More to share soon…if we can figure out how to get the hardware back on.  Someone (not mentioning any names) forgot to label the screws

I am totally head over heals, irresponsibly, passionately, inexplicably IN LOVE with this little man.

He’s definitely a charmer.  Quite the ladies boy

I’ve yet to meet a person who didn’t smile ear to ear at the sight of him.

But even the popular ones can only take so much love.

{are we done yet?}

love you…forever.

It was kind of a boring Monday in our abode.  Today was my first day getting the kids out the door for school on my own.  I planned ahead…we laid out outfits and backpacks the night before…and we were like a well oiled machine.  I’m sure that won’t last long   The boys and I had plans to head to Home Depot this morning for a little spray paint run, but a sudden WILD thunderstorm delayed us.  Then it was lunch time.  Then it was nap time.  And before I could say “I need outta this house”, I was stuck.  But that’s ok.  Somedays you just roll with the punches and see where the day takes you.

Here’s a few random snapshots of our day.

{The Brainiac’s early morning practice}

{Lego men instead of our scheduled outing}

{trying to make some decisions}

{lunch time with leftovers and email}

{laundry for the week}

{a little pile of thrifting treasures found this weekend}

{getting there – still need gutters, a new front door color, and new hardware}

Maybe I’ll leave the house tomorrow.  Do you get stir crazy at home?  Or am I the only one?

First off…THANK YOU to all of those who prayed for my niece and who took the time to leave her words of encouragement here on my blog!  She is finally home from the hospital where she can recover in her own home.  I spent the last half of the week with The Librarian.  We spent a lot of time up at the hospital trying to get answers and encourage my niece.  The doctors have concluded that she was bit by a brown recluse spider sometime while she was sleeping which caused a huge systematic reaction.  She spent the week in ICU, a few days in a regular room, and was then transferred to a local hospital for inpatient rehabiliation.  It was a SCARY week.  And to be honest…I’m having a hard time getting back into my usual mindless blog banter.

So I’m going to ease back into it by sharing a recent senior session!  Miss M is absolutely stunning.  She has a fun loving personality and her outer beauty is just a reflection of the sweet heart within.

I had almost forgotten how fun seniors are.  They can’t run away from me (or at least they don’t try!) and they actually LOVE the camera!  They WANT to change their clothes and are up for a million locations.  We took advantage of several local spots and got hundreds of great shots….from forlorn fields…to bright happy sunshine…to evening sun flare.  I so love a willing subject!  I’m just going to share a small portion of the amazing shots this beauty took!

Miss M…I’m wishing you a fabulous senior year.  I know you are headed for GREAT things!

CONGRATS MARYANN D!!

You were the AUGUST GIVEAWAY WINNER!

Here’s what she’s gonna do with that fun little frame!
“I would of course put a picture of my son and daughter in the frame and hang it in the kitchen!”

Maryann…send me your address so I can mail all your goodies to you!

{on a side note…I will be MIA for just a few days.  I’m in Kansas helping my niece recover!!}

Back to school. I know it produces a wide range of emotions in the lives of stay at home moms across the country.

I never understood “those moms” who sobbed as their kids piled out of the van…always pegged myself as the “silently rejoicing on my way to Starbucks” kind of mom.

That was BEFORE kids.

I’m not a crier.  But there is something about the start of school after a long, peaceful summer that has a way of stirring up a lump in your throat.  More than the school day itself…I think it has something to do with the physical reminder that my kids are growing up…and there isn’t a thing I can do about it.  The bigger they get, the more in tune I am to the fact that they are growing at an alarming rate.  And what I really want to do is pull them back onto my lap and snuggle them there for eternity (or until they are 83 at least).  But they have a world to discover.  And while I would love to keep them all for myself…I wouldn’t do that to the world either.  Cause they are seriously GREAT kids!

Here we were bright and early this morning.  We walked down to the school through beautiful morning light along with half of the neighborhood and a gaggle of kids in shiny new shoes.

