Ciao Bella!

♥Happy Valentine's Day♥

2012-02-13T19:19:00.000-08:00

Lucy's Valentine's :)

Kiss Me~Brown Sugar Lip Scrub {In My Kitchen}

2012-02-11T16:02:00.000-08:00

I recently discovered a perfect little recipe for a really "yummy" lip scrub on Pinterest (of course!!)

Not only does it leave your lips smooth and soft..it tastes really good

(if you happen to get some in your mouth)

Lucy's lips get a little chapped, so I thought this would be perfect to use on her too, since it's edible!

here is how I made mine...

1 tablespoon coconut oil (as long as it is easy to spoon out of the jar it is soft enough....no need to melt it)

1 tablespoon honey

2 packed teaspoons brown sugar

drizzle of olive oil

Mix together coconut oil and honey until smooth (it doesn't have to be perfectly smooth)

Mix in brown sugar

Drizzle in olive oil just to smooth out the mixture

I put mine in a 2.5oz baby food jar...it fills it perfectly!

Store in the refrigerator...let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften a little before you want to use it!

(original recipe from here)

♥just in time for Valentine's Day!♥

To e-read or not...that is the question!

2012-02-07T20:28:00.000-08:00

I was gifted a Kindle for my birthday

I really didn't know if I was an "e-reader" type...but I am hooked...I love it!

I have a Kindle Touch...as much as I love the Kindle Fire, I knew I just could not read with a back-lit screen. The e-ink is much easier on my eyes AND I can read in the sun.

That being said, I really can't get magazines on my Touch because who wants to look at a black and white magazine?

I have a lovely fleur di lis case, but I would love to have a fun case for spring/summer.

The case really makes it feel like you are holding a book

I am CRAZY for this Kate Spade cover!

My Kindle really wants this!

I thought I would peek and see if there were any covers listed on Etsy...oh my
I had no idea there were so many...here a few I found!

I love this...it is a "real" book!

via

another "real" book with the pages removed

via

This seller had some really fun fabrics!

via

So, if you have an e-reader...do you have a fun case??

Charming Valentine Ideas~

2012-02-06T19:05:00.000-08:00

♥
Looking for some ideas to wrap up store bought candy?

I have always loved the cheap chocolate heart boxes, and my hubby still buys me one every year! They are so nostalgic~
♥

In this video Tracy Porter did a few years ago she glued decorative paper onto the top of the candy box and tied it with ribbon...I have made several of these and used scrapbook paper and wrapping paper....so cute!

♥

...and another fun way to wrap up loose candies
Don't you just love those paper heart doilies...I buy stashes at the $ store...they're my favorite!
♥

If you visit Tracy's blog, today she has shared a SWEET Valentine printables to send to your Darlings!
♥
I found these other ideas on Pinterest
♥

♥

I always love candy bars wrapped in decorative paper...Trader Joe's has the perfect sized candy bars just for this!

♥

Obviously, I think Valentine's Day is a MAJOR holiday :) I just love it!

SMASH & Downton Abbey

2012-02-05T16:07:00.000-08:00

I really don't watch alot of "regular" television...but every once in awhile there is something that peaks my interest :)

I have been looking forward to SMASH

It premiers Monday and stars Katherine McPhee, Debra Messing, and

Angelica Huston

Katherine McPhee was one of my favorites when she was on American Idol...she has a terrific voice and I can't wait to see her in SMASH!

Thank goodness it's not on the same night as Downton Abbey!

I LOVE this Masterpiece Classic series...the sets and wardrobe are FAB.U.LOUS!!

What shows are you loving right now??

Little Red Riding Hood Treasury

2012-02-04T19:08:00.000-08:00

I am planning a Little Red Riding Hood party for Lucy this year

Here is some fun inspiration from Etsy!

Little Red Riding Hood ... Littlewhimsywe... $25.00	Silhouette Necklace - L... karamboola $24.90	Little Red Riding Hood ... givegift $13.90	Little Red Riding Hood ... HandMadeAwards $3.50
Little Red Riding Hood ... MelissaAbram $5.50	Little Red Riding Hood ... YourSparkleBox $129.95	Little Red Riding Hood ... claraclips $12.00	Little Red Riding Hood ... theadventureso... $55.00
Little Red Riding Hood ... claraclips $38.00	3 Tier Tree Slice Large... JesseLeeDesign... $120.00	Little Red Riding Hood ... StorybookStyle... $7.00	Party Printables (Edita... AestheticNest $13.00
Little red riding hood ... beautifulwork $9.50	Tiny Little Coin Purse ... msnizbit $6.99	Little Red Riding Hood ... FabricBubble $27.96	Vintage 1960s Little Re... BlueSkyLane $4.50

Chinese New Year Celebration 2012

2012-01-31T18:54:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful CNY Celebration!

We had a great turnout, over 60 people came to celebrate and learn about our Girls' heritage.

We were able to use the gym at the Brown's church which had a full kitchen and lots of room for all the kids to have fun! We had so many people offer to bring food, which was amazing!

Our menu consisted of:

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Teriyaki Chicken

White and Fried Rice

Spring Rolls

Chinese Chicken Salad

Dumplings

Almond and Cashew Cookies

Dawn B. ordered this amazing dragon cake from our friend Jenn...it made quite the centerpiece!

Lucy invited some of her first grade friends and their families to share in our celebration, along with Grammy and Papa, and Aunt Deanna

Dawn has done lots of events for her church, so she is great at coming up with games and crafts!

(this pic was taken during the introductions...the boys look like they are just waiting for the food!!)

Our night went perfectly

The food and company was fabulous

and

we, along with our friends and family celebrated and honored the heritage of these two

little Asian beauties~

(note to self: next year just shoot in auto w/flash and guarantee better pics!...uuggh)

♥Valentine Treasury♥

2012-01-28T21:22:00.000-08:00

♥Here are some sweet finds from Etsy for Valentine's Day♥

Coffee Mug Cozy love heart f... KnotworkShop $16.00	Personalized Ribbon -10 yard... TheLonelyHeart $25.00	50 Red Hearts Paper Straws w... ThePartyFairy $8.00
Sutured Heart necklace silve... idlehandsdesig... $75.00	Personalized Jewelry, Embroi... merriweatherco... $35.00	Valentine Soap - Decorative ... SoapRhapsody $6.00
Hugs and Kisses hand stampe... HammeringRedhe... $45.00	Print Tea cup art Love Val... handz $19.00	Fingerles gloves. fashion 20... gloveshop $25.00
Love bracelet. (3X2 Offer fo... Dianthusa $10.00	Red heart Mug Cozy, Cup Cosy... LilacGifts $8.50	VALENTINE Baby Shoe Boxes . ... Marzycards $25.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Do you ever spend time on Etsy?

I recently opened a "shop" Ciao Bella Emporium, but currently don't have any items listed.

A few of my friends have their own Etsy shops, you can find them here....

Catie - Fivetenfifteen

Gretchen - Sew Much Whimsy

Emily - Lady Em~Vintage Jewelry and Lady Em~Vintage Goods

Sandi - Love From Cape Cod

Blake, you're my Han Solo!

