Three Petunias

Gosh, I love this song

2011-11-05T12:11:00.002-04:00

and you can't complain about a kid with this much talent either.

Wow!

Happy Saturday, everyone!

Insert clever title here

2011-11-04T10:39:00.001-04:00

Okay, can I just say that I am soooo glad that it’s Friday.

Seriously.Long.Week.

Seriously.Tired.Brain.

Anybody else feel that way?

Maybe it’s the fact that Halloween (and the pre-Halloween weekend) funked up my schedule.

Maybe it’s the fact that I have been working on Holiday Card samples for clients all week.

Maybe it’s the fact that I have had to share my bed with not only my husband (poor guy. i’m such a cover hog), but also a 4 y.o. who seems to have forgotten where her own bed is all week long.

I don’t know why (i almost typed idk there, btw. that’s how lazy I am), but I am wrecked today.

So, I’m just gonna share some pictures.

It makes me feel like I actually accomplished something (like getting them off of my hard drive and into a location where they can actually be viewed).

If you are not into looking at random pics of my family, that’s cool.

I hear ya’.

And I won’t hold it against ya’.

I remember when my blog used to have fun little projects and recipes. Ya’ know, stuff that other people actually cared about.

Yeah. Hopefully we’ll get back to a bit of that soon. Hopefully.

But this is about me. Remember? Feeling accomplished and all. ;) So here goes.

This is my nephew. I miss him. These were his 13 days pics and it has been two weeks since I have seen him. I’m in withdrawal.

View Full Album

Miss P found a butterfly nearly frozen to death (ice crystals covered its’ wings and all). She brought him inside and he did pretty well. Until the cats tried to eat him. Uh, yeah.

Then he moved to a friend’s house who raises and released monarch’s every year. I think it’s safer there. Perhaps.

This was our Halloween

Dinner:

My girls:

Salsa dancer, Bumble Bee, Super Girl

Me: (selfie with my iphone)

Yes. I was a two-faced witch. Not.A.Word. ;)

These, these are just gratuitous mommy goggles pics. Because I think my girls are the best!

Oh, and just to prove a point about how tired I really feel (man, I’m gonna regret this when I click publish).

This is how I actually looked at 6 am. Sleep much?! I know. Run!! Run for your lives!!

Oh, and that’s the spot on the wall where the kids like to chip the paint with their fingernails, and behind that, a lovely shot of the loo.

You’re welcome.

Aaanndd..that’s all she wrote.

Happy Friday, all!!

These Girls

2011-10-23T21:47:00.001-04:00

They make me smile.

They make me laugh.

They make me crazy.

They try my patience.

They help me to see the world from three perspectives other than my own.

They remind me of all the reasons that life is good.

They are the reason I am here.

They are the reason for my everything.

And I thank God every day for These Girls.

about time, indeed

2011-10-11T10:29:00.001-04:00

I had to laugh this morning because I opened this sad, neglected blog and read the time of my last post.

It was titled “about time”.

Well that is funny, because it is about darn time I got back over here.

So just to let you all know that I have indeed not run away with the gypsies and abandoned this little ‘ole blog, I’m checking in.

Life has been busy.

Schedules, activities, laundry (ugh), my photography business, so much.

So much has been crazy, but it has also been wonderful, and blessed and I thank God for every single day of it.

I found pictures from Easter that I still have yet to sort and edit.

Easter. Yikes!

Oh, and just imagine how that pattern has continued for the last 6 months.

My sink is usually pretty full of dirty dishes.

My laundry pile attacks me when I walk in the door.

The litter box seems to always need to be cleaned, and toys are scattered everywhere.

But it is as it should be.

I have small kids.

They won’t be small for long.

So for now, I attempt to soak it in, do my best, and document it as much as I can with my camera.

One day soon, I hope to be back here documenting it on the blog, finding some sort of rhythm.

I have no idea when that will be, but until then, we are all well.

We are all happy and busy and tired.

Ooh, and blessed. Did I mention blessed?

Our family has been blessed with a new little to love.

My nephew, Xander.

Man, I love that kid.

Life is good.

Life is busy.

And I wouldn’t want it any other way.

about time

2011-09-19T11:31:00.001-04:00

time is a funny thing.

sometimes it drags on as if we can feel every second slowly passing.

other times, it flies by so quickly that we can barely grasp at the moments.

sometimes it seems to do both all at once.

like a slow motion scene in a movie.

you can see it happening, but can’t seem to do anything about it.

life gets crazy and schedules keep us busy.

time flies by and before we know it, those moments are gone.

this weekend, i F.I.N.A.L.L.Y. had the chance to hang out with this girl and her buddy.

it was truly one of the best weekends that i have had in a L-O-N-G time.

it was a long time coming, and it flew by too quickly.

i can’t wait to do it again.

i can’t wait to eat your eggplant parmesan again, michelle!!

i can’t wait to “ride” buddy and to just talk.

thank you for a fantastic weekend.

we will do it again very soon. :)

P.S. for any of you that have been long time readers, you may recognize these two. Michelle is Will’s sister and buddy is his best friend. On Friday, it will be one full year since Will’s diagnosis. It feels so impossible that a year has gone by so quickly. If you are the praying type, Michelle and her family could use a few extra prayers thrown their way. The next few weeks are going to be extra long, and filled with memories. If you don’t have any idea what I’m talking about, you can click here to meet my friend Will. (bring a tissue. or 20) Also, remember that posts come up in blogger from most recent and go back by date. If you want to read the posts in order, you can click HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE.

Wildlife is running amuck in my yard

2011-09-13T14:22:00.001-04:00

Today has been a day of wildlife run-ins.

Perhaps it’s because the lawn is being mowed today for the first time in three weeks. (don’t judge ;)

Perhaps it’s because of the lovely weather.

Either way, wildlife has been running amuck in our yard today.

I didn’t get my camera out until the 4th creature, so there is only photographic proof of this one.

Its’ mama was killed a few days ago by a car, and it was running around quite confused by the sound of the lawnmower.

Jason jumped a 3 ft. wide ditch to save it from the same fate.

Pretty cute. Right?

Okay. Who wants him? (Here’s one hint - not.me.)

through her eyes

2011-09-09T12:25:00.001-04:00

It has been said that little ones will inevitably copy what they see those around them doing.

Sometimes that’s good.

Sometimes that’s…not so good.

In this case, it means that there is another photography enthusiast in our midst.

Yesterday afternoon my 4 y.o. shadow snuck off, with my camera in tow.

Here is what she came back with:

Detail shots. How adorable is it that my 4 y.o. finds it interesting to take detail shots of things like scooter wheels and cabinet edges?!

Up there in the top right, that’s us watching Switched at Birth (the abc family show) on Netflix. Have you seen this show? Why did no one tell me about it?! Huh?! Yes. I’m talking to you, blog friend who knew of this show and never told me! Okay, enough guilt trip. Seriously though, it’s great. We are almost done watching the season. That makes me sad. January, please come quick (when new episodes start). So if you, like me had never seen this bit of fun, you can find all of the first season on Netflix. Go! Go now!

Next, see out that window down there?

That tree in the background is indeed red. Already.

Oh, and pay no attention to the woman with the ripped jeans, no makeup and crazy hair. It’s best that way.

Lastly, cats.

There were lots of pictures of cats.

Let this be a reminder.

If your kids see you cook and bake, they will likely bust out the pots and pans and coat the kitchen in flour.

If you like to garden, expect lots of dirt.

If your kids see you moving furniture, repainting walls and changing the house, expect construction.

And if you walk around with a camera in front of your face most of the time, your kids will steal off and bring back a memory card full of funny.

Actually, I think that I may send her off with a camera more often. I like her low-to-the-ground perspective.

How about you?

In what ways are your kiddos like parrots?

Hopefully only the good ways.

If not, we won’t talk about it. It’s called selective memory. I only remember the good ways that my kiddos copy me. ;)

for my sweet, sleepy babes

2011-09-02T10:21:00.001-04:00

A Parents Prayer

Thank you God for
The children of mine
Who teach me things
That blow my mind.
They entertain themselves
In the funniest ways.
I pray that the innocence
They possess never goes away.
I pray they will
Grow up and be smart,
And I pray that they will never grow apart.
I pray that they will call home
Whenever they are near a phone.
I pray that they never feel alone.
I hope they turn to you
Through guidance and prayer
And know that you and their parents
Will always be there.

on perspective and potential

2011-09-01T15:36:00.001-04:00

Sometimes our circumstances, our choices, our life events limit our perspective.

We only see the world around us through a window.

Sometimes it’s hard to see the big picture, because we’re so caught up in the right now, the right here.

Sometimes it takes an outside event to open our window of view.

Sometimes it takes LOTS of outside events to open our window of view.

Sometimes it just takes time.

But if we are lucky enough, a combination of these things is enough to help us see more clearly.

Sometimes life throws back the curtains.

The window opens up before you.

And if you are lucky, you see it happen.

Sometimes you let it change you, and you let it change your perspective.

And sometimes, you realize that you have needed this new perspective all along.

The above photos were taken at my grandparents’ farm.

This weekend, I will venture home, along with my children to attend the funeral of my last surviving grandparent.

My grandmother passed away last Thursday, a little more than 3 months after my grandfather’s death in May.

For the last 15 years, I had little interaction with these grandparents.

Circumstances are complicated, and would require an explanation that needs not be given here.

So today I find myself grieving. Not grieving the loss of a person so much as the loss of potential.

The potential that was there to really know this woman, a woman that I really only knew from afar.

What I do know is that she loved her children. She loved her grandchildren. She loved a man who loved few.

Years passed and the gaps he created grew wider. The emotional distance between he and his family grew longer.

But she loved him. She loved him until the day he died, and she left this world not long after him.

So today I am thankful for a change in perspective.

Life is short.

The years pass quickly, and if we are to live up to our potential, we must embrace each day.

We must see ourselves, our own potential from a wider perspective.

Only from a wider perspective can we see the possibilities before us.

Today I will trade the grief for joy and look at the world, my life and the life of my family from a wider angle of view.

"Everyone has inside himself a piece of good news!
The good news is that you really don't know how great you can be,
how much you can love, what you can accomplish,
and what your potential is!"
Anne Frank

Her name is Red

2011-08-29T14:21:00.001-04:00

and I’m not sure she liked me all that much.

Or perhaps that look was her way of reminding me that I should get back to work.

Not sure which, but it is intimidating.

I think I should take her suggestion.

She seems to mean business.

Yeah. Point taken.

Back to work.

Oh the Places You’ll Go

2011-08-23T16:54:00.001-04:00

Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own.
And you know what you know.
And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go.

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed.
You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you’ll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

I'm sorry to say so
But, sadly it's true
That bang-ups and hang-ups
Can happen to you.

On and on you will hike, And I know you’ll hike far
and face up to your problems whatever they are.

You’ll get mixed up of course, as you already know.
You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go.

So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
And remember that Life’s a great balancing act.

Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

Will you succeed?
Yes you will indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

kid you'll move mountains so...be your name buxbaum or bixby or bray or mordecai ale van allen o'shea, you're off to great places! today is your day! your mountain is waiting. so...get on your way.

This post may seem random, even for me, but watching my girl grow is making me sentimental today. So I thought I would share one of my favorites from Dr. Seuss. It felt fitting today.

Where has the time gone?

2011-08-21T19:58:00.001-04:00

August 21st!

Good gracious, this Summer has flown by. It has flown by, and once again, I have let it slip through my fingers and hardly documented any of it here on my blog.

Life.

It gets in the way of our best laid plans. Doesn’t it?

Many of you have already sent your younglings back to school. Mine don’t go back until September 6th.

17 days! Sheesh! Hard to believe that there are only 17 days left in their vacation.

They have been busy, with trips and events, lazing about, playing outside, and bickering amongst themselves.

I have been busy cleaning, remodeling, photographing, painting, and breaking up more fights than I care to acknowledge.

Now, it’s time to get caught back up here on this sad, neglected blog.

In the next couple of weeks, I intend to barrage these virtual pages with scores of photos (that perhaps only I care about), lots of goofy, and hopefully a bit of pretty.

