capturing the sweet life.

{Fabulous Finds} Friday

Ooooh, autumn is in the air for sure here in West Michigan!  Pretty soon we'll be surround by scenes like the one above.  I, for one, love it.  September is my very favorite month of the year - it feels like everything kind of starts fresh in September.  In fact, perhaps as a remnant from my school days, I always feel like the start of a new year begins September 1st rather than January 1st.  So here's to fresh new beginnings!

On to some fabulous finds...

1.  I did a bulletin board for Natalie's room last year, but I'm thinking something like this would have been equally as cute.

2.  Lots of parents (okay, probably just moms) take pictures of their babies every month.  Sometimes in the same chair, with the same stuffed animal, holding up a number card, etc.  If you're gonna do this little tradition, I think these would be so stinkin' cute.

3.  I really love the look of handmade braided headbands like these and these.

4.  I found my dream home earlier this year, and here's how I'd like to decorate that home.  I just LOVE this girls style (so much, that I've started following her blog!).

5.  I'm thinkin' about implementing this new organization strategy.  Clearly what I have been doing just isn't working b/c I'm constantly forgetting things.  I'll let you know how this works out for me (if I remember...).

6.  If you like Mila's Daydreams, then you'll probably get a kick out of these images, too.  Tim MacPherson is one of my favorite photographers.  You've probably seen his work in magazines and didn't even know it.  But he's spectacular and his photos definitely jump out and grab you.

7.  Absolutely love this playmat.  Jacob's all about cars and other modes of transport so he would totally dig this, too.

8.  Natalie has a thing for water towers.  Not sure what that's all about, but she got a big kick out of seeing that in Belgium, they actually live in theirs!

9.  Another home decor project to add to the to-do list!  I think every house needs a plethora of floor cushions...

10.  Hurry!!  Time to get the last of those tomatoes off the vines and make them into this delicious looking sauce!

Headed off to do some shopping tomorrow -- for ME!!!  Yay!!  So while the football games are on Sunday, I'm hoping to catch up on some blogging - lots to tell you about starting school, heading back up to the cabin, and other misc. summer adventures.

Hope you all have a terrific weekend!

Are You Ready for Some Football?!

Today's as much a holiday in the Smith household as Christmas - the start of the NFL regular season.  I have high hopes for my fantasy football team this year - unlike last year, I didn't draft any players on the IR or suspended for inappropriate activity.  So I'm already off to a better start than last year!

So in honor of my team, the Hyper Hypos, a little clip from SNL to fire up my team.  Go Hyper Hypos!!

{Fabulous Finds} Friday

Can you believe summer is already over (well, not technically, so I'm giving myself another 3 weeks to finish off our Summer To-Do list)??  BlogLand is filled with Back to School preparations this week so we'll start this week's {Fabulous Finds} with a few items in tribute to all of you kids and moms who are headed back to school after the holiday weekend...

1.  I love this idea of turning your kids goals for the upcoming school year into inspirational art for your home.  So simple, too...I think even I could do it.

2.  Who says lunch totes have to be cutesy or boring.  These fantastic insulated totes from Cambria Cove would be perfect for a stylish teenager.  And mom could totally steal it, too.

3.  In honor of the back to school spirit, here's another class I'd love to take.  Becky, how about we make this a crafty winter?!

4.  I LOOOVE the offerings from the Cinnamon Sticks Etsy store...very reminiscent of The Vintage Pearl (another of my favorite stores, and where Brian purchased this for me last Mother's Day).

5.  File under the category - "Why didn't I think of that?"  What a lovely way to document your pregnancy.  Beats the pants off the fill-in-the-blank model I did for each of mine...

6.  Oooh, file this under the same category.

7.  For my daily dose of humor, I'm turning to the Catalog Living blog which narrates the story of Gary and Elaine, the wacky people who live in those rooms you see in catalogs.  So that's who's been sending boatfuls of pillows out onto Lake Michigan...

8.  Natalie has been super strangely into pretending to be animals lately.  One day it's a cat, next it's a snake...We even had a water buffalo prancing around here the other day (I kid you not).  Perhaps a set of these is in order, though I'm not seeing water buffalo adequately represented...

9.  As a photographer, I've always wished there was a way for people to see how miniscule their 8x10 portrait looks above their giant mantle BEFORE they order it.  Now they can, thanks to the Wall Display Templates.  I think I may be looking to purchase this if/when I get around to in-person proofing...  In the meantime, people, go big or go home!!

10.  Sometimes it's fine to just LOOK at pictures of lovely desserts...it's most certainly always better for our girlish figures.  Unless, of course, you dash right over to your chocolate stash to satisfy the sugar craving you're most certain to have after viewing this yummmmmy looking blog...I take no responsibility for your actions after you make the jump.

 

And that's all for this week, folks.  Here's hoping you enjoy your holiday weekend.  Football starts next week!  This is THE YEAR, Lion's fans!

Labour and Wait

Labour and Wait is a British store that offers a collection of homegoods that are vintage in styling, but still modern and fresh.  I am in love not only with their name (what Mom wouldn't appreciate the clever moniker?!), but with their kitchen products, especially. 

Simply lovely.

Grow Garden Grow

A few weeks ago, Natalie participated in an art project by a local artist, Cara O'Brien.  She's designing a mural for the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital comprised of various handmade tiles from over 400 children from Grand Rapids.

Here's some shots of Natalie's handiwork...

The kids first cut out foam shapes and pasted them onto a bookmark...

They then used the bookmark and various other objects (shells, keys, hardware, buttons, etc) as stamps to make impressions into a clay tile.

And her finished tile...

We just received word that the mural is finished and ready for installation.  Check out the completed project:

(Photos by Cara O'Brien)

I think Cara did such an amazing job on the finished project!  It is really lovely and I'm beaming with pride to think that Natalie had a hand in helping to create it.  I can't wait to see it installed at the hospital!

Thank you, Cara, for inviting the children of the community to be a part of this wonderful project!