2012-01-27T00:30:00.000-08:00

Blake was invited to a Star Wars Party last weekend
To say he was excited would be a HUGE understatement :)

I had gone to the store and when I came home, this is what I saw :)

He had put together a Han Solo costume ... what I love about Blake is that he doesn't care if anyone else is dressing up...this was not a costume party, he didn't check with any of his friends...he just wanted to be Han Solo! (and he was the only one who dressed up :)

That's my boy!!

The Hunger Games

2012-01-26T06:36:00.000-08:00

Have you read The Hunger Games?

At first, I was not interested in reading the books,

they seemed completely unlike anything I would normally read

After hearing a couple of friends say the same thing, and then LOVING the books

I thought I would give them a shot

I started the first book

and

I was

HOOKED!

I read the first two books in a week...I could not put them down

I talked about them so much that Blake picked up my Kindle and started reading them too

and now we are both waiting for the movie to come out at the end of March....

I might even be there at midnight :)

Did you read The Hunger Games??

Pin It

Meyer Lemon Bars {In My Kitchen}

2012-01-25T04:00:00.001-08:00

Meyer Lemons

I don't see them very often in my grocery store

Yesterday I stopped in Walmart, and there they were

(sometimes that store surprises me :)

I scooped them up so fast

Aren't they they the most perfect lemons you have ever seen?

I knew what I wanted to do with them

Make lemon bars

My sister-in-law Sarah's Lemon Bar recipe

(penned by my sweet mother-in-law...what a treasure!)

(this is the whole recipe if you would like to use it...I know Sarah wouldn't mind :)

Isn't she lovely??
Meyer lemons are not as tart as a "regular" lemon, so these bars were not "too lemony" ...they were just right for my family :)

Bon Appetite!

Pin It

♥Valentine's Day Pins♥

2012-01-24T00:00:00.000-08:00

Is there anything cooler than Pinterest??

I am seriously addicted!

Here are some c.u.t.e things I have pinned for Valentine's Day

We are going to do the bookmark Valentine's this year for Lucy since she is LEARNING and LOVING

to read!

You can find the sources for all of these things on my Pinterest page!

Xīn Nián Kuài Lè!

2012-01-23T10:39:00.000-08:00

Happy Chinese New Year

Year of the Dragon!

Our family will be celebrating on the 30th

(due to crazy weather here, we postponed our celebration)

Lucy will be taking treats and Chinese New Year books to her class this week too!

My french friend Celine has a wonderful cooking blog
Celine's Cuisine

and today she shares a recipe for a delicious and easy Chinese Dumpling Soup!!

Loving right now~

2012-01-22T13:47:00.000-08:00

I want this to be my car...

via

and then I could do this....

via

a new favorite...

99% caffeine free

0 trans fat

No hydrogenated oils

Really yummy!!

and, my kids are CRAZY for these pickles

not sure if they are everywhere, but they are so good....

so good, in fact, that after they have eaten all the pickles, we save the juice, I peel a cucumber, slice it up and add it to the jar! We do that 2x before we throw out the juice!!

and....a fresh pack of my FAVORITE pencils

makes me happy!

What are you loving right now??

Careful what you wish for....

2012-01-21T08:37:00.000-08:00

We had a fun snow day on Wednesday

but by Thursday morning things were looking a little different...

trees were snapping

(this is our tree in the front yard...what you can't see to the left is the neighbors truck it just missed)

plants were covered in a layer of ice

our snowman got a frozen runny nose

a layer of ice covered our world

many neighborhoods lost power...we were one of the lucky few who did not

we did lose cable and internet access for awhile

my Mom has SO many trees down on their property (some on their roof) and as of last night were still without power

school was cancelled for the rest of the week

and thankfully today the temperature has warmed and things are beginning to thaw.

Chinese New Year ~ Year of the Dragon

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

The past couple of years we have celebrated Chinese New Year with our friends over at

Faith in Every Footstep

This year Dawn and I are hosting a Chinese New Year party for some of our friends and family.

Lucy and Faith will have friends there who will get to learn a little about their birth country...we are excited to share our love of all things Chinese!

We think it is going to be a FUN party!!

Our wish came true~

2012-01-18T12:34:00.000-08:00

snow

2012-01-16T20:03:00.000-08:00

we got a little bit of snow over the weekend

just enough for everything to look beautiful, and for the boys to do a little sledding

the forecast is predicting a little more for tuesday and wednesday

the kids are hoping for a snow day

cross your fingers!

This 'n That~

2012-01-13T17:07:00.000-08:00

I just realized I have not taken a picture of any of my kids since Christmas/New Years!

I sent Powell back to school last weekend without getting a shot of all my kids together!

I know my family is wondering if there will ever be a post about the kids again since I merged my blogs :)

(YES..I promise!)

Speaking of Powell...he completed his first semester and finished STRONG. We are so proud of him. He is excited to have become eligible to be initiated into his fraternity.

Moving on :)

Have you seen these cute journals at Target???

Seriously cute, from a company called Green-Inspired.com

Maybe I will use one of them to remind me to TAKE MORE PICS OF MY KIDS!!! :)

One of my "goals" for 2012 was to devote more time to my spiritual health. I watched Beth Moore's Livestream on Prayer, and am very excited to make my prayer life, quiet time, and bible reading fruitful...and a pretty journal is always inspiring.

Do you ever eat Portabello Mushrooms??

We love them here in our house...I just baked them this time (but you can grill them), added caramelized onions, drizzled a little balsamic vinegar, and set on a bed of baby spinach....really delicious! I also made brown rice with a Black Bean and Orange Salsa...delish!

A yummy vegetarian meal!

So, there you have a little of this and a little of that!

Cozy {Sunday Snapshot}

2012-01-08T18:47:00.000-08:00

cozy pants~hot cocoa~kindle

Loving right now~

2012-01-07T19:19:00.000-08:00

What am I loving right now?

Navajo inspired sweaters...

I really love this one

from here

This one from Old Navy is cute too

I also love all the Fair Isle sweaters and ponchos out right now

Forever21 has this cute one

Another favorite thing right now are these

Maybelline Baby Lips

these are under $3, very moisturizing and glossy...the light blue one on the end is peppermint and has no color

I have the pink one which is called Pink Punch, and it is pretty pigmented ...it gives you a sheer bright pink pop of color...I also have the orange tube which is Cherry Me, and it leaves your lips a sheer glossy red.

I really want to try brighter lipstick, but am a little nervous, so these are a cheap and fun way to ease into it!

One last thing...I picked up this polish from the Essie Luxe Effects line in Silver

because I want to try a similar look to this

So, those are some things I'm loving right now!

What I want to "BE" in 2012~

2012-01-05T17:41:00.001-08:00

I am not a big resolution maker, but I like to start the new year with goals on how I want to live my life...

the kind of person I want to "be" in 2012~

How about you?? Any goals/resolutions for the new year?

Cheers to health, happiness, and BEing our best selves in 2012!

Game change...Name change!

2012-01-04T14:36:00.000-08:00

I have been doing some thinking these first few days of 2012, and one of the BIG words that keeps popping into my head is "simplify".

