fav finds | twenty-nine

in

good words to read with the start of each day.

this too.

pretty boots.

because i'm currently obsessed with owning a working, vintage typewriter at the moment.

love absolutely everything about this outfit.

i believe in random acts of kindness.

new awesome and super easy crockpot recipe. chicken breasts 6 Tbs franks hot sauce 6 Tbs chicken broth serve over rice, with beans, as taco meat...whatever. YUM!!

i make a modified version of these every christmas and give to teachers, neighbors, etc.  terribly addicting.

all kinds of cool 'did you knows' (most of which i didn't)

this article, which includes this quote:

The beauty of storytelling is found in a series of images that translate truth—not our truth, but theirs. When we, as photographers, let go of our selfish needs to create the best work, capture award-winning images, or be featured on the covers of magazines, we allow the beauty of others’ circumstance to resonate through our lenses. This is art. This is humanity. We are able to show others that their story has significance, that their lives are beautiful and profound.

this video, which had be laughing, but the poor thing.  she tried so, so hard.

and this video had me laughing so hard, i was crying.

last but not least, this video and the life-changing power of a good teacher!!  personally, kiele wouldn't be where she is today without a few amazing, special teachers in her life, who believed she could...when everyone else said she couldn't!

fav finds | twenty-eight

in

after quite the hiatus, i'm bringing my fav finds back (at least for today :-) )... yes, please.

i'm sure this implies something a bit more healthy, but our (terrible, brand new, not-metting-code) roof situation makes me just want to run -- and hide.

i've thought about doing this for the last 10 years. one of these days, i will.

might have to figure out how to do this with the kids this weekend.

applesauce nut bread. yum!

love jonathan adler pillows and now there's an owl. oh dear.

pretty boots.

pretty leopard jacket.

just love dogeared necklaces and now my friend sells them.  might have to order one or two.

also love these blankets. my favorite for years.

kids and i have been having fun working on our own painted animals.

adore this custom family pillow!!

might be my pumpkin this year.

print your photographs!!  love this black & white display.

wise words.

someday i will own one of these.

i think i'm going to ask kiele to draw / paint  something like this for our house.

my sweet friend, leah of lilyblue, just released these awesome new presets.

this boy on x factor last night.  OH MY GOODNESS (have to watch the whole thing)...

last but not least, i can barely stand it...LOVE this show and season two starts in two days.

fav finds | twenty-seven

in

i have a thing about colored doors. one day i will have one.

love the light.

love the shadows.

going to have to try this healthier version.

make art  |  not war.

need to photograph in the water at night.

love this (glow sticks in balloons).

i'd really like these.

such a beautifully framed portrait.

i could live off of nachos.

how could you not be happy with these stairs in your house?

need to do ASAP.

so many recipes for sauces, dips and mixes.

yes you are!

breathe. let go. and remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure. - oprah winfrey

the fact that he won makes my heart so happy.

i could listen to this all day...

and last but not least disconnect to connect -- and be present.

fav find | the most fearless animal

in

due to my traveling (and playing catch-up) the past few weeks, i haven't been able to post my weekly fav finds, so i thought i'd just randomly share this fav find today. while i think i might be a bit late to the parade, when i was in san diego, my dear friend showed me this video and i laughed myself to tears. when i got home, i showed it to one of my friends and together, we laughed ourselves to tears all  over again.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  don't watch with children around.

yep, honey badger don't give a shit!  and i think i might just have to get this t-shirt for myself and a couple friends...

and just because my house has been a disaster lately and well, you know the rest...

 

fav finds | twenty-six

in

i hope

healthy(ish) banana bread

beyond inspiring

custom pillow coming to my home soon

want to do with the kids

homemade granite cleaner

such a cool hanger & holder

i might do this to my own scale

would make a cool tattoo

apple cider vinegar elixir

so wanting to attend this

really?  wow.

yum!  the entire blog looks awesome.

don't give up

great little gift

love more, fear less

"think less. bitch less. push more. create more.  the universe responds to your diligence but also responds to your joy." such an awesome post.

fav photo from this week (after school)

 

do you want to make it happen?

in , ,

watch this (regularly) for inspiration.

i loved these thoughts so much, i wrote down her ten tips for making it happen and posted them to my inspiration board.

