Always Inspired

Some boys on a farm

2012-01-29T11:42:00.000-08:00

A recent trip to a friend's house inspired these snapshots of my boys. The youngest absolutely LOVES horses, tractors, pigs, you name it. He is going to be my country boy.

My favorite shot is the one where they are more preoccupied with a puddle than they are a camel standing off to the side. By the way, this is the first time they have ever seen a camel in real life.

Finally, there are pictures to his room

2012-01-21T19:18:00.000-08:00

So, I finally finished his room! Now, I have pictures to prove it. I got so many of my ideas for coloring and bedding from Pinterest, of course! I really love his room and I think it is a super fun space for him as well! His map really rocks! We found it online at mcmaps.com
His bed was found in an antique mall and it used to be like a camel color so my husband painted it this neat red. The letters in his name were boring and white so we spruced them up to match the bed.

Loss

2012-01-04T17:30:00.000-08:00

For the first time in my life, I took a gamble & lost. I found myself very unexpectedly pregnant. Irregularly pregnant from the start which is why I had no clue. Sure enough, even after the spotting my blood test revealed I still was. It has been an agonizing 2 weeks of high hopes & big time stress that came to an end so quickly with one quick call from the Dr's office today. My dreams of a china doll that looked like my mother or a new brother for my boys is no longer. I can still dream, can't I? I am so sad yet so relieved to have an outcome. I would have been a wreck with an irregular pregnancy as the stakes got higher, I would have so much more to lose than I already have.

The Magic of Christmas

2011-12-23T05:33:00.000-08:00

Awww, the Magic of Christmas does something to the soul, especially when one has young children this time of year. My oldest is just captivated by everything he sees. This is my favorite year with him for sure!

My tree is adorned with so many Christopher Radko ornaments, too many to count, but this very simple silver bulb with a small white deer stands out amongst them all. It is my favorite ornament. This bulb hung on my grandmother, Honey's tree, which means my mother hung it it too as a little girl. It is surprising it lasted this long because my mother did not care for antiques or anything old. I of course love everything old. So funny how opposite we were. When my mother was a little girl, she went to bed with nothing Christmas and woke up to a fully decorated tree and very few handmade presents. Her mother must had to work very hard all night and through the weeks before to sew and make all their presents. She was quite a talented lady and made everything they ate and wore.

Pinterest!

2011-12-20T12:03:00.000-08:00

If you haven't joined Pinterest, what are you waiting on? I cannot tell you enough about this site! Seriously, every party or shower or school function I have attended within the past few months as been greatly enriched thanks to Pinterest! What do I mean? Well, it seems everything I go to now has the yummiest desserts or the most beautiful crafts because everyone is Pinning. Just the other night I was at a Christmas party with such delicious food. Where did the recipes come from? Pinterest of course!

Merry Christmas Brothers

2011-12-09T17:54:00.001-08:00

Well, I never know how these boys are going to behave in front of the camera. I am still AMAZED that I managed to snap 3 great pictures for our Christmas card. My oldest of course had a stomach ache in the middle of Micanopy and no bathroom in sight. My youngest had no desire, what so ever, to be photographed. The weather was typical Florida winter weather and these boys are dressed for, well, not 80 degrees type weather. My husband just kept giving me this very irritating look, he wasn't irritated, I was irritated looking at him stand there watching it all happen. He pretty much had thrown his hands up with the boys but I was not leaving Micanopy after all of this fuss in ironing their clothes and driving 30 minutes there without some great pictures!

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Sweet Dreams Nutcracker Party

2011-12-05T19:13:00.000-08:00

Recently, I had the splendid opportunity to put on a "Sweet Dreams Nutcracker" themed Party. Pinterest was of course the first source of inspiration in which I found all my glorious ideas. Having a very small budget was a small source of contention but I found ways to borrow and improvise as I have done for each Family Times issue. In keeping with my budget, I outsourced to a few wonderfully talented friends that came to the rescue in the form of a fondant cake in the shape of a perfectly wrapped present as well as pink frosting sugar cookies.

It was beyond exciting for me to work on this pink laden party since I am the mother to two boys. I found myself covered in pink glitter as I adorned just about everything I could find in some perfect form of pink velvet ribbon or satin fabric. Wow, how many times have I mentioned the work pink?

Thank goodness I did not have to work alone in dreaming up all of these delightfully sweet party items and decor. Our friend and stylist, Cathy Clark, was just bursting at the seams with great ideas such as the snow on our cover. It just adds such a magical feel to it all.

My friend and photographer, Kristie Griggs, of Pure Joy Photography dreamed up the entire cover. It is as if we all happened upon these beautiful ballerinas hosting a tea party in a secret garden. The ballerinas in fact are the actual Nutcracker performers in our local Marion Ballet production. Their hand sewn costumers are just divine.