For now, I leave you with this photo.

A shot of my brother’s adorable family from a session that we had last week. (Full session to be blogged in the next couple of days @ Tricia Boutelle Photography if you care to check it out)

That’s right! In just a few short weeks, I’m going to be an Aunt again (and I’m VERY excited!).

Wanna hear the coolest part?! Do ya’?!

As long as that little Mr. doesn’t make his appearance too quickly (mama will be giving birth about 2.5 hours away from my home), I am going to have the extraordinary privilege of being her BIRTH PHOTOGRAPHER!!! Gah! I can hardly stand it!

So this, William Alexander Smith is an order from your Aunty: Do not peek your little self out too quickly! Wait for me!!

Now, off to clean up some messes, grab a cup of coffee and get to writing some blog drafts.

Enjoy your week, all!

Nominate a Deserving Family for a FREE family session ( for fb friends only)

2011-08-16T10:49:00.001-04:00

I’m very excited about this one!

You can find more information at Tricia Boutelle Photography on fb.

sweet alone time and apple pie

2011-08-08T22:28:00.000-04:00

For me, those things DO go together. Just roll with me here.

First I should come clean and tell you that I kicked my kids out of the house yesterday.

Yes. I did.

For a Full.Two.Hours.

Lucky for me, we live in the middle of nowhere and I can see their every move from the kitchen window.

They played. I turned up the Sarah Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson channel on Pandora.

It was glorious.

Then I put on my favorite apron, tied up my hair, and baked an apple pie.

It was the best two hours of my day. Hands down.

Hey, don’t judge me.

Summer is fun, but it’s long and a mama needs her quiet time.

Wanna see what I made?

Yummy, right?!

Want the recipe?

I thought so.

Doesn’t it look sweet and creamy?

It is.

Oh, it is. Not too sweet, though. That’s what’s fantastic about the condensed milk instead of sugar.

Mmmmm…….

I did forget to mention that I brushed a bit of whipped egg white on the crust before I baked it.

That’s what makes the crust so beautifully golden.

Added bonus: The remainder of the sweetened condensed milk is perfect with your iced coffee. Ahhh…double goodness.

The moral of the story is this. When mama gets some much needed quiet time, everyone benefits.

Amen.

For fun, I will be joining the following linkies with this post.

a typical morning (of captivity)

2011-08-04T10:57:00.001-04:00

This is what a typical morning looks like in our house.

More accurately, this is what any given moment in our house could look like. Today, it happened to be a morning moment.

A kitten tucked inside of a purse, attacking the hair of her captor.

Until she wears her captor down and into submission.

This is typical.

It is not quiet, or calm, or i don’t know, normal.

It is typical, though.

Typical is pretty fun and it makes me want to bottle it up for the days when typical will be a quiet house empty of my girlies.

For one day the girls will grow up, move out and create their own “typical mornings”.

Until then, I will relish the crazy, typical mornings that I call normal.

Up in the sky…

2011-08-03T21:17:00.001-04:00

It’s a bird. it’s a plane. it’s a…cloud?

We all played that game when we were kids. Right?

The “this cloud looks like…” game.

Well this particular cloud was floating by yesterday and made me want to watch The NeverEnding Story.

Who’s with me?

What about you?

What’s the coolest cloud formation that you’ve ever seen?

Summer Days

2011-08-02T13:09:00.001-04:00

are floating by

and I do hope that you are enjoying them to the fullest.

On Parenting, Politics, and Responsibility.

2011-07-27T12:36:00.001-04:00

Okay. This post is going to be waaayyy off the ranch as far as the type of drivel I usually write.

However, this one has been bubbling for awhile and quiet frankly, Facebook won’t allow me to post enough text in one status to write it all. That means that my opinion on this matter will land here. Lucky you! ;)

I should preface this post by stating that I am no expert in matters of politics. In fact, I can’t even claim the status of amateur political analyst.

This post is simply one mom’s take on the blame games running rampant in American politics and my personal opinion on how we, as parents might begin to change the future political environment. Inevitably, I will offend someone with this post. Someone will think that I’m an idiot, and perhaps one or two of you might at least partially agree with me.

This post will not be comprehensive regarding every little intricate detail of our flawed political system, but rather a general idea regarding changing the next generation’s ideas about political and personal responsibility.

There you go. I feel like I have given a fair disclaimer. Still here? Good for you! ;)

cartoon from theweek.com

News articles, blog posts, facebook status updates, tweets…they are everywhere.

Everywhere you look, someone is blaming someone else for the state of the rising unemployment rate, taxes, rising oil prices, the state of our public schools, the welfare system. It goes on and on.

Is there blame to be laid?

Sure. There always has been. There probably always will be. This is not a new phenomenon.

Here’s where I see the problem.

There are fingers pointing, and blame being shoved off on others all over the place.

However, no blame is being accepted.

No one is willing to take responsibility for anything anymore. “It” is always “someone else’s” fault.

It was the fault of the previous administration, this war, that policy, etc…

Politicians tend to find the most inventive methods of passing blame. Are their jobs difficult, stressful, important? Absolutely! Should they be fairly compensated for that? Absolutely! Should there be liability and responsibility laid on their shoulders in exchange? Absolutely! Should there be consequences for their actions? Absolutely!

There should be accepted consequences for the actions of every U.S. Citizen, every human being in fact (but that is another subject for another day).

Sadly, this is where I believe that we are failing each others as parents, citizens and human beings in general.

When children do something wrong, be it intentional or not, good parents hold their children accountable for these actions. There are consequences. Sadly, we live in a society where consequences are becoming fewer and further between. We have become a society of indulgence. As parents, mentors, and caregivers many prefer the role of friend over that of authority figure. Confrontation is hard. It takes energy, work, and follow-through. Life is tough. Hours at work are long. Hours at home are too short. There are activities and obligations pulling us in so many directions, that we simply don’t have the energy left to be “in charge” anymore.

In my humble opinion, this is the very root of our issues as a society. Children are being brought up in an over-stimulated, over-indulged, under-parented environment. Many parents are exhausted, stressed out, and simply unable or unwilling to raise children in a manner that encourages responsible behavior. Children are gaining more and more control in the family environment. As a result, children are being “raised” in an environment of little to no real responsibility regarding consequences to their actions. These children are growing up, and because they were never taught any different, are repeating the cycle with their own children.

The concept of personal responsibility has become an idea, not a true standard. We “pass the buck”. ‘It was “so and so’s fault, or so and so’s idea. It wasn’t my fault. Not my problem. Blame so and so.”’ We blame the teachers for not teaching our children properly, but not the child for barely skating by rather than striving for their own personal best, or the parent for failing to be their child’s best teacher. We blame the realtors and the mortgage companies for “tricking us” into buying a house that we couldn’t afford, rather than accepting the fact that we wanted what we wanted, regardless of the potential consequences. We blame other children and their parents when our child gets in trouble, rather than demanding better choices from our own kids. Why then, if we raise children to adulthood without instilling the values of accepting personal responsibility are we surprised or offended when our leaders continually pass the blame?

We as parents, mentors, and caregivers are raising generations of children that have the potential to change the world. Inside our households are the people who will find cures for cancers, fight against injustices, and seek real change in the world. Inside our households are also the people who will grow up passing the buck, blaming their unhappy life on “a bad childhood”, or “being dealt a bad hand”.

In my opinion, the only way to change our broken system, our future as a society is to start accepting personal responsibility for our choices and expecting the same of others. Once we start accepting the consequences of our decisions, both personally and as a society, we then can begin to share some of the blame. It is our responsibility to show children that part of being a good, moral, ethical, human being is accepting responsibility for our decisions and the consequences that follow. That includes then getting up and finding a way to fix it, not just for oneself, but for the good of man kind. Adults must model what it means to be a quality human being. We must show that charity, kindness and humility are characteristics to be sought, not looked down upon. We must EXPECT better of ourselves, our children, and other adults. We must DEMAND that personal responsibility is claimed for the things that One has control over. We must stop teaching our children that life should be handed to them and instead teach them that they must WORK for and seek what they want. We must live a life that we can look back on and be PROUD of in order to expect the same of others.

When we all begin to accept responsibility for our part in where we are as a country, a community, and a family, then real change will come. When we all begin to work towards a better tomorrow, rather than complaining about yesterday, then real change will come.
When we begin to “get over ourselves” and look toward the good of society in general, then real change will come.

Until then, the blame game will continue.

Until then, we will see no change.

Summer Green Bean Citrus Salad

2011-07-25T00:55:00.000-04:00

This recipe has been adapted from one I found in the Better Homes and Gardens August 2011 issue.

The ingredients that I have used below are largely because they are what I had on hand. The green beans and pepper are from my garden. Use what you have and make it unique to your tastes.

Like so many of my favorite recipes, this one is
a. fast
b. easy
c. versatile

Step 1: Chop your ingredients

Step 2: Sautee

Step 3: Serve on a pretty plate (because everything tastes better when served from a pretty plate)

Ingredients: (again, this recipe is perfect to play around with so please add or subtract to it with whatever you enjoy)

1 lb. fresh green beans (ends snipped)

3 nectarines (chopped)

1/2 med. size onion (sliced)

1 clove fresh garlic (minced)

1 (+) mini pepper (sliced)

1/2 lemon (sliced)

Not pictured: salt (a couple of pinches), 1/2 tsp. honey, olive oil for pan

Instructions:

Cut up your ingredients to desired size.

Drizzle (cast iron if available) pan with 2 T. olive oil and heat until it just starts to bubble. (HOT)

Place onions in pan. Brown both sides. (about 1-2 minutes per side)

Add garlic, green beans, peppers to onions. Cover and sautee for approx. 4 minutes.

Add nectarines and lemon slices.

Sprinkle a couple of pinches of salt and 1 tsp. of honey.

Make sure everything is well mixed.

Sautee for approx. 4 more minutes, covering with lid between stirs.

Keep stirring throughout the process so that everything will be evenly cooked and beautifully browned.

Serve either hot or make it the night before, refrigerate and serve cold for a refreshing side at lunch.

Step 4: Enjoy!

My favorite Summertime Breakfast (faux ice cream)

2011-07-22T11:58:00.001-04:00

This is my most favorite-ist summer breakfast treat.

It tastes like banana ice cream, but without the fat and calories.

The other great thing is that it’s versatile.

As many variations as you can come with, that’s how many will taste great!

So here is this particular variation of this yummy treat.

Banana Chocolate Almond Faux Ice Cream

(1) frozen banana

1/8 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/8 C. fat free/sugar free pudding (you could use chocolate, vanilla, butterscotch, etc..)

1 small handful of chopped almonds (or walnuts, pistachios, pecans, etc….)

*Remove skin from frozen banana and chop into 1/4’s.

*Toss banana, cocoa, pudding into bullet blender (or the like)

*Blend until all of the banana is smooth and everything is mixed well. You may need to take the lid off and stir it a couple of times in the process.

*Stir in chopped nuts with a spoon so that they retain their size and shape.

*Scoop into your favorite little dish and serve immediately.

**Makes about 1/2 C. for an average sized banana.

For variety, you could try one of more of the following options.

***strawberries, cherries, peanut butter, nutella, blackberries, fresh mint, lemon balm, the possibilities are endless.

In fact, if you try my version or a variety, I would love to hear what you made.

Either way, it’s a delicious treat.

Enjoy!

Today, she is in recovery

2011-07-21T12:39:00.001-04:00

Two days ago, Miss P had surgery at noon, on her birthday.

She has been such a trooper and although she was in a great deal of pain post-op, she has hardly asked for any pain meds since.

By yesterday morning, she was up, walking a bit, trying to eat solid foods, and attempting to feel “normal”.

Today she is glad to be home.

She and I slept for 10 solid hours in our own beds last night, and woke this morning feeling grateful.

She is grateful to feel a bit better and to have her things around her.

I am grateful that my sweet girl is on the mend.

I am grateful that this incident was isolated, that for nine years she has been happy and healthy.

Sitting in the hospital, seeing the other patients go in and out, you begin to count lots of blessings.

She is just one of mine, and for her I am very grateful.

