fav finds | twenty-nine

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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-seven

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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 finds | twenty-six

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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)

 

fav finds | twenty-five

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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

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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

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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

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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

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fav finds | week nineteen

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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

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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 eight

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since i'm pretty bah-humbug right now, i decided to focus on christmas this week. yes, today is the day that i'm going to shake this grumpiness and get in the christmas spirit. because my attitude pretty much sucks [thanks to renovation yuck and a messy, cluttered house] and it's not fair to the kids. not one bit!!  so, here we go... we've been trying to figure out what we're going to do with outdoor lights, with this house. last year, we tried our usual -- big colorful lights, hung straight along the roof line. but with this spanish-style adobe, it just didn't work well. today, i came across this and i think hanging something like this in our entryway would be fun and pretty much perfect.

one hula hoop (spray painted) + two strings of icicle lights and duct tape = outdoor chandelier

i'd love to someday do a family fingerprint ornament. would be a great ornament to pass down to each kid.

since we leave in a week, for nevada, and still don't have a tree, i love the idea of doing something like this -- vintage containers filled with pine saplings. getting a tree[s] is my mission after seeing the muppet christmas movie today.

i'd love to cover my front windows with hanging snowflakes, like this.

and free printable snowflake patterns

i've loved this idea for years.  someday...

a few cute free printable gift tags here, here and here.

my friend, heather, gave me the idea of doing homemade christmas ornaments every year using the kids' photos. maybe cookie cutter ornaments could be our ornament project this year.

peanut butter reindeer cookies. kids would love to make these.

love this idea, either for the cards you receive every year [and then display them on your coffee table every christmas] or to simply keep your own cards together, from over the years. i'm digging this blog too; a new one to follow and be inspired by, for sure.

wishing you a holly jolly christmas

now to get my annual family books [christmas presents] ordered and get off this dang computer for the rest of the day. xo scrooge schwedhelm

it's that time of year

in , , , ,

...to finish and upload my family's annual book. makes me teary as i look through our family photos from this past year and put together our book. and i so love that my kids look through the books over and over again, giggling as they flip through the previous years' books.  they just happened to be flipping through the books today -- showing me all the pages that bring back memories or simply make them laugh. :-) mmmm...i treasure these books more than i can even express. worth every bit of time it takes to make them!! not to mention, they make fabulous christmas gifts too.

here's this year's layout...

[larger version HERE]

and here's a few of my favorite page spreads...

makes my heart so very happy!!!

fav finds friday | week six

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while i didn't just find homeland, i can't seem to get enough of it. especial since dexter has been overwhelmingly disappointing this season.

haven't tried this but i'm hoping it works -- baking soda and peroxide. and dish soap and peroxide = oxyclean.

i really want to grow my own little avocado tree.

thinking about making something like these but with thumbprints instead of fabric and reindeer instead of reinbirds.

such an amazing series. i'm pretty certain i blogged about mr toledano before but i just went back to visit the other day so i thought i'd share again.

another incredible series of photographs of a dad documenting his daughter over many years. and here's a little interview with the photographer, jack radcliffe.

happened to see something similar in anthropologie and then came across the tutorial the next day. considering some inspiring words for the home. and from the image title, looks like this photo was taken at anthropologie too.

super love this template.  blogged all about it here.

apparently, a working camera transformer from 1985.  seriously wishing the toy industry would put something like this back out there. so cool! hmm...maybe i could disassemble one of ryder's transformers and make one of these myself with a holga or diana i have. yep, i'm so doing that.

a few children's books / series i think every family should own.

sandra boynton books were my absolute favorite books to read to the kids when they were toddlers. we own them all.

shel silverstein poem books. this one was recently released. we own them all and read his poems almost every night.

if you haven't read this book, you must! without a doubt, every family should own this one.

ha!!

my mom is a great baker. she used to sell the fancy german tortes she made, when i was a kid. but this was my all time favorite -- toasted coconut clusters. none of the optional stuff. just straight chocolate and toasted coconut.

just happened to sample this recipe [turkey and sausage chili] the other day, while in publix. it was awesome and such a great idea for turkey leftovers. making it today.

need i say more...

fav finds friday | week five

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there's so many signs tacked up around tampa -- money 4 junk cars, 2/1 house for sale, avoid foreclosure, etc. well i love the idea of placing some of these around town.

longing for more music around my house. and this ipod dock is pretty darn cool.

love this simple, casual look so much. wish it was cooler so i could dress like this. we're back to humid and the 80s here in tampa.

something so magical and powerful about this moment captured.  makes me want to slow down!

love the idea of making cords that are hanging around pretty.

would love to try this project.

this is SO my kind of business card.  i never seem to have my business cards with me.

this power pig with 17 snout-plugs is pretty darn cool too. cords around the house make me cringe but i might be okay with them if i had a power pig. although i couldn't find it for sale anywhere.

