This Is The Day

Project Life : Week 3

2012-01-24T08:04:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my Project Life album: Week 3.

Still going strong. Still keeping my album out on the desk in our craft room, and adding little bits and pieces throughout the week. Still printing my photos here at home on my new Epson Artisan printer. Still combining Instagram pics with pictures from my "big" camera. Still jotting down notes on my phone about places we went, people we saw and things we did.......and then using that as a reference when adding journaling cards to my album. Still loving this process, and feeling so grateful for this life that we are creating.

Here's a look at Week 3:

This week, I included Instagram pics, a free download from Ali, an invitation to a baby shower I co-hosted and a little print out to showcase my favorite show along with some bits and pieces from my stash.

We had a full weekend with a baby shower and a birthday party for our cousin, so I included an insert for this week to hold a few more pictures.

I cut one of Becky's page protectors down so that I could include 6 4x6 photos of the birthday party. I also attached a little Smash tab at the top of the page protector ("celebrate").

The back of the insert.

For the right side of the spread, I included more pictures from our weekend, a hotel key from my stay in Dallas, and a funny little conversation I had with Sienna.

I downloaded this cute little "Magic" freebie from the Tiny Twig.

I feel like I have gotten back into a creative groove with this project. It's a fun, totally do-able way to capture our memories in a really meaningful way....the good, the bad and the completely amazing parts of our everyday journey!

Project Life (title page, weeks 1 & 2)

2012-01-17T14:48:00.000-08:00

It's pretty sad when you wake up and realize you were dreaming about Project Life, but that's exactly what happened to me again this morning. In my sleep, I envision myself filling all of those little pockets with photographs, ticket stubs, school work, etc....and it just simply makes me happy. Guess I'm just easy to please ;-)

I have been doing a version of Project Life or Project 365 for the past 4 years, and some years have been more consistent than others. But this year just feels different. This year, I am excited about taking on this project. Excited about documenting our story. Excited about doing it MY way with no guilt, and no need to compare my creativity to anyone else's.

In an effort to stay on top of things this year, I did a little rearranging in the craft room and set things up to focus almost exclusively on Project Life.

This is the desk in our craft room where I work on my album. Nothing here but the essentials: tools (Sharpies, tiny attacher, adhesive, scissors, etc..), Clementine edition core kit, paper trimmer and album.

When it's time to work on my album, I pull out this little tray from the shelf behind my desk. It has small embellishments, blank/lined journaling cards, journal spots, tags, labels and other random journaling cards that I think will work nicely in my album. There is also a little vintage silver cup where I keep small letter and number embellishments.

I also have a cute little turquoise basket (Target) where I keep word stickers, flat embellishments and other items from my stash that I think might come in handy.

Nothing makes me happier than a caddy full of colorful Sharpie markers and fresh Uniball pens.

Here's a shot of my Title Page with a fun little 6x12 page protector and free download from Cathy Zielske.

And here's the Title Page without the insert.

My Week One spread includes an 8.5x11 insert that contains a cute little questionnaire I found online that the kiddos filled out on New Year's Eve all about their highlights from 2011 and what they are looking forward to in 2012. Love that Grant colored all over Sienna's before I was able to get into our album ;-)

Week One (left side)

Week One (right side)

Week Two (left side) includes digital brushes and overlays from Designer Digitals (love Ali and Cathy!!)

Week Two (right side)

Thoughts on Project Life thus far:
* There was a time in my life where I bought scrapbook supplies like it was my job. That was before having 2 kids and before going back to work......but now, let's just say I have a bit of a stash that needs to be put to good use. Enter Project Life. I know there will be some weeks that will include just the basics: photos and journaling cards. But on those weeks when I have a little extra time, I plan on busting out those stickers, journaling spots, labels and cute embellishments, and adding them to my heart's content!

* I absolutely LOVE using instagram photos to showcase more of our "daily life"

* I love including silly conversations I have with the kids, little pieces of their artwork and handwriting, movie tickets, etc... and it helps to have a dedicated basket next to my desk to collect all the little bits that might come in handy when putting my week together

* It takes a little extra time, but using the digital brushes and overlays is SO worth the effort!

SO there you have it.....my first Project Life post for the year. But it definitely won't be my last!!

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012

2012-01-06T13:41:00.000-08:00

Goodbye 2011

Goodbye diapers

Goodbye clothes that don't fit, are outdated or don't make me feel good

Goodbye clutter in cabinets, drawers and closets

Goodbye feelings of not being good enough

Goodbye regrets

Hello 2012

Hello fresh air

Hello Zumba

Hello Rosetta Stone and learning to speak Spanish (again)

Hello adventure

Hello vacation; Hello Disney

Hello morning chats over coffee (and tea) with great friends

Hello date nights

Hello Project Life

Hello to having people over for dinner.....or dessert or drinks

Hello to being thankful for every single moment along the way

Hello to the new Bachelor

Hello to blogging consistently and telling my story

Hello books

Hello to prayer without ceasing

Hello to photographing and documenting our journey

Hello to new beginnings and to being just where I am meant to be when 2013 rolls around

*** Thank you Jenny for inspiring this post

Hello Kitty Pajama Party

2012-01-05T10:52:00.000-08:00

Our sweet Sienna turned 6 on December 29th, and just like every other year, she was VERY specific about what she had in mind for her birthday party. This year, she chose a "Hello Kitty Pajama Party" theme, and although she would have LOVED to have all her little besties actually spend the night at our house, Mama chose to interpret the theme a bit more creatively ;-)

We started out with these cute invitations (I took out the address & contact info for this post), and designed the entire party around them.

After much "discussion" between the two of us, I finally gave in and decided we could have the party in our home again this year, which meant a massive overhaul of the garage just in time for the big day!

I rented the tables and chairs, and then dressed them up a bit with zebra print & hot pink tulle. I also hung crepe paper "chandeliers" from the ceiling to add a little flair to what is otherwise a plain & not so pretty garage space.

The Details

Sienna is a HIGE fan of donuts, so of course we had to incorporate a donut tower into our decor!

The beautiful (and delicious) strawberry cake

For our craft, I had the girls decorate white pillowcases with Crayola fabric markers. The girls had a blast designing their pillowcases, and they also served as part of their party favors.

The favors and gifts

The breakfast bar

The birthday girl was thrilled with how everything turned out, and even though it was a lot of work putting everything together just a few days after Christmas, seeing her sweet, smiling face made it all completely worthwhile!!

Vendor Credits:
Photography: Exposed by Faith Photography
Cake: Frosted Whimsy
Invitations: peace love & invites

where to begin?

2011-12-30T15:22:00.000-08:00

WOW! I don't think I have ever gone this long without blogging, and I have seriously missed it. Busy time of year....blah, blah, blah......I won't bore you with all of my lame reasons for not blogging, and instead, I will play a little Christmas catch-up.

I took hundreds of pictures during the month of December, so obviously I can't share all of them here, but here's a little peak into how the Gussios have spent the last few weeks.

putting up tiny trees in the kid's rooms

waking up each morning to find George in his latest hiding place

unwrapping and reading Christmas stories under the tree

putting up a few new decorations

looking at old Santa photos

and taking new Santa photos

trying hard to get a decent family photo

baking pretzel hugs for classmates

being a great helper for Mama

bringing treats to school for a much-anticipated pajama party

chatting with Santa (again) at our Christmas "Cheer" party

and making jars of reindeer food with good friends

wrapping up treats for special friends and co-workers

practicing "looking but not touching"

wiggling an extremely loose tooth

making sweet memories

finding the one we asked for under the tree

and a few more we weren't expecting

taking sleepy-eyed pictures early Christmas morning

and wearing matching family pajamas (couldn't get Grant to stop playing)

This time of year can be a bit overwhelming. There's lots to do, to buy, to wrap, to remember. Cards to mail, traditions to carry on, lessons to teach, places to go, people to see....and for most moms there is the added stress of trying to make everything look magical and memorable. I will be the first to admit that it can be hard to balance the true spirit of the Season with the urge to go and buy and sprinkle everything with magic dust, but in the end, it is 100% worth all of the effort. There were ups and downs for our family during the month of December (just like any other month of the year), but looking back on all of our pictures from the past few weeks makes me realize all over again how truly blessed we are, and I am so very very grateful.

the arboretum

2011-10-20T10:44:00.000-07:00

I love the Dallas Arboretum in the Fall! It is magically beautiful, and filled to the brim with pumpkins and flowers around every corner. As luck would have it, the temperatures were less than Fall-like on the day we went, which resulted in a lot of complaining mixed in with the beautiful scenery......but I'm still glad we made the effort. I'm still glad that we went to breakfast that morning as a family (even if the service was pretty bad and the kids were absolutely starving by the time their meal arrived). I'm still glad that I have the pictures from that day even if the sun was blazing and the kiddos were squinting in most of them. I'm still glad that we walked around together, and pointed out the beauty surrounding us, and held hands, and had snacks on our blanket even if it would have been easier (and cooler) to let the kids run around in our own back yard. I'm still glad we made these memories.

the patch

2011-10-18T09:52:00.000-07:00

It's a family tradition.....our annual trip to the local pumpkin patch (and I use the term "pumpkin patch" very loosely here). The kids look forward to it all year, and as soon as they see the tent going up, they start asking if it's time to head to the Patch.

It was over 90 degrees on the day we decided to go, and the sun was bright & brutal which made for less than ideal photo opportunities, but we made the best of it, and brought home several pumpkins to brighten up the front porch.

Photography Tip: Get in the shot!

2011-09-22T08:39:00.000-07:00

If you're anything like me, you absolutely LOVE taking pictures of your family. You're the mom (or dad) lugging the camera to the ball games, the birthday parties, the family get-togethers, and everything in between. You see the value in memory keeping, in capturing your family's best and worst moments, and preserving them for years to come.

The only problem with this scenario, is that you are often the one behind the camera, and therefore rarely featured in your family's day to day photographs. Maybe you hand the camera over to a stranger for a couple shots at the beach, or maybe you take one family shot for the Christmas card each year, but how often do you make it a priority to include yourself in the "ordinary" everyday shots: trips to the park, reading bed time stories, baking cookies, playing board games, etc....

I am personally not a huge fan of my camera's self timer. I've tried it before, and the results were less than stellar. I'm also not very good at the whole "self-portrait" thing.......I never could quite master the mysterious/sultry look or a carefree/uncontrived smile. So instead, I've come up with a couple creative ideas to get myself in front of the camera. After all, when my children are older and looking back on our family photo albums, I want them to remember what I looked like, I want them to remember that I laughed and played and got dirty and chased them and pushed them on the swings and cheered them on, I want them to remember that my smile was always the biggest while being with them.

TIP #1: Find a reflective surface and get the whole family in the shot.

Look for pools, lakes, ponds, mirrors, etc...
A few weeks ago, we were playing at the park, and I noticed this giant-reflective-fish-eye-mirror-thing. I immediately made everyone stop playing and pose with me for several (ok, like 25) shots. I'm thinking Christmas card photo in the making :-)

TIP #2: Hand your camera over to one of your children.

OK, so this one is not always easy for me (my kids are only 3 & 5), and I have a pretty nice camera (and I would like to keep it that way). BUT, I took the time to give a little lesson on camera safety, and I make sure the camera is always within my grasp should it become necessary...........

Exhibit A

After a couple hundred frames, you just might get a few keepers:

Taken by Grant (age 3)

Taken by Sienna (age 5)

I could not love that photo any more!!

So go get in the shot....your family will thank you for it!

Whirlwind

2011-09-13T09:11:00.000-07:00

Wow!! I can't believe the last time I blogged was during the first week of school. Obviously, this whole "back-to-school thing" has been a bit of an adjustment for me. Between after school activities, waking up earlier, packing lunches, checking folders, homework, after school snacks, and just trying to maintain my sanity...blogging has fallen by the wayside. BUT, now that the kiddos are getting back on somewhat of a steady schedule, I am trying to create a new schedule for myself, which definitely includes keeping up with the ole' bloggity blog.

So here's a bit of a recap on what we've been up to lately:

Sienna cheered in her first football game, and we were so excited to find out she would be cheering for her cousin Kaleb's team......they had a gaggle of fans cheering them on.

She was "head cheerleader" for her first game and we were so very proud of her!!

Sweet Cousins

I also got a chance to snap a few pictures of our big girl wearing her "Kinder Rocks" t-shirt from Bodda Bling Designs.

