growing up...

This week.....my favorite girl.....and my favorite man are getting a bit older.........

..which means i have some planning to do...... I am a tad bit behind in the party planning committee....it's not my fault.......even though i was voted HEAD of this committee.....i just didn't realize what goes into being in charge..and to tell you the truth.....i lack delegating skills.......or should i ask Fin to pick out the tunes for the party......or should i have Mason choose the menu?

See.......i didn't think so......

So...since i will be a BIT tied up doing some planning.......i thought i would give away one of my favorite butterfly pendant necklaces.........Yes....you heard me......................a little token from me to you......

and don't you fret....I shall be back soon.

oh...and new tunes added today...just listen...

xo

cruise control.....

I'm in the chatty mood right now......just finished a few glasses of vino....which always helps open my mind up....

i went with a friend last night and saw ' a movie' .......in which i also read the book....probably 3 or 4 years ago.....and let me tell you...... i bawled....actually the whole theatre was bawling......and this is a story of a family of three children...just like myself.

And i felt as a mother of 3 children that even though i love each of the three the same......the firstborn is and will always be a firstborn.

We mothers of more than 2 children know how much energy goes into our first child.....they are not competing with other children...we have more time with them......we dote on them.....

it is a fact.

I am a lucky girl.

I know this.

I don't know what it is like to have a sick child.....

or to lose a child.

I can't imagine what a family goes through because of a situation like this.

If you have....my heart goes out to you....

i know marriages only have a 30% success rate after the death of a child....

and i can totally understand why.........as a mother.......my whole being would be about my child ......
all the while knowing that when i married my husband we told each other that our marriage would always be first and foremost.....even before the children........marriage first...children second......
both of our parents are still married and hold the same values.....



so i cruise on cruise control.........and i think alot of us do......

we never anticipate....we never assume.......

we just cruise...

xo

bliss....

Have you ever just sat back......and watched.....................

....I .. did.............I sat back and watched my children yesterday..............really just watched them.

I watched them smile....

I watched them laugh...

I watched them be who they are.......

which is amazing....

beautiful.....

babies.........

they don't care what i do.....

they don't care that i have acne* like a teenager......

they don't care what i'm wearing....

they had no cares.......






these babies love their momma......

they love life....

they love having fun.....

they love loving......

they love summer.....




I sat back and just watched for once.....

and you know what.....it was amazing.

*acne caused by high levels of humidity....

.....{oldest baby wanted nothing to do with being photographed}

white love affair.....

I'm not going to lie.

I've been having an affair.

my hubby said it's not really an affair if i haven't been cheating.....so i guess i have not been cheating but more like coveting....or collecting......or .....really just admiring.

I'm allowed to admire.....and collect.

Are you allowed to admire and collect?

yup.......hubby just said ...admiring is o.k.

though he wishes i wouldn't collect so much.

o.k.

I have a small {admired} collection of white pitchers......oh yes....it's small alright....but it's slowly growing....

and i've been collecting them on my antique shoe rack......

the rack my hubby bought me for mothers day.......

and i just realized i haven't shown it to you yet.

....what a sweet hubby to buy it for me on Mothers day huh!?

He was really surprised when he came home and saw it. I guess i should have told him that it was my mothers day gift.

I think my antique shoe rack is the perfect place to {admire} my collection of white pitchers ........

one day i will have this whole rack filled with white pitchers.....and i will invite you over and fill them up with White Sangria ......then we can sit and talk about our {admiration's} and {collections}.

What do you think?

xo

Today i will.....

Today i will................

today i will...................

today i will................. let Lola believe that this is her prince.

xo

lunching.....

Good morning girls!


First i just wanted to let you know that Mason made it home safe and sound Saturday from his visit with the grandparents in Florida. He had a fabulous time and flew home by himself. .....on an airplane........


*whew*


I'm so glad he's back...safe.....with a tan.......and a smile.






Anyways, last week i was able to "sneak" off by myself for a whole day.....yes......you heard that right.......i have a lovely friend that took my kids for the whole day....and i think she only volunteered because there were only 2 children to take...since Mason was "vacationing".......


so what did i do....you ask?..........


well.......







I headed into my little "downtown" of St. Charles with a friend......we perused the Little shops nestled in old historic homes.........

This place is called Stonehouse.........I love it.....

Every charming downtown needs a bookstore/cafe...........a true indie........and charming........

and our little downtown sits right on the river.........

....and then i met a friend for lunch at the bookstore's backyard cafe....................................

....yes....you heard me.....a backyard cafe.......in back of a bookstore..........

love.love.love

...I had a glass of the finest Pinot Grigio.........................

.....and one of the best sandwiches i've had in a long time............

So, anytime you head here to St. Charles.....just let me know....I would love to meet you for lunch!

xo

help wanted.....

Applications now being accepted

for a 'second' wife.

