Dandelions and Picnics...

We have finally been enjoying some lovely weather here... We've been outside every day this week... And on Monday, we enjoyed our first picnic after the girls picked all the dandelions in the yard! Brennah thinks they are lovely flowers... I'll let her keep believing that!

Unending Love...

The lovely new lookbook from 'Ruche'...

Hidden Animal Teacups...

Are these not the sweetest?

From 'Point Max'

Monday Design Inspiration: Pianos

I've always wanted a piano... For as long as I can remember... And we'll finally have space in the new house for a piano... Despite the fact that they are beautiful, I really hope that the girls will learn to play someday... I think I'm slowly wearing Jay down... And how about painted pianos?

1. via 'Sadie Olive'

2. via 'Addicted 2 Decor'

3. via 'Bake at 350'

4. via 'Solid Frog'

Weekend Project {Accordion Paper Flowers}

I just love these Accordion Paper Flowers from 'A Subtle Revelry'... The girl's birthdays are months away, but I can start planning now, can't I? Enjoy... And happy weekend!

Ah... The Wedding...

Last Friday morning, I set the alarm for 4 am... From the time I was a little girl, my family has faithfully followed the Royal Family... My mom watched the wedding of Charles and Diana live when I was only one... And we had countless Royal coffee table books filled with pictures of Diana and the boys... So I had to... I had to get up at 4 am to see the wedding... And it was worth it... It was perfect... Did you watch? And now, nearly a week later, a sweet reminder of that memorable day... Enjoy!

via 'House that Lars Built'

via 'Pudelek'

 via 'Royal Wedding'

 via 'House that Lars Built'

 via 'The Toronto Sun'

 via 'A Fairytale Romance'

Faint Not...

"Faint Not" by Jenny & Tyler

Penguin Threads...

Fantastic embroidered book covers by Jillian Tamaki which will be released in October... I think "The Secret Garden" may have to make it to one of my book shelves!

Monday Design Inspiration: Office Space

1. via 'Pinterest'

2. via 'Design Sponge'

3. via 'Little Bits of Lovely'

4. via 'Cherry Blossom World'

5. via 'Design Your Revolution'

Weekend Project {Spruce Up a Frame}

A lovely little weekend project idea from Heart Handmade UK... Well... Perhaps better suited to a weekend once we are settled in the new house... This weekend we will spend packing... Less than a month left until the big moving day... Eek!

Our Easter Weekend...

We had a wonderful Easter weekend... Early Saturday morning, we had our first annual Easter Egg Hunt... The girls were so thrilled... Bren walked around the house saying "This is so much fun!" and Leah really got the hang of it... It was perfect... And later that day, we got another taste of spring and enjoyed a few hours playing outside... It was wonderful!

Honeymoon...

This commercial makes me happy... Enjoy!

It Gets Better with Age...

I've been thinking a lot about growing old... Last week, I read and then re-read this story of the passing of Alli Roger's grandfather... I couldn't get this line out of my mind: "my grandmother put her hand on his face and we witnessed 61 years of marriage.... coming to an end." It's sad, but wonderful... What a blessing... 61 years... And to still be in love... While I was pondering that, I came across this lovely 55th wedding anniversary shoot on 'Style Me Pretty'... The photographs (which took my breath away) were taken by Jesse Holland Photography... What an inspiration... It gets better with age!

What a Week...

It's 10:49 pm... And the fact that I didn't post today just occured to me... I'm normally so on top of these things... It was a lovely day, spent with my dearest friend and our four busy kids... But that's not why I forgot... Let me share with you all a few of the things that have been going on that seem to have hijacked my mind:

#1. I'm pregnant... Again... Happily with baby #3, due in early November... It's been a long two months since finding out the happy (overwhelming) news... I've been feeling as horrible as I've ever felt... And taking care of two busy little girls has really kept me on my toes... I am so thankful for a loving and helpful husband who has happily put up with my lack of cooking and folded many loads of laundry for me... That's the biggest news...

#2. Last weekend I was featured on Heartsy... The deal was a great success but left me reeling with nearly 80 orders... Each of those orders had between 2-4 pieces... Roughly speaking, in the last week, I have made, packaged and shipped nearly 200 pieces of jewelry... I've never even come close to accomplishing such a huge jewelry task... And I'm worn right out...

