there was this one time…
lemons and camellias
since they only bloom once a year, i must trim lots and lots during this time and add them all over the house. they make me happy. 🙂
i love this set of frames of chris and kira. a good ten years or so in between the 2 pics. 🙂
this year's valentine's colors included greens and yellows and reds. fuschia, pink and purple were last year…she's gotta switch it up now and then! 🙂
hope your day is full of chocolate and more chocolate 🙂
jubilee:
kitchy:
vintage whimsy:
i did a few home decor items too but of course i forgot to photograph them before i gave them away! i really love this release.. margie did a fantastic job with all the details and colors. so easy to make lovely layouts with gorgeous product!
a few of my favorites finally hanging on the wall in my kitchen.
you can see a corner bit of this print on the right here. ode to me and you from my sweet sisinlaw. cute print my hubby took from here. and a trio of prints that my friend tara took long long ago! 
kitchen corner window. rocks from hawaii and san clemente. 🙂
and 45 degree turn and there's my stove top. 
matchstick holder from an antique shop in portland. kitchen timer from martha stewart.
we're slowly getting there!
caleb joins his older siblings in the double digits today. he's ten.(here he is with his little cousin jeremy in december) ten years ago we were living on the east coast, a new little family of five. my goodness.
cam turned 12 last november. i was totally off the blog updating at the time so both boys get this post 🙂 to say the boys have changed so much is an understatement. cam is at the brink of teenagehood. amazingly it's brought him and kira closer, we are so thankful. caleb continues to be a studious young man with a flair for drama and a passion for sports commentary. cam just finished his basketball middle school year and is looking into joining a club basketball team. both take after their father in different ways. to say we are proud of them is also an understatement. i watch these boys develop daily into these young men and i am overwhelmed with happiness.
she's off to another dance. 
note that father here will protect young daughter by all means necessary 🙂
above shot was one of my faves of her. 🙂 the two below were my favorite candid shots i got. so sweet and classic!
from last year to this year: from getting her first make up done to doing it herself. from curling her own hair to getting her first updo. from flats to heels. from cardigan to 'i won't be cold!' from getting dropped off to a limo. from forever 21 jewelry to juicy couture and tiffany's jewelry.
sigh. it goes quick people!
morning cup. 
and afternoon cup.
my tea essentials:
harney chocolate mint tea. i've moved from individual tea bags to buying it in bulk 🙂 i love it that much.
tea strainer. i actually couldn't find my exact tea strainer, chris got it for me as a gift from new zealand. but this link has some nifty looking ones, that srawberry one is too cute!
i also recently printed this print that chris took at the marvimon and have it displayed temporarily above the stove. i love it so much i want to enlarge it for my kitchen wall 🙂
that's it. i have just been loving so much interior design stuff that i see on the internet, it really can suck up so much of my time. proof here 🙂
so i've been trying to be better at documenting my own home and learning to love it as it is 🙂 i am ever so grateful that i have a warm home to live in, a great neighborhood, etc. i am, i am.
it's been high 70's this past week, and will be so (hopefully!) for awhile more! perfect weather for trekking her crew on the porch for lunch. sundresses and elsie have reunited. headband has made an appearance. she's been sporting them when she thinks it's a fancy occaision. she looks gigantic to me lately. sniff sniff!
my brother and lovely sister in law gave birth to my handsome nephew in december 🙂 
this moment makes my heart skip! so happy for their family 🙂
and now she's not the youngest in the family anymore 🙂
proud big sister 
the oldest of the cousins with the youngest! 🙂 
and now he's one month old. time flies! 
i am so excited to have him in our family! he's such a little sweetie. and on saturday, i get to babysit him. i cannot wait to have auntie bonding time with him, heehee.
to be filled with endless energy and curiousity, i cannot remember what that's like. she looks at my bed and sees a trampoline. my bed is my refuge. it's hours of rest. my haven.
this year is a big year for our family. we face work situations that constantly make us think about where we are now and where we want to be. in september kira will start her most important high school year. elsie will start kindergarten. though it's only a little chunk of time daily, i will start to think about where i want to be, where my dreams are headed. the thought of them all in school makes my head spin and my heart hurt a little. when els goes i will have been a stay at home mom for SIXTEEN years. so then to think of me and where i want to be while they are busying their minds, sometimes makes me want to crawl into that bed but then again, at times, i want to jump. i will embrace both emotions 🙂
watersix 