Needless to say, things were a bit stressful when trying to pull of the details together but once again it all paid off as you can see.

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Christmas is approaching

2011-11-30T05:37:00.000-08:00

Christmas is approaching it seems these days at a much faster rate or maybe it is just that my list of things grows each year. There is much fun and excitement in our home with a five and a half year old tracking Elf on the Shelf's every move. That Elf has gotten even more mischievous this year, doing things like fishing in the toilet! Anyway, thought I would share a cute picture of my cuties taken the other day in Micanopy. Not exactly what I envisioned, rather wanted them holding one another smiling, but this is the wall I had in mind. Anyway, I have decided the younger one is impossible to photograph but now the older one seems that way too. They are still so stinking cute.

Halloween

2011-11-09T17:34:00.000-08:00

Wow, Halloween has come and went so fast it seems unreal. My oldest wanted to be Toad from Super Mario brothers which was quite a success. Toad was my favorite character when I played as a little girl and now it is his. He had 2 costume parties and a costume parade to attend the weekend before Halloween and so he was apprehensive about wearing his costume. Needless to say, we got into quite a fuss about him wearing this costume that I tracked down and purchased and he was so glad he did! The second party we attended, as soon as we walked in, a little boy was dressed as Luigi. He approached my son with a smile and said, "Hi Toad, I'm Lucas, what is your name. Oh and my brother is Mario." And so, a new friendship ensued and off he left me and his little monkey brother to play pretend with Luigi and Mario. All that was missing was Princess Peach

Social Life

2011-10-28T09:34:00.000-07:00

So, it is a new reality for my husband and I, we have no social lives! We find ourselves invited to many things here and there but it is so much work to get a babysitter and go that we would rather not. That being said, my boys' social lives have increased greatly since the eldest started preschool last year and so we I find myself constantly attending their events. Birthday parties are constant as our any Holiday type of gatherings. This past weekend I snapped some very cute shots of them @ Coon Hollow, a local corn maze chalked full of fun old fashioned activities for the kids. Here I will share a few pictures of my boo's (yes, you read that correctly, it is my new term of endearment for the boys). I will leave you now to go finish cutting out ghost eyes for the big Halloween party on Monday.

2011-10-20T12:13:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I starting working as a contributing editor for a local magazine, Family Times. Each month, I get to choose a craft and then write about it. I have the pleasure of working with a dear friend of mine, Kristie Griggs from Pure Joy Photography. She is the amazing photographer behind these gorgeous Thanksgiving pictures. Kristie and I had a blast with this session since we chose the perfect family and location, the Fore's. Jill and her mom Cathy set the entire scene complete with haystacks and pumpkins and opened her gorgeous home to us to use for our shoot! The little ones pictured were so easy to work with and really enjoyed getting to eat the sweet treats I made too.

For your free printables, visit Shindig Parties to go on Facebook. She had all of these wonderfully free printables and ideas.

Two May Babies

2011-05-29T08:22:00.000-07:00

My oldest son has an OBSESSION with Angry Birds and therefore my iPad gets hijacked often. So, I decided to do an Angry Birds party for him. I found a free template online for the balloons and ordered his invite through Etsy. I also ordered some digital images to make banners with to hang from the door. I wish I can say I took pictures of everything but I didnt! I even had angry birds aligning our front walk way with balloons attached. I also forgot to snap a picture of the favors but each child got an angry bird balloon attached to a beach pale and candy inside. A friend made the wonderful cake for Angry Birds.

Funny how it was so much work but so worth it because my five year old was so happy and so many of his friends remarked that it was the best party ever. They just loved that water slide. A very good friend and neighbor let me set the slide in her yard since she had more room. She even supervised inside the bounce house the entire time!

Oh yeah, Angry Bird cupcakes were sent to school the next day since it was his real birthday. The kids loved them!

For my one year old we just gave him his very own cake in the front yard. It was a photo shoot and I had a blast with it! I ordered vintage bloomers from sweetlittlepeach.etsy.com and made a vintage style birthday hat that he really didnt want to wear!

I ordered this invite from Etsy for my son Christian. It was perfect!

Wow, things have been quite busy around here lately with my oldest turning 5 and my youngest turning 1. Such opposite birthdays of course and quite stressful getting everything together but in the end very worth it.

loved ones lost

2011-03-30T16:56:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered if loved ones that have gone before us try to speak to us? Maybe it's through a whisper in the wind or a note carried on the wind to a tune in bag pipes on a gloriously cool spring evening. I believe they do and they never stop loving us.

