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the holiday card….

Tuesday, November 13th, 2012

The pressure is on.  Time to pick a picture and theme and get my holiday cards ordered.  Each and every year, November arrives and I scramble.  We have a few requirements in our home for the picture that we choose:

1.  It MUST include all 4 of us.  [My husband stands firm on this one.]
2.
3.

Wait, I guess that is just one one requirement.  Easier said than done. How many of you get to the end of a calendar year and have yet to take one picture that included your entire family?  I was so desperate a few years ago I bought $1 Santa hats, put my camera on self-timer and posed us in front of the fireplace.  Not our best picture.  Professional shots are the easiest, but we only have those done every few years or so. 

Last year we were crazy enough to go indoor skydiving and I had a bystander snap a quick picture.  In the end, it was the picture that summed up our year.  [Oh! What fun!]

What I love the most about our card in 2012 was that is was TOTALLY us!  It is completely freeing to give up on the idea of the “perfect” family picture, for the “perfect” holiday card. Who’s perfect anyway?  Perfect is boring.   We didn’t sky dive this year, so our picture won’t be quite so awesome.  Nonetheless, I do have one of all four of us-so I am on to step 2.

{PS.  I love everything about the upcoming holiday, including the cards! If I didn’t find enjoyment in the process-I wouldn’t do it.  My thought: if it doesn’t feed you in some way, shape or form, DO NOT do it.}

daily dishonesty

Thursday, November 8th, 2012

The little lies we tell ourselves…daily. 

Hey, why not write ’em down, make ’em pretty, and frame it.  How brilliant?  Check out the rest @ Daily Dishonesty.

[true blood] mini pumpkins

Tuesday, October 30th, 2012
How about something little to get you in the mood for Halloween night?  I don’t really like carving pumpkins, but these little cuties only took about 15 minutes.  15 minutes for all three!

I found the inspiration on Pinterest, which led me to Martha Stewart.  

You will need mini pumpkins, plastic vampire teeth and a red Sharpie marker.  Simply cut out a rectangle-roughly the width of the vampire teeth- scoop out the seeds and pulp, and shave down the sides so that the teeth will slide all the way in.  Draw two red eyes and you are done!  [Martha used map tacks for the eyes and provided a template for the mouth….but I went rogue.]

happy haunting.

mom’s night(s) out

Monday, October 15th, 2012
For the first time since June 2004, I had the house to myself all weekend.  No kids, no husband, just me.   I had 48 hours with absolutely no responsibilities [other than being a responsible adult].  The quiet was deafening at times, but my iTunes library helped with that.  How did I fill my time? Let me tell you- it wasn’t difficult.  I filled it with all the things I once took for granted.  Reconnecting with a dear friend, sleeping in, watching movies past midnight, window shopping, afternoon talk shows, long conversations over delicious meals.  Funny how a little space allows you to linger in things that once were, but reveals to you how much you love what is.  

[rainy night out in the city I love.]

sparkle mini pumpkins

Tuesday, October 9th, 2012
[bought it]
a small pumkin, epsom salt, and spray adhesive
[made it]
The original pin called for craft glue, but I figured spray adhesive would be easier if it worked.  The final product looks a bit different than the image I pinned, but still fun and festive.  It took less than 5 minutes to make a sparkle mini pumpkin.

scaredy squirrel

Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012

Can’t help but share my adoration for a children’s picture book series with all of you.  I will admit, I have fallen in love with Scaredy Squirrel.

Who could resist that face?
My youngest son is equally crazy for Scaredy.  We read his books over and over.   Scaredy is always scared of something.
And he always has a plan, but it always falls apart.  I appreciate Melanie Watt’s sense of humor and her creative illustrations.  She uses captions on many pages that add to the fun. The kids recognize the silliness, which provides plenty of giggles at bedtime.  Scaredy Squirrel has six books and all of them are outstanding.  [The books are aimed for children 4 and up, but the humor entertains children of all ages.]
Find Scaredy at amazon or your local independent book store.  [or the library!]
Scaredy will also have his very own website soon. http://scaredysquirrel.com/
[We are pretty excited about it at our house.]

love that app

Monday, October 1st, 2012

My phone is my point and shoot camera-which is great because it is always with me.  To make the photos more interesting, I often use Instagram [which I am slightly obsessed with].  Now, I have something new to play with!

[phonto for iPhone or android ]
Phonto.  A simple app that lets you add text to your photos.  200 fonts.  Change color, size, move it around, tilt it.  You can share by email, facebook, twitter, open in Instagram, or save right to your photo roll.  Super easy and FREE! [the iPhone app has more fonts and capabilities than the android app.]
Same photo I used in my post last Thursday, this time with text!

I need that!

Monday, September 24th, 2012

While I am still determined to learn how to use my big girl camera off manual mode, I do love snapping pictures with my phone.  I saw these little lenses and thought, “I need that!”

[phone lens series available through photojojo]
These little guys work on any smart phone.  They come as a set [or a la carte]….with a wide and macro lens, a fish eye lens, and a telephoto lens. 
The product description reads:
 How it works: each set comes with adhesive removable metal rings. The ring sticks to the back of your phone, and the Photojojo Lens attaches magnetically. Snap it on and off in an instant!
Although it is only late September, it is never too early to think about giving great gifts in December.  Wouldn’t these be awesome in a stocking?  

this one went to the market.

Monday, September 17th, 2012

We had the most beautiful Sunday in the Seattle area.  [smiles abound!]   Here is a quick peek into a perfect hour at our farmer’s market.

farm fresh apples.  
jonboy.   the most delicious hand made caramels.
[food truck love. parfait.]
small batch.  made from scratch.
warm crisp made with our market apples.  
life is short.  eat dessert!

oh joy! make someone happy

Friday, September 14th, 2012

I found the Oh Joy! blog and fell in love instantly.  Joy Cho is creative, fashionable, and fun! I was blown away by this video she made this week.  I dare you to watch it and not smile!

Are you inspired?  I was!  Happy Friday to all of you! 
Where is June?

 

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