whatever

chalk paint...check it off the list.

i love when my kids surprise me.
i thought all summer that most of my kids were too big to care about chalk paint. 
i was wrong.
sean and annie had friends over.

i finally whipped some up while they were  fighting swimming. 

it's so easy.

the recipe is equal amounts of cornstarch and water.
and food coloring.
that's it.

it's thick to stir up at first but easily doable with a whisk.
i tried using my mixer and it worked better with a whisk and muscle.

 

i took a moment to admire my tiny patch of garden that did not FRY up on vacation....
the zinnias make me happy.
i should just plant them everywhere and not worry about anything else.  :)

i took it outside thinking "they won't even care but whatever"
and they came out of the pool and painted until it was all gone.
it looks clear at first and dries REALLY bright.

this is my favorite picture...his masterpiece of splatter paint.



kids jumped in the pool and they were clean.



and this morning it rained....and it's all gone.
simple as that. 

 

our summer list had 45 things on it.
we have done 27.
school starts tuesday.....we'll see what happens.

:) 

 

rainbows

i wanted to show you some happiness.

i asked craig if i could do the back stairway like this....he said yes....i think i might have cried a little.
i bet he doesn't remember saying yes.  :)


i am not a big fan of mouth piercings....but i love the hair!  
can you imagine if i had this hair???  
do you think kids would still come to my sunday school class?


pretty. 




happy room.


hmmm......


love this....makes me want to make stuff.


and this too!  
i really want to get messy with paint!

yummy.


really yummy.



i want to go to a rainbow party.
i want to have a rainbow party....for me!

and that is all i've got today.
i am sleepy.
and busy.
and have grumpy kids that are making me a little cranky.

 

this week....

remember when i partied in my cardigan?
that was for my sister's birthday.
well that was almost a month ago....and i just got her gift to her....really late.

(if you know me in real life....that is the NORM for me...)



but i think her gift was worth the wait.

this is my favorite necklace in lisa leonard's designs.  (i like it all but i really love this one)
it's simple and classic.
you can get printing on both sides.
it goes with everything.
it's my fave.

my sister loved it.
yay.
lisa makes giving gifts so easy!  a few clicks and it's all done.  love that.
 


on friday my three youngest came out of school with reading reward coupons for free ice cream cones.
i drove them straight to the source.
they were very surprised and happy.

talby pulled out her brand new book that was published from her ELP group. 

i swooned over it. 

 
it was adorable.

i don't know what this was about.....i can't recall....but annie made this face twice in ten seconds.
i caught the second one.


what a goofy girl.

we hit the park.

the sunshine was so needed.
i felt so much lighter.

and it was still so nice friday night that we had a campfire in the back yard!

today....it hailed, sleeted and snowed.
weirdorama.

 
so....this week:

i really want to get my shop opened!

wish me luck.

before i die in a freak pillow collapsing accident in the craft room.....
 


don't worry there will be no surprise shop openings.
i will give you lots of warning.
i promise.

also....i have a five more rainbow hoodies!
woo-hoo.

 

 

false alarm.

my etsy shop will not be opening today.
there is still too much fun stuff to sew!

if i had gotten everything together this week.....photographed it.....uploaded it.....listed it....
and then you guys bought it (hopefully)....then i had to ship it all.....

i knew i wouldn't sew again before photo season starts.
and once that starts....i don't have time for anything else creative.
(except craft thursday)

and i love to sew.

like....really love.

so instead of doing all of those things above to get the shop open...i just kept sewing.

and now it's monday and i am not one step closer to opening.

want to see a little peek?









i have more pillows to fill.
a few tees to sew.
and lots of the computer part of etsy to do this week.

i will keep you updated.

back to the craft room.......

 

 

just a short 5 hour nap....

was all i needed to recoup from the awesomeness that was this weekend.

how can i describe the GoPro?
i have been trying to think of ways to sum it up.

when i got to talk out loud to craig about it last night i almost cried....because my heart is full.

for me....it was the absolute perfect environment to learn.
i never have done well in a classroom setting.
i have a very short attention span when put in a setting that is restricting.
so learning like this about something i love was dreamy.
it seemed out of body.
i didn't think that this kind of learning was an option for me.....and that is what made me teary.



having freedom to walk around, talk, interact and say "wait go back...i missed that."

amaaaaaazing.







this is a photo that i like to call "PAY BACK".
crystal b walked in friday morning and i was shocked!
it was such a SUPER surprise for my email friend to walk in the door!  
blogland rules!



the entire oceanside of the beach house was floor to ceiling windows.
some people get to live like that everyday??

wow.

everything was high end...very fancy....ooh la la.

check out the creepy 7 foot portly chef statue in the background.....
i did double takes ALL the time thinking someone was standing there.
so weird.
he was a source of entertainment for everyone.


this is the view sitting at the kitchen table.
come on!!!!

"did you see that sky today? TALK about blue." (name that movie)


we had a family shoot to watch and learn.
and then take our own shots.
these are a couple of mine but i didn't edit much like we were taught because i need lots more practice.








the kids were troopers!

then we practiced on each other.
(i am missing two people in the group....sorry girls)
 

 

 
cam was the token dude.
he was good at tolerating the ladies...very fun to be around.  HI CAM!!

and tyler is hillarious.
i laughed more this weekend than i have in quite awhile (except for when i was in da club in my cardi)
"being tall is pretty much the most amazing thing you can be"


we had a time learning how to shoot in studio light.






then we had a bridal shoot on THE bridge.
if you know wendy and tyler's work then you know the bridge.  :)

gorgeous.

kansas doesn't have views like this in too many places....or anywhere.

 

 

 

 

today is wendy's birthday!
happy birthday to the coolest red head i know. 

every minute was good.
i learned SO MUCH.

i have so many things to remember and review.
i left with a really happy heart and completely encouraged to continue to find MY purpose in photography.
to make my business be what i want it to be.
to be awesome like wendy and tyler.

but that is not possible.

they are out my league in that department.




do you realize they are leaving for the next 9 months to travel & photograph and teach all over the world?! 
as a family.
together.

they rock.
in every way.

thanks for THE BEST weekend wendy and tyler.
i had really high expectations and you far exceeded them.
i am full and overflowing with joy. 

**********************************************************************

yesterday

as i drove my kids to school yesterday i realized my day was not going to go as planned.
i was supposed to spend the day with my friend...going to bible study...then lunch...then target.
but
there was a blizzard in front of me.
and i was so cold.

i ran into walmart for my few groceries i needed and white thread and pom pom trim.
the man at the cutting counter said "you want 10 yards of this snowball trim?!" then gave me the weirdest look.
he had to be thinking "she came here in a blizzard....for this??"
ha.
yes.
yes i did.
i could barely get my cart to my car by the time i came out.

the SNOW!

i came home and planted myself at the sewing machine only stopping once for an email & cocoa pebbles break.

it was a lovely day even if my plans were completely different.
i had a front row seat to the snow coming down.










thank you mom....my machine went nuts officially so i am using the "new" one now.
it's nice.
much nicer than my old one.

THANKS!  









it took me 55 minutes to pick up all my kids from school.
that is a long time.
and i slid into a curb....hard.

craig had the kids shovel snow with him...i was in charge of hot cocoa and marshmallows.

my children are off of school today.

do you think they will notice if i just stay up in the craft room and sew all day again?????