Coming up on 8 yrs together

2010-10-04T12:54:00.000-07:00

My husband and I are getting ready to celebrate 8 yrs of marriage this October 19th. My goodness so much as happened in this time. I look at this picture of a 24 yr old girl and think, "who is this?"
I certainly don't identify with her frivolous spending habits on herself or her ability to sleep in past 11 am on a weekend. This is a girl long gone by now and instead has been replaced with a fretful mother that hovers over her two small sons to keep them from harms way. A mother like most mothers that does everything first for her children and then herself. I sometimes miss the freedom this girl had but in between the chaos of life from picking up my son's trains and changing dirty diapers there is happiness. A crazy happiness that only a mother knows.

a journal entry

2010-09-21T12:29:00.000-07:00

I found a journal entry that I particularly like from a while back. It reminds me of how far I have come in my grief. Never did I think it was possible for me to live without my mother. What is so amazing, is that I have, and I am doing so well.
Before I leave you with the entry I would like to share something. My mother kept telling me that I would trip over her when she was gone. She would be everywhere. She is. The other day I was walking into Church with my boys when crazy gusts of wind came out of the middle of nowhere! At least two people near me remarked about it and how it would be such a great kite flying day. Kites are something related to my mother. That's a story for another time. Then, as fast as the wind came, it was gone. While in Church, I was alone with a 4 month old and a 4 yr old. It was rough and I was handling it pretty well. Colin was screaming and Christian was fine so I had to keep walking around a bit. Near the end, this woman behind me, an older woman, tapped on my shoulder. I thought, "Oh great, she is going to tell me what a pain, we are, or that Christian needs to stop looking through all of his books, etc..."
She instead leans into my ear and says, "You are SUCH a good mother." I was blown away. For me, that is the best compliment in the world. Ever since my mother passed away, I have strived even harder than before to be an incredible mother. It wasn't until I got home that I put it all together. Magic isn't necessary. Signs can be subtle. This was my sign, from my mother, telling me somehow, inspiring this woman to tell me that I am doing a good job. That was all I needed.

Feb. 6, 2010

Every day I wake with a lump in my throat which is the ache from my heart. I look out and see the sun and his swing set and think of spring. Then, the lump gets bigger because I know she most likely won't be here.

a picture of my mother a week or so before she died...

1st Day of Preschool

2010-09-07T13:25:00.000-07:00

So, today was his first day as a greendbird at preschool and I was super excited. I even had my husband paint the trim and wash the front door for our pictures this morning. Of course, his outfit was already last night and he could give a hoot what he wears so at least that is easy. His favorite part of the day? Saving the creams? as a superhero with the other boys.

This was meet the teacher on Friday, before school, and she is so sweet! I love her already...

And last, among other firsts, Colin tried baby food over the past week or so but today, he actually seemed to like it. Sweet Potatoes!

Cupcake

2010-08-24T10:55:00.001-07:00

I just made this cute little cupcake for my cousin's daughter, Jillian, who is turning one. She had a cupcake themed party that I cannot wait to see! I also bought a little princess puzzle and sparkly knit hair bands, not pictured to go with. Then, I dazzled up a pete pot, (bought a ton of them on ebay awhile back), and tried my hardest to make it look like a cupcake inside the pot. I hope she loved it. I also handsewed the little fringe on the end of her sleeves. I do hope it fit and that Kari, her mommy, loved it.

A Little Sweetness Blog giveaway

2010-08-19T20:09:00.001-07:00

I was so lucky to stumble upon this blog a month or so ago and I check in on it often. A Little Sweetness is this wonderfully adorable and inspirational blog hosted by Tasha. She too has an Etsy shop full of wonderful things. Hurry over because she is hosting a blog giveway with some of her new paper items...

Brothers

2010-08-07T18:37:00.000-07:00

When I think of the word brothers, I smile, and a song comes to mind from my FAVORITE childhood Christmas movie, Emmett Otter's Jugband Christmas, "Brothers." Below is a picture of my little otters that I took recently in Colin's nursery. Christian is so fond of his little brother and so gentle with him. Again, the lighting is not so great because I can't keep my shutter speed up with these fast moving otters without a total blur.

Ofcourse, the proud mother that I am, I just had to share these pics of Stink Bone since he was so good. Well, I did promise him a new toy from the Tractor Supply store. He just has that look in one of these pics like hmmmmm.... I think I might be good so I can get a new tractor toy.

Colin's Nursery

2010-07-27T12:24:00.001-07:00

I am finally getting around to finishing up this vintage nursery for Colin. Pictures aren't great but I am so super busy trying to get other things done right now. I still am finishing a bookshelf and need to bring it in along with hanging a shelf up above the bookshelf. Bought a chenille rug today at Target, didn't really want a vintage rug.

Here is the armoire from my mother's house when she was a little girl. My wonderful husband painted it white, afixed a new piece of wood to the top, and adorned it with glass knobs. I just love it. It is the perfect size for children's clothing.