(The above picture shows quite well how she felt about her appendix’ timing)

Today is a special day

2011-07-19T01:26:00.001-04:00

Today marks 9 years since you entered this world.

Today is a day of celebration, of joy, and of fun.

I wish that today would be spent playing outside, throwing water balloons, chasing your sisters, and having loads of crazy fun.

However, that will have to wait for a couple of weeks.

Today will be spent in a hospital bed.

As I type this, you are sound asleep, after many “just one more questions”.

As I type this, I am sitting in a blue hospital recliner, listening to you breathe, thanking God for giving me the great blessing of being your mother.

As I type this, the first tears are falling from my eyes and down my cheeks.

You will be all fixed in a mere 12 hours, but tonight I can’t help but be sad that instead of waking up to the traditional birthday streamers and cake for breakfast, you will wake up to a blood pressure cuff, blood tests, and (if we’re lucky) ice chips.

By this time tomorrow you will again be sleeping in this hospital bed, free of that dag blasted appendix that decided to give you trouble on your birthday of all days.

By this time tomorrow, I will be sleeping next to you in this same blue hospital recliner, thanking God for yet another blessing, a quick and easy surgery.

Until then, however, in the quiet of this hospital room, I am reminded that I sat in a room very much like this one 9 years ago with you. While much has changed over those 9 years, you are still my sweet baby. I will still shed tears for you in the quiet darkness when I wish nothing more than to magically make it all better.

You are my sweet P and I wish you the very happiest of birthdays, even though today’s birthday will be spent in a hospital bed instead of our back yard.

So goodnight my sweet P.

Sleep tight.

In the morning, the surgeon will be fix you up and we will celebrate the day of your birth in a room very similar to the one that we celebrated your arrival into this world.

I love you, my sweet girl.

Happy Birthday!

In full swing

2011-06-30T13:15:00.001-04:00

Summer is in full swing

The sun is shining

The wind is blowing

The veggies are growing like mad

The flowers are blooming

The children are screaming and squealing with delight at the sheer joy of freedom

The windows and doors are thrown open

The iced coffee in my hand tastes delicious

The popsicle stash is already getting dangerously low

The beach towels are perpetually wet

The swim suits live on either bodies running through the sprinkler or thrown over the line to dry

Summer is in full swing and I love it

Summer, Celebration, and a Surprise

2011-06-28T00:26:00.001-04:00

Summer has officially arrived for us.

That means, of course that school is over and we have embraced the less-scheduled life.

In case I have never mentioned this, we live in New York.

That means that my girls (and all the other public schoolers in NY) are not released from the shackles of a school bell until the 3rd week of June.

Happily, I can say that we are indeed free for 2 1/2 months.

That feels pretty fantastic.

On the girls last day of school (a half day), I asked them what they would like to do.

The answer was clear.

Chinese food for lunch and the water fountain to play.

I can get on board with that.

In our world, there is only one reasonable choice, when it comes to Chinese food.

The girls have dubbed it “Purple Chinese”.

Can you guess why?

With full bellies and a bright, sun-shiney day, we headed off to the main event.

We hopped in.

Well, they did.

I tiptoed in and then ran in the other direction when threatened with a splashing. ;)

The girls frolicked for over an hour.

They were soaked from head to toe.

So wet, exhausted, and thoroughly happy, we headed home.

When what to our wondering eyes should appear but this little surprise.

My Mr. rescued her from a terrible death, and she now resides comfy and cozy in our little cottage.

Needless to say, the fun that I officiated during the day was quickly forgotten when this little miss made her appearance.

That’s okay, though.

There is still lots of Summer fun to be had and memories to be made.

I love Summer.

I love Summer, if for nothing more than the freedom of a relatively schedule-free life.

So here we are sweet Summer.

Let’s make it a good one.

The girls of Summer

2011-06-14T15:29:00.001-04:00

Hey there.

I am over at my Photography Website (Tricia Boutelle Photography) sharing a mini session that I did with my own sweet girls.

The outtakes on my FB page. You probably want to check those out too. They are living proof that I do not have boring children. ;)

Want a sneak peek?

Cream Cheese Toast Spread

2011-06-13T10:43:00.001-04:00

Disclaimer: This spread is HIGHLY addictive, and may cause one to lose their self-control and/or wits. Weight may be gained. Time may be lost to a euphoric state of foodie bliss and you may either love or hate me after making it.

The End.

This is Summer

2011-06-09T00:41:00.000-04:00

It has been hot, hot, hot here this week.

It has made me appreciate what Summer really looks like to us.

Well, this is it.

This is Summer to us.

Water hoses

Wet hair and swim suits

Laughing, squealing, and giggling,

while your sister holds the hose in a manner meant to look like she is a boy peeing on you.

Yes. They are that classy.

It’s peonies in bloom,

complete with ants galore.

It’s wave petunias beginning to pour over the edges of their pots,

and dogs getting much needed, but rarely appreciated haircuts.

This is Summer.

Thank goodness.

It’s sunshine and fresh air.

It’s watermelon and popsicles.

It’s bare feet and long, green grass.

This is Summer and I’m very glad it’s here.

What have I been up to?

2011-06-08T11:16:00.001-04:00

For the last few weeks I have been a very busy girl photographing some very sweet kiddos and their families.

Today I wanted to share just a peek at the session I did with the C family.

To see the rest of their family session, you can visit my website here

and to see the rest of my session with Little Miss A, you can visit my website here.

Little Miss A’s mom, dad and I grew up together.

We haven’t seen each other in years, but it was so much fun to get together.

Having the opportunity to photograph someone’s family is such an honor.

Even more so in this case, because mom, dad, and I were kids together.

So if you feel so inclined, you can visit Tricia Boutelle Photography, browse around and give the C family a little love.

One Month?!

2011-06-04T13:29:00.001-04:00

It has been a full month since I last posted here.

Holy cow!

I really have no excuse. I have just been very busy.

While I have not been here, I have been busy over at my Photography Site – Tricia Boutelle Photography.

If you’d like to visit over there, I would love to have you.

Oh, and just for my own record, since these are the first photos of my own family that I have sorted through in the last 4 weeks, I will post them here.

That way, I can prove to myself (and you) that we are all indeed still around, and that we have been abducted by aliens. (I don’t think. ;)

Now, back to work.

Back to attempting to find balance. (which I stink at, btw).

Back to finding a way to be HERE.

We’ll see.

Until next time, I hope that you are all well and that Summer has arrived and is treating you well.

Cupcakes

2011-05-09T11:57:00.002-04:00

Make

Every

Single

Day

Just

A Little Bit

Sweeter.

It’s a proven fact.
Scientific even (perhaps ;).
Just for case study purposes, you should probably eat at least one cupcake today.
For science.
It’s your duty.

P.S. We do eat other things in this house, btw. Not everything is cake and cupcakes. Cake and cupcakes are just more fun to photograph. ;)

Motherhood

2011-05-09T10:31:00.001-04:00

The theme at i heart faces this week is Motherhood.

I, personally had a beautiful Mother’s Day and was able to grab a few pics of my brother’s beautiful, glowingly pregnant (yes you ARE) girlfriend, Liz.

Perfect timing for this challenge, I think.

I hope that all of the mothers out there had a beautiful day of celebration.

Head on over to and share the love with the mothers in your life.

Conjuring Spring

2011-05-03T10:13:00.002-04:00

Spring.
Elusive Spring.
I believe that you want to come (and stay).
I do.
For some reason, it’s just a bit of a struggle for you this year.
So in an effort to coax you out, I made you a cake.

With the best frosting I’ve ever made.

I tasted the cake. Yes.
I had to.
Wouldn’t want you to eat contaminated cake.
Just sayin’.
So I cut a piece for you.
You can find it waiting for you.

Please come soon.
I may not be able to control myself for long, and I really want to share with you.
I also want to remind you that while conjuring images of Spring is incredibly fun, I would really like the REAL thing.

Missing you greatly,
Your long lost friend from New York

Priorities.

2011-05-02T17:35:00.001-04:00

Setting them is tough. Right?

Maybe it’s just me.

I struggle with balance.

I always have.

This journal of mine has been sadly neglected lately.

It makes me feel sad to think of how little I have been here, but I have been so busy with the other parts of my life, that this one has taken a back seat.

It happens to the best of us, right?

So in an effort to keep the balance between all the crazy in my life, I have been attempting to focus a little extra time on my girls and on my photography.

Both are very important to me.

Both bring me great joy, a decent amount of frustration, and through it all, they help me feel like ME!

Photographing my girls is important to me.

Not in the formal, posed, forced smile kind of way, but in a real life, everyday kind of way.

When they are grown, I want to remember the way that they were today.

Every smile, frown, and glare.

Every mundane moment can indeed hold a bit of magic.

That’s my approach to photography, to life in general, I suppose.

So today I just wanted to pop in and share a bit of these two joys in my life, and write it all down so that one day I would remember how these two important parts of my life intersected.

Just a little reminder.

Oh, and the looks on their faces in that bottom picture.

That, my friends is the way life goes when mama photographs your every move.

Perhaps they are trying to tell me something.

Hhmmmm…..

No. I didn’t think so either.

Soft and Sweet

2011-05-01T14:11:00.001-04:00

The theme at i heart faces this week is soft and sweet.

Soft and sweet indeed.

This is my sweet baby.

Not such a baby anymore but still soft and cuddly.

Be sure to head over to and join in with your own take on “soft and sweet”.

Reminders

2011-04-21T21:18:00.002-04:00

Today I am reminded that these four people are the most important people in my life.
They are my greatest gift.

I am reminded that none of us know what tomorrow holds, but that we have today.
We have right now.
That is a precious gift.
Today.
Right now is a precious gift.
I must not waste it.
None of us should waste it.

Do you Pinterest?

2011-04-19T00:25:00.000-04:00

Okay.

I know that I am not the first to post about Pinterest, but I am joining the masses here in proclaiming my love for the site.

Just incase you have not heard of it, you may be asking, what is Pinterest?

Pinterest is an invitation-based site where any and every inspiration pic that you could imagine in the online world is at your finger tips for “pinning”. Basically, it’s a giant, virtual, takes up no room in your actual home inspiration folder. You can put anything and everything you want in it, and then you get to share your inspiration images with other amazing folks! How cool is that?! Right?!

All you need do (once you ask for an invitation) is wait for the reply to come to your email with your invitation code. It usually takes about two weeks.

If you are interested in an invitation, just leave your email address below and I will send an invitation request for you a.s.a.p.

Then you log on to the site, create a profile, and start creating boards.

I could go through the step-by-steps, but luckily for me, Beth already did!

If you visit Beth’s Pinterest post, she will walk you through the (very easy) directions.

Rachel also did a great post on Pinterest recently and you can visit her for her take on it.

I am using Pinterest for lots of things. Photography ideas, Home Inspiration, Foodie love, hours of daydreaming...

Care to see some of my pinboards?

So, if you are interested in joining Pinterest and would like an invitation, please feel free to leave your email address below in the comments and I will get an invitation sent out to you right away.

If you are already on Pinterest, you can find me here as Tricia Boutelle. If and when you join, I would love to see what you are pinning, so feel free to find me at the above link as well.

What’s another addiction, right?! Ha!

Happy Pinteresting, everyone!

photography

2011-04-18T13:06:00.002-04:00

How about a quick little photography post today?
Photography is on my mind, (and my desktop), so I thought I would talk just a bit about that today.
Photography takes up a large part of my life.
In fact, this is what my work surface looks like pretty much all of the time.

