Trend Alert - Ruffles

Sorry, I've been MIA because my computer was getting fixed and I am busy with the little crawler. I am working on two big reveals from the MIL's house and also some other things, so stay tuned. Right now, I have a trend alert to hold you over till I get the big reveals done...

Late last year, Crystal of Little Bit Funky blogged how to ruffle... with or without a foot and showed us how to create this cute ruffle embellishment...

It seems these ruffles are really trendy in the sewing and crafting world right now, and you saw similar ones on Susie's bikini a couple weeks back...

And today I also noticed Pottery Barn adding small pleated ruffles, gathered ruffles and even some ruched ruffles of different styles to items in their line...

Maybe I've just been blind to it until now, but it seemed to me ruffles had been slapped with the "old lady" title until recently. I've seen it in fashion, too, but I won't go there because I suck at it. Anyway, keep an eye out for these sweet simple ruffles - they're everywhere!

Knock-off Alert - Embroidered Pillows

I have a couple pillows from my grandma who is now gone, which feature fine ladies in fancy dresses embroidered on them. I think they have a classic appeal and could certainly work in the right room. Maybe I should repo them from my mom's storage closet because embroidered pillows seem to be making a comeback right now...

Several weeks ago I picked up this sweet Alvine Flora Pillow & insert from IKEA ($24.99)...

I initially passed by it, but then it struck a chord. It reminded me of the Autumn Embroidered Pillow Cover from pottery barn ($49 plus $16 for down insert)...

And when I realized it was a trendy knock-off, I thought about it for a minute, and also realized it went with the bedding I am working on in my bedroom! So now it has a home, though it would have a happier, more well rounded home if I could ever finish my quilt!

Anyway, Ikea also has the Alvine Spetsig Pillow, which looks more like the PB one, with the more exotic flowers, the piping and the white back.

But I was happy with the less formal, more country feel of the Alvine Flora.

Happy Summer!

Random

Despite the heat, this little booger is getting more and more mobile...

She now pulls herself up with the basket and then transitions herself to the coffee table. She can take a couple crawling-steps, but doesn't yet realize that she can. Things are about to get crazier around here!

In that itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny, yellow...

paisley bikini.

She says, 'Mom - I'm feeling a little exposed!'

While at Mom's last week, we hit the river beach a little golf cart ride from her house. I had long been awaiting this opportunity to try out her new bikini. She seemed to be wondering what she was wearing, at first. Then she quickly started throwing a little fuss fest.

She needed to get closer to the other kids...

And she was gonna get there if she had to crawl herself over there! That is okay, crawling lets me look at this bikini belly roll deliciousness...

And this muffin-top scrumptiousness...

See the tag there? The bikini is by Ruffle Butts and I love it. I got it big enough that it should fit her next year too. I bought it from Simply Sweet Baby Botique at Aquafest. She had tons of cute stuff, and I couldn't resist that matching flower hair clip...

I still don't believe she left it in. I think it was just the distraction.

Got so many cute shots that day, but this one is my favorite!

Always tasting something! Oh, that face!!!

Bovines, Bad Hair & Bubbles

We spent last weekend and this past week in the lovely Teanaway Valley, hanging out at my Mom's. The weather was stunning, most of the time, and the kids got tons of outside play time... that is, after we shooed off these pesky fellas...

The valley my mom lives in is right on the edge where civilization meets wilderness. And that happens to be free-range cattle country. The cows and calves got closer and closer to mom's place throughout the day and we had the gates closed so we thought we were safe. Until they started pouring in from the back of her property. They went through the river and came up the bank, avoiding the fences altogether and ended up making themselves at home all over the yard.

I have a thing for cows- scratch that... calves. Every time I drive past some in a field this pitiful "Ohhhh, Baby cows!" escapes my lips before I can stop it. But cow patties all over the yard the kids are playing in? That I do not have a thing for. We chased a couple groups of them out of the yard, PW style - on foot.

Even this little guy...

Although if my horse had been with me on this trip I might have sicked her on him, chased him down, tied him up and took him home in my trunk. He was that cute.

But we got them out and the yard was safe enough even for Mark, who is afraid the cows will bite him.

Instead of reassuring him, I left him to fend for himself and went inside to feed this little booger.

Have you ever seen such hair??? It is like that all the time. It looks so soft and silky, but it is coarse and always sticks out on the crown, just like her father and brother's. Sorry Susie, I don't know what's worse: my hair, or your dad's. At least she has hair, which is more than I could say for her brother at that age.

I turned into an old person this weekend, drinking tons of regular old drip coffee. I am either getting old or just that tired and desperate for the caffeine. Plus it chases these down well...

