Meet paul walker.....

Good morning friday.

I wanted you all to meet Paul Walker....

it's a funny thing...really...

Paul was born in Glendale, Cali.

and i was born in Glendale, Cali.

Paul was born in 1973.....

i was born in 1974.

Paul was in a bunch of movies.....

i was an extra in one movie.

It's fate.

Just don't mention it to bryan...

hmmph.

I decided to name my new truck after Paul...

i don't think he would mind...

i mean..

if he ever decided to call me back

so that i can ask him personally...

that is.

Maybe he would even like to take a ride with me...

totally innocent of course..

i would even let bryan ride in the back;-)

Meet my new ride....

Paul Walker....

i think i'll call him Walker for short.

or just paul...

i'm not sure...

or even PW.

I hope Pioneer Woman doesn't mind that i'm

stealing her initials.

PW is gorgeous......

inside and out.

He's a mountain truck...

but when we chatted, he mentioned that

he would love to live in

the chicago burbs.

he's a 1950 chevy....

grey and red.







This love affair is meant to be....


because you know how i love grey...

I just have to keep talking the owner...

who happens to be my dad...

into handing him over.

{dad...are you reading this?}

If and when PW ever decides to head my way...

i promise you will be the first to know.

till then....

i'll just keep dreaming.

xo

Family days.....

The real reason we all headed to Angel Fire, NM last weekend was

not just to meet my new nephew....

but was to celebrate my parents 40th anniversary.

Forty years together.

While i was there i found some photos of my mom...

shortly after she married my dad.

I'm happy to say that Lola now has photos

of someone she loves ...

with the same hair style.

We celebrated their anniversary as a family...

and it was a fabulous weekend.

We spent three full days skiing.

alright....

not necessarily moi...

because i had to have my baby fix remember.

All three of the kids are now officially skiers.

Mason had a one day lesson since he

has skied before.

{fyi: i looked up the word skied..and i did spell it right...

it just doesn't look right....

for all of you grammar fanatics}

Fin and Lola had never been on ski's...

so they had 2 days of lessons.

Bryan and Mason skied together the second day..

all day...

while the other two had their second day of lessons.

Then on Sunday....

we all went up as a family.

amazing.

fun.

To be able to ski as a family...

and there was no complaining at all.

errrr..

alright...

there might have been a teeeny...tinnny bit of complaining.

It wasn't from me though.

We still had fun though.

We are very fortunate to have family that lives

in areas that make family vacations fun.

oh....

and i've been having a blast answering all your questions.

you can still ask....{here}

xo

p.s. i somehow forgot to announce

the winner of my little {2 year old}

giveaway.

Paula {two ellie} ...come on down!

{email me}

Have a seat....

Have a seat...

then head over {HERE}....

and ask me any questions you might have.

{this will give me a few minutes to clean

up from the birthday party last night...

Mason turned 9 yesterday.}

I think i might just cry.

hello baby.....

That was a quick five days away.

quick.

We left Thursday morning...and just got home.

I was going through all of the photos and there is

only one of me.

just one.

obviously...because i'm the one behind the camera...

taking pics of the kids all weekend.

I broke down and bought a winter jacket before i left for the mountains.

Do you see the snowboarders behind me....

watching me...

like i'm going to hop on my board...

and tear up the mountain...

in my jeans.

Do you know a lot of people wear jeans while skiing?

I'm serious.

I saw a lot of acid wash jeans.....

actually...

i saw a lot of things...

but i won't go there....

cuz this is a family blog...

and i want to keep it a happy place.

Anyways.....

hello there....i'm back....but one of the reasons i went

was to see this guy:

As of right now i am in serious withdrawal.


i'm hurting bad.....


like a junkie....









my ovaries kicked in to high gear over the weekend while


visiting my new nephew.


Preston.


I clearly remember my whole family standing around..


ooohing...


and


aaahing...


over the baby.....


and as i am holding this sweet baby..


i turn around to bryan...


and say...


it's time...i'll meet you in the bedroom in five.









At that point he disappeared.


gone.


i haven't seen him since.


I have a small feeling he's not on board with me


to have another baby.


oh well.
a girl can still dream right...
and i have her name all picked out just in case.


Anyhoo...this little guy was what i needed over the weekend....


i could have eaten him up..


actually...


i did...


but my sister in law had to stop me...


she practically had to grab Preston from me...


but all is good now.


I got my baby fix.
{now i'm just going to go and see if i can find that hiding husband of mine...}


xo

*Florabella giveaway winners*

Simply Mel

&

Beth Perry

{email me girls...}

Date night....

He called me while on his way home from work.....

and said...

tell lola it's date night tonight.

date night.

I'm not gonna lie and say i was hoping it was me he was taking out...

because i could really use one.

like right now..

as i'm typing...

i need a date night.

