more expressive art...

indy is one of the most patient creatures i know

when it comes to dogs and children.

i love how she surrenders herself into the hands of my 3 1/2 year old.

i also love the looks she gives me as i try to capture moments like these!

...maybe we should call this one

{mobile sticker art}

wonder of little wonders...

i am truly documenting this more for myself, rather than spreading some sort of fantastic news...especially to those of you who have children that are older than 3.

because for you, this may be standard-old-hat kind of stuff.

but for me...it is a wonder!

olivia is beginning to draw letters...recognize numbers...

and i'm starting to understand her drawings.

tonight in the bathtub...she was drawing faces on the walls of the tub. i was literally so exhausted from the day, that i was stretched out on the bathroom floor just waiting for tub time to be finished! all the while, my little picasso was drawing little people and a helicopter on the tub walls...{with tub crayons} once her masterpiece was complete...she started squealing, "look mommy...it's little people and this is their helicopter!" i obliged her, saying, "yes liv...they are really cute." she was so thrilled that i had to take a closer look. she really had drawn little people with 2 eyes, a nose & mouth inside their faces...and they had legs- 3 of them...we'll have to work on that. at any rate, soon we were both squealing!

{this last image is her helicopter}

i wondered when this time would come.
when i would be able to make something out of her little creations. it's amazing how much more connected i feel to her...just by being able to decipher her expression of art.

what a moment it turned out to be!

so inspired

i'm working on a new project - a different

style than i am used to and i can't wait to begin!

it's interesting to me that in every area of my life,

i resist change...i loathe change.  but, not in this area..

in this particular world of design-i thrive on 

change and the challenge it often brings.

every project is different and brings something

new and interesting into my life. 

that's why i LoVe it!

why don't i marry it?  

well, i guess i kind of 

did when i married a builder- {sigh} (;

          .  i do  .  i do  .  i do  .

this new project is in celedon-

an urban community in grand rapids.

it's sort of a loft-style home.

i'll show more pics as we get closer to 

the walls going up!

*i was looking for the wide plank-darker flooring 

and i ran across this image and felt the inspiration 

coming!

{house to home}

3

delighted...it's how i feel about being a mom to my 3 year old.

now, granted-i don't feel delighted every single hour of every day...

some days are just rough-around-the-edges kind of days.

but, it's the small things that happen in a day that

can turn things around...and it's those things that i delight in most!

like her squeals. 

she will squeal over teeny, tiny things like-

 letting her jump on my bed...or, 

letting her hold the leash when we walk indy.

my fav is when she finds out that i'm make hot cocoa for her...

squeal.squeal.squeal.

{yes, on 93 degree days...she squeals for hot cocoa}  (:

i am grateful for her happy heart...it melts mine.

especially after i make dinner and look around to see

all of the work left in front of me to do...

she runs up and thanks me for a great supper

before going outside to play with her daddy.

it melts my heart...

because it's somewhere in her heart to do that.

and when i play 'my little pony' with her,

she routinely tells me that i'm her best friend...

soon after that, she is delegating our roles.

and, even after days where i feel like i've said 

"not right now" and "no-that is not okay" 

like a thousand times, 

she still tells me that i'm the best mama ever!

God has blessed ben and i with this little life.

a life that has given us far more joy than

we ever thought possible.

 

a little knobby

these little pretties
are the
bling that my
furniture has been dying for!
you can find
most of them at knobs & pulls!

mothology anyone?

these very cool pendants need to
move to my house!

i have the perfect
spot in mind...

$50.00 each at
mothology!