this + that

Steve & Matty played catch today. It was hilarious. matty 'pitched'these dramatic balls, turned around twice and fell to the ground. What a ham.

David & I snuggled on the grass, of course!

Chrissie & I met near Santa Barbara and got some sister time--window shopping, pedicures & coffee. It was great, but not long enough!

I made her this necklace. It's a variation of the original circle. It's got one large initial, framed by a sterling circle, and then her name around the bottom. The sterling circle moves around which keeps it casual & fun.

Gotta think of a creative way to choose two winners tomorrow. G'night!

I never thought I'd be a model...

but here I am taking photos of myself wearing my jewelry. I feel like a real dork doing it, but I don't have any other ladies hanging around my house willing to let me photograph them on a whim. So there you go! Tips for self-portraits
1. Start with a halfway decent camera
2. Take a ton of pictures
3. Choose the best one
4. Doctor it up in iphoto

Okay, the giveaway. I'm giving away two 'dream BIG' necklaces (not giving away either boy this month, Penny, but if you'd like to borrow one or both we can arrange that!) Leave a comment telling us what you are 'dreaming BIG' about. I'll choose a winner Wednesday.

The chain is 24". Not long enough to slip of your head, but hangs at the bust. These will be on sale for the month of Aug. for $32.


Someone asked for a photo of this one being worn, so, here is the oval 'sister' necklace with large link chain. It hangs about 16.5" but I can cut the chain to a longer length if needed. This one is $52

The CdLS fundraiser ends tomorrow and I am so excited that we have sold 46 necklaces. That is just plain INCREDIBLE! Thanks everybody!!

more photos (are you bored yet?!)

the boys play during sunset

oh daddy, you are sooo funny!

self portrait of matty & i, happy accident that steve & david are laughing in the background!

oh mommy, you are sooo funny!

okay, this one cracked me up! it looks like an album cover. like they are trying so hard to be cool and casual :)

i think i'm going to do a giveaway in the next day or so!

silly boys

we took the boys swimming yesterday and they had a blast! david really got into it and we were throwing him into the air and he loved it! matty practiced kicking and blowing bubbles. they seem to be enjoying the water more and more and I am slightly less paranoid, although I still watch them every second.




this cracked me up! matty casually puts his arm behind his back or around Steve's waist while we walk. He is such a big boy :)


gott love chocolate chip pancakes! wait, he hasn't even taken a bite yet--how did he get so messy?!

by a landslide...

Looks like dream BIG is the winner. So next month that will be available for $32 instead of the regular $44. WHAT a deal :) Go ahead and preorder if you'd like! Also, if anyone still wants to order a BLESSED necklace, now is the time. Aug 1st the price will go up to $44. They are so sweet and we've already raised $420 for the CdLS foundation, which is AMAZING! Thanks so much for all your encouragement.

My favorite from yesterday's post was the oval, sister design. Love the subject matter ( hi chrissie, susan, ellen, jodee, janine and teresa! i love my sisters!!) and i am a sucker for the large link chain.

give me your thoughts...

i am creating some pieces for a few stores that carry my wares and trying to decide what design i should 'feature' next month. the featured item will be at a lower price for the whole month. leave a comment and cast your vote!!
original circle with large '&' sign

rectangle but hung from corner and strung on 24" chain so it hits just ablove the bust. i'm having fun mixing large & small letters

oval drilled from two sides and strung from large sterling chain

original circle with large letters

single tag, but with another hole drilled so the pearl dangles from the bottom

another rectangle (corner drilled and hung on 24" chain) with mixed sized letters

i've got a favorite, but i want to hear yours first :)

max and matty...

are like two peas in a pod!
they are always thrilled to see each other and love to explore

they smile at each other and chase each other around

they both love mcdonald's and fire trucks and being BOYS! It's so fun to see them together!

8 years today...

and I'm so glad you're mine. happy anniversary!!

pics from the beach

david sittin on the pier, showing off his new converse :)

matty and steve put their feet in the water. david & i just snuggled.

we caught the sunset in morro bay and it was stunning.

i didn't get any good pics with my cousin & aunt. i guess we were too busy catching up and enjoying each other.