#3. We're still preparing to move... A few weekends ago we bought a new fridge, washer, dryer (yeah steam dryer!) and mattress as well as a new bed for our room and a kitchen table (which we've never had... Looking forward to an eat-in kitchen)... We've been packing and packing and packing and our house now looks like some sort of warehouse... And this past weekend, we packed up the girls and trekked out to buy our hardwood floors, which we accomplished and then proceeded to bring the 21 boxes of flooring home, filling up our dining room! We have one month left until moving day!

This all sounds like I'm complaining... I'm sorry if it came across that way... I am so thankful to be pregnant again... After nearly three years of 'trying' to get pregnant, we were blessed with our lovely Brennah and then a bit of a surprise with Leah and now another little surprise! And of course, I'll be even more thankful when I start feeling a bit better... Lord willing, that will be very soon... I'm thankful to be busy with work... As tiring as it can be at times... I'm constantly amazed at how the Lord has provided, for nearly three years, a somewhat steady income from my basement... It's been pretty amazing to watch it all play out... And am I ever thankful to be moving... I'd love to blink and be settled, but I've enjoyed ever bit of the planning out our new home! It's all really very exciting...

All this to say that life right now is very full... But very wonderful!

'Always be True' by Skippy Designs

It's a Very Good Friday...

As a child, I always wondered why this day is called 'Good' Friday... How could the day that we remembered the death of Jesus ever be called 'Good'... It seemed so awful to me... As I've grown, and grown in Grace, it's made more and more sense... It is a 'Good' Friday... It's Good because Jesus accomplished it all when He suffered and died on that cross... He lived a perfect life... And then He took all the sin of all humanity, before the cross and after, upon Himself... He paid it all... And that is very Good... And of course, three days later, God gave His seal of approval that Christ's sacrifice was indeed Good when He raised His Son from the grave... This is 'Good' Friday and this is Easter... And this is why I am so thankful to love and serve a Lord that paid it all...

When I think of 'Good' Friday, this song, "Praise the Lamb" by the lovely Alli Rogers comes to mind... I hope you'll listen and enjoy!

Praise the Lamb by Alli Rogers

 'Sunshine Acacia Tree' by Sixth & Main

That One Day in Spring...

According to my calculations, we've had one nice spring day thus far... We took full advantage of it... The girls ran around the backyard while I tried to snap some shots... It's always a tricky business, getting them to pose for the camera... Sometimes it requires a bit of bribery!

Your Love is Better Than Life...

via 'tank and tink'

Paris

Two years ago today, Jay and I were in romantic, wonderful, perfect: Paris, France... Enjoy!

Click here to view this photo book larger

Monday Design Inspiration: Laundry Room

I don't know if this will ever happen... But I often dream of a beautiful laundry room... I feel like I spend so much time in the laundry room... Aren't these laundry rooms so lovely? Inspiring?

1. via 'My Home Ideas'

2. via 'The Nocturnal Nest'

3. via 'Apartment Therapy'

4. via 'The Old White Cottage'

5. via 'Pearl Street Interiors'

Weekend Project {The Doll Suitcase}

Congratulations to Amber, the winner of Day Five of the Fantastic Week of Spring Giveaways with comment #181! Amber will get an apron from Meagan of 'Trendy Meg', The "Light as a Feather" Print from Shelley of 'Lovely Sweet William' and a Set of Japanese Masking Tape Stickers from Maylee of 'Sugar B Supplies! Well done Amber! Thanks to all who participated and especially to Meagan, Shelley and Maylee for providing the prizes!

I could never hope to do this... But I love this Doll Suitcase from 'Hart + Sew'... Isn't it something?

My Loves...

Congratulations to Nicola, the winner of Day Four of the Fantastic Week of Spring Giveaways with comment #35! Nicola will get a Set of Four 5x5 Photographs from Alice of 'Alice W Photography' and a Custom Monogrammed Tea Towel from Kimberly of 'Chez Sucre Chez'! Well done Nicola! Thanks to all who participated and especially to Alice and Kimberly for providing the prizes!

It's been a while since I've posted any pictures... And to be honest, the end of winter always = a bit of a dry spell when it comes to taking photos... As the weather has finally warmed up a bit, I've been feeling the urge to photograph returning... I can't wait to finally get outside... That's when the real fun begins!