Here are the birdies and the banner I bought from Etsy. See older posts for links to Etsy shops. They hang above my early maternity pics when my mother was still alive. My friend Kristie took pictures of her hands on my stomach with Christian's hands too. They are so beautiful and so simple. She was asleep through most of the pictures and didn't even remember we had taken them a few hours later.

I bought this dresser from a local thrift consignment type shop. She painted the blue birds on and distressed it a bit. I really love how it turned out.

I just found this bench and shelf at another local vintage type repurposed shop. The bench functions as a toy chest and will do great for photo ops. Christian keeps filling the bench with all brother's baby toys that he isn't old enough to play with yet.

I bought the frame from a garage sale and took out an old pic of flowers to put in another old page from Goldilocks and the 3 bears. I just bought the bibs from sweetlittlepeach.etsy.com and someone gave me the very old crocheted sweater.

About a year ago, my mother and I would go the Salvation Army and Humane Society Thrift Store at least once a week. I loved this Humpty Dumpty lamp and thought for sure it would be gone since I haven't been in way before her illness started last Christmas. I went in a few months ago and as I was just about to check out I asked a 2nd sales lady about the lamp and this one pointed to the corner of the children's section and there it was! I couldn't belive it! The frame is from a local boutique and I registered for it for my shower.

These frames were sitting in my closet. They were gold and I was going to sand them and hang them over my bed but instead I spray painted them blue and hung them over his crib. My friend Kristie took the maternity pics and I took the others of Colin. I really love the display. My friend Beth made the bebe sign for my French Country baby shower. We got the idea from an old Martha Stewart Kids magazine.

The bedding is Amy Coe alphabet soup with a vintage look. I bought it off of Ebay...

I bought this cute little boy cradle from that vintage store that had the shelf and bench. I really need to hurry and take his pic in this before he grows out of it. When he does, I will fill it with books for him.

I painted this frame from Hobby Lobby. It was one of those plain wood ones and I decided to add some damask. I will hang over the book shelf I have not yet finished. These letters are chipboard and when the N gets in and I glitter it too, I will hang them over his closet. I will share that too when I finish. I used Antique Silver to glitter his name.

Thinner

2010-07-25T19:20:00.001-07:00

So is it wrong to make myself thinner? I think not! I even expanded my bust line. Before is on the left, and after, and at least 30 pounds thinner, is on the right. My dear from Kristie Griggs took these pictures. She has her own site

Big Boy Bike and 8 Weeks

2010-07-16T20:38:00.000-07:00

Well, Stink Bone has long outgrown his tike bike so today Grandpap took him to Toys R' Us for a big boy bike. Complete with training wheels and all the cool pictures of Spider Man a 4 yr old can handle, he took it for a spin in our driveway. He wasn't too sure of things at first but Daddy was there to help him out. He had to turn around and come back in because with the heat index here we are around 104 degrees each day. Poor stinker, he had to wait until 7:30 tonight to take it for a real spin.

Chubbers is 8 weeks now and these are some recent pics of him in bath and hanging out. I'm so excited to have a blue eyed boy and of course my hazeled eye one too!

New Goodies

2010-07-14T11:49:00.000-07:00

Look what arrived in the mail today for Colin! I love sweet little peach. Ellen is so talented & sews vintage things for bebe. I got an extra bib because I was part of her 1st ten sales.

birdies

2010-07-07T20:23:00.000-07:00

I bought these new birdies today on Etsy. Completely an impluse type purchase from this neat Etsy shop but my goodness are they going to go so perfect in Colin's nursery. I am going to hang these circa 1950's beauties on both sides of my adorable little pennant flag from another Etsy shop . Kristen was so sweet and my little package was just wrapped so sweetly. I have not taken any pictures of anything in the nursery yet because I want it all done before I do. Then, I will take you on a tour of the vintage collection of things and furniture that make up his room.

bebe wreath

2010-07-01T18:31:00.000-07:00

It's so crazy to me that I have this gorgeous pink wreath that won't sell and I do not have a single friend that is having a new girl that would want this wreath. Ironically, I have a ton of friends with girls but for some reason this wreath does not strike their fancy. When Colin came along I secretly hoped I would get to hang this wreath in my own home but that's ok, I'll take my future football player anyday. So, it hangs downtown in a local children's boutique and it is still for sale in my Etsy shop just waiting to go home to the perfect home.

Next are pictures I've found to inspire my bedroom makeover. I am copying the picture frame idea in this picture. I have a few gold ones that I am sanding to give a more distressed, less shiny look. I just bought an awesome shutter door for my headboard from an antique store. Instead of the garland in the picture, I'm going to use the one in this link, well not exactly, but I'm following Pam Garrison's idea since I loved what she did so much and instead of coffee filters I will use little pastel cupcake papers, along with ledger paper, and sheet music. I promise pictures will follow when it is all completed.