Coffee (I RUN on this stuff), my laptop, iphone, and one of the 4 lenses that I use for my camera. (Obviously there is a camera involved too, right? Well that’s where the pic came from. Let’s not get too technical here, folks. ;)
If I am not shooting photos, reading photography blogs, books, or tutorials, I am editing, and organizing photos.
Believe me, my laundry room and dish pile reflect this particular shortcoming.
For the past few weeks, I have been waist deep in my own little photography world.
That is part of the reason that I have not been here.
Between sorting and editing through hundreds of RAW images shot at Will’s funeral, shooting and editing my own pics, working on my photography site, setting up sessions for portfolio building, creating marketing and promotion products for a photography business that I hope to get off the ground sometime this year, and things that don’t go away (like laundry and dishes), I have been in the abyss of computer land a lot lately.
Apparently I have also forgotten how to write a complete sentence that is not a mile long run-on. ;)
So in an effort to come up for air, I thought that I would share a shot I took of my middle chica this weekend and show you and talk about a couple of edits that I did of this particular shot.
Here is the SOOC (straight out of camera) image.

f/2.8   1/100   ISO 200
Okay. Let’s talk about this shot.
What do you notice?
The first thing I notice is that it is underexposed. There are two things that I could have done to fix this.
     - I could have slowed my shutter speed. If I had dropped my SS to perhaps 1/80 or even 1/60, it would have left the shutter open a bit longer, perhaps enough to gather more light.
     - I could also have left the SS as is and instead, increased my ISO. This would have made my lens more sensitive to the light and it would have gathered more light for the shot.
That being said, of course it is always best to get these things right “In Camera”, meaning when you take the shot. However, IMO, it is better to underexpose than to overexpose a picture. Regaining detail from a shot that is overexposed and has “hot spots” or bright white areas is nearly impossible.
The second thing I notice is that the white balance is a bit off. This means that the “temperature” of the picture is a bit off. In this case, the shot is cool (blue toned). This was a simple mistake. We were outside and the sky that only moments ago was bright and sunny had become suddenly overcast and cloudy. I didn’t change my white balance. My mistake.
     - I could have remedied this by changing my white balance setting to Cloudy instead of Daylight. This would have compensated for the “temperature difference” in this shot.
Many people shoot in Auto White Balance, all of the time. That is okay too. In fact, Jasmine Star shoots in Auto white balance. If J* can shoot in AWB, then so can you. Amen.
Now, the edits that I did were done in Adobe Camera Raw and Adobe Photoshop CS5. Basically, in RAW, I bumped up the temperature of the shot to add some warm tones, and adjusted my exposure. (This could be done in PS as well, if you shoot in JPEG and not RAW).
Then I opened the picture in CS5 and ran two quick PS actions. Both were free and I will list and link them below.
If you do not have Photoshop, that’s totally okay.
There are loads of FREE photo editing sites out there that will help you to improve most any shot.
Here are a few:

Picnik

Gimp (link here)

Picasa (link here)

Photobucket (link here)
Now, down to the edits.
No. 1

Ran Paint the Moon’s free Soft and Simple Color Pop action, adjusted the layers to my liking, then flatted the image and used MCP Actions free Crystal Clear Web Resize action. Hid crystal clear layer. Added watermark. Flattened. Saved to my desktop.

No. 2

Ran The CoffeeShop Blog’s Buttercream B&W action. Adjusted opacity of layers to my liking. Ran MCP Action’s Crystal Clear Web Resize action and hid Crystal Clear layer. Flattened image. Added Watermark. Saved to my desktop.

Here’s a tip that I just learned (literally today). When you save an image from Photoshop to your desktop and intend to use it on the web, go to the FILE tab. Click Save for Web or Devices and save at 95 + percentage. Life changing. The color preservation is amazing! I have struggled for a long time with the fact that my images never appeared in blogger as they should, color-wise. Solution found. How did it take me so long to learn that?!

Alrighty. There you have it. A couple of quick edits, with a couple of (hopefully) helpful hints thrown in.
Now, back to work.
Happy Monday, all!

Nuthouse

2011-04-15T14:41:00.001-04:00

That’s how I feel most days.

It has taken me some time to fully embrace it, but I live in a nuthouse.

I do.

It’s just the way it is.

Our family tree has a few more nuts than most.

It’s okay.

I’m good with it.

It’s what makes us special.

Right?

Right?!

Thought so. ;)

Here’s to a nutty weekend, everyone.

If I can pull myself out from under my to-do list, I will be back next week with some projects, pictures and fun.

Fingers crossed.

on knowing what to say

2011-04-09T16:13:00.002-04:00

Sometimes it’s hard to know what to say… in real life, in this online life.
The last couple of weeks have been long.
Emotionally, physically, mentally, spiritually.
Sometimes it’s hard to put real life into words, online.

I am doing my very best to gather it all up and put it down on the “page” because it deserves to be said.
I want to remember the way that these last two weeks have felt when I look back on them later.
The sadness, mixed with the joy, and finding a way to process it all. It all deserves to be said.
I want to say it in a way that honors those involved.
I want to say it in a way that honors God and the great gift that I have been given in knowing these inspirational people.
These people have become friends to me, closer than I could ever have imagined.
It all happened through a time of great sadness, a time of loss, and now a time of picking the pieces back up and finding the way to a new normal.

Six years ago, I met a man who became a part of our family.
He was a “brother” to my own real life brother.
He was loved by every.single.person. who ever met him.
A little more than six months ago, I “met” his beautiful family in a way that none of us ever imagined.
I “met” them online via Michelle’s blog, chronicling her brother’s journey.
Soon, we were emailing and messaging back and forth.
Five months ago I had the extraordinary privilege of coming to know this family in real life as my own family went to visit Will in the hospital.
A little more than three months ago, the day after Christmas, Will left this Earth.
God took him home and made him whole.
Twelve days ago, I stood outside a funeral home and prepared to photograph the viewing and funeral of a beloved son, brother, friend, and soldier.
For two days, I was given the immense privilege of capturing images for his family that would document their final goodbye to one that was loved beyond measure.

To say that I was honored to have been there to capture those images cannot begin describe how I feel.
Being there with a family that I have come to know and love through the loss of their son, their brother…that will stay with me for as long as I live.
Being there with my own brother…with six of Will’s best friends…watching them say goodbye to their best friend…that will stay with me for as long as I live.

Seeing the way that his life, his love brought people together (literally from around the world) to celebrate him, to say goodbye… that will stay with me for as long as I live.
We should all strive to live our life so fully, to touch the lives of those around us so profoundly.
Your life, your legacy of love will continue through all of those blessed enough to know you.
It will continue because everyone who walked away from Arlington National Cemetery on March 29, 2011 knew that they could only hope to live a life that touched so many.
Those two days, they were filled with everything that we all hope for when our loved ones say goodbye to us.
They were filled with laughter, sadness, tears, joy, stories of you, and more than anything else, love.

Will, you will be missed, loved, and celebrated for years to come.
Laughs will be shared over stories of the past.
Tears will be shed, but quickly replaced by joy when you are remembered.
Cold drinks will be drunk and toasts shared in your honor.
I even have a hunch that you will be honored in the naming of babies to come.

Goodbye, Will McCotter.

Best Face Forward

2011-04-03T11:36:00.001-04:00

The theme at this week is Best Face of March.

That means it’s a voting week!

So if you feel so inclined, my blue eyed girl and I would love to have your vote at i heart faces starting Tuesday morning!!

P.S. I will be back in a couple days with fresh posts. It has been an emotionally trying week, so I intend to refuel today and be back tomorrow.

Here’s to a blessed week, everyone!

A Slice of Life

2011-03-26T23:53:00.001-04:00

The theme at i heart faces this week is a slice of life.

Since my photo site is under construction, I am joining the fun from here on my family blog.

Without further adieu, I give you a slice of my life.

Dinner with my lovies.

Be sure to head on over to and join in the fun and share a Slice of your Life.

Glimpses of Spring, and then Not So Much

2011-03-23T12:52:00.002-04:00

March 23, 2011.
It is “officially Spring”.
A few days ago we ventured off to the park for some play-time (sans jackets).

It was beautiful.
Late afternoon sun until after 7 pm.

A little chilly, but just fine with a long sleeved shirt.

The kids ran and played and jumped around like crazy people!
Perfect!

Then…
I woke up this morning to find this.

Today is a snow day from school.
I blame The Groundhog.

Sweet Shot

2011-03-22T18:52:00.001-04:00

Since my photography site is under construction, I am itching to join a photo challenge or two.

This peanut is not only a birthday girl today, but also a pretty sweet kiddo.

I will be joining and today.

4 Years

2011-03-21T23:51:00.002-04:00

4 years ago today we met you.
4 years ago today, your arrival completed our family.
For the last four years, you have spent each and every day enchanting us, pushing us, testing us, and generally making our lives better than we could have imagined.

You are my sweet peanut.
It almost hurts to even think that you are now 4 years old.
How have 3 full years come and gone so quickly?

You are my most favorite Karlee.
You are beautiful and strong-willed. You are smart and feisty. You are creative and imaginative. Your smile and your laugh brighten the lives of every person you meet.

Happy Birthday, my love!

Good as gold

2011-03-19T13:40:00.002-04:00

Sometimes all of the preparation for holidays, keeping up the illusion of mythical creatures kinda gets to me.
I think, “really? again? ugh.”
St. Patrick’s Day morning, the girls got up early and placed their shoes by the back door.

Normally the leprechaun is VERY naughty when it comes to deliver the gold. He leaves a mess all over the floors, trails that mark the path he took through the house. He pees green in our potties and he usually narrowly escapes a homemade trap or two.
This year, there were no traps to be found, and perhaps that changed the leprechaun’s attitude.

There was no trail, no mess, no green pee.
There was only a gold coin, placed carefully in the heel of each carefully placed shoe.

When the girls saw their gold, they were overjoyed!
They excitedly ran around, made up stories and debated about what the leprechaun did, why he didn’t make his usual mess, and how he got in and out of the house undetected. (He arrived and placed the gold while I was in the other room. He’s quick, that leprechaun.)
Sometimes a moment like that makes you realize that the illusion is absolutely worth it!
All too soon they will no longer believe.
So rather than look at the preparation as a burden, I am reminded that the preparation needed to continue the illusion will always be worth it.
While they still believe.

Sometimes…

2011-03-17T00:27:00.001-04:00

A girl just needs

to buy a new dress,

with a pretty neckline,

and a cute little flair.

Sometimes a girl needs to pair it with her favorite shoes, even if they are a little “witchy”.

Sometimes that girl even has to take pictures of herself (in her daughters’ messy, very pink bedroom) in said dress, while simultaneously talking to her sister (in law) on the phone.
Sometimes a girl just needs a pretty dress.

Can I get an ‘Amen’, girls?!
Thank you.
I knew you’d understand. ;)

Plus, it’s my birthday.
Sometimes, that makes it extra okay to buy yourself a pretty new dress.
Now, I’m off to eat cake and enjoy the day! Oh, and probably eat some more cake after that. Just keepin’ it real.

{p.s. dress found at target by Merona. I couldn’t find it online, but I got it at my local store and it was only $39.99. love that!!}

Blessings

2011-03-16T11:49:00.002-04:00

I found this song, Blessings by Laura Story via The Macs, and felt compelled to share it here.

I hope that it speaks to you.

It did me.

In a time of such suffering and struggle all over the world, you hear people speaking of “The End of Days”, Rapture, Judgment Day. There are certainly signs of these things occurring today. However, who are we to presume to know or can even conceive of God’s plan? God calls us to live our lives for Him each day, every day. He has said that the time of Christ’s return has already been written. Long before He breathed life into Adam, the length of our time here on Earth was already decided. We can not change God’s plans by fretting, by pleading, or by speculating. What is a human year or even lifetime in the timeline of God’s existence? It is but a speck of sand on a vast beach. Whether or not these are indeed “The End of Days”, God’s request of us remains the same. He asks that we remain faithful, loyal, vigilant, and humble before Him.

The great suffering caused over these recent days is unimaginable to most. It is to me, I think. I find it to be very difficult to wrap my mind around the events that have changed the lives of so many in Japan. What I do know is that even in the midst of great suffering, God is always there. God does not punish us with disease, disasters, plagues. We are an imperfect people living in an imperfect world. We make decisions, as individuals, as a society, as a race. There are always consequences, expected and unexpected, good and bad that come from our decisions, from our choices. God is there to carry us through the pain, the trials, and the grief. All that he wants is for us to want him, to trust him, to seek him above all else. All we must do is follow.

All that we must do is seek God’s great Blessings.

Blessings by Laura Story

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not our home

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise

Edited to add: Have you seen this story? There is no denying that God is indeed with us even in the most terrible of situations. A living, breathing miracle, indeed.