I know that this will pertain to many areas in my life, but one area I know for sure that needs simplifying is my "blog life"

I created "Our Little China Girl" in 2007 when bringing home our daughter from China was a dream

I changed the name to "...and Lucy makes 6" when our dream became a reality

I wanted this blog to be about our family, so I created a place where I could share things that I loved to do or that inspired me...that place was "Ciao Bella!"

I have since come to the realization that the things I love, besides my family, (cooking, photography, books, beauty, fashion) ARE about my family and they are about ME

So..I consolidated both blogs and this is the ONLY place you will find me from now on :)

I decided to keep the name Ciao Bella ...because well....who doesn't want to see "Hello Beautiful!" every time they visit??

It might be a bit of a "mess" here for awhile as I play around with a new header and get things transferred over, but in the end this will be

Home Sweet Home~

Cheers!

A Christmas Craft

2012-01-03T11:39:00.000-08:00

Lucy and I hopped on the mason jar snow globe bandwagon :) this holiday, and made a few little gifts.

Anthropologie had some for sale

and my friend Catie made some too!

We gathered up our jars and fun little trinkets for the inside, and did they ever turn out c.u.t.e.

We "jazzed" ours up a little with some fun twine and little tags~

I think my favorite jars are the Bonne Maman french jam jars...I love their

red and white checked lids

New Years Weekending~

2012-01-02T17:43:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

Saturday Lucy and I were gifted with tickets to Cinderella at the 5th Avenue theatre...we were SO excited!

(Sadly, these were the only two pictures I took...but it was just too crowded to try and get any more)

It happened to be that the FCC (Families with Children from China) were at the theatre that day, so there were so many darling Chinese girls with their families.

We loved the show, and I can officially say I have a theatre buddy :)

We had a quiet New Year's Eve at home, Toby, Bennett, Lucy and I...Powell and Blake spent the night with friends.

New Year's Day we went bowling as a family...Powell has been bowling LOTS at college and Lucy has only been one other time and LOVES it!!

Toby gets things started

It takes awhile for Lucy's ball to get down to the pins :)...but she patiently waits

Powell is SO smooth when he bowls...you cannot even hear the ball hit the lane...we could tell he has been bowling alot :)

Blake is our "Randy Johnson" of bowling...he shot his ball down the lane at 22mph...we kept reminding him he wasn't pitching a baseball!!

Bennett is still getting comfortable in his pose...he informed us we have only taken him bowling ONE other time!! LOL!

I LOVE bowling shoes!!

Powell and Toby were not happy with their scores...they usually bowl better than this...Lucy on the other hand was thrilled with her 71!!

We ended our night with hombows...our favorite!!

We are looking forward to 2012!!

Celebration Lane~

2011-12-30T22:44:00.001-08:00

One of our annual holiday traditions is Snowflake or Celebration Lane.

Snowflake Lane runs before Christmas and they play Christmas carols...Celebration Lane is the week after until New Year's Eve and the music is all party!

Lucy LOVES going....a couple of weeks ago we were going to go and then didn't, and then Thursday night we were going to try and it was pouring rain...Lucy was SO disappointed :(

So, last night, even though Daddy had to work, Powell and I took her to Celebration Lane!

She was thrilled!!

Lucy took this pic of Pow and I :)

They handed out blowers...it was definitely a party atmosphere!

We had a great time, and it was a perfect way to end the Christmas season~

Now on to a NEW Year!!

(P.S. "Hi, Vicki, Emily and Melissa!! It was fun running into you last night!!" :)

Books I read in 2011!

2011-12-30T02:19:00.000-08:00

My goal in 2011 was to read read read...and I did just that!!

I put a * next to some of my favorites!

Heart of the Matter

Cold Tangerines *

Room *

Bittersweet

The Help **

A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table

As Husbands Go

My Life From Scratch

Chasing Harry Winston

A Vintage Affair *

Red Hook Road *

Cinderella (As If You Didn't Already Know the Story)

Last Night at Chateau Marmont

The Swan House *

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt **

Three Cups of Tea

Thumbelina, Tiny Runaway Bride

Zoo Story: Life in the Garden of Captives *

One Day

Debt-Free U

Three Weissmanns of Westport

Water for Elephant

What Alice Forgot *

Crazy Sexy Diet *

The China Study **

The Kind Diet

Rob Lowe : Stories I only tell my friends

The Cookbook Collector

The Beauty Detox Solution

Clean Start

The Hunger Games *

Catching Fire (The second Hunger Games) *

The Luxe *

Envy: A Luxe Novel *

Rumors: A Luxe Novel *

Splendor: A Luxe Novel *

A sweet gift exchange~

2011-12-29T13:07:00.000-08:00

I have a group of wonderful friends that I have met via the Internet...truly special lovely ladies!

A few of us did a small gift exchange this year. My friend Catie came up with the idea of an "Altoid Tin" exchange...where we would empty a tin and then we each put our own twist on it!

Lisa created this darling "evening out survival kit" for me!

It is covered in faux leather, a gold toggle clasp, and the darling flower on top!

Inside she tucked in a mini Altoid tin and a Burt's Bees lipstick in Guava!!

I LOVE Burt's Bees!!

but seriously...can you stand the mirror inside?? She trimmed it out with gold ric rac...so cute!!

There are SO many ways you could take this idea!

I will share the tin I made for my friend Denise a little later because she hasn't opened hers yet :)

Christmas at our house~

2011-12-29T09:53:00.000-08:00

This year we hosted Christmas Eve at our house

Our family went to church, and then we celebrated with Grammy and Papa, and the

Brooks Family!

My Mom and Rachel

Powell, Blake and Sam

Bennett and Grammy

Our handsome Boys

The Brooks...Sam, Merribeth, Rachel and Tom

Sam and Rachel attend WSU with Powell, so it's fun to share all things COUG!!

We did a fun white elephant gift exchange that involved air horns, mouse traps, back scratchers...lots of

"wonderful" gifts that could only come from the dollar store!!

Lucy opened her new Christmas jammies!

Lucy and Daddy made sure to sprinkle LOTS of Reindeer food on the lawn!

Christmas morning, Powell was up first, followed by Lucy and then Blake and Bennett!

Santa brought Lucy her My Fur Real Friend, Go Go My Walkin Pup who she has named Maddie!

One of the things on Lucy's Christmas list was makeup! I see a makeup video in our future!!

Santa left Blake and Bennett a new "limited edition" XBox!

Powell got LOTS of clothes and more!

It was kind of a Justin Beiber Christmas for Lucy too!

She asked for the Justin Beiber Never Say Never DVD, and a JB microphone...and Grammy and Papa got her the JB doll!!

She was a happy Girl!

We had a very Happy Christmas!

(you must go HERE and see the darling creative gift exchange I was part of !)

The Nutcracker~

2011-12-27T20:55:00.000-08:00

Lucy and I were gifted with tickets to The Nutcracker this year by our sweet friends Tom and Merribeth. So on Tuesday night, my Mom, Merribeth, Rachel, Lucy and I headed downtown for every one's, except myself, very first Nutcracker performance.

Lucy was SO excited and couldn't wait to leave...so while we waited for everyone to arrive, we had a little photo shoot to kill the time :)

I really hoped that Lucy would love the show, but I had no idea how much she would REALLY LOVE the show. We had fantastic seats, and she was literally on the edge of her seat for most of the show, and clapped so enthusiastically after each performance.

