PUMPKIN PATCH

instafun

2012-01-27T07:53:00.000-08:00

>the cinnamon rolls at sweet tomatoes are the best!!!
>beautiful sunrise and worship
>sometimes all you need is a coke and fries
>lazy day with homemade pazzokies and watching endless summer for my dad

he did it

2012-01-25T13:16:00.000-08:00

that's right my boy is potty trained. to be honest i didn't think this day would ever come. it is so nice to not have to change a 3 year olds poopy diaper any more, however, it means my 1st born is no longer a baby but a little boy!!

it took roughly 3 days of me being home and not leaving the house and just letting him run around naked. we had some accidents. he went "tee tee" on his sisters bed (ewww) and then blammed it on the cat. there is no way that cat could urinate as much as was on the bed!

but we finally made it passed the finish line. actually yesterday we went potty standing up like dad. i asked him if he needed help he said no, i heard him go, flush, and wash his hands. with in a week he went from screaming when sitting on the potty to not even needing me!!

pinterest to real life

2012-01-24T08:45:00.000-08:00

not much going on around here today. some laundry, blogging, and napping (i work tonight).

i was wasting time on pinetrest and came across a fun use for oranges, or probably any citrus for that matter.

i had a batch of clementines that weren't very tasty from my food rescue so i decided to try out the clementine candle.

it turned out kinda cute. it had a subtle scent, noting strong like a scented candle, but natrual and its actually burns for several hours!

it's super easy! cut the clementine (or orange, grapefruit etc.) in half and scoop out the center leaving the middle steam intact (it's the wick). fill with oil, i used olive oil, and light!

links

2012-01-21T22:40:00.000-08:00

>>> a fellow arizona blogger m over at the lady waits shared a link and i almost fell out of my chair laughing/crying and sorta embarrassed that my family might fit into this category :)
it's how to be a hipster. please read ALL three chapters....it is the funniest thing i have read in a while!

>>> on a hipster note, i came across this jewelery line called noonday collection. they are a company that promotes fair trade for the countries and women that create the jewelery. the women can begin to pull their families farther away from poverty.

is this not gorgeous! i might be ordering from them shortly...shhh don't tell my husband :)

>>> some netflix shows my husband and i are into right now...
             > downton abby
             > universe (i am so in awe of our god!)
             > white collar (bad acting, good story line)

inspired my my blog pal m to share what has been inspiring me lately, enjoy!

insta fun

2012-01-20T07:09:00.000-08:00

silly face edition :)

recent thrift finds

2012-01-19T10:17:00.000-08:00

i haven't shared much of my new thrift finds lately.

i don't have a ton because one of my news years resolution is to only go thrifting twice a month. i am so embarrassed to admit i would usually hit up GW once a week and if i was stressed or anxious i would make a spontaneous trip aside from the usually planned thursday trip.

i found this sign a while back and just love it. (look at all that produce it all came from my food rescue!!)

so true :)

the serenity prayer is a daily reminder for me to accept who god made me. it is the first thing you see when you walk into my house.

the last two are my most recent finds. i love love love this punch bowl. now all i need to do is actually entertain (something i never do).

this little gem is precious to me. my mom as the same one. now they're two in the family :)

isn't she sweet!

so instead of thrifting to day i hope you enjoyed my recent finds.
happy thursday!!

laundry soap

2012-01-18T08:54:00.000-08:00

one of the very first ways i started to "go granola" was to start making my own laundry detergent.

i had read a ton of blogs about the liquid kind and i just wasn't sold. i mean i don't have room (or patience) to make gallons of detergent.

but thanks to pinterest i found a dry recipe...and i have been sold!

3 ingredients....
zote: $0.96
washing soda: $2.50
borax: $3.50

recipe: 2 cups of grated zote (half of a large bar!)
1 cup of borax
1 cup of washing soda

so you can see that a box of borax and washing soda go a long way! you only need a tablespoon of detergent for a large load....seriously, that's it! i sometimes feel it's not enough but it really is.

you can also use fels naptha or ivory soap. i just love the smell and pink curls of the zote bar.

i haven't used any natural stain removers but at the blog of live renewed she rates natural stain removers. i'm going to make some of my own soon too!

boot camp

2012-01-17T09:23:00.000-08:00

we are having a potty training boot camp over at our home this week.

please pray for me :)

instafun

2012-01-13T08:38:00.000-08:00

little bits from my week. happy friday the 13th :o)

i work tonight hopefully all the "crazies" are gone by the time i get there!

nights

2012-01-12T13:13:00.000-08:00

it's official i am a night shift nurse.

i just felt called to go part time but on the night shift before christmas. my managers were so nervous i was making the wrong decision (do you know how hard it is to get a day position in L&D!!).

i wasn't. i knew (or more like my husband knew) that god would make it work beautifully if it was his will.

i am loving it. i can have dinner with my family every night. on the morning i get off work i go home and sleep for 4 hours or so and i am up and ready to spend time with my family (usually around 12:30 or 1:00) that's a whole heck of a lot more time than being gone ALL day!

i am usually tired by bedtime that night too, which is a change because i would never go to bed at the same time my husband did.

i just figured that my kids are growing up way to fast to be missing days with them. i'll sacrifice sleep to be with them more and i'm not losing that much since i am an insomniac anyway :)

little boy

2012-01-11T20:52:00.000-08:00

my baby boy is quickly turning into a handsome little boy.

on a whim i took him to get his hair cut. i almost shed a tear....i just love those curls and shaggy hair do he has always had.

this is fun and he LOVES it. he was even excited to get his hair cut and ran to the chair (this is soooo not my son lol)

the front was spiked out which made him even look older *sigh* but this hair cut might be a keeper.

now if only i could learn this cut (i was taking mental notes) to become a tad more frugal...he will only let me cut his hair for so long, might as well attempt while i can!

line dry

2012-01-10T11:25:00.000-08:00

one of the easiest ways i have found to actually enjoy (or make more bearable) laundry is to line dry. i am not really sure why it never "clicked" before....i mean we live in arizona my clothes dry faster outside during the summer months than using my dryer!

i just bought rope and clothespins attached to each side of our arizona room and voila a $2 clothesline.

by line drying it is estimated to save you anywhere from $40-$100 a month (5 loads/week). i have the energy saving plan at home and i would always have to rush or wait to do laundry so it wasn't during peak hours. now i do a load everyday, hang it, and actually put them away. line drying is helping me get a firm grasp on our laundry and learning to be disciplined to what i preach.

i have to tell you too....it actually relaxes me!! that shouldn't surprise me though. my grandma has a clothes line and i would beg to put the cloths out on it when i was younger....what kids actually enjoys doing laundry????

