Kiwi Freckles

playing catch up

2011-11-09T09:26:00.000-08:00

as usual. i guess i have entered a new "season" of blogging.... where i live life (& work A LOT) and then catch you all up on what has been going on. lame? maybe. needed? yes.
oh well it is what it is!
we have been having lots of fun around here... where to start?? umm lets do halloween.

we had a ninja turtle (don't ask me which one cause i do not know...) and mario. we woke up and daddy made jack-o-lantern waffles YUM! and hung out all day. that night we went to my parents and trick-or-treated and carved pumpkins. this year the boys drew what they wanted their pumpkins to look like and we carved them for them. it was really fun. i think they were my favorite pumpkins yet! so cute!

thank you halloween for 2 of my all time favorite snacks... home made pumpkin seeds (olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, & paprika) and loads of candy. i think we will have candy until next halloween, that is how much they got!

why doesn't every store have a balloon man? the balloon man at REI made our shopping experience so much easier! and i love my hubby and his late night guitar playing :)

hayden boy turned 6 years old. how did that happen?! it is going by sooo fast. all of "those people" were right. it sure does fly by. the days are LONG but the years are SHORT. i love him. all he wanted for his birthday was "sunny d and silly string" how easy is that?! he got a lot more but i still loved the simplicity of his request.

we had the easiest "party" ever. took a few people he loves to go bowling. bowling, pizza, and ice cream a 6 year olds favorite. i think that is the way to go!

fall was here for like 2 mins. literally and i wore tights with shorts. my husband called me a dirty hippie and i thought i looked cute. haha! i got these CUTE CUTE necklaces at f21 so cheap and so cute. i love them both!

my new favorite snacks. avocado with tomatoes, salt, pepper & tapatio. YUM! earl grey is soo yummy. i want lots of it with splenda & nonfat milk please! my f avorite cookies in all of the world. you should make some!
so guys that is what is up with us!! :)

thai date with the boyfriend

2011-10-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

i have a new obsession... it is going out for thai food. there is this magical thing called tom yum soup with chicken that has me hooked. it is like nothing i've never had before. spicy, sweet, tangy... mmmmm.
it looks GROSS like really gross. but the taste is amazing. anyway i think about this soup all the time. sad isn't it?! hah!

a friend (thanks joce) offered to watch the kids so luke and i could have a date night. since i've started work again our hangout time has been limited. my bedtime is pretty much right after the kids. LAME. but anyway this is just what we needed. a little thai date.

aren't those the cutest little teacups?

tom yum soup. aka the soup that changed my life. hah too much??

i sure do love my boyfriend!

the happenings

2011-10-26T14:42:00.000-07:00

this past weekend i went to san fran with my mom (favorite) to visit my grandma who lives there. we had a fun time. shopping eating & staying up late. the bed we slept in is THE MOST UNCOMFORTABLE bed of all time and we both woke up feeling elderly and popping advil. but it was so worth it. i took hardly any pictures at all but since i love food i somehow managed to squeeze in a few pictures of what we ate...

sushi

thai.

not pictured food at an expensive restaurant that wasn't that good. bummer. the cheaper places were WAYY better.

we rode the bart and got the giggles. we were the only ones on the entire thing with a smile. why is everyone so grouchy??

cute new outfit, and terrible uncomfortable bed in the background.

i love hanging out with my mom she is the best. i even got new bedding from IKEA. oh how i love IKEA!

k moving on... i found this awesome mustard yellow couch at a thrift store for $30. i know tons of people will hate it but i kinda love it. vintage lovers... is it too much?? i need input.

{observations}

2011-10-19T12:57:00.000-07:00

i like my room better when i spruce it up every once in a while...

i drink waaaayyyy more water if i am using a cute cup.

pumpkins and converse are 2 of my faves

pioneer woman can do no wrong... try this recipe.

sticks for another wreath are hard to come by.

i am so much more patient when i am spending time in God's word.

i hate math facts. enough said.

and i badly need to clean out my purse

yep... that pretty much sums it up.

friends & the pumpkin patch

2011-10-18T07:24:00.000-07:00

this weekend we had friends here from out of town. the same friends from the cabin.
we stayed up too late, ate lots of good food, and corralled kids alllllll weekend. 5 kids 7 in under in 1 house for 5 days. whew. it was fun!
the kids get along really well so we only had to break up a few fights. ;)

on saturday we went to the pumpkin patch, these are the only pics we got of the whole weekend. it was so fun that i didn't even have time to pick up a camera.

here are the older boys. this is as good as it gets. they all decided to cooperate at different times. go figure.

Rylan 4, Hayden 5, Parker 7, and Carson 5

they all have cute names.

and here is baby hudson. the baby with the coolest hair i've ever seen. it just grows like that. all curly blonde and sticking up. i am jealous.

brothers

apparently i coordinated my outfit with the pumpkin i liked best.

see those painted nails? i knew i had 2 days off in a row so i painted them. i miss painting my nails.

can you see my desperation??

cute boy and camera lover. the other one not so much. hence the lack of photos of him. ahem.

so many boys!!

they've got a pretty cute family too.

we like them.

can't wait to do it again. so come back ok?!

let's play catch up

2011-10-12T12:15:00.000-07:00

um. wow. it has been way too long! i have been one busy girl! i texted a friend yesterday and said that "starbucks is sucking the blog out of me". i think the waking up at 3am is starting to wear on me. the "i have a job" honeymoon period is over with! lol

so let's see what have i been up to?! well... here is a look using my instagram pictures. because i am too ~~lazy~~ tired to use the real camera these days. are you on instagram? my user name is cherishstock... let's be friends :)

this is what most of my breaks look like:

i also love this hairstyle because i wear it to bed and wake up and it looks the same. how awesome is that?!

(anyone know what is up with my cheek?? haha)

i made a really cool bunting for my "fall" mantle

thank you tara for all your help with the accordion folding (i mean you pretty much did it all, so you deserve ~~all of the~~ some credit)

now my mantle is super cute. i think.

minus all of the hideous gold on the fireplace door, why does anyone pick that?!?!

and my door has a new wreath. i like it. it is simple. usually i am not about simple but this time it works.

breakfast waffles made by the husband on a saturday you don't have to wake up at 3am are the BEST.

{hint, hint.}

and my hayden boy is in a "i like mommy" phase and i love it.

yep that pretty much sums it up.

lack of sleep, coffee, crafting, & family time.

hopefully i will be around here a little more often. i sure have missed you!

looks i'm lovin

2011-09-29T10:53:00.000-07:00

once again pinterest has me longing for new stuff.

but instead of going out to buy all the brand new latest & greatest i've been trying to use it as inspiration for things that i already have.

here are some of the outfits or hairstyles that i've been inspired by lately....

i totally wore an outfit just like this the other day, so simple and so cute!

Source: outfitidentifier.com via Cherish on Pinterest

and one like this

Source: couldihavethat.blogspot.com via Cherish on Pinterest

and since i have to wear my hair up for work. i tried this today. i got lots of compliments. thankyouverymuch.

Source: inthelittleredhouse.blogspot.com via Cherish on Pinterest

i even rocked an outfit like this:

Source: shop.nordstrom.com via Cherish on Pinterest

but what i really want to do is wear this. too bad todays high is 98 degrees. really? that is so hot! hey california, didn't you get the memo? it is offically fall!

Source: sundaycrossbow.blogspot.com via Cherish on Pinterest

blog sugar 2011 {recap}

2011-09-27T11:14:00.000-07:00

i didn't know what to expect attending blog sugar. it was my first time, and i was super excited. i tried on about 500 outfits (cause that's what girls do... right?)

you can see a few things in these pictures...
1. i tore apart my room in the process of finding an outfit
2. i badly need to clean my mirror
3. i was not thrilled that i had to try on so many outfits before i found one that i liked

i ended up going with the last one. it was comfortable and semi flattering. now with my outfit picked and my bags packed i told my hubby we needed to wash the car. so he is nice and did it for me. {love him}

then i left for this girls house. we have so much fun together.

her husband (in the background) isn't too bad either. and he can grill a mean tri tip. yum.

we stayed the night at her house before driving to blog sugar. it was fun and her house is super cute. you can tell she is a blogger by these 2 books i found in her guest room.

the next morning we got all dressed and as i was getting into the car i fell. like hardcore fell. like rip and hole in the jeans i am wearing to blog sugar. embarassing? yeah. painful? totally.

only me i tell you only me.

wayyyyyy worse in person. it is gross. luckily the jeans looked ok and "on purpose" ripped so i just went with it.

its ok though because panera breakfast sandwiches make everything better.

{mmmmmm}

when we got there we went and picked up mindy. whom i love!!! love her!!! and i don't have a picture. what? who does that?? anyway pretend we look really cute.....

blog sugar was decorated so cute i wanted to move in.

i had about 5 shirley temples and i tried to steal everybodys pink donut.

it was so fun meeting all of you bloggers in real life. i was enjoying myself so much i do not have any pictures. i am a terrible blogger. hah

heather's breakout session was so good & inspiring.

and i really really need laura's hair. seriously i NEED it.

i did get a picture of my real life friend laura and i. it was so fun to see her and sit next to her. she is one of my faves. some day we are going to be picker sisters together. seriously.

moral of the story... it was fun. i am so glad i went.

i am so excited.