I was gifted this sweet dress at my shower before bringing Lucy home. She has worn it a few times, but I always thought it was perfect to wear to The Nutcracker...so I was thrilled when we put it on and it fit her perfectly!

Rachel and Merribeth

Lucy, Grammy and I

During intermission, Lucy wanted to get up and walk around, There happened to be alot of young 20 year old couples, groups of young girls all dressed up... Lucy had so much fun watching all of them and checking out their dresses and shoes :)

It truly was such a magical night with my precious Girl, and I know we have started a wonderful tradition.

Lucy & Camryn~

2011-12-20T18:40:00.000-08:00

Lucy and Camryn

Camryn and Lucy

That's just the way it is!

These two girls are the BEST of friends. They were in the same pre-school class, and then Camryn went to all day Kindergarten while Lucy went to half day...so when they found out they were in the same first grade classroom, they were thrilled!!

Camryn and her family were headed to Florida for a Disney Christmas...so we decided to meet at Starbucks before they left and let the Girls exchange gifts...they were just giddy to be together!!

Camryn had brought a bag like this to our house for a sleepover, and Lucy and I loved it....and look what they gifted Lucy!!

“A friend is what the heart needs all the time.”
― Mary Engelbreit

Christmas with Aunt Deanna~

2011-12-18T18:19:00.000-08:00

The week before Christmas, we had a delicious brunch with our Aunt Deanna.

After brunch...it was time to exchange gifts. Lucy opened up two cans of sweetened condensed milk :) and wondered what the rest of her present could possibly be.....

It was an Ice Cream maker!! We have since made Frozen Hot Chocolate Marshmallow ice cream, which was absolutely delicious, and chocolate ....this little machine works great...Lucy loves it!

From there we headed to one of our FAVORITE holiday traditions...the Botanical Gardens Light tour...the boys always whine a little, but once they are there they get so into it. Every year there are more and more lights!

The dragon was new this year, and even blew smoke from his nose!

This was a perfect way to kick off our Christmas week!!

Deck the Halls {Around the House}

2011-12-18T09:42:00.000-08:00

~kitchen~

~family room~

~living room~

~piano~

~foyer~

~entry~

Lucy's Farm Program~

2011-12-17T08:57:00.000-08:00

The first grade classes at Lucy's school, put on a very fun Farm Program.

They sang songs and recited poems from A to Z!

Once Lucy spots me in the audience with my camera and video camera, it is as if I am the only one in the audience :)....I love it!

Lucy's part in the program was to introduce the letter "L"

Before she said her piece, she grabbed the microphone and stepped away from the pedestal, so I could get a full shot...she cracks me up!

"L is for Llama. Here are a few facts you might not know about Llamas"

This was Lucy's line, said to perfection!

Lucy and her best friend Camryn!

After the program, Papa treated us all to dinner. Lucy loved "her night" so much!!

Littlest Trooper~

2011-12-16T07:26:00.000-08:00

The smile you see here is how Lucy faces everything thrown her way

She recently "graduated" from therapy at school since meeting all her goals....yippee
However, she still attends outside therapy once a week for a hour
She loves going and this last round she was in what they call "fitness center" with 2 other girls who were 15 and 13 and their therapist taught them a dance :)

This little "outfit" is new for Lucy
She tends to hyper extend her knees when walking on the treadmill, or just running in general, so the new hot pink knee braces should help with that...of course, the color choice was hers!

The boys call her "the little ninja" in her new 2 piece SPIO suit...these are "very tight" spandex and will aid in giving her body awareness and sensory input to her left side
She cannot wear the pants to school as they are so tight and she would need help every time she went to the restroom ...she says it feels good when she puts it on :)

Lucy Joy you amaze me everyday with your infectious laugh, that cute smile, your determination and love of life....you have made such great strides in 3 years by all your hard work! We cannot wait to see what the future holds for you Sweet Girl!

Deck the Halls {The Library/Office}

2011-12-15T17:26:00.000-08:00

So, if you remember back in this post....I "renamed" our office "the library"
Well, when I stumbled on this photo last week, I knew I must make a book tree somewhere in my home~

So, this is what I created in our little library/office
If I had the space to do big tree like the inspiration pic...I WOULD!

Lucy and I did a little craft project one night, and made the paper chains and snowflakes
I love how they POP against the chocolate brown of the walls~
(pretty obvious I love color and pattern :)

Usually during the holidays, when it comes time to wrapping presents I hole up in my bedroom on the floor, but this year I decided to make a small wrapping station

I love having everything right there at the ready!

I put my favorite papers in a metal tub and I am ready!

"brown paper packages tied up with string, these are a few of my favorite things"

Deck the Halls {Outside}

2011-12-14T18:31:00.000-08:00

As much fun as I have decorating inside...I love decorating outside too!

This year our outdoor table didn't get covered like it normally does, so I decided it was in need of a little vignette
It is so fun looking out the window and seeing this on my table, instead of a tarp!

It seems every year I do something different on my porch

The past couple of years I have kept it pretty simply, so this year I wanted it to feel "lived in" like an outdoor room

On my wreaths I used some vintage webbing that a friend sent to me, and wrote Merry and Christmas on each of them

We have had the sled since our boys were very small, so a few packages were the perfect touch

We didn't do alot of lights on our house this year, so this little tree and the snowflake lights give just the right amount of twinkle

My wooden book stack sits on my bench all year long, so a little leopard ribbon and a snip of boxwood dress it up!

I LOVE having my boxwood urns out year-round, but every fall I add in the branches to give them height, and then for the Holidays I like tucking greens around the base

Thanks for stopping by!

Cougar Mountain Zoo~

2011-12-13T19:34:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend Lucy and I went to a small zoo near our home with Aunt Deanna.

During the Christmas season Santa and his reindeer are there, and the whole zoo is dressed in bows and garland.

Lucy's first official "reindeer sighting"...she really wasn't that impressed :)

I, on the other hand, was a little crazy for his antlers!!

We headed up to Santa's House and said "hello". Lucy was a little shy and did not want her picture taken with him this particular day, because she is waiting to go with her Brothers :)

We stopped in at the Santa Post Office, and Lucy quickly jotted a letter to the Jolly Guy...

this year, so far, it seems her request is for Go Go my Walking Pup :)

The zoo is FULL of amazing bronze sculptures, some very large and others small...looking at each of them was one of my favorite parts of the day...mailing her letter to Santa was Lucy's!

Daddy loves gorillas, so we made sure to get photos with them :)

Grammy loves giraffes, so this one was for her :

Thank you Aunt Deanna for spending the day with us...we had a great time!

Hot Cocoa Station 2011~

2011-12-13T16:21:00.000-08:00

Every year I love creating a Hot Cocoa Station for my family
My kids love that everything they need is out and ready to be enjoyed!

The Santa mugs are ready and waiting...HO HO HO!
I started collecting these a couple of years ago. I look for them at thrift stores, and really love the ones I find that have someone's name painted on the bottom...it warms my heart to think someone sat and handpainted his jolly little face.