(see my neighbors have a legit one ;)

my little helpers ♥

a phoenician fall

2012-01-08T17:20:00.000-08:00

it has been beautiful the last week here, we have spent a lot of our time outside. its refreshing to have such an open backyard that the kids can explore.

i am trying to be more purposeful with spending time out doors with no t.v. . we don't have cable as it is but we can spend countless hours watching movies (over and over again). its wonderful to see the kids playing with each other with nothing more than what god created.

.

2012-01-06T13:16:00.000-08:00

this past year has been a challenging year (and that's to say the least). even before my dad got sick i wanted to rid myself and my family of the demand our culture puts on us and the carcinogins that we use and eat everyday.

i have been a vegetarian since high school, with a few years where i went rouge...pregnancy does that you! but last year after aubrey was born i went back and my whole family joined me.

we haven't been healthier. we have lost weight, increased our energy and have influenced others to try a vegetarian diet.

but after my dad and cousin got sick i had a reason to dive head first into pursuing a more natural lifestyle. from using cloth napkins to washing my face with oil to playing outside more. we are determined to stop the consumerism and gluttony this family has "enjoyed" and value and protect gods creation.

i've been on this journey for a few months and feel led to share it. to be honest i am learning most of what i do from fellow bloggers. i am not saying we will not fail (i might just have to use my dryer one day instead of line drying) but i am rather trying to step away from the rat race we are stuck in and enjoy my life, family, household and everything that comes with it as simple as i can.

belated christmas

2012-01-02T22:03:00.000-08:00

tonight we had christmas over at my parents home. despite all the smiles it was one of the hardest days i have had in a while. we pushed through and enjoyed our time as a family.

it was laid back evening. we opened gifts, ordered pizza, and watched a movie.

new years eve, eve??

2011-12-30T11:37:00.000-08:00

I just love them, and who new joseph gordon-levitt could sing????

i work tonight, have a new years eve party tomorrow night and then work on new years day!

.....i just might be a zombie all next week!

thrifty threads v.9

2011-12-28T14:48:00.000-08:00

so this outfit was not the cheapest i have usually posted, but still not too shabby. when i found the missoni shoes on clearance and in my size i flipped (that was an impulse buy). the jeans are a new favorite. they are cheap for being so trendy yet sooooo comfy!!

i am looking forward to the new year so much! so much so that all my christmas decorations are down already, the blog had a mini facelift, and i am full of ways i am "going granola" in the new year. i am so excited to get ready to share it all.

and if i don't get a chance to tell you

happy new year!!!!!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T19:19:00.000-08:00

merry christmas.

opened gifts last night at my husbands parents home. then woke up and went to church and came home to open gifts. i of course did not plan very well, so we had nothing for breakfast and out of 5 stores they were all closed or out of cinnamon rolls. so we went out and had a nice pancake brunch, it was lovely!

my family is all in california for christmas so we will have christmas with them when they come back home, looking forward to that!

merry christmas everyone!

this will have to do.

2011-12-19T20:16:00.000-08:00

for our christmas card (or lack there of).

to be honest this year i have been a bit of a scrooge. pretty sure it has to do with the whole dad thing. just praying i survive to get to january. i feel like things will start to settle down, less work, no more moving, no more holidays, just quiet, and i need that.

(at least no ones crying this year!)

insta-fun v.5

2011-12-15T21:36:00.000-08:00

what a wild december (and we are only half way through). as much as i love christmas and NEVER want to wish it away, this year as been rough and i am looking forward to the new year when i can go part-time (on the night shift) and christmas is over. hopefully life will start to get back on track.

hopefully.

simplifying my life: downsizing

2011-12-12T21:13:00.000-08:00

has anyone out there read the book crazy love? my husband and i began reading it together. we were humbled by how much we have consumed in the short 6 years we have been married and how we have let it control our lives and our faith.

we have become those lukewarm christians. we give but not enough to impede on our standard of living. even with us downsizing it really isn't changing the way we live. actually even with the decrease in about 800 sq. we still do not need to change anything with our standard of living.

“The concept of downsizing so that others might upgrade is biblical, beautiful...and nearly unheard of." -Francis Chan

i am not writing this to tell people "look at us" but to slowly work on our own failures and to start using whatever extra we do have and to give it back.

are we perfect?? ....

heck no, but this is a start and the TRUCK loads that we have donated to the church and goodwill are a start (i mean really, do i need all the hobby lobby decor i have acquired throughout the last few years....no and i for sure don't have the space for it now either!!).

so here we are in our AMAZING new home. seriously when we decided to downsize, in a market that was only upgrading, we had no idea what god was going to do. he has only blessed us more. sometimes i even feel that we didn't downsize enough. i mean we actually lost about 800sq but we gained a better neighboorhood and community. who knows maybe we are not suposed to live here forever, but we are here now and we need to honor god and our purpose here.

i am actually super excited and looking forward to this new year, i have already changed the way we are living and consuming and i can not wait to share it all with you!!!

with all this talk...

2011-12-09T08:49:00.001-08:00

about thrifting, i thought i should show you the real way i entertain my kids while i shop.

i know it's pathetic.....but they are happy and sometimes that's all that counts!

