Thursday Giveaway! (closed)

Today's giveaway is from justDawnelle, a fabulous boutique for the bohemian lover. justDawnelle features trendy items such as infinity scarves, braclets, and earrings. I am swooning over this Argentine circle scarf. What is up for grabs today is this handmade, one of a kind, bronze leather, and vintage button bracelet, the newest addition to the shop. Valued at $22. To enter today's giveaway:

1. Follow justDawnelle's blog
2. Favorite just Dawnelle on etsy
3. follow justDawnelle on fb

Giveaway ends one week from today!

Winner:

Congrats Victoria!

let me tell you a story

I always love a good picture book, don't you? There's something pleasing about being able to "read" a story by pictures alone. I've always been a fan of telling personal stories through photographs and videography, so when I was approached by Photobucket about a contest involving their new feature, storyboard, I was all in. The theme of the contest is "life is an adventure," and since I could think of no greater adventure than parenthood, my timeline tells of our expedition into the land of babes. So, like I said, this is a contest and that means there is a prize. That prize would be $25,000. I know the odds of us winning are slim, but I am dreaming of that $25,000. You might think my dreams with all those bills would go towards something like a new car, fancy wardrobe, and a tropical vacation somewhere. However, my intentions with such a winning would be toward our student debt. I'm a realist, what can I say? But maybe we'd take $5,000 of that and go on a mediterranean cruise. Yes, that would be done.

How bout helping us win that grand ol' prize, huh?
View our story HERE. IMPORTANT: You have to click "LIKE" on the top right of my story ON PHOTOBUCKET in order to submit your vote. Many many thanks!!  Contest ends Sunday, December 9th!

the pinky graze

The other night when I was running a loop around the neighborhood, I came upon a man who was running in my opposite direction. In passing, we somehow managed to defy the chasm of space that should have existed between two runners on the vast sidewalk and grazed pinkies. GRAZED PINKIES. I was so perplexed at what just happened that for what seemed like an eternity (but was probably only 0.000001 of a second), I debated on what to do in a situation like that. Do I turn around and apologize? Shouldn't I somehow recognize that we touched and that it was awkward? Do I really just keep running after something this? How did our pinkies brush against each other? Was my hand flailing that far out from my body? Maybe he was the awkward long-armed runner that invaded my space. As my mind pondered, my legs propelled forward, not even acknowledging that one of my phalanges had just gone through something so traumatic. All I could think of for the rest of my run was I hope we don't cross paths again as I loop back around. That would be an awkward reunion... The end.

Actually, no, not the end. I hate running. Absolutely despise it. And my body does, too [see this instagram caption]. It was not made for running. But when I was pregnant with Warner, I read this book, Born to Run, and it was uhhhmazing. Totally inspiring and made me believe that I was born to run, despite my inability to look like a human being while doing so. So I've been running 15 miles a week for the past month. Still can't say I love running, but I love the alone quiet time I get, and that's good enough for me. Now the end.

grand tootin' surprise!

Tada! I am so excited to introduce you today to my shop, The Pink Rosette!

As you all know, Evelyn is a religious headband wearer. 

You kinda have to be if you don't grow hair and no matter how much pink or cheetah print you wear, you're still gonna get mistaken for a boy by strangers unless you have one of those bands slapped across your forehead.

Hence, I've gotten pretty good at making bows over the last 2 years ;)

I personally like hair accessories to be simple and sweet. The beauty of a girl should be complimented by a band or bow, but not overshadowed by overkill frill, bells, and whistles.

The Pink Rosette offers that simple daintiness that should accompany all girls, big or small!

To celebrate the grand opening and also this Christmas season, 

i'm offering 20% off orders THIS WEEK ONLY.

December 3- December 7!
These would make great stocking stuffers, no? 

Use code 20opening at checkout here!

Happy Monday!

Cheers for the first week of December!

giddy up

 Our friends gave Evelyn their daughter's old rocking horse yesterday.

Do you think she enjoys her horsie? ;)

Hope you all saddle up and have yourselves a lovely weekend!
Us? I'm feeling like our weekend should involve an adventure of some sort, so we'll see if we can make something cool happen.

p.s. doesn't Evelyn look like a full-fledged toddler now?! When did that hhappppennnn?

dream job involves food - is that surprising?

I think I've found my dream job - a food photographer. It makes perfect sense because a good majority of my day revolves around prepping for and partaking of good eats, and the rest of the time I dream about food. Ask Jared, I LOVE MY FOOD, and NO I DON'T SHARE. He's still learning the latter part of that statement :) And being a food photographer would just open up so many doors for yummy things to get into my tummy!

So I made a batch of this ricey-goodness at the beginning of the week and I've been inhaling it every day for lunch. It's kinda like me and this skillet are dating because I'm always counting down the hours until lunch time and get rather excited when noon rolls around and we meet yet again. So today my food photographer self whipped out my cam because a) it's been 3 days and it's still DELISH, b) it's full of pretty colors, c) it's healthy, and d) I want you to make it!

Recipe found here. I substituted brown rice for the quinoa and did frozen corn instead of fresh. Now ready, set, go get your closest skillet!

OMG, WE'RE HAVING A FIRE...sale...

15% off doesn't really qualify as a fire sale, but I mostly wanted to have one just because of this little scene by Tobias Funke.

December is going to be a fun month around here. I'd love to have you onboard!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

More info here.

WARNING: cuteness overload!

two months with two

I originally wrote this post last week and it was not a perky one. In my original confession, I lamented about how tough it is to have two kids. It is utterly exhausting on all fronts - physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually. My post expanded upon Evelyn's increasingly fierce defiance, Warner's astounding ability to wake up right as I put Evelyn down for her nap, leaving me with zero personal time in the day; I wrote of my feelings of inadequacy and emotional confliction. The hardest part for me is making sure I am giving each of my children the love and attention they need and deserve. It's not that my love is unplentiful, but rather I have too much love and too little time to give it. This is very emotional for me. I wish I could spend more time with Warner, getting to know this little personality that is blossoming more and more every day. I wish I could give Evelyn more of my undivided attention that she is so desperately craving these days. I wish at night I didn't vent to Jared about all the things that were wrong with my day rather than the things that were right. So I took the opportunity this weekend with him being gone, knowing that it would be a long 3 days with no break, to really find the good in each day. And you know what, there was a lot of good. A LOT. I really grew to love these kids of mine ten fold.

So this post today is coming from a good place. A happy place. Two kids is honestly the hardest thing I have ever done, but it is oh so sweet. It is golden. It is such a privilege to have such individual, independent, extraordinary, joyful, energetic souls under my care.

That's the raw truth, folks.

a day to count your blessings

Happy Thanksgiving!

We will be feasting with friends this afternoon. They are our family away from home. We feel so blessed to have our hearts full to the brim of gratitude. Jared will be leaving this evening for the weekend. Our church has asked for volunteers to go up to New York to administer aid to Sandy victims. He will be working in humbling circumstances. We are grateful especially today that we were spared from that disaster just a few short weeks ago and are saying a special prayer for those who do not have much during this season. Let the days be merry and bright from now til Christmas!