2011-09-23T12:04:00.000-07:00

this weekend i get to go to this:

i cannot wait to meet all of you who will be there. because even as weird as it sounds i have some real close friends because of blogging. it will be amazing to see these women in person and hear the real voice behind the blogs.

this is me and my excited face...

i am sure i will be wearing it when i am there. please don't let it scare you off. hah

i can't wait to meet you. :)

for all you non bloggers who now think i am a weirdo with internet friends...please carry on.

have a great weekend!!

this

2011-09-22T12:10:00.000-07:00

pretty much sums me up....

Source: freshpickedwhimsy.typepad.com via Cherish on Pinterest

buy print here

now excuse me while i go sift through ~~500~~ outfits for blog sugar.

lately {iphone picture edition}

2011-09-19T12:36:00.000-07:00

new $5 shades. thank you wal mart

lots of early morning starts. al la starbucks

ever wonder what the back of starbucks looks like? well...now you don't have to. hah pretty exciting i know!

job perk: free chai

lots of afternoon naps. thank goodness!

fun dinner with friends

p dubs macaroni and cheese. yum heart attack on a plate.

pumpkin spice latte cupcakes. so good.

that's what has been going on around here. how about where you are?

things that i have actually made from pinterest

2011-09-16T08:42:00.000-07:00

you all know how much i love pinterest. but here is the thing about pinterest... it is really easy to pin tons of things you are "going to do" but you never actually do them.
i think julie said it best here.

but i am happy to say i have actually made quite a few things that i've pinned.

i've made this for dinner multiple times and it is now one of my favorite meals.

Source: myrecipes.com via Cherish on Pinterest

i painted plates to look like these for my plate wall.

Source: 7thhouseontheleft.com via Cherish on Pinterest

i made these cookies and they were gooooooood. salty sweet yum!

Source: sugarcooking.blogspot.com via Cherish on Pinterest

i learned how to take pictures like this:

Source: diyphotography.net via Cherish on Pinterest

i do my hair like this:

Source: hartandsew.blogspot.com via Cherish on Pinterest

i made this for a potluck, and everyone loved it.

Source: realmomkitchen.com via Cherish on Pinterest

i made these cutesy curtains. they are my fave.

Source: redberrybarn.blogspot.com via Cherish on Pinterest

coconut chicken...this is like the best thing you will ever taste. seriously it is so good. we had leftovers and i woke up the next morning and ate it for breakfast.

Source: budgetbytes.blogspot.com via Cherish on Pinterest

and i made i mini bunting for our guest room like this one:

Source: flickr.com via Cherish on Pinterest

there are other things too but for now there's a start!

thanks pinterest for being a major time suck but also for all the inspiration. i love you. hah!

so are you a pinner or a do-er?

today

2011-09-14T10:43:00.000-07:00

i just want to crawl back into bed and pull the sheets over my head.

Source: mila-loveology.blogspot.com via Lital on Pinterest

but lets get real that isn't going to happen. instead today i will be:
cleaning toilets
doing laundry
and going grocery shopping because our fridge is BARE!!

but while i am doing those things i am going to be dreaming of my bed and downing about 10 more cups of coffee (icedpleasewithextrasugarandlotsofcream)!
hah

Source: thepioneerwoman.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

what are you doing today?

pros & cons

2011-09-12T13:30:00.000-07:00

Source: google.com via Courtney on Pinterest

work at starbucks is going pretty good. i gotta say i am pretty happy that i have a j-o-b. i love talking to people and multitasking so i can't think of many other places better for me! i have however found some pros & cons. lets be real people it can't all be rainbows & butterflies...
lets start with the cons...

Source: tumblr.com via Alice on Pinterest

i mean frappuccino's must be invented by the devil himself. yes they taste good. but man are they a pain. people love the whole "customizing" thing too much. this is how it goes:

"hi can i please have a ventinowhipcarmelfrappuccionwithextracaramelontopandinthecup thank you very much"

ummm what??? can you repeat that please?? and really 7 steps for one drink is a little much. mmkay?? but i make them, and with a smile i might add!

in order for me to work i have to be off by 11 in the morning so that means i am one of the openers... want to know what time i get up? prepare yourselves.... 3:15AM yes you read that right.
the sun isn't up. it won't even be thinking of getting up for 2 and a half hours!!! but yes i can get a full day in before 11 so i do!

my boss isn't nearly as cute as he was when i worked there before. in case you were wondering... starbucks is where i met my hubby. and yes he was my boss. scandalous!

but i gotta say despite all of these things i am loving it! here are some pros...

i get a free pound of coffee every week. holla!

Source: starbucks.com via Karlie on Pinterest

i got to have the pumpkin spice latte before any of you "normal people" lol i think waking up at 3:15 is a small price to pay for that luxury!

i get to see & talk to tons of people everyday from all walks of life. i think i might love that the most.

oh and did i mention i get as many drink while i am working as i want?! oh yeah that is pretty nice too...

labor day weekend

2011-09-06T14:41:00.000-07:00

our labor day weekend was pretty much labor-less. (minus a few hours for me at starbucks.)

luke's parents were in town and we all decided to go to hume lake for their annual country fair. it was so fun.

good food, thrift (ish) shopping, family & fun. here are a few pictures from our weekend.

the best milkshakes in the world. and of course you have to dip your fries!

the water was FREEZING but that didn't stop the boys from jumping off of the dock.

we finished off the glorious day with a concert. joel weldon. what a way to spend a weekend!

not pictured:

buying a trash bag for $5 and filling it to the brim with "treasures" so many fun things... new clothes, plates, a juicer, house phones, and a light fixture. treasures i tell you, treasures!
luke & his parents but i swear they were there (just no pictures to prove it!)

hope your weekend was equally rad.

friends & photobooths

2011-09-02T07:17:00.000-07:00

is there a better combination? i think not.

so here is how it went...

tara came over to

1. use my computer for some design stuff
2. make some crafts
3. have some fun
4. drink some good wine
5. um? i am sure i am missing something

anyway it was fun.

it started out rough, lets be honest it was like a disaster. the computer was NOT doing what we needed it to do and bad moods (ahem tara) came out. hehe. but we prevailed and made her daughter some really cute clip on earrings. i mean as cute as clip on earrings can be, cause really clip ons are lame. but we made them cute.

it got late. like way late. we knew it was dumb to stay up, i mean really its not like our kids will EVER ~~in a million years~~ sleep in. so you know how when it is late and you are super tired & borderline crazy? well we got there, and then we did this:

half way through i decided i needed a hair change. cause that makes sense at 12am. mkay?

can't believe i just posted these because they sure don't look near as cute or funny as they did in the wee hours. hah.

home tour

2011-09-01T07:30:00.000-07:00

what's up, YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO?!

guess what!? i'm so excited because my little humble abode was featured on one of my favorite and super sweet blogs, life made lovely. ack. i just can't believe it.

what an honor, for reals.

here is just a sweet little sample, so i you want to see more of this goodness, head on over by clicking here.

you won't be disappointed. or maybe you might be. but whatevs. it my house so don't tell me.

big hug, little kiss.

cherish.

so ready for fall

2011-08-30T09:11:00.000-07:00

it is still in the 100's here and to say i am over it would be an understatement. i cannot wait for fall! i used to think my favorite season was spring, but the older i get the more i love fall.
the crisp air, jeans & sweatshirts, soup, pumpkin spice lattes... i could go on and on.

Source: pixdaus.com via Cathy on Pinterest

today i was checking out pinterest and looking at my style board and the majority of things i have pinned are all fall outfits. here are some of my faves!

Source: middlechildcomplex.tumblr.com via Cherish on Pinterest

{i love the ripped jeans, yellow jacket,

and i bet she is drinking a pumpkin spice}

Source: garnethill.com via Cherish on Pinterest

{the boots, the tights, the sweater, and the dress. perfection}

Source: dee-construction.blogspot.com via Cherish on Pinterest

{mustard tights... what's not to love?}

Source: thevow.tumblr.com via Cherish on Pinterest

{striped shirt and wide leg jeans. love}

Source: d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net via Cherish on Pinterest

{every single thing about this outfit}

Source: randomitus.tumblr.com via Cherish on Pinterest

i am even thinking about going a little darker for the fall. thoughts? every time i have before i've hated it. but for some reason i feel like this time might be different. am i just being crazy!?

so what about you, are you excited for fall?

another beach weekend

2011-08-29T08:26:00.000-07:00

my mom called me last thursday to see what our plans were for the weekend. we didn't have any... about an hour later she called back and said "let's go to the beach, we got you guys a hotel room!'
how awesome is that?! so we packed our bags and headed out for an overnight beach trip.

the weather was perfect... we wore sweatshirts in the mornings & evenings and swimsuits during the day. it was so nice to get away from the 100 degree heat that we have here!

we even got a jump start on my parents annual christmas card picture. normally its lame! this time we decided to step it up!

this is just one of my favorites. i love my family!

and here is the original "fab 4"

we ate good food and hung out together laughing and talking all weekend. such a fun trip! thanks again mom & dad! you guys are the best!