And speaking of Kindergarten.......one of the best purchases we have made in a long time is this sweet little desk for Sienna's room. She loves sitting in her chair to do her homework, to practice writing or just to color or draw in peace (translation: away from her little brother).

So there you have it. Getting back into the swing of things little by little......much more to share very soon.

taking flight

2011-08-23T08:25:00.000-07:00

She's been waiting for this day for weeks (months really), and she finally gets to tell everyone that she is officially a Kindergartner!!

As for me, I'm still processing my own emotions: excitement, fear, disbelief. But one thing I am sure of, is how proud I am of my baby girl. She is brave and smart and kind and sassy and curious, and even though it is sometimes hard for me to watch her fly.....I know she is ready!

a quick little photo shoot before heading to Meet the Teacher

On the big day, she was definitely excited, but she was also very tired & had a tough time waking up at 6:30a.m.

Sweet Sienna with sleepy eyes :-)

waking up a little

the one & only shot I could get of the 2 of them

she walked right in, put away her backpack and got right to work

and this is how I left her.....before I walked out into the hall & felt the tears start to fall

We said a little prayer this morning on the way to school for her teacher and her classmates, and we asked God to keep her safe, to help her learn, to make lots of new friends and to be a good friend. I just know this is going to be a great year!!

Preschool

2011-08-17T10:11:00.000-07:00

Well, today was the BIG day for our sweet little boy. He woke up with a big smile on his face, jumped out of Mommy & Daddy's bed (he snuck in there at some point last night & I didn't notice until about 5:00am), put on his new uniform, grabbed a quick breakfast, and headed to his very first day of Preschool.

And I must say, he was a very good sport, and didn't complain AT ALL during our mini-first-day-of-school-photo-shoot!

Once we arrived at his classroom, the nerves started to get to him just a bit, but the meltdown was quick and relatively painless. Daddy was able to get him to hang up his backpack, and put away his nap mat, and then I could tell it was time for us to make our get-away.

He still looked a bit nervous when we left, and there were definitely no smiles for Mama's camera, but I just know he is going to have a wonderful first day!

LOVE YOU BUDDY!!

back to school

2011-08-16T08:59:00.000-07:00

With one starting Kindergarten next Monday, and one starting Pre-K(3) on Wednesday, we are officially in "Back to School" mode around our house. We are buzzing with excitement, preparing for the first day, getting our calendars in order, and thinking about how to stay organized while maintaing our sanity (and by "we" I mostly mean "me")!

There are a thousand great back-to-school ideas floating around blog land these days (and I'll admit to checking out most of them), but in keeping with my goal to simplify this year, I have chosen just a few to incorporate into our back to school routine.

Of course the all-important Kindergarten backpack and lunch box have arrived:

via Pottery Barn Kids

I've printed out this super cute Back to School Photo Checklist:

via Rebecca Cooper

I'm in the process of printing out these cute "1st Day of School Printables" for our annual photo shoot on the front porch:

via How Does She

But I also really like these???:

via I Heart Nap Time

I've read through this article on establishing a Back to School sleep schedule:

via I Heart Organizing

And I have a few ideas on cute Teacher Gifts for the First Day:

Like this one......

via Eighteen 25

or maybe something simple like this......

via Rebecca Cooper

and I really love this:

via Eighteen 25

I absolutely LOVE this time of year! Stocking up on fresh school supplies, making lists, clearing out the clutter, getting organized, making memories, and creating traditions......what could be better than that!!

good stuff

2011-08-12T09:33:00.000-07:00

A few things sparking my interest on this lovely Friday afternoon:

(1) I am planning on ordering 2 of these little beauties to store school work, certificates, cards, etc... for each of my kiddos this year. Now, if I could only decide which photo I want to use????

Ali Edward's Memory Boxes from Paper Coterie

2. I've mentioned my love of the Instagram App before, and I recently got a big batch of photos in the mail from Postal Pix, so I'm thinking I need to do something like this ASAP:

via Rhonna Farrer

(3) With the end of Summer looming & the start of the school year just around the corner, my mind is spinning with thoughts of lists, routines, schedules, work/family balance.......I came across this online "class" a few days ago, and I think it might be just the thing I'm needing to start the school year off on the right track!

BonjOrganization Guide

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend. We will be celebrating a special birthday, enjoying Supper Club with sweet friends, school shopping, and soaking up our last Summer weekend together before our littlest one starts pre-school next week. Enjoy!

Project Life - a sampling

2011-08-09T09:19:00.000-07:00

I have been a "scrapbooker" for as long as I can remember. I have several yellowing, magnetic page albums filled with newspaper articles, class pictures, notes from friends, and magazine clippings from my childhood. I also vividly remember covering entire walls of my bedroom as a teenager with pages from teen magazines. I've filled numerous sketch books with collages, I have more journals than I can count, and I even have a scrapbook that my sweet friends put together for one of my bridal showers.

When my daughter was born, I would spend hours making layouts while she napped or played next to me in my "studio." I loved the entire process (the shopping, the stamping, the creating), and I loved that I was able to spend time documenting our memories. By the time our son was born; however, my excitement had begun to wane. Instead of feeling inspired, I felt overwhelmed, inadequate, and a nagging sense of guilt about the lack of layouts for my little boy. I had a closet full of scrapbook supplies that sat virtually unused for over a year.

Enter Project Life.

This project has re-energized me, and given me a renewed excitement for documenting our memories. It's simple. It's do-able. It's fun. And it's a great way to document an entire year's worth of memories with a very minimal time commitment.

As promised, here are a few shots of my "Project Life 2011" album so far. These aren't necessarily in chronological order, just a sampling of how my pages are coming together throughout the album.

I've included 12 x 12 photos throughout the album

a layout with Instagram photos

81/2 x 11 page protectors with digital layouts fit right in

I also included an envelope filled with birthday blessings for Grant on his birthday

a 12 x 12 Birthday layout

and a few pages I printed out from blog entries and placed in 81/2 x 11 page protectors

I love having one central place to collect and store our family's memories. Along the way, I've included special school work, certificates, receipts, movie tickets, programs, etc... little bits of life that help to tell a more complete story of our year.
This is my second year doing some version of Project Life, and I have to say it is my favorite project to date!!

Week In the Life - my process

2011-08-08T11:19:00.000-07:00

Today, I am spending a little time putting together my Week in the Life project for 2011. I decided this year that rather than creating an entirely separate album for this project, I am simply going to create a digital page for each day of the week, put the page into a page protector along with the corresponding daily sheet, and add those pages to my ongoing Project Life album.

I will take photos today of my album in progress, but for now, here is my layout for Monday, July 25, 2011:

i used Cathy Zielske's template from here

Cheerleading

2011-08-05T10:52:00.000-07:00

I was never a cheerleader. I tried out once in sixth grade, didn't make the cut, and devoted my life to dance from then on.

My little girl, on the other hand, has been interested in cheerleading from the time she could walk. She has owned several pair of pom-poms in her day, she can often be found walking around the house in her Dallas Cowboy or University of Texas cheer outfit stopping to "perform" in front of the mirror, and I will never forget the look of awe on her face when she saw the real Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders for the first time!

This week, she participated in her first cheer camp, and to say she enjoyed it would be a major understatement. Who knows if this is just a phase or something she will continue to be passionate about years from now? For now, she is jumping in with both feet!!

around here - August edition

2011-08-04T08:57:00.000-07:00

1. Around here, I just finished reading this book (loved it!!):

2. Around here, (I'm a bit embarrassed to admit), but I have been reading bits & pieces of this book each night before I fall asleep:

3. Around here, we are getting very excited about a certain little girl heading off to Kindergarten in a few weeks:

4. Around here, the hubby & I are sad to see this show come to an end:

but excited about this one starting up next week (don't judge!!):

5. Around here, I am excited to try out a few cute duct tape projects:

Heidi Swapp was the first person who got me interested in scrapbooking, and she has continued to inspire me year after year. She is amazingly talented, and manages to do it all with FIVE kids!!

6. Around here, we are about to melt from the unbearably high temperatures, and anxiously awaiting Fall weather and Fall fashion:

Watercolor iMovie

2011-08-02T09:19:00.000-07:00

I played around a bit this weekend with iMovie and a few of our pictures from our recent vacation to Watercolor, Florida. I've made a few of these videos before, but never tried sharing them on my blog or on YouTube, so hopefully this works........ Enjoy!!

Week in the Life - Wed. & Thurs.

2011-07-29T10:29:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was all about work, running errands & crossing things off my list. But there were also some wonderful moments along the way.....an impromptu lunch with my hubby at a new restaurant, sitting on our bed with the kiddos and giving each other "makeovers," finishing a great book ("What Alice Forgot").

On Thursday, I fell off the bandwagon a bit & only took about 6 photos for the day. One thing I have noticed is that if I don't start strong in the mornings (taking photos before I leave for work), I usually end up with very few photos for the day.

I am still so very grateful for this process. It forces me to find beauty in the mundane, to celebrate our life even when I feel like pulling my hair out, to capture what our life really looks like & to be grateful for every single minute.

* lots of performing in front of the big mirror
* a clean room
* trip to the vet
* a new haircut (so very handsome)

Week in the Life

2011-07-27T09:18:00.000-07:00

I decided to follow along with Ali Edwards again this year, and document one week in our family's life. That means that I am taking the time each day to take photos of our everyday routines and schedules, and then jotting down notes along the way. Words + Photos.

To make it as simple and do-able as possible this year, I am only taking Instagram photos for this project (the "big" camera is waiting patiently on a shelf in the kitchen). And I am using Ali's daily sheets to keep a running list of what we did throughout the day, what we ate for breakfast, lunch and dinner, my favorite moments, things I overheard, the little things I am grateful for, etc...

I really love this project! I know it is something we will all love to look back on someday.....to realize how quickly things change, and how certain stages in our life that we thought would last forever were really just a blip in time.

Photos from Day 1

Photos from Day 2

A few notes about this project:
* I need to get myself in more of these photos = hand the "camera" over to the kids or Johnny or use the mirror
* I like that I am not taking hundreds of photos but rather simply hitting the highlights and getting a good snapshot of what our days really look like at this stage of our journey
* Not sure how I am going to incorporate the daily sheets just yet, but for this week, I am simply focusing on the documenting and will worry about pulling it all together next week

Love is

2011-07-20T10:12:00.000-07:00

I came across this yesterday, and it completely took my breath away. I read it and re-read it, and decided it is officially my new favorite quote. Such beautiful words.

"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. An when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because that is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being "in love" which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself it what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. You mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossoms had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two." Captain Corelli's Mandolin

Watercolor (part 2...the instagram version)

2011-07-19T09:37:00.000-07:00

I (like many others) have recently become obsessed with the Instagram app on my Iphone. The only problem is that since the app is really meant as more of a "social media sharing" device, most photo processors can't accommodate their square size. So in addition to getting the Postalpix app on my phone to order all of my Instagram photos, I was very happy to come across this free Insta love layered template by Cathy Zielske........I have a feeling I will be getting a lot of mileage out of this template for my Project Life book!!

Watercolor (part 1)

2011-07-18T11:42:00.000-07:00

Last night, our little family returned from a week long vacation to Watercolor, Florida.

We had a blast! It was a trip filled with everything a good beach trip should be filled with: sandcastles, sno cones, popsicles on the porch, swimming, bike rides and lots & lots of laughs (and of course, a few meltdowns for good measure).

A few of my favorite memories:

1. Watching "Parent Trap" on the big screen movie projector outside on the lawn
2. Watching the kids overcome their initial fear and then riding on the canoe with their daddy
3. Taking a canoe ride with daddy myself
4. Gaga volunteering to watch the kiddos so Johnny and I could have a date night.......dinner at "George's" in Alys Beach (highly recommend)
5. Seeing Grant take off his life jacket on the last day and swim & jump fearlessly in the pool
6. Camp Watercolor (best idea ever & the kids had a blast)
7. Listening to the concert in Seaside while the kids ran around with glow in the dark light sabers
8. Browsing through Sundog Books in Seaside and finding the time to actually finish 2 great books

The week went by way too fast and I am already looking forward to next year!!!

Independence Day

2011-07-05T12:33:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a lovely July 4th Weekend! We managed to squeeze in 2 parades, countless powdered donuts, a little gardening, several trips to Target, Lowes and Home Depot, a dinner date with friends, one trip to the doctor, and a July 4th bash in our backyard complete with great food, friends and family!

