Tablescapes and Bad Santa

Much like birthdays, the holiday train doesn't stop just once with Team Gore... it's all stop, festive, stop, festive, etc. One of the most recent celebrations was with John and Carole, who had different reactions to their phototime with V. Carole was, shall we say, less than pleased with the pictorial ambush.



Although I don't know why she was reticent, if I had hair that good I would be forcing strangers to take my picture. John, on the other hand, was a "calming influence" in the words of Amanda and you can see that Veronica agrees. Of course, she was quite happy snuggling with Carole so it's pretty much a draw.



On Christmas Eve, Amber got to flex her crafty skills and laid out a charming seasonal tablescape (I learned that word from the Food Network). So pretty!



Oh, and it doesn't stop with just the table itself, people. You have to remember Amber's attention to detail... like when she dressed the chairs to set off the red Christmas tree.



Or the mantle, which she did in snowy whites, crystals and blue. Come on! Who decorates the MANTLE? (To be fair, I am easily impressed as the extent of my Xmas decorating entailed putting up the cards that were sent to me.... but this stuff is purty and I'm not afraid to say it.)



If you wonder why Amber is not posing in front of any of her work, it's because she's going into seclusion until March so you can't take her picture until then. She's kind of like a leprechaun; I think it's good luck if you do catch a shot of her. Anyway, her eye for the small things found its biggest triumph in the creation of Team Gore's first kid's table... all for Veronica.



Come on, that's adorable! Trying to top the hilarious cuteness was Grandma Kathleen at the Water Horse on Christmas Day... taking full advantage of the promotional cut-out in the lobby. This would be funny and ridiculous regardless, but the fact that she's in her pajamas with pigtails really sells it.



Now, every year Kathleen gets a picture of her girls with Santa, and Amber and Amanda wanted to make sure the tradition stayed alive this year, so they recruited a very special Santa. One who is jolly, and fond of fabrics, and appreciates that even St. Nick should have some magical, sparkling red slippers.



Who is it that is embracing this hallowed role with such aplomb and respect? We'll never tell. But I will do my best to get the final product up here at some point, as it's hilarious yet still really sweet.



Now, to cleanse your palate I will leave you with little V and her reindeer.



Sweet, sweet!

Drea

PT Losers

Now Amanda and Amber may be a little shy about spreading the word, but Amanda's car is in the shop (she needs the ENTIRE engine replaced, crazy)... and her rental car is a PT Cruiser.



Black as the night, sleek as a gazelle, sexy as a Chippendale... you should see the girls zipping around town in it, with their "Baby on Board" window shade up in the back. It's better than Christie Brinkley in her convertible.



Even V loves it! PT Cruiser! PT Cruiser! (No way that is staying OTB, ladies.)

Drea

You'll Shoot Your Eye Out!

Some more Christmas pictures, taken by the Saucy Aussie's gorgeous camera and talented eye... I love close-ups of Veronica where you can just taste her plump perfection. And she may have sad/sleepy eyes here, but she's more animated every single day and does the most incredibly Big Smile Silent Laugh you've ever seen! Amanda swears she's just a heartbeat away from laughing out loud, we can't wait until that happens.



And here we are at Kathleen's lovely table in her pretty house - was crazy being surrounded by sunshine and green at Christmas, but definitely enjoyable. As usual, Kathleen had a beautiful table to go with her yummy fixings. All sparkly and festive and fun. Not that you can see anything beyond their amazing pajamas...



One last picture of V and all her glorious sweetness to take you through your day. You'll note through these pictures that I called dibs the minute I walked in and essentially wrestled the baby away from her adoring grandma, pops and auntie. Big thanks to them and V's mama Amanda, who is incredibly generous with the baby and lets me feed her and hold her and try and bounce her to sleep even when it would be easier for her to just take her back...



You're infinitely more patient than me, Amanda, and tons better at sharing!

Drea

Day After Christmas

Thanks again to Team Gore for inviting me and Saucy into the Christmas day traditions and celebrations yesterday, we had such a lovely (and loving) time!



Only the Gores are worth getting up ass early (for a holiday, anyway!) and driving to Chatsworth... then again, we were greeted with freshly made french toast, sausage (both real and Saucyfied meatless), bacon, and pomegranate juice. Even more amazing? The power had gone out the night before, so somehow Kathleen pulled this off on battery-powered appliances ONLY. Blows your mind. (And your belly...)



We then went to the Winnetka Church (aka the movie theater) to see the morning screening of The Water Horse, "the most magical film since E.T." (So said the ad, anyway.) This would be true if by "magical" they meant "heartbreaking"... I won't even get into the war scenes. However, it was very sweet and we all left wanting to have little Scottish boy toddlers with stunning eyes and cheekbones for our very own. (Also, Amber and I cried our eyes out, I won't lie.) I recovered enough, however, to try and steal Veronica by making a break of it in the lobby. I didn't make it far.



