Artfully Said

I am not dead…

And I didn’t fall off the edge of the earth. Or fall in the toilet. (although I did fall in the tub the other day but that is another story and the long and short of it is I’m fine, Baby M is fine.). In fact, I am just fine, good really if not great. I am just beginning to come up for a bit of air this week after a life that was going in full blur, get me off this ride it is making me sick motion. Well maybe not the sick part but I do think I was seeing stars.

So to summarize the last month – Disney World was great. Grady was more shocked than surprised. I WILL share photos but they are still on the cameras. School has started and Grady is settling into things nicely although it seems his perfectionism and worry flared up the first week a bit (don’t know WHO he gets that from) but we’re handling it. Soccer season is back. First game was last Saturday. Grady got to play keeper (goalie) the 2nd half and really enjoyed it. And our Celebration Sunday Picnic at church is behind me for another year. BUT it was a great event with great turn out. The committee I chair (education) puts on our Celebration Sunday Picnic. This year we had lunch, a bounce house, dunk tank, relay games, piñatas and rounded the day out with ice cream for all. The dunk tank was the biggest hit. It will definitely make a return appearance next year. Grady turned 8 the same day as the picnic. We celebrated in the evening with his 2 dads, his Grandma Happy (this is what he calls my mom – he has since he was about 2 and she taught him to say happy birthday to me), me, and our guest of honor – my pumpkin pie. I do wonder when he is going to request I quit calling him that. I was so tired from the picnic I didn’t snap a single photo of him. I knew I would regret it afterwards. And I so do.

And now it is today. Friday. And the weekend is upon us. And I am so excited about where we are hopefully going I just had to share. Actually I’m excited about quite a lot and probably need to do more than 1 post. So tomorrow or Sunday (depending on weather) we are heading to Wicker Park Chicago for the Renegade Craft Fair. I stumbled upon it is Mary Englebreit’s Home Companion Magazine. And it just looks like the coolest event for all kind of homemade/handmade goodness. Click here for a link to the article. I really hope the weather cooperates for us. I don’t really DO rain if you know what I mean. If it rains we‘re going to Ikea on Saturday and waiting to see what Sunday holds for us.

Okay – the other thing I want to share with you is a new-to-me-music-artist that I am just really enjoying. Francesca Battistelli. She is a Christian artist and her lyrics are SO relatable. The sound is I don’t know…I just really like it. You can listen to 4 of her songs right on her My Space page. The one I fell in love with is Letting Go. But really they are all great. Okay this is all I’m gonna share for now. But I will be back soon (as in tomorrow or the next day) so do stay tuned…

A wedding and a new blog you have to see...unrelated

So if you are at all into photograph or weddings you need to check of the wedding of Miss Megan and and her new husband Dave. Now - let me say, this is not your traditional wedding in the least but it looked SO fun and I am so envious of her independent spirit and willingness to do her own thing. I mean my wedding day was perfect for me but man...I don't know that I'd even have the moxie to host an event like they did. Go here to see some of the photos. The wedding was photographed by Becky Novacek and I have been reading her blog pretty often lately too. I think she is going to turn out to be pretty inspiring to me. You can read more about the actual wedding here as a photo from the wedding was recently featured on the cover and their wedding was featured within. Don't you wish you had been there?? I know of Megan from the paper arts event I attended last fall in Omaha, NE, Silver Bella. She attended and was a vendor and well I just admire her spunk.

I also want to introduce to you a new blog - brought to you by my very own husband Jason. Check out his handsome mug on the left ;) I have been bugging him for quite some time about starting a blog of his own. You may or may not know that he is a pastor and well, I love hearing about his way of looking at things and his understanding of faith and the Bible. I know I'm based and all but I highly encourage you to check him out. Faithful Alternative

I feel like a kid at Christmas and some sites to check out...