Super Sam chattered excitedly about preschool the entire walk DOWN to the school…and lamented that preschool hasn’t started yet all the way HOME from the school.  September 7th can’t come soon enough for that boy!

My girls are getting so big.  So cliche.  But true nonetheless!

Anna – 3rd Grade

Julia – 1st Grade

They were a wee bit excited!

And none too amused when I kept asking them to STOP so we could catch that beautiful morning glow

I found a pretty spot along the path to document their first day…but they were terrified that an 8 ft. cicada would fly out of the nearby tree.  Needless to say it wasn’t the ideal portrait spot.  Miss Middle gave me 2 seconds and didn’t even wait for me to focus the camera.  But she’s cute (and I’ve got some beautifully focused weeds)..so I’ll include it anyways

One more obligatory shot in front of the school.  Oh, the drama of pictures with mom!  You’d think the fake smile would have worn off by this point…but alas!  They are champion fakesters!

They let us walk them to their classrooms and give quick hugs.  But then it was ALL BUSINESS for them.  I tried to sneak back to J’s classroom and take a peak…but she gave me the hand and wouldn’t make eye contact.  I think she’s good

Girls…I hope your year is full of friendship and wonder.  I hope your teachers see your fun, quirky personalities.  I pray you grow and learn…and always remember to be a good friend.

Hurry home!

1.  Thought this might be the best way to catch up here on the blog after my absence for a few days!

2.  Look…it’s #2 already…I’m on a roll!

3.  THANK YOU for all the prayers for my niece!  There were so many sweet comments…and I just know she will enjoy reading those when she is feeling better.  Tonight she was moved to her own room at the hospital after an entire week in the ICU.  She has had a horrific experience.  My sister has been joking that they could be on “Mystery Diagnosis” and she ain’t lying!  (check out her BLOG POST for the whole story).  After many trials and errors in treatment, the doctors have determined that she was bit by a brown recluse spider.  The swelling and pain was so severe due to the fact that she was bitten on her face near her eye.  She is still feeling horrible and will likely have several more weeks of pain before it subsides.  If you think of her…please CONTINUE to pray for her healing!!

{on a side note…I am heading to Wichita tomorrow evening to try to do what I can to help my sister.  So prayers for Mr. P to be able to handle the munchkins would be appreciate too!}

4.  This past Sunday we had our sweet Danny Boy dedicated at church.  Our children’s pastor said that the church would love to see our video…but asked that it be no more than TWO MINUTES.  So my Mom and I painstakingly cut down the images and Mr. P worked his magic with splicing and dicing the music….and we have the NEW abridged version of “Our Journey to Daniel”.  I doubt you sit around your house endlessly watching our videos…but if for some odd reason you do…you might switch to the short version

{photo courtesy of my Dad as we were leaving for church}

5.  The dedication ceremony itself was very touching.  I think the congregation really responded to our video and has fallen in love with our sweet boy.  Keeping our kids on stage during the dedication was another story.  The Brainiac was clamoring for her turn in front of the microphone.  Miss Middle was sheepishly hiding behind my legs inching my dress to dangerously obscene heights.  Super Sam stood right on the edge of the stage and yodeled during the prayer.  (Danny of course was adorable).

6.  This past week we had a fun little visit from one of our favorite gals Miss Z.   Danny and Miss Z have a love/hate relationship.  As in…Z LOVES her some Danny!  Danny on the other hand is always slow to respond (so typically male!)

{important to note that Miss Z had just landed a kiss on Danny and that is NOT his own drool!}

7.  But they made up and had fun playing.  Actually Miss Z played and Danny watched her.  Hopefully he is taking notes I SO WISH this picture was better quality…but it was storming outside and I had my ISO set to about 100,000 (give or take) so there is some serious grain.  Cute sentiment though!  And look…Danny likes her!!

8.  Today class lists came through email.  We packed up our 638 felt tip pens, 99 glue sticks, and 432 brightly colored folders and treked down to the school for “Meet the Teacher”.  The girls are THRILLED for tomorrow.  I’m still lamenting summer and wearing my pjs until 10am.  But it is coming whether I like it or not!