{the dining room}

2011-08-25T10:17:00.000-07:00

i am so happy to finally have this room "finished" (i say "finished because nothing around here is actually ever finished, it is always changing).
you saw how i painted my own plates for my plate wall here.
and how i refinished our kitchen table here.
it looks just how i imagined it!! i am so happy.

take a look:

i love it! up next: the boys rooms! there is always a project to do around here...

guess who

2011-08-24T09:33:00.000-07:00

is back at it again!?

that's right people. i don't waste much time. after 2 very short days i decided to go back to the BUX.

i am excited it was such a fun job! here it goes again!

wish me luck!

back to school

2011-08-22T10:05:00.000-07:00

today all 3 of my boys headed to school. hayden boy is now in 1st grade! where did the time go? it was just yesterday i was bringing him home from the hospital!
rylan started school too! pre-school for him 5 days a week for 3 hours a day. do you know what that means? i am home alone for 3 hours every day! wow!
even luke started back. they are all at the same school which is really awesome. we are all happy campers.

we laid out their clothes for school last night, and i made them a special breakfast this morning. their favorite... french toast!

they weren't nervous at ALL! just really excited & ready.

first thing we did is go straight to daddy's class to get some pictures with him too...
here are all of my guys looking handsome for their first day back.

i had to get in on the pictures too!

then we found our favorite friends :)

then it was straight to class for us!
hayden went in so quick i didn't even get a picture!

but here is rylan practicing writing his name...

here is to hoping for a great first day & great new school year!

now to figure out what to do with all of my free time!

food i want to eat friday

2011-08-19T09:40:00.000-07:00

i have found so many good things on pinterest. i could honestly sit all day and pin things.
here are just some of the delicious things i want to make all found via pinterest!

spinach artichoke toasts....

Source: theredspoonblog.com via Cherish on Pinterest

pretzel bites... mmm making these today!

Source: justgetoffyourbuttandbake.com via Cherish on Pinterest

tomato tortellini soup...

Source: tasteofhome.com via Cherish on Pinterest

coconut lime chicken soup...

Source: bhg.com via Cherish on Pinterest

BBQ chicken salad with creamy BBQ cilantro lime dressing

Source: erinsfoodfiles.com via Cherish on Pinterest

roasted garlic chicken pesto pizza

Source: sugarcooking.blogspot.com via Cherish on Pinterest

and we can't forget about dessert!

inside out peanut butter cups...

Source: seriouseats.com via Cherish on Pinterest

coffee & donut cupcakes...

Source: alwayswithbutter.blogspot.com via Cherish on Pinterest

fudgy chocolate chip toffee bars...

Source: familybites.blogspot.com via Cherish on Pinterest

cheesecakes in jars...

Source: theitaliandishblog.com via Cherish on Pinterest

so what do you think? are you hungry yet?? hah!
off to enjoy the last weekend before school starts. both boys in school what is a girl to do!?

a day at grandma & grandpa's

2011-08-18T08:44:00.000-07:00

yesterday was luke's first day back to work. the boys and i went to my grandparents. it is always so fun there. i am a lucky girl to still have my grandparents around, they are amazing and i am so glad to have them.

i even put on my new to me chucks. they were $3 and they are in perfect condition. how lucky am i?!
it was my favorite kind of day. new shoes & family. two of my faves.

my grandma's house is like a vintage lovers heaven.

{her sewing stash}

{old school tinker toys}

rylan played so hard that he wore himself out! he slept for an hour on her comfy chair.

while he was sleeping we made some curtains for my dining room. remember these? we figured out how to make them. i am in love.

they look really cute & i can't wait for them to be hung. along with my plates!! the plates are on hold because i cannot seem to find any dang plate hangers. i am currently trying to figure out a way to rig some myself. any good ideas?? send them my way!!

yesterday made me one happy girl.

summer is officially ending

2011-08-16T22:09:00.000-07:00

and i am sad about it. luke goes back to work tomorrow, then the kids will join him on monday. but i can't complain too much because this summer has been glorious. full of fun & lots of family time. (just ask all my friends who i've barely hung out with cause i am always with the fam.) hah!

we took some family pictures just before the summer ended. i wanted to take the background home with me. every single one of those boxes. i have a thing for old boxes.

these are my faves.

i can't wait to print them out. family pictures are the best.

staycations

2011-08-11T13:10:00.000-07:00

this is the last full week before luke goes back to work. i have to say this has been one of the best summer's our family has spent together yet. we definitely made the most out of it.

this week has been a week of staycations.

first up we had a family campout in our backyard.

it was fun and the weather was great. we even got chilled during the night. which in CA is hard to do. perfect!

next up we decided to invite the neighbors over for an outdoor movie. i made lots of cookies & popcorn and we set up chairs. it was a hit. i think it is safe to say... everyone had a great time!

summer is the best. i sure am gonna miss these guys!

around here {summer edition}

2011-08-05T09:14:00.000-07:00

when i saw this picture, i knew i luke had to try to recreate it.

i am in love with how these turned out.

i finally finished the table. this was my inspiration. it looks even better than i imagined. and it was even more difficult than i thought it would be. hah!

{in process}

{finished!}

{love}

we have so many veggies. it is def a sign of summer time. i love me some garden fresh veggies. mmmm

there are even weird tan lines around here. my fave {the flip flop tan}

i made this for dinner one night and it was seriously the best kind of summer dinner. easy, healthy & delicious! you should make it too.

we even found a new really awesome place like 2 mins. from our house to hang out at. it was wonderful. i love family walks & summer nights.

now excuse me while i go and drink another chai. i heart summer.

lots of stuff

2011-08-01T07:20:00.000-07:00

has been happening, since my last update.
for one... we have a new member of our family.
meet olive...

she is our new puppy. a labradoodle. we love her!

here are some pros & cons: she doesn't shed. but she does poop in the house. (we are working on it! tips please!!)

i had a classy craft night with one of my very favorite friends. we made tea towels. don't ask to see the finished product. we aren't finished. we may have done a little more talking than crafting, but that is what makes it so fun!

and that fabric... my grandparents very first bedroom curtains when they got married. isn't that the sweetest!?

one of my tv weaknesses started this week... project runway. "make it work"

remember my kitchen dreams? well i am making one of them come true... but good things take time so that isn't finished yet either!

i also got to go on an all day date with my mom. she is awesome. we had fun, we always do. i am one lucky girl.

mom + me + sushi + shopping = best day.

and last but not least i finally grilled a pizza! i have been wanting to ever since i saw this post. now i am addicted. i do not think i will ever bake one again, it makes the best crunchy crust. mmmm

so that is what is going on over here... what is new with you?
p.s. i miss blogging regularly!

plate wall

2011-07-26T11:01:00.000-07:00

i have been wanting a plate wall in my dining room since we've moved into our "new" house. i have been scouring thrift stores, yard sales, & everywhere else i would see plates. but still i had trouble finding them.

i want a plate wall that looks like this:

Source: 6thstreetdesignschool.blogspot.com via Cherish on Pinterest

or this:

Source: flickr.com via Cherish on Pinterest

or this:

Source: designsponge.com via Cherish on Pinterest

but honestly the only plates i have been able to find are UGLY. and i was getting really tired of waiting... so i went to the dollar store and bought plain white plates...

my mother in law had given me these really cute plates that she found for me at a thrift store

so i already knew that i loved those and i wanted all of the other plates to match them.

i decided to paint plates myself for my plate wall.... here is what they turned out like. eeeeppppp i am so excited and in love!

now i just gotta find some plate hangers and get started. i cannot wait.

if you want to paint your own plates here is what i did....
i used acrylic paint and found inspiration photos of plates i liked. and painted them with the help of my super artsy friend. (everything is so much more fun when you do it with friends)
let them dry thoroughly and then spray them with clear spray paint. (so they are shiny and the paint won't peel up)
these are for looks only i would NOT eat off of them!
then hang them!
let me know if you paint some of your own, i would love to see!! :)

a weekend at the beach

2011-07-25T08:37:00.000-07:00

we had so much fun at the beach... i mean how can you not have fun at the beach?! the weather was cool & sunny... just how i like it. meanwhile it was over 100 degrees at home. such a nice escape!

{packed bags}

{every good road trip starts with in & out}

{my cute driver}

{first view of the ocean}

{the beach house}

this house was the cutest thing ever. we went with these friends. and had the best time! they are so much fun. the kind of people that you "get" and they "get" you. no pressure, just being real. my fave.

every room in the house had the cutest decor. i could of just moved in. love!

{friends & feet}

we spent so so much time on the beach. we all loved it. the kids & luke found me tons of heart rocks & sea glass.

{there is nothing like putting your cold feet onto hot rocks}

we ate the best food & drank some really good wine.

