lucy, 8 + 9 months.


sweet lucy, 
there is no one like you. you are special in every way, and i love every little bit of you. you're standing up on your own now... have been since april 24th. what. are. you thinking.?! it's adorable and each time you stand for longer + have even tried taking a few steps... you walking is going to be the cutest thing + abel is going to be over the moon! i'm so thankful to have a daughter, to have YOU as my daughter. i dreamed of you long before daddy + i had babies on our radar, and now that i know you, my dreams couldn't have come close to the precious + perfect beauty that you are. i love your hands, and your chubby little feet. those big blue eyes melt me every time you look my way + your grin is infectious. you love your brother + you love your daddy... i like to think i'm your favorite since you're planted on my hip 99% of the time + don't want to go to anyone else, and let me tell you sister... it warms my heart like nothing else. i wish you'd stop growing up so fast. i know that in a blink you'll be walking + before i can catch my breath we will be watching your first dance recital and i'll be bawling like a baby. i love you so much sweet girl. i pray every night that you continue spreading joy wherever you go, all the days of your life. my sunshine girl, my lemon, my little bit.


useful + beautiful


the first time i heard this quote i fell in love + burned it forever into the forefront of my mind. i am a pretty simple person when it comes to "things"... i know what i like(most days), i don't put a whole lot of value on "stuff", i'm pretty practical, and since hearing this particular quote a few years ago, i have really learned to be intentional with how i spend my dollars + apply it to nearly every purchase i make. 
as those of you who have been around these parts know, up until two years ago we lived only with what would fit into (or on top of) our two cars. chris was playing soccer professionally + we went where the team was. it always felt semi-permanent, so we never brought many things with us. we thrifted and borrowed furniture + i used mostly photos (surprise!) as our one source of decor. this really taught us a lot about NEEDS and wants, and how wonderful a simple life could be. since then, we've settled + are now building onto our house, and it feels like as good a time as any to clean up and clear out the excess + again be very choosey with what we keep and/or bring into our home!
when i downloaded the Orange Harp app for shopping high-quality products that support a socially conscious lifestyle, i was delighted! i wasn't overwhelmed by a surplus of options that would send my indecision into a frenzy, but happily found carefully curated + unique products and brands that support SO many wonderful things! i am drawn to people, to stories... at Orange Harp, you are not only introduced to an assortment of great products (a few of my favorites above) but also the people behind the products and the stories that make them who they are... that gets me excited + makes me want to shout the good news to everyone i come across, starting with YOU!

Orange Harp is an easy to use + FREE app that you can download HERE, or search Orange Harp in the app store. All products above can be found on the app, and 1% of each purchase made will be donated to Not For Sale. Thanks for stopping by, Happy shopping :) 

***This post is was sponsored by Orange Harp, however all opinions on this blog are 100% my own + always will be :)

1) sheswai - love bag -- 2) dandelion chocolate -- 3) future glory - moto rolltop backpack
4) bralette - naja -- 5) bogobrush -- 6) soy jar candles - pura botanica

i love.

abel
pretty flowers + baby chunk
my little hooligans.
the masterpiece God paints every night outside my window.
a fistful of handpicked dandelions from my guy
pruned pigs.
lucy + her love for exploring
baby lashes.
arrow june
+again with the artwork.
family + horses
did i say abel?

maybe i'll become a flower photographer...

okay, kidding. but i will warn you ahead of time, this post contains at least a half dozen photos of some of the most gorgeous birthday and mother's day flowers in history... our home looked and smelled like a flower market for about a week, juuuust the way i like it.

so i know, we are already onto memorial day weekend + i'm behind at blogging and all of that, but now felt like as good a time as any to recap 27 + the celebration of mamas!
my birthday was just as lovely as the year before it, and the year before that (+ that, and that -if you're really feeling reminisce-y). fresh flowers, hot + fresh donuts, tulips on tulips, mickey mouse + my people. we don't take birthdays lightly around here, and chris always makes the day so special for me. 
^^^cutest cousins... they are finally becoming buddies + it's the cutest thing ever. abel is getting so much practice on how to treat ladies, "pretty flowers row row" + also the donut frost covering his jammies... i love him so much.
^^^that donut was the size of his face, he prefers taking a bite or two out of every donut however, instead of sticking to just one. 
^^^probably the best card ever received haha! my friends from afar even made me feel so special :)
^^^lunch at the rio! margaritas, sopapillas, and the best candle blowing helper in the game.
^^^my crew... allllll the heart eyes.

-----

i get suuuper lucky, because my birthday + mother's day fall right next to each other, so honestly it feels like a week of celebrating, huzzah! we had mother's day brunch at ashton's + then parted ways to spend time with our own little families. i for once, chose to do nothing and just relax vs. always doing some sort of project, and it was lovely. i'm so thankful to be a mom, to have a mom (+ mother in law) and to experience the love between parent and child. i know what a blessing that is and i don't take it for granted.

lately.


lately it has rained + rained + rained + rained + then rained some more. i've missed the sun + i've especially missed these sunsets. i am thankful for the moisture, and the vibrant green that's now singing from every direction... i'll be extra thankful though when the clouds leave town + we can park it outside 24/7... bubbles, swinging, racing, dandelion picking, popsicles... all the best that sunshiney days have to offer. this all being said, we've been home a lot so nothing crazy interesting to report, just some pictures that never made instagram, or this space anywhere else, but that definitly deserved a place. i hope you're having a wonderful day so far + that there's sunshine where you are!

^^^this picture looked so sweet on my iphone, + then i saw it enlarged and realized that she's blinking + poking him in the eye, hahaha.. SO i didn't nail it this time, but it was a very sweet morning  + so i love it still. 
^^^they are truly the sweetest duo

^^^heart melting
^^^and again. 
^^^teenager... staahhhp it!
^^^i can't imagine a world where i don't pick up toys all day, sweet scenes like this one left behind by my guy really are heart warming for me
^^^hey check it out! they dug a big hole next to our house!! + then as mentioned... rain. so it's sort of a small pond now, but nonetheless... progress!! 
thanks for stopping by! we've got a happy little bunch around here + we appreciate YOU for following along with us :)