Life with Violet

Hello everybody! I'm back! Well, for a moment anyways…to update you on the birth of our baby and life these days! We very happily welcomed Violet Isla into our family on November 12th, 2016, just one day before she was due. She has been an easy going, happy baby from day one, and we could not be more overjoyed.

Making Room for Baby in a Small Space

As some of you may know, I am expecting our third child this November. Five year old, Hazel and four year old, Owen can't wait to meet their new little sister this fall. It is a very exciting time in our home!

Hazel begged me to have a baby for quite awhile before I got pregnant and desperately wanted a little sister "to play Barbies with" and basically be a little mom to. When we found out it was a girl, she was over the moon thrilled. She would follow me around everywhere and say she just wanted to be close to the baby. Owen was just glad he wouldn't have to share too many toys.

The End of Summer and New Beginnings

This summer seems to have flown by. I am sure I think that every summer, but this time, I am sending two kids off to school, so it seems even more monumental. Hazel heads to full day kindergarten (and riding the bus!) and Owen heads to half day Pre-K. I know they are both more than ready and will do and learn amazing things, but I am a bit sad this precious time home during the day with them is coming to an end of sorts.

Of course, we will be adding a new member to our family this fall and will start the whole process over again, which I am looking forward to! If you didn't hear in my last post…we are expecting another girl in November. Our whole family is excited and can't wait to enjoy the holiday season getting to know another precious gift.

Our growing family and where I have been…

I know…I know…it has been forever since I have posted on this little blog of mine! I decided at the beginning of the summer to make some transitions in life, mainly being to take a break from the computer and social media. It has been a very refreshing time and exactly what I needed.

I have been free to spend every day focused on Hazel and Owen: having fun, exploring, creating, playing, using our imaginations and building lasting memories.

DIY Monster’s Inc. Birthday Party

This post contains some affiliate links. I may receive a small commission for any sales made through them. Full disclosure.

One of the things I am notoriously bad at here on this little blog of mine, is posting my children's birthday parties relatively soon after the event. My son Owen turned three last September…and we had a fun Monster's Inc. party for him. He is obsessed with Monster's Inc. and Monster's University! I wish I had shared this sooner, but alas…better late than never, right?

I must admit, I completely missed sharing his second birthday party here, which was a super cool car party. {Insert embarrassed emoji face here} Maybe one day I still will. Till then…here is how we did it up for him turning the big three!

Rustic Tray Styling & Remembering Grandpa

Last week, I shared a little behind the scenes of how I hide our winter gear in a home with no coat closet or usable mudroom. One important piece to that, is the storage ottoman we keep in the living room. Today, I am showing how I have styled it on top, this winter, with a new rustic serving tray.

My mom gave me this wooden tray, with a blue plaid/flannel insert, for Christmas last year. After I opened it she said it was to remember Grandpa by. My heart ached for a moment, and I had to fight back the tears.

Nostalgic Christmas Tree & Making Memories

  Christmas is almost upon us! Which actually gets me a little sad that this magical time will soon be over, but before it is, I wanted to share more details of our nostalgic Christmas tree and some of the memories we have been making this holiday season. 

I shared my full holiday home tour last week, but our tree is pretty special to me since we received several of my grandparents' ornaments. Both of them passed away earlier this year (my grandmother in January and my grandfather in March), so it has been a time of loss and remembering. I am grateful to have these small mementos to keep their memory alive in our home.

Creating a Personal & Cozy Home for Fall

Fall is in all its glory here in Western New York right now. My favorite time of year! The leaves are reaching their peak colors and just enough of them are falling off for the kids to jump and play. I shared my fall home tour last month, but today, I wanted to share with you how I strive to make this season personal and cozy for my family. I am joining in with some of my best blogging friends for Seasons of Home: Fall Edition. Be sure to visit them at the end of this post to see what fall inspiration they have to share!

Even just as a hint of this season is in the air, my whole spirit is lifted in a way I can't describe in words. I become alive all over again…my senses are awakened and my focus shifts to what matters most…enjoying every minute of this fleeting time.