01 | you'll figure it out strike 'i don't know what to do from your vocal

02 | life is on your side everything that you have done has brought you to this point. that's a lot of life force.

03 | start fresh beginners mind is an open mind. an open mind innovates.

04 | fear is natural fear is part of creative process. keeps you alert.

05 | make tough choices you can't have it all but you can always do great things.

06 | passion is fuel aim for passion. balance is a myth.

07 | come out declare and share your dream. you're accountable and help able.

08 | do it now don't let perfection become procrastination. launch and learn.

09 | you're growing everything is progress.

10 |integrity do what you say you're going to do. every day, do a little more of what you want to be doing.

11 |focus you CAN make it happen. [danielle laporte]

fav finds | twenty-five

in

this week has been busy prepping for our upcoming wallflower friends retreat, along with trying to knock lots of things off of my to-do list.  and what a great segue into this week's fav finds... a couple of these to-do lists are on their way (i'm a huge written to-do list gal)

really want a big bag like this

love everything about this photograph -- shirley temple in the 30s

vintage hand-stamped silverware

i could find a fav find at free people every week

give freely

what a great print to way up to in the morning

i think i'm going to start a ransom box for toys AND clothes

tons of awesome real simple cleaning tips

love the idea of adding a bit of neon to your planters

each and every time i look at vivian maier's work, i'm blown away by how incredibly amazing she was -- for the pure love and passion of taking photographs

pretty cool website

steve and i have talked about doing a home outdoor movie since ryder was a baby

love your decisions

must make this non-dairy, sugar-free strawberry ice cream soon!

loving this blog for getting crossfit workouts that i can easily do at the gym OR at home

my fav photo of the week -- which happens to include a couple super hero rabbits (one with a full leg cast), a tagged toothless rabbit, a little one wondering WTF those things were on her head, an elephant with a sword and a couple others.

fav finds | twenty-four

in ,

dream house

although love the thought of living in a shipping container home too

remind yourself

need to organize electronic drawer cords

new at IKEA

longing to go tubing as a family

carrabba's bread dip recipe

a privilege, for sure

dinner party tips

and great party supplies source

frozen chocolate covered bananas and peanut butter -- yum!

don't be afraid to swim

someday i'll have a HUGE print in my house

who do you want to be?

been wanting a new umbrella stand

i am the queen of unnecessary holes in walls

my fav find this week of the littles on the couch

no clue who this guy is but love this

 

fav finds | week twenty-three

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cool.

yes...green skinny jeans and leopard belt.

my kitchen is for dancing, especially since i just moved our record player nearby.

friendly reminder note cards (free & downloadable). thank you.

63 budget-friendly meals.

who knew?  stylish resumes.

and who knew this?

the powers & pitfalls of social media (and the need to occasionally disconnect).

wish they had my size.

'if i had to live my life over' by erma bombeck.

quick reminder...

cool IKEA DIY.

yes!

how i found them yesterday. a fav find and treasured photograph for sure.

incredible...

 

fav finds | week twenty-two

in ,

missed last week, thanks to the craziness of spring break.  but now i'm back on track. hope you enjoy a few of my favorite things i've come across this past week... love this and adore the woman behind this.

add goat cheese to anything and i might just think it's fabulous

love this office space and it's inspired me to put cabinets above my desk. lots of office inspiration here.

i love everything about this image.

happy go lucky bangle.

fun project with the kids.

such lovely words.

b/c it's that time of year.

beautiful.

want this chair.

b/c we all act a little crazy sometimes

wallflower friends retreat $10 raffle. 100% of the contributions go to the foundation for tomorrow.

love this pool rider photograph.

love this incredible artwork so much.

such an incredible letter written to a daughter.  write more.

i stumbled upon this on my computer the other day, which i hadn't seen since the day it was taken.  sky at 10 months.  "wooooooo!"

this is so cute, i can barely stand it.