Miss Middle with her new FIRST GRADE teacher (and a special friend who ended up in the same class…YEAH!)

And The Brainiac with her THIRD GRADE teacher!

9.  Tomorrow we will wake up to waffles, and fresh backpacks, and outfits laid out the night before.  Mr. P will take a few extra hours from work in the morning and our {little} family will walk down the neighborhood path to join the other anxious parents snapping pictures of their reluctantly smiling children.  We’ll get them settled in their new rooms and walk home with “just the boys”.  I’ll spend the day emotionally swinging between elation from my new found freedom and depression that my little helpers are gone.

10.  It’s gonna be a great year.

11.  BONUS:  DON’T FORGET TO ENTER TO WIN THE AUGUST GIVEAWAY – IT ENDS TOMORROW!

I don’t often post on Friday evenings…but I have a special request.

This sweet, beautiful gal is my niece.  She graduated from high school in May and is heading off to college in just a week or two.  But right now she is laying in the ICU with a ventilator and feeding tube after a horrible allergic reaction that has left her face swollen to twice its original size…eyes sealed shut.  What started out as a sore eye a few days ago quickly spiraled out of control and she ended up in the ER facing some pretty scary procedures.

She is stable and the swelling has stopped.  Now she needs prayers for healing!  Will you please pray for her throughout the weekend?  Pray that the swelling will subside so that the breathing tubes can come out.  Pray that she will have restful sleep (she is sedated right now) and that the doctors will be able to determine the cause of this reaction!

Pray too for my sister and her family as they shuffle busy schedules to be with her throughout the day at the hospital!!  We love you A and are praying that God is comforting you throughout this entire ordeal!

{also…if you wouldn’t mind leaving her a note of encouragement here…I think she would enjoy reading them once she is feeling better!}

I’ve had this entire giveaway all planned out since last month….but switched gears at the last second.  Which caused me to be a bit late to the party.  But let’s celebrate August anyways…who cares if it is half over

One week from today my little girls will start out on the new adventure of another school year.  I adore school supplies.  Just like Oprah…I firmly believe there isn’t much better than a new 64 pack of fresh Crayolas.  I wanted to offer up something fun and fresh that would evoke the start of new journey…without getting too cheesy with the “paper and crayons” routine.

But I have a serious weakness for paper products.  {sorry lovely trees…I just can’t seem to help myself!}

1.  chalkboard frame with paper clips.

2. journal for your thoughts.

3. Katie Daisy box of cards.

4. a fresh address book.

5. woodsy colored pencils.

This might be my favorite giveaway yet {although I say that every month}.  Here’s a bit more info on each of the gifts!

I turned this frame into a chalkboard so you can leave yourself (or someone you love) little notes.  Tiny embellished clothespins hold notes, business cards, or reminders.  The frame has an easel back as well as a back hanger and can be hung/propped up in either direction.  This would be PERFECT to use as a monthly calendar with a printable such as THIS, THIS, or THIS.

Katie Daisy is crazy gifted.  I love her artwork and love this boxed set of “give away anytime” cards.  There are four varieties included (I used one for display in the frame).

The colored pencils rocked my world.  I could color all afternoon with these for sure.

The journal was purchased and embellished by me with a bit of lace and flowers.  The address book had plenty of personality all on its own!

You know the drill!  Leave a comment about what YOU would put in that frame…and you’ll be entered to win!

CONTEST WILL STAY OPEN UNTIL 9PM WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17TH.

I am absolutely obsessed with gallery walls.  I love them in all shapes, sizes, and styles.  I seek them out on blogs and Pinterest.  I think I could have one in every room.  Oh wait.   I do

Lately I have been overly obsessed with butterflies as well.  I have always loved flying creatures…but in the past my love affair has been geared more towards my feathered friends (as evidenced by the insane amount of bird, egg, and nest paraphernalia in my house and wardrobe).  As my obsession with butterflies has developed, I have begun to collect a few butterfly related items.

