photo shoot

for daddy's birthday, i took pictures of the kids.  it was a very quick job, but i love how they turned out!!

our little inchworm

maddy is making her way around the house inchworm style!  she scoots her legs up and propels herself forward, again and again.  she's been mobile for about 2 weeks now - she can really make it places!

jack likes his dinosaurs!

warm summer evenings

it's been pretty warm in the evening, so after dinner we head outside for some porch play!  we are having so much fun!!

erickson ranch

erickson ranch is a cute little place to pick your own fruits/herbs/flowers, purchase produce and fresh jams.  

we hadn't been there before - WHAT? - so i took the kids for a little trip.  we didn't have much time before maddy's naptime, so we made it quick!

it was pretty hot out, so it was good to get the lay of the land and plan on coming back another day to pick some herbs and flowers.  we are really looking forward to it!!!

cute little stand

adorable little man

produce!

he always stops to smell the flowers!

grapes :)

i love his little hands!!!

look at this little lady!

dog days of summer, for sure!

jams + our little buddy!!

alameda faire 2012

apparently kristin and i have an august itch and NEED to go to the alameda antiques faire (2011 trip!).  this year, maddy was in tow!  because of a later-evening bbq at the willis' home on saturday, i barely got myself out of the door on sunday and forgot my camera :(.

anyway, here are some things i picked up:

i'm planning on working this into our porch or backyard somehow.  i probably should repaint it, even though the color and worn-ness are what drew me to it in the first place.  not making any decisions on it now, going to admire it for a while first!!

i love this little bucket, perfect addition to my family room.  it's a little blue, but the rust makes it work so well!  i have a flower rug with the blue and rust, with olive green, right next to it :)!!

i also picked up a couple cute signs for fall and a rocking chair for maddy's room.  i have to paint it, so i'll keep that picture for a diy post!

this was my and maddy's first mother/daughter trip and we both loved it!  she chatted the entire drive (at 6am!) and was so chatty and fun all day.  though i'm sure she missed her brother and daddy (i sure did!), i think she enjoyed mommy-time.  it was so, so special to see her little personality with just me.  she's always so busy watching and interacting with jack, we miss out on just her.  pete had a great day with jack, reparing the sprinklers (not so much fun), and visiting his parents.  i want him to take her by himself so he can see that side of her too.  and of course, i wouldn't turn down alone time with my little man!!

porch revamp

i've been a busy bee working on unnecessary-to-most, but keep-my-sanity projects!  i've changed our porch, making it a mix of black, cream, burlap, and gray.  we kept the redwood patio furniture, so that color is in there, too.  at first i was a little worried about 'all' the colors, but in the end, i like the look:

the redish color is actually a color in the dining chairs' covers, so i think it works!

entry
added mossy G, new wreaths, and urns with plants
planning on succulents in the galvanized pots
(if my new plants survive!)

painted table (was cranberry)
charcoal top, cream legs.
recovered chairs long ago - remember les?

this bench was green, painted light gray

cuban oregano - supposedly hard to kill
i don't have a green thumb, so i'm hoping this and the jade plants survive!

spray painted bench and made new pillows

burlap and fabric scrap wreaths

a pumpkin!

the whole decor project had my seasonal (orange-y fall, red+green christmas, creamy new year, pastel easter, memorial day red+white+blue) color schemes in mind -- hopefully i'll just have to change out the wreaths and add/temporarily recover pillows to keep everything 'together'!!! 

a little trip to marine world

just got back, kids are resting, boy did we have fun!!

anthony + walrus

jack + hammerhead shark

very sleepy little lady + lion

and she's out.  

thanks for the good time and little treats, gran!!!!