here is the deal...

why I love returning to the place I grew up... 

easy mountain access...

comfortable outdoor recreation...

high altitude sunsets...

the colorful mountain wild flowers...

the aspen trees...

a bar from my college town that was there even when my parents went to the university...

the charm of local shops...

small town farmer's markets...

Happy weekend.

summer mountain beauty

Back to our summer holiday... 

The landscape was too amazing not to share.  What made it even better was that we were also surrounded by our family... a rare occurrence.  

This is why I am so homesick - the beauty, recreation, and family.  

Happy Thursday to you.

first day

Today is B's first day of Preschool.  I'm excited for her.  She's ready and thrilled, too.  I made her nap mat (of course) and she's decked out with a new backpack and lunchbox.  

Her blanket and pillow are attached to the reversible, quilted mat.  I used the same materials as the blanket she sleeps with at home.  It folds up and closes with a handle, too.  

Good luck, honey! 

summer scenes

Summer is wrapping up too quickly for my family.  It has been busy since we returned from our summer holiday.  I have been working on a nap mat, basket orders, pillow orders, redecorating and gifts for friends.  I love it!  

In the meantime, here are a few photos from our holiday out west.  See why I love "home" so much?!

Happy end of summer to you.

weekend bragging...

just a couple of things made my day...

so unexpected, so nice

tha hotness

floribelle

change

Change is in the air at our place...  I have a degree in textiles, so the use of fabric is natural, plus it is economical for our young family budget.  

The kitchen and living room both got an up-do and so did the art panels.  

What a pop of fun!

New to the shop

Ooh... and new to my shop (finally)!  I am loving the look of layering and added texture from the recycled coffee sack pillow covers.

New Color

Our family room was in need of a little color.  The room is an open concept with the kitchen and since I toned things down by painting the red kitchen, white, we needed to add in some color.  

I love the scandinavian, bold print on the new pillow covers.  

before...

after...

Let's Party!

N turned 2 today!  We celebrated...  

Happy 2nd Birthday little guy.

My little guy turns 2 today!  

Score!

My neighbor and I scored a season ending sale on flowers about a month ago (a car load)... 

my mom is jealous. 

8 years

It's been an amazing 8 year with Mr. Wonderful.  Eight years, two babies, 6 moves, 4 states, and two houses.  I love him.  He loves me.  Good thing because today we will spend 13 hours in the car with our two toddlers!  Isn't it grand?!  

We're off for a family holiday out West... see you soon.

Curling Ribbon

B is always loves the cute hair ribbons in the stores.  I hate spending $$ on that sort of thing.  So, I make it.  Did you know you can curl your own fabric ribbons?  

We tried it out over the 4th.  

Wet the ribbon with water.  Wrap around a dowel or chop stick (in my case).  Bake at 200 degrees until dry (about 10 minutes).  Unwrap and fluff!  

Ta-dah!

Thanks Dad...

...for making my house brighter!  

A few months ago we removed a bank of cabinets above our kitchen peninsula to open up the space between the kitchen and family room.  

A few weeks ago my dad came out and installed recessed lighting.  Love it!

I've been...

busy as a bee... thank Goodness for vacations!

Nature walk

Hot Summer... Nature Walks... Look Close.

We have been

busy little bees...  

We decided to tackle painting all the trim, crown molding, and cabinets in our 80's built house.  This was a BIG job, considering we are out here on our own (without our parents or babysitters for that matter).  All our projects are done in the wee hours of the night while the kids are sleeping or if they happen to take a nap.  

Here's a glimpse of the job that seemed to take FOREVER to finish...

Staircase and Entry BEFORE

Staircase and Entry AFTER

Cabinets (bathrooms, kitchen, and family room) BEFORE

Cabinets (bathrooms, kitchen, and family room) AFTER

Window sills (all 17) BEFORE 

Window sills AFTER

Crown molding BEFORE

Crown molding AFTER

It ended up being MONTHS of work, but it looks so much better and brighter.  

We love the results.

Old to New

I have been a little busy these past few months.  Painting, painting, and more painting.  If it's not one thing, it's something else.  

I love changing things up.  There's always a project in the works around here.  

I have wanted to find a plate rack to hang above my grandma's buffet for a while.  

Well, here is a cabinet we got at a garage sale for $5!  

A little paint and a visit from my parents.  My dad did his magic... lots of hard work and sweat (at least there wasn't any blood or tears) and and ta-dah!  Thanks Dad!

happy father's day

Happy Father's Day to our Daddy!  

So much we could write, but pictures speak a thousand words... 

from day 1, we love our Daddy...

Retro-Style Kids Shirts

Brin and Nohl's Esty shop feature...  

Retro-Style Kids Shirts - custom made for your little side-kicks or for the perfect gift.  

Pick a number or letter and let good times roll...