It started with this cute print I picked up at a home boutique in a tiny town in Kansas (Nell Hills in Atchison for all you locals).  There is not much better to me than a butterfly print… except a butterfly STUDY.

Be still my heart.

I began setting aside old frames not in use for this project.  This weekend Mr. P and I went on a little date (does it count as a date if you have an Ethiopian baby strapped to you?  I’m going with a resounding “yes” as only having one child with us felt like vacation) down to Good JuJu for a night of junking.  I came home with a stack of old sheet music and this cute little retro book.

I took out the stitching in the binding leaving me with some great weathered pages full of butterfly art!

I started scouring Etsy for inspiration and found some really great printables there.  But I was too cheap to purchase graphics and ended up just scouring Google images for free printables.  It is amazing what you can find on the Internet.  Once I had a few images I loved saved to my computer, I started looking around my house for something creative to use for printing.  That’s where the old sheet music came into play!  I created a template in Photoshop and aligned my butterfly in the middle of the page.  Then I trimmed down the sheet music to 8.5×11 and ran it through my home printer!

I also used our local newspaper for printing.  Although it was nearly impossible to find a large enough section of just text (our editors are heavy on the photos I guess).  I used a similar method for this print.  I ran several test prints in black and white and then held them over my newspaper clipping against a bright light to “line up” my graphic.  Once I was happy with the placement, I ran the newspaper through the printer and switched over to color ink!

A little tip for cutting prints down for smaller frames….I take the glass out and position it in the perfect spot and then cut around the glass…no guessing!  {sorry for the horrible lighting….I always do my crafting late at night!}

I really wanted to use some antique or vintage frames but my trips to my local Goodwill left me empty handed.  I don’t typically keep a lot of small picture frames around our house but I wanted to fill in my display.  I spent an afternoon out frame shopping and was shocked at the prices (even at places like Hobby Lobby) of frames with character.  So I hit a few discount shops and purchased some cheapy frames that had good bones.  Then I set to work with my craft paint to antique them a bit.  I used equal parts “black” and “raw umber” paint to age the frames.  I covered them completely (one side at a time) in paint and them wiped it off with a paper towel.

Sometimes I love really modern frames…and sometimes I dig them a bit more rustic.  This time I was really envisioning an eclectic antique feel…like the wall had been collected over time.

Those book pages came in handy during the framing process!

I couldn’t resist even using the title page!

Then I filled in with 2 butterfly frames and a plate from a local shop (Trends).  I grabbed this cute little antique knock off from the Dollar Store…and made the little burlap “speciman” above it!

Once I had enough prints, I spent some time laying them out on the floor in my dining room.  This took me awhile as I had to fiddle with it over the course of a few days.  Kind of like a big jigsaw puzzle…sometimes it takes a few attempts to get things in the “right spaces”.

I liked it.  So I measured the overall dimensions (about 48″x36″) and taped a little guide on the wall for reference.

Then I started hanging them up…starting at the bottom and moving up in the middle.  (I referenced the pictures I took in the dining room as I went).

It would have been safer to make paper templates of the frames.  But I am all about “winging it” (pardon the pun).  It was nap time after all and I had limited time!

Next I started filling in the sides.

Until I had the entire collection up on the wall!! YEAH!  {I am still searching for some little pictures to put in those butterfly frames!}

This spot up in our small loft area used to be home to some large furniture that we sent to live with The Librarian.  I don’t miss having the extra floor space…but the beige walls up there were crying out for something a little less bland.

I’d love to find something really narrow to anchor the collage.  But I’ll save that for next month’s trip to Good JuJu

This spot links the master bedroom to the kid rooms and is the perfect little reading nook.  Plus it sets the stage for our room and I’m really loving how the colors tie into our quilt!

So there you have it.  The world’s LONGEST blog post on creating a gallery wall out of random butterfly prints.  Useless information in the real world…but fun no less

Happy Tuesday!