Birthday Weekending~

2011-12-05T18:23:00.000-08:00

turning 29 again
shopping with a sweet friend
thoughtful gifts
beecher's grilled cheese

circus themed birthday party
face painting
christmas vacation movie
delicious chocolate cake
family

christmas lights

christmas tree

special birthday cards from my boys

a sweet facebook message from my college boy

kindle touch

sperrys

counting blessings

again

and again

Family Dinner {Through Lucy's lens}

2011-12-05T17:59:00.000-08:00

Friday after Thanksgiving we went to Aunt Deanna's for a family dinner
I brought my camera, and Lucy was the night's photographer :)
I always love seeing pictures from her perspective...and she can ALWAYS get you to smile!

cuties Ashley and Jenna (soon-to-be Mrs. Ryan J.!!)

I love her composition on this one :)

handsome Ryan

Uncle Peter and Bennett's turn

cool Tim!!

not sure if she wanted the empty wine glass or me :)

the Girls

the Girls + Lucy...she wondered WHO took this picture since she was in it :)

oh Powell..you are so funny!

Thank you Aunt Deanna for a wonderful dinner and very fun night!

Grand Opening {My Etsy Shop}

2011-11-29T18:16:00.000-08:00

I am excited to share my new etsy shop with you!!

I love crafting
I love making gifts
and sometimes when I love something, I make a whole bunch :)...so an etsy shop seemed like the perfect place for those things.
I hope to add more handmade items, and maybe even some fun treasures I find along the way...so stop in from time to time!

Thankful Weekending~

2011-11-29T16:33:00.000-08:00

powell home
apple cup
cheesecake
macy's thanksgiving day parade
coffee cake

thrifting
thanksgiving
cleaning
decorating
sleeping

twilight
new moon
eclipse

thankful
grateful
hopeful
prayerful

Giving Thanks~

2011-11-24T08:40:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving from Our Family to Yours~

I am thankful for a loving God and my precious family and friends~

Happy 17th Birthday Blake Tobias!!

2011-11-18T11:54:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Blake!

We love you and wish you a fantastic year!

Lots of exciting stuff for you this year, and we can't wait to watch life unfold for you!!

XOXO

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Whoopie Pies {In My Kitchen}

2011-11-15T09:10:00.000-08:00

...and the Pumpkin train moves on :)

I really have no idea how I stumble upon some of these recipes, but once again,
I am so glad I did!

Thank goodness for GOOGLE and the ability to go back and find the source :)
This recipe is from Curly Girl Kitchen, and WOW are they delicious!!

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Whoopie Pies

(makes about 3 dozen cookies / 18 whoopie pies)

pumpkin snickerdoodles:

•1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

•1 cup granulated sugar, plus 3 tablespoons, divided

•1 egg

•1 teaspoon vanilla

•1 cup canned pumpkin puree

•2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

•1 teaspoon cinnamon, plus 1 1/2 tablespoons, divided

•1/2 teaspoon salt

•1 teaspoon baking soda

•1 teaspoon baking powder

•2 teaspoons cream of tartar

cream filling:
•1 egg white

•2 tablespoons milk

•1 teaspoon vanilla

•2 cups powdered sugar

•1 stick plus 2 tablespoons (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened

1. Make the cookies:

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and 1 cup sugar on medium speed for about 5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat for 1 minute. Add the pumpkin and beat until well combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cream of tartar. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the dry ingredients by spoonfuls to the batter. Mix just until combined.

Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate dough for two hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons granulated sugar with 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon. Form the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and roll in the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Place the balls 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper. Bake for 12 minutes.

Slide the Silpat or parchment paper off the cookie sheet and cool cookies completely.

2. Make the cream filling.

Using the whisk attachment on your mixer, beat the egg white for 2 minutes until foamy. Add the milk and vanilla and beat for another 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar and the butter and beat for several minutes to combine. Add the remaining cup of powdered sugar and beat for 8-10 minutes until cream filling is very light and fluffy.

Spoon dollops of the filling onto the underside of half the cooled cookies and top with another cookie. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Catching Up!

2011-11-14T10:00:00.000-08:00

So..I have been a little MIA :)
Mainly due to the fact that since my laptop was stolen..(which basically had become our home computer)... we are using a very s . l . o . w backup computer that we had, so loading pics takes for.ev.er!!

but, moving on...

I have been hard at work with my photography class homework, and it is starting to "click"
I know it is just going to take LOTS of practice, so most photos I have taken have not been blog worthy :)

Below are some of my most recent homework assignments shot in MANUAL :) using natual window light
I am pretty excited...all of them are "sooc" (that's photographer speak :) for "straight out of the camera" :),
so no editing

for this one below, Lisa asked us to use a different perspective

and this one is a type of pic I have always wanted to take :)

and the two below prove to me WHY I must learn to use the Manual setting...the first picture was in Auto w/out flash and the other in manual...I could just immediately see the difference..finally! :)

In other news...Toby headed over to WSU this past weekend for
Dad's Weekend with Powell...they had a great time together, took in a great football game
GO COUGS!
and geared Powell up for the snow! He will be home this weekend for Thanksgiving break...can't wait!

Lucy received her first "book it" coupon for a personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut :)
She was SO excited!

Hard to believe we are a little more than a week away from Thanksgiving...that also means it's that time for early release days from school, conferences, Blake's 17th, Christmas music and peppermint mochas!!

Seeing the difference {Photography}

2011-11-14T09:30:00.000-08:00

I was one of the lucky winners of a giveaway to participate in Lisa's (The Long Road to China)
photography course
"Get out of the Auto zone"
We have had 3 on-line classes so far, with this week being our last
I can't say I "totally" get it, but I am "getting" it!

Here are a few of my "homework" assignments that I shot in MANUAL :)
while sitting on my porch...I still cannot believe that I took these with my kit lens!

These two below really proved to me what can happen when you turn that dial to Manual
This first photo I took in manual

and the photo below, I took in Auto w/no flash
I cannot believe the difference in color..the above is so vibrant
so..needless to say, I am convinced that I must
"stay out of the auto zone" :)

Its November!!

2011-11-01T19:47:00.000-07:00

I am so excited that today is November 1st...it means

~the insane month of October is OVER for my sweet hardworking husband

~my sweet boy comes home for break in a little more than 2 weeks

~Thanksgiving is a mere 3 weeks away!

~I still can make LOTS of pumpkin goodies...like these pumpkins scones with maple glaze

~the fireplace will be on more often

~we will celebrate Blake's 17th

~I am left with this memory of Halloween night :)

~there will be LOTS more soup being made

~the Christmas music will be playing...NON-STOP

ahh...I love November!

Taylor Swift...Rockin the night {Halloween 2011}

2011-11-01T07:02:00.000-07:00

Well, Lucy had a "rockin" Halloween

To me she looks like a little Taylor Swift, Hannah Montana, and Christina Aguilera wiith that hair color :)

So...the poses...ALL her idea...guess that leopard guitar brings out the rockstar in her :)

She had such a FUN night, and was a little trooper leaving that wig on for 2 hours...ahhh my Girl, she knows how to suffer for fashion already!

Blake made sure he got his picture taken with the "star"!!

and a little action shot!!