Psst….

2011-03-15T08:27:00.001-04:00

Hey!

Anonymous!

Remember that last post I wrote?

The one where you left this comment?

Yeah. That one, Mr. Funny Man.

I’ve seen your comment floating around blogland lately.

That was a hot-button topic kinda’ post.

Definitely understandable that it incited your distaste for American women.

Oh, and btw, my spam folder caught your comment but I thought that since it was such a well-written, educated commentary, that I would post it.

I’m just that caring.

Soo…

Here is what I think.

I get the feeling (somehow. guess i’m just sensitive to these types of issues) that you don’t really care for American women.

Luckily for you, I have the solution.

It seems safe to say that American women (or women in general) probably don’t care for you very much either.

Therefore… I think that the safest bet would be to stop reading blogs written by American women.

Yeah, and perhaps just stop speaking to American women as well, or maybe women in general.

Actually, you should probably just stop communicating with the outside world all together.

It’s full of crazies.

That should help.

Just sayin’.

I like to throw out the helpful advice when I can.

You’re welcome.

A Weekend of Not A Lot

2011-03-14T14:25:00.002-04:00

This weekend was exactly the kind I like.
There was a lot of nothing terribly exciting going on.

(photo taken by my 10 yr. old)

We hung out together and didn’t venture much farther than down the road for ice cream.

We busted out some of the old-school toys,

because I am from the school of thought that the less the toy does, the more the child does.

We enjoyed simply being together and lazing about.

Oh, and the best part…

only a few fights.

That alone is worth celebrating.

Maybe we should have more ice cream. ;)

Sometimes

2011-03-08T10:49:00.002-05:00

Sometimes…
“Life” gets in the way.
I get so busy with “what must be done”, that I forget what “should be done”.

I forget to rest. I forget to be silly.

I forget that the days are long, but the years are short.

I forget that tomorrow is not promised, but that today is here right now.
I forget how much I love to just “be” with him, because “life” must be attended to.
Sometimes… I have to be reminded.

Sometimes… that’s okay.

Today

2011-03-07T14:35:00.002-05:00

Today is a much better day.
Thank you to everyone who emailed and sent messages to check on me.
We all have “those days”. Don’t we?
Sometimes, I just need to remember that “this too shall pass”.
After sneaking off for three full hours of alone time, people watching, drinking hot coffee, and reading photog. magazines, I was refreshed.
I wanted to share this video with you.
I found it via Meg, because like I said, she always finds the best stuff.
So grab a cup of your favorite treat and sit down in a quiet place to watch it. Watch it alone, watch it with your partner, or watch it with some quiet kiddos.
Either way, just take a few moments of quiet and soak it in.
You will not regret it.

Stop & Think from Stop & Think on Vimeo.

today

2011-03-03T11:11:00.002-05:00

Today is one of those days.
You know the kind I mean.
The kind of day where EVERYTHING gets to you.
For no apparent reason, everyone and everything has me on edge.
I hate feeling the way I do today.
Today I look like this.

Yes. I do look like a slob.
Whateva.
My plan was to curl up in a chair and have a bit of this today.

However, I may just run away (for everyone’s sake) while Jason is home with the kids and have some of this.

Healthy choice. Right?
Yeah.
My 3 y.o. took this picture of me last night.

Yes. I am giving myself double bunny ears.
She was the director.
She had a vision.
I obliged.
I was happier last night.
Ugh!
I took this pic of said 3 y.o. yesterday.
She makes my heart melt.
I love her face.
I want to bottle her so that she stays like this forever.

She makes me melt in black and white too.

I need an attitude adjustment in a major way today.
Perhaps more coffee and some quiet will do it.
Let’s hope.
Fingers crossed. (for everyone’s sake. sheesh!)
Maybe I will go and play with my new lens.
That should help.
Yes, it should.
Coffee and my camera.
My happy place.
Happy Thursday, everyone!
I hope it’s fantastic!

Until we meet again,

Offering up Love in a tangible way…with Matilda Jane

2011-02-28T11:43:00.002-05:00

In case you didn’t see my post earlier today, it was about my new-found love for Matilda Jane Clothing.
Well, it just so happens that earlier this morning, while reading Ashley’s blog, that I came upon this beautifully sad, unbelievably difficult, and amazing life of Valerie Koop.
You may already know Valerie. You may not. I am just meeting her today through her blog. You can find her at In the Moment.

Valerie’s dear husband, Wayne lost his long battle with cancer three short weeks ago.
As a love offering to help Valerie and her dear family through this most difficult time, some wonderful friends are working with Matilda Jane Clothing to do an Auction. The proceeds going to benefit Valerie and her family.
While the world of blogging is huge, we are also a tight-knit group. We have the ability to love one another, even though we have never met.
What a beautiful gift.
So if you have a moment, I encourage you to visit Matilda Jane and join in the auction. There are so many things available, from artisans, photographers, bloggers, authors, and Matilda Jane to bid on. You can even offer a donation through the auction site.
Whether or not you are able to give a monetary gift, please just take a moment to lift this sweet family in prayer.
Thank you, everyone.

Until we meet again,

Pretty Motivation or What I Need to Wear

2011-02-28T03:01:00.001-05:00

Summer is coming.
Well, at least that’s what I tell myself every time I look outside and see mountains of snow.
In an effort to encourage myself to continue working out and P90X’ing my butt off (quite literally), I am vowing to wear much cuter clothes once I get svelte.
Meg turned me on to Matilda Jane Clothing.
Oh.my.
This is how I want to dress.
Meg always finds THE cutest stuff!
So here is what I hope to be dressing like in a few months.
Mind you, I am incredibly cheap when it comes to purchasing clothing, but these little lovelies would definitely be worth the splurge.
This first dress especially is singing sweet nothings to me.

The Ekaterina Dress by Matilda Jane Clothing
$78.00

The Teary Bluebird Dress by Matilda Jane Clothing
$58.00

The Larkspur Dress by Matilda Jane Clothing
$72.00

The Adult Picnic Dress by Matilda Jane Clothing
$72.00

The Shades of Grey Tank by Matilda Jane Clothing
$40.00

The Natalie Skirt by Matilda Jane Clothing
$64.00

The Honey Dew Top by Matilda Jane Clothing
$44.00

The Brook Skirt by Matilda Jane Clothing
$58.00

The Demi Tunic Top by Matilda Jane Clothing
$56.00

The At the Fair Skirt by Matilda Jane Clothing
$74.50

So here is to finding and keeping the motivation going.
Here is to dressing much more purposefully than I currently do, and to rocking it out when I do!

Until we meet again,

Sad Little Lego Man

2011-02-24T19:30:00.002-05:00

These, my friends were the last images taken with my zoom lens before it met its’ long expected demise.

Sadly, this lens has been on its’ way out for some time.

So these are the last images that I will be getting from that lens.

They will have to hold me over for awhile.

The sad little lego face is pretty much the best way to describe how I feel about this situation.

I still have my 70-300 lens, but it is not great for anything but outdoor pics.
Sooo… I hope to be back with a bigger and better lens soon.

Until we meet again,

Time

2011-02-23T14:15:00.001-05:00

Hello lovelies.

To all of you who have emailed to ask where I am, I'm still here.

My computer is fixed, but now my camera lens died.

It sorta never ends.

This break has been good for me.

It was something that I didn't realize that I needed, but I DO.

There are so many things going on in my head and heart right now.

Some good, some not so good.

For now, I need this break.

I need to focus on real life and my real responsibilities.

This blog is so important to me, but I need to make sure that it is important for the right reasons.

I also need to make sure that it is not more important than my real life, because my real life is the one that matters.

It makes me sad to think of being away, from this place, from all of you, but it is necessary.

There are many things happening in the coming weeks, and I need to ready my heart and mind for those things.

Thank you for understanding.

When I decide to return, I hope that you will be here too, but I pinky promise to hold no grudges if you're not. ;)

So until we meet again,

xo*tricia

P.S. I am closing the comments on this post. No worries. If you need to get ahold of me, you can still e-mail me and I promise that I will reply.

Much love, my friends.

2011-02-15T10:45:00.001-05:00

This seems to be a recurring problem with me, but I am having technical difficulties.

My laptop was attacked by a Trojan virus and is now in the I.C.U., so to speak.

This post is being done of my ancient desktop and will undoubtedly take a half hour to post.

So... until I get my laptop up and running (hopefully by this weekend), I will not be posting.

:(

Considering how long it has been since I last posted, I guess we are calling this an unplanned blogging break.

That will surely mean that your Google Reader's will be inundated with posts next week.

Sorry about that.

Such is life, I suppose.

Technology is fantastic, when it's working.

Wanna show me some Valentines love?

2011-02-05T15:30:00.002-05:00

**Otherwise known as begging for votes (again).**

The Valentine that I made for The Paper Mama’s Valentine Photo Challenge is in the Top 30!!

If you have a second, I would love for you to swing by The Paper Mama and vote for my Valentine.
I am #16 Through My Lens.
If you scroll to the bottom of the page, you will see a list. Just click the little box next to #16 and click vote at the bottom. (actually you can vote for your top 3 favorites)
Thank you so much, in advance, everyone!

Until we meet again,

Edited to add: I ended up finishing at #10. Thank you so much for your votes, everyone!

Like Christmas and my Birthday all wrapped up into one

2011-02-04T16:49:00.002-05:00

Today was a very exciting day for me!

If you have been around me for any length of time, you know that I adore photos; taking them, looking at them, (just not particularly being IN them).

That being said, I rarely have anything printed.

However, losing a year and half worth of high resolution photos in one foul swoop kind of puts things into perspective.

So, I had a bunch of stuff printed, and today quite a bit of it arrived on my doorstep.

Yay!

Today I received

8 x 10’s

5 x 7’s

Valentine’s

that will soon make their way to the mailboxes of some lucky folks.

I even made an ordered these valentines with the girls’ individual names on them. They will be perfect to give as their valentines this year for school parties.

The best part was that once I customized the basic photoshop template, all that I had to do was substitute the names and save each copy.

For 15 cents each, the girls got personalized valentines to give to friends that require no editing for embarrassing “be mine”, etc.. content.

There are many prints, and two books still on their way, but the thing that I love most actually arrived two days ago.

At any given point during the day or night, you can find me curled up with my cup of coffee, loving pouring over the pages.

Photography is such a powerful thing to me.

Each picture holding a specific memory, a moment in time that would otherwise be forgotten, lost to the sameness of the every day.

Photography makes me FEEL.

I can feel the moment that occurred when that particular shot was taken.

What a miraculous thing.

This year, my greatest wish is to grow in my photography.

Grow my skills, my photographer’s eye, my proverbial photography world.

Meanwhile, I will continue to be found curled up and pouring over the pages of these photography books.

Our photography books, the means for which I chronicle our lives.

Until we meet again,

P.S. I used Shutterfly to make and print my book(s) and prints. I have been very pleased with the quality and service that I received. The shipping was VERY fast. I had an issue with one 5 x 7 that arrived. It had ink spots in the middle of Middle Miss’s head. I did contact Shutterfly and they are going to replace and ship it right away. Awesome!

Feeling a little random

2011-02-03T14:05:00.004-05:00

That title kinda says it all.

Doesn’t it?

As I sit here, it is while enjoying the sound of beautiful silence (except for Despicable Me playing in the next room for the 2nd time today).

That’s okay, though. It’s a crazy cute movie, so I can deal.

My girls went to school for the first time today since last Friday. Between the weekend, a faculty day, and two snow days, it was T.I.M.E.!!

I made this valentine for a Valentine photo challenge at The Paper Mama.

I love it so much that I am considering ordering it in a canvas from The Canvas People as a gift to myself.

They are offering a free one for Valentine’s Day to everyone who orders by February 4th.

I ordered this one for my husband as a Christmas gift. It’s awesome. It’s also kinda huge. I adore it. I want more.

My dog eats broccoli. Raw broccoli. Cooked broccoli. Doesn’t matter. He loves broccoli. Broccoli makes him stinky. ‘Nuff said.

On another food note, my 3 y.o. has placed herself on the rice and homemade Tang popsicle diet. It’s all that she will eat. Awesome.