Mostly because it's hard to outrun three grown women wearing matching pajamas. That's right; Team Gore dresses alike on Christmas, and here "alike" means "identicaly flannel pajamas with holiday imagery and lobsters". No, that's not a typo. Following the movie, we ate more (yummmm... brisket) then all basically passed out watching A Christmas Story.



So really, an ideal day. Also... after mentioning Veronica's new "what you talkin' about willis?" look, one of Veronica's Blogs Readers (aka my girl Heather), sent in a sweet video comparison. Here's Veronica's look:



And here is the video, which we'll be using as inspiration to train her to this level of hilarity/perfection in the coming months:

Hope everyone else had an amazing holiday, and thanks and love again to the Gores for taking us in!

Drea

Christmas Eve

Happy Christmas eve to all of those who celebrate it, and even those who don't... a little something to get you in the holiday spirit, it's Veronica practicing her, "what you talkin' about Willis?" look!



Peyton and Amy visited Team Gore for a little faux-xmas dinner last week to start practicing the absurd volumes of heavy/sweet consumption that we all have to tackle for the real thing, and he took a bunch of great pictures of our girl.



Look at her and her little cardigan and quizzical expression! Too cute. Almost as cute is mama Amanda, whose hair has never looked better. For real; she is owning her thick locks with a fun little rockabilly bang twist thing. (Don't be offended by my description, Amanda. I know you are Punk Rock.)



All of the Gores are ridiculously cute and dragged into multiple photos, including Auntie Amber who likes to keep out of the shots as much as possible (probably because she's too busy making things).



I leave you with one last shot of V and her big eyes...



She knows if you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness' sake!

Drea

Day of Cute

It isn't officially a Day of Cute on any calendar that I've looked out (although I haven't checked out the Mayan calendar in quite awhile)... but I do know that it was gloomy and filled with work and annoyance until these little pics started popping up in my email!



Have you ever seen a happier little human?! So joyful and smiley and round and giggly and utterly lovable. What a great highlight to any day, all that energy and goodness emanating from one tiny body.



As you can see, that tiny body is getting longer and stronger every day. Look at the gams on that girl! Amanda labeled this "pin-up" and she's so right. But even better than her coy look is her sweet close-up...



Look at that little green-eyed vixen! Her eyes really are the most amazing color, we had hoped for awhile they would stay blue but this color is so exotic and stunning. I hate to put an emphasis on appearances because she's also going to be smart and funny and charming and talented - but good lord, that girl's a looker.



And like every good looking girl, she knows the importance of accessories... and of favorite aunties. Look at this little precious wristband! Amber MADE it! I mean, come on. Team Gore is putting everyone to shame. This next picture may be my favorite thing ever... it's Veronica reading her blog!



Seriously, that's almost as good as it gets. And look how much stronger her back and neck are, and what an attentive reader she is. Oh! Cutie cute cute. But lest you think she's only a computer girl...



... she's also a reader! Kathleen said, "I was doing dishes and Amanda was reading to me when I looked over and saw Veronica 'talking' along... thank god for pockets and my iPhone!". Praise be, indeed.

Drea

More Holiday Fun

As I am not going home for Christmas this year (for the first time ever), it's almost inconceivable to me that we really are in the thick of the holiday season... thank goodness for the activity-oriented concentration of Team Gore, keeping me focused and festive! Speaking of focused, check out little Veronica "Peeker" Gore in action:



Soooo snuggly. That's maybe the one upside of the rain we've had the last couple of days, that cute bundles of snuggle like V are even more nestled into their winter wear. (Having said that, I'm quite happy to report that the clouds seemed to move away this afternoon.)



This is California holiday goodness at its best! A gorgeous decorated tree... and cargo shorts. These are the Unicorns, Amanda and Amber's amazing landlords. Look at the Hallmarkness of that picture! Veronica is such a flirt, too, she turns and coos when she hears male voices... smart, smart girl.



Team Gore went to Manhattan Beach for the Christmas sing a long and fireworks. I'm so sad I missed it, sounded like such a fun event! And all of Manhattan Beach should be sad that they missed me singing; I do a mean Mannheim Steamroller.



Come on, boats decorated in Christmas lights? So cool. Amanda (in her coat from The Future) is so cute and bundled here. Gotta love it. It's not just baby's first Christmas - it's mama's!



Lucky for all of them, they also got to squeeze in a visit with Deb... (did you also freak out on how big and attentive Veronica's gotten, Deb??). I swear, that little bubba gets held by more adoring people than anyone ever. In the history of the world. It's a fact.



I put this one last because it's a heart cracker... are you kidding me??? Lucky girls. Oh, and Veronica got her ultrasound to make sure her spine was okay this week and it is! So other than a cold that's making her mom sad for her, she's still deliciously healthy.

