 

this picture was taken this last summer by one of my oldest friends and good lord was he making me laugh!

i've struggled a lot over the years with having my photo taken, but this has to be one of my favorites. because it's so not about vanity. i look at that photo and think, yeah, i'm happy there. and because i look at it and see that i'm happy, i then look and fall in love with my veiny forehead, my mole-peppered arms, and the way my nose crinkles when i snort.


a poem:

a song:

(so hard to choose, but this go round, let's go with this one)

a quote:

I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once. 

John Green

an item of clothing:

i got this rain coat when i was fifteen and about to head out on a two week tour of munich, salzburg, and then lucerne. over the years it has weathered quite a bit with me. i almost threw it out just a few years ago-- it was looking a little worn, but i couldn't bring myself to do it. there's too much history there. and thing is, end of the day, when it's raining, it still does the job.

a place: 

i don't have a picture for this one, so bear with me. a place? well, i'm in park city, utah right now. slowly, over time this place has begun to feel like home. it is a respite. a haven. the place i came as a child with my family and fell in love with the mountains. where i learned to ski and learned the power of the sport. now as my parents toy with idea of one day settling here, i find myself rooting for this, because it already feels like home. there are roots to this place. but really, the end of the day, home--a place--is with people. and family, well, that's all there is.

but when all else fails and i'm feeling a little blue...i'll take a bathtub any day of the week!

tub image

Bethany's Heart.

Hello, Micaela-lovers! I'm Bethany, and I write about my daily life over at Rinse. Repeat.. I'm so happy that our girl Micaela is off enjoying herself...she's one of the loveliest girls around and certainly deserves it! Selfishly, I'm even more elated to be doing a bit of filling in here at Dolce Vita. :) Without further ado, let me show you my heart:


My heart in a photo:

(photo by Flory Photo)

My husband and I on our wedding day...December 31, 2011. We had a teeny, tiny surprise wedding that was planned in eight weeks, from two different countries. It was insane and beautiful...nothing I ever thought my wedding day would be, and yet so much more.

...in a poem:

I must confess: I am not a lover of poetry. (Please don't hate me forever.) That said, I have to go with this Irish blessing. I met my husband on a trip to Ireland, so it's close to my heart:

You are the star of each night,
You are the brightness of every morning,
You are the story of each guest,
You are the report of every land

....
You are the kernel of my heart,
You are the face of my sun,
You are the harp of my music,
You are the crown of my company

...in a song:



...in a quote:

"Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken." Oscar Wilde.

I truly believe that discovering who you really are...and accepting it...is one of life's greatest joys and struggles! Perhaps you never fully achieve it...but I like to think it's possible.

...in an item of clothing:

Glitter + ballet flats. Does a better combo exist? Perhaps peanut butter and jelly. That aside, both glitter and ballet flats are a part of my day-to-day life. So when the two came together? Well, it was me to a tee. :)


...in a place:

Paris, Paris, Paris. I took this photo from the top of the Arc de Triomphe...I walked down that road just minutes before getting engaged, and I was completely clueless. Paris will always been ingrained in my heart!

Courtney's Heart.

Bonjour, everyone!

My name is Courtney and I reside over at Kitten Roar! I’m a writer, student, and pastry slinger here in Chicago, IL. I’m happy in love, a mother to the cutest cat in this city, and never without a book or my journal. I was so excited when Micaela asked me to guest post and ‘show my heart’ while she’s out of town to visit her twin for their birthday. I’ve loved her blog for quite a while now, and isn’t she just the sweetest woman around?

A Photo


A Poem
Remember that you are Venus,
A smoldering bundle of birth and
baptismal embers but that sound and fury
should stay in your hip pockets and canals
until you are called for industry,
until we need your smoke stacks and machine parts
to start pumping with usefulness.
We need you in the piece by piece stage,
connecting breast to navel to legs to ankles
to feet slipping into stilettos
to click clack across floor
in the mating call of your generation.
-An excerpt from Girl: Exploded by Lauren Zuniga

A Song

“As Tall As Cliffs” by Margot and the Nuclear So & So’s. This band is my number one favorite band (I even have a tattoo in honor of them.) I saw them for the first time with one of my best friends a day before my 18th birthday, and this song is what they played for an encore. It was one of the best encores I had ever seen, and it was so fun (watching this video will give you a great taste of what this band is like) and I can’t talk enough about this band. This song will forever hold a fond memory for me.

