Nap times and blessings...

Nap time...such a beautiful time of day. Each day is different in regards to what I do when my little ones are napping. Sometimes I nap, create grapics, make hair accessories, binge watch a tv series and every great once in awhile...I clean.  Lately, I have been cruising some different blogs...to see what other creatives are up too and to see what inspires them.

I came across Erin's blog, Candy Kirby Designs. She makes AMAZING leggings, hats and other accessories for little ones. She is also a beautiful painter and documents her life eloquently on her blog. She also has a great way of sharing the joys and her journey of motherhood to her three little ones.

So during nap time last week, I got lost in her blog, pretty interiors, cute kids, what else do you need? She has amazing posts that are just about what they might have done that week, a life in week of type post and her photography of her children is beautiful and so inspiring.

The best part about getting lost in her blog was the decision to creep into my own little girls room get a shot of our youngest, Gabby peacefully sleeping. Well that didn't exactly work, but I did get her just waking up and some insanely adorable smiles. She is growing up so quickly...already 13 months old...

Waking up

Happy Baby

           

 More Happy Baby

I feel so fortunate that I am able to stay at home with Gabby and her big brother and sister and watch them grow, literally, before my eyes. They are such a blessing and I am thankful for them every day!

Be sure to go over and check out Erin's blog too. Just make sure to give yourself ample time to enjoy all the cuteness! 

Hope you have a great week,
Amanda

Almond Orchard Photo shoot

Over the weekend, we had the opportunity to do something I have wanted to do for many years with the kids...take some snapshots of them in an almond orchard. 

When I was little, my back yard was twenty acres of almonds trees and every February they would bloom beautiful white flowers. It was like a magical forest full of hundreds of these trees in long rows with white flowers on the ground. It looked like it has just snowed. And there were pretty white flowers on every tree branch that you came across. As I grew older and the orchard of almonds were chopped down to make way for suburbanhood; I was still able to enjoy them on my drive near the local college, where they had rows of almond trees that bloomed every year in February. 

So this weekend we took the kids out to one of the only orchards near us that we were able to access and took some snap shots and these are a few that we were able to get them to sit still for and somewhat smile for...

                                                                         

                                                     

   

                                                                            

A few things that we learned while taking these...always shoot your subjects when you are facing the sun, you will see some shadows that we just could not get rid of. If you are facing the sun and your subjects backs are to the sun it is easier to manipulate the photos later and get rid of those shadows. I also brought extra snacks and toys to bribe them into smiling and standing still a little longer.

I find that we are getting better photos of them as the are older. And if you let them make some silly faces for the camera too....they were more inclined to smile when you asked them too.

One nice thing about living in the central valley is that the fruit trees are just getting ready to start blossoming, so I hope that we can take them out again and get some more shots in some other orchards and try and take some better photos with the sun behind them. 

Happy Thursday! 

Amanda

Hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's three day weekend!!!

The weather was amazing here...in the high 60/low 70's, so we were able to play outside in the back yard and do some much needed yard work. AND did you know that House of Cards second season started this weekend...oh my!!!

I had a little computer time as well to create some new pre made logos for the shop. The best part about these logos is that they come with an new added feature...a watermark!

Here is a sampling...

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Head on over to the shop to see some of the other designs if you get a chance! 

Have a great week! 

Amanda

 

Valentine's Day Favors.....

Woohoo!!! Valentine's Day is on Friday! 

Love is in the air!!! 

I LOVE Pinterest for all of the inspiration for Valentine's decor, favors and food...don't you?

Speaking of favors..with two in school, one in kindergarten and one in preschool, I needed to come up with a cute and affordable idea for 43 valentines!!!! Wowzers!!! 

So this is what I did...glow stick bracelets in the dollar section at Target - 15 for $1.00. Created a little Valentine in Illustrator (5 Valentine's per page) and sent to print at Office Depot for a cost of $7.00 and some change...$10.00 for 43 Valentine's!!!

I am super happy with the way that they turned out, having a spot for each of the kids to write their names on their own valentines AND a cute little non sugary treat for the kids to enjoy on the special love day! 

If you want the FREE printable just click on the link and have printed on your home computer or local print shop. Cute them, punch holes in the top and bottom and put glow stick through holes. 

Easy Peasy.......

Have a wonderful LOVE day! Love and share the day with the ones that mean the most to you! 

Have a fabby day!

Amanda

Homework center for the new year ahead!

Life in our home is about the change...our little girl is entering the school system, five days a week, from 8:00 AM to 11:30 AM. INSANE!!! And our little guy is entering nursery school. He will be playing, learning and making new friends two times a week, every week. It is such a bittersweet time right now. We are so excited that they are going to have these new challenges and opportunities. But, at the same time, we are realizing that our babies are becoming kids...and not our babies anymore. Thankfully we have our youngest still in diapers, so we still have someone to baby for right now!   

We have been working on site words, numbers, ABC's and name writing in preparation for this big, amazing change of life. 

In all of the summer commotion I realized that we do not have a true homework area for our kids. A place that we can have them work on homework, arts and crafts and learning that does not disturb the dining room table. 

Thankfully Pinterest is around to give me some amazing ideas for a homework/craft area for the kids. And by amazing ideas, there are so many I am on overload. But here below are some of my favorites that I hope to incorporate into an area my children can go to learn, feel comfortable to challenge themselves and let us help them out with this new adventure.

 

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So there are some thoughts...Hope to have a concepts layed out before school starts in a week!!!

Check back next week!!!

New to the Shop!!!

Hello there!!! Long time no see in blog land! Many wonderful and fabulous things have happened since winter time...new baby (5 months now), celebrated a 5 year old and 3 year old's birthday (detail to come), and doing our best to keep all in order and enjoy the last summer before big kid school starts for our oldest!!! 

Great things are coming to the shop Everything Modern Designs...so be sure to go and check it out and let me know what you think! Wanted to share these two cute chevron party invitation designs that I worked on this weekend...

Modern Chevron

Rainbow Chevron

They are currently available to be printed and shipped and will hopefully later this week be available for immediate download and customization (so you can purchase them at midnight and print them from your home computer and have them in the mail the next day!). How awesome would that be???

I am going to do my best to post here at least one time a week. I have so many ideas that I want to share and things that I have found helpful as a mom, wife, designer and party planner!!! 

Have a wonderful week and check back next week!!! 

Amanda 

Exciting News....

So excited to share some news!!!

We will be expecting our third little bundle of joy in early February!!!

We are so excited, overwhelmed and giddy to be able to welcome another child, a little girl into our family. We look forward to our continuing exciting adventure being parents to our little ones.

With that said...we have TONS of project we need to complete before the little one arrives. Shifting rooms and sleeping arrangements around to make room for number three is going to be fun, stressful and in the end hopefully make us more organized.

Hope to share some of these little DIY project and room renovations in the upcoming months...