Drea

Twelve Weeks Old!

They've been even better than the twelve weeks of Christmas or the 25 days of Lent or whatever it is we're doing right now. Veronica is 12 weeks old! But not yet 3 months. Weird, no?



So big and cute and healthy and happy! All you could want for in any amount of weeks... plus, she has a love of pink that's tempered with a punky outlook, so all systems seem go on that front. Now, I know I have a tendency to go on and on about how nibbable I find little V, but you have to agree that these accessories accentuate that:



Baby with candy! Baby with candy! I have absolutely had that dream before, and I woke up grinning and moronic. Now, although no one but myself has made me feel terrible about it, I've been busier than buddha lately and horribly neglectful of Veronica's blog... and to cheer myself up, I went to Willoughby Manor to visit with Team Gore today, and discovered that they have turned it into a holiday wonderland!



Just look at V and her mama, and those big ass candy canes! It may be sunny and snowless, but the festive merriment is authentic. And come on, don't those two make such a good team?? The inside is equally gorgeous, Auntie Amber has seen to that so I'll try to get some worthy pics up later. One of the big differences is that Veronica is now sleeping in a crib.



That's right! I got the sweetest little text from Amanda yesterday, "We had to move V to her crib because she is too big. I'm kind of sad." Oh! That's right, she's out of the bassinet and the huge crib is in their bedroom (which is now called their Dorm Room as it is all bed). But don't worry, she's still a cuddly little bubba. And because of that, I apologize in advance for this next picture, although it should probably make you laugh and laugh and laugh. And then feel bad/shocked/appalled. Then you'll laugh some more.



That was all because of RODNEY MUNOZ, people. Although I'm holding little V, I swear I was not involved - the proof is in my 18 chins that were formed when I tried to distance myself from the sin! Oh my god, too funny. You can also tell that she has better sense than to ever smoke because it clearly did not suit her. Thank god. Now I'm all for funny props with the baby, but no more cigarettes - we promise!



I'm leaving you with this picture of cuteness, as it represents the upside of Veronica getting older... her alertness, her eye contact and her GIGGLES! It's really amazing, she looks in your eyes and has this amazing, gummy smile and you think that maybe there is really something to this aging thing, after all.

Drea

Just for Squeals

Normally I like to have a unifying theme to postings, but sometimes you just need to put the most recent display of cuteness up for grabs. And I do mean grab; don't you just want to reach through the screen and pick up this little bubba? Or at least pinch her sweetly cheeks?



Look how cute! How girly and more person-like but still so wee and perfect! Man. All that AND great taste in magazines... what a little princess. (In the good way. Not the weird, entitled way.) Working hard to keep up with the cuteness (and having long ago surrendered his pride) is Chester.



Oh, you're seeing that correctly. He's wearing pink socks and Mary Jane's. To think this pup is descendant of mighty guard hounds is just a tragedy... but even I can't deny how hilarious that is, so who am I kidding.



How amazing is this picture??? And I don't just say that because of the implied good taste of a Burberry scarf... look out those eyes, those cheeks, those lips! All that perfection on one kissable creature. Holy crap (she declares eloquently).



Little bubba in her stroller... our girl is ready for the cold. (Also thanks to Auntie Amber who has been knitting scarves for her AND made her first pair of pants! Although I did hear on Project Runway that pants are just "two long sleeves sewn together" so they can't be THAT hard!!)

Drea

Christmas at The Grove

Team Gore was escorted by Nigel to the Grove for holiday escapades; if you've never been to the Grove you are missing out... and a miserable excuse of a consumer. Get your consumption on! Before they headed out, they prepped at Willoughby Manor, where Nigel got to cuddle with Chester - his FAVORITE thing to do.



What's that? Are you wondering why Chester appears to resemble the "after" version of the Grinch's puppy-reindeer, what with his stapled on antlers and sad, pathetic expression? Well, I can't provide answers but I will give you a close-up.



That noble puppy. He's already carrying bullets, Amanda. It's not like he needs more to discuss with his therapist. Leaving Chester at home to recover his dignity, they headed to the Grove... and pulled a complete busman's holiday.



Holy crap with the wardrobe adjustments! Seriously, it's like every single person in their family AND Nigel is a professional costumer or something. Which probably means that Veronica will become a nudist...



If there was double-sided tape available, it would've been used. This all makes Chester's antlers seem like child's play, really. Of course, it all pays off when you get a Hallmark perfect picture out of it like this one!



The Grove is not joking around, that is one quality Santa! They have some pretty sweet displays, too, a huge gingerbread house and a ginormo tree. Of course, this is a rather exhausting endeavor when you're just 2.5 months old...



So sweet! Team Gore lasted just long enough to take this gorgeous family picture... which is so old timey and realistic that you almost forget that it's still warm enough to wear flip flops during the day.



Lovey lovey!
Drea