2011-06-28T11:39:00.000-07:00

The temperatures are climbing, and the only place we can find relief is in the POOL!!

summer fun

2011-06-21T08:08:00.000-07:00

I have a confession to make: Summer is not my favorite season of the year. I'm an Autumn girl myself. I'm also a pretty big fan of Springtime, and Winter is home to my favorite holiday as well as the birthdays of both of our kiddos.

I usually dread Summertime due to the unbearably hot temperatures here in Texas, the lack of a set schedule, the pressure to fill every waking hour with something creative or memorable......you get the idea.

But this year, I decided to approach things a bit differently. I decided to just go with the flow, and really allow myself to enjoy and appreciate all the good things that only Summer can offer: swimming and popsicles and block parties and dance recitals and lazy days and s'mores and sno cones and more swimming and the smell of sunscreen and trips to the water park and farmer's markets and parades and sparklers and bubbles and sidewalk chalk and sleepovers with the cousins and staying up late and maybe just maybe getting to sleep in every now and then.

First up, I gathered up the kids and got busy making one of the oh-so-popular "Summer Bucket Lists."

Nothing fancy....it took us all of about 20 minutes. We hung it front and center on the bulletin board in the kitchen with plenty of space to add photos of the items as we check them off our list.

And then we started in on the fun!

We hosted a "Donut, Milk and OJ Party" for our neighborhood

Relaxed with snacks by the pool

Made a coffee filter butterfly craft & then hung our work on the mantel

Got sno-cones at Bahama Bucks

Cheered Grant on in his first stab at team sports

Co-hosted a dinner party with friends

Took the kiddos to the local Farmer's Market

Swam at a friend's house & watched the Mavs win the National Championship

Enjoyed the sun set from our front yard

Made an impromptu decision to head to Great Wolf Lodge for Father's Day weekend

And Sienna finally got pink feathers put in her hair

I can't believe we are only one month into our Summer! We still have 2 more months to go with the flow, relax, get dirty, have fun and make memories. Here's to checking off those items on our Summer Bucket Lists!!

summertime

2011-05-31T12:27:00.000-07:00

I must say, this screen shot just makes me happy! It's a collection of all things "Summertime".......food, activities, beverages, gifts, etc.....ideas and recipes I want to add to our Gussio Family Summer Bucket List. I can't wait to get started!!!

Summertime Pinboard

life through my lens

2011-05-24T10:09:00.000-07:00

I have been in a bit of a "big camera" rut lately. I just haven't felt like lugging the big one around, and as a result, I have taken a LOT less photos than I normally would. BUT.....lucky for me, my iphone is almost always within arm's reach, so with the help of a few apps, I have managed to get a few shots I might not otherwise have gotten.

my sweet boy & I at his school's Mother's Day breakfast

(horrible photo of me, but it's the only one I have)

making pizzas with the cousins

3 trips to the dentist & still no cavities!!

date night to watch the Mavs win!

bringing gifts to his teachers on the last day of MDO

"School's Out for Summer!!"

Teacher Appreciation gift for an amazing teacher!!

field trip to the gentle zoo

an impromptu run through the water park

our first visit from the tooth fairy

donuts in the park on a Saturday morning

and a little swingin' to round out the weekend

Obviously I could have gotten much better "quality" photos with my DSLR, but the important thing is that I captured the memory......forever, and because of that, these moments will never be forgotten.

happy mother's day

2011-05-06T12:54:00.000-07:00

Wishing all of you the HAPPIEST of Mother's Day Weekends (yes, I claim the entire weekend, not just the one day we are given!!).

For me, motherhood is an amazing roller coaster ride of emotions. There are high highs and low lows.

There are smiles & laughter & tears & heartache & that's all just in one day :-)

There are some days when I feel like I simply can not get up and do it all over again, and then there are days when time flies by so quickly that I wish I could bottle it up and save it for later.

Motherhood is definitely not easy......it takes prayer and grace and faith and for me at least, it really does take a village. But, I am so very thankful that these 2 amazing little people call me "Mama."

I pray that this weekend, we will all take the time to celebrate mothers every where. Happy Mother's Day!!

tea with Oprah

2011-05-04T08:58:00.000-07:00

I don't normally watch the Nate Berkus show, but I tuned in yesterday to see Oprah give a tour of her "Tea House" in Montecito, California, and I am so glad I did! Unbelievably, breathtakingly beautiful!

A few takeaways:

1. Someday I would love to have a field of lavender right outside my back door.

2. I really enjoyed the part of their conversation that focused on the "energy" of a space.....they talked about how stress and negativity can seep into the walls of our homes and literally attach themselves to the furniture. It reminded me that I want to create a space for my family that is warm, inviting, safe and comfortable. It reminded me to pay attention to the sights, smells and sounds in our home. It reminded me that I want our home to be a place where kind words are spoken, prayers are given, and gratitude is the focus.

3. We need to have a bit more nature in our lives. Cut flowers from the "garden" and bring them inside. Turn the tv off and go for a walk. Lay on our backs and look at the clouds. Take more pictures outside. Talk to my kids about the beauty of nature and how God created all of this for our enjoyment.

4. I love the idea of having a place to sit, relax, read, meditate, pray....a place to get away from the stresses of every day life and to restore your soul. Hmm......maybe someday?

5. The photo book that Oprah received as a birthday gift this year from one of her producers is absolutely amazing!! I would love to do something like this of my kids someday soon (maybe blurb??).

the easter post

2011-04-27T09:16:00.000-07:00

I truly enjoyed Easter Sunday this year.

There have been years in the past where I felt pressure to make everything just right.....to put together the perfect Easter baskets, to create the perfect memories, to make the most of every single moment, and it usually left me feeling stressed and resentful at the end of the day. This year, we spent a lot more time talking about why we celebrate Easter and a lot less time talking about the Easter bunny :-)

Of course, the kids still woke up Easter morning to a trail of jelly beans leading them to their baskets, but this year, I didn't go overboard with what was inside. Sienna got a purple chocolate bunny (by request), some sidewalk chalk, a jump rope, glitter crayons, Hello Kitty lip gloss rings and a princess kite. Grant got a new pack of markers, a chocolate bunny, Batman toothbrushes (by far his favorite part), a new kite and the movie "Bambi." They were so excited on Sunday morning!! Johnny and I could hear them from our room when they discovered the jelly bean trail, and it made it all so very worth it!

We went to the early service for church, had family over for lunch and our annual Easter egg hunt, went swimming, watched "Bambi" and took naps.....a wonderfully relaxing day.

The thing I most want to remember about this year is asking Grant why we celebrate Easter and hearing him say, "Because that was when Jesus died on the grass." He had heard us talking about Jesus dying on the cross, and I guess he got the words a little confused :-)

sweet Sienna posing after church

making bunny ears with the cousins (they all look so thrilled)

her loot

he opened every single egg before moving on to hunt for another one

the best family shot I could get

my little man

2011-04-20T11:38:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love this little boy! He is stubborn and hot-tempered and runs around like a little monkey morning, noon and night, but he is also the sweetest thing you will ever meet, and I am so very happy that he calls me "Mama."

he is rockin' his new hair cut

Things I Want to Remember About this Easter Egg Hunt:
1. How excited he was to fill up his carton with exactly 12 eggs
2. How much he enjoyed sitting with me afterwards and looking through each egg multiple times
3. How he cracked up laughing when he found a pink chocolate bunny inside one of his eggs
4. How much he loved the football and baseball eggs
5. How he lined up with his class when the hunt was over to go to music class, and how he kept looking back to see if I was still there, and then smiling when he saw me and blowing me kisses

mid-week musings

2011-04-13T09:24:00.000-07:00

1. I came across this amazing bedroom makeover today and just had to share. I am definitely bookmarking this one for ideas when my Sweet Sienna is ready for a big-girl room (click on the link above so that you can see all the sweet candy details).

2. My iPad is looking much cuter these days thanks to my new handmade cover from The Pleated Poppy......I am in love with this thing!!

3. I've said it before, and I'm saying it again: "I WILL LEARN HOW TO SEW!!!" I actually own a sewing machine, but I have absolutely NO idea what to do with it. However, as soon as I learn, one of the very first things I will be making is one of these:

via

I mean seriously people, how cute are those little darlings!!! I'm thinking they would be great for Easter baskets, baby gifts, birthday gifts.....LOVE!

4. Recently, we made a few changes around our home...switched a few things around and got rid of our guest room. I now have my very own craft/reading/art room, which I LOVE, but I know there will be a few times throughout the year when a guest room might come in handy. I'm thinking something like this might be nice to have:

Happy Wednesday!!

pin-spiration friday

2011-04-08T09:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I've mentioned my love for pinterest before.....it is definitely my newest obsession, and every time I'm on there, I wish I could show someone all of the cools things I stumble across! So today, I thought I would give you a little peek at a few of my latest "pins."

From my "Summertime" pin board:

Patriotic dipped strawberries from Rachel Ray:

I am currently on the lookout for more beverage dispensers so I can achieve this set-up on our back porch:

via

And I simply MUST make this fizzy blood orangeade as soon as possible....YUM:

via

From my "Nest" pinboard:

Can you even believe this laundry room!!!

via

Or this one:

via

I'm dreaming of this dining room:

via

And this amazing master bathroom:

via

And just one more because I couldn't resist (from my "Inspiring Words" pinboard):

via

Hope you are as inspired as I am! Click on over here if you want to view the rest of my pins. If you decide to sign up for pinterest, let me know, so I can check out all of the things that are inspiring you. And I'll be sharing my favorite pins with you each Friday....so stay tuned :-)

sharing

2011-03-30T08:47:00.000-07:00

1. I really enjoyed reading this article over at Super Organizer Mum all about what she learned after taking some time away from the computer to just be with her family. I actually followed some of her advice this week, and here are a few things I did in an effort to limit my time online, and to make the time that I do spend a bit more productive: (1) I deleted about 500 old emails.....items that I know I won't need to go back to and ones that should have been deleted ages ago; (2) I categorized the rest of my emails (items that I will need to reference later) into folders that made sense to me; (3) I took the time to unsubscribe myself from all of the emails that I find myself deleting over and over again.....newsletters, emails from businesses, etc...; (4) I tweaked my facebook preferences by choosing to only get status updates from people that I truly want to keep in touch with; (5) I made a promise to myself to STOP grabbing my phone at every red light and stop sign to check emails or facebook.......it's a ridiculous habit that needs to be nipped in the bud!!

2. I also really identified with this post over at Centsational Girl all about the dangers of risk taking (love her blog by the way!!). I love when she says that "Risk takers are not necessarily the most talented, but the ones who are willing to put themselves out there, and work the hardest." It's so easy to get caught up in the status quo, to start thinking and dressing and decorating and parenting and talking like everyone else, but really, what's the fun in that? We were created to be unique individuals, to chart our own course, to stay true to ourselves. This was definitely my favorite part of the entire post (couldn't have said it better myself):

"Today, I encourage you to go forth and live dangerously! Do something that completely scares you. Be courageous. Go against the trend. Bet on yourself. It will guarantee one thing for sure, you’ll have less regrets when you look back on your life. Paint your walls that bold color. Sell your house. Write that novel. Change jobs. Teach yourself something new. Stretch out of your comfort zone, take a leap of faith, believe in yourself."

3. Lately, I've been really into gallery walls (groupings of meaningful photos, signs, letters, notes, etc...), so I found this post over at Ali Edwards really inspiring.

I love the idea of getting our photos out of our computers, boxes, scrapbooks, etc... and getting them up on the walls to enjoy. I also love the idea of framing or hanging little tidbits of life that are meaningful: kid's artwork, love letters, certificates, items from great vacations, baby clothes, collections.....

I am drawn to homes with personality. Homes that tell a story. Homes that are neat and uncluttered, but that also show signs of life.....evidence of the people that live within its walls. Homes that smell good. Homes that are comfortable and inviting. I am constantly tweaking things around our home in an effort to create that type of environment. It's something I am passionate about......something I love doing, and something I hope my family appreciates :-)

There are a few things in our home right now that are pretty enough to look at, but that aren't really meaningful.....they don't really say anything about the people that live there. My goal over the next few weeks, is to go room by room and make an effort to toss anything that isn't either beautiful, meaningful or useful? I'll let ya know how it goes......

wordy wednesday (part 2)

2011-03-23T10:28:00.000-07:00

It's been exactly one week since I had my little blog-meltdown, and seriously considered giving the whole thing up. One week to think about my priorities, and how I choose to spend my time. One week to read the comments left by sweet friends, and really consider their advice.