Maybe i'll get one while at my parents house...

or would it be to much to ask them to watch the

kids on their 40th anniversary...

which happens to be on Valentines day.

Did i ever mention that they were married in

vegas...

at the Elvis chapel?

I'm going to find a photo of them while i'm at their home...

it's a great story.

Alrighty then...

where was i...

oh..

date night....oh yes...

and it wasn't me that bryan was coming to get...

it was lola.

Lola needs it...and it's a special time with her dad

once a month...all to herself.

They went bowling...

her choice of course...

but bryan lucked out because he almost

was talked into going to get their nails done.

whew.

Nacho's and bowling....

have you ever had bowling alley nacho's?

It's a great way to get sick in the middle of the night..

i promise.

Did you know bowling is big here in the midwest...

we like to go on Thanksgiving...

after we gorged on turkey and think that

we won't fit out the front door.

Anyways...lola and her daddy had a date ...

and i have a feeling next time it might be

going to get nails done.

Florabella giveaway.....

I love to photograph....

now for the editing....

that's a different story.

I've been chatting with my new friend Shanna

from Florabella....

who is the amazing girl behind

The florabella collection.

Textures and actions for photoshop.

As you can see the sequence on photos above of lola...

she has three different actions going on.

That is me up above....

the first picture is before photoshop....

the second picture...

well...

after photoshop.

What a difference a little photo editing can do.

I have just started playing around with photoshop...

playing i tell you...

because it's going to take some serious time to

become a perfectionist.

Time is something i have....

just not a whole lot of extra time.

This is Fin before {above}

not bad.

Fin after using Milk & honey II actions.

Lola and fin before {above}









now lola and fin using cosmopolitan action.













Flowers before on the left....




and after on the right...




using a vintage effect .

Anyways....if you ever wanted to dabble in photoshop....I think you will love these actions and textures.

If you leave a comment, i will be giving away one texture set and one action set.

You don't have to be a professional....really....you don't...but if you have photoshop and would love to try this...It's amazing!

*comments closed*

Must love birthday parties......

Life.

It's a total roller coaster i tell ya.

I woke up this morning with my house a shakin...

literally.

Now...i grew up in So. Cali...so i know what earthquakes are...

and even though it was only like a 4.5 this morning...

it felt like we were being bombed.

Bryan and i jumped out of bed...

i mean...

can you picture it...

{at least i don't sleep in the nude..}

and i ran into lola's room..

grabbed her out of bed..

at this point she's confused and shaking..

and we run down the stairs...

and bryan talks me out of

hiding under the dining room table.

I'm still thinking of an air raid...

missiles...

bombs.

ummmm....nope.

just a little tremor....

and i lost a few beloved frames from my wall..

and one little pitcher that sat to close to

the edge of a dresser.

whew.

I even think they downgraded the actual number from a 4.5

to a 3.6.

lame....because it totally felt like a 7.6...

yes..

it did.

Anyways....life.....

we spent our sunday at the Shedd Aquarium...

have you ever been?

it's amazing.

my kids love it...

I keep telling bryan that one day i'm just

going to take the kids out of school for the day

and spend it at the shedd...

when it's not so crowded.

Then reality hits...on a school day..

and i think to myself...

why would i think of taking them out of school...

i mean...

really....

but i should...

and maybe i'll surprise myself one day..

and just do it.

I'm heading to kindergarten registration this morning...

but i'm not crying.

i won't be one of those moms.

my baby...my almost five year old....

the one who does no wrong...

is being registered for kindergarten.

It's a really good thing i'm heading to

New Mexico this weekend...

so i can get my baby fix... from my brothers new babe...

little putter.

They live in a ski resort area right above Taos...

so we will be doing some skiing...

and tubing..

and i for sure will be holding some baby...

lots and lots of baby holding.

alrighty...

my ovaries are kicking in to high gear...

i can hear them telling my uterus to

get ready.

aaaggh.

If my hubby only knew what was going on over here...

good thing he's had the clippity clip.

I woke up also to finding out that my sun room was being

featured over at

The inspired room.

I love that blog. {thanks melissa}

{i think its funny that the pic above has nothing to do with baby making}

oh....

and i just wanted to throw this out to you....

Have you ever wanted to throw an amazing birthday party?

Have you ever needed a wonderful

homemade birthday cake recipe?

Are you the type of mom that just loves to host them?

Are you children the best behaved at parties?

Do they listen...are they polite?

If not....

then feel free to call me.

because apparently i love birthday parties...

and i...

or my children...

can help you...

have a fabulous time.

yes...that is us.

we got a call last year that the local park district wanted

mason and lola for the spring cover.

Like a good mom...i said ...sure.

you got it.

who knows..maybe from this ...the gap will be calling us...

{note to Anthro: i am wearing your skirt and top from the 2009 line}

anyways...

we got there and then all of the sudden they ask me

to step in and look like i'm having a

BLAST.

at least the cake was good.

xo