Sundays at Home will Return Next Week!

Life sure does get busy once summer is over! I know that most of you are popping in right now to link up to our Sundays at Home link party, but due to lots going on for both of us and myself being under the weather, Susan and I are postponing the party until next week. We apologize from the bottom of our hearts for any inconvenience, and hope you will understand!

My sweet little Hazel started Pre-K last week (insert crying face here!). It was a huge change, but honestly, it has been a wonderful one for all of us.

Goodbye Summer

Summer is almost over, and I am sad to see it go. But then…fall is my favorite, so I am definitely ready to sink right into it. Here is one last hoorah to summer with some random shots I captured these past few months and a look back on some of our adventures.

Overall, it was a busy, but relaxing summer. We were able to get away, spend time with extended family and most of all spend time with each other. With Hazel turning four and Owen on the verge of turning three, it feels like these little years a slipping right through my hands. Before I know it Hazel will be leaving me all day for kindergarten and Owen will follow along soon thereafter. And I'll just be sitting here wondering where the time went.

Trip to the Adirondacks

Last week, we had the pleasure of going to the Adirondacks for a few days. It was the first time my husband and I had been there. We went with my mom, step-dad and uncle who had all been before. When my mom and uncle were little, my grandparents would take them up there since it was where my grandmother grew up. That made it even more special since both of my grandparents passed away earlier this year. It almost felt as if they were with us. Their memory definitely was.

We stayed in a beautiful log cabin, which I will be sharing a full home tour of…in installments over the next few weeks, so as not to overwhelm you in one post! I took just shy of a bazillion photos, I think. Today, I wanted to share the personal side of our trip and the sights we saw. Still might be picture overload, but I hope you enjoy…

Balancing Motherhood & DIY Blogging

The two most time consuming jobs I have ever had are as a mother and a blogger. And both pay the least. Go figure. But somehow I still love both roles enough to keep doing them. Okay, okay…well the first one is a full on heart commitment, right? Even on the roughest of days.

The other, I could let go by the wayside if I wanted to, and yet somehow I don't. I keep trucking on as a mother and a blogger and try to strike a balance between the two. It's tough though…I'm not gonna lie.

Today, I am sharing how I manage to make it work…

Hazel’s Frozen 4th Birthday Party

I seriously never thought I would do character parties for my kids, but as they have gotten older and have their own interests, it would be pretty hard not to, right? So the challenge for me then? Still make it as creative and unique as possible, while keeping with the theme they love. For Hazel's fourth this year, she knew for months what kind of party she wanted. A Frozen party. And not just any Frozen party: an Elsa party.

I guess I just had to let it go about my hopes and dreams that she would choose a unicorn party (her second choice), and go with the flow of the Elsa Frozen party. 

Moments in Real Life No. 2 {a photography challenge}

Last week, I began a new series called "Moments in Real Life." This series is all about using your camera to find beauty in the every day all around you. Not staging the scene, but looking deeply at the one in front of you, to see if you could find a moment worth remembering. Something beautiful in it. Something real. Since my life is pretty deep down in the real these days, I thought I would pop in here and share round two already and challenge you to join me…

I encourage you to start your own journey if you are a person like me, who struggles with comparison from time to time. We are bombarded with the picture perfect all the time. Why not take the time to find the perfect in the picture? The real perfect. The perfect love. The love of your family, your life, the glorious every day details all around you. The stuff that makes you you. And your family special. That is my hope to accomplish as I embark down this road. And at the end of this post, I have a fun challenge that allows you to join in and share with me.

Summer Days. Sun Filled Days. The Longest Days.

"Some day these will be our old days, let's make them worth remembering." -Kacy Crowley

Summer is flying by. I kind of hate that. Some days are long, though. Not only does the sun stay out longer and make the daylight hours last, some days as a mother with little ones can feel like an eternity. If you are in a similar situation, you probably now what I mean. This post is for you…

Moments in Real Life {Using Photography to Find Beauty in the Every Day}

Sometimes I think there is just too much "put together perfectness" on the internet. And then we can start believing our messy, real life lives are less than. Not as good. Just don't measure up. I do this. Often. Too often.