And today is a new day. I realized that I am not striving to be super-blogger, super-mommy, super-woman or super-anything. I am just a girl (er......woman) who is doing the best she can on any given day. Trying to create a life that is meaningful, memorable and God-centered.

I have thought a lot about what I want our life to look like. Some days I reach the mark, and other days not so much. But I keep going. I keep waking up, asking for guidance and strength, trying to be the best woman-wife-mother-daughter-friend that I can be. I keep making lists. I keep reading books. I keep dreaming dreams. I keep asking questions. I keep searching for inspiration. I keep writing. I keep making mistakes. I keep on keepin' on.......

I really like blogging. I know it's not for everyone. I know it can seem self-centered and self-important at times. But my goal has always been to bring light to the good stuff that happens every single day. I am still finding my voice, still finding my way on this journey, but I am grateful for every single word I have written here (and in my journals and scrapbooks and on pieces of scrap paper).

I've loved writing since I was a little girl. I've loved taking pictures for as long as I can remember. But somewhere along the way, I started listening to the voices that said writing was for "those other people", photography was too "mathematical," I am not an "artist" or one of those "creative types." But you know what......that's all just a bunch of hooey, and if I buy into those lies for one more minute, then I only have myself to blame. It takes courage sometimes to do the things that you love when those around you may not understand or approve. It takes courage to do the things that you love even when your inner voice tells you you aren't as talented as "X,Y, or Z" or "A, B, or C" for that matter. I want to be courageous. I want my daughter to be courageous. I want my son to be courageous. I want to teach them to follow their hearts and to spend their time doing the things that expand their JOY.

Blogging brings me joy when I allow myself to be authentic......when I write from the heart, share photos that make me smile, and refuse to focus on what someone else might think or how they might interpret something I have said. So that is my plan. To keep on keepin' on. To write when I feel like writing. To unplug when I feel like unplugging. To share what I feel comfortable sharing. To continue praying that this will be a space that not only feeds my own soul, but hopefully someone else's as well.

St. Paddy's Day & a look back

2011-03-18T09:07:00.000-07:00

I love celebrating holidays........making them memorable in simple (usually last minute) but special ways. I don't break the bank or buy out the Target dollar section, but I do try to find little ways to make the day a bit more magical.

For St. Patty's Day this year, we dressed in green, made a trip to the donut shop, spent some quality time at Barnes and Noble, made cupcakes with green frosting and rainbow sprinkles, and ended the night at a friend's house for pizza, green beer (for the parents), green Sprite (for the kiddos) and glow sticks.

Last year, the kiddos and I had a picnic in the front yard

and a certain little girl refused to try the green milk I so lovingly prepared

But this year, I decided to give it another try.

While the kids were straightening up their rooms before snack time, I snuck into the kitchen, mixed up the milk, set out the green plates and topped them with green Sno-balls from Target. This time; however, I put the green milk in fancy, glass mugs........I think that's what did the trick :-)

She drank every last sip and then asked for more!!

And of course, I had a to take a few shots of these little cuties before we headed to the party.

wordy wednesday

2011-03-16T08:29:00.000-07:00

I have a lot on my mind today. Lots of things swirling through this brain of mine: worries, anxieties, hopes, dreams, to-do lists, ideas, inspirations, regrets, questions. Questions like: Should I stop blogging? Should I give up photography as a hobby? Am I spending too much time online? How can I be more proactive in my parenting? Why do my children bicker so much?

I usually try to keep this little place of mine in cyber space fairly upbeat and positive. This is a place where I share the good stuff in life, the funny memories, the celebrations, the vacations, the ways I have found to live a more creative, joyful life. But lately, I have been feeling unmotivated, uninspired. I browsed back through my blog yesterday, and I was tempted to just delete the entire thing......drastic I know, and I'm glad I gave myself permission to sleep on that thought, but the nagging is still there today. There is still this feeling that my words aren't good enough, my photographs aren't good enough, it lacks a cohesive "theme"...........who's even reading this darn thing anyway :-)

So today, I am battling the negative self-talk. I am trying to keep it all in perspective, to remind myself that this little corner of the blog-o-sphere is a scrapbook of sorts: constantly changing, improving maybe, but most importantly, it is a place to document our memories, to express myself and maybe, just maybe to bring us all a little closer.

down on the farm

2011-03-14T09:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we decided to kick off Spring Break with a day trip to our friend's farm about an hour from our house. It was so nice to get out of our comfort zone and do things we normally don't get the chance to do: ride four wheelers, feed the donkeys, shoot clay pigeons (daddy), and get up close and personal with the cows. The kids had an absolute blast, and I was reminded once again how important it is for them to just get outside and PLAY! It is now officially on my Wish List to have a little piece of land somewhere not too far from home with a tiny cottage, a pond and plenty of room to roam and explore.

p.s. I know these photos are all over the board editing-wise......I had some time this morning, so I was playing around with a few things in photoshop, and I decided to try out a few "effects" on this batch of photos.....hope you don't mind :-)

Layla

2011-03-07T10:58:00.000-08:00

My defenses must have been unusually low yesterday, because somehow, I ended up allowing the cutest little fur ball to join our family. Her name is Layla Rose (or Layla Sparkles depending on the hour), and she has managed to up the chaos factor in our little house in a matter of hours......although, I must admit, she has upped the cuteness factor as well!

Of course the kiddos are over the moon excited, which makes the 12am, 2am, 3:45am and 5am wake up calls I received this morning (almost) worth it. I am nervous and exited about this little addition to our family, and I am trying my best to simply RELAX, to ENJOY this sweet puppy time while it lasts, and to capture the chaos as it unfolds.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

2011-03-04T09:23:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, the hubby and I were able to get away for a couple days to celebrate the wedding of close friends. We ate, lounged by the pool. laughed, relaxed, slept late, met a few new friends and enjoyed every single minute!!

beautiful blooms

our room

breakfast on the patio

our hotel

yummy frozen drinks

sweet friends

the beautiful bride

me & the hubby

sweet baby bump

kristy, camelia, erin

sweet sisters

recently

2011-03-01T10:25:00.000-08:00

recently I have been neglecting my blog........letting life get in the way, thinking too hard about what to post, then looking up a realizing how much time has passed since I last posted

recently I started reading "29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life" by Cami Walker (highly recommend it)

recently the hubby and I have been obsessed with The Bachelor (I know, I know)

recently I have been thinking about traveling, and how taking a break from your everyday routine is amazing and necessary

recently I paid all the bills on my desk, filed paperwork and felt really good about checking something off of my to-do list

recently I have been refocusing my attention on my One Little Word for the Year: ENJOY.......taking the time to check in with myself throughout the day to make sure I'm living in the moment and not just running from task to task

recently I got a spray tan and really liked how I looked with a little color :-)

recently Spring has been on my mind......new pillows for the couch, a few faux cherry blossom branches for the mantel, our annual photo shoot in the Texas bluebonnets, and maybe even a trip to the beach (fingers crossed)

recently Sienna started t-ball again and she is so very excited

recently Grant had Western Day at school and he looked so stinkin' cute in his jeans, plaid shirt, boots and Woody hat

recently I uploaded photos to Costco to put in my Project Life book....have I mentioned how much I LOVE this project!

recently I can't say enough about Pinterest

recently I came across these pictures from early February and they made me smile (nothing fancy, but this is real life around our home: bed head, still in pajamas, watching cartoons intensely, eating snacks)

a day at the park

2011-02-16T10:58:00.000-08:00

The weather was unseasonably warm this weekend, so we decided to take advantage of the amazingly beautiful day and head to the park. We had never been to this particular park (despite the fact that it is less than five minutes from our house), but we will definitely be going back. The kiddos ran around like crazy, we fed the ducks, and I managed to get a few shots to remember the day.

One of our family goals for this Spring/Summer is to simply GET OUT OF THE HOUSE more often, and this was definitely a start in the right direction. I am really looking forward to more days like this: sunshine on our faces, fresh air, running in the grass, having lunch on a blanket, reading, moving, kicking the ball, playing chase, paying attention to the beauty that is right in our backyard.

Let's get out there and soak it all up!!

valentining

2011-02-10T08:42:00.000-08:00

A couple nights ago, the kiddos and I decided to do something fun in anticipation of Valentine's Day (and to surprise Daddy when he came home from work). I used my trusty heart punch to punch out lots of red, pink and turquoise hearts, and then let the kids decorate them however they wished. They took the job very seriously (at least for about 10 minutes).

When they were done, I asked them to tell me why they love their mommy, their daddy and their brother/sister, and I wrote their answers on each of the hearts. I absolutely LOVED hearing their responses.....things like "I love Daddy because he let us ride bikes at the beach," "I love my brother because he has a room next to me now," "I love Daddy because he tickles me and makes me laugh," "I love mommy because she is nice and lets us do art."

Then we gathered up all of our decorated hearts and taped them all over the kitchen. We put them on the oven, the cabinets, the fridge, the pantry.....such a simple little project, but the kids loved it! They were so excited to show daddy all of their hard work when he came home that night.

on my mind

2011-02-08T09:42:00.000-08:00

First of all, this photo just cracks me up every time I look at it......this is so typical of my little monkeys!! But the photo really has nothing to do with what has been on my mind lately, so moving on :-)

I came across this quote today, and as quotes often do, it struck me, and I sat back and really thought about how it pertains to my life right now.

"Be Yourself; Everyone else is already taken." - Oscar Widle

It's sort of a tongue and cheek statement, but the sentiment is something that I often need to be reminded of. I've mentioned before that I am an avid blog reader. I could get lost for hours looking at other women's pictures, ideas, crafts, decor, recipes, etc... I get "virtual" peeks inside their lives, and if I am being honest, I immediately start comparing myself to them: am I crafty enough? do my photos measure up? are my closets as organized? am I as stylish? creative? motherly? romantic? talented? have I read the right books? have I cooked the right meals? You get the idea.

There is a very thin line between inspiration and envy, and it is a balance that I personally have had a hard time achieving. I have found so much joy in the world of blogging (both writing and reading), but I have also felt the green-eyed monster rearing its ugly head at times. And that is why the Oscar Widle quote came in so handy for me this morning, it reminded me of what I already know........I can only be the best ME that I can be.

For me, that means allowing myself to be inspired by other's ideas, but stopping when I begin to feel a sense of urgency or panic, a sense that I will be less-than if I don't accomplish "XYZ." It means allowing myself to look at pretty pictures and to read beautiful words, but to remind myself that I am never getting an accurate picture of someone's life through their blog.....we are all putting our best selves forward, showing the best of what our lives have to offer, and that is what drew me to blogging in the first place. It reminds me that love really is in the details, that there is beauty in our every day lives, and that relationships are really all that matter. I can only be the best me that I can be.....everyone else is already taken.

keeping me sane

2011-02-03T12:55:00.000-08:00

So today is the THIRD day that the kiddos have been home from school!! We did manage to venture out to Target for a bit this morning, but for the most part, we have been inside watching movies, eating popcorn, reading books, doing laundry, decorating the mantel for Valentine's Day, and just generally getting on each other's nerves :-)

My saving grace has been escaping to my new little "studio" where I have managed to steal a few precious moments for myself. And what better way to spend my alone-time than browsing a few of my favorite spots in blogland? Just thought I would share..........

1. For those of you doing Project Life (or for those of you thinking about doing Project Life), you MUST check out Mary Ann's video. AMAZING is all I can say. I am totally re-inspired to kick things into gear on the Project Life front!!

2. I have a new girl crush! I stumbled upon this blog yesterday, and I have been going through it like a mad woman in true blog-stalker style. I have felt like a big, frumpy, fashion-less mama for quite some time now, but this girl inspires me, she makes fashion look fun again.

3. Have you heard of Pinterest yet? It's a fairly new website that allows you to "pin" images from all over the world onto your own Pinboards organized into the categories of your liking.....basically, my idea of heaven on earth :-)

4. And just in case you are snowed in like us, and looking for a few ways to entertain the littles, here is a list that has come in quite handy during our unexpected "stay-cation".

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E

2011-02-01T12:52:00.000-08:00

Our sweet little boy turned "3" on Saturday, and we celebrated at home with a Mickey Mouse soiree. Grant had been talking about wanting a Mickey Mouse party for months, and I spent the last 2 weeks hunting down everything MM I could get my hands on..........not as easy I thought it would be!!