(i am so blessed....these little ones are mine...all mine...well Gods first but he gave them to me and i am blessed)

most favorite thrift find ever...at least a christmas one

2011-12-06T21:02:00.001-08:00

my grandma and grandpa had (maybe even still have) this santa. he plays christmas music and shuffles his feet all the while ringing his bell. i LOVED playing with this every year, so imagine my excitement when i stumbled across this (and for a buck 99 too!). i was so happy to see my kids loving santa too, they can't stop playing with him.

welcome to the family my little retro santa ♥

nifty thrifty v.2

2011-12-05T18:42:00.001-08:00

some of my most recent finds. i just loved listing to records growing up. last time i was at my parents i saw their collection and decided, i would start my own!

*sound of music
*vintage christmas album
*a children's story album (in love with the cover!)

now all i need from santa is.......

and to be on the hunt for these albums from my childhood....to keep with the vibe of my childhood!

faded family fotos v.3

2011-12-02T21:57:00.001-08:00

the weather is finally starting to fell like winter here in phoenix. i know that northern arizona even has snow, and a fair amount at that!

found this picture of my dad, not sure where it was taken at. to be honest i am having a hard time still looking at pictures, it reminds me that he really is gone. i sometimes just pretend it never happened...is that normal?

regardless, i know in several months or even a few years i will look back at these pictures and cherish that i have them!

(i do need to raid my mothers house for some retro christmas pictures of her HA!... aunt carol and uncle biff, i know you read...feel free to email me pics if you have any :)

crazy week

2011-12-01T20:58:00.001-08:00

this week has been insane!!! we finally moved into our new place, can you say PTL!!! but that is a whole 'nother blog post ;)

i wanted to share a quick peak into my vintage christmas tree this year. yes, we do still always get a real one but i have been collecting vintage ornaments and i need an nice little silver tree to display them on. my house is a disaster between putting things away and trying to decorate for christmas, at least this little corner of my home displays our christmas cheer.

thrifty threads v.8

2011-11-26T21:46:00.001-08:00

quirky little dress uhh. i saw it the costume section at the thrift store during halloween (my mom thought it should remain there) but i thought other wise and brought this beauty home.

i had no clue where to wear it too..until the morning of thanksgiving. i mean it practically screams little house on the prairie/pilgrim :)

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-25T02:36:00.001-08:00

our family had the privilege to help serve food to our church family and to the homeless and hungry around our city this thanksgiving. it's indescribable to see your children running around playing and at the same time standing next to mom and dad helping hand out food. to see trey understanding that we are giving food to people who are hungry and don't have food is beautiful, simple as that.

i hope everyone out there had a beautiful and happy thanksgiving. through all the suffering and grief that is going on throughout the world and our own personal lives, we give thanks knowing that we have salvation through Christ.

instafun v. 4

2011-11-22T21:48:00.001-08:00

i am so proud of him

2011-11-21T07:42:00.001-08:00

i love you d, and how you love our God!

(david had the privilege to lead in worship before francis chan spoke, it was an awesome experience)

wow...looking forward to seeing this!!

2011-11-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

Dive! Trailer from Compeller Pictures on Vimeo.

we're already part of a food rescue, it's called market on the move. it rescues food that is going to be thrown into the landfills of nogales. if you are in the phoenix area (and tucson) here is the website.

halloween recap

2011-11-17T20:19:00.001-08:00

a little late....

new pic for a new frame

2011-11-14T22:41:00.001-08:00

was out and about today and found this awesome frame and matte that reminded me of my grandma thomas. who knows if she actually had anything like this but it reminded me of her....so i got it.

i decided i needed a nice family picture to go in it. i was playing around with what i already had and re-edited a few. this is my keeper for now.

insta-fun v. 3

2011-11-11T06:30:00.000-08:00

san fran style!

cousin chelsea, i love you so much and it was so amazing to see you and to see you strong as ever! we are praying for you with out ceasing, please know that! i am so blessed to call you family. and nathan...have you converted to eating vegetarian??? haha :)
love you guys!

thrifty threads v.7

2011-11-09T06:30:00.000-08:00

san fran version.
can you see a theme with this whole week of blogs ;)

san fran

2011-11-07T06:30:00.000-08:00

david and i decided last minute a few weeks ago to jump out of town. seriously, we talked about it at 3:30 pm and were in the car driving by 5:30pm.

i felt VERY guilty about dropping the kids off and running, so much so half way to san francisco we almost turned around. but here is the truth, i think i had more fun and quality time with david, on this random trip, than i did on our honeymoon!

the homes oh the homes.

golden gate

i just could not take enough pictures, i just love san francisco! seriously, i would move there.

more pics done with the iphone to come :)

guess where i went

2011-11-06T13:13:00.000-08:00

a spontaneous trip indeed....

post to come ♥

new bedroom

2011-11-03T22:23:00.000-07:00

okay so this is just a post about whole lotta nothing!

i was just daydreaming on what i would like my new bedroom to look like. i hate having to move again, but at the same time its fun to re-decorate a new place.

i am EXTREMELY grateful for our bedroom furniture that we have, but i feel like my style has changed a bit. so their may be a little painting in the future ;)

i imagine a white, soft and airy type of room. no harsh colors just simple and calming.

insta-fun v.2

2011-11-02T05:30:00.000-07:00

1. she works hard for the money 2. braid buddies 3. mom working the thrift stores

4. mom can i PLEASE get this!!! 5. vintage ashley 6. night night

2011-10-31T21:08:00.000-07:00

happy halloween 2011

schenpf farms 2011

2011-10-30T23:06:00.000-07:00

on thursday we took our annual trip down to queen creek to visit schenpf farms.
it was even better than last year!

minus the random act of car sickness that aubrey had 5 minutes prior to arriving (YUCK!) there went all my hopes of great pictures..now they would be with pink "leftovers" all over her white (smart me) shirt!

we got to ride a carousel that dates back to 1912 (can you believe that in a few months it will be one hundred years old!!!!)

the kids were both big enough to ride all the rides this year.

the train ride around the farm....treys favorite part :)

he is always so serious!

trey was brave enough this year to ride the roller coaster. i thought it would have scared him the most. but the entire car ride home all he talked about was the roller coaster.

a hay ride (i almost had them re-take the photo b/c of aubrey's face....but then realized that's her attitude the majority of the time, so i felt it appropriate to share real life (lol)

stopping to see and feed the deers.

