paper heart

With a busy birthday weekend (elyott) and a sick sick baby, I don't think i have even one shirt without snot/vomit/drool on it. Needless to say, i haven't had much time to implement any of the fancy ideas i had for this week. However, Elyott and i ordered this cute book online with her birthday gift cert (we are similar in that we like to make stuff, but we need major start up support to get our wheels turning)...

Here are a few paper projects that have inspired me lately.

paper:
sail
props
 dolls
shadow puppets

garland
flags

team Boo ♥'s you

SO...saying you're cool, means you're not??

Aren't you dying to know what has inspired me lately!? (*nod head and smile*). Quirkiness always catches my attention...

doi! 

(sometimes the best ideas are the most obvious)

 if i were a vehicle at this exact moment...I would be this guy. (what a selfless truck i am)

{via ffffound}

I'd love this on my wall

(music gives you wiiings!!)

my rock band character wears an off the shoulder beauty with cat eyes just like this...i've been looking for the real deal ever since (fun fact: i kinda hate cats?)

best business card.

As trite as this pop culture reference may be, this onesie is pretty cute.

also a quote (for good measure...but mostly so people know that i DO read instead of just look at pretty pictures):

thoughts become words. words become actions. actions become habits. habits become character, and character is what we really are.

— Glimpses (into the life and heart of Marjorie Pay Hinckley)

Hope your long weekend was better than my super lame one :)

team Boo ♥'s you

today i feel...

if I had only three things to describe what I'm feeling today these circles would do the trick. Thanks circles.

team Boo ♥'s you

team boo gets inspired.

Since my motto for this year is "absorbtion and practice" i am going to try dedicating a day of blogging every week to sharing the things that inspire me. Some i try, others are just a treat for my eyeballs. You never know...they just may inspire you too :) 

Things that always catch my eye are: color and rich layering. Stuff I'd love to do more with this year.

sweet vintage collage

whimsical weirdo

 rainbow throwup art

 cutest wedding announcement

team Boo ♥'s you

simpler times

One of my Illustrator to do lists this year is to make a paper doll set of my sweet Elyott. The only problem is I am an extremely frustrated Adobe Illustrator user. And by the way, why don't little girls play with them anymore!? Maybe if it has HER face she will be more motivated to make all my old fashioned dreams come truuuuuuue! (also i covet a few of these outfits in real life...ok, mostly the giant bunny suit)

these are killing me. dead. 

[thanks geri]

{9000}

team Boo ♥'s you

p.s. more printables like these can be found here 

(by raise of hands, how much do you want to be a paper doll right now? don't lie.)

all you need is love.

Most of us, if not all, can relate to the love hate relationship with the blogging world. The unique people (love) the fakeness (hate) the talent and inspiration (love) then feeling like a lame-o (hate) the great stories (love) the rude comments (hate) the hours of entertainment (love) how much time I can waste on the computer (hate) making connections (love) feeling plain or inadequate (hate) the creativity (LOVE) the "competition" (hate) the opportunities to learn (love).


The slipperiest slope of all for me though is the "wanting." Wanting the stuff I don't need, wanting to be somewhere I'm not. Wanting to be a little more stylish, beautiful, wittier, more interesting, talented or whatever. What I really want is to be happy to LOVE and grow. I truly do find so much inspiration daily of ways to find and create the joy in my life through the people in the blog world.  It is a tough balance to not get carried away with "missing out" on the things I wish I were or had. 


Today Megan took the words right out of my mouth. It is no secret I have a huge crush on her beautiful Anne of Green Gables meets Pippy Long Stocking soul (thanks robin for helping me find that marriage). Sorry Megan, but i have to gush...you are just so fantastic. And i mean that in the most encouraging way.  So uninhibited and playful and not afraid to show vulnerability. Her admirable initiative and humble approach to life puts her at the tippy top of the blogs that inspire me. Not to mention she is a clever little amateur filmmaker. Just look at this video she made in an attempt to defy her feelings of wanting....and totally nailing it!


In the end, i mostly just love to blog. even when i hate it, i love it. And I want to help you appreciate and love the simple things in life just like megan does for me...for that is what this blog is supposed to be all about: LOVE! Albeit unconventional or awkward at times (like, not the deep mushy gooshy kind). Its definitely sprinkled with lots of teasing and sarcasm (okay, so i get a little carried away with that, but how can i not? Life is funny.) Its about loving my family, remembering to love myself, spreading the love of motherhood, and learning to love moments more than things.

team boo ♥'s you

footloose.