The coffee and cookies helped me cope with the whole 'cry-it-out' phase of Susanna's sleep training (though I hesitate to call it 'training' since I have been too exhausted/lazy/braindead to really try until now). Meanwhile, the kids turned from the pool and decided to have a squirt gun shoot-off.

That lasted all of 5 minutes before the fights started up. But never fear, grandma is here! Mom has a bubble gun, and when she fired that thing up [well she pulled the trigger, but 'fired up' sounds cooler] those kids came runnin' so fast...

Mark thinks bubbles are a great excuse to run around like a freak with no rhyme or reason to prevent his mother from taking advantage of the photographic opportunities that bubbles present.

That shot was a miracle. But it's okay, my niece was there to let me get beautiful shots of her in the bubble extravaganza...

That one's going in the fair this year!

Look at that one: Maddie is like, "tra-la-la, I'm a fairy princess prancing along in a bubble forest" and Mark is just like, "ahhhhhhhh!" I really think that was the only thought in his mind the whole time. Boys and girls.

At least somebody was there to appreciate the pretty bubbles.

Nothing like a bubble shower on a hot summer day!

It's starting...

Okay, this happened last week, but I'm still behind...

Doesn't that look funny? She seems too little to be pulling herself up!!! She's 8 months now. Kinda crazy to see her growing so fast, but I am always one to be looking forward to the next milestone, rather than sad that the baby phase is waning. That's right; I'm not a baby person. Don't get me wrong - I love my own with all my heart, but I have never been one to feel some kind of maternal, estrogen-fueled tug to hold other people's babies. I have no problem leaving those fresh little cheeks [both kinds] in their own mama's hands.

As for this one...

I'll keep her. Stinky buns and all.

Wedding # 2

I was given another opportunity to photograph a wedding! Just like last time, it was a little misty for this one, too. Of course, it was the 4th of July, in the Pacific Northwest - what else could it do? But, despite the clouds and the mist, I came out with some good photos. Here are a few of my favorites...

The dress and bouquet were so pretty.

I love this one... "You like the shoes?"...

It was a pleasant, laid back gathering of family and friends who obviously love this couple. Thanks for letting me take part in the special day and trusting me with your photos, and congratulations, Alonso family!

Photo Session 3

Got another opportunity to take photographs - for a friend of ours who is getting ready to take her horse to fair! He was being a wiggly booger, but I am happy with what we got out of the 5 minute session!

The last one is my favorite. Best wishes for you at fair, Lindsey!

Aquafest: More Racing!

This time the racing was on foot...

...at our local Aquafest fair weekend before last. Husband mouthed off to some friends that he would beat them in an upcoming 5K they were training for. I thought it sounded like a good goal for me to work toward, to get me out running more, so I said I would run too. Of course husb never needs to train - he works out all day at work. I managed to get out a whopping 4 times to get ready for the race. Then husb backed out at the last minute, realizing he would have to push the two kiddos in the stroller. I decided to do it without him. But, I was feeling like a flabby mom-of-two and thinking I'd be glad if I just ran the whole thing without walking. I surprised myself!

That is the weirdest picture ever taken of me, but I'm keeping it real. But thanks husb for manning the camera. I came in just ahead of our friend Tommy and he came in just ahead of his sister Sara. Good job guys! We could have all shaved off about 15 seconds if we had known the start would be so jam packed...

If we would have pushed out closer to the front before the start, we could have saved some time, but oh well. There were certainly some great runners there who would have beat us either way!

After the run, Mark wanted to check out the rides that he loves that he is deathly afraid of. Yes, both. He climbed the huge stairs to the slides, and even wanted to do them several times. Did he enjoy it? Yes. Did he look like he was having fun? No.

Seriously, he wanted to do it - we didn't force him. Next up was the airplane ride. Apprehensive at first, but he learned to like it.

Susanna didn't mind waiting around in the bright sunshine watching the people go by...

Next Mark wanted to tackle the "dinosaur train". AKA the dragon roller coaster. At first, total apprehension. Again, he wants to do these rides.

When it stopped, he decided it was fun.

Then we took a (very long) bouncy house break.

Now he is ready for more rides. He never really got excited about the carousel - that's okay, all the horses look mad or evil anyway...

I think his favorite was this "broken airplane" ride he went on with daddy even though he was too short! I held my breath. Daddy kept him in the "broken airplane" though (no idea why he called it that?).

And on the way out we caught a ride on the dinosaur ship, which swings back and forth and I knew he would love it. He smiled and laughed, even though he looked at the girl next to him like she was crazy when she screamed and put her hands up in the air.



What a fun little community fair! See you next year Aquafest!