 

fav finds | week twenty-one

in

just as it is.

can't wait to get one of these for my desk.  although i can't decide between the owl and the crazy super hero person.

what we think of as failures is an essential part of life and success.

looking forward to reading this book, after having read this one a few years ago.

this dress.

and these shoes.

one of these days, i will have a cactus like this in my home.  maybe when we stop moving every 2-3 years.

saw the lorax movie this week. while a bit bored in the middle, couldn't help but love it by the end, which included this quote.

yes, shit could sure be worse.  remind myself often that i have nothing to bitch about.

my MIL and i have been talking for years about doing a little family book that includes family recipes, drawings, favorite quotes, etc.  what a special thing to pass down the generations.  maybe we'll work on that tho summer, when i'm visiting.

must make soon.  jalapeño popper grilled cheese.

be grateful.

saw this and couldn't stop thinking about our april 2013 british virgin islands sailing trip.  four couples on a 40-50 foot catamaran. steve lived on a sailboat when i met him and he's been dreaming of a sailing trip for a long time now.  thanks heather for coordinating.  so can't wait!!

i usually give books as birthday gifts.  what a great idea to also give books as party favors, for any party.

such a cool photograph of grand central station.

YES!

hope he wins.

lastly, if you haven't seen this, you MUST WATCH.  it's 30-minutes, but you'll be glued to the screen and so happy you took the time to watch.  it's everywhere right now.  it's so darn important. it's "awareness turned into action"!!

fav finds | week twenty

in

fav finds | week nineteen

in

i would love to have this hanging next to my computer.

determined to find the perfect & timeless button down blue shirt.

pretty stacking rings.

so love the idea of sequins shorts or skirt and plain t-shirt.

i've loved rice pudding since i was a kid.  interested to try this.

shared her work before but feeling the need to share again.  adore what she creates.

would love to make something like this with my family -- everyone brainstorm 'the best feelings in the world' and then put them all together.

this melts me.

i love you to the moon and back & much more.

i wonder what the future holds with all these digital photographs that never make it off the hard drive. :-(

goat cheese and avocado in the same recipe?  ummmm...YUM!!.

just bought this print for my new bathroom.  have a water theme and plan to hang it right next to the mirror.

such an awesome idea.

love -- minus the scarf as i'm not a scarf girl.

THANK YOU patriot guard riders -- for all that you do.

huge kick-ass print.  someday i will have one in my home [maybe when we're in one place for more than three years]!

i love this photo so much, i can barely stand it.  the whole series is A-MAZING.

need to make an IKEA run. it's been a while.

so cool.

this capture couldn't be more perfect.

embroidery hoop + pillow case = hanging laundry bag.

here's your sign. now run with it.

 

fav finds | week eighteen

in

shadows [harpers bazaar | 1962].

the voice inside of you.

love these sweatshirts.

awesome underwater light and capture.

my kind of outfit[s].

 

can't get enough of images of dads with their babies.

muhammad & laila ali.

love this perspective.

no reason for a bad attitude.  [original source unknown]

i 'm not a big cauliflower fan, but these intrigue me.

LOVE the women in this video.

oh the light [imogen cunningham | 1911].

embracing these words.  thinking about making my own version of this with a water image and vintage label maker.

compliments your kids need to hear. photo courtesy of jen wright.

important --> link with love.

being a navy family and all, i really want to make something like this with the kids [maybe a collage with magazine or fabric bits].

fav finds | week seventeen

in

oh this picture.

i heart twiggy.

i just want him.

no sugar oat drops. must try.

i love this idea so much. need to photograph sky's toys & create stories with the kids.

growing older is a privilege!

life is art. [source unknown]

cool coloring books for kids.

so incredibly inspired by sally mann.

intrigued.

beautiful simple portrait

and another stunning portrait.

this could possibly be the best kid's backpack ever.

want these shoes bad.

banana bread [with applesauce and honey, instead of oil and sugar.  i bet you could also substitute coconut flour for wheat flour]

this is so great.  gotta love her.  and ellen at the end...hilarious.

and OMG...this had me in tears.

 

 

fav finds | week sixteen

in

pretty swim suit.

i've been trying to think what ryder could do for his 100th day of school project and then i saw this. [although the chest hair is throwing me off a bit.]

happy day print.

no use comparing.

vegan. yum.

not vegan. yum.

super love johnny cash.

i shoot like a girl.

packaged with love.

i hate perfume.

chips and salsa. my weakness.

new favorite pants.

so much inspiration here.

drawn to this.

always on my mind.

i love hummus. said to be the best.

he would make a fun kids collage project.

be a girl with a mind. a woman with attitude. a lady with class. [author unknown]

fav finds | week fifteen

in

embrace it.

can't wait to make these.

i so want to create a family time capsule.  added to my next week's to-do list!

love my orange townie.  but i really need to ride it more.