Halloweens Past~

2011-10-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

Pink Swan
2010

Cheerleader

2009

Little Bo Peep

2008

Have a fun and safe night!!

Kickin Cowgirl!

2011-10-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

Lucy borrowed these CUTE cowboy boots from her friend Camryn for her Halloween costume :), and so she decided to go as a Cowgirl to her Pumpkin Carving Party...cute and easy!

I think evey Cowgirl needs a little leopard...don't you??

Seriously though...these boots are now on our MUST HAVE list....love!!!

Yee Haw!!

Pumpkin Patch~

2011-10-29T15:40:00.000-07:00

It is a gorgeous fall day here today

Lucy is going to a friend's Pumpkin Carving Party this afternoon...

and we needed a pumpkin :)

so, the two of us went on a little date to the pumpkin patch

...and she found a perfect little pumpkin!

here's a hint...

2011-10-28T13:06:00.000-07:00

If you are on facebook, I mentioned what Lucy is going to be for Halloween

if not....

here's a hint :)

Violated

2011-10-26T16:20:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, someone came into our home, while we were sleeping and stole my Macbook

MY Macbook...it was MINE

Toby bought it for me 3 years ago for my birthday, and I loved it...I had begun to use it as my personal filing system

It had everything on it...all my pictures, all the videos I had taken of Lucy since she came home, all our passwords, all my inspiration files, all my recipe files

I just can't get over it

I can't get over the fact that someone was in OUR home while we were sleeping

and

I just can't get over the fact that someone stole MY memories~

Pumpkin Pie Popcorn {In My Kitchen}

2011-10-20T09:38:00.000-07:00

I really have NO idea how I stumbled on this recipe from Family Bites, but let me just say...

I am SO glad I did!

Pumpkin Pie Popcorn!

I am NOT kidding...you MUST try this

(are the CAPITAL words getting my point across :)

It is a delicious caramel popcorn with a hint pumpkin pie spice

Pumpkin Pie Popcorn

10 cups air popped popcorn, salted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syurp
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Coat a large mixing bowl with nonstick cooking spray, and dump the popcorn into the bowl, taking care to pick out and discard any unpopped kernels.In a medium saucepan, whisk together the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, salt, and 2 tablespoons of water.

Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Continue to simmer, whisking often, and bring to a boil. Allow the mixture to boil for about 2 minutes, whisking occasionally. Immediately remove the pan from the heat, and whisk in the baking soda and pumpkin pie spice.

Quickly pour the hot caramel over the popcorn. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the caramel into the popcorn, taking care to distribute it as evenly as you can. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 1 hour, stirring and turning the popcorn with a spatula every 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, and place on a cooling rack for 20 minutes. Gently break up the popcorn, and serve.

**I made two batches of popcorn in my Whirly pop, and it was the perfect amount**
**I only put in 1t of pumpkin pie spice, so it wouldn't overwhelm my kids :)**

I dare you to not eat the whole batch!!

I'm a little obsessed with Pumpkins :)

2011-10-18T14:09:00.000-07:00

I have gone a little crazy with the pumpkins this year :)

Every time I walk into a grocery store...I look to see what they might have

Cinderella pumpkins have always been one of my favorites, and so are ghost pumpkins, but the many colors and shapes of squash are so fun too!

Yesterday, I stopped in Walmart and they had a big box of unusual looking pumpkins :), and my cart on "auto pilot" headed right for them...I found the one below

and I loved this one because it looks EXACTLY like a faux pumpkin I already have!

And to think, we haven't even been to the pumpkin patch yet :)

My Fall Porch

2011-10-12T19:00:00.000-07:00

I love Fall

I love porches decorated for Fall

❖

Here is mine this year!

HERE is 2010

❖

HERE is 2009

Wordless Wednesday~

2011-10-12T18:50:00.000-07:00

Rain Rain Go Away~

2011-10-11T18:15:00.000-07:00

This October is marked as being one of the wettest on record here in the Pacific Northwest...no big surprise really.

I have a first grader to walk to and from the bus stop, which means my umbrella is getting lots of use... so I started hunting around for fun umbrella stands.

Here are some I found...

I really LOVE this boot stand from
ZGallerie

via

Owls are quite the rage right now...LOVE it!

via

I found these two photos on Pinterest...

both cute DIY options with metal buckets

CUTE riding boot stand also from

ZGallerie

via

This is another great DIY option...it was a stand found at a thrift store, painted and she added a monogram decal...LOVE it!

via

Do you have an umbrella stand??

My Niece and "Getting out of the Auto Zone"!!

2011-10-10T18:00:00.000-07:00

My darling niece Makenna Riley was here with her Mama for a visit.

She loves to model for me, and once she gets going it just comes naturally.

Thank goodness I have this tree in my yard because it is my "go to" backdrop :)

I have so much to learn with my camera, and I am SO excited to be getting the opportunity to do so...I won a spot in Lisa's (The Long Road to China) photography class,

"Get out of the auto zone"!!!

I have admired Lisa's photography skills for so long, and have wanted to take one of her classes. She is so generous to offer a giveaway almost every session for a spot, and this time it was ME (and two other lucky ladies!!)

I am thrilled and cannot wait to switch that camera out of "auto"!!

Thank you so much Lisa!!

(I really love how the tree is in focus in this pic, and MR is softly in the background)

(this is a shot I have wanted to duplicate so badly...I don't have the right lens to get it just right, but I love it anyway :)

LARA Bars {In My Kitchen}

2011-10-10T16:56:00.000-07:00

I ♥ LARA Bars!

My friend Catie turned me on to these bars of goodness!

They are the perfect snack...gluten free, dairy free, soy free and Vegan

These sweet treats are made of basic natural ingredients, fruits and nuts...how much simpler could it be??

The only downside, is that they can be an expensive little habit :)...so with ingredients that simple, I decided to try making my own!!

I went with two of my favorites :)

❖

Cashew Cookie

1/2 cup cashews

1/2 cup whole pitted dates

(makes approx 4 bars)

~add cashews and dates to your food processor

~blend until ground and mixture sticks together...you really don't want to chop too much so you still have some texture :)

~place mixture on plastic wrap and form into bars

❖

Cherry Pie

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup whole pitted dates

1/3 cup almonds

1 tsp cinnamon

(makes approx 4 bars)

** follow same directions as above**

~wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator to keep fresh!

If you have never had a LARA Bar, give them a try...
if you LOVE them, make your own!!

Do You Ever.....

2011-10-08T14:24:00.000-07:00

make baked apples??

I had a few apples that were past their "crispness" for me, so I showed Lucy how to make baked apples.

My Mom used to make these for breakfast, and I truly forgot how delicous they are!

{Baked Apples}

4 apples

1/4 cup brown sugar

1t cinnamon

butter

raisins, pecans or anything else you might want to add

boiling water

~Preheat oven to 375

~wash apples and with a paring knife cut out stem and use a spoon to dig out all seeds making a hole 3/4 to 1 inch wide

~place apples upright in an 8x8 baking pan

~mix brown sugar and cinnamon and fill the center of each apple

(and raising, nuts, etc)

~put a small pat of butter on top of each apple

~pour about 1/2 inch of boiling water into the pan

~bake 30 to 40 min or until soft...but not mushy!