One of the more difficult aspects of my life is that we only have Grady 50% of the time. Now please know - this is the best thing for Grady. His Dad all in all is a pretty good Dad and they love each other to pieces. So that is what we do. Because it is about what is best for Grady, not about what we prefer or his Dad prefers or goodness knows what else. So every other week on my day to "get him back" I kinda have an extra bounce in my step. I watch the clock more closely and count down the time until I get to go and get my little guy with big energy and big cuteness. And today is that day. And I feel almost like it is Christmas. Or my birthday. Or some very special day. And I guess it is because today we get our Grady Bug back. The photo here is an older one from when I first got my camera last summer. But I love the silliness of it. You can always count on him to be a ham for me.

I also wanted to share with you the yummiest and free little magazine I came across at Chad & Jodi's House. Kraft's Food & Family Magazine is filled with simple, quick meals, lots are healthy and the ingredients won't cost you an arm and a leg. it is my kind of cooking. Oh and they have photos!! lots of them. I am a cook who needs photos to make sure I'm on track - the kitchen is honestly not my forte. In fact the we don't even jump any more when the smoke alarm goes off and I'm cooking. It is just a natural part of the process of my serving dinner. And I'm only exaggerating a little bit really. So anyhow - back to the magazine - go to Kraft Foods Magazine Archive to see past issues or Kraft Foods Magazine Sign up to get your very own copy delivered to your mailbox.

And last, I want to share with you this adorable catalog/magazine that my Mother-In-Law shared with me this past weekend.

Warm Biscuit has the most perfect children's decor for the person who loves vintage and retro type things. I especially like it because that is how we are decorating Baby M's room. They have retro inspired fabrics (I think my favorite is the paper doll fabric), the old-fashioned Fisher price toys that we played with as children - remember the clock and the phone? - they're in here. I honestly cannot afford most of what is on their pretty little pages but they are a great inspiration if you are a do-it-yourselfer like me. 

Treated Myself to a Little Pretty from Etsy

So in all my picture taking-ness that I have had going on I decided I wanted a pretty custom camera strap. So I ordered one. Here is a photo of it. I'm sure it is helping me to take better photos. It HAS definitely made carrying it easier b/c it is nice and long - a good 6" longer than the strap the camera came with. And isn't the Amy Butler fabric oh so pretty. I'm a sucker for pretty things. So think you might want a custom camera strap of your own?? Well you're in luck! You can visit the Etsy store I ordered it from. here is the link VMJess. Shipping was super, super speedy and I couldn't be more pleased with it!! While visiting Etsy be sure to look around. They have so many cute things!! Check out Pearly Grey's shop for super adorable retro baby and toddler bibs and burp rags and toddler skirts and things, I found Lou and Lee this morning in case you have a sweet little girl in need of some hair decor - I love felt. And this adorable blanket by Ninis Handmades I could just spend hours looking at all the pretty things!

Loving Pandora.com and a new picture or two…

A co-worker introduced me to Pandora.com.com a couple of weeks ago and I am SO lovin’ it!! Maybe I’m just a little bit behind the times?? Maybe my age is starting to show?? Regardless – if you have not tried it you NEED to do so. You just type in an artist you are interested in listening to and it generates a play list for you of music from that genre. How cool is that!!?? Oh and you can give specific songs a thumbs or down to further customize your list as it goes along. Create an account and it saves your station for you. I LOVE it. did I mention it’s FREE?? I cannot believe it’s been what - 2 weeks since my last post? I’ve been just too busy enjoying the summer I guess.

Grady is in his last 2 weeks on coaches pitch baseball (the step between t-ball and little league) and I have not shared a single photo. I’ll get those up soon. but for the time being I’ll just share a couple I am turning in for my photography class tonight. The cute little guy is my nephew Ivan. He’ll be 1 later this month and this is the first picture I have shared of him. What a neglectful auntie I am!! The other 2 images are just my attempts at some compositional rules for photography. We’ll see what Wendy has to say about them tonight!!