hoping my kids will be inspired to make me something like this.

it would be such a dream to meet her. or photograph her. both really.

been wanting a fire pit for a while. this seems perfect.

i really want these but they're all sold our right now.

love these postcards so much, especially the bullshit makes people ugly one.

so hilarious!

roasted vegetable enchiladas. yum!

i am so getting this shirt.

magical photograph.

i really want to get a pouf for my house. preferably a bit cheaper.

roasted banana rum cake.

i was laughing so hard watching this, i could barely breathe.

fav finds | week fourteen

in

just follow the rules.

this website is so amazing [recipes, meal planning, shopping list printouts, food labels & so much more].

and yet, more terrarium love.

excited that these are coming to nordstroms in just a few weeks.

love this portrait so much.

be awesome -- today and everyday.

lucky us -- i'd love to make something like this [year we married & years the kids were born].

i think skyler might like this.

and ryder this.

not sure i would ever do this in my house, but i totally dig this corner. or maybe i would.

i wish i had a bigger freezer. this just seems to make sense to me.

trying to figure out where this happy reading rainbow could go in my house. i've even considered the new bathroom.

these recipes seem pretty darn amazing.

please!

want for the littles room.

i'm making these in six days.

fav finds | week thirteen

in ,

something i try to teach my kids and always remember myself [source unknown].

love the thought of an envelope journal, to not only journal, but also collect important things from throughout the year.

so smart.

i really want pretty hangers. at least a few of them, for the  littles' room. hope to make someday.

can't wait to start photographing in the water again. love this photograph.

so love this idea of tracing the outline of famous art works and then letting the kids color them. here's how she does it.

sometimes a roar. sometimes a quiet voice.

would so love to have steve make this bookshelf. no room in this house; maybe our next house in a couple years.

love this idea for valentine's day cards. a template to allow your child to draw each child in their class and then attach candy.

oh pretty terrarium, how i want you so. but i'm afraid i might kill you, like i do all the other plants.

maybe i should start with this. yes, i'm so making one of these pots.

still dreaming about my partial tattoo sleeve. goodness, her sleeves are beautiful. [source unknown]

OMG, this photo melts my heart.

simple words [source unknown].

last but not least, this video rocks!

fav finds | week twelve

in

can't wait to make these once i'm done with the cleanse. i'll probably replace regular flour with coconut or almond flour.

such a beautiful photo. can't wait to shoot in some fog. it's been a long time.

i want to get this print for my kids' room.

i love absolutley everything about this little space.

such a cool window, reflection, self-portrait shot.

i want...

would love to have a terrarium in my house one day. using air plants is such a great idea, especially for me, who has a magenta thumb.

i am an artist!

adore every bit of becky earl's work and super love her new year's resolution she shared today.

wise words from a dear friend of mine.

love this 'don't be a di*k during meals with friends idea, although i personally would love to take it even further and implement with family time .

a perfect example of the joy, beauty, awesomeness, treasure...of capturing the everyday.

these look so good. trying to figure out a way that i can make them without dipping in egg (no egg for me right now).

last but not least, the clean program makes it to my fav finds this week. i decided to make yesterday the first official day of my 21-day cleanse and i have to say -- it really sucked!!  it was the raging headache that set me over the edge last night. but this comment, on my yesterday's post, has me so inspired.  i KNOW this is the right thing for me.  thank you reb!!

I'm planning to start my 3rd annual Clean cleanse in about 2 weeks.  I love love love the Clean program and plan to always do a cleanse each January - it's the perfect way to re-set your body after the holiday season and at the start of a new year.  You'll feel incredible - even after just a few days.  I have found though that I spend quite a bit of time each day preparing food and after a week or so feel like I'm getting nothing done except the cleanse.  It helps to plan ahead and to make food/smoothies for a couple days.  I'll cook enough salmon/chicken/whatever for a few lunches or make enough smoothie to last in a fridge for a few days as well.  I also plan to cook very simply for my family during that time since it sucks having to make dinner for them and then a smoothie or soup for myself.  But, even with the extra planning it helps to understand that the cleanse does add one pretty big thing to your to do list each day and that simplifying elsewhere is often necessary.  Anyway, I hope you love it.  Whenever I get sick of it or felt hungry I always remind myself: this is the kindest thing I can do for myself right now. Good luck!