This is me tomorrow at about 8:45 ;)
(school starts)

these kids are so amazing:

don't you wish life was always this carefree?
No pants...just dancing.

team boo ♥'s you

lets hear it for the boy.

Is it just me, or is everyone having girls??

It seems there are so many sweet little dresses and dollies online meant to inspire

but what about the boys!

 Over at this cute little site they are putting all things little boy at the top of their to do list...

look at these little pants!!

I must make some.

join me :)

or these little shirts .
So nerdy that they're cute.

team boo ♥'s you

meet Barney...

he's so full of love....

 {from the delightful mind of Andrew Bannecker }

team boo ♥'s you

in your face naysayer (Adam)

Adam always makes fun of me when I start a project

because I am, in his words, "odd jobs McGee"

(A title well deserved for all of my randomness)

but i am happy to say....I did it!

I finished my first quilt.

Since my most favorite childhood friend finally decided to have a baby, I thought the least i could do was make her a personal gift.  I never would have had the guts though without the very thorough tutorial by the crafting wonder....Kelly McCaleb (over at my happy little life ). She never fails to inspire and is overflowing with good old fashioned maternal talent. Don't be intimidated...you can do it too! I assure you my sewing abilities are very basic....like sewing-in-a-straight-line basic.

Here are the pics of the what i started with and the adorable little munch who now occupies it :) in all its imperfect glory....

Thanks Kelly!

team boo ♥'s you

come in....

here's to living winter vicariously through photos

(the sheep??...it was white)

“If you are a dreamer, come in…

…if you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar, a hoper, a prayer, a magic-bean-buyer. If you’re a pretender, come sit by my fire, for we have some flax-golden tales to spin. Come in! Come in!”

     — shel silverstein

fat bottomed girls.

{via 9000 }

As a teen I went through years of insecurity and body image craziness, and it wasn't until after i got married  to a supportive (and completely biased husband ;) that i was slapped into the reality of what my body could do: I had a baby. I know it isn't that way for everyone, but for me, something about that transition in my life completely changed my views on what it means to have a healthy body.  I like to feel good, and look good, but mostly....I just love being around. Yet the problem that lies with public outlets and me, is that I am way to tempted to use self deprication to make connections. And my self loathing thoughts on pregnancy might be my favorite subject (well...that, and inverted nipples, and pointing out my occasional lesbian sounding voice). Fabulously, I fear this has caused less of you to want to grab brunch, and more of you to want to just punch me in the face. For it has been lovingly brought to my attention that my "chubby thigh" and "acne mustache" symptoms might be the anti feministic way to celebrate this miracle....and hell, it's possible they're simply a figment of my imagination (a profession of how i feel rather than the way i look) . So I promise I won't hold it against you if you have recently thought anything along the lines of...

"For the love of Angelina and her overflowing maternal willingness, someone get this girl a muzzle!"

But before I ditch my M.O. and start reciting positive affirmations in the mirror, I'd like to profess that it's humor that gets me through these long months of suffrage. Allow me to be frank...I love myself! I looooooove my babies, I love myself an optimistic confident woman, but I do not love pregnancy....i think it was designed to keep a girl humble.  I consider it my bodily donation to take on the single most honorable venture there is in this life.  And despite the more socially responsible coping techniques that exist, the best way i can think to survive pregnancy (and sometimes just straight up motherhood) is to laugh at how ridiculous it can be. This way, instead of pretending my third trimester double chin is glorious (or worse....not there) I rest assured that since not permanent, it is simply more hilarious than tragic. But as always, thanks for keeping me in check friends!

{tie-dye.

 worst adult clothing invention ever?

or

maternity clothing amazingness?}

wanna hear a way smarter version of this?

...listen here, it is so awesome.

it's all in the eye.

