smiles...

Cherish the smiles... 

At 16 days old, I realize it was probably just gas that caused this hilarious smile... 

but I like to think it was happiness, peaceful dreaming, maybe our first peek at his silliness! 

Join me at Live Every Moment's Photo Challenge... this week: White! :)

my heart's embrace...

Linking up to A Step in the Journey for her new photography challenge... 

week one: Self Portrait!

I took a little creative license with this self-portrait...
but a hand can say so much about a person, right? 

Also linking with the anderson crew for Embrace the Camera!

swingin'...

Join me @

The Paper Mama's Photo Challenge! 

SuMMeRtiMe!

a day in the life of the b-man...

I've had the honor and privilege of being home with B for almost 6 months now.... I've been able to watch him grow every second from the tiny little bundle to what he is today - - - very active and getting quite the personality! Just had to share some of the pics I've taken lately of him and what we do with all of our time together........

In the morning, he always plays by himself with all of his toys... and on more than one occasion I've found him with a monkey on his back. Haha! This sock monkey was actually a present I gave his dad, because his "gunky" was his favorite when he was little. Turns out B is loving the "gunky" as well!

Edited this with a vintage look, because the sock monkey is just classic... right?

Sometimes, B likes to help me with the laundry!
We also like to take funny pictures to text to Daddy at work so he doesn't feel too left out. :)

There's nothing embarrassing in this pile of laundry is there?? :)

Bryce-chex LOVES to swing! (He gets this from his mommy!)  And this week he got his very own swing, so we can do it every single day!!! Now, Daddy just needs to rig up a swing for Mom, huh?

Giggle, giggle, giggle!

He smiles all day long. No joke. The kid's the happiest baby I've ever seen.... yes, I'm feeling very lucky right about now!

Wonder when those teefers will finally pop through? Been working on them for about 4 months now!

Do you see that?! His knees? Yes, they're being used... so far just to rock, and help him launch off into a crazy fast scoot. It won't be long..............

Mommy jokes that she'd like to give you a little nudge back to the ground.... but you can't stay little forever, can you?

And after all of that excitement, Bryceroni passes out in Daddy's lap.

Rough life, kid. Rough life. 

embrace the FUnnY....

When taking a group photo, I can't resist getting a silly picture.... those are always the best ones. 

Here's our fiRsT fUnnY faMiLy fOtO....

How do you embrace the FuNNy???

motivation, here I come...

Remember this blog post?  My 'to do' list?

You'll be happy to know (or, in all honesty, my guess is that you couldn't care less.... but I'm happy to know...) that I have completed one thing and have begun another already! Woohoo!

Here are some pics of what I've done... those darn paintings that have been sitting in the entryway for over 6 months...

I stretched and gessoed the canvas myself, before I started painting (a long time ago!)... but didn't get pictures of that. Here they are, with pencil sketches... ready to be painted!

Two started.... kind of going for a woodsie theme in his room... hence the owl. It was inspired by a WAY too expensive bedding set that I knew I could never afford. So instead I've just bought the cheaper items out of the collection, and I'm trying to make my own things to bring it all together.

I was painting on my deck, because it was a beautiful day out! B was playing on that blanket beside me... and surprisingly never tried to get to my paints!

Just need to do the backgrounds...

Here are the finished paintings... laying on the floor in B's room, where they'll probably stay for quite awhile, because, as you now know... I'm a procrastinator. Hey! I got them painted! That's a huge accomplishment!

On to the "You are my Sunshine" wall hanging... I've already bought the wood, sanded it, and oiled it! Pics coming soon........ hopefully! :)

true love...

Okay, i know the second picture is already in my blog... but seriously?! Such an awesome pic of the loves of my life... had to use it for the embrace photo today. Along with the boys playing in the sand.

I know I'm not in the photos, but I took them.... and (at the risk of being super cheesy) they are moments that I truly cherish in my heart and will remember always. :)

Don't forget to embrace your loves! 

'to do' list...

I blogged awhile back about finding so many fun things to make while I was blogstalking. And, if you've been keeping up, you'll recall the whole point of this blog was to inspire my creativity (and then, hopefully actually DO something...) 

Of course, I haven't made any of the things I've found yet. I still have curtains that I started for B's room laying on the floor waiting to be finished. And four canvases, stretched and gessoed, but not yet painted. Yes people... he's 5 months old now. And I started that all at least a month before he was born. 

I now have 5 weeks of summer left before school starts (p.s. only have to go back three days a week! woohoo!), so my goal is to at least get the curtains finished and canvases painted. 

BUT, here are a few of the other things I'd like to make in that time.... wish me luck!

Isn't this rope bracelet from sew.craft.create. cool?
Looking forward to finding some funky buttons for mine!

Make It and Love It had this idea for a scarf... maybe I can get that done by fall?

Another one from sew.craft.create.... 

from Under The Table and Dreaming
These could be a neat gift... or cool to put on my desk at school with pics of my sweethearts!

from Under The Table and Dreaming
LOVE this wall art... made with SHIMS!

and this also from Under The Table and Dreaming
cheap and very retro looking!

if I'm being honest, this one from Plucky Momo is probably the least likely to happen...
only because B is already getting too old for it, and it looks like a lot of work..... remember the curtains and canvases?
But seriously... how cool is it!! Maybe someday for baby #2?

i LOVE dr. seuss, and this wall art from Artsy-Fartsy is super cute!

Antsi-Pants.... this is one of the TOPS on my to-do list!
My man used to sing this to me to be funny when we first started dating...
and I think it would be perfect in our living room! 

Bryce's nursery theme is owls (of course, it's unfinished...)
and this snuggly owl (in more boyish colors, of course) from Make It and Love It
would be a perfect finishing touch! (Assuming it ever gets finished!)

And finally... how cute is this Felt Toy Truck from Make It and Love It????
I want to make one for my little guy, but also for my nephew.
The blog suggests making it to go along with truck themed books for Christmas... excellent idea!! 

Please check out these awesome blogs, and follow Chasing Fireflies to see if I get any of these things done anytime soon! :)

my guys...

I <3 editing pictures of my guys... 

Look at that face.... simply adorable. :)

And together... they melt my heart. Cheesy, I know... but true. Love them both BuNcHeS!!!

a day at the beach...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For the first time in six years... I was able to enjoy the beach of Lake Michigan in the U.P.... in the summer.... in a swimsuit! (In the past, it's been so cold I've been bundled in a sweatshirt and jeans!)

So, we took advantage of the beautiful day, and got some shots of our feet on the beach. I am a fan of foot shots - our favorite engagement pic was one of our feet... so we need some with B's feet now too!

I was so excited to share the beach for the first time with Bryce Krispie Treats! At five months old, he seems to love the water! And sand.... and while cleaning off those long fingers, he got a splash in the face by a wave... surprised him a little, but didn't seem to phase him.

So here are a couple of our family foot shots. :)

Enjoy............ and Embrace the Camera! :)

up north...

My hubby went up north (Michigan's U.P.) every summer for many years, and he's made it our tradition for the last several years as well.

We just got back, so I thought I'd share some of the fun pics I took and edited while I was there! Visiting the Upper Peninsula is a little like stepping back in time 50 years... so I used some vintage looking edits on a few of the pictures. Enjoy!

Crossing the Mackinac Bridge... we're almost there!! :)

B's first boat ride on Millecoquin Lake

fishin' boats

the "yellow cabins"

'Little hand'... Daddy & Bryceroni headin' to the boat