DIY [toilet paper tube] owls. will have to do with the kids.

i keep looking and looking at these.  for years now.  one day i'm going to get a pair.  and red seems just right.

i'm not sure you can ever go wrong with homemade chicken noodle soup. some in the fridge. some in the freezer for a later date.

haven't made this recipe yet but i have all the ingredients and am excited to try it -- creamy chicken apple chili. a friend made it and said it was awesome.

not only do i love this quote, i love the whole mixed media art piece.

fav finds friday | week three

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i really long for one red chair in my house [although i have no idea where i'd put it]. it can be from anywhere; just a cool red chair.

anthropologie has some awesome christmas stuff in their store right now.  much of which could inspire do-it-yourself holiday projects.  can't wait to make something like this...

i wish i was a better thrifter and sewer.  i'd be all over finding sweaters and making this [made from an men's XL sweatshirt].

so smart. doing this as soon as i have enough toilet paper rolls.

creating a healthy snack station, in the fridge, for the kids.

these are pretty darn fabulous. and pretty darn expensive too.

i've been a long time user of allrecipes.com. i love that i can sort the recipes by rating and popularity. it's just so easy. and maybe i'm a creature of habit.  also, over the past few weeks, i've been putting together 2-3 crockpot recipes sunday evening and then freezing them.  it's so awesome having 2-3 meals done for the week.  just pull out the ziploc bag from the freezer, thaw for 30 minutes, place in slow cooker, add the liquids...done!

had this buffalo chicken dip at a party i went to last weekend.  OMG...amazing.  she made it with rotisserie chicken [instead of canned] and served it with tortilla chips and red pepper slices.  i will be bringing this to all future parties. it's that good.

although i have to say, this is my other party favorite -- tastefully simple beer bread and garlic garlic dip.  it's always a huge, huge hit, whenever i bring it. my friend, gwenn, is a TS consultant, so if you want to purchase anything, her ID number is 0042780.

last but not least...finding out today that my awesome partner-in-crime, during my last two years in the military [we were health-care-integrator nurses together] just got selected for an air force PhD scholarship.  she'll be moving closer and i can't wait to see her.  it's been almost nine years. i LOVE when great things happen to great people.  i couldn't think of a more deserving person.  love and miss you laurie!!  i'm so proud of you!

their story

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i saw this story on 503 photography's blog this morning. and while i've heard of storycorps [more times than once], i'm not sure i've ever listened to one of their stories. but i will now! after watching this [please watch it till the very end]...

while i have tears rolling down my cheeks, i can't get over how beautiful this story -- and their love -- is.

i think i'll start my every morning, after dropping off the kids at school, listening to a story.  what a great way to start the day.

have a story? everyone does, right?! i remember many years ago, when good morning america [i think it was good morning america] drove an RV around the US stopping in various cities.  they would then find a phone booth, open the phone book to a random page, point their finger at a name and that's whose house they would visit...to hear their story. loved the concept. loved the series. anyways, here's how you can record your story with story corps [either at one of their studio or mobile locations, do-it-yourself or sponsored door-to-door service.

thanks jessica for the awesome share and making my day a bit more beautiful and hopeful.

fav finds [the day after] friday

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how cool are these boats?

the prettiest rings on etsy. all of them.

can't help but love this shirt.

well said.

said to be the best holiday recipe.

a year of crockpot recipes. one for every day. this lady did just that.

love this simple polaroid wall layout. i so miss the old 600 film.

so love this. would love to have a huge 3 or 5 of my own. maybe next house.

love these lettered cups. sky has tons of knickknacks and i think something like this could be the perfect solution, along with being a stylish trinket collector [although i'd prefer plastic & available in the US]

sources: cotton bird designs garnet girl designs wildfox sapling press my recipes stephanie 'dea | a year of slow cooking flickr la la lovely things design letters

fav finds friday

in ,

thought it would be fun to start sharing some of my favorite new finds of the week.  so here we go... adore this necklace for a child.

love.

i love this DIY coat rack and am thinking about asking steve to do a rack for the little ones' room [since they have such a tiny closet and sky has so many dresses].

a cute DIY book mark project.  would make a great little addition for christmas gifts and a fun project to work on with the kids.

this was so, so good and easy.  definitely a keeper recipe.

brings me back to childhood. one of my all-time favorites, especially around the holidays.

as we demo and renovate our bathroom, pinterest has been an awesome place for inspiration and putting ideas, thoughts and design all together.

one of the next projects that i want to do with the kids. could also make for some great christmas giving.

a message about this is going around on pinterest right now.  i remember seeing it on the news quite a long time ago.  in 45 minutes at DC's metro station [jan 2007], only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while, 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace...all while one of the greatest violinists in the world played six bach pieces. he collected a total of $32. indeed...i wonder how many amazing, incredible things we are missing during our hectic day-to-day lives? or that we just don't take the time to stop and notice.

hope you have an awesome weekend!

souces: be wise kid's necklace | beth quinn designs chunky brass love bracelet | etsy DIY coat / dress rack [original source unknown] DIY paperclip book marks crock pot santa fe chicken buckeyes pinterest yarn font

for the love of...

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film. i've been talking about it for years now--shooting film; however, that's all i've been doing. talking about it. for some reason, i feel like i need someone to hold my hand. not sure why. what am i scared of? what is holding me back? nothing more than myself. and that frustrates me.

i have two film cameras (a canon and a bronica) sitting on the shelf right above my computer...collecting dust. i seriously look at them all day. every day. cheryl jacobs tried to help me get my bronica to work, when we visited her in colorado, but something seemed to be wrong with the back. so yesterday, i ordered a new back and i'm determined to use it. as for the canon, it's fine. i've just had a bunch of lame excuses and haven't had the courage to pick it up.

damn it! this is the year--i am picking up those cameras and shooting film. i am! no more excuses. no one needs to hold my hand.

speaking of film and polaroid, here's some of my favorite polaroids from over the years.