They are almost 5 & 3...

5 & 3 in November.
Just one month away.
I bought a baby gift for a friend today and it seems like a liftetime ago that I was buying burp cloths and size 1 diapers. 
It's weird how your own kids seem to grow up so fast, and yet there are some days it feels like they will never be old enough to bathe themselves and fix their own hair for school. 

Recently my friend Mel did a giveaway on her blog and I won DrewB's unposing guide!!
If you are not familar with Drew, you should definitely go check out her work.  I follow her on her photography blog, and her helpful Momtog blog. 

 In Drew's unposing guide she shared several super helpful tips that she has learned throughout her career as a photographer.

 So one morning last week, I thought my girls looked especially sweet, and I ran downstairs to get my camera and try out some of those new tips.

 And then I let them jump on my bed. 

 Crazy.  Beautiful.  Sincere.  Energetic.  Loquacious.  Almost 5 & almost 3.  Crazy.

I can't imagine life without them.

What I Wore Wednesday

It's Wednesday and I am finally getting around to linking up with Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy again.

This week is even more fun to link up than usual because I met Lindsey at Blog Sugar on Sunday, and got to sit in on her last conference of the night.  What a great time.  I walked away with a great idea from her too.  Her conference was about how she juggles it "all".  Being a wife, mother, blogger, business owner, etc.  One of the things she mentioned was that when her brain is just so full of information she will do a "brain dump" where she just sits down and writes out everything that is on her mind.  Loved this idea.  And I guess I sort of do that from time to time, but just giving it the title of brain dump made it sound so fabulous and organized.  So thank you for the great idea Lindsey! 

On to the outfits...

I am not sure what day this was, I think last Wednesday- heading to work.  and just so ya know I was getting my hair done so that is why it is not "done".  ;)

green tank- Old Navy

belt- F21

jeans- MEK Nordstrom

sandals- Dolce Vita Nordstrom

Friday night- movies and dinner with a gal pal.

shirt- Target (clearance for $13 and I LOVE it!)

jeans- MEK (different pair than above) Nordie's

shoes- Report Nordie's (oldies but goodies)

purse- Steve Madden (great deal on it at Marshall's)

earrings- Francesca's boutique

bangle bracelets- F21 and Nordstrom

Saturday-dinner with Holly & Tammy and the fam.

black t shirt- Target

capris- Kohl's (the zipper broke while I was wearing them- sad face)

scarf- Express

flips- Haivianas

On my handsome Mr- Marc Anthony t from Kohl's (ladies if you buy your man these t's do not dry them!  It majorly shrunk)
Sunday- Blog Sugar!!!

It seems I have forgotten how to take pictures of myself for wiww.
What is up with that first one?  I don't know.  I will work on it.

blouse- Express

jeans- Express

blazer- LC Kohl's

shoes- ummm, wedges, i think from Marshall's? or Kohl's?

on my beautiful Mom-

sweater and shirt-Coldwater Creek

jeans and boots- Nordstrom

I borrowed this photo from Ruthanne's blog. She is crazy talented and she took photos of Blog Sugar.  You should stop by and check out her images, they are so beautiful.

Monday- lounging around the house with my girlies and we got a fun package in the mail from my mother in law.  Boise State gear for the whole family!!

Go Broncos!

That's it for this week!

Thank you for stopping by.

Be sure to check out all the other fabulously dressed ladies that are linking up today.

oh- and ps- those adidas slip on shoes i am wearing in that last picture... just so ya know... those are the shoes i leave outside my backdoor. they are my backyard shoes.  just wanted you to know.

;)

that's all.

Blog Sugar High meets Reality...

This is what Claire did today during nap time...

 How I did not hear this, I don't know.

I know it's not horrific.
But still.
It was enough to make me almost want to cry at the end of my long day.
And do you want to know the irony of it?

 I went through every single item in those drawers this morning.
Folded them.
Organized them.
Set aside some to donate.
And that stinker pulled every. single. thing. out of them and tossed them about her room.
Oh, and she decided to remove one of the dresser knobs too.


It's a good thing I bought this creamer this morning.

 Now if you will excuse me,
I need to go clean THAT mess,
 hook myself up to a caffeine iv,
and I might make these just to make myself feel better...

And one more random picture just cause I like the colors.

Take home lesson of the day:
what's the point of organizing your kids rooms?
they don't care you did.
Sigh.

So full of Shuu-gah!

What a fun weekend...
Friday night I had a movie and dinner date with a friend.

Saturday night my family went over to my parents house and anxiously awaited the arrival of our blog buddies Holly and Tammy.

 It was a beautiful fall afternoon.
Perfect for sitting outside and chatting with blog friends who instantly became real friends.

 This is Holly...

... and if you have never stopped by her blog before, you will be in for quite the treat when you do.  She is probably the funniest blogger I know.  I always laugh out loud when I visit Holly's blog.  Her personality is so fun and you can really get an idea of who she is when you read her blog.  Holly drove all the way from Phoenix to attend Blog Sugar.

This is my sister and I with Tammy, Holly's niece.  Tammy also blogs and has quite a lot in common with my sister and I, as we are all young (yes? young?) mothers trying to raise our families and balance this crazy thing called life.  Tammy lives in Bakersfield and she also made the trek to attend Blog Sugar.

 Holly gave all of us girls a package of vintage coasters with hilarious sayings on them, and a darling handmade notepad with our blog names on the front.  So darn sweet.  I tell you this weekend was filled with sweet-ness.