{image via ffffound}

today i am feeling calm. maybe it's because my house is clean (5 of my amazing friends showed up at my door to clean it on Monday) maybe its because I showered and went to dinner with a few girlfriends last night so i finally felt like a human being. maybe its cause both my kids are at school! or because the neighborhood gardeners finally stopped buzzing their machines from hell outside my bedroom window for what felt like hours. maybe it is because Nie hiked the Y, and is so inspirational i am without words. (One of my other favorite bloggers Kelly wrote an account of visiting with Stephanie after her hike, and you need to read it...cause it's amazing, and any dose of Nie's goodness is a step in the right direction.) I am going to try and see these long months in my bed as moments of cleansing. Of course not literally, since my stomach feels like i drank a rotten gallon of milk. But figuratively; considering all the time I have had to think of the ways I'd like to improve my spirit. To serve. To love. To move my body. To create. The internet is such a fountain of inspiration...and i have had more than my fill....soon it will be time to put things into action. Thank you so much to all who have offered encouragement...I feel like my laptop has kept me afloat. You all have kept me afloat. I am excited to work on myself so that i might be even an ounce as good as the people who inspire me (like Nie and Kelly). I am grateful to my Heavenly Father who gives me these moments of peace. The world is so crazy. I am so far from exemplary, but he is always there...giving us reminders that we are loved, and that we are here to lift each other up. And i am no exception. That believe it or not, somewhere in my sarcastic poo poo pee pee talking brain, there is a sensitive and thankful girl that sincerely loves people!! Which leads me to overcoming my first slacker attribute...writing out the thank you cards stacked on my nightstand giving me the LAZY eye. *(who am i kidding...i feel calm mostly because my kids are at school ;)

What inspires you lately?

search here for more inspiring ladies...

*also vote for me here today if you please :)

the next big thing...

I can't even tell you how much i love this .

Why didn't i think of it?

If it were a plate of garlic and cheese fries i would devour it.

If i could, i'd take it behind the middle school and get it pregnant.

cause i always wear the same outfit for days, but people just give me crap.

but it also got me thinking...

maybe i should take pictures of ME for 365 days.

...only instead of wearing cute leggings and a dress,

I'll be wearing the same pair of stretch material cutoffs and ACDC t shirt

and i can title it "How far will 30 inches of material stretch?"

and you all could watch as i slowly retain gallons of water

and balloon into a pregnant whale.

It would probably be less inspiring,

but A LOT more amusing.

eh?

project boo.

Creativity is ENDLESS!!!

...and that is why we all love it so.

*QUALITY CONTROL

{i just realized that my first banner read slightly like "project POO"...oops. 

And since it didn't apply to any film making that would interest ME, i had to change it. But thematically speaking, it did rather suit the content of my life}

It's not about who is the biggest art snob, but it IS about making a movie creation you can be proud of! Like sweet Cara, who linked her little movie to me last week. simple and sweet! 

SO.....just make a short summer video and sent it to me by JULY 31st labeled "Project Boo" {csdike@yahoo.com}...then i can post it here! I'll even help you if you have a little question or two :) Maybe there will even be a sweet prize at the end for my fave??...that's assuming anyone sends me any. Who knows, it might be suuuuper easy to win. But don't get too carried away with what the prize might be cause...well, i'm eating chocolate pudding for LUNCH....thats how i roll ;)

Here are a few of my favorite movie finds...

{FYI: i realize these videos are made by semi, if not real professionals, so i am not expecting the same caliber

...they are just to get your wheels a turnin'}

{via cup of jo}

{via Gangsta bride}

also, Kera says she'll be your friend if you love this video as much as she does...and believe me you want to be her friend :)

So if you have a MAC, there is NO excuse why you haven't made your own! don't be intimidated, eets so easy!! But first, lets see who's down. Just leave me a comment...

{FYI: iMovie HD is my preference, get it here. for PC try NERO or Movie maker?}

...also, spread the worrrrrrd!

{find my creations here.}

raw sugar.

Today i mopped my floor {for the first time in about three months} and my iPhone came in the mail....the sky is the limit! So this weekend, since we have no plans to go on holiday, i plan to challenge myself to make it fun at home kicking off my inspired summer plans to  botox all of my sweat glands  er...enjoy as much of it as i can with my two darling children ;)  here's what i have in mind....

{project image found at cookie's nesting blog }

1. a do it yourself dollhouse...where the kids are in charge.  This is where mommy is challenged to NOT micromanage the project to make it look more like the picture ;)

2. a living room fort camp out with shadow puppets and hot cocoa

...and some camp songs for good measure {cause were not quite ready for scary stories}

{image from listentofeist.com }

What do you have planned?? 

....wait don't tell me.....no, DO.  Just kidding this isn't a competition, and your plans can suck it. 


okay fine, they're awesome....but they better not involve the beach.

love notes by erin.

