happy to guest design for them this month!
here are my layouts:
and one with their documentary line:
i actually did one more layout but i left it at my friend's house while scrapping there 🙂 i'll add it when i get it back 🙂 i love the stuff april pulls for the studio calico kits. i was looking at each item as i pulled them from the kit and was amazed at how she nailed the colors to match exactly. she picks fun embellishments and patterns, it's hard to go wrong with making a cute layout from them! 🙂 here's a link to their goods over at 2peas! i adore their rubons and fabrips, especially. on my list of must haves at all times! 🙂
shoppy mood
i can't even explain how excited i was to go to renegade!
i love etsy. i love supporting handmade. i love the creativity that oozes out of people. i love that they had some of my favorite etsy stores there- in like real life. 🙂 i was sorta star struck. well mistake number 1 would be: going at 2 pm. mistake number 2 would be: going with 2 children. mistake number 3 would be: going without icy drinks or snacks or some sort of shade for the littlest buddy. 
there were so many cute booths and these were the only pics i took. there's something about whiny, sweaty kids that makes me feel guilty about taking pictures and shopping. everytime i entered a booth, i heard: sigggghhhhh. which meant: is looking at this necklace more important than shading your children and finding them something cold to drink?
elsie loves posing with mannequins/life sized little people of all types. that's the only reason she even let me take that picture.
next year i'm coming in the evening.
summer
i am determined to have a summer filled (or at least a handful, i'll be realistic) of days like this!
trips to the beach with the crew. no agenda. just being together.
so much has changed since this trip- this was early june. now it's mid july and cam has chopped all his hair off. caleb lost a tooth. kira started summer school. we moved. we shot some amazing weddings.
the most change has occurred in the last 6 months with our teenager. it is insane how fast time has gone by with her. makes our heart hurt that time slips by so quickly.
evidence of a good day. elsie's much loved treasures.
my heart is full.
walking
els loves to go on walks… nowhere in particular, just out to walk.
she's been a little off since the move- super clingy. tomorrow we have our first wedding since the move and she has been really concerned about it. lots of tears and requests that daddy go alone 🙂 so today she requested to go for a walk. i obliged. we picked flowers and talked. i let her lead the way. i just followed….
and she led us 2 blocks away… to our old house.
she looked up at me with those big, round, brown eyes and held in her tears. she said, 'i just wanted to see it.' i bent down and asked, 'do you miss it?' she said, 'yes.' i hugged her and told her we could come back and visit anytime she wanted. she decided to invite her imaginary fairy friends to the new house, as she accidentally left them behind. 🙂
when we got home, she wanted to go on another walk, with just chris. again, he let her lead the way, and again, they wound up at the old house. they put their hands on the door and said prayers of thanks for the memories and wishes that we will have many more sweet memories in our new home.
these walks melted me. els is such a strong little girl. we underestimated how much our move would impact her. we know that she'll bounce back and end up loving our new place as we love it… till then, if going on lots of walks to visit the old house is what it takes, we'll do it… bringing each little fairy with us as well.
fresh cold lemonade!
yesterday the kids decided to hit up the high schoolers that walk by after summer school and sell them lemonade.
first customer was the UPS guy, and he wasn't even dropping off a package! and he got a refill! we were surprised to see how many cars actually stopped and bought, and only a handful walkers stopped and bought. the kids decided they didn't mind if people drove by and didn't buy, but they were offended when they didn't get a smile or a wave. 🙂
chris said he'd double whatever they made that day. he wasn't counting on his best friend coming by and giving them a $20.00 tip. 🙂
the stand 🙂
elsie's newly painted bookshelf/toybin. we thought it was perfect for the stand 🙂 cam nixed the tinkerbell table with umbrella and chairs as he said, people wouldn't take him seriously, lol 🙂 elsie was quite the saleslady too! screaming fresh lemonade to whoever passed by!
welcome to the neighborhood!
the only photo we've unpacked, a favorite from jonathan canlas 🙂
we moved 2 blocks from our old home but it's like new scenery for the kids. after a walk and bike ride today, cam and els brought home these lovelies for me 🙂 i liiiiikkkeyyyy ❤
we're settling in nicely. kitchen and bathrooms and kids mostly unpacked. me, still pulling out random clothes out of boxes. chris, running to his mom's since his clothes are still hanging in the guest closet 🙂 but scrap stuff mostly unpacked into the garage. we've got a nice set up with the cabinets out there so i finally get my own scrap room, haha! i even put out our nice big area rug in there so it'll be cool once i organize. will take proper pics soon. i think we're all still in shock that we've moved, that this is our new home to build new memories. it feels like a vacation still. 🙂 minus the eating out and maid service. 🙂
bad blogger
life has been busy! really, i mean it. super busy! 
we've recently moved and aren't quite settled yet. seems to have taken a bit of a toll on this one here. she's always been clingy but lately she's super clingy! i know that she will grow out of it so i'm good with being her little buddy these days. she had her last day of school as well and wants nothing to do with the 4 year old class in september. kinda surprising for our little socialite but not super surprising as she doesn't like change. and she had the most wonderful teachers this year! they amaze me, i love preschool for her…. and me haha! :)
summer begins this friday. my kids made a goal for us to go to the beach at least 10 times this summer 🙂 i'm ready for sleeping in, yay 🙂
on sunday
she will be FIF-FREAKING-TEEN.
layout for 2peas. love that rectangle paper- anna griffin of course!
I'm trying to wrap my mind around this being possible. That I've known her for 15 years, almost 16 counting pregnancy 🙂 I had her at a young age and so I can say that most of my adult life has included her. I've grown up with her and now she's growing up. Parenting a teenager is unlike anything I've ever known. People have all kinds of advice when you first have a baby and during toddler years. But what about when they become teens? Does everyone just shut up because they too are going through the same emotional roller coaster? The emotions of a teenager are so complex. I adore her. I adore the person she is becoming. I want to get in her head and know every thought like when she was little and wouldn't stop talking for a second. But I can't. I can try my best to be there. To love her unconditionally. To be happy that I am in her heart. This is the beginning phase of letting go but being unsure about how tight to hold the reigns. I can say that it freaks me out that she will be moving on with life in about 3 years. I believe I will be a complete wreck when that day comes.
Here's to fifteen and all that comes with that. Wish it could be filled with cupcakes and ponies, instead of beaches and boys 🙂 LOVE YOU KIRRRRRRRA 🙂 We are here for you 🙂
sharing
another layout, this one for KI.
featuring new KI goods and a favorite jonathan canlas photo. i love that picture– els was a little shy getting her photo taken by someone other than mom or dad. so every solo shot of her she's making this funny little face. but any photo of her with someone in it WITH her, one of her fam members, she's good. she's safe. she's happy. i'll treasure them more than the headshots- i want to remember her when she was little and all it took to make her feel safe was her family nearby.
happy weekend! we're actually off to my mom's this weekend… because every girl needs a break and still likes to feel cozy at home with their mama nearby right? 🙂
sigh
and it was so pretty yesterday. 70 degrees, blue skies and gorgeous.
this is els with her orange top, orange henna flower kira drew for her and an orange marker that threw her into a whirlwind of a tantrum. crazyness. i no likey tantrums and gloom.
i miss yesterday. gloomy and drizzly today and tomorrow. wah.
i did get a box of new JB love in the mail today. i should take advantage of the gloom and do nothing but get crafty. 🙂
watersix 