and last stop the petting zoo.

aubrey didn't really know what to think

trey on the other hand, is my little lover of all things!
(thank goodness his mommy isn't a germaphobe, because he was kissing them every time i turned around ♥ )

tomato basil soup & feature

2011-10-29T16:07:00.000-07:00

just packing and cooking here today.

i have finally turned all my tomatoes either into soup or sauce.

i am featured over at one of my favorite blogs today so go say hi over at {create loves}!

other than that...going to carve pumpkins tonight..have a great weekend everyone!

faded family fotos v.2

2011-10-28T22:26:00.000-07:00

dad,

i miss you so much. i actually have avoided looking at pictures of you because it makes the reality all to real that i can't talk to you any more. i think i have cried more over this simple post because i can't share it with you. i can't share what the kids are going to be for halloween, the vegan style thanksgiving i want to throw. heck even britteny and mom are vegetarians now....see i am slowly converting them all. although i am sure that if we were all at the spot in carp, we would all suck it up and have a burger for you. its getting harder dad, its harder today than it was the day you left. i just want to pull away and only surround myself with my family. you made us strong dad. we are all there for each other and especially for mom. i miss you dad, i really miss you!

i never get tired

2011-10-24T23:19:00.000-07:00

of the zoo!
the weather is near almost perfect now in phoenix! it's time to soak it up while it's here!

the owl was actually ~~tearing up~~ eating a mouse. i deleted it to make this post family and vegetarian friendly! ;)

spider webs

2011-10-19T14:14:00.000-07:00

just some snap shots of a toned down halloween/fall decorating. i actually feel guilty this year for decorating. look at all the money, time and effort i put in to decorating. in the grand scheme of things, this is in no way furthering Gods kingdom.

i try to justify it by saying "i'm making my house a home" or "my kids enjoy it" but lately i have felt...well i'm not sure how i feel other than guilty.

just some food for thought :)

other than that, i am just cleaning, donating items and making tons of tomato sauce today.

this is the second week that i have had an over abundance of tomatoes from our food co-op!!!

insta-fun

2011-10-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

enjoying some time at the park as a family.

i busted out my new iphone (woooohoooo) and did some major filming and instagraming.

i may be new to my iphone but i am catching up fast!!

thrifty threads v. 6

2011-10-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

all week the weather was in the high 90s.

the only nice thing about this, is that we are lucky enough to grab all the clearance summer clothes and still have a chance to wear them this season!!

Bible Study

2011-10-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

i am so blessed! seriously, Gods timing is always perfect.

a dear friend pointed out to me, that last time we had a real close bible study group a close friend laura was struggling with loosing both of her parents to cancer. i remember being there as a group for her and her family.

i wish i was there more for her, monna and the rest of her family. i was able to have sympathy for them, but you really have no idea what they are going through until you live through it yourself.

we joined our current bible study just weeks before my dad passed. it consisted with a few of the same couples as our last group but we had new friends and the old ones matured. (funny how that happens)

again the timing was perfect. they have been there to help us grieve and most importantly pray for us. and we are not the only ones hurting. our friends, danny and melissa, are suffering too. danny's father has been fighting cancer for several years now.

its taking a toll on him and his family. our bible study group has helped danny and i....

to let go.

let others pray for us.

cry and get angry in front of others.

and most of all to help heal us.

i took these photos for a friend who was going to use them at church, i feel so honored to be able to use a talent/hobby that god has given me to bless other people.

thank you guys for being there!!!

today

2011-10-11T15:14:00.000-07:00

not much going on here today. i actually think i am going to "decorate" for fall today. i wasn't planning on it (moving in all) but i think i will and this way i can start packing all my everyday decor away.

i have a busy week ahead. i work tomorrow and fri and sat. i am trying to get off early sat because i am going to head to dinner with my husband and francis chan!!! i am super excited. he is speaking sunday morning and sunday evening at our churches.

other than that i am cleaning and recovering from the weekend. i am so glad fall is here. the temps are rising again but hopefully not for long.

btw this is the pumpkin cupcake/muffin floating around pinterest....it is sooo moist and delish. my kids ate them up for breakfast (it is cakemix) but at least there is also a whole can of real pumpkin in it too!

2011-10-10T20:59:00.001-07:00

random bottles of spray paint

2011-10-06T09:31:00.000-07:00

we found the other day. pretty sure they were my landlords.

owell i hope he dosen't miss two half used bottles of cream spray paint :)

i had fun with them and did a super mini bathroom vanity makeover.

much better in cream!

the men in my life

2011-10-03T23:12:00.000-07:00

are so very precious to me!

anxious

2011-09-29T00:18:00.000-07:00

i was anxious about when and where we were going to move too even when my dad was sick. sounds awful, as if i shouldn't have worried about things like that.

but i did. maybe it was because i thought that was the one thing i could control.

after my dad died, i was so angry at myself for wasting such time and energy on my worry.

worry about, where are we going to live?
am i going to work?
are we buying or renting?

it seemed pointless after he died, yet, after only 3 weeks i am stuck worrying about it again!

i am trying to turn to scripture and prayer to ease my worry but it still doesn't make it much easier for me.

i know that i will not be without shelter, knowing that is something i take largely for granted. i do take comfort in that. but i tend to worry about the trivial things.

living in this type of society it is hard for me to not start thinking how i am going to turn my next place into a home. praying this move would be our "forever" home.

i saw a home online that i fell in love with. perfect neighborhood, totally retro pink bathroom (i was in love). when i went back to see it again it already sold and even sold above the asking price.

anxiety hit! like a ton of bricks i started thinking...

we are not going to have enough for a down payment.
all the good homes are selling.
we need to start looking now!

so instead of freaking out i am writing or blogging my thoughts.
this is me.

i am praying for peace and patience through this. although, i don't feel it all the time, i know god will provide. he has never let me down. two years ago when we were out of a place to live we found an incrideible home, god provided.

i know he will provided again.

and on top of all of this, the loss of my dad is getting harder. i thought it would get easier throughout the weeks/months. but it is more of a shock now. its getting harder every day that passes.