Here's what we were able to pull together:

Four Generations

We were so blessed to have temperatures in the 70s on the big day (especially since the high here for tomorrow is 12 degrees!!). Of course now that I am looking back on all the photos, I realize I didn't get a shot of all the kids with their Mickey Mouse ears on, and I didn't take nearly enough photos of the birthday boy (he never slowed down long enough), but if the success of a party is measured by the smile on the birthday boy's face, then this one was a definite success!!

Happy Birthday sweet Grant.......we love you so very much!!

Scrapbooking Christmas Cards

2011-01-25T11:13:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to let you know that I did a guest post over at the Come Together Cards blog all about scrapbooking those beautiful Christmas cards you receive each year. Click on over and check it out....and tell Courtney hello while you are there!! Here's a sneak peak:

clean color

2011-01-21T10:55:00.000-08:00

I have been following Erin Cobb's blog "The Pig Bear" for quite some time now (still not quite sure why that's the name of her blog??). She is a talented photographer, an amazing mom, and a witty, inspiring blogger....my kind of girl!! So when she finally released her Clean Color workflow video, letting us in on all of her secrets for photo editing, I knew I had to grab it fast. I started watching the video today (it's over 2 hours long, so I still have a ways to go), and then I grabbed a photo from last week's snow day and tried out a few of her tricks.
I still have so much to learn, and I literally did this edit in less than 5 minutes, but I am already so excited about the possibilities!!

BEFORE

AFTER

Not a huge, huge, change....just a little brightening up (and snow photos are notoriously difficult), but for a five minute edit, I am pretty happy with the results. Here's to more learning!!

"studio" ideas

2011-01-21T10:18:00.000-08:00

So I have been searching around the net for the past few days getting inspiration for my new scrapbook/craft/reading/art/photography room, and today I came across this:

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!! So now, I am on the hunt for vintage frames of all shapes and sizes that I can spray paint white, add my most favorite photos and hang as a gallery wall in my new space. Thank you Kasey for the inspiration (as usual!!).

monday musings

2011-01-17T09:44:00.000-08:00

Today, I feel like a mother with a newborn (despite the fact that my children are 5 and almost 3). Grant has finally realized that he can climb out of his crib, and he is taking full advantage of his new found freedom! Last night, he was up at 3:00am and then again at 6:00am, and although I suppose it could be much worse, my body feels like it has been run over by a very large truck (this is the 4th night in a row that I have woken up at least 3 times during the night!!). Combine that with the fact that we decided to "shake things up" around the Gussio household yesterday, and I am officially ONE TIRED MAMA!!

Excuse the blurry photos taken with my iphone, but I wanted you to get an idea of the complete and total mess that we made at our house yesterday. This is a shot of what used to be our guest bedroom (and will now be Sienna's big girl room) in the process of "demolition." This is our official BEFORE shot, and you will have to wait to see the AFTER photo when I have enough energy to take photos again :)

In other news, I did manage to put together a little project that I have been working on for a few weeks now (I got sidetracked with all the holiday hubub). One of my goals for this year is to put together more Shutterfly books. I still love traditional scrapbooking and Project Life scrapbooking, but I also really love the look of a profesionally printed hardbound book......so here is what I ordered yesterday.

Can't wait till it comes in the mail and I can flip through it!! Happy Monday!

sunday afternoon

2011-01-16T12:38:00.000-08:00

1. OK, first of all.....please ignore the state of my blog right now. I started playing around with the design this week and realized very quickly that html code is NOT my friend. That's the bad news. The good news is that I am now in the process of having my little blog re-designed, and I am giddy with excitement about all the changes that are taking place!

2. And because I was so excited about re-designing my blog, I have decided to do a little "re-design" of our house as well. As we speak, the hubby is moving things from one room to another (while I sit back and tell him to be quiet or he will wake Grant from his nap). Here's the plan: The guest room will now become Sienna's room. Sienna's room will now become my studio/reading room (doesn't that sound lovely!!). And the play room will now become an actual play room......without all of my scrapbooking lovelies taking up most of the real estate.

3. Have I ever told you that one of the things on my bucket list is to go to Vermont? When Johnny and I first got married, we had big plans to go there for our one year anniversary, but alas, on our one year anniversary, I found myself pregnant with our first child, so the hubby gave me a Vermont guidebook and an IOU and promised we would go very soon.........seven years later, and we still haven't been!! So I've decided that the only way he can make it up to me is to figure out a way for us to win this year's HGTV Dream Home.......here's some eye candy for you:

I mean seriously people, I could get used to living like that!! A girl can dream right :)

Have a great weekend, and look for a post this week all about how I'm approaching Project Life this year. xoxo

SNOW

2011-01-10T10:41:00.000-08:00

Snow in Texas for the second year in a row......the kids are going to start expecting this :)

my sweet boy was much better outfitted this year = he didn't have to wear his sister's pink rain boots

his favorite activity was throwing snow balls at his mama

she had a blast & would have stayed out all day long if we had let her

YUM!!

i took this photo right as the snow was beginning to fall....she had been waiting all morning & was so excited when it finally started coming down (love the 2 different gloves!!)

As I was cruising around a few of my favorite blogs this morning, I came across this quote, and it stopped me in my tracks:

"the experiences you create are the moments that define you."---seth godin

Oh how I believe that to be true!

inspired by....in 2011

2011-01-05T08:40:00.000-08:00

Oh how I love a new year, a fresh start, a clean slate! I have a million ideas swirling around in this head of mind: closets to organize, schedules to update, calendars to fill, goals to achieve, memories to make....endless possibilities!

A few things inspiring me lately:

1. I signed up for Ali's One Little Word class, and I am looking forward to finding new ways of keeping my word relevant throughout the year. This year, I chose the word "ENJOY" I really struggled with choosing the "right" word, but after a conversation with my hubby on the way to the airport, he convinced me that this should be the year we focus on enjoyment (and how could I argue with that?).

2. I am completely and totally inspired by these books. Love, Love, Love....can't wait to make them for the 3 loves of my life. I plan on making quite a few Shutterfly books this year (tops on my To-DO in 2011 list).

3. I came home from Florida on Sunday to find the Project Life box on my front porch....so exicted to get started on this project again!! In 2009, I took a photo (almost) every single day. It was tough at times, but I will be forever grateful that I made the effort, and I love looking back at all the memories we created. Last year, I decided to take the year off, and used my Project Life album more as a way to capture bits and pieces of our everyday life with photos thrown in here and there. For 2011, I am back on the picture-a-day bandwagon, and I am really looking forward to it!

i got the Amber edition...can't wait to get it all set-up

4. Have you read this mama's blog yet? I have read and loved Jade's blog for a long time now, and if she is not already on your must-read blog list, she should be!! I am continually inspired by her...she is just like the mama I want to be: simple, fun, sincere, organized, efficient, creative, playful, honest and kind. Check out her living room post-Christmas:

5. If you love organizing as much as I do, you are gonna want to check out this post over at I Heart Organizing.....it's a recap of all the organizational projects she tackled in 2010, and it's full of great ideas.

Hope you are as inspired by these women as I am. Here's to ENJOYMENT in 2011....to adventure, excitement, creativity, vitality, connection, faith, friendship, and love.

and then she was 5

2011-01-03T09:10:00.000-08:00

Our sweet little snowflake turned 5 on December 29th, and we celebrated with a Snowflake-themed Soiree. We decorated snowflake cookies, made a snowflake craft, bounced on the bounce house (despite the yucky, rainy, cold weather) and stuffed our faces with all things aqua and red. It was a tad bit crazy getting everything together just 3 short days after Christmas, but in the end (thanks to lots and lots of help from my sweet neighbors), we were able to pull off a fun little party to celebrate a very special girl!!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-27T09:10:00.000-08:00

I have so many thoughts swirling around in my head today. So much that I want to say, so many moments that I don't want to forget. I have already started my list-making this morning: lists of things I need to get done for Sienna's birthday party (in 2 days!!!), lists of moments I want to scrapbook or blog about, lists of things I want to change about next year's Christmas celebration, lists of "resolutions" for the New Year. My mind is a bit chaotic and jumbled, and I feel the need to take a big deep breath, clean out the old and start the new year fresh. But before I move forward, a look back.......

a special date with Gaga for a Christmas concert

a visit with Santa

a family photo (all looking at the camera!!)

a class book exchange

decorating gingerbread houses

a class performance in pajamas

a special friend's birthday party

riding on the Polar Express

going on a carriage ride with cousins

matching family pj's

a very happy girl (thanks Jon-Jon and Su-Su)

and a very happy boy!!

I don't know if I'm the only one, but in the midst of the Christmas season, I have a tendency to get a little panicked....I put a lot of pressure on myself to create the magic, to keep up the traditions, to make the memories, and sometimes it causes an unintended backlash = I end up cranky, stressed out and very "un-spirited" and that's when I know that I am not in the right frame of mind, that my focus is not where it should be = on the One we are celebrating in the first place. But as I look back on our photos from the past few weeks, I feel an enormous sense of gratitude! This Christmas was definitely not perfect: there were arguments, blurry photos, cranky kids (and moms), broken ornaments, messy rooms, bickering kiddos, mad dashes to Target, and runny noses...... BUT there were also squeals of joy, smiling faces, hugs of forgiveness, piles of presents, sweet songs, and enough love to last a lifetime......and for that, I am forever grateful.

Christmastime

2010-12-12T13:19:00.000-08:00

Christmas is less than 2 weeks away! I can't believe the big day is just around the corner, yet I am sticking to my promise to myself not to get carried away in the stress, the rush, the pressure.....and instead, to focus on the magic that is around every corner this time of year.

The next few weeks will be busy for us. We still have lots of activities to look forward to: our annual cookie decorating party at Gaga's house, a visit with Santa Claus, Christmas parties at school and a very special 5th birthday party to plan. But my prayer is that I will ease into each activity with a sense of grace, a sense of peace and a heavy dose of gratitude!

I am behind on my December Daily album, the Christmas cards have yet to be mailed, not a single present has been wrapped (although a few too many have been purchased), and the house is in a bit of a mess, but I am choosing this year to focus on the twinkling lights, the beautiful tree, the cozy nights by the fire, the Little People nativity set on the coffee table, the hand-made ornaments, the freshly baked cookies, and the anticipation of the days to come. There may not be time left to "get it all done," but there is still time to read a few stories by the fire, deliver goodies to the neighbors, to talk about the birth of Jesus, to pile in the car and look at the lights, to stop and give thanks for all that we have been given and all that we are blessed to be able to give.

thanksgiving recap

2010-12-01T11:28:00.000-08:00

December has arrived, and the Christmas decorating is in full swing around our house, but before we get too far into the holiday season, I wanted to post a quick little recap of our Thanksgiving holiday.

We spent Thanksgiving weekend in Mississippi, surrounded by family that we only have the chance to see about once a year, so we try to squeeze in as much as possible in just a few short days. We laughed and ate and played around the clock = NO naps for Grant after he discovered that he could climb out of the Pack-n-play (frankly, I'm a little surprised it's taken him this long)! We saw "Tangled," played at the park, did a little shopping, watched the Macy's Parade, ate at Five Guys Burgers, stopped for ice cream and generally left chaos in our wake :) Sienna and Grant had a blast with their grandparents (lots of Bendaroo building and Candy Land playing), and ran around with their cousins until they literally dropped into bed at night! We also made several trips to Starbucks and the local bagel place, and Johnny and I entertained ourselves at night with some extreme Scrabble games on the iPad.........we're crazy like that :)

We made wonderful memories, took lots of pictures, and made it home just in time to jump into the magic of the holiday season.........here we go!!!

holiday dread....err joy

2010-11-16T08:41:00.000-08:00

I swear every year that I won't let it happen......that I won't hear the Christmas music playing in the stores, and see the decorations going up, and immediately feel PANIC! I tell myself that I will be more organized this year, that I will start the decorating early, that I will have the cards ready to send by Thanksgiving, that I will sit back and bask in the SPIRIT of the season rather than getting caught up in the flurry to buy, buy, buy.

But this morning, I felt it all rushing back...... that familiar sense of panic, that feeling that there is NO WAY I am going to get it all done. Instead of feeling JOY, I felt what could only be described as dread, and I felt the urge to cry right there in the Starbucks line, with Christmas music playing in the background, fake snow on the windows, and cranberry bliss bars on the counter.

I stood there knowing that I had allowed myself to veer off course, that I was getting caught up in all the things I had vowed not to, and that if I didn't put a stop to it, I would be looking back on this Season with regret. So today, I am determined to put an end to the madness, to get back in touch with the holy in the holidays, and to figure out a way to dwindle my to-do list down to only those things that truly matter......that add sparkle and magic and meaning to this busy time of year.