{they took us on their favorite walk in cambria at fiscalini ranch. we loved it. it was cool and beautiful with a perfect view of the ocean. if i lived there i would walk it every day. heaven}

now we are home again... this time probably for a while. i am exhausted but my tank is full! we have had such an amazing summer so far. the laundry proves it! hah! i am off to go start some loads!

we've been busy!

2011-07-21T15:20:00.000-07:00

this summer has not slowed down for a minute! but i am not complaining in the least. we have been having so much fun. after the in laws took the kids for the week, we headed up to pick them up. we stayed with them for the weekend and went to this really awesome small town. they had chickens just walking around all over the place. it was crazy. they were on sidewalks, under cars, walking across the streets. everywhere. we took some bird seed so that we could feed them. it was pretty fun.

they also had this really delicious vegetarian restaurant. it was so good! i got a falafel pita and basically scraped up all the bits that fell out because it was so amazing.

they had a little park too and we stayed a while and let the kids try out the monkey bars. you can tell that one boy liked it better than the other. hah!

after our weekend with luke's parents we went and stayed with some other friends for a few days. we went to a lake, stayed up way too late, ate great food, and just hung out. we wished we lived closer to them because we sure do have fun together!

now we are back at home, doing laundry and heading out again! we get to go to the beach this weekend. like i said... i am not complaining one bit! i heart summer!

impromptu beach trip

2011-07-14T10:59:00.000-07:00

last weekend the in laws came to visit, and they ended up taking the boys home for the whole week! we have NEVER been away from kids with just the 2 of of this long since they were born. that is 5 1/2 yrs. people!! this was epic.
we knew we had to make the most of it. so we called our friends, kevin & katie. they live in so cal and we have so much fun when we go visit them. they are always so awesome at accepting our last minute plans to come see them. so we packed our bags and headed their way.

it was such a fun trip.

we went exploring at the beach. there was quite a hike downhill and uphill to get there but it was so worth it. we saw dolphins in the water and tons of tiny creatures in tide pools.

after we were done at the beach we went looking for a place to eat. we were starving. we came across this huge fish market. it was crazy! there was every kind of fish on ice that you could think of. they even had one of those claw games that usually have stuffed animals but this time it was full of lobster. how weird is that?! we were a little to weirded out to eat there, but just seeing it was an experience!

we ended up finding a much more normal place to eat. san pedro brewing company. the food was great and they had a blueberry beer on tap. it was so good.

it was such a fun time for us. sleeping in, staying up late. talking just being together. not worrying about anyone else. it is really nice! but i gotta say...

i sure do miss those crazy boys!

lately

2011-07-07T09:06:00.000-07:00

we have been having lots of fun, and taking full advantage of having daddy home.
here are some snapshots from our days.

{splash park, pre haircut}

{watch out! here it comes!!}

{super tasty shrimp tacos with mango salsa & mexican corn MMMM!}

{wine date with the hubby after the kids went to bed}

{snow cone stop}

{love}

{brothers}

{mmm watermelon}

so that's what we have been up to. how about you?!

our 4th

2011-07-06T16:11:00.000-07:00

4th of july is my husband's favorite holiday. i am starting to understand why. good company, good food, fireworks. i mean really what's not to like. here is a peek into our day.

we woke up and rylan (the boy with the best hair ever) decided he wanted a haircut. a SHORT haircut. i was sad. luke was sad. but it needed to be done. it is so hot outside and his hair is always sweaty. so we went for it.

he doesn't even look like the same kid!! it is crazy how different he looks without his luscious locks. and look at all the hair that came off! it looks like we shaved a huge cat or something! hah!

we headed over to my parents for the evening. we spent lots of time in the pool and eating. 2 of my favorite things ever! :)

{july 4}

i think one of my favorite things is taking long exposures with sparklers. it it so much fun. i hope your day was just as good!

happy 4th of july!

2011-07-04T14:13:00.000-07:00

hope your holiday is full of fun, food, family & fireworks.

our house smells like peach cobbler and we are ready to swim! today is going to be a great day.

dinner in the orchard

2011-07-01T11:54:00.000-07:00

last night we got together for a summer dinner with our lifegroup. it was magical. we ate dinner in our friends almond orchard. it was like straight out of a magazine!

the food was yummy and the company was great. if i lived by an orchard i am pretty sure i would eat every meal out there. it was awesome. i told ben & ashley that they need to have every party they ever have amidst the almond trees!
the berry tart was so good that we couldn't wait to get a slice before taking a picture. sunflowers, fruit tart, trees, & good company. what else could you ask for?!

this is what summer is all about.

can we do it again?

summer lovin

2011-06-30T09:20:00.000-07:00

i woke up yesterday morning and told luke that if i could pick the weather for the rest of my life i would pick a day like yesterday. it was beautiful. not too hot, not too cold. perfect.

not only was the weather awesome but hayden slept till 8 and rylan slept till 9 (gasp!). that never happens. it was my kind of day.

we got ready slowly and i went grocery shopping alone. umm i love grocery shopping alone. it is the best. none of the normal: can i have this? i want that. grab. grab. grab.

just me my list and the aisles. heaven i tell you. heaven (too much? maybe. but it was good)

Source: simplebites.net via Cherish on Pinterest

when i got home the boys were down for a nap and luke and i got some good quality time. we hung out together & watched a french film. (swoon)

when the boys woke up luke treated us to starbucks with some of his teacher perks (starbucks cards).

{blue toes + green straw= happy cher}

we played at the park for a long time and then made a delicious dinner together.

{nojitos, good playlist, black bean salad, & cute dishes}

days like yesterday are my favorite. we didn't do anything extraordinary but sometimes simple days are the best days. i just love my little family.

summer is the best

2011-06-29T09:32:00.000-07:00

there are so many reasons why i love summer. everyone being home together. no obligations, just fun to be had..... mini trips, bbq's, water, 4th of july, swimming, watermelon. i mean i could go on and on...
but another reason that i love it is: lake days.
last night we packed a dinner and drinks and headed out to the lake to hang out with friends.

the weather started off perfectly. aren't the clouds so pretty??!!

we had our lake essential in hand: sunflower seeds {mixed 2 bags each of ranch & bbq. best combo ever, you really have gotta try it}

the kids all played together so well. i didn't even get a single picture of them. oops but we did get pictures of the adults....

1. muggs & i trying to get a cute picture... notice troy in the background

2. attempt #1 at a group photo. whoops

3. almost there but troy looks like a pirate without his eye

4. finally success!

and we even ended up with this cute one. i am happy.

shortly after these pictures were taken the sun disappeared from the sky. it got super cold. so cold that luke went to the truck and dug out a sweatshirt for me. what is up with the weather!? weird. but i am not complaining i prefer it to 100 degrees (or higher).

{i hope} this was the first of many lake days of the summer.

now excuse me while i go wash the leftover beach towels so we can do it all over again!

hume lake

2011-06-27T10:15:00.000-07:00

we spent ALL of last week at hume lake renting a cabin with luke's sister & her family and Luke's sister's husband Bryan and his brothers family (hahaha did you follow??). we had a blast.

i know what you are thinking... that many kids in 1 cabin?! i was thinking the same thing but the kids did great. there were very minimal fights. it was SWEET.

the cabin was perfect for us. huge wrap around patio. plenty of beds. full kitchen to cook all of our meals. cute owls everywhere. i was in love. we decided that our family really could live at hume.

we spent so much time at the lake. swimming & eating. playing & hanging out.

there was even a coffee shop so i got my chai fix. heaven i tell you. heaven.

this is a picture of the cousins. it is the best picture ever. i love it. i think it is even better than a picture with them all smiling. what a memory!

and we cannot forget the best milkshakes in the world. it was so good. they always are. i can't wait to go back.

i really did love every minute and i am sad to be home. but home we are and there is so much catching up to do!

don't mind us...

2011-06-24T08:58:00.000-07:00

we are just at hume having the best time ever! (i hope) since i scheduled this post! ;)

last year's hume lake picture.

katy's birthday!