he really is gone.

maybe this is how i am grieving. trying desperately to cling onto things i can control.
i want to control where i will end up. i want to control my blog. i want to control myself. yet i constantly feel like i am falling apart.

maybe that's why i am throwing parties, blogging, and thrifting nonstop. so i can continue this blog "life" and so when i look at myself, through my lens, things look normal. like i have it together.

so now the question is do i really want to hit "publish"? do i really want everyone to realize that i am hurting, struggling, grieving, and crying out to god to help me.

sure why not. maybe this is how god will use me and my story. to help someone else who is hurting. i don't have any answers, i am hurting just as bad.

but i understand.

and that alone is worth shedding my "blog" image.

pan am

2011-09-28T06:00:00.001-07:00

i decided to throw a small impromptu pan am party.

the reason??

my dad was one of the first male flight attendants ever!

he started his career with continental as a flight attendant and remained with them in various positions for over 35 years.
we (or just really me) decided it would be fun to honor him and the good ol' days of flying with a viewing party with the family.

a small 60s' inspired dessert was in order.

::pound cake with fruit cocktail (and peanuts just for kicks!)

::baptist mojitos (hehe)

my brother decided that it would be appropriate to make a hat for me.....luv ya bro!

we're all hooked into the show.
the men have the spy twist they like ::and the women in uniform::
the girls love the drama ::and men in uniform::
:)

it was bittersweet. we all had fun and and enjoyed hanging out as a family.
we just knew how much my dad would get a kick out of the show; either telling us "yup, that's what really happened in those days" or "really?? that's just for tv!"

we miss you dad, i think this might turn into a weekly family night...i see it now
::pizza and pan am ♥::

>>> hello to everyone from life made lovely!

family and flowers

2011-09-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

just some shots of our beloved family and all of the wonderful flowers we received.

they made the chapel stunning.

they also fill my parents home with beauty and life.

snap shots

2011-09-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

i wanted to take my camera to the memorial but i had mixed emotions.

was that morbid?

is that how i wanted to remember him by?

so i didn't.

and i regret it.

so here are some snap shots family members took through out the day.

at least i have these ♥

my brother and i grabbed some family ones once we got home, i will share those later.

thrifty threads v. 5

2011-09-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

i know it is turning fall in some parts of the country....here in phoenix summer is not over until about mid october, until then we still wear sleeveless and white sandals :)

i found this beautiful scooter dress while my dad was still in the hospital.
i thought it appropriate to wear to church with my mom, sister and brother.

i am still greiving and i will for a while, i'm sure.

however, as a christian i am also rejoicing in the fact that he is in heaven and i will see him again.
i could not imagine grieving without that hope.

>>>>linking up to The Pleated Poppy WIWW

the habit

2011-09-19T08:39:00.000-07:00

we went to church as a family. it was hard us all sitting there minus my dad. i looked over and saw my mom get tearful. she said later that she would usually hold hands with him, and it dawned to her that she could no longer do so.

but there was some cheerfulness to our day. they opened The Habit in phoenix!!! hello can you say thank you sooooo much!! they are from santa barbara and decided to finally head east a tad. people in phoenix are in for a nice surprise.

it was packed for lunch when we got there. the best part, they have a.m.a.z.i.n.g. veggie burgers.

this helped brighten our weekend up a little!

>>> hello to everyone from life made lovely!

Memorial Service

2011-09-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

my dad's memorial service is today. i think this will really make it real.

after today there is no more planning for the memorial, the casseroles stop coming, and all family goes home.

i have the weekend with just my mom, sister, and brother (and aubs). it will be healing, at least the start of us healing. although it is so hard to think of us healing without my dad being here to help us.

we have our faith and know with out a doubt that we will see him again, with a new body and with Christ.

faded family fotos v.1

2011-09-10T21:34:00.000-07:00

i decided to do a new series prior to everything that has happened.

i thought it appropriate to have the first one of my dad.

i will always love you dad!

>>> hello to everyone from life made lovely!

2011-09-09T21:22:00.000-07:00

i can find words at the moment.

my dad passed.

here is what my husband wrote on thursday.

"My father-in-law left his earthly vessel for the glory that is promised in Christ Jesus this morning. It is not easy. I am struggling. I hurt. Please pray for Ashley and her family as they grieve. I am so proud to be a part of John's earthly family and I'm even more honored to know that I will stand with him again as part of God's kingdom. To the man who had no problem calling me son, Thank you John for living your life well".

-david

i will be back to blogging soon, for this is my journal.

solvang and santa barbara

2011-09-04T23:39:00.000-07:00

our vacation wrap up.

a few more pics of family before the long drive home.

trey was not happy to be leaving

>>>linked up with life made lovely<<<

you hold me

2011-09-02T22:02:00.000-07:00

the new series at crash (sunday evening service) is called heaven, hell and the end of the world.

i was a little uneasy.

i was having a hard time worshiping, i was even contemplating leaving. i thought it was going to be hard to chew and swallow what i was going to hear.

our god is so awesome, and most of all comforting. it was all BUT uneasy.

i heard the most comforting words i have heard in a long time.

i felt broken, scared, saddened, but comforted.

i had comfort in the truth that no matter how this will all end, i will see all my brothers and sisters in christ again.

with new bodies.

free of disease.

worshiping the one who loved us enough to choose us and save us.

nifty thrifty v.1

2011-09-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

i was so full of emotion yesterday that i had to get out of the house, out of the hospital and alone. david took the kids and i went to the thrift store. i was able to clear my mind, talk to God (and come home with a few AWESOME finds).

i think i picked these up more for myself than the kids. they however l.o.v.e.d. them!

oh, also this was the first time i put the aubs hair in pig tails....they are slightly messed up from nap time :)

cruisin'

2011-08-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

while we were on vacation we spent some time in santa barbara. my uncle has properties and let us crash at a beach condo unit he is working on for a few nights..(ummm i was tempted to move in lol).

there were bikes for us to use....seriously i thought i was going kill myself trying to re learn how to ride a bike (its been ages).

but after i got the hang of it again, it was so relaxing to just cruise along the beach walk. here are a few pictures.