{picture by naomi davis }

Last week i asked you ideas of ways you show your love.  One of my favorite responses came from the very lovely ERIN...just read how sweet this is:

"My grandfather used to hide 'love notes' made on an old school label-maker (the kind that embosses the lettering) around the house. They all say "Joe loves Dot" and the date he printed it. My parents live in my grandparents' former home, and I love opening up a random cabinet and finding his little love notes."

summer days...

I have spent so much time lately complaining about the AZ heat, i've in some ways given up on the possibility of enjoying myself at all in the next six months. I have central AC, a basement, a house for heavens sake! Also as i recall, roughly 7 years ago i signed on for a job that does anything but revolve around my personal pity party ;)  

It wasn't until i read this wonderful blog that i had a moment of clarity. When did i morph into such a resentful wank? The heat waves really do a number on my disposition as a mother...but aren't i supposed to be teaching my kids {by example} to make the best of what they have?!? When did i forget that life isn't about living in ideal circumstances, but rather how we fair with what we are given. Frankly i should be ashamed to think that i have a reason to complain. Anyway if you need dose of perspective like i clearly did, read {my newest mommy inspiration} Megan Marie's sweet snippet of ways to enhance the summer months...

{which for me is basically making a long list of whimsical ideas to distract myself from the fact that my kids are not in school anymore and the only way to keep from punching myself in the face is to trick them into lots of sweaty and/or indoor fun. but then there i go again....}

 "I am a tour guide. Each day my babies hear language they don't really understand, and witness events and objects that are completely foreign. Everything is new. In the past I have taught them colors, introduced them to letters and numbers. Taken them outside to name the bugs, the sky, the trees. Why though? So they can recite the names of things back to me? Ever so much more than that! I get to teach them to live!"

A few favorites from her summer "tour" list:

*have a yellow day where we wear only yellow, and eat only yellow food

*make a sand castle and then stomp on it

*roast a hot-dog over a fire

*put on a puppet show

*have a major dance party...with decorations 

*eat a really messy dinner with no utensils

*build a catapult and shoot things

*shadow puppets late at night

*make a gift for a friend and doorbell ditch

*rent a projector and make our own drive in

*go on a treasure hunt

*make bird-masks and wings with feathers and pretend to fly

*record our voices and play them back and laugh at how silly we sound

*have a mud fight

...find the rest here .


Needless to say, i am starting my own list. What do YOU have planned??


FYI...this doesn't change a thing about wanting to move. The second a window opens I'M OUT!!.... just saying ;)

duly noted.

a love note. the only thing i cherish more is finding a gas station nacho bar with a dispenser that lets ME pump how much hot cheese my heart desires. In contrast with those prepackaged-dip-five-chips-and-it's-gone crap containers they now give at the movie theaters...i don't need some money hungry butter dispensing corporation to teach me about portion control...i'll mind my own arteries, thank you!

I'll portion control your face!! 

k, maybe i do.

But anyway, i realized {giving the disclaimer of my husbands "butt slaps" after posting a excerpt of his love letter }...i have such a double standard!  who am i trying to fool here?? i'm about as romantic as a Zach Braff kissing scene ...ugh!! So i was thinking of ways that i used to show my love before i got all craggy and resentful ;)....

 Ever make these? 

{rubberband notes} 

Such a sweet youthful way to pass along a message.

This cute blogger's husband addressed a letter and sent it to her in the mail...i love that! So that's exactly what i did {i just hope my husband doesn't read this before he gets it, as i continue to labor under the delusion that he actually reads my blog}

Mixed tapes? mirrored lipstick messages?...how do you like to give/receive notes to/from your lover?? do tell...

♥ and have a great weekend!!!

bringing it.

"i don't want to arrive at the pearly gates wearing beautifully tailored clothes, my hair expertly coifed, or with perfectly manicured fingernails...

...I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt, with childrens sticky kisses on my cheeks, and tears on my shoulder...

...I want the Lord to know I was really here and that i really lived."

excerpts from: "I Really Lived"

by Marjorie Hinckley 

...and freckles on my shoulders from playing out in the sunshine

...and aches in my joints from piggy back rides to bed

...and lines around my eyes from laughing through life

*but hopefully not poop under my fingernails...cause i don't think God would appreciate that ;) 

Happy Mothers day to all that have, all that are, and all that ever will be mothers! ♥