I am going to take my time. I am going to light a fire in the fireplace. I am going to make hot chocolate for these 2 little angels. I am going to select a few gifts that I know they will love. I am going to pull out the decorations that make our home merry and bright. I am going to capture the small moments. I am going to give of my time to those that are in need. I am going to enjoy our time in Mississippi with family. I am going to fill the basket with our favorite Christmas stories. I am going to write in my journal. I am going to crank up the Christmas playlist in the car. I am going to pray and give thanks.

2 on Tuesday

2010-11-09T11:31:00.000-08:00

1. I am going home today to make a Christmas binder......a central place for storing recipe ideas, decorating ideas, traditions, shopping lists, receipts, etc... All you need is a simple 3-ring binder, some page protectors and a few tabs to keep the categories separated. I love the idea of having all things related to Christmas in one location!

photo and idea via Marta

2. I was so excited when I clicked on one of my very favorite blogs this morning, and saw that I had won the little giveaway contest I entered yesterday!! Go here and check out what I won.....so very excited!!

the comfort of traditions

2010-11-03T09:47:00.000-07:00

I love traditions! I love that my children are still so very young, yet they already look forward to some of the things that we do each and every year. Things like going to the Pumpkin Patch as a family, having the Christmas Eve party in our home, going to Mississippi for Thanksgiving, making an ornament to give out to friends and family at Christmas, drinking green milk on ST. Patrick's Day, and going to the 4th of July parade in our little town.

Traditions are an important part of my parenting, because they are comforting to me as well as to my kids, and I am always on the lookout for ideas to incorporate into our yearly or even daily traditions.....simple, yet meaningful ways to celebrate the everyday. Hmmm, maybe I will start a little binder to collect all the ideas I come across :)

For now, here are few I plan on putting into practice this year:
1. This is not technically a "tradition" but it is something I have started doing to showcase our Halloween photos from each year. I have found that I take a TON of photos during the month of October, and I like having little mini books from each year to set out when October rolls around. I am planning on digging back through my Halloween scrapbook stuff tonight so I can make an album for our 2010 photos like this one a la Ali Edwards

2. I really like the idea of starting a "Book of Thanks" for Thanksgiving this year. It basically consists of having everyone write or draw what they are thankful for that year, and then pasting in a photo of the entire group. Such a simple idea and so fun to pull out each year and look back at everyone's entries.

image via eighteen25

3. We are down to mustard in the fridge, so I MUST make a trip to the grocery store today!! While I'm there, I will definitely be picking up a box of wax in the canning section so the kiddos and I can make waxed leaves sometime this week. Seems like a fun, relatively easy craft that the kids will enjoy AND can be used as decoration for the mantel!

image via Clover Lane

I would LOVE to hear about your favorite family traditions!!

October Highlights

2010-11-02T10:39:00.000-07:00

November is here, and the weather in Texas is finally starting to feel a little Fall-like, but before we move into full-on Holiday mode, I wanted to take a little time to look back at some highlights from October.

Celebrating Kaleb's 6th birthday

A sleepover with the cousins at GaGa's house

Grant's pumpkin patch party at preschool

Sienna's pumpkin patch field trip

Fall Festival at church

Sienna's first soccer season completed

Our family's annual visit to the Patch

Pumpkin carving night at Papa and Tracy's

Trunk or Treat

Fall Festival #2 at Sienna's school

Scare on the Square

Trick or Treating

Whew.....I hope our November is as memorable as our October!!

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-01T11:50:00.000-07:00

I think everyone in our house is suffering from a bit of a Halloween Hangover today....we filled the weekend with candy, pumpkin carving, fall festivals, hay rides, candy, trick or treating, caramel apples, family, friends and more candy!! The kids were on a high the entire time and never wanted the weekend to end.

The weather was perfect on Halloween night, and I loved walking around our neighborhood catching up with our friends and neighbors, and watching the kids race to each house to fill their treat bags. This was the first year that Grant really caught on to the whole "trick or treating" thing, and he could not have been more proud of his loot. He stopped anyone that would listen to show them his bag full of candy.......he just couldn't believe it!

This was definitely one of our best Halloweens to date! I took hundreds of photos, and I can't wait to get started on a little Halloween mini book for 2010 :)

the patch......part 3 (the end)

2010-10-27T09:23:00.000-07:00

The last of our pumpkin patch visits came on Monday evening. We let the kids browse the pumpkins (again), run in the hay maze (again), and pose in front of the scarecrow (again). And somehow, they managed to have a great time (again)! I was determined to get at least one family shot and a few shots of the kiddos in something other than a costume or a school uniform, and both goals were accomplished = a successful evening at the pumpkin patch.

We continued our week-long Halloween celebration last night with "Spooky Story Time." We turned out all the lights in the house, lit a bunch of candles in the living room, cozied up on the couch, and read stories from our Fall basket. Then, the kids took turns telling "ghost stories" (which mainly consisted of them yelling "BOO!!" every five seconds in an attempt to get the other one to laugh). It was a total hit!! It was super simple to pull off, but the kids thought it was special, and Grant has already asked if we can have "Smooky" Halloween Story Time again tonight :)

around the house

2010-10-26T07:40:00.000-07:00

Here's a little glimpse at just a few of the things sprucing up our home this time of year:

A wire basket by the fireplace holds all of our Halloween and Fall books

Here's what you see walking up to our front door

A few pumpkins line the hutch in the kitchen

Our Halloween countdown calendar hangs on the pantry door

Halloween photos from years past are framed in the living room

and it just wouldn't be Halloween without a bowl of candy corn!!

the patch.......part 2

2010-10-25T10:11:00.000-07:00

On Friday, it was her turn for a little pumpkin patch party. She was looking forward to it the entire week, and could hardly sleep the night before!

And let me just pause here to say that I use the words "pumpkin patch" very loosely here. The pumpkin patch in our sweet little town is actually a sad patch of grass with some pumpkins on crates, a scarecrow for photo ops and a hay maze........but the kids absolutely love it, and they have absolutely no idea that somewhere out there there are pumpkin patches with hay rides, apple orchards, warm cider, and real live pumpkins growing out of the ground!!

Maybe next year, we will venture a little farther out in search of something a little more Fall-like, but for now, the temperature is 90 degrees, and this little pumpkin patch suits them just fine :)

I should also note here that Miss Sienna was in no mood for picture taking at the Patch. She posed for a few shots (after some serious bribing), but she was much more interested in running around and having fun with her friends (the nerve, right!!). So I got my fix by taking shots of pumpkins, gourds and mums :)

the patch....part 1

2010-10-21T16:11:00.000-07:00

This morning, Grant had his first official pre-school party complete with cupcakes, costumes, and a make-shift pumpkin patch just perfect for Woody and his friends. He started out a bit shy, but after a few minutes, he was hamming it up for the camera, and picking out a pumpkin just his size. Sometimes this kid sure can give us a run for our money, but man do I love that boy!!!

Halloween mini book

2010-10-19T09:27:00.000-07:00

I just finished a Halloween mini book with photos from 2009......better late than never, right? I kept it super duper simple by using a pre-made book, a little patterned paper and some cute velvet stickers,

making super fast, super easy pages (and digging into the Halloween sticker stash),

adding in a few pocket pages to hold the "extra" photos,

and finishing it off with a little ribbon and some bling!!

It was fast, it was easy, and it turned out pretty cute.......which just happens to be my new criteria for all things crafty :) Now it sits in our living room where little hands can look through it as many times as they wish during the month of October!!

sleepover at gaga's house

2010-10-12T10:55:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, we had a Fall-Fun baking party and sleepover at Gaga's house. We decorated cookies and cupcakes, ate snacks and pizza, wore matching pajamas, wrestled, played, told stories, watched movies and slept on comfy quilts in Gaga's playroom........well, everyone that is except Grant, who went home with Daddy at the end of the night to sleep in his own cozy little bed :)

The kids has an absolute blast!! They love being with their cousins, they love going to their Gaga's house, they love eating sweets......and I love that they are making wonderful memories!

the delete button

2010-10-11T10:11:00.000-07:00

So after reading this post over the weekend about editing/deleting photos off of our computers, I decided I needed to get busy!! This is a topic I actually think about quite a lot...........the vast amount of photos I take, the amount that I still need to have printed, the number of photo albums I have filled, etc... And the question I keep coming back to is, "How many photos do I really need in order to tell the stories I want to tell?" There may be instances when I need to keep 30 photos of the exact same pose, but most of the time, when I keep that many photos on my hard drive, or worse yet, put that many in an album, I am actually decreasing the value of that story.

There will never be enough time in the day to scrapbook all of our stories, and that is exactly as it should be. I want to spend most of my time being in the moment and only some of my time recording them. But, even when I simply put photos straight into a photo album, I want those albums to tell a story as well. I want there to be just enough photos to capture the memory, but not so many that it becomes boring or redundant. And for me, that means I need to get a little more comfortable with the delete button on my computer.

That means that starting today:
1. When I upload new photos to my computer, I am going to be ruthless in deciding which photos to keep and which to send to the trash bin.
2. Once I have decided on the "keepers," I will give those photos an Event name.
3. I am going to upload new photos at least once a month to Costco, have them printed, and immediately place them in a photo album (I will keep out the "best of the best" if there is a story I want to scrapbook........not necessarily the best quality photos, but the ones that will best tell the story)
4. As for the older photos, I am taking a little time each day to start at the beginning, and delete at least 40 photos.

I feel lighter already..........

eight confessions on the eighth

2010-10-08T09:56:00.000-07:00

1. It's been less than a month since the hubby and I spent our anniversary weekend in Austin (see photo above), yet I feel like I am already in need of another vacation :)
2. I check facebook status updates on my phone entirely too many times throughout the day!
3. My children's dinner last night consisted of a thawed out Uncrsutable, canned peaches and cheesy broccoli (they didn't touch the broccoli).
4. I really want to see that movie with Josh Duhmel and Izzy from Grey's Anatomy...I think it starts today?
5. I started reading "Shepherding a Child's Heart" a couple nights ago, and it has totally and completely overwhelmed me.......I feel like I need a few parenting do-overs!
6. We are completely failing at the whole potty training thing with Grant.
7. I think organization is my drug of choice :) I get positively giddy over clean, organized spaces with room to breath......
8. I secretly enjoy the mandatory 30 minute waiting period after getting my allergy shots each week. Thirty minutes to just sit, relax, read a book, do nothing = bliss!

10 on Tuesday

2010-10-05T10:13:00.000-07:00

1. On Sunday morning, we were up a few hours before we had to start getting ready for church, so we used that time to listen to music on the back porch, chow down on cinnamon rolls, and snap a few photos. I love Sunday mornings!

2. After getting the kids to school, and realizing on more than one occasion that I have left something behind (special sippy cup with milk, extra water bottle, nap blanket left in the dryer, etc..), I have decided that today I will make a large check list of all necessary items for school and post it on the back door!

3. I am at a bit of a crossroads with my scrapbooking process....thinking about which albums my children will take with them when they leave home, which albums will stay with me, whether I want to do separate "school" albums or just include those pages in their regular albums, etc.... Lots to think about, and I am realizing that my children will most likely not want to rent a separate U-haul just to take their scrapbooks with them to college....... must come up with a good solution now!! I am in love with how this mama is doing it: You must click on the link on her page and look at the entire photobook!!

4. Today is my nephew's 6th Birthday.....Happy Birthday Kaleb!!

5. A week or so ago, I posted about how I was planning to take a photo each day of something I was grateful for, and then post it on facebook........I gave up after only posting 2 photos because it just felt weird? I kept wondering whether it was annoying and whether anyone really cares what I'm grateful for. Is that weird??

6. I am so looking forward to this today!!

7. How have I never read this book? I thought I owned it, but after digging through my "parenting" section this morning, it looks like I am going to have to order it. Let's just say.......I am in need of this book right about now :)

8. You must check out the 31 days of change blogging series!! Lots going on including taking better photos, living with less, decorating for Fall, setting a cute table......all the things I love :)

9. Today, I am planning on printing out a 5x7 of the kiddos in their Halloween costumes from the past 4 years, and framing them for the living room as part of our Halloween decor.