2011-08-26T09:42:00.000-07:00

we haven't been up to much these past few days. life is getting pretty rough for us and especially my dad.

he was admitted on saturday night and was told that the chemo has now put him in the beginning stages of renal failure. i knew that this was going to happen, if chemo works it kills your kidneys in the process. unfortunately the chemo has not worked.

we are taking him to a homeopathic doctor. i wish we would have taken this route in the beginning, the quality of his treatment would have been better, but hindsight is always 20/20.

we are secure in our faith and are relying on Gods promises and mercies. i don't know what Gods plan is in all of this, i only know that i am seeing him work, he is answering prayers it may not be in healing (maybe not yet) but he is providing comfort and fellowship and strengthening my faith and my families.

please keep us in your prayers. it is going to be rough in the following weeks. i am allowing God to direct our next steps and relying on his grace and mercy. i am learning i can not control my dads treatments or life, i can only wait upon the lord and allow him to be our strength and savior.

-ash-

( i still have a ton of pictures of vacation to post, and since i am not sleeping well these days....i'm sure they will make an appearance soon :)

phoenix childrens museum

2011-08-22T12:07:00.000-07:00

what a day. it was just so sweet to see my kids light up with every new station we went to. it was almost as if they never wnated to leave what we were doing until they realized that the next are was even better.

i know for sure they play date was a hit.
because this was trey as we were leaving.... nap time, you think??

thrifty threads v. 4

2011-08-19T16:31:00.000-07:00

me: thrifted $1.00; shoes, payless

trey: top, target; shorts, thrifted; shoes, thrifted

aubrey: outfit, gift from jennette (thank you!); shoes, target

today we headed out to the phoenix childrens museum. i just posted how we are trying to live more simple i.e. not spending as much; and then God blesses us with a free day pass to the museum!! the kiddos were in for a big surprise.

i have to be careful though. we had so much fun i was thinking that it would be something to think about getting an annual pass. i catch myself taking something God gives me and then think i need it in excess. i had to step back and enjoy His showers of gifts!

<<<<< here is a sneak peek at our fun today. more pictures to come >>>>>

simplifying my life: keeping up

2011-08-18T16:07:00.000-07:00

i am letting go.

i am letting go of trying to keep up. letting go of my feelings and thoughts of "entitlement".

we made this mistake when we were newlyweds. why did we think we had to have the newest home with granite counters, crown molding, new cars and the best decor around?

i thought i started to let go of this when i had kids but nope.

i just made sure they had the best clothes, sweetest hair bows and the trendiest toys around. ohh and their rooms had to be the best decorated. and don't even get me started on birthday parties and vacation planning.

then my dad got sick.

i began to think this is all meaningless.

what if i got sick?

everything i worked to achieve for my family and myself would be meaningless.

"i denied myself nothing my eyes desire;

i refused my heart no pleasure.

my heart took delight in all my work,

and this was reward for all my labor.

yet when i surveyed all that my hands had done

and what i had toiled to achieve,

everything was meaningless,

a chasing after the wind;

nothing was gained under the sun."

-ecclesiastes 2:10-11

where did this sense of entitlement come from? i was not raised that way. getting a coke at mcdonalds was a treat. and it was a big deal if we got to rent a movie at blockbuster...remember those days. they were not that long ago.

we have been blessed with a full time jobs as a RN and my husband a high school teacher. with that comes pressure. okay maybe not pressure from peers but pressure in the sense of "keeping up with the jones" .... (it is not my intention to offend anyone with this post).

most of us are moms and full time nurses. with that comes huge benefits. we can usually afford to go on elaborate vacations (and I'm talking disneyland....it is so pricey theses days!), live in the suburbs with amazing homes, have nice new cars of all shapes and sizes and can afford pretty trendy cloths and dine out weekly with family and friends.

none of this is bad, but when did i start letting what others around me were achieving dictate how i spent my money, treated my family and most of all honored my God?

so i have had enough.

-we are trading in our 2200sq home for something almost half the size.

-my kids can share a room. just 2 generations ago it was the norm.

-we don't need a pool, a blow up one is fine.

-we rarely need to have new clothes.... plus vintage is in.

-i have young children....we sooo do not need brand new furniture.

and above all we need to learn how to give.

and i mean give, until it hurts.

give until it impinges on our standard of living.

we don't need it all.

time in templeton

2011-08-17T20:53:00.000-07:00

just a few random pictures of our time in templeton >>>

the kitties just loved david

apparently my grandpa was a salesman.....who sold glasses. these are real deal vintage ha.

trey got a hold of the camera....these are all his pics...

the photog himself.

extras from the park by the lake

this little fella loved the kids nutella sandwiches

farmers market....the best peach i have ever had in my entire life....no joke!

lunch

the candy store

this guy came to my grandparents backyard almost every night

i enjoyed my grandparents property and took it all in!

ate some amazing food

and i had the privilege to take my cousins engagement pictures. (i am slowly working on more too, i promise jess!)

i love you templeton ♥

thrifty threads v. 3

2011-08-14T22:13:00.000-07:00

sunday best

we had a great day today. went to church, had a family lunch at sweet tomato's, and then dinner with my mom and dad.

please keep my father in your prayers. he needs to be lifted up, spiritually, emotional and physically. many people i talk too tell me cancer is like a roller coaster.

its true.

he is at a low right now,

we are all at a low right now.... please keep us all in your prayers.

my husband starts school this week, which is always exciting!

i hope every one has a blessed week.

beach babies

2011-08-10T22:05:00.000-07:00

san simeon beach 2011

i love this beach, it is calm, wild and open. they only other people you see here are locals surfing. it's awesome.

the water is chilly and there is a cool breeze, but laying out in the sun is heaven.

we played in the sand...

grilled some dogs (and veggie dogs).....

