Neon & Glitter

[image via here ]

I'm loving the combination of bright neon with glittering accents. This is a little package I put together for my niece's birthday.

For those of you in Utah, you can purchase my favorite glitter ribbon in a variety of colors from Paper Creations.

I love you, yes I do.

[me + dad. shirt I made with the lyrics to a song he sang to me as a kid]

This weekend I helped host a 50th birthday party for my dear old dad. I must say a few words about my dad. He is with out a doubt the strongest human being I know. Not in a my dad can beat up your dad kind of way, but in an endure to the end, give it your all kind of way. We lost my mom when I was just 3 years old, and my brother only 9 months. I have incredible memories of my single dad putting braids in my hair, feeding a jar of baby food to my brother, and the two of us being curled up in his lap on a rocking chair accompanied by lullabies of Simon and Garfunkel. Since that time he has spent every day of his life in effort to fuse together the most seamless new family there has ever been. He's taught me kindness, courage, acceptance and most importantly, love of God. He holds being a father higher than anything else in his life and has always made that evident by his actions. I am truly a better person and a better mother because of his example. We had an amazing time at his celebration with memories we'll never forget!

[E baby getting in on a little karaoke action]

The charming little song my dad used to sing and the inspiration for my t-shirt.

The year of the bun.

I had a great time at Alt! I was so nervous going into it, and came out feeling inspired and encouraged. I can't wait to share some of the my favorite details, but first, I've seen the picture above floating around the net: here, and here.  There were some super fashionable peeps in attendance, and there were more than a few buns to be found. I grabbed these pictures from the Alt Flickr stream entitled "The year of the bun." The funny thing is, I wear my hair like this so often mostly just because it's so fast to do! 

Lately

oh snap, wild boy.

I like blogging. I'd like to post often. I really would. I like my kids, I like my husband, I like my job. It's a matter of finding a place and a time for all the things I like. Between us, the kids are my favorite, and they always get chosen first. I have so many aspirations for my creative side. I'm trying to figure out how to give them room to grow. Do these things ever overwhelm anyone else the way they do me? I always decide that if I'm fulfilling my requirements as a mom, I'll never regret the way my priorities are set. There should be room for other ambitions though right? Most days it feels a bit cramped.

At work I've been given some really great opportunities to learn and grow including the upcoming opportunity to attend Alt. Due to some schedule conflicts with co-workers, I'll probably end up going alone. I don't know why that makes me nervous. I've never enjoyed doing anything alone really. I love the company of others. I love my work at Uppercase Living. I love the people I work for, and I love the people I work with. There's something special about it. I'd really like to make some meaningful connections in relation to the great things my work is doing, and I guess maybe that makes me nervous. Just because I care so much. Regardless of my worries from a professional perspective, it's a huge opportunity, and I hope to learn a lot.

My babies are getting bigger all the time, and they are now sharing a room. I have really fond memories of sharing a room with my little brother growing up, and I hope they'll be able to create some of the same enjoyable times together. Of course I have lots of ideas and plans to create a nice little space for them and despite my anxious tendency to want everything pulled together at once, I'll probably just work at it one piece at a time. Speaking of one piece at a time, I jotted a little list of resolutions down. It's something I do every year. I'm a firm believer that if you don't write goals down, they're that much less likely to be accomplished.

1. I chose my words carefully. No strict diet or exercise rules. Just an honest charge to be kind to the body I have by becoming selective about what I put in, and how I improve it.
2. Being home with the kids are some of the best times of my life. I want to have fun. I want them to have fun.
3. I want to enjoy cooking for my family. I want to think outside the box. I want to cook healthy meals that taste good.
4. I want to be good to the environment. I want to be good to my wallet. I want to enjoy and appreciate my local surroundings.
5. I want our home to reflect our personality. I want it to be inviting. I want it to feel comfortable.
6. I want to take better pictures.
7. I have never appreciated the beauty of obtaining knowledge more than I do now. I want to learn. I want my knowledge to grow.
8. No excuses.
9. I want to trust that the things I say about myself will teach my daughter (and son) to be proud of her body and mind.
10. Stop trying to manage all tasks on my own. He knows best.

stocking loot

I thought it might be fun to document the little stocking gifts from each year and see how the kids' interests change.

Fringe Garland for the New Year!

I'm making a small local tv appearance today sharing some New Year's party ideas. I put together this fringe garland in under an hour using tissue paper, glue stick, twine and some alluminum foil. I followed Martha's tutorial for tissue paper decorations and modified it just a bit. I cut my tissue paper to a 5 x 10" size, and added alluminum foil behind the green to add a bit of glitz for the new year! I found the polka dot paper at a local discount party store!  Hope you all enjoy your holiday! xo

So this is Christmas

Christmas with a bright eyed two year old is really sort of magical. The childlike wonder and excitement paired with the sweet innocence is a delightful combination. Some of our favorite holiday traditions this year included visiting the lights at Temple Square, the classic advent calendar chocolate, and watching a film about the baby Jesus on our Christmas morning.

Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!