On yet another food note, I have placed myself on the “get it together, woman! you are going to Hawaii in two months, stop eating everything in sight!!” diet.

(I totally stole this pic from my friend Cinnamon, with whom I will soon be lounging on the beach)

I no longer have an itty bitty to give me the “baby fat” excuse, so it’s time to buckle down.

(my littlest miss and myself in July of ‘07)

(Look at that squishable little bean. I just want to eat her, and I’m totally digging the mohawk.)

(oh and p.s. I was thinner in this picture than I am now. ugh.)

In an effort to beat the boredom of all of those days off in a row, we tried chopping crayons and making wax paper hearts.

Uh, yeah. It didn’t work. Epic failure. Maybe we will try again. Maybe not.

I had to give my girls a bit of a “Scared Straight” talk yesterday. Who knows what I’m talking about? The fifth day of being house-bound was turning them all into a bunch of seriously grumpy gooses. Anyway, after making it very clear that their behavior has not been up to par, they were on extra sweet, kiss-up mode.

I found them doing this a bit later.

While I’m fairly certain that this was all a ploy to make the littlest one happy so that they could sneak off outside alone, I don’t care. Whatever. No fighting = good with me.

Now we will see how long it lasts.

This is me, and my mismatched slippers watching Despicable Me two nights ago (yes. again.) and cuddled up on the couch with my lovies. Oh, and the empty remnants of a good, cold Southern Tier Brewing Co. beer.

I highly recommend this beer, especially the Raspberry Wheat. If you check their website, you can see all of the beer distributors across the country that carry it. Or if you are from WNY, you can just go on down to the brewery and get it there.

Lucky you!

While the ~~stir crazy monsters~~ children were outside playing, I made this.

Then they went to a friends’ house to play for 2.whole.hours.

I sent the girls’ to bed early (because they needed their sleep, of course ;) and Jason and I watched RED.

Jason really likes Bruce Willis and I adore Morgan Freeman. It was a win-win!

The girls have cheerleading tonight. That means that I have to leave my house and ~~endure~~ enjoy two basketball games (in the middle of dinner time) with an antsy 3 y.o. in the stands. I’m excited. Woo-hoo.

So, I should go now and enjoy the last hour of quiet.

Until we meet again,

P.S. Have any of you been to Hawaii? We will be staying on Oahu. What are the must-see, must-do things that we should plan on. We will be there for 10-14 days. Thankfully, we will be staying with friends so we do not need a hotel, but everything else is up in the air. Not entirely sure of the exact dates, but it will be in April. If you have any suggestions or links, would you leave me a comment or shoot me an e-mail at {triciabou (at) gmail.com} ? I would love your insider suggestions!

Yes please

2011-02-02T10:47:00.002-05:00

I love this house.
The cedar shingles, wrap around porch, gorgeous evening light, all of the big windows, the cupola.
Need I go on?
It resides on a hill about 5 miles from my own little cottage and sits, empty.
It has been empty for as long as I know.
Whether they are building or abandoning, I do not know.
Wouldn’t it be magical (albeit difficult to decorate) living here?
I think so too.
So, mysterious owner of this fantastical home, if you want me to have it, please let me know. I would be more than happy to take it off of your hands.
Until that day, (haha) I will simply drive by a few times a year and dream of making you my own.
The End.

Until we meet again,

How much do you love me?

2011-02-01T10:01:00.001-05:00

Wow! Given the theme of this post, that title seems kinda pathetic. ;)

Anywho, I could use your votes, folks.

This is my sweet little bean, who was willing to put herself in front of my camera and brave the elements to get this pic.

She looks really excited about it. Right?! Ha!

Here’s where you can help make all of this effort and cuteness worth it.

It’s voting time at !! If you have a second, I would love and appreciate your vote for my “Best Face” photo. Just click the i heart faces logo link and scroll down to #302. That’s me!

Thanks everybody. You rock!

Oh, and btw, you can vote for up to 10 entries and there are loads of beautiful ones.

Until we meet again,

The Anatomy of an emotional breakdown

2011-01-30T15:19:00.002-05:00

Since the great file loss of 2011 (as I have dubbed it. Sounds epic, right?!), I have been trying very hard to search out, edit, and back-up all of my old photos.

This is no small task, but is well worth it. Some of the photos that I have found from years past have brought great joy.

These ones are from a trip to Nana’s house in October of 2009.

We call this Anatomy of a Breakdown.

Enjoy!

Please note that she threw herself own on the floor for dramatic effect. (time lapse approx. 2.5 minutes)

Also note the sucker laying on the floor next to her. Life is tough for this kid. Tough. (time lapse approx. 4 minutes)

It doesn’t seem to be working for her. Plan B may be in order. (time lapse approx. 5 minutes)

At this point, I probably asked her if she was ready to get up and she then rolled away from me in defiance. (time lapse approx. 5.5 minutes)

It’s getting really sad now. Right? We have now moved on to “Mama, I so sad” stage. (time lapse approx. 6.5 minutes)

Plan B is working. This is the “wipe your face and find your dignity” stage. (time lapse approx. 8 minutes)

Ah, yes. All is once again right with the world. We can now go back to begging Nana for treats and pretending that this little display never happened. (time lapse approx. 8.5 minutes)

An under 10 minute record.

Amen.

Until we meet again,

A Bold and Beautiful Blog Hop

2011-01-28T22:51:00.001-05:00

So this is actually quite a fun idea. Gail of My Repurposed Life and MeganDVD of Beauty in the Attempt are hosting a fun blog hop.

The purpose? To link up your blog and have it gently critiqued by Gail, Megan, and any other participants who choose to play along.

Sounds kinda fun.

I’m up for some constructive criticism.

Are you?

Good.

Head on over to My Repurposed Life or Beauty in the Attempt and join the fun.

Ready…

Set…

Go…

Hit me with your best shot!

Finish 2010 Photo Book

2011-01-28T09:11:00.000-05:00

Check!

Click here to view this photo book larger

Enjoying the view (inside our little cottage)

2011-01-24T21:54:00.002-05:00

I don’t know about where anyone else lives, but it has been C O L D here. Cold like –18 degrees this morning when I took the kids to school. That’s cold.

That’s probably just one of the reasons that many people are not big fans of January. Often we “come down” off of the joy and excitement of the holidays and January feels like a letdown.

I am not one of those people that dislikes the calm and quiet of January. In fact the slow, quiet, non-scheduled pace of January is exactly my cup of tea. Well, actually it would be more my cup of tea if it was 75 degrees and sunny. Sadly, however, living in Central NY doesn’t provide much in the way of warm weather in January.

So I take what I can get, and I spend many days in the month of January curled up with a cup of hot coffee, my laptop, stack of magazines, or a good book and while away the days until I dare venture outside again.

In the spirit of cozying up at home and enjoying the beauty from inside our little cottage, I threw together a ~~few~~ ton of shots of “January inside our little cottage”.

Wreaths adorn the doors and layers of framed art line the shelves.

Sisters with their little tootsies cuddle up together in comfy chairs. Plants grown inside old galvanized buckets.

We show a little love in the form of patchwork pillows, heart-shaped hands, big art canvases with a favorite photo, and yummy potatoes.

Homemade dream catchers protect sleepy kiddo dreams. Dogs pretend to ignore you when you catch them sleeping on the furniture.

Yummy cakes, streaming sunshine, and more cuddles get you through the long winter days.

Your children tie your up in your own sweatshirt and then play cute and innocent after you free yourself.

Snow in a cup takes the place of summertime snow cones.

We hide under handmade blankets and tubs of paint take the place of sidewalk chalk.

We layer up everything from our bodies to our artwork.

We play with puppies and watch tv sitting in buckets of unmatched socks.

We watch the sun set from inside the warmth of our little cottage, while sipping a cup of fresh brewed therapy. We even dare venture outside for a photo on the days when the snow is hiding away.

So tell me, how do you feel about the month of January?

Do you dread it or love it?

Either way, shockingly it’s almost over!

In one more week we can say, “February, here we come”!

Until we meet again,

Things I Love…

2011-01-22T00:01:00.001-05:00

(This is a repost from my old blog, but as I was perusing my archives last night I found it and wanted to share it again)

… the sound of my girls laughing with each other from down the hall
…spontaneous, unprompted “I Love You’s”
…unsolicited hugs
… Smiling at a stranger on the street and seeing them REALLY smile back
…catching Paige being silly, when she tries to be so grown up and serious
…holding my camera in my hand, knowing that with one click I can capture a moment in time, that would otherwise be lost
…squishing the sand between my toes
…the way my husband rubs my feet ever so gently, and totally unprompted (even though I have “boy feet” ;)
…the 30 seconds of sweet cuddle time that I get with Karlee after her bath, while she’s warming up in her towel and too cold to pull away
…a good cry
…a good laugh
…silly face contests with Karlee
…weddings
…the sound of that first sweet, ear-piercing newborn baby cry
…the sound of the tide coming in, quietly crashing onto the beach
…the way you feel when you are with an old friend, a friend who knows everything about you, and loves you anyway
…watching Taylor ride a horse like it’s what she was meant to do
…walking into our home and knowing that there is nowhere else I’d rather be
…lazy, stay-at-home in your pj’s kind of days
…watching daddy/daughter moments and knowing that my girls will grow up to be better because of them
…old musicals
…photography~ mine, other people’s, any photography
…apple pie with walnut streusel crust
…the sound of my grandfathers’ voice on old recordings of his sermons
…knowing that my husband loves me more than I deserve
…campfires, and making s’mores (even though I don’t eat them)
…the assurance that I am living the life that God chose for me. Knowing that I am walking my intended path, that being a mom to these three girls, and wife to this sweet man is my purpose.
I may not know how long this life may last, but I know that it is my duty to make the most of it, to shine God’s light to those around me, and to make a difference.
… to be continued

What do you love?

Until we meet again,

I Dub Today “quiet, lazy, cocoa and cuddles day”.

2011-01-21T11:50:00.002-05:00

Today, it looks like this outside.

There was a 2 hour delay for the girls to go to school, and I am considering sending them home on the bus so that I don’t have to go out and pick them up later. Don’t judge.

So in the spirit of a lazy day, we will do a lot of cuddling.

I will work my way through this stack of inspiration.

K will inevitably torment the dog a bit, and I will go along with it and take photos of the process.

while she grins maniacally and Fox hopes he lives through it.

We will drink the yummiest hot cocoa that I have ever had the pleasure of making. (You can find the recipe at allrecipes.com). I found the recipe via Holly @ Homebody. Thank you, Holly!

Then later tonight we will enjoy a little pizza and movie party with the girls’ friends and watch Nanny McPhee Returns, (which we watch a couple of days ago) but will watch again because it’s very cute and there is not a single moment of inappropriate material. That means no censorship job for me. Awesome!

So tell me, what fun does your Friday (or weekend) hold?

No matter what, I hope that it’s filled with fun and relaxation.

Until we meet again,

Oh, and you should definitely take a second to visit Jess and Mr. Brockett at Feeding the Good Wolf to see their kitchen makeover. It’s inspiring, to say the least!

Here’s just a sneek peak with a couple of photos that belong to Jess. You REALLY need to go and check out all of the pics and work that they have for you to ogle. You will not be disappointed.

I know!!

Dear Old Man Winter,

2011-01-19T22:00:00.002-05:00

Last night while we slept, you delivered us a gift.

Of course, it is no secret that I am typically not your biggest fan. Today however, I saw you in a much more positive light.

While you often bring strong winds when you visit us up here on the hill, today it was calm.

There was time for the lovely, light snow to settle on the branches and dust the tops of railings, steps, and pathways.

We woke to a proverbial Winter Wonderland. The trees were covered in a blanket of snow.

In the early morning silence, you and I were able to spend a little bit of quality time together. It was nice, wandering about, taking a few pictures to document your latest visit.

This little walk helped me to remember that although I often don’t appreciate your presence, you do indeed bring your own unique type of beauty.

Rather than lush, leafy foliage, you allow us to see the equally lovely shape of the branches that will support that foliage in a few (hopefully short) months.