God bless my dad.....it was a little too chilly for him and (for all my nurses out there) his hemoglobin was 5...yikes!!! He's getting better now though, Praise the Lord!

and flew a kite :)

fair 2011

2011-08-09T08:51:00.000-07:00

when i was younger our summer vacations consisted of spending a week or two up at my grandparents ranch. we would go to the beach, lake and the california mid state fair.

it sounds silly but i have such amazing memories of this fair. the rides, the food, the entertainment like seeing 98 degrees for free ... oh yea!

when we came home from the lake early and i heard that the fair had just started we decided to go. i could not have been more excited lol!

i am not dogging on disneyland (because i will LOVE the day we get to go). But we went to the fair on an impulse and for just a few hours, spending under $50.00 and my kids (and us) will have amazing memories like i have with my cousins. it is not always necessary to spend a fortune for elaborate vacations....ya know what i mean?!?

we were also lucky enough to see the fab four in concert (they were free that night..sweeet). they were amazing. if you have not heard of them, they are a beatles cover band. they were so good they had a disclaimer at the beginning of their concert that they were really performing live.

here are a few videos of our fair day.

fair 2011 from ashley ellis on Vimeo.

thrifty threads v.2

2011-08-06T22:06:00.000-07:00

I love you so much babe ♥

boating

2011-08-03T22:56:00.000-07:00

our 1st full day in california we went to lake margarita, and although there is no swimming since it is a reservoir, we had a blast cruising in a 1970s boat :)

we dipped our hands in the water, sun bathed and dad caught some rays too, although i did not get a picture of when his hat flew off about 2 seconds into the ride...we saved the hat... :)

this kids had fun too....at least i know trey did for sure ;)

gods creation is amazing. we are so blessed to have family that live in such beautiful areas of our country and such generous friends who lets us spend our family vacation with them. it was our first day of vacation and it was more than what i hoped for, god has blessed me and my family beyond words.

beauty in a garden

2011-08-01T09:31:00.000-07:00

the best part of having a ranch is the beautiful gardens you can grow. fresh, organic, and delicious! my uncle sure has a green thumb..... he gets it from my grandma :)

back and relaxed

2011-07-28T12:51:00.000-07:00

well i'm back. i just came back from an incredible relaxing week in california. it was filled with beach going, boating, thrifting, relaxing, laughing and loving ♥

brownies

2011-07-25T09:05:00.000-07:00

yummmo!

2011-07-22T12:36:00.000-07:00

thrifty threads

2011-07-20T12:07:00.000-07:00

i like the sound of that, thrifty threads. maybe a new feature?? okay, no more talk about new features that i will most likely keep up with (365 project haha)!

i bought this ~~moo moo~~ dress for $1.00

added a belt and was headed to a fiesta theme shower.

big boy party

2011-07-16T21:26:00.000-07:00

we had a shaun the sheep birthday party for trey. it was definitely different from all his other birthday party's. mainly because we had more of his friends there rather than just our friends....although we a truly blessed that we are so close to all of our friends and we all have children the same age!

we decided to do an evening dinner/pool party since it is usually so hot in july. it was nice though a little overcast out (gotta luv monsoon season). party throwing is sooo not my gift but i do have to say we had a blast!!

it was simple, we didn't go broke, and most importantly trey LOVED it! i also have to give jodi credit for finding the website for the cupcakes, how cute were they!!

recap of the 4th

2011-07-13T20:57:00.000-07:00

we had such a lovely 4th! i actually had to work the entire weekend but had monday off. so let me tell you, a day by the pool was sooooo what i needed!

david rocked this ice cream cake!! unfortunately for him, he is now the official ice cream cake maker of the family lol!~

as you can tell we had some fun with our own "fireworks". we were pretty excited, it was the first year we could have them legally :)

it was a good thing too, all the fun in the sun made the kids pooped and they were asleep even before the big show at the country club. owell, i think our own show was pretty spectacular! thanks to ian and britteny for risking your lives/limbs for our show :)

pop-e's birthday

2011-07-11T14:13:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we celebrated pop-e's birthday! my mil made veggie lasagna for us vegetarians ;) we are slowly converting our family HA!

trey had a blast with pop-e, although all we really wanted were the cupcakes.

happy birthday pop-e ♥

Pool Party

2011-07-08T15:06:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago my side of the family all gathered for belated birthday dinner and swimming.

it was such fun swimming and hanging out with my siblings.

summers in phoenix may be hot, but it sure can be enjoyable!

3

2011-07-06T21:05:00.000-07:00

Poem by Linda M. Johnson

Happy birthday to my son.
Love Mommy and Daddy ♥

2011-07-04T22:13:00.000-07:00

happy 4th of july, from our family to yours.

a cowgirl bridal shower

2011-07-03T23:24:00.000-07:00

hey y'all ;)

my future sis in law, whitney, was in town a few weeks ago from Waco, Texas (yes it has taken me this long to blog about it!) for a bridal shower for all her phoenix/ west coast family and friends.

it was such an adorable shower. from the colors, food, flowers and laughing with fellow ladies it was wonderful.

*thank you Abby for his AWESOME picture!*

my bil and whitney are getting married in september in coeur d' alene, idaho. it is safe to say the entire family is looking forward to ending this hot summer in the pines to celebrate the joining of the lives of an amazing couple!

bold

2011-06-29T22:53:00.000-07:00

okay so i was bold today......

and got bangs!...oh and feathers ;)

D's 30th

2011-06-27T21:11:00.000-07:00

my beloved turned the big 3.0 this year! a small surprise party was thrown in his honor.

we had salad, cookie cake, friends, family and love.

i love you so much david. i truly thank God for you and that i was the one chosen to live life with you.

hike

2011-06-25T19:28:00.000-07:00

what to do when its 113 degrees out?

go for a hike :)

at least we were not the only insane ones out!

simplifying my life: photography

2011-06-23T21:22:00.000-07:00

if you would have asked me even two years ago that i would be pursuing photography as a strong hobby i would have said sweet and then thought nothing if it. i have always liked taking pictures (who doesn't) but i have just never been the "creative" type.

i am serious too. ask anyone who grew up with me. I had no real outward talents. i have two left feet and can not carry a note!

i can see now what God was preparing me for.