10. I have made it a new goal to post at least 3 times a week to my blog. I love writing. I love blogging. I love documenting our family's journey, posting photos that inspire me, sharing tips that I have found to be helpful.....and I love getting feedback from my readers, so let me know what you like, what you want to see more of......or just say a quick hello!!

enjoying the little things

2010-10-04T10:43:00.000-07:00

I talk a lot on this blog (and in real life) about keeping things simple, being in the moment, enjoying the small things, etc.... but in reality, those are concepts that are easier said than done. In reality, I often find myself being everywhere BUT in the moment. Instead, I am usually doing one thing and thinking about doing another. I am "playing" with the kids while looking up something on the iPad. I am looking at inspirational blogs, compiling lots of great ideas, and then feeling frustrated that I don't follow through. I am taking great photos of the kids and at the same time, thinking about how many thousands of photos are already on my hard drive that may never find their way into a photo album, blog post or scrapbook. I often lay down at night and replay the day's events, thinking of missed opportunities, ways I could have been kinder, lessons I could have reinforced, friends I could have called, moments I could have savored. Like all of us, I am a work in progress. I look for ways to be a better mother, a better wife, a better friend, a better Christian.......but sometimes, it can all become just a little too much, and I have a burning desire to just take a deep breath and be grateful for where I am today, right here, right now.

This weekend, I sat outside while the kids played in the front yard, and it felt so good to just be with them, to put away everything else, and just watch them and enjoy them. This is what really matters..........sometimes I forget.

Nate Berkus says.....

2010-10-01T10:17:00.000-07:00

that your home should tell the story of your life, of who your are.

I heard Nate say that on the radio on my way home from work the other day, and I haven't stopped thinking about it since. I believe in that philosophy, and I have tried hard to make sure that our home is a reflection of the people that live there.......that our home tells the story of where we are on our journey in this life.

That means, that there is a bulletin board filled with photos of the people that we love in the kitchen, that there is art work taped on the kid's doors, that there is blue marker all over the walls in the playroom, that there are dolls and trucks and soccer balls and paperwork and legal pads and chore charts and Anthropologie bags and Target receipts and books and shoes strewn about. It means that there are dishes in the sink and clothes in the washing machine pretty much every single day. It means there are craft projects in various stages of completion. It means that on most days, I have to let the kids simply have fun and resist the urge to yell at them....er, gently remind them to clean up after themselves every twenty minutes. It also means that the boxes of decorations come down out of the attic for each change of season and each holiday to be celebrated.

Our mantel is complete just in time for the first day of October!

Halloween and the Cheeky Kitchen

2010-09-29T08:15:00.000-07:00

I am in total Fall/Halloween mode! Yesterday, I went into TJMax on a whim, and left there with 3 shirts for me, a pair of tights for Sienna, and several glittery little Halloween pretties that I just had to have. Then, Grant and I made our way over to Target where I proceeded to purchase 2 new pillows for the couch, and a couple more Halloween goodies. So now, "Decorate the house for Halloween" has been placed at the top of my to-do list (photos to come).

I also came across this blog over the weekend, and decided that I will be making these for the kids (and their daddy) in the very near future!!

and when I finish with those.....I may just have to make these:

I can not get over the talent of this woman!! I don't even like to cook (although I do love to bake), but she makes me want to get in the kitchen and whip something up pronto......and take beautiful photographs in the process!! There is nothing that inspires me more than a well-designed blog with amazing photography and smart writing.....well done Cheeky Kitchen!!

ten on tuesday

2010-09-21T09:20:00.000-07:00

1. Busy editing back to school photos and gathering supplies for "School of Life" albums for Grant and Sienna. Just bought a bunch of digital goodness from House of 3 to pretty up some of my fav photos!!

2. The hubby and I took a little get-away trip to Austin this past weekend to celebrate our 6th anniversary, and it was definitely one of our best trips to date! We relaxed by the pool, got a massage, went shopping, ate like kings and just enjoyed each other's company.....we needed it, and we are so blessed to have people in our life who can help out with the kiddos while we are away!

3. Watched a little bit of "Dancing with the Stars" last night and was pleasantly surprised by Bristol Palin. Can not wait for Grey's Anatomy on Thursday!

4. Saw this idea over here and immediately started my own facebook/photo/gratitude list. It's a simple way of being mindful every single day of how much I have to be grateful for. All you have to do is snap a photo each day of something that you are grateful for, upload it to facebook and share it with all of your friends and family. Try it!!

5. These boots were my anniversary gift from the hubby......love!!

6. I am taking an online class over at decor8, and I am totally and completely and amazingly inspired!

7. I am so doing this in my next house!! When I saw this, my mouth literally fell open.....this is a little niche in Becky Higgins' kitchen where she put in 2 small televisions that constantly rotate their family photos. Right now, they have all of their Fall family photos on rotation........be still my heart!! I am inspired by everything she does, but this just takes it to a new level :)

8. I started pulling out the fall decor yesterday. The wreaths are hung on the front door, our friendly little "Welcome" scarecrow is on the porch, 2 white ceramic pumpkins are on the mantel, and I started burning my pumpkin roll Scentcy = heavenly!

9. I am ready to start scrapbooking with all of this loveliness:

10. This time of year makes me happy. I feel inspired, ready to create, ready to simplify our home, clear out the clutter, make way for new dreams to come true........

her room

2010-09-14T08:42:00.000-07:00

Last week, Gaga, Aunt Jenni and I decided to tackle Sienna's room and make a few adjustments. She is at that age where she enjoys hanging out in her room "reading," listening to music (on mama's ipad), dancing in front of the mirror, playing kitchen, dress-up, etc...., so I decided that it needed a little organization and de-cluttering. We didn't do anything major, just moved a few pieces around, added a few wall decals from Target, and boxed up some keepsakes, but she LOVED the end result and we were pretty proud of what we were able to accomplish in about 2 hours :)

The view from her door

Her newly organized bookshelf

The reading corner

I need to get a cute switch plate for this outlet, but I am in love with these little mushrooms!!

This antique mirror has been in her room from the very beginning. It is from Paris and was originally the most beautiful blue color, but we painted it pink (gasp!!) and it has been one of the best purchases I ever made!

A shot from the mirror :)

I'm just realizing that I didn't get a full shot of the cute little tree on the wall.....must do that!!

meet the teacher....finally

2010-09-08T09:04:00.001-07:00

This little boy of mine has been waiting so patiently for his turn to go to "school." He has carried his back pack and nap mat around the house (and sometimes outside of the house) for weeks now. He tells everyone he meets, "I'm going to school!' And he asks me almost every single day if today is the day.

Yesterday was finally the day. He was so excited that he could barely finish his breakfast, and he loved riding with me to drop his sister off at school before we drove on to Meet the Teacher! He walked right in, sat down in one of the chairs and started tracing his hand on the coloring sheet. He told me over and over again not to leave, and he stayed very close to my leg most of the morning, but the smile never left his face!!

So tomorrow will be the first "real" day of school, and I can't wait to see how he does. I can't wait to see him walk into his own classroom with that backpack and nap mat he has been carrying around for weeks. I am so happy that it is finally his turn!!

at 4 going on 5

2010-09-02T12:16:00.001-07:00

* you love Hannah Montana (and I finally just gave in)

* you are super perceptive and absolutely NOTHING gets past you

* you are going to school five days a week

* you are and always have been a total mama's girl

* you are taking dance and soccer (and want me to sign you up for gymnastics too)

* you LOVE art and making "projects"

* you are sensitive and hate it when people laugh at you (even when they aren't really laughing at you but just think what you said was cute)

* you love being outside

* you are super-duper smart

* you like to organize things just like your mama

* you fight with your little brother on a daily basis but never go to bed without hugs and kisses and telling him you love him

* you have your own ideas when it comes to fashion (just as it should be)

* you love taking pictures and playing on my iphone

* you love jewelry and makeup and dresses and skirts and tutus

* you have the best smile

* you would probably watch movies and tv all day long if I let you

* you think it's funny when I tell you to "make it a good day" on our way to school

* you love going to school and you love your teacher

* you have daddy wrapped around your little finger (and you know it)

* you love going to the book store and you always pick out a book you think Grant would like

* you like saying prayers at bedtime and you always remind me if I forget to say "that was a beautiful prayer"

* you are a special, special girl and we are so blessed to have you

back to life, back to reality

2010-08-30T08:47:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, my mom and I spent 3 days in sunny Arizona for Creative Escape.......a weekend filled with creating, crafting and consuming (food not alcohol)!! We laughed a lot, made a few projects, and met some amazing women along the way. But the best part for me, was that my passion was scrapbooking was reignited.

I'm not exactly sure why, but over the past year, my desire to scrapbook has all but disappeared. Because I am working more? Because I have a 2 and 4 year old? Because it's not convenient? Because I wasn't inspired? Because I was in a rut? Because I was overwhelmed?

It was probably a combination of all of those things. But after this weekend, I am ready to jump back on the scrapbooking bandwagon. I am ready to document our memories again. I am ready to create magical moments, and then record them for eternity. I am ready to pair photos and words to tell our story. I am ready to "taste life twice."

I was reminded this weekend that despite scrabooking's somewhat corny reputation, there is nothing corny or frivolous about being the family historian. Every time I make a scrapbook layout, or a mini-book, or take the time to write down something silly my children said, I am showing them that they are important, that they matter, that they are loved. I am leaving our mark on history. I am elevating the "ordinary."

So it's time to bust out the supplies again and get crackin.' Thank you Creative Escape for reminding me.

p.s. I decided to leave my big SLR at home this weekend, and only brought the point-n-shoot = huge mistake!! The above photo is the only (and I mean ONLY) photo that I can even stand of myself. I couldn't figure out how to turn off my flash (no one at the event could figure it out either), so every single photo looks blown out, blurry and ridiculously unflattering = another lesson I learned this weekend......just bring the darn SLR!!!

a new school year

2010-08-20T08:59:00.001-07:00

And so it begins......a new school year!!

I realized last year, that the first day of school is usually a bit rushed, and not exactly the ideal time to get lots of good "back to school" shots, so this year, we staged a little photo shoot the afternoon before the big day.

My little girl is definitely growing up because this year, she actually asked to have her picture taken, and was very involved with the "props" and "staging" :)

Little brother wanted in on the back to school action too!!

back to school donut party

2010-08-19T09:41:00.000-07:00

If success is measured in friends, family and donuts, then our Back to School Donut party was a success!! I am really glad that we did this even though it was spontaneous and a bit last-minute, and I'm hoping to make it a new tradition at our house.

I really liked having the party early in the morning so that the kids could have a couple hours of fun (before the heat set in), and everyone still had time for last minute back-to-school errands. And the clean-up was easy-peasy :)

We had plenty of donuts, juice and milk!

Pencils in Mason jars made for easy and festive decor

the Back to School mantle

Apples as a centerpiece and punched out apple confetti

Our kitchen chandelier decked out for the party

The party favors (I also did mini chalkboards)

Fun in the pool

Sweet friends

Lots of laughs

Sienna and Grant had been talking about "the party" from the minute I suggested it, and they were so excited every time someone new knocked on our door. I hope our guests had as much fun as we did!

planning

2010-08-17T09:44:00.000-07:00

So I casually mentioned to dear daughter the other day that we should do something fun before school starts up again....maybe throw some type of party or something?? It was actually a really good reminder to me that I should never casually mention anything to a four-year-old unless

am fully prepared to follow through with said idea :)

Needless to say, we are hosting a very small, casual, laid-back "Back to School Donut Party" at our house in the morning, so I have been browsing the internet for the past few days looking for cute ideas.

How cute are these photos!!!

images courtesy of one charming party

I also found an adorable Back to School party over here. Love her ideas and set-up....so very creative!!

I will show photos of what I came up with tomorrow......wish me luck!!

around the house

2010-08-12T08:46:00.000-07:00

Here's a little glimpse around our Home right now:

1. The bulletin board in our kitchen is about to get a major overhaul, so I thought I would snap a few pics of it in its "Summer" glory. School starts next week for us, so between now and then, I plan on taking everything off and starting with a clean slate for the new school year. I go back and forth about whether to keep this bulletin board front and center in our kitchen.....it isn't particularly decorative and it doesn't exactly "fit" with the rest of our decor, but I have decided that the joy that my children get out of it far outweighs my need for a certain decorating theme. Not a day goes by that I don't catch one of my kids staring at our memory board or pointing out someone they see. I believe it gives them a sense of pride and belonging to see their artwork displayed (on the wall, in scrapbooks, on their bedroom doors) and to have their photos displayed all over their home.

