snapshots

here are a few snapshots of life lately....enjoy!

fresh orange juice

the sweetest girl ever

a retro table that would be mine if I had a spot for it...(it was only $50!!!!)

a doughnut run

sleepy boy

sleepy girl

our fridge this Summer!!

the popcorn shop

If you live where I do then you probably already know about this place. It is one of the most magical places I have been. It is a candy and popcorn shop that is literally the size of a hallway...a narrow hallway at that...but even that quirky part of it is one of the magical bits.

Opening the bright red door you squeeze into this little brick nook of childhood. One whole side of the hall is filled top to bottom with clear little containers of candy. All sorts of candy. Every kind of candy you could ever want. 

At the entrance of the door stands a little monkey figurine that is holding a bubble gum bucket filled with  a stack of small, white, paper bags. You grab one of those bags and start the journey of picking and choosing what goodies are going to fill it up. Those white bags...I could truthfully salivate at the thought of them....they are perfect. I feel 5 years of age when holding one of them filled with candy that I cannot wait to eat.

I should mention the smell in that little shop too. There is nothing like its' smell. The popcorn is being cooked at the end of the hallway and the candy fills the front of it-so just imagine those two smells mixing together into a warm delicious scent filling up that bitty hallway.

 Tonight while my little family was filling up their bags I saw two grown men come in. They grabbed the tiny white bags and stuck their grown-men hands into the small candy bins, right alongside my kids.  And as they fill their bags up...there was a sparkle in their eyes because for those few minutes they were transporting themselves to their childhood....and that is what I mean by there is magic at the Popcorn Shop. 

No matter what your age you have a feeling of childhood when you enter that hall. I love it. I will always love it. And I especially love that I can vividly remember going there as a small child and now I watch my little beans experiencing it....so  wonderful when you can share an experience like that with your child.

 PS: their popcorn is to die for too

her version of a secret garden

My sweet Belle loves to create scenarios and situations in which she gets to take on different roles and personas. I love to see her doing this because it is so much the way I was as a child. We have old videos from when I was her age and it is boderline creepy how similar we act, sing and dance. So weird.

Anyway, it should not have come as any surprise to me when little Isabelle came inside asking for a few bowls of food for her "secret area" outside. I immediatly filled up the bowls (children's imaginations are precious things that should be daily encouraged) and headed outside to see this world she had created. It did not disappoint-especially when I could see it through her eyes...a quiet, hidden little nook where she could daydream and play life out any way she wanted....we all need a spot like that don't we?

I especially love the way she cleared the little dirt table and then instantly knew that bowls of food needed to be on it. Me and that girl...we are alike. 

Where is your favorite secret little spot to hang out??

I cannot stop...

Recently I told you of my deep love for Salvation Army. The one just blocks from my house is amazing. The prices are so low they give me heart palpitations! I recently convinced my hubby to check out the men's dress shirts (he found three he LOVED) and while he browsed I took the kids and browsed the children's section. I never come away empty handed....

I adore this skirt, the ducks, the colors, the bow...gulp.

Little thermal leggins, strips and flowers...does it get any better than that folks?

This pile of clothing cost around $5 TOTAL...now you know why I cannot stop. If you are ever in the area we can hit up the shop together...cause you know I am always up for going:)

sometimes....

Sometimes I look in the backseat and see this...

and I am reminded why I love being a mom.

6 years

Nathaniel Clark....he has been my husband for 6 years now. I truly never knew someone could be as wonderful as my Nate is. He is my favorite. He will always be my favorite. My best moments are life are always with him.

There is no one that is who Nate is to me....I love you my darling husband!!! Thank you for being my husband....I adore you.

 Cheers to a lifetime with my favorite. I love you Nathaniel Clark...I am so thankful I got you!!!

Happy 6th Love!!

push-ups and popsicles

I was pushing my shopping cart through the frozen food aisle tonight and realized my children have never had a popsicle of any kind. What kind of mom was I that I had never gotten my children any...? In hopes to rectify the situation quickly, I grabbed two boxes of frozen delights on a stick and brought them to the checkout line. I tried to excite them once back in the car by telling them what popsicles are like. Have you ever tried to explain them?? It is not really easy and sounds kinda strange and nasty...at least the way I did it. I didn't stress over it since I knew that once they had their first lick the "mommy's description" portion of their brain would be wiped clean.

Once home we decided the best place for novice popsicle eaters to be was in the backyard. I sat down and watched as they licked their treats. Judah looked at his after a few licks and then knowingly said to Isabelle, "Don't eat that part Belle (pointing to the stick) that part is to hold it up...that part is not for eating." I had to laugh. I love that in his sweet little never-had-a-popsicle-before mind, that was necessary information to share.

After the standard popsicle we upgraded to push-ups...had they been the orange creamy kind I grew up eating you better believe I too would have partook...but they were strawberry-lemonade flavored and I could barely handle the sweetness of one taste myself!

So now the kiddos have had popsicles and push-ups......I like that part of parenting, when you get to introduce your wee ones to things they have never tried. Yes-I like that part a lot!

 Here's to summer and the fun things it brings!!

DIY necklaces...

I have a few blogs I enjoy reading and being inspired by. One of them is called A Beautiful Mess. The other day I was looking at this post and immediately knew I had to make myself one (or 10) of those necklaces. As a bonus it is a super kid friendly project...if you cover everything to ensure you do not get paint on it:) To start off I ran to JoAnn Fabrics with two 50% coupons and bought wooden beads and the Triple Thick Gloss Glaze the blog recommend. I used my own acrylic paints I had at home and got started. It is addicting-especially if you love color and color pairings like I do. Oh man.  I have made three necklaces and just keep taking the beads on and off and mixing the different colors together...each new grouping gets me drooling-it is nice to not have to commit to just one look(the beauty of being able to make your own). Here is my current combo favorite

 I also have about 20 other colored beads to play around with...and since you do not live in my basement and are able to see all the delicious colors, I grabbed a shot with one of each of the color beads I have painted (besides the three you see pictured above).

dark purple, mustard yellow, lime green, hot pink and baby blue

And be warned...like I said...it is strangely addicting!!!

a walk in the park

Tonight we went for a lovely walk in the park. It was so relaxed and felt almost like a mini (mini mini mini) vacation. I love outings that feel like that...they are the best.

this shot reminded me of Hansel and Gretel somehow:)

This house helps me make believe I am somewhere far away in another country-it just seems elegant and perfectly simple...if that makes sense. And they have the most beautiful horse sculpture in their backyard too...you cannot really see it here-but it is breathtaking!

And with that sweet little face I will leave you.