Isn't this sweet?

I just added it to my hand-stamped jewelry page.

Had a BLAST connecting with my aunt and cousin. Played at the beach with my boys today. I'll post some pics tomorrow!

fun at avila valley barn

we took a picnic to avila valley barn. we lot the boys explore and visit the animals...

david checked out the goats, and the goats checked out david

matty gives david a little snuggle on the haystack

steve and i hang out in the shade

the boys' mouths water at the candy counter, okay, mine too!

matty gets messy with his ice cream

no david, that is not an ice cream cone--that's daddy!

ewww, yuck! :)

i'm feeling better, got sooo much done last night and this morning--yay!

this + that...

i've been playing catch up this week after our whirlwind weekend. i've felt blue and i think its being tired mixed a long to-do list. last night we stayed home and i cleaned house and made progress on some other things.

after the boys got bathed last night i got out a box of toys for them to explore. they were so cute, playing together. i've really seen their relationship blossom lately. warms my heart!


matty got a haircut today. i was trying to get him to look at the camera and tell me how old he was, but this will have to do!


off to cross more things from my list! my cousin and aunt are coming into town tomorrow and will be so good to catch up with them! any big plan for the weekend?

this is not your grandma's monogram...

it's a fun, fresh take on a classic look. i just got these BIG stamps and they are so cool. the oval shap is also new. for a monogram, the last name is the largest letter in the middle, with the first initial on the left and the middle initial on the right. my real name is elisabeth nancy leonard, so... e L n. i hammered the oval a bit ot give it a more rustic look.


i am also having fun layering the handstamped jewelry with beaded necklaces. i am feeling creative, so stay tuned for more new designs!

haircuts and converse

I gave David a haircut last night and man was he MAD! He was kicking and screaming and twisting and turning. He has never like haircuts, but since his last hospital stay he has gotten much more fiesty about being held down.

I hate to see him upset, but Steve and I feel strongly about making sure he is always well groomed and dressed nicely. This might sound simple, but the kid's got THICK hair that grows REALLY fast. Plus he's the size of an 18 month old. Finding clothes for him is a part time job. I don't want anything with little doggies or blue bears--I want BIG BOY clothes, but in a tiny size. The Gap has been good to me. We also have a really sweet friend who has professionally altered many pairs of pants for David. Over the weekend I found a pair of navy blue Converse high tops in David's size. I thought I had died and gone to heaven! They are so, so cute! So I dropped him off at school today with a new haircut and blue converse. Man I love that kid!!

road trip to sonoma

david and matty spent a lot of time playing at a little park across the street from the church where steve performed the wedding. david must have walked at least a couple miles this weekend--he just kept going and going!

i think this was the only moment matty sat still all weekend. he had so much fun running, playing and exploring.

the wedding cake was made up of lots of cupcakes--so cute and sooo yummy. i cheated a little and shared one with david.

the new mr. and mrs. SUCH a sweet couple.

we stopped at a huge target near san francisco for a break, and the gilroy outlets for another break. a little retail therapy sure makes traveling fun :)

the boys were so easy-going and fun. i loved focusing on them and playing all day. matty had a major melt-down today from being exhasted. both boys are asleep and i'm going to catch a little nap, too!

handmade mexican charms

I found these handmade mexican charms recently and I fell in love! They are so simple and imperfect and sweet. They are $32 each, email me if you'd like to buy one.
a cross and a home with a freshwater pearl--representing faith and family

a hand and a chunky piece of new jade. of course it has a freshwater pearl (can you tell I like freshwater pearls??) it represents generosity--we've been given so much and we have so much to give!

this one has a bird and a heart--finding beauty in the little things

We had a great weekend driving up to sonoma and back. steve and i had a lot of time to talk and process about life. the boys were troopers. during the rehearsal and wedding we played at the park and took walks. it was so refreshing to slow down and play with them. david walked and walked (which means i walked and walked.) i'll post some pics tomorrow.