In a few months, we will sit in these chairs sipping our lemonade, laughing, and enjoying the sunset in our flip flops.

But for today, I am content with this view.

This is a pretty great view too.

So I just wanted to say thank you for the lovely gift that you brought us this morning.

It was a nice surprise.

Until we meet again,

The King, the Wall, and the Death Worm

2011-01-18T10:36:00.001-05:00

My Baby’s Bedroom (Before & After)

2011-01-17T00:39:00.001-05:00

(I originally wrote this post in September of 2010, on my previous blog. If these photos look familiar, they are not stolen. They are mine, just reintroduced.)

Actually, my baby is not such a baby anymore.

K is three, almost four now and it was time to upgrade her bedroom a bit.

I wanted to lighten it up and make it feel exactly how a little girls’ bedroom should feel. Light, bright, sweet, and comfortable.

I want my girls to have wonderful memories in their bedrooms. They should be a place for laughing, and playing, reading books, making up stories, having sleepovers with friends, and growing up (as slowly as possible, of course).

Here are the before photos of K’s room.

Now let me explain. Yes. I did paint those flowers on the wall 2 almost 3 years ago when we moved in. Yes. I loved them. Now, not so in love with them.

Secondly, the woodwork. The cheap, old, badly stained woodwork, which only accentuated the small windows.

Thirdly, and honestly, most importantly- the carpet! Ick! The carpet! You can barely see it in these shots, but it was the last wall-to-wall carpeting in the house. It was gross! It had to go.
Luckily (well I knew ahead of time, but still), there are beautiful oak hardwoods under there.

So here is what the room looks like after a bunch of work, a gallon of paint, the removal of some seriously dingy carpet, and about a million staples and nails.

The vintage chenille blanket on the end of the bed is from a yard sale. It’s lovely.

This chair is thrifted and I am IN LOVE with it! It has a sister. A twin sister. Oh yeah. She lives here (in our house) too. :)

The hanging light. That’s a yard sale find from a few months ago. Love that too!

I made the patchwork pillow with my own two little hands. It’s very happy living here on K’s new reading chair, along with the little prayer lamb that my mom gave her.

It says the prayer, “Now I lay me, down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. May angels watch me through the night, until I wake with the morning light. Amen.”

K loves it! She sleeps with it, and reads with it. It is one of her many little friends.

See those hardwoods?! Gorgeous, right?!

This is obviously the back of her door, built in niche, and closet wall.

The door is metal and I had planned to take it out, but K specifically ordered me to leave it!! She’s very demanding, that girl. It does have the fun little bonus feature of providing a magnetic surface for her dress up dolls. So the doors have been deemed good and useful. ;) Amen.

The niche is “wallpapered” in the same con-tac paper.I originally had no plans for green in K’s room. However, when I found the bedding at TJ Maxx for a song, I thought of all of the ways that this niche could bring in that green. This paper was perfect. It’s low on the commitment factor, as it will peel right off when I’m done with it. It provides great pattern, without being flashy, and adds some color to the otherwise white room.

The last wall in her room, the wall that I asked for my readers opinion on when I first wrote this post.

Here it is today. I made the homemade paper and ribbon banners by simply cutting out the pennants and stitching them to a ribbon with my sewing machine. It is not only practical to stitch them this way, but terribly cute.

The chalkboard is one that I picked up at a thrift store for $5.00 and has its’ original surface.

In the future, I’m sure that this wall will be littered with artwork and school papers. Eventually it will be littered with posters of rock stars and best friends. There will be pictures of boys, ribbons and awards.

For now, I like that it’s simple. It’s not grand. It’s not overly special, except to her.

Now if only I could keep her as my baby forever.

If only.

Until we meet again,

I will be joining the following fun linkies with this post:

I Adore Valentine Goodies

2011-01-14T11:27:00.002-05:00

While perusing the net for fun Valentine’s Day ideas and goodies, I found a few that I thought were worth sharing.

You can find the links to each of these goodies listed below.

Enjoy!

1. Little XOXO Pouch of Hugs and Kisses - Paper Coupons, Tickets, Notes and Gift Tag by Tracybdesigns on Etsy. $6.00

2. I Love You More Than Cupcakes 13x19 by ecceprints on Etsy. $16.00

3. The Key Of Love Necklace by candycrack on Etsy. $35.00

4. Buckeye recipe from Smitten Kitchen. Chocolate and Peanut Butter. Does it get better than that?

5. Happy Valentines Day Horse Card by hilink on Etsy. $4.50

6. Shakespearean paper garland of hearts by Bookity on Etsy. $27.00

7. I Love You Past Forever and Longer Than Always 13 x 19 by ecceprints on Etsy. $16.00

8. Peace and Love Necklace by elenagrace on Etsy. $30.00

9. ITTY BITTY Bite Size VALENTINE Heart Sugar Cookies by sugarandflour on Etsy. $10.50 (8 doz.)

Now, for a couple of fantastic freebie printables.

1. Vintage Valentine’s by Florabella Collection. Just “like” them on FB and you can download this amazing set of Photoshop Valentines.
All that Shana is asking in return is that you send a valentine to a deployed soldier, and show them some love on Valentine’s Day.

An organization called Hugs for Soldiers makes it easy. Just create and send your valentines to Hugs for Soldiers by Jan. 27th, 2011 and they will ship them out to deployed soldiers for you. Easy Peasy.

Their address is:

Hugs for Soldiers
P. O. Box 2887
Duluth, GA 30096

2. 8 Days of Love Notes by Volume 25. You can download them here and share them with your “Special Someone”.

**Please be sure to read each designer’s terms of use when you are downloading their product. As a general rule, freebies are created for personal, not commercial use.

I hope that you all enjoy a fun, relaxing, and fantastic Weekend!!

Until we meet again,

Today

2011-01-13T12:34:00.002-05:00

Today it looks like this outside,

So I am staying in.

For breakfast, I made a couple of my favorite things.

Coffee with cinnamon stick grated in.

If you have never done this, you really should try. Really.

and egg nog breakfast biscuits

For lunch, we made more breakfast, because that’s how we like it on snowy, lazy days.

For dinner, I am going to make Italian Wedding soup

Recipe and photo found at Tasty Kitchen by Mapleberrydesigns.

In between all of this eating I intend to cuddle my little ones and my husband, shake it to some Just Dance 2 (we’ll call that exercise), and play on Pinterest.

Sounds like a pretty perfect day.

I wish the same for you.

Until we meet again,

P.S. To make the egg nog breakfast biscuits, just make a basic baking powder biscuit recipe like the one found here. Substitute the milk with egg nog. Easy peasy and delicious. Top them with honey or cinnamon butter. Even better.

I Adore

2011-01-11T14:52:00.002-05:00

It has been a long time since I have done a round-up style post of some of the great things that are out there in internet land.

That should be remedied, so today I am going to do just that.

Here are a few things that I Adore out there in blog/etsy land.

Catherine @ Cat on a Limb turned this rickety, and kinda icky cabinet into THE MOST WELL DONE kids’ kitchen that I have ever seen!

I want to play there, it’s so gorgeous!

At Brooklyn Limestone, you can find a step by step tutorial to make your own version of these embossed vintage fork napkin rings.

The Mott’s @ The Ellwood Avenue Chronicles shared their daughter’s perfectly wonderful nursery, and it aalllmmoosstt makes me want to have another baby. Almost. But not. ;) It is truly a dream bedroom, and I particularly adore the tree. Be sure to check it out.

I actually found this nursery via Spearmint Baby.

While we are talking about Spearmint Baby, I wanted to share these pom poms from Craftaholics Anonymous.
Aren’t they fun?! They are made from t-shirts and you can find a tutorial so that you can make your own. I adore tutorials!

Since I’m on a design-inspired roll here, I wanted to share this home tour via Design Sponge. It is the home of Fiona Douglas of Bluebellgray and I want to live here! Seriously. I could just crawl inside of this photo and take up residence. Like, forever.
Obviously I am not alone, btw. At the time of this post, Fiona’s page was down for exceeding bandwidth so sadly I can not include the link to her page. However, just click the Design Sponge link and you will be taken to their tour. Hopefully Fiona’s page will be up again soon.

Now, onto the food adoration.
Doesn’t it always work this way, btw? We decide that we are going to be more mindful of our diets, and all that you long for is more delicious food? Oh well. Many of these are healthy, so we will call this O.K.! ;)

Today is cold. Cold calls for comfort food, and this is comfort food at it’s best.
Beach Brights has this recipe for Meatball Stroganoff, and I am hungry just thinking about it.

What else does a cold day (or winter) call for? Soup. Stew. Chili. Chowder. Yes please.
Our Best Bites has a recipe for Split Pea and Ham soup. Oh how I love split pea soup.

The Pioneer Woman has a recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup. Yummy! Warm, savory, and a bit spicy. Perfect!

BlogHer did a round-up of some scrumdidiliumptious hot cereal recipes. Oatmeal for breakfast. Nothing better.
There were so many listed, including these two varieties.

1. Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal from Two Peas and their Pod
2. Apple-Maple Walnut Breakfast Quinoa from Food Blogga

Then, to throw you right off of the healthy eating train, you can find the recipe for these Mascarpone Oreo Snowflake Cookies @ Kevin and Amanda.

I’m sorry. I know that you are either cursing me or loving me after that last one, but I had to do it. The sugar devil made me do it. ;)

That was fun, and I need to do round-up’s more often.

Now, I need to go eat, and decorate, or maybe just enjoy the silence that will only last a bit longer. You see, the older kids are riding the bus home today (which they normally don’t do, ~~but I didn’t want to go out in the cold~~ but they wanted an adventure today) and the little one is busy doing this.

Kinda sad. Right? Yes, but oh-so quiet and peaceful.

Until we meet again,

Finding our path…again

2011-01-08T23:02:00.002-05:00

My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding,
and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure,
then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
~Proverbs 2:1-6

Last Sunday I wrote about Seeking.

Seeking truth. Seeking direction. Hoping for the future.

It’s childlike, this search for knowledge, for understanding. Isn’t it?

We look, we search for understanding all around us.

We find comfort in knowing that someone older, more experienced, more mature can guide us along the way.

There is comfort in knowing that we are not alone, that there is someone reading the pages, following the map, and helping us to find our destination,

even if that destination is just the last page of the book.

If we look around, and if we allow another person, or people to join us on our journey, to seek a similar path, we may find truths that we could never have discovered on our own. If we allow God to come along with us on our journey, the possibilities are endless.

We encourage our children to ask questions. Don’t we?

We spend years cultivating and encouraging their imagination, their individuality, their desire to step out into the world and make their way.

Then what happens? For many, we lose that along the way. Don’t we?

Life happens. Tragedy happens. Joy happens. Somewhere along the way, we lose our drive to seek, to search out and nourish our individuality, our path, because Life Happens. Maybe we don’t really lose it so much as bury it, or repress it, or just deny it. Perhaps we say things like “When I have a better job… or When the kids get a bit older… or When my life settles down…”

We have responsibilities, and circumstances that have determined “our place” in life.

Do we really ever think that the circumstances will be perfect for us to find ourselves again?

Will the stars ever line up in such a way that there will be an easy, clearly marked path?

I don’t know.

My guess, based on personal experience is NO. The time will never be “perfect” because Life will continue to happen.

We have to go after the things that we want. We have to seek our path with the childlike innocence that tells us that we can indeed do anything, that we can be anything.

That is the path that I choose.

I choose a path of childlike obedience, of believing that I can still be, can still do anything I want to.

I choose this path because I have three daughters that deserve to see their mother believing and acting upon the lessons that I am trying to teach them.

What if I fail?

What if I am humiliated by my failure?

Good.

That sounds crazy. Right? Failure can be good?

Kids don’t give up because they fail at one thing.

Why is that?

Is it because we reassure them that one failure does not mean the end of a dream? Is it because deep inside they believe that they can make it happen, that they are worthy of having what their heart desires?

Maybe it’s a bit of these things, and a whole lot more.

Life has not defeated their dreams, so in turn, they continue to reach for the stars.

It’s time to reach for the stars again.

Will you join me?

Will you choose to believe that you can indeed be whoever, do whatever you wish?