Position: Being a loving and nurturing wife.....{second in command} to a wonderful husband. Must be detail oriented, helpful, and you must....i repeat... must...love to cook.

First wife does NOT cook.

You must love children......and enjoy being around children ALL day long.

You must love to play with children.......

First wife does NOT play with children..

You must love to swim......and swim with children......First wife likes to read while at pool.

First wife does NOT like to swim.

Are you a homebody?......then this could be the perfect position for you........we would love someone who feels the need to NEST......

First wife likes to shop for the nest.....

If you feel like you are a perfect fit for our loving little family......then just let me know....

xo

planning....

I've been in the planning mode......and mood..........
We love a good outdoor party...really...who doesn't right? Right now i'm in the middle of putting together a little soiree {i love that word} for my sweet hubby's b-day. I don't know about you, but my hubby could really care less what type of party we have.... not me....{duh}.....i'm sure he just wants a few guys and some beer..............oh....there might be some beer........and some guys.......but i am sure he wanted to crawl under the table when i said......"honey......let me take care of everything............except the bill of course"......
I'm pretty sure he rolled his eyes......
anyhoo.....
I ordered the sweetest burlap banner last week, the same one I saw while i was in Spokane...you can see it in the pic above......and you can find it HERE.
One of the best things about living in the Midwest is all the huge green tree's......perfect for stringing lights from............I also bought a bunch of white paper lantern balls to hang as well....
I'm at a crossroads as to choose whether or not to include lovely little children or not. I have the sitter booked just in case, but it would just be lovely to have a child free evening as well as having children running around.....but having children also means having things for the children to do.
oh...the drama.....
how about a firefly catching contest? ......of course i would let PETA know that we are letting the fireflies go after they are caught.....
now there is an idea......
or we could roast them over the fire pit.......
just kidding PETA.....


Are you planning any gatherings soon? Do tell.....
I also hope i'm not the only one that feels like I can't keep up with posting so much?
So hang in there.....
and have a lovely day my friends.....
xo
{thank you Tara for letting me use your awesome banner pic}

Wednesday.....

Has school only been out for one week? I just wanted you to know that ...in case you were wondering....


The other day we went to our favorite little spot.....for ice cream......

..have you ever had these flying saucers? Apparently the kids "must" have them.....

who knew kids would eat paper................and like it...........

......stop........are they smiling?.....now that... i must say is the best part about the day.............

......yes......those are pink toenails on Fin.......feel free to call him "twinkle toes".......because that's what you get called when you let your sister paint your toenails..........sorry.....

..............and a little game of hopscotch on the path............

....and that's us.

Can you believe it's already Wednesday?

xo
.

love affair.....

I love coming up with post titles.....the edgier the better.....and i know what you were thinking the minute i mentioned love affair.....and with a picture of my bedroom........but....here you are......and since you're already here........this is my bedroom....as you can see on the walls....i have sheet music that hangs all over. Different...i know....not the norm....i know......but i love sheet music....the older the better...{so cliche..}

just like wine........o.k......STOP!!! ....sorry.

wow....don't know how this picture got here.....i mean....it's my bedroom........a room i share with my husband........

but i guess my mind was on Mathew for a minute........{so random....so just don't mention it to Bryan}.

whew.

Alright....where was I??? ...oh......my bedroom.

anyways.....when I was in Spokane, i mentioned that we ate at the most fabulous restaurant called Chaps, and on Chaps walls were what i have been dreaming about doing to my own bedroom walls but yet so nervous to do so.......

take a peek and enlarge the pics so you can see the details......

I of course wouldn't have the pics of horses and the roses wallpaper....but i love.love how they just decoupaged all the sheet music and sheets of vintage poetry pages right to the wall so it looks like wallpaper...

that black frame is from ikea.....and could so easily be painted. So what do you think........remember...i won't have horses on my walls.....but i would love some opinions......yes...or ...no.....or maybe so........

I could have it done in a week.....especially since my little {big} guy is in Florida this week and will be flying home by himself .......but that's a whole other issue....so let's not go there....

{thank you camp whimsy for letting me use your photo!}

and my friend Katie has an AWESOME giveaway HERE....

xo

timeless.....

I bet you think i forgot all about showing you the treasures i found last weekend didn't you? I've been playing around with all the little things i found and finding the right spot for them. I found this fabulous pillow at The Barn House....and i had to be quick to grab it......it was the last one with the little ruffles. I don't know about you...but i'm a ruffle girl....said and true....

..it found a nice little spot on the settee in the sunroom...

and look at these beauties.....

have i told you how much i love butterflies?.....and here they are in the form of vintage paper in an old eye glass and made into a necklace.

{sigh}

....and this necklace with the old watch face......

...a couple of new {old} frames for my empty frame wall.......

...and one of the best surprises was when i got home ..... a good friend surprised me with a hand full of vintage clock faces......she knew i wanted to do an entire wall of them.....so thank you Tracey!