i was blown away at how fast i picked photography up. from still using a disposable camera at times to shooting with a dslr and shooting in manual!! if you would have asked me what iso, aperture and whiteblance were a year ago i would have noooooo clue what you were talking about.

as time went on i was asked to do pictures for many friends and coworkers, mainly for christmas cards. we had a lovely time, busy, but lovely.

and then an amazing opportunity called while driving home from christmas vacation. i was asked to photograph a wedding?!?! what..excuse me ... a wedding??

of course who would turn this down! so i jumped on it, scared out of my mind! how was i actually going to pull this off, you can only edit so much ;)

that wedding help me seek god and realize that at this very moment i will not pursue photography as anything more than a hobby.

i fell just awful, i have sense turned down a few people and even a couple of weddings (yes two more) because i just feel that god did not give me this talent for profit.

it became (as thrifting did) another job. i put so much pressure on myself since i was getting paid to make sure i delivered an acceptable product. i take criticism hard, even if it is constructive.

i realized that my pictures turned out beautifully when i was just dying easter eggs with friends or photographing girls having a 1st birthday get together.

i truly enjoy taking pictures and using it as a gift to people. my desire is that i can use what creative abilities i have and give the glory to god. god gave me this talent because he knew this was how best i could glorify him. i am going to use the time i would be stressing and preparing for a shoot to rather just go to the zoo with family and friends carrying along my camera.

-ash-

*i have a few amazing friends who do photography as a business here in the phoenix area, please check them out!*

http://conspyrmedia.com/
http://www.jonasandtreat.com
www.nicolewalkerphotography.com
http://www.noyanphotography.com/
http://www.lifetouchingphotography.com/

so true

2011-06-22T11:01:00.000-07:00

Source: yfrog.com via Ashley on Pinterest

summer

2011-06-21T19:35:00.000-07:00

2011-06-20T22:40:00.000-07:00

sooooo i have never or will ever be a fashion blogger. but i do enjoy finding other bloggers thrifty treasures and i was wearing my new fave dress so i decided to shamelessly do some pics of me in it.

the best part....i sooo was wearing it backwards the whole time HAHAHA, i realized this while at my future sister in laws shower. i went to put my hands in the pocket and was surprised i couldn't LOL.

but i think i can rock it either way...hey just keeping it real!

simplifying my life: Red Head Vintage

2011-06-17T09:16:00.000-07:00

so a few posts back i mentioned how i was trying to simplify my life. well i am really striving to do this in all areas of my life. i decided i would break it up into a few posts ... sorta like a mini series.

i started Red Head Vintage in january. I stated that if i did or didn't have success that was okay. well i was having some success. which sent me into a whirlwind of how could i keep improving the store. what happened to me just selling a few vintage finds???

my problem is, if i want to do something i tend to invest my self fully into it. which i don't think is a bad thing necessarily. i think that's biblical. but at what cost was this to my family? i was taking my kids to 3 different thrift stores before noon. i took a fun weekly outing with my kids (which they actually used to enjoy) and turned it into work. my kids started to dread going. what did i do??

clothes started to take over my dinning room. i began to obsess over my next photo shoots with my sister. how was i going to top my previous shoot. why did i seem the need to prove myself to others or to myself. this attitude was not biblical and God revealed this to me through a dear dear friend.

i decided to close down the store. if i went thrifting it was to only one store and i made a personal vow to only buy things i needed (that's subjective HA!) and not buy anything that i could sell. i deleted a ton off of the store and donated the majority back to the thrift stores.

after a few weeks i started to sell what was all left in my store. i started to get the itch back.

i prayed about it. why was God now blessing my store after i decided to give it up??

i have come to the decision, through prayer and advice from my family that it was not a sin to have the store but the anxiety caused by the store was sinful. it was because i was no longer glorifying God through the store. after i gave it up and let Him control my life, He started to bless the areas in my life that i enjoy.

i am keeping the store. i will add a few awesome pieces occasionally, as i come across them. if i do a photo shoot, it will be filled with valuable sister time to help in our growing relationship.

i know i can honor God through the store. i just need to make sure that i never let it become about me. when i do my family and my relationship with my God suffers.

sweet

2011-06-16T14:48:00.000-07:00

not much going on today. i did do a little thrifting. i came home to some beautiful daises. no reason, my husband just said he knows how much i like fresh flowers in the house. i put them in one of my grandmothers bud vases on the counter and have been enjoying them all afternoon.

how has your thursday been?

tent time

2011-06-15T21:05:00.000-07:00

we headed to ikea in search of beds
and came home with this play tent, the best $10 we have ever spent!

we even played in it the very next morning

6.4.11

2011-06-14T15:04:00.000-07:00

Pictures from a stunning wedding! Congratulations Ryan and Vanessa ♥

have a beautiful week

trying to live this out

2011-06-08T23:16:00.000-07:00

Source: hayleyrheaganblog.com via Crystal on Pinterest

a day of just the two of us

2011-06-06T14:24:00.000-07:00

as i posted earlier we headed out of town on thursday morning. we drove up to my grandparents place in templeton california (about 11 hour drive). we had a great evening of dinner and conversation. i really never tire hearing my mom, uncle and grandma share stories of their childhood.

friday morning david and i decided to skip out on the family and spend the entire day together. it was almost magical. in a weird sense it was almost better than our honeymoon. we actually talked about important things like God, our family and our future and not about the bigger and better things we dream about.

we ran into paso robles first and stopped by an incredible candy store. you really could spend a small fortune in this place!

and right around the corner was this magical place.

the best part is david actually had fun shopping in there with me. i found the most adorable "cotton candy" dress, handmade from a 1950s pattern! i plan on wearing sometime this week and will show you.

after shopping we headed to morro bay and had the best clam chowder this side of the mississippi! giovanni's is right off the water and all the seafood is caught by them...talk about fresh.

we decided to spend some time on the beach. we went to a spot i used to spend summers at with my family. montana de oro.

beautiful isn't it!

after some time relaxing and driving around we went back up to the ranch changed and headed out to dinner and movie.

it was by far one of the best days i have had with my love ♥