I remember telling my sister-in-law awhile back that when I look at my stove and it's dirty, all that I hear inside my mind is "Failure!" As if it were a measure of judgment on my character. I feel that way when I see laundry piled up, toys strewn all over the living room, dishes overflowing in the sink, etc. A failure because every moment of my life doesn't look picture perfect like the photos I scroll through on Pinterest and Instagram and blogs.

Her response to my messy stove, "I think it means you're normal."

Don't get me wrong. I love those pictures. Heck, I even share those pictures. I am often very inspired by seeing those pictures. But after awhile…something else happens. I get off of my phone or computer, look around and feel disappointment. That this life I have here isn't "all together" like it appears to be for others through those images. Those seconds when, an often staged, photograph was taken. Not real life.

This has inspired me to try something different. Something real.

Taking Great Vacation Photos with an iPhone

Vacation season is upon us! And if you are like me, no doubt you will want to capture some great shots to remember your trip. But what if you don't want to lug around your DSLR or other camera the whole time? Can you really capture quality memories with just a phone camera?

Last month, my family and I went on vacation to Myrtle Beach. I shared some photos taken with my DSLR here, but the majority of the time, I just kept my phone handy, so I didn't have to be bogged down by stuff while we were out having fun. I currently have an iPhone 4S (*affiliate link), which is not even that great as far as quality, graininess and megapixels, yet I still managed to preserve our vacation memories and document our trip without having to get my camera gear out all the time.

Family Vacation to North Myrtle Beach

Last week, our family had the pleasure of going on vacation to North Myrtle Beach along with my mom and sister. The drive down to South Carolina from our home (outside of Rochester, NY) took us about 15 hours including stops. Even though I was a terrified of the trip down with little ones, it wasn't as bad as I had imagined it would be. We spent a relaxing week by the beach, sight seeing and making memories.

I know that generally, people find it boring to look at other people's vacation photos, but I like to do posts like these, more for myself, to have a collection of our photos of the trip to look back on and remember the times we spent together as a family. I am not a scrapbooker, and I must confess, I rarely get a photograph printed, so blogging is sort of my "memory keeping" method. I hope you aren't too bored today if you click through to read about our trip. I tried my best to make the photos pretty for you to help keep you from yawning 🙂

Living Room Redo with a New Leather Sofa

I have received product from Raymour & Flanigan in exchange for this post. All expressed opinions are 100% my own. Read my Full Disclosure Policy. 

I am so excited to share our mini living room makeover with you today! I have been working on it for awhile, ever since our new furniture from Raymour and Flanigan arrived. Then my grandfather died, and I lost all of my momentum. Life will do that to you. Right when you are going along thinking everything is just so…it changes. Your heart can be broken. And then needs time to mend. My grandpa was so special. Many days I still have a hard time believing he isn't here anymore. It has gotten brighter, even though I am still missing him every day, but I am able to find joy again in simple things like rearranging and decorating. I say this is a "mini" makeover since it doesn't look too different from the last time I shared a full tour of this space last fall, but there are several new things that I am excited to show you today!

As I mentioned, last Friday, I have been dreaming of a chesterfield leather sofa for ages, and can now say I am the proud owner of Raymour and Flanigan's Saddler Leather Sofa. I am in love with it! When the delivery men dropped it off, I was semi freaking out inside. It's one of those things I thought I would always dream of but never really have.

Choosing the Perfect Leather Sofa {and a Date Night at Raymour & Flanigan}

I have received product from Raymour & Flanigan in exchange for this post. All expressed opinions are 100% my own as I truly love their furniture. Read my Full Disclosure Policy.

I have been working on getting our home decorating "finished" forever it seems, even though we have only lived here just going on five years. I know it is one of those things that will never really be done, as styles evolve and life changes, but it's a nice feeling when you can see progress towards making your house a home. We are on our way there with the help of several new pieces of furniture from Raymour and Flanigan and some plans for putting a few more personal touches in our main living areas.