2011-06-22T07:19:00.000-07:00

today is my blog bestie's birthday. yep that's right she is turning a year older today. not only that but this year marks 30 years!! yep she is old.
happy happy birthday katy.
one of the reasons i love blogging the most is because i got to meet you.
you are the one i talk to about blogging. (no one else really gets it, you know)
but we both know we don't just talk about blogging. we can pretty much talk about anything, nothing is off limits. i love that too.
i cannot wait to meet at panera again and talk for hours. i hope your birthday is the best! :)

.... in honor of her big 30th birthday katy is doing a freakin awesome giveaway. like amazing. i want her to rig it so i can win. ;)
not only is the giveaway awesome... it is for a good cause so go check it out! click the pic.

happy father's day

2011-06-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

to the 2 best dad's i know.

one of them being my dad.

here are some things i love about my dad:
his willingness to help
his awesome sense of humor (i am pretty sure he passed some of that down to me too) hah!
his hugs
his laugh
his big man hands
i think he is pretty awesome. like way awesome.
he is always there when i need him, and even when i don't (but let's be real when don't i??)
i am so glad God gave me to you. i consider myself suuuuppppperrrrr lucky.

and to my baby daddy (hahaha!!)

i think God knew what he was doing when he put us together.
i am so glad you are not one of those guys who expect the mom to do all the work with the kids.
you are so not that guy.
you probably do more if we are being honest. it is father's day... don't expect to hear this stuff on any other days... hehe!
the kids look up to you so much, and i think you are a great person to look up to.
even when you are tired from working all day with OTHER kids you come home to ours and give them tons of attention and daddy time.
when i need a break you send me out on my way.
i am so thankful for you. you are an amazing dad.

i am a lucky girl with these 2 amazing guys in my life!

what we've been up to

2011-06-17T11:53:00.000-07:00

we have been keeping ourselves busy. i am happy to report that there has been no more haircutting and no more injuries. (knock on wood). our backyard is looking GREAT! i am so excited!!

we are creating a patio out of stamped concrete we are digging into the ground. our fire pit is going in the center. it is going to be great. i see lots of smores in our future!! holla!!

we bought a lot of plants, and put them all in the ground this morning. it looks so good. can you tell i am excited!? lol this is one of my faves. a purple tree (bush?) of sorts. it smells heavenly and the butterflies like it too.

we are leaving tomorrow for 7 days to one of our favorite places in the world. hume lake. this requires lots of packing & preparation.... usually i am a major procrastinator. this time i am on it. i think it is a miracle of sorts.

the kids have been entertaining themselves with our discarded recycling boxes from our costco trip. simple pleasures i tell you.

since we will be at the lake all day every day i needed a new cute suit. swimsuit shopping is like my least favorite thing in the world... but i am glad i went because i found a cute one that is flattering (as flattering as can be) . but then i checked the weather and it is going to be cold. so i may just have a suit for when i get back to ~~hades~~ the fresno heat.

alright i am off to go do some more cleaning before we leave tomorrow. the countdown has begun!

summer started off with a bang

2011-06-15T09:52:00.000-07:00

it is finally summer vacation. we have been making the most of it! spending lots of time together & getting lots done around the house. it has been great so far... minus ~~the kids~~ a few bumps in the road.
the boys started off the summer looking like this:

super cute & normal. well as normal as you can look wearing a pirate costume.

well then a couple things happened....
#1. hayden and rylan were using scissors to cut paper (which they do often) and i guess hayden decided that it would be a great time for a hair cut, because when i came back in to check on them he was missing a HUGE chunk of hair from the bang area! ahhh, really 5 years old? he hasn't cut his hair before and i sure wasn't expecting it to happen now. but it did. so daddy had to give him a buzz cut. boo hoo.
lets look on the bright side though and say at least he won't be super hot because of his hair during the summer? is there a bright side??

#2. do you remember when i talked about rylan's window screen being broken and him climbing out of it like 1,000x's? well i fixed his screen so i thought it was finally all good. so i stopped thinking about it or worrying about it. well while luke and i were working in the yard (standing where we could see ry's window) we hear this big bang... we look over see the screen flying out of the window followed by a little long haired boy. he landed right on his face on the concrete. it was not a pretty sight. to say i felt bad for him would be a total lie. i have worked on this for sooo long, so while i am glad he was not seriously hurt... i am glad that he probably got hurt enough to not do it again.
check out his face.

yep he looks like he got beat up. poor kid (kinda)
so that is how we started our summer off with a bang. hope your summer has been a little less eventful! hah

chalkboards and panera.

2011-06-14T08:25:00.000-07:00

hey guys! it's katy from scottyboyandkatygirl!

i'm just here to share about my perfect day with cherish on sunday!

we decided to meet in the middle and have some lunch.

we also celebrated both of our birthdays since we're exactly a month apart.

cherish got me a bag full of all sorts of fun treasures.

i wanted to get something for cherish's new backyard.

and i found the perfect thing!

this cute chalkboard pitcher and matching glasses!

i will drive the whole way to drink lemonade on your back porch!

we sat in panera for 5 hours! we just talked and looked at blogs and etsy.
we laughed and refilled our sodas 23 times and ate cookies.
even though we usually talk 42 times a day,
i'm so thankful that cherish lives so close because there's nothing like a bowl of panera soup in person.

i have never used photobooth before. can you tell?
i was a hot mess.

last day of school!

2011-06-10T11:29:00.000-07:00

today is the last day of school. hip hip hooray! 1:00 can not come soon enough. i am taking luke out with one of our favorite couples to celebrate the beginning of summer with dinner and drinks. it is going to be a blast. not to mention that i get to hang out with katy this weekend too. gosh so much to look forward to.

to thank hayden's teachers... who were amazing btw... i made cookies & headbands. i mean what girl doesn't love cookies and headbands!? they turned out pretty cute!

i am pretty sure they will love them. that is if the cookies don't fall off of the sticks on the way over to the school. cross your fingers for me! hah!

remember when we put in our sprinklers in our backyard and planted grass seed?? well i am happy to report... it is growing! yay!
our backyard still has a LONG way to go but i am so happy that at least we have a start. i am ready to be able to hang out back there and enjoy it.

aww grass. yay! simple pleasures.

now since i haven't done link love in forever i decided that i would do it today! :)

i love all of these ideas for mason jars... especially #3

i seriously need this outfit.

and i want to do my hair like this. it is so cute & summery

this would make such a cute wedding gift.

this is genius and i am gonna try it for my gallery wall.

love these family photos. we really need to get some taken!

smartest idea ever. SEMI healthy dessert, right?

great snack station idea.

even though i don't understand the tutorial. i think this is genius we have so many holey jeans.

this is amazing. i can't believe it was so cheap!

i made these for dinner and they were so delish! def gonna make them again!

what are some links you are loving?

hope you have an amazing weekend! happy summer!!

kitchen dreaming

2011-06-09T11:49:00.000-07:00

i have big plans for my kitchen. of course these plans take lots of time and lots of $... and let's be honest i don't have a ton of either just lying around. hah! but here is a peek of what i would LOVE to do in my kitchen.
here is what it looks like now.

paint our table like this with a little extra distressing (ignore the multi colored chairs, and just look at the table)

Source: artessen.com via Cherish on Pinterest

make these burlap curtains for the window near our table

Source: redberrybarn.blogspot.com via Cherish on Pinterest

and also near the kitchen table on the wall make a collage of awesome plates.

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Cherish on Pinterest

paint our kitchen cabinets just like this: bottom aqua & the tops open & white

Source: None via Cherish on Pinterest

and concrete countertops... don't you love the look of them!? i do!! here is a really easy to follow diy tutorial. i might just have the guts to try it out! (and by i, i mean have luke & my dad do it LOL)

Source: google.com via Cherish on Pinterest

and most def the farmhouse sink from ikea!

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Cherish on Pinterest

and painting our fridge like this. swoon.

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Cherish on Pinterest

i wouldn't mind if the fridge was this organized on the inside either!

Source: bhg.com via Cherish on Pinterest

and of course to have my pantry look like this.

Source: honeyandfitz.blogspot.com via Cherish on Pinterest

so what do you guys think? i am in love.

things of late

2011-06-08T10:27:00.000-07:00

things around here aren't exactly what i would call exciting but it is the last week of school. that means summer break will be here in no time. my hubby is a teacher so we get to spend the whole summer together. i am ecstatic. 3 more school days people only 3 more days!!!

since luke is in his last week... for teachers that means a mad dash to get everything ready for summer break. lots of late nights for him means lots of mediocre food for us. if he isn't here to eat dinner i don't really cook. it's more like frozen burritos (that look better with cheese on top & my cute anthro dish for sour cream dipping), and cereal with blueberries. not impressive at all, but the boys actually love when it is a frozen meal... weird. what does that say about my cooking?? hmmm...

i am still making headbands like my life depends on it... they keep getting cuter and cuter.

headbands aren't the only thing i have been making. i also found these coasters i had lying around from a dumpster dive a LONG time ago. they were dying for a makeover. so made them over i did. i think they are much cuter now.

do you live with boys? i do... 3 of them. i am totally outnumbered! because of this there are a lot of shenanigans that happen around here. this is one of them that happens on a regular basis.

notice anything funny... yeah they like to put the letters all upside down. but hey i guess...

and i don't think i would like it any other way.... but to say i was ready for summer break would be quite the understatement... haha i am BEYOND ready. friday cannot come soon enough.

p.s. in case you were wondering... this is my i am ready for summer face.

we have some new friends

2011-06-06T16:57:00.000-07:00

and i really like them. my hubby really likes them too... so much in fact he offered to take their family pictures. they turned out too cute not to share so here they are:

and my fave:

aren't they the cutest?

making me laugh today

2011-06-03T10:04:00.000-07:00

i needed a laugh today. it was not too hard to find.

all found on pinterest.

also this happened last night.... with no one other than katy. i about died. i am the one in green. obv. i am an amazing texter.

please tell me i am not the only one who does this.

lol

making me happy

2011-06-02T09:08:00.000-07:00

{my beautiful hydrangea plant all in bloom}

{its strawberry season!!}

{the feeling after grocery shopping. a well stocked kitchen or in this case locker!}

{homemade laundry detergent...pretty awesome. i am a believer. it smells so fresh!}

{the new arrangement above my bookshelf}

{iced chai by trader joes in the cutest cup ever}

{our tv successfully mounted to the wall, so glad its done...up next frame arranging}

and last but not least...