~serve warm (with vanilla ice cream is yummy too!)

What a perfect Fall dessert!!

Today...

2011-10-05T14:16:00.000-07:00

I was "excused" from jury duty

and

the sky looked like this much of the day

so, I drank lots of this

{tea with a candle lit for my friend Emily and her Mom}

spent a little time working on this

and reading this

{I LOVED Rob Lowe in the 80's...I thought for sure we would get married :)...glad things didn't work out that way :)}

Homecoming 2011~

2011-10-02T15:38:00.000-07:00

Last week Blake and Bennett went to Homecoming...what is it about seeing your boys in tuxedos that melts a Mama's heart...sigh :)

This is nothing new for Blake, but this was Bennett's first homecoming. I am so proud of my boys, as they paid for EVERYTHING themselves, from tux rentals, tickets, to corsages!

Yep, there she is :)...lots of thought was put into what she wanted to wear to the homecoming photo shoot...she KILLS me!!

(notice the brown flower clipped to her dress..that is her corsage!)

Blake and Nikolas....wow time flies when I realize these two boys are now the oldest in each of their homes!!

Blake and his CUTE date Molly!!

We "staged" the boutonniere pic (above)...and then right after the shot, she asks someone to pin it on (below)!

Lucy and Molly...I love that the girls never think twice about picking Lucy up and holding her for these pictures :)

So sweet!

Blake and his friends had dinner at Molly's house before the dance, and then after headed to another friend's house for a bonfire and food!!

Next it was Bennett's turn!

He took his CUTE friend Taylor. He and his friends met at Taylor's house for pictures and dinner, and then parents chauffeured them to the dance. After, they also went to another friends for a bonfire and s'mores party!

I loved watching the "freshman" take pics...they are so excited to be going to their first dance, and none of them have ever seen each other SO dressed up...you could tell they were all a little nervous, but I know once the night got going they loosened up a little!

A great night!

A Homemade Life

2011-09-29T10:47:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to my local Library, and listened to Molly Wizenberg share her inspiration for this book!

I have to admit, I have never gone to listen to an author before, but have gone to two in the last month...it helps that they have been so close as my library...and have loved it!

I loved hearing Molly share about her Dad, her love of preparing and sharing food, and hearing others in the audience mention that they tried some of her recipes from the book and LOVED them (the chocolate cake was a BIG hit..and Molly even made them for her wedding cake!)

Molly lives here in Seattle and is author of the blog Orangette. I also learned that she and her hubby Brandon opened Delancey, a NY style wood fired pizza place, in Ballard that I am anxious to try.

If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it!

Speaking of "homemade"...I shared THIS recipe for a Pumpkin Spice Latte last Fall, and it is so delicious.

However, it you are not wanting to buy the "jug" :) of Pumpkin Pie Sauce (if you share this with a friend it works out great!) or the sugar content....then Lori has shared a recipe for a version using REAL pumpkin!! I can't wait to give it a try!

AND...on another "homemade" note...I had seen this on another blog, I can't remember which one...but knew I needed to make this for Lucy and her Baby :)

a milk jug swing!! :)

Have a great day!

New Shoes for Lucy~

2011-09-22T07:05:00.000-07:00

Shoe shopping for Lucy is fun, but it comes with it's challenges.

Lucy has mild hemiplegia on the left side of her body, this in turn has, due to less function, made her hand and foot smaller than her right side.

Lucy has a custom orthotic that she wears on her left foot, and a custom insole for her right foot...those tend to fit better into running type shoes, so when we buy those we buy them big enough for the orthotic to fit into.

However, we need other shoes. Shoes for dresses, when we don't want to wear her orthotic. If I buy her a pair to fit her right foot, the left shoe is MUCH too big (about a size and a half too big) for her left foot, and just causes her to trip, so I find myself buying her shoes that JUST fit her right to accommodate her left.

When we went school shopping, we went to Nordstrom to find her some cute dress shoes...as the girl fitted her, she mentioned the 2 DIFFERENT sizes that Lucy would need. I asked if they would be fitting her to her larger foot, and the sweet girl looked at me and said, "No, we will fit each foot separately. She needs two different sizes and that is what we will sell you".

I had "heard" of this from a friend whose teenage son needed two different sizes, but had really forgotten about it at the time.

I LOVE Nordy's anyway, but this policy is one more reason I will continue to buy Lucy's shoes there!

I have to share...I posted a "thank you" on Nordstrom's Facebook page about this policy, and a week later I received a phone call from them thanking ME for taking the time to let them know how pleased I was...now THAT is great customer service!!

Wordless Wednesday~

2011-09-21T14:18:00.000-07:00

Fabulous Fall {and Pinterest}!

2011-09-21T13:59:00.000-07:00

My most favorite time of year is here!

Not only is it my favorite for the colors, but for the fashion...I LOVE fall fashion

and, I LOVE Pinterest! Have you started pinning?? You can see my boards here...it is fun and a great way to keep "inspiration" filed away!

These outfits have been pinned and repinned on so many boards, and for very good reason, they are so cute and so easy to duplicate!

I also found this cute idea on Pinterest too!

It is from HERE, and she has kindly provided the free printable

my family is SO doing this!

So, what about you?? Do you love Fall as much as I do??

Powell Weekending!!!

2011-09-19T09:38:00.000-07:00

Friday night there was a knock at the door...Blake made Lucy go answer it with him....and there was POWELL!!

Blake, Bennett and Toby knew he was coming home for the weekend, but Lucy and I were SO surprised! I had been really missing him this last week (well...every week!!), but I really just needed to hug him...so for almost 48 hours, I did just that!!

Powell seemed "different"...he has always been mature, responsible, funny...but coming home this weekend he REALLY seemed so "grown up" , a kind, funny, smart, engaging, handsome MAN!!

ahhh...I "filled up" as much as I could, but it was hard to see him go :( , but I love that he is having the time of his life and doing great in school!

That's my ~~Boy~~ Guy!!!!

Lucy's Day! {part 2}

2011-09-13T03:50:00.000-07:00

After our big day at the American Girl store...we headed home to prepare Lucy's birthday dinner.

Her requests this year, Homemade Mac and Cheese, Green salad, and fruit salad ...

and an ice cream cake!

We set the table together and decided to go with a hot pink and black theme. We ran around the house and started pulling things in those colors and this is what we came up with!

Lucy's best friend Camryn came over to celebrate with the rest of the family :)

"Cheers" to good friends!

...and there couldn't have been a better surprise, than a birthday card from Powell straight from WSU!

Lucy is CRAZY for puzzles right now...she loves doing them over and over...she is up to 100 pieces!!

Now she can "represent" for Powell!!!

(Lucy hates the flash on the camera...that is why her eyes are half closed :)

Grammy and Papa♥

Aunt Deanna♥

Daddy's Girl♥

The brothers♥

Mommy's Girl♥

Happy Birthday Lucy Joy!

May all your wishes come true!

xoxo

Lucy's Day! {part 1}

2011-09-12T08:13:00.000-07:00

This year for Lucy's birthday, we did things a little different :)

She LOVES the American Girl catalog, and had been looking at it for quite a few months with MANY things circled :). She decided that for her birthday she wanted to go to the AG store herself and choose her gifts, rather than me ordering them (I made sure she understood that she wouldn't have gifts to open in the morning, and that was fine with her!)

