goodbye. hello!

it's done! come visit me over at my new blog.

new blog

hi friends! i am moving to a new blog, my home address is staying the same LOL! it's taking a bit longer than i expected so hang in there.

I'm moving...

to another address. more details soon!

weekend

this weekend amid pizza with friends, pancakes and errands we grabbed a quick lunch in Cayucos and took a few pics.





often fall is more beautiful than summer on the central coast and saturday was gorgeous!
have a happy monday!!

david

i snapped this picture when david was about 3 months old. i thought it would be so cute to have him in the bucket, but as soon as i put him inside, he fell right to sleep. guess it was a cozy bucket!!

we've started to get in a groove with his classroom. his teacher is great. he has a 1:1 aide with him all the time now and she is getting to know his ins and outs. i am trying to be a patient, rational mommy to keep from falling to pieces. he is just so dang small, i worry about him. i should definitely say that david is loving school and is always happy to be there.

i'll be doing some work on my blog in the next couple days, stayed tuned for some fun changes!

victoria magazine

victoria magazine invited me to create some necklaces for their readers. this magazine is such a beautiful publication. from the photos, to the snippets of poetry to the thick glossy pages, its an inspiration and i am so honored to be a part of it. grab a copy while you're out, i promise you will love it!!

dreaming.

live a simple life, slow days, homemade dinners with homemade desserts, sunlight filtering in the windows, kids running and playing outside. oh maybe i should mention, in this fantasy, i wouldn't be the one working on the farm, more like a farm bed and breakfast. hmmm, maybe just for a week?

inspired.

if you haven't seen flip flops and applesauce (my twin sister's blog) lately
then head on over and check it out.

so, so creative and fun.

two boys and one busy weekend.

david played the piano all weekend at nana & papa's house.
he taps out the sweetest little melodies one note at a time.
matty got some new rainboots (perfect for the 90 degree weather in fresno this weekend!),
add a cape and you're all set!

david wanted to sit on the tractor and he did not want to get off.
places to go, fields to plow.

off to save the world at lightening speed. have a great monday!

easy gift tags.

for gift wrap i consistently use kraft paper boxes or craft bags.
i love the simplicity and the vintage look.

i picked up an old children's book at an antique store for about $10. it was full of the sweetest drawings. i just ripped out some cute pics (i know, all the librarians are shuddering right now) and used double-sided tape to attach them to the manilla tags (available at staples, about $5 for 50). then i used my alphabet stamps and brown ink to add a word.

it took me all of about 5 minutes, but aren't they cute?!

what's your favorite way to wrap a gift?

friday, funday.

hurray for friday! it feels like a good excuse to celebrate...*today only*
every order is eligible a free pair of earrings.
i love these earrings! they are so classic and simple.
two cream, freshwater pearls are strung on sterling earwires.
($16 value)

in the notes section enter
free earring friday.

now let's get shopping!!

my nerds.

yesterday matty told me i was 'getting on his nerds'. um, yeah, i know the feeling.

plain or peanut?

I bought m&m's at the grocery store earlier this week. 90 calories in the fun size (personally i think the bigger packages are more fun). the perfect solution to my sweet tooth...a small snack just to satisfy me. nope, i ate five packages and proceeded to lose all self-respect. and i still can't decide if i like plain or peanut better. how about you??

winner, winner, chicken dinner.

we used to say that. not sure why. anyway, we have some winners!!

i used random integers (a great, easy website) to keep it fair. and they chose...

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

31
270
271

Timestamp: 2008-09-08 23:29:06 UTC

which translates to

#31 Momo3

we moved from san diego to boise, idaho 3 years ago and fall in idaho just takes my breath away! the colors of the turning leaves are so beautiful! love it! thanks, kristen

#270 Jess

I love everything about fall...apple picking,leaves changing, mums, back to school, cool nights and sunny days. thanks for the great giveaway! -jess

#271 Elizabeth

easy....
1. my son playing in crunchy leaves (I live in New England)
2. Weekend after weekend of country fairs
3. smell of hot apple cider
It awakes all the senses!

I am seriously blown away by the number of comments. You guys rock and I am all inspired for fall, now! Email me your addresses, ladies and we'll get your necklaces out.

photos for a monday

here's a few photos from the last week...

watching the rows of vineyards fly by.
our kitchen counter. i won't show you the dirty dishes.

matty and max flying a plane in the backyard.


i've been inspired by bluebirdbaby and her self-portraits. this is one of my first attempts and its nothing compared to hers. the outtakes were pretty funny. i don't plan on posting those!!

happy monday!!

celebrating a life well lived...

we had a great weekend being with family and celebrating my grandma's life. i loved hearing how other people remember her, the impact she had on their lives, and celebrating her life. A simple life, but one lived by consistently loving others well. I want to be like that.

One great thing about memorials, is they bring families together. The cousins had a ball, as usual.We got to help my sisters (aka aunties) move into their new (darling) house.
David was showered with lots of love and attention.
We had dinner at Old Spaghetti Factory in Fullerton, which is located in the old train station. The new train station was built right next door, so we went out to watch the sun set and the trains come in. The kids loved it!
It was also so wonderful to see my cousins, aunts and uncles and extended family we don't see nearly enough. And their kids *gasp are so big!!