{this boy who likes to use my photo booth app as much as me!}

we are embracing today with emily! :)

you should too!

i have a thing for headbands

2011-06-01T10:09:00.000-07:00

yesterday a friend of mine and her cute baby daughter jules (um how cute is that name btw?!) came over to make headbands. we had fun. i mean how can you go wrong with headbands, a cute baby, and a fun friend? yeah... you can't.
christine and i liked jules' headbands so much we had to make ourselves a couple of matching ones. yes we looked like triplets and i am not ashamed.

how cute are all of those?! i love them. it's a good thing they were all baby sized cause i might of stole all of them.

here is mine. i like it too. :)

p.s. katy do you see that bag in the background.... it is your bday gift. holla! we get to hang out soon i hope!!
p.p.s. yes guys i still don't wash my hair very often. you should try it. its seriously awesome.

i am off to go buy more stuff for headbands because i need some more and because pinterest is too full of inspiration....
see...

all found on my pinterest style board. go check it out.

our memorial weekend

2011-05-31T15:03:00.000-07:00

this weekend was all about the boys. i went fishing with them not once, but twice. mother of the year, i tell ya...right? but in all seriousness it was pretty fun. i got to sit back in my comfy chair and read my book.

even daisy got to go. she was excited.

this book is good, you should read it. i am almost done and now i want to see the movie too. but lets be real. the books are ALWAYS better than the movie. always.

notice the wet shorts? rylan caught the first fish and reeled it in. luke told him to hold onto it and leave it on the line in the water while he got his hook remover (? is that what its called?) to take the hook out of the fish's mouth, so we could throw it back. ry got tired of waiting so he set his pole down with the fish still attached. next thing you know... his fishing pole is taking a swim with the fish. luke had to rescue it. the water was FREEZING, but hey we still have the pole ;)

it really was fun. i think i will have to go on these fishing excursions more often. i think the boys will look back and remember these times fondly. i know i will. and as you can see from the picture above... we had so much fun a nice long nap was needed.
that's what i would call a fun weekend.

my brother is graduating?!

2011-05-26T15:37:00.000-07:00

when did this happen? he used to be like this big and now a high school graduate. wow time flies. that's for sure!
look at him in all of his senior glory. what a stud.

tonight i am going to my old stomping grounds to watch my not so little brother graduate from high school.
gosh tanner. real life starts now. yikes.

but in all honesty i am proud of you. so happy that you don't have to go to high school anymore. i know how excited you are!

#25

2011-05-25T07:06:00.000-07:00

sunday was my 25th birthday. i've gotta be honest 25 has felt like a long time coming. i don't know very many people that are 25, married for 6 years, with 2 kids, ages 4 and 5. do you?! hah!
anyway to say i was excited to be 25 may be a slight understatement.
the boys & daddy let me sleep in. when i woke up i was showered with cards, & hilarious gifts. luke took the kids to dollar tree and let them pick out some presents for me. hayden decided i needed an american flag so that our family can do the pledge of allegiance together. gee thanks hayden, i never knew i wanted a flag.
rylan got me glow in the dark "party" necklaces.
they both got me silly string. so we of course had to have a silly string war. it lasted about 1 minute. it took like 30 to clean up. but it was worth it. every minute.
we ate donuts. lots of donuts.
and luke gave me my "real" gift... a gift certificate to get my blog printed into a book! YAY!

the day was super relaxing and then we went to my parents for dinner. dinner at the parents never disappoints.

we had a family mustache photo shoot. they had to it was my birthday.

then the girls had to get in on the action:

too. much. fun.

we ate our delicious dinner. and then had a competition. we put ice & water into 2 bowls and saw who could keep their hand in the longest. if that's not fun i don't know what is.

this was all followed by cheesecake with home made cherry & blueberry topping it was hard to choose but i picked blueberry and i was not disappointed!

here is to hoping this year is as good as the last!

a beautiful weekend

2011-05-24T07:26:00.000-07:00

this past weekend was wonderful... it was cherish weekend after all. it started off on friday, hayden's school was having its annual carnival. its not just any carnival... let me tell you.
there were bounce houses (like 5), a silent auction, BBQ, mexican food, kettle korn, fireworks, lots of unsupervised children. amazing i tell you. amazing.

see that corn? umm it was so good. i am gonna make it at home now like everyday. i don't think i could get sick of it. ever.
the kids had so much fun, the weather was nice, and we all got to be together. plus fireworks, who doesn't love a firework show? no one i want to know.

the next day (saturday) was our 6 year anniversary. we ~~were rudely awoken at 6am~~ leisurely woke up, got ready for the day and took the kids on a breakfast date. we love going out to breakfast, there is something about not cooking in the morning that makes breakfast dates so good. plus we went to the red caboose cafe, which is just so yummy.

after we were done eating we took the kids to my parents and they watched them all day. it was heavenly. we went to a couple thrift stores, saw a movie, and went to the starbucks where we met and had coffee. oh and in between all that we bought mustaches and found a photo booth. oh that's not what you do on your anniversary? hmm.... well you should! it was super fun!

oh and cherish weekend is not over yet. tomorrow comes the blog about my birthday. woo. being me sure is rough. hah!

6 years

2011-05-20T09:36:00.000-07:00

tomorrow will mark 6 years of marriage with luke. 6 years?! how can that be? it feels like just yesterday we met at starbucks!

engaged

our lives together sure have been a whirlwind. i guess we don't do anything slow do we?

i am so happy to live and learn with you, cause lets be honest we do a lot of living and a lot of learning! ;)

you are so fun to be around. i truly did marry my best friend. and i am so glad i did. when i think of the future and i see us all wrinkly and sitting together, i see us having tons of fun... like we do now. there is no one else i would rather grow old with.

you are patient when i am grumpy, eager to help when i need it. you constantly give me breaks, and you always give me second chances. things haven't always been easy and we always seem to work right through it. i am thankful for that. :)

you are the best dad. so intentional and invested in your relationships with them. i love you even more when i watch you with our boys. sometimes i see other dads with their kids and it makes me realize how good we have it!

you can just look at me and know what i need. if i am having a bad day you show me grace. when i want to talk you listen. when i need advice you give it.

not only do i love you but i sure do like you a lot. and that's saying something.

thanks for providing so i can stay at home with our kids. you work hard and i appreciate it. i really do.

i love our little family that we have made together. you are the best. happy 6th anniversary luke.

i think we will have a date night to celebrate! we deserve it.

p.s.
this is cherish weekend. anniversary saturday and my 25th birthday on sunday. (that is if the world doesn't end first! hahahaha)
some celebrations are in store! :)

what i've been up to

2011-05-19T09:27:00.000-07:00

remember when i went dumpster diving? well those lockers have just been sitting in my garage smelling like cheese and getting dusty. so my sister in law (who happens to be quite the go getter) was staying here with her fam and she decided that they would go perfectly in my laundry room. so i had her help me drag it to the front yard where i scrubbed & scrubbed the thing ~~for hours~~ until it was clean. dang. that thing was DIRTY and so so gross... but now its not and it is in my laundry room fitting perfectly in the little cut out. i am so happy about it.

we don't have a lot of storage in our kitchen and our laundry doesn't have a single cabinet built in so this was a perfect addition. i thought about painting it but lets be real that would of probably turned out like a disaster and would of taken so much longer. i like the look of it now... it is weathered and old looking... which to most people is not at all appealing but to me.... i love it.

so fist pump. it is done.

for sarah's wedding i learned how to dye clothes. umm where have i been and why haven't i been doing this forever!? one of the bridesmaids bought a white dress and asked if i could help her dye it. i was nervous but it turned out perfectly. i think i will buy white things from now on and dye them myself if i can't find a color i like. i mean hello?! look at it. awesome!

so i have talked about my dad being an amazing cook before and nothing about that has changed. he still is. he called last week to see if we wanted to come over for dinner and of course i wanted to and then he said we were having chicken & waffles... now i consider myself pretty adventurous when it comes to food but chicken & waffles?? really?? i am a believer they were sooo good. sooo good. another lesson on 'don't knock it till you try it'. mmm

1. dad's chicken & waffles

2. wanna be chipotle burrito bowls. i have been making these for dinner a lot and let me tell you they are so good and so easy. everyone loves them. even the kids.

do you guys remember my giveaway a while back? well look what i got. studio 6 fresno is awesome! i cannot wait to hang it. for real. how pretty is it? when i look at this S it just screams cherish to me. don't you think?!

so what have YOU been up to?

before & after

2011-05-16T09:48:00.000-07:00

prepare yourselves for some major ingenuity.

last week when it was ~~like 5,000 degrees~~ way too hot to be working outside my really awesome friend cambria and i decided to make a bookshelf. yes people i said make one. we are hardcore.

this other sweet friend called me and said that she had a lot of junk on her side yard that she left for me to go through. (they just moved) i mean who doesn't get phone calls asking if they want junk?! she knows me and my love for junk.

so cambria and i went to go look through it and picked up this awesome dresser that was super dirty and super warped from outdoor elements. but that didn't stop us... cause like i said before we are hardcore.

since it was ~~as hot as hades~~ rather warm that day we decided to do it in our bikini's to get a good tan. let me tell you... it was not a pretty sight. lol but we prevailed.

here is how it turned out. i know you are impressed.

did you spot some of the wedding decor that made it to my new awesome bookshelf? yeah i thought so. i only have ~~like 500~~ a few more if you want one. hah!

hey remember when blogger crashed?! that was funny. not

<

things you never knew you wanted to know

2011-05-11T14:15:00.000-07:00

1. i hate the word moist (doesn't it just sound disgusting?!)
2. people that are one way around a certain group of people, and different around another drive me crazy!! i have a secret word for them "melders" do you get it? they meld into whoever they are hanging out with.
3. today i curled my hair and all i had to do was clean house. (side note: i literally just learned how to curl hair like this on saturday, talk about behind the times!!)