Will you take a step forward in faith, knowing that failure is indeed a possibility, but that never trying is far worse?

My son, keep your father’s command
   and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
Bind them always on your heart;
   fasten them around your neck.
When you walk, they will guide you;
   when you sleep, they will watch over you;
   when you awake, they will speak to you.
For this command is a lamp,
   this teaching is a light,
and correction and instruction
   are the way to life
~ Proverbs 6:20-23

Until we meet again,

When the unthinkable happens

2011-01-08T14:49:00.002-05:00

Tell me, friends. What do you do when EVERY SINGLE photo that you have taken in the last year and half is put on an external hard drive, and said hard drive is dropped on the ground, bounced twice, and EVERY SINGLE photo that you have taken in the last year and a half is lost?!

Sounds nightmarish, right?

It is.

It is MY Nightmare.

Well, let me run you through what happens after said tragedy.

You stare, in disbelief as your hard drive lays on the floor, you glance over at the back that flew off, laying halfway across the room.

Everyone in the room freezes and stops breathing for fear of what you will do next.

You drop into your chair in disbelief.

You then spend an hour trying to magically resuscitate said hard drive, to no avail.

Somewhere in between there you go to the restroom and ………………. After brushing your teeth, you then go into your bedroom and cry for 10 minutes.

Once you regain your composure, you step back out into the living room and your children once again freeze and stop breathing, just incase.

Of course, you then post your sad, defeated status on FB. All because that’s what you do when you are me and you need someone to share your pain.

Anyway, now that numerous hours have passed and I have again found the desire to eat, and to drink a great deal of coffee, I am less dismayed than I was last night.

Still destroyed, yes.

However, I have a plan of attack, and hopefully I will be able to report that my files have been miraculously recovered by a very able-minded computer genius. Until then, I will be scavenging every place that I can think of to retrieve all of the high resolution photos that I can.

What is my point? Other than sharing more of my pain?

BACK UP YOUR PHOTOS! BACK THEM UP NUMEROUS TIMES, and in NUMEROUS PLACES!!

Don’t let my pain be your pain.

Oh, and don’t drop your hard drive off of the table to it’s ultimate demise.

The End.

This picture has nothing to do with this post, btw. I just can’t do a post without a picture.

Plus, it is one of the few that I managed to save, and it makes me laugh.

Yes. We are that country.

My children ride the propane tank for fun. ;)

Oh, and I take their picture while they do it.

Half Bath Before & After

2011-01-03T16:15:00.001-05:00

Hello there, fellow home lovers. We’ve all been there, right?

We’ve all looked around our house and had a hard time seeing past the “to-do” list. Right?

Well I’m there.

So to get myself out of this, “we have soooo many projects to complete” funk, I thought that I would take a little trip down memory lane. Care to come along?

Good.

This time, it will be the half bath that we visit.

These pics were taken before we moved in, and before my “blogging days”, so they are kinda awful. Oh, and apparently we took them in the dead of night. I dunno.

Notice that blue sink?

How could you not. Right?! It kinda glows in the dark.

Notice the filthy, disqusting carpet. Yeah. This is one of those occasions when we should all be glad that photos don’t come with smell. Yeah. ‘Nuf said.

Notice the toilet that is all taped up? Another gem of a feature.

A little proof that our cottage was indeed a foreclosure.

That’s okay, though. Foreclosure meant a great price. I like a great price. :)

Obviously another terrible picture, but it does give you the peek at the frightening Southwest style border and ginormous medicine cabinet that plagued this room.

P.S. Although Southwest is not my style, I think that it can be done beautifully. This is NOT a good example of tasteful design, however.

So, here is a little bit of the “In Progress”

Painted walls, and a before and after of the new countertop.

Getting a little better. Right?

At least no one will be contracting a disease from the filthy carpet, and you won’t go blind from the neon countertop.

Oh, and let us not forget the fear that those strange little men on the wallpaper border caused. They will be gone soon. I promise. ;)

Ready for the Afters?

(slight disclaimer: the first picture has some really funky coloration. My white balance was way off. The flooring color is correct in the two above pics.)

Much better. Right?

Here’s the breakdown:

Beadboard panel for the ceiling: $29.00 (4’ x 8’ sheet)
Trim for the edges of the beadboard: $15.00
Countertop: Habitat for Humanity ReStore: $35.00 (with the faucet)
Flooring: Traffic Master Allure Plank Tiles from The Home Depot $35.00 (in this room)
Paint: Glidden (It is a grey, but I can’t find the exact name right now) $25.00 (with plenty left over)
Sheet Music “Wallpaper”: FREE from my mom’s stash
Mirrors: All picked up at yard sales over the years $20.00 (roughly)
Towel Hook: Hobby Lobby $2.50 (after 50%) off
Wall shelf (in mirror reflection): came with the house FREE
Sign: (that you can’t really see well but says “Water Closet for patrons only” $7.00

Total for this now calm, no longer germ-infested bathroom: Less than $175.00!!

Not a bad total for a whole room. Even if that room is only 4 x 8 feet.

*We still intend to add a light fixture on the wall with the mirrors, but have yet to find one that we love and fits into a tiny budget. So when we find the perfect fixture, I will update.

Just for fun, a quick side-by-side

Well that was fun.

Amidst all of the “to-do’s” yet to “be done”, it’s nice to take a step back and enjoy a job well done.

Thanks for joining me on this little jaunt into the past. It’s always more fun to reminisce with a friend.

Now tell me, what are the some of the projects that you enjoy looking back on to remind you of how far you’ve come. If you have a link, I’d love for you to share it in the comments so that I can check it out.

Until we meet again,

Just for fun, I am joining and .

Seeking…

2011-01-02T00:01:00.001-05:00

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” ~ Luke 11:9

While I have no definite plan for this series of posts, let me explain basic idea. Each Sunday will be a day of reflection for me, on this blog. Really, my intention is to use this as a platform for a personal journal, a way to track my spiritual journey. There is much about my life that I have not shared here, or on my previous blog. There is much about myself that I still need to figure out. If you choose to read these posts, that will be largely based on my journey, my walk with the Lord our God, I welcome you. Maybe we can find and forge this path together.

1/2/11

Today, as I type, my girls are sitting together at the art desk, creating, laughing, and interacting.

Today is a good day.

Today has me thinking.

The events of these past weeks have led me to a great deal of reflection.

For the majority of these past two weeks, our home has been filled with friends and family, food, gifts, laughter, and a few tears.

Part of me is exhausted, and ready for a vacation from our vacation.

Another part of me wishes that we could live this way all year, busy and surrounded by the craziness that occurs when you fill a home with friends and family, food, drinks, too much sugar, and a whole lot of anticipation.

A few days ago, I had a conversation with a new friend.

She shared something with me that her mother had said to her.

I am adding to it a bit to share a few of my own thoughts. “Friends, lovers, husbands, houses, jobs, they all come and go. The only things in our lives that will never go away, the only things that will forever be ours as women, as mothers are; God, ourselves and our children. Even when God seems far away, when we begin to lose our own identities to outside forces, and when our children are taken from us, these things are still our own.”

Really, this idea that these things will forever be ours, even when they are not within our physical grasp is a living example of the basic concept of faith. Merriam Webster defines faith as “a firm belief in something for which there is no proof”.

Seeking God, yourself, your path when the outcome can not be seen or accurately predicted is the embodiment of blind faith.

That is my goal this year, to find God, myself, my path as I make my way to my best life.

“Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.” ~ Psalm 9:10

Let me say first, so that none of you think that some horrible thing has happened, that my life is full. I have a husband who adores me, as I adore him. We have a beautiful, warm, safe home. We have friends who love us, parents who still take care of us in many ways, siblings who make us better people. We are blessed that Jason has a job that provides enough income for me to stay home with our children.

However, even with all of my great blessings, I am human. My mind often has a hard time seeing the light in the darkness, and I am reminded that I can’t do it all on my own.

In the last week, I have seen and heard and had a small part in sharing the burden of some great losses.

Parents have lost a child, siblings have lost a brother, friends have lost a comrade and brother in arms.

Homes have burnt to the ground, leaving nothing but ash.

Spouses have divorced, leaving children and families broken and hurting.

Jobs have been lost.

Homes, dreams have been placed behind a foreclosed sign.

In such times of great sadness, it is often hard to find meaning. It is often hard to find joy.

However, there is meaning. There is joy, and there is peace to be found when we choose to see, when we choose to look.

No one, nothing can or will ever replace the contents of a home ravaged by fire. The years of possessions, and the memories held inside those walls are lost to our physical world.

Only time and love can heal the pain of a broken home.

Only God can fill the deepest recesses of our souls, torn apart by the death of a loved one.

So in these times of struggle, when it is hard to see past the veil of sadness and grief, how do we find our way out?

We put one foot in front of the other and we start walking towards the light.

I have been reading the book TRAVELING LIGHT ~ “Releasing the burdens you were never intended to bear” (The Promise of Psalm 23) by Max Lucado.

In that book can be found this quote chapter regarding The Burden of Fear;

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” ~ Phil. 4:6
To follow up, Max Lucado says this; “Don’t measure the size of the mountain; talk to the One who can move it. Instead of carrying the world on your shoulders, talk to the One who holds the universe on his. Hope is a look away.”

SEEKING. Seeking truth. Seeking direction. Hoping for the future.

Over the past days, weeks, I have been humbled more times than I wish to admit by the reminder that my way is not the only way. Often it is not even the best way. My natural inclination is to try to “fix things”. It is probably a motherly tendency, but I always want to make everything better. This passage is a great reminder to me that it is not my job to “fix everything”. In fact, I am simply not equipped to fix everything. Sometimes, I am simply supposed to let it go, give it back to God, and let him lead me to the solution.

So as I begin this new year, I find myself seeking.

What am I seeking? God, truth, direction, peace, joy, humility, beauty.

I welcome you to join me on this journey. Maybe we can seek truth together.

Until we meet again,

Happy New Year, 2011!!

2010-12-31T22:26:00.001-05:00

Three Petunias

Gosh, I love this song

Insert clever title here

These Girls

about time, indeed

about time

Wildlife is running amuck in my yard

through her eyes

for my sweet, sleepy babes

A Parents Prayer

on perspective and potential

Her name is Red

Oh the Places You’ll Go

Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss

You have brains in your head.You have feet in your shoes.You can steer yourselfany direction you choose.You're on your own.And you know what you know.And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go.

Where has the time gone?

Nominate a Deserving Family for a FREE family session ( for fb friends only)

sweet alone time and apple pie

a typical morning (of captivity)

Up in the sky…

Summer Days

On Parenting, Politics, and Responsibility.

Summer Green Bean Citrus Salad

My favorite Summertime Breakfast (faux ice cream)

Today, she is in recovery

Today is a special day

In full swing

Summer, Celebration, and a Surprise

The girls of Summer

Cream Cheese Toast Spread

This is Summer

What have I been up to?

One Month?!

Cupcakes

Motherhood

Conjuring Spring

Priorities.

Soft and Sweet

Reminders

Do you Pinterest?

photography

Nuthouse

on knowing what to say

Best Face Forward

A Slice of Life

Glimpses of Spring, and then Not So Much

Sweet Shot

4 Years

Good as gold

Sometimes…

Blessings

Psst….

A Weekend of Not A Lot

Sometimes

Today

today

Offering up Love in a tangible way…with Matilda Jane

Pretty Motivation or What I Need to Wear

Sad Little Lego Man

Time

Wanna show me some Valentines love?

Like Christmas and my Birthday all wrapped up into one

Feeling a little random

Yes please

How much do you love me?

The Anatomy of an emotional breakdown

A Bold and Beautiful Blog Hop

Finish 2010 Photo Book

Enjoying the view (inside our little cottage)

Things I Love…

I Dub Today “quiet, lazy, cocoa and cuddles day”.

Dear Old Man Winter,

The King, the Wall, and the Death Worm

My Baby’s Bedroom (Before & After)

I Adore Valentine Goodies

Today

I Adore

Finding our path…again

When the unthinkable happens

Half Bath Before & After

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own.
And you know what you know.
And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go.