Thanks for all your comments on fall. I feel the urge to go buy pumpkins and cider! I'll plan to choose a winner (through a randomly generated number) in the next couple days.

hi september...

where'd you come from?
so, it's september 4th. it's been a little crazy.

the featured design for september is
the sweet & simple bird necklace.

and i am giving three away! yippee!!

leave a comment and tell us your most favorite thing about fall.

end of summer

labor day was a great, relaxing day.
we went over to morro bay for pancakes
and a walk along the embarcadero.


the boys drooling in the toy shop.
thankfully it was closed.
tuesday matty started school and loved it.
david's got a cold and so he's been home with me all week.
tomorrow we have the team meeting to discuss his placement--
i'll keep you updated.
then we head to orange county for my grandma's memorial.

it will be so good to be with family.

letting go *just a bit

steve told me i have been holding david's hand too tightly. i need to hold onto him more loosely and give him less support. he is walking great and really just needs a hand to guide him and maybe catch him if he starts to stumble. i am so used to holding his wrist tightly to make sure he stays balanced and to help him along.
isn't this the hardest thing...knowing when to let go just a little?

inspiration for a monday.

trying to look at the details and the simple things.
this little flower seemed so sweet and content...

summer is ending and i feel a little sad.
but i know pumpkins and sunflowers are coming which, sounds wonderful!

a row of colorful pitchers, some new, some old
lined up on our kitchen window sill...

i gave some our lamps a boost by putting them on top of
old, painted wooden boxes.
i'm trying to see our home in a new,
fresh way and make little changes to keep it fresh and fun.

so, what's inspiring you today?

reading matter.

this sumer i've jumped back into reading. not that i haven't read in the last few years, but i'd get really into a book, let it take over my life for 48 hours and then not read again for 2 months. this summer i've tried to be more balanced and pace myself. the boys are also older and a little more independent, which means i can read for longer than 5 minutes without an interruption. usually i don't pick up my book all day and after dinner i get a couple hours in.

so what have i been reading? well, like most young women (ok, i'm not that young) in the US, i read the entire twilight series. the series really drew me in and i read all four books in about 2 weeks. they are fun and easy to read. after that i read 'the host' also by stephanie meyer (twilight author) and really enjoyed it as well. not quite as easy to read (as it was written for adults, not youth) but a great story.

i just finished 'love walked in' by marisa de los santos which is a fun, sweet story about a thirty-something woman whose life changes in a beautiful way.

now i am reading 'nights of rain and stars' by maeve binchy. she wrote 'circle of friends' (remember that book/movie from about 12 years ago? it was minnie driver's first big role). it took me a while to get into it, but i've really enjoyed the story and the characters.

notice a trend here? yep, i like fun, happy stories. i can't handle anything too sad or violent. like has enough drama on it's own, i want my entertainment to be light and uplifting. so, what are you reading? anything fun i might enjoy??

sweet little girl.

today was a crazy day that didn't stop! we are still talking with the school staff to figure out the best placement for david. we'll have a meeting next thursday, so i'll keep you updated.
thanks for your insight and encouragement.
i am open to various possibilities and we'll see how things shape up.

i got to have coffee with my sweet friend, Jen and absolutely could not help taking pictures of little Gracie playing on the kitchen counter.


Isn't she darling?

friends.

thank you. your sweet comments, encouragement and prayers mean so much to me. i had such a hard time writing about my grandma. it feels so personal and i have been trying not to let the lump in my throat take over and turn me into a blubbering mess. my grandma passed away about half an hour after after i posted about her. we are so glad she won't be in any more pain and that she is home with her Savior. i can't begin to imagine how free and joyful she is now. ok, moving on before i fall apart...
yesterday was david's first day of school. i was nervous, but met with his teacher and LOVED her. she is amazing. and the staff working in the classroom? the best! the problem? david is tiny. he literally 20 pounds and about the size of an 18 month old or a small 2 year old. The rest of the kids tower over him and because they also have special needs, aren't particularly careful about not bumping into (or completely smooshing) him.

i arrived 20 minutes early to pick him up so i could observe the classroom a bit and felt confident that he must have a 1:1 aide with him at all times, just for safely, not to mention being included in activities. even with a 1:1 aide, i'm not sure i feel good about the placement. when he was in preschool, the kids towered over him. Now he is in a K, 1, 2 special day class and he is just so tiny. (did i mention how small he is??) So we are putting our heads together with the school staff and administration to try to figure out the best place for David--where he can be safe and be with his typical peers. i know some of you special needs moms out there face this same dilema. any advise??

i've got some fun, fun stuff to show you, so check back tomorrow. have a great wednesday!!

grief and hope.

my grandma is in the hospital and is close to the end. we drove down on saturday to say good-bye. my heart is heavy with anticipating her death.
tears have been flowing easily the last few days. we will miss her so, so much.she is an amazing woman. she loves her daughters, her grandkids and her great grandkids more than anything. And in return we all love her with our whole hearts. she is 93 and has led a good life. she isn't afraid of dying and she has no regrets. she is the kindest most wonderful grandma anyone could have.
she calls david her 'angel boy' and wears a necklace that says 'angel' everyday. she listens and gives good, solid advise. she never complains and is always concerned about inconveniencing others. before i had kids, i took her grocery shopping once a week. afterward we would go out for dinner and talk. i remember crying to her about breaking up with my boyfriend, sharing work frustrations and asking her all kinds of questions about her life.
her faith is solid and she anticipates meeting her Lord soon.
i know i will see her again, but in the meantime i will miss her so much.