4. rylan's window screen on his bedroom window is broken. he has climbed out of it like 100 times now and i am ready to get crazy on him.
5. my floor needs to be mopped so so bad that i don't even want to start. it's that gross.
6. pintrest is sucking my life away. so many good ideas and so much time wasted.
7. today i have had, a chai latte & like 50 strawberries. super healthy right?!

8. the boys are making me crazy lately. being a mom is a tough job with no breaks. not even bathroom breaks. they are always up in my business. for real.

9. i am counting down the days until summer vacation since my hubby will be home all summer. holla!! that guy is my fave.

how's that for tmi?

simple pleasures

2011-05-10T09:26:00.000-07:00

today is just a day like any other day. but i am in a good mood. like really good. so good in fact that when ry and i were at the grocery store and he spilt his drink all over the floor at the checkout... it didn't even phase me. which is nice because yesterday i was so not happy. i had no reason to be unhappy i just was. i don't like that at all. so today i am choosing to be in a good one. here are some contributing factors. before you read this:
1. i am lame and love to play with photo booth on my mac (doesn't everyone?)
2. i am trying to be funny not serious (got it?!)
3. i am not vain. just funny. (mkay?)

for the wedding i had to get my hair did. it needed it bad. i don't know what possessed me to wait so long... oh wait maybe its the $$$ (yeah that was probably it) anyway it looks waaaaaayyyyyy better now.
= happy

hubby got me one of my fave magazines the other day. normally as soon as i get a magazine i read through the entire thing cover to cover. i didn't this time. what? weird. today i am reading it and i am loving it. there is something about a new magazine.
=happy

mmm chai. why did i not discover you sooner? it is just so good. like a persimmon cookie in a drink (wait that sounds nasty) promise it's not. it is like heaven in a cup.
=happy

cutest nail polish ever. yes i said ever. that's my story and i'm stickin to it. check it out.
=happy

so friends what is making you happy today? it is a choice. i've decided. :)

the bff's wedding

2011-05-09T09:59:00.000-07:00

saturday was the big day. the day sarah got married! we put so so much work into every detail, that i wanted so badly for it to turn out well. i think it is safe to say that it was beautiful! the weather was great, the decor turned out amazing, we all looked cute in our dresses & the guys in their outfits... it all went off without a hitch. it was perfect. whew!

sarah wanted us all to pick out a yellow dress. each one was so different but don't they look good together!? and there are the paper flower bouquets that we handmade. they look pretty i am proud! :)

we all got toms shoes in grey and sarah and josh got them in burlap. cuteness

wedding decor. doesn't it all look good!?

the desserts were all mini and they were super delish. sarah and josh had a cake to cut too. the library cards are love notes for the bride & groom. the favors were little boxes of candy that each guest could fill up at the candy bar. instead of a guestbook my hubby drew that tree on a canvas and each guest put their thumbprint as a leaf and wrote their name on the top. i think it was a really cute touch.

ok and if the decor wasn't cute enough... there were train rides. and a taco truck for dinner. guys this was my kind of wedding.

they had a photobooth, and i went in there way too many times to count. here are some of my faves:

i want a photobooth at every event i go to. ever. no joke. it was that fun!

check out that happy couple

paparazzi

yay! it was good and it is over! boo ya!

<

mother's day

2011-05-06T09:20:00.000-07:00

i just thought you should know...

via

she really is the best.

let's be real. i put this lady through the ringer.

she puts up with all of my junk. and even laughs and appreciates (?) my inappropriate comments.

when i was little she was my mom. but now she really is my best friend.

we have so much fun together. our spa trips, shopping outings, and text messages are my fave.

where would i be without you?

well for starters... bored, not nearly as fashionable, and definitely not as funny.

but really you have taught me lots of important things: how to be a great wife, love Jesus, be patient, slow to anger, and how to find the best in every situation (which seriously can be hard to do). for all these things and more i am super thankful.

even though you are going to be on a harley all day on mother's day and you don't get to spend it with your favorite child (hehe), i still hope it is the best day! you deserve it.

we are so so lucky to have you as mom, gigi, and BFF.

happy mothers day!

it's wedding week!

2011-05-04T09:09:00.000-07:00

sarah the bff's wedding is on SATURDAY. wooo! so that means it has been crunch time this week and will be until saturday! here is a peek into some of the things we have been working on.

{burlap table runners}

{2 of the 7 bouquets}

{centerpieces}

{tea lights}

{chalkboards & library cards for guest book}

{banner my boys will be holding in the wedding}

{pennants}

(corsages for mom & grandmas, boutonnieres for the groomsmen & bridesmaids hairpieces}

you wouldn't believe how many hours of my life went into this box!! hah!

this wedding is gonna be good!!

family beach weekend

2011-05-02T09:35:00.000-07:00

this past weekend we got to go to my cousin's family beach house. when they texted to invite us i was sooo excited. it is not every day that you get to go to the beach, and to say that we love the beach is an understatement.
we did a whole lot of:

and

luke also took some family pictures for them. this one is straight out of the camera so it is only going to get better.

while luke was taking their pictures this is what our kids were doing to "help"

you can see how helpful that was. hah!

we also got a few cute pics for ourselves. (that still need to be edited)

don't mind my crazy hair blowing forward in the wind... or the fact that i look like a lobster. it is still cute. really.

it was such a nice needed vacation!

now all i want to do is to go back and hang out on their deck again!

so feel free to invite us anytime raven's, & thanks again. it was lovely!

my thursday

2011-04-28T10:35:00.000-07:00

today there is a lot to do. as usual. i feel like there is always a lot to do. but... that is ok. i prefer busy-ness to boredom. i forget who said it... but whoever it was must of been smart when they said "only boring people get bored". i am not a boring person mkay?

some things to share:

candle: from wal-mart... it smells so good you need to get one. $3.90 well spent that is for sure.
chalkboard: my hubby and his witty quotes. gotta love him.
fan: $5 works great and that is the. best. color. ever.
beer: yum. plus doesn't that picture look awesome. i love bottle caps. i have a jar full and i love it.
organizing: my dear friend came over and helped me tame my mess of a medicine cabinet. love her.
wreath: i made it and i think it is super cute.

this whole "ombre" thing. i may be over it. i mean doesn't it just look like i don't want to pay to get my hair done? that is what i think. which lets be real: i don't want to pay to get my hair done. but dude i think it looks like crap. thoughts?
isn't this nail polish the best? it looks like bubble gum for fingernails! it makes me happy.

i have been laying out in my backyard every nap time this week. that's right... in my dirt only backyard. some people call it ghetto i call it resourceful. and this book is good. i am only on chapter 2 (lol) but so far i am hooked. i love reading. for fun. not when i HAVE to. lets get it straight.

my to do list is long. but i had a little pick me up so i am ready! lets get it done! ready. set. go.

recap of last night

2011-04-26T09:51:00.000-07:00

last night was pretty much a disaster. luke and i had big plans of going to bed early so we made sure we were ready for bed by 10. we were gunning for 9 but lets be real that didn't happen.
so we are in bed & fall asleep for umm maybe 45 minutes when we were awakened by a screaming boy. upon my arrival into the screaming boys room he pukes all over his bed. and when i say all over i mean everywhere. so we cleaned everything up put all the bedding in the washing machine and made a bed for ry in our room, with a puke bucket close by.
oh but that is not where it ends.... that boy is the loudest sleeper in the world. he kicked the wall about a billion times, moans, and grinds his teeth (gag!). so i had the hardest time falling back to sleep. by the time i was finally asleep right outside our window was the loudest cat fight ever. oh man. i do not want to re do last night ever again. ever!

i think today calls for a nap. a really long nap. ok boys? lets cooperate!

but because i am me and i am all about focusing on the positive... take a look at this:

that's right they are done! up next: grass!! i am so so excited.