2. Here's a shot of how our mantel looked last night. I went with a very simple theme for Summer this year.....just a few candles, a lantern, blue Mason jars filled with shells and a few of my favorite books in shades of blue. It actually rained last night (for a total of about 10 minutes), and it was a nice break from the 100+ temps we've been having.....so I decided to dim the lights in the living room and light the candles.

3. This is our new Home Management station. I've had this crate forever, and decided recently that it needed to be put to good use. Now it sits by the phone in the kitchen and is filled with (1) our new Home Management Notebook, (2) a file folder for each of the kids which holds papers that need to be dealt with in the very near future (permission slips, notices of upcoming events, etc...), (3) inspiration pages torn from magazines that need to be filed in my Inspiration Notebook, (4) a blue business card holder, (5) a purple coupon organizer, and (6) a compositions notebook for messages, notes, ideas, etc....

4. A peak inside our pantry

5. And here is a little something that makes me happy = the "J & K" (for Johnny and Kristy) that leans up against the mirror in our bedroom. I see it every single day, and it reminds me that we are in this together!!

right now

2010-08-11T09:51:00.000-07:00

1. She is a fan of Cheetos (I can't remember where she first encountered them, but she is officially in love)!!

2. We are all fans of arts & crafts!! She loves telling people that they did a great job and that they are "artists." He loves coloring, cutting, painting and sticking stickers everywhere but on the actual craft table. I love that I moved the craft supplies out of the laundry room and into a cabinet in the kitchen that can either be locked or left open (so that the kiddos can reach their own supplies) depending on how brave I am feeling.

3. He is a fan of pineapple! And strawberries and bananas and peaches and oranges and blueberries.

4. I am a fan of taking pictures. I haven't picked up my camera as much this Summer as I would have liked, but I am feeling the urge again.....to carry it with me, to capture the "small" moments, to document our days, to peek at life through my lens.

simplifying life with kids (part 2)

2010-08-09T08:52:00.001-07:00

Here are a few more pointers in the ongoing quest to simplify our lives while raising kids:

(7) Don't schedule too much

* At this stage in our life, this hasn't become much of a problem for us. My kiddos are only 2 and 4, so we haven't quite reached the stage of non-stop practices, recitals, sleep-overs, etc.... BUT my goal is to remember how valuable down time is for a healthy childhood and to stop myself when the urge to over-schedule rears its ugly head.

(8) Have Dedicated Family Times

* For us, this is dinnertime and the weekends. During dinner, we talk about our highs and lows and name 3 things we are thankful for.

* I want my children to have fond memories of mealtime and sitting around the table as a family, so I have made an effort to keep things more peaceful at the table......which is not easy when a certain 2 year old refuses to sit in his seat and throws food at his sister, and when a certain 4 year old continually irritates her brother by kicking his seat and taking food off of his plate. I have tried to maintain my patience, speak in a gentle tone and minimize time outs during dinner.....it is a work in progress!!

(9) Simple Clothing

* For me, this means buying "outfits" or clothes that are easily interchangeable whenever possible.

* I also try to go through closets and drawers every couple months and donate what we have outgrown = NO overstuffed drawers or closet rods!!

* One thing I need to work on in this area, is being more discriminating when choosing which clothes to SAVE. I have big plans of having a quilt made for both kiddos out of their "special" outfits, but one box a piece should really be enough.

(10) Always Bring Snacks

* I have found this to be an invaluable tip many, many times but there are still times when I forget to bring snacks, and I always end up paying for it!

* I recently bough a cute basket at TJ Max with a little chalkboard label on the front that I put in the pantry and stocked with pre-packed snacks. This has served 2 purposes: the kids are able to get their own snacks in the afternoon (limit 2) and I can easily grab a couple packages on our way out the door for the diaper bag.

* Always pack 2 of each snack to minimize bickering over who gets what and Always bring water bottles

(11) Keep an "Emergency Kit" in the Car

* I have done a version of this in the past, but really need to be more consistent. Items to include: baby wipes, change of clothes, little activities/reading material, a towel, sunscreen, bug spray, small first aid kit

(12) Communicate as a Family

* I still think my kids are a little young for a very structured Family Meeting time, but as they get older, I love the idea of having a regular time to come together as a family to talk about prayer requests, household issues, to plan trips and fun outings, to compliment and thank each other, and to discuss ways in which we can improve as a family.

simplifying life with kids (part 1)

2010-08-05T11:07:00.001-07:00

I have a thing for the concept of "Simplification." I love the idea of it. I love how it feels to fill garbage bags and bins destined for the trash or Helping Hands. I love reading about tips on how to live with less, how to cut corners and save rather than spend, how to slow down, how to live in the moment, how to enjoy the journey. But sometimes, I find the process of simplification to be a bit like shoveling the driveway while its still snowing. The toys, clothes, scrapbook supplies, books, etc.... in our home seems to magically multiply on their own. Yet, I still strive for a life that is more simple, less complicated. I still clean out closets and try to resist the urge to spend hundreds of dollars every time I walk into Target. I have not given up!!

Yesterday, I came across an article I had saved on my computer a while back (I came across this article during my quest to "simplify" my inbox and inspiration folder on my computer). I remember quickly scanning it the first time I came across it, but this time I decided to really think about how I could make these concepts work in our home, for our family, at this stage in our lives.

(1) Teach Your Children Self-Sufficiency

* sometimes its just easier to do it yourself, but it is time to start enforcing a little self-sufficiency around our house = brushing teeth, making beds, putting plates in the sink, getting dressed

* thinking of starting a Star Chart with a list of chores and rewards

(2) Keep One Calendar

* starting today, I will enter ALL activities for every family member into my iphone and I will make these entries as soon as I become aware of the appointment, recital, practice, etc...

(3) Regular Cleanups

* we do a pretty good job of this at our house already, but I like the idea of letting the kids know that we will have scheduled/regular cleanup times every day (before bed, before meals, before leaving for school in the mornings)

(4) Quiet Bedtime Routines

* OK, so this is an area that needs tweaking in our family.....we have recently gotten into the bad habit of letting the kids watch about 30 minutes of a movie nearly every night before bed...the result has been that the kiddos are less interested in reading and become quite angry when we suggest we might do something else

* starting today, we are going to reserve some nights for "Story Time" and other nights for "Movie Nights" (we are trying to decide which night will work best as Family Movie Night where we all watch a movie together, make popcorn and make it a special weekly event)

* the rest of our bedtime routine will stay the same = dinner, clean up, baths, brush teeth, pajamas, story or movie

(5) Prep the Night Before

* when school starts, I am going to make a huge effort to get things done the night before....this will include packing lunches, preparing back packs and laying out any forms, projects, etc...that need to be turned in the next day

(6) Toy Bins

* this is another area that we are doing really well in....I have toy bins in both kid's rooms as well as in the playroom, and I am not super strict about making sure everything gets put away in the "correct" bin, just that everything gets put away in a bin

* every couple months we go through all the toys and either throw away (broken, missing pieces, Happy Meal) or donate (outgrown, no longer using) and then I re-arrange them into their proper bin

To Be Continued............

the end of Summer

2010-08-02T10:20:00.000-07:00

The end of Summer is upon us. June and July have come and gone, which means the beginning of the school year is just around the corner. For me, that means frantically trying to cram everything in that I meant to get to this Summer, but never quite found the time. It means silencing the inner voice that says we didn't "DO" enough this Summer. It means looking back through all the photos on my computer and smiling at the memories we made. And, of course, for me, it also means making a list of those memories:

Our Summer

lots and lots of popsicles

celebrating Daddy's birthday with family

a bridal shower for a precious friend

art projects for Sienna

a Summer notebook

potty-training for Grant

big boy underwear

S.O.F.A. camp

way too many trips to the doctor for me

allergy injections

a fantastic fireworks show

a trip to Santa Fe

lots of time in the pool

swimmer's ear for daddy

Grant surfing behind the boat (while mama was out of town!!)

discovering Pinkberry

sleepovers at GaGa's house

playing with cousins

a picnic on the front lawn

taking the guard rails off Sienna's bed

going back to work

trips to the park

staying inside during the 100+ heat waves

discovering Pandora

a run-in with bag worms in the flower beds

standing in line for the iphone 4

swim lessons

2 rounds of strep throat

a concert on the lake

Sienna's first sparkler

reading great books...and a couple not so great books

spontaneous play dates

a neighborhood crawfish boil

a dance recital

a serious obsession with silly bandz

photo album scrapbooking

a date night for mama and daddy

a home management notebook

and more memories to come......

girl's get-away

2010-07-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I took a little trip with some friends from law school to Santa Fe, New Mexico, and it was just what the doctor ordered!!! This is the third trip we have taken together, and we plan on making it an annual tradition from now on (we already have next year's trip in the works.....Cape Cod!!!). Although there were quite a few "events" that I won't be sharing here on the blog, I thought I would jot down a few of the highlights:

1. Soaking in the hot springs at Ojo Caliente

2. My first ever 2 hour relaxation treatment = massage, hot oil scalp treatment and reflexology = heaven!!

3. A certain bald man in a thong Speedo covered in mud at the hot springs.....don't ask!

4. Staying up late, talking and drinking too much champagne

5. Making our annual lists

6. Mango pina coladas by the pool

7. Shopping at the Spanish Market

8. Running back to our hotel after lunch in the pouring down rain

9. The best pasta and creme brulee I have ever tasted at SantacaFe

10. Having drinks at a bar where the servers and bartenders sing show tunes

11. Searching for unique doors to take photos of and add to my collection

12. Reading books and magazines, napping, having heart-to-hearts and being with 3 of the most amazing friends a girl could ask for

a collection of motherhood ideas

2010-07-19T11:58:00.000-07:00

First of all, can I just tell you that this photos makes me laugh out loud!! It perfectly captures how 99% of the photos of my children and I turn out. They are usually running around at 90 miles per hour, I grab them in a choke hold........er, I mean loving embrace, and ask my husband to take a quick photos of us. I plaster on my best smile as the shutter releases, and this is inevitably what we end up with. Ahhhh, tender family moments :)

But I refuse to give up! I continue to park myself in front of the camera every now and then rather than always hiding behind it. I read an article in blogland ages ago about how important it is for mothers to make an appearance in the family photos albums........after all, when we are long gone, I have a feeling our children will treasure the photos of their mamas at least as much as the 100+ photos of their 3rd birthday party? That idea made so much sense to me, and I have never forgotten it.

Which got me to thinkin'. I spend a pretty good amount of time surfing blogs and websites, searching for ways to be a better mother, to strengthen family ties, to make our house a home, to infuse spirituality into our daily lives. It's become a hobby of sorts.......a hobby that has introduced me to amazing women, and taught me invaluable lessons. But sometimes, I am overwhelmed by the sheer volume of "helpful" information out there in the blog-o-sphere. There is really only so much a person can take in, and only so many hours in a day to put those wonderful ideas into practice. And I know other mothers (and fathers) struggle with information overload as well. So I thought I would take some time every now and again in my own little corner of blog land, to share some of my personal favorite Motherhood Ideas......a growing "collection" of sorts.

(1) Movie Night - this is one that we are going to implement in our family very soon. Our kids are finally both old enough to sit through an entire movie without too many interruptions, and I love the idea of having a set movie night each week for them to look forward to.......complete with popcorn, blankets and chocolate chip cookies.

(2) Mother's Day Letters - I recently read about this one on one of my favorite blogs and thought it was a great idea! Basically, you set aside a couple hours on Mother's Day each year to write a letter to each of your children. What a wonderful gift to yourself and to your children....and a great way to stop and reflect on the previous year and your progress as a mother.

(3) Making a house a home - this is a big one for me.....something that I am constantly thinking about. A few of my favorite ideas in this area are: hanging up framed photos of family (it doesn't have to be perfect, just get them up on the wall!!!), decorating the kid's bedroom doors with their artwork, hanging up a chalkboard and filling it with favorite quotes, encouraging messages, bible verses, etc...., hanging a large map somewhere in your home and putting little red stickers on all the places someone in your immediate family has been (I especially love this idea because I want to instill a love for travel and adventure in my children).

(4) Have at least one major family tradition each month for the kids to look forward to and anticipate - I am currently working on this one and I LOVE this idea!! Here's an example of ours so far:

January = Grant's birthday

February = Valentine's Day ("heart attack" tradition)

June = Father's Day/Daddy's birthday

August = Mommy's birthday/Back to School celebration

September = Welcome Fall Day

We still have a few months that are tradition-less........working on those today :)

I would love to hear some of your favorite Motherhood Ideas!! I believe we can all be so much better, so much stronger, so much more when we work together and support each other along this journey.