So, on Saturday morning we greeted her with lots of "Happy Birthday's", a singing I-Carly card, and her gift from her YeYe and Frankie.

Lucy then ate her special request breakfast

"egg in a hole"

(bird in a nest, one eyed toast...so many names!)

Of course, after she was dressed and ready to go, we did a little

birthday photo shoot :)

....then a little "twirling"

It was then time to pick-up Grammy and drive to the American Girl store!

I have had the "little dream" :) of taking Lucy to get her first AG doll at either the Chicago or NYC store :) when she was 7 or 8, the perfect excuse since we didn't have a store here in Seattle. Well, this summer they opened a store, BUT ....Lucy did not want a doll this year, she wanted accessories for her AG Bitty Baby she received for Christmas 3 years ago...SO, that still leaves the door wide open (in my opinion) for a little trip next year!!!!

I thought maybe once we got into the store, Lucy would decide she wanted a doll instead, but she did not waiver, she knew exactly what she wanted for her baby!

Lucy ended up with two outfits, a changing table, and a travel carrier for her baby.
Once we paid for her things, she was ready to go...

Our little American Girl!!

Happy 7th Birthday Lucy Joy!

2011-09-10T04:00:00.000-07:00

My Sweet Lucy Joy♥

Today is your 7th birthday, how can it be? You are such a sweet, smart, stylish, funny, kind little lady and we couldn't be more proud of you!

Here are some of the things you love to do right now...cook with Mommy, play with your Baby, drive your jeep, dance, listen to music, play on the computer, play with Camryn, talk about your day :), puzzles, play games, pretend shopping, going anywhere with Daddy, dates with your Brothers, Grammy and Papa's visits on Friday nights, reading, and First Grade!

You bring such joy to our family & friends and everyone who meets you. You are a blessing beyond compare♥

Happy Birthday Lucy!
I love you with all my heart♥
Mommy

Favorite Photo Friday~

2011-09-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

I am linking up with Lisa from The Long Road to China for

Favorite Photo Friday

I immediately knew this was the picture I wanted to use...it really shows the joy on Lucy's face, and how excited she is to be a First Grader!

If you would like to link up...head over to Lisa's blog!

Lucy's Lunchbox {In My Kitchen}

2011-09-08T18:23:00.000-07:00

This is Lucy's first year taking lunch to school, and I really wanted to keep it healthy and fresh. I love the idea of "bento style" lunches, so that is what we are going for this year.

We found this cute lunch bag (which Lucy loves because you carry it like a purse :),

and then we went to our local Daiso, which is a japanese store that carries a huge mix of containers specifically for bento boxes.

Lucy loves eating this way anyway, a little of this and a little of that :) so this is perfect for her.

We found these cute pink and white containers, and then there are little silicone muffin cups and containers (cucumbers, watermelon, and proscuitto roll are in them), and then to top it off we got the cutest little picks to use for the fruit and veggies.

Is this NOT the cutest lunch??

And another fabulous thing...zero waste!

First Day of School 2011

2011-09-08T18:02:00.000-07:00

Well...here we are again :)

This year has been harder for me to get into the "groove" of new school year because it feels like there are so many changes this year, and I have had a hard time accepting the fact that my "babies" are growing up!

Besides the fact that my "first baby" is away at college, my "second baby" will be a junior this year and begin the college application process, take the SAT's...my "third baby boy" is now a highschool freshman...are you kidding me?? AND...now my Lucy is a first grader who will ride the bus and go ALL DAY! Oh my~

Luckily, the boys know that the "first day of school picture" is a non-negotiable thing...however, their "first day of school outfits" now that they are teenagers are their own choosing...bet you could tell :)

Blake - 11th grade

Bennett - 9th grade

Lucy - 1st Grade

Lucy has been SO excited to start 1st grade ...she has been a little worried about going to school all day AND riding the bus for the first time.

She gave me the biggest hug before getting on that bus like a brave little rockstar...I know she was fighting back tears, but she did it!

As soon as the bus pulled away, Toby and I raced to the car and flew up to the school to beat the bus :)...YES I am THAT Mom :)....

and this face is what we saw as she stepped off that bus :)

So...there you go...everyone had a great first day and we are excited for a great year!

P.S....read HERE about Lucy's Lunchbox...so cute!

P.S.S...stay tuned..I have a post to share about Lucy's shoes and Nordstrom that might just be helpful to someone with similar issues.

Ciao Bella!

♥Happy Valentine's Day♥

Kiss Me~Brown Sugar Lip Scrub {In My Kitchen}

To e-read or not...that is the question!

Charming Valentine Ideas~

SMASH & Downton Abbey

Little Red Riding Hood Treasury

I am planning a Little Red Riding Hood party for Lucy this year

Chinese New Year Celebration 2012

♥Valentine Treasury♥

♥Here are some sweet finds from Etsy for Valentine's Day♥

Blake, you're my Han Solo!

The Hunger Games

Meyer Lemon Bars {In My Kitchen}

♥Valentine's Day Pins♥

Xīn Nián Kuài Lè!

Loving right now~

Careful what you wish for....

Chinese New Year ~ Year of the Dragon

Our wish came true~

snow

This 'n That~

Cozy {Sunday Snapshot}

Loving right now~

What I want to "BE" in 2012~

Game change...Name change!

A Christmas Craft

New Years Weekending~

Celebration Lane~

Books I read in 2011!

A sweet gift exchange~

Christmas at our house~

The Nutcracker~

Lucy & Camryn~

Christmas with Aunt Deanna~

Deck the Halls {Around the House}

Lucy's Farm Program~

Littlest Trooper~

Deck the Halls {The Library/Office}

Deck the Halls {Outside}

Cougar Mountain Zoo~

Hot Cocoa Station 2011~

Birthday Weekending~

Family Dinner {Through Lucy's lens}

**Grand Opening** {My Etsy Shop}

Thankful Weekending~

Giving Thanks~

Happy 17th Birthday Blake Tobias!!

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Whoopie Pies {In My Kitchen}

Catching Up!

Seeing the difference {Photography}

Its November!!

Taylor Swift...Rockin the night {Halloween 2011}

Halloweens Past~

Kickin Cowgirl!

Pumpkin Patch~

here's a hint...

Violated

Pumpkin Pie Popcorn {In My Kitchen}

I'm a little obsessed with Pumpkins :)

My Fall Porch

Wordless Wednesday~

Rain Rain Go Away~

My Niece and "Getting out of the Auto Zone"!!

LARA Bars {In My Kitchen}

Do You Ever.....

Today...

Homecoming 2011~

A Homemade Life

New Shoes for Lucy~

Wordless Wednesday~

Fabulous Fall {and Pinterest}!

Powell Weekending!!!

Lucy's Day! {part 2}

Lucy's Day! {part 1}

Happy 7th Birthday Lucy Joy!

Favorite Photo Friday~

Lucy's Lunchbox {In My Kitchen}

First Day of School 2011

Grand Opening {My Etsy Shop}