P.S.
if you don't like hearing about puke sorry you had to read this post. just keeping it real people. just keeping it real!

easter weekend

2011-04-25T14:33:00.000-07:00

our easter weekend was so good. so good in fact that it deserves bullets.

started putting sprinklers in our backyard, which means.... grass soon! finally! yay!

after spending over an hour in the shopping cart the kids were done with home depot. hah!

eating lots & lots of yummy food
spending time with family (mine is the best, i may be biased but i am pretty sure you'd agree)
telling & retelling the story of Jesus & the cross to our boys, who seem to be really getting it!
my bff's bridal shower. full of fun, friends, & more yummy food!

more backyard work.
remembering Christ & all He does & did for us.
dying eggs with the kids

hope your easter weekend was just as awesome as ours!

link love: food edition

2011-04-22T10:33:00.000-07:00

because everyone loves good food. especially me :)

via

everyone loves a grilled cheese sandwich
this looks so tasty something i would normally only order out. now i can try making it at home!
how cute are these Easter cupcakes?!
these cookies are so sweet, and look easy to make.
these dressings would make any salad happy.
simple yummy dinner idea.
healthy & delicious. win win.
healthy- no. good- yes!
this bread looks amazing!
this looks like a delicious appetizer!

resurrection cookies picture from darby's blog

every year since i saw this post we have made resurrection cookies for Easter. it is such a good teaching tool for the kids. i feel like it is super helpful in explaining and them understanding the Crucifixion. if you have little ones you should def try it!

happy Easter!

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
- Romans 6:8-11(NIV)

such a fun trip!

2011-04-20T10:45:00.000-07:00

wow the bff and i had the best trip to santa barbara! we had so much fun, there was honestly never a dull moment.

we packed up our stuff and were so excited to get going....

we had to start off on the right foot so we stopped and had some delicious in n out followed by splash cafe clam chowder once we made it to SLO. and then of course some italian once we were in santa barbara... you know a trip is only as good as the food involved, so we had to do it up right!

these are just pictures of some of the food we had. it was all so good.

most of sunday we did a lot of shopping on state street. i could live in santa barbara. it was so pretty and there were so many cute shops. here are some pictures of my faves....

i am going to figure out how to make those awesome paper flowers, i am determined.

now lets get to talking about the concert. i cannot say enough good things about mumford and sons. they sounded so so good live. like possibly even better than they sound recorded. it was the best concert ever. they played with the tallest man on earth (who was also super awesome). mumford played a lot of songs that are on their album but they also played a lot of new songs that they haven't recorded yet and oh em gee... be still my heart. they were all amazing. and i have a hard time NOT thinking that a lot of their songs are about the Lord. for real. i mean i know they have an f-word in there BUT i feel like there is no way some of the songs are not about Jesus. thoughts??

after the concert we walked back to our car and guess what!? the battery was dead. bleh! we seriously tried to get like 30 different people to help us and NO ONE would. isn't that lame?! i even asked a police car that passed by and they blew us off. phhhh!
so we called sarah's road side assistance for a jump and while we waited this is what we did.

hahahah!! extreme boredom + a camera= immaturity! it was fun. then a random man in a work truck came over and asked us if we needed a jump. finally some help. thank you very much! so then we went for a late night mcdonalds run. disgusting & so so good. it was def a fun night, dead battery included!

ok now i used to work at starbucks and i still love me some bucks... but can i just tell you that it does not compare... not even close to the amazingness of coffee bean & tea leaf. wow i got a earl grey tea latte and i will never be the same. fresno get on it! we need a coffee bean and tea leaf STAT!

and because we could and because it was good we decided to hit splash again on the way home. and let me tell you it never ever disappoints!

well that was the trip... i wish i could do it all over again.
and if you are still reading wow. this was a long one and full of run on sentences! hah

mumford here we come!

2011-04-18T08:29:00.000-07:00

so excited the concert is tonight! and we are READY.

hope your monday is as rad as ours!

link love & coming up

2011-04-15T07:48:00.000-07:00

one of the cutest family photo's i've seen.

such a cute idea for wall art

simple & cute idea, and i already have everything!

i need this print because it is the story of my life.

i think every blogger needs to read this post. for real.

these look very cute & tasty for easter.

pintrest is my latest obsession!

what are you kidding me a turquoise piano. this whole room is amazing!

i love all of the out of the ordinary kitchen storage ideas.

this sunday my bff and i leave to go to santa barbara for the mumford and sons concert. i am beyond excited. i can't wait to come back and blog about it. yahoooooo. i won't be back until tuesday night so i may not blog until wednesday.... that is unless i can get my act together and schedule a couple posts before i get back. are any of you from SB? what should we eat and do? anything we just cannot miss out on?? give me the deets! :)

in honor of the great mumford please listen to this.... (pause my music player first)

have an awesome weekend. i will be thinking of you all while i am rockin out at the concert!!

these boys...

2011-04-14T10:19:00.000-07:00

make me crazy, make me happy, make me scared, but most of all make me thankful to be their mom.

check out that booty crack hah!

hayden right now is:

full of life... determined, loving, & kind.

lizard catching

loves: cuddling with mom, playing with friends, video games on the wii, strawberry milk, helping daddy work on the yard, sneaking into his brother's room after bedtime....

hates: anything green in his food (even seasoning), "bad" guys, math homework (i hate it too), pulling cards at school, missing out on anything, people being mean to other people....

rylan right now is:
so energetic... full of bruises, happy & fun

love that fake smile

loves: when daddy gets home from work, video games, eating anything & everything, playing with hayden, alone time with mommy, cooking (with help), mini red bell peppers, and doing "work"...

hates: people being mean to hayden, being called by nicknames, having a time limit on the wii, bedtime, not being able to have snacks all the time, and waiting for pre-school to start...

these boys keep my life exciting. like i say often there is never a dull moment.

and i wouldn't have it any other way.

Serve Dei

2011-04-12T09:37:00.000-07:00

normally a couple of times a year our church does something called serve day, where we go out into the community on a sunday and "be the church". we usually do things like: have a bbq for the neighborhood, wash cars, plant flowers, paint over graffiti, mow lawns, play sports with kids, etc. but this year they decided to give everyone who wanted to be a part of serve dei a packet with a $5 bill. You are to use this $5 however you see fit... essentially using $5 of God's money. This question was posed:

"What if there was a community passionately pursuing Jesus that was shaped by His Word and empowered by the Holy Spirit? What if you were one of those people courageously taking initiative to use your God-given time, talents, and treasure to help others?

What would it look like?"

at first i didn't really know how to feel about this. is $5 really going to help anyone, i mean what can you do for someone with only $5, you can barely buy 1 gallon of gas with $5....

but the more i thought about it the more it sank in. this is God's $ what am i going to do with $5 of God's money. when you think of it as God's $ you know it will turn into much more than $5. Luke and I haven't decided what we are going to do with it yet but it is constantly on our minds.

along with the $5 this study came with it...

Study

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand / Matthew 14:13-21 (ESV)

Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Reread the passage and become someone in the crowd. Why are you following Jesus? What do you expect from him?

Reread the passage and put yourself in Jesus’ sandals. What do you see that moves you to spend time with the crowds? What are you trying to teach the disciples?

Reread the passage and imagine being one of Jesus’ disciples. Why did you offer the suggestion you did? What was it like each having a basket of food left over after feeding the crowd?

What are some of the lessons we can learn? What do you learn about compassion, solutions, and multiplication?

Reflect

In what ways do you avoid your responsibility to love and help others?

What does it mean to take initiative for the sake of others? How did Jesus model this?

It is very possible there were more than five loaves and a couple fish among the 5,000-plus people Jesus fed. As the baskets went around, people may have contributed their own resources. How does it make you feel when you realize that God has given you time, talents, and treasure to share?

How can you use all the resources God has given you to impact the needs of the world, country and city?

How would God multiply your resources just like he did the little boys’ loaves and fishes?

Pray

Commit to a time of reflection and prayer for three days as you begin processing what to do with God’s money. Meditate deeply on the Scripture and listen for the voice of God. Feel free to use the following prayer:

Gracious God, you have promised that you have come to give me life, and to give me life abundantly. You have given me time, talents, and treasure, not simply for my sake, but so that I may also be a blessing to others. And yet, I confess, I am often overwhelmed by what I see in the world around me: the loneliness, the injustice, and the deep sense of need. I confess my own apathy and lack of love toward those around me. Help me to see my neighborhood, workplace and city through your eyes. Fill me with compassion and creativity. Show me how to multiply the resources I have been given and invest in Your kingdom and Your people. Amen.

Remember

If you take this packet, you promise to:

Take time to process this journey

Study, reflect and pray – The process is as important as the outcome.

Share your story

If you were given $5 of God's money, what would you do with it? it's a tough question right!?

mad hatter birthday party

2011-04-11T09:03:00.000-07:00

this weekend was super busy! on saturday we went to the best birthday party. it was the same people hosting that had the really fun wedding. let's just say they really know how to throw a party!
it was will's 30th birthday so they went all out.... in a mad hatter theme.

it was a costume party so almost everyone was decked out in the craziest costumes. here are just a couple... but you get the idea!

we on the other hand had just spent the entire day working on our dirt (soon to be grass!!) backyard. so the last thing we had time to do was put together a costume...and it was still so much fun.

happy birthday will! can't wait for the next awesome party you throw! :)