this weekend

Laguna, unedited...








Our sixth and FINAL year for Song pictures. Can I hear an AMEN!!!!

amazing blogging mamas

If you haven't noticed, I've been a bit of a lazy blogger these last few months. Not that there hasn't been much to blog about. To the contrary--my life has been a a three ring circus, a cess pool of pubescent problems, and holy teenage hormones I have been less than a perfect Ring Leader!
I have thought about "putting it all out there" but most of the time I feel it would only serve to bore those who have already been through bouts of teen angst, and scare those who have yet to enter this era of parenting. Maybe someday I will share all the details, but for now I am trying to focus on the positive and continue to remind myself that I am not the first to deal with high school antics, and I surely won't be the last!

Until then, I find it freakishly comforting watching families like the Duggars from 18 Kids and Counting, where the faithful Michelle and Jim Bob raise their gaggle of kids and wondrously never seem to raise their voice, or their blood pressure, all while dealing with multiple little humans at every stage of childhood. I can easily lose myself in the simplicity of their life... homeschooling, praying, taking care of each other in the most heart warming way. And may I remind you... all while never raising their voice (or their hand for that matter).

I believe as moms we are our worst critics, and looking back I wish I had spent more time playing and less time, oh, say... TRYING TO GET THAT LITTLE GIRL'S PONY TAIL JUST RIGHT! I wish I had taken more pictures and worried less about cleaning. I look at young moms around me and hope they know how very fast the years will go by, but I know they don't, because even though I heard it, I don't think I ever really got it. I want to tell them to take it all in, not worry about having the perfect house or the perfect birthday party. I want to tell them to slow down, and capture every minute they can, because it goes sooo fast.

In true blogging fashion I have found a few moms that seem to have found that balance between taking care of their kids and enjoying the little moments that flee from our memory like the pain of childbirth. These moms, to me, seem perfect. Although I know from experience that perfection is best left up to God. They have their own trials and tribulations, just as all of us do on a daily basis.
I do know they are lucky to have the skills to chronicle their journey, with either their words-- or pictures-- or both. They are stellar story tellers and creative forces, and I seriously don't know where they get their energy. All I know is it makes me feel good to read their stories, to look at their lives, and to follow their daily living from their on line journals.

Am I jealous that I was not able to capture my own kid's childhoods in the form of a blog? HELL YES! Do I wish that I could do it all over again just to get all those memories down in writing. NO WAY! That's what grand kids are for!

(****WARNING*** looking at these blogs on a bad day, a "fat" day, or after just yelling at your children may be detrimental to your mental health as a mother. Just puttin' it out there!)

Enjoy looking at the lives of: Sarah from Clover Lane,

A. Ann from Resolved2Worship

and

Anna Maria Horner.

Amazing moms, living thoughtful, creative lives, all while wiping butts and kissing boo boos and managing to stay sane. They inspire me!

not just another cupcake

Photo:Martha Stewart

Just when you thought a cupcake couldn't get any cuter...




To get your very own cupcake wrappers check out Bella Cupcake Couture.

You just can't have enough cute inspiration!

:::home sweet home:::

It's no secret to those who know me that I love the east coast. It borders on obssession actually-- a love of all things old...architecture, history, the stories of those who have been here before us. Thank goodness I married someone who feels the same way and is working his magic to get us there.

Meet Layla and Kevin They are the young couple behind The Lettered Cottage, a blog about a home they are renovating, and their love for all the little details of amazing architecture of the past. So much heart and soul were put into homes years ago, when times were simpler, people truly lived in their homes, cooked in their kitchens, sat on their porches. They created the enchanting little video below as they toured historic homes in the south. Another beautiful area of the United States!

Untitled from Layla Palmer on Vimeo.

Can't you picture babies toddling on the hard wood floors, family cooking in the kitchen and keeping warm by the fireplace? Like The Lettered Cottage couple, Jon and I adore traditional architecture, big porches, the beautiful details of homes that have been made to withstand generations of inhabitants. I love that Layla and Kevin share their desire to preserve what others have painstakingly created. They have a mutual attraction to old homes, Main Street USA, and the history and beauty of the past. Thankfully, my husband is just as excited as I am about one day living in a home that we can work to make our own, in an area full of history and lush surroundings. If you want to see more of Layla and Kevin's day touring houses check out their blog, The Lettered Cottage

What do you love about your home, or where do you dream of living one day?

probably the coolest calendar EVER!

If I only had a wall to put this on. It is the perfect Christmas gift for someone I know though. Hmmmm...
You can go here for instructions on how to make your own, or go here to buy one just like the video.
Either way, COOL!