 We dined outside and chatted the night away as if we were all old friends who had known each other for years.

 After dinner we made our way inside to sing Happy Birthday to Holly!

 Who knew blogging could be this much fun?  :)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day us gals got together again for the best (and only) blog conference I've ever been to.

My Mom picked me up and then we took off to the hotel to get Holly and Tammy.

Birthdays look good on you Holly!!

We lunched at The Islands with a couple other blogging gals and then we arrived to our final destination...

 Blog Sugar!

 I had no idea what to expect and I was so impressed with the entire event.
It was very well organized.
180 women (and I believe 1 man).
So personal and such friendly greetings upon arriving.
Rachel (who organized the event) is just so sweet and friendly.  We hugged and I felt like I was seeing an old friend.
Outside there was tea, water, sodas, cotton candy, and even a photo booth.

 Inside there were beautifully decorated tables, sweet treats everywhere, doughnuts with pretty pink sprinkles at each seat,

 and even a beautiful and detailed itinerary.
You know I love some good organization.  :)

When I first started my blog I had no idea that there was even such a thing as the blogworld.
I had no idea that I would make connections with so many amazing women.

 It was so much fun to meet these ladies and give them all a hug.

Rachel, me, Mel, Nancy, Kristy, and Janna

Such fun I tell you.

 I got to sit next to this pretty lady and chat a bit.

 I was happy to sit with Janna at our last conference of the night.

 Mel was just as sweet and bubbly as I figured she would be.

 Keri could not have been cuter and I was so excited to meet her.  She was the very first blog I signed up to actually "follow" without having known her in real life.  I think I was even nervous to "follow" a stranger for the first time.  But we are strangers no more!

 I was also so happy to meet this lovely lady.

 I tell you what,
there was something really special about all of these bloggers together in one room, out from behind the computers, meeting and greeting one another, hugging and smiling like old friends.

 I felt really lucky to be a part of it.
I really did.

At the end of the night Meg spoke.
I couldn't believe I was at Blog Sugar with all of these lovely ladies, and with Meg.
I remember the first time I stumbled upon her blog.
I couldn't get over her beautiful photography, the fun colors all over the place, how happy it was, the fantastic pictures of her home, and now here I was listening to her at a blog conference.
So surreal.

And now I love her even more.

I loved listening to her humbling story.

I love that Rachel had the idea to plan an event such as this.

I love how sweet Blog Sugar really was.

I love that I have met such wonderful women through blogging.

I love that I have a renewed passion for blogging.

I love that every blogger is unique.

I loved being reminded that He created me to be exactly the way I am.

I love that we are all so different and should embrace that.

And now I am singing

 "you're beautiful in the way that God makes no mistakes,

you're on the right track, baby you were born this way hey."  -Gaga

I love that my blog is a place to use my voice.

I love the pink swag bags full of goodies,
but more than that,
I loved being able to be a part of Blog Sugar 2011.
I walked away with so much more than swag.



I linked up to share my blog sugar post with a lot of other lovely ladies today.  Check out their stories here!

Get Ready for some Random...

Hi friends.
How's your Wednesday going?
So, I didn't link up for wiww (again), I know, I'm such a slacker.  So instead I thought I'd share a few old pictures with ya.

Have you ever wondered why I became a hairdresser?
Please exam, exhibit A :

 This is my kindergarten and first grade picture. 
Just look at those bangs would you?
My sister and I have always teased my Mom about cutting our hair with bowls over our heads. 
I mean, check out my first grade picture on the right again, ok...
do you see how far out my bangs extend??
And they are shorter in first grade than in the kinder photo.  Mom must have got a new bowl that year. 
That haircut was border line mullet-ish and I fear it traumatized me.

Now if you will,
please exam exhibit B :

this is second grade and third grade.
Not much better.
In fact, it got worse.
What is happening in that second grade (red shirt) photo!?!  Did I just roll out of bed, lose my tooth, and go to school?  I think so!
At least in the third grade picture I can give myself credit for the "big-ness" that my hair (and bangs) have got going on. 

As you can see, I had some traumatic hair experiences in my youth.
So I like to say that I became a hairdresser to compensate for all that.
I am making up for lost good hair days.  ;)


Moving on,
in case you have ever wondered what is the best way to travel with an opened bottle of wine in your car...

wonder no more!

While we are on the subject of car seats, tell me,

how safe do you think these seats could possibly be???

That's me on the left (in the really unsafe looking seat), and my sister on the right.  I think we were about 4 and 2.

My Mom bought me these purty little napkins after our super fun (did ya catch the sarcasm there?) camping trip.  I love them. 

Hannah has been having a lot of fun playing softball with Mr. Hass in the backyard recently.  She likes to play in her ballet flats from Nordstrom. 

She is actually quite good. 

Fielding grounders and everything.

The girls (mostly Hannah) have discovered computer games.  At least they are educational, and Claire is content to just sit along side her big sister and watch.  

Hannah is impressing me on a daily basis with how well she is beginning to read and write.  I took this picture of her recent writing and felt a little bit sad that my first baby is now such a big girl writing actual words. 

I've got a question for those of you going to Blog Sugar...

are you bringing your slr?????

I mean, we are bloggers right?  So do we bring our cameras to document and blog about the event?

Anybody?

I better go.

Thanks for reading my random ramblings.

Peace out.