A Quote


An Item of Clothing

This great 75 cent Mackinac Bridge sweatshirt I got in Detroit. Being from Michigan, it’s an awesome, cheesy way to remind me where I’m from.


A Place

Paris! I have never been, but I have been enamored with it for as long as I can remember. I’ve studied the French language, I’ve read about the culture, and the city, and I have made it a goal to live there for at least 6 months by the time I am 30 (I’ve got 10 years!)

Thank you all for taking a peek into my heart. Micaela, I hope you are having the best time being home with your twin! Have a great day everyone, xo.

28.

Happiest Birthdays to my twinkie Marianne! 

My momma posted this photo of us on facebook and said this was one of the happiest birthdays for her twinkies. She said she was glad we were together just like when we were little. 

There are no words to describe how thankful i am to her husband for buying me a ticket for our birthday so we could celebrate together with our parents. 

i feel truly blessed and know 28 is going to be a magical year. 

Katie's Heart.

I'd like to say thanks to sweet Micaela for asking me to guest post! After years of following her blog, and experiencing all the real and raw moments, I'm very honored to oblige. 


A little about me: 
In the past 6 months I: moved to India for an internship, worked as a social worker in the slums of Mumbai, contracted typhoid fever, lost 30 lbs (ask me about my new typhoid fever diet plan!), saw the Taj Mahal, saw Mt. Everest at dawn, came home to my family in San Antonio, graduated with a master's degree in Social Work, got engaged to my favorite person in the world, and after 2.5 years of being long distance, moved with him to Houston for a month-long drug trial to combat a mutation in his Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. Next week we're moving back to Dallas to start our future together, leukemia struggles and bridezilla moments included.


My heart in a photo... 

Austin City Limits Music Festival 2010 

This blurry, sweaty picture with my fiancé symbolizes everything in my heart - laughter, love, family, friendship, happiness, and thankfulness. I am so thankful for every single minute God gives us together. 

in a song...

The Cure - Just Like Heaven

"Spinning on that dizzy edge, I kissed her face and kissed her head, and dreamed of all the different ways I had to make her glow" This song has always just spoken to me. I love it. Lovelovelove it. 



in a quote...
“Passion, it lies in all of us, sleeping... waiting... and though unwanted... unbidden... it will stir... open its jaws and howl. It speaks to us... guides us... passion rules us all, and we obey. What other choice do we have? Passion is the source of our finest moments. The joy of love... the clarity of hatred... and the ecstasy of grief. It hurts sometimes more than we can bear. If we could live without passion maybe we'd know some kind of peace... but we would be hollow... Empty rooms shuttered and dank. Without passion we'd be truly dead.” - Joss Whedon

The top of the world at dawn

I regretted not going abroad (I was that girl who didn't want to leave her boyfriend) as an undergraduate and promised myself if I ever got the chance again I'd do it - no matter what. That passion never left me, and last semester I was the first student in my grad program to study abroad. 

an item of clothing...

Living in super-hot Texas, my favorite item of clothing definitely has to be summer dresses! They are airy and so easy to wear:

I clearly lack nice self-portraits... Busted checking myself out at IKEA.

a place...

My little girl dream was always to live in Paris and be a red-lipped, coffee-drinking, making-out-with-my-husband, art-loving Parisienne. In 2008, I spent two weeks traveling around Paris, practicing my french, taking pictures and sketching (i.e. butchering beautiful pieces of art) at the Louvre and Musée d'Orsay. I have never felt the need to sketch before this trip, but just being in this historic place made me want to capture every single moment with my hands... these little snapshots of my dreams coming true.