They Grow Too Fast

I posted this picture on instagram last week but, I just love it. My sweet Daisy will be four next month.  FOUR!  I seriously can't believe it...and I can't believe that I can't believe it but, for me at least, it never gets easier to process how quickly time flies and how fast our babies grow into adults. 

Daisy has never had much of an opinion about what she wears.  I hear stories about how exhausting it can be when a little girl puts up a fight each morning over every little detail of her outfit.  I'm still waiting for that independent spirit to kick in with our kiddo and I'm sure that time will come soon enough.  But, for now I am savoring the fact that I get to dress her in what I want and she could care less (99% of the time)...so long as pink makes a regular appearance.  The shirt was $2.50 at Target!  Have I mentioned lately how much I love Target's clearance sales.  They are thebomb.com.  The pants are from baby Gap and I have my seester to thank for scoring me so many awesome Gap goodies for my kiddo.  Thank you Becca Boo.  The shoes were $4 at Old Navy.  Daisy actually found them in what appeared to be a discard bin with hangers piled on top of them.  They were literally the last pair in the store.  She insisted on having them and I didn't argue.  She has good taste even if she doesn't care all that much. 

And I am not sure if I love hearts so much simply because they are the symbol of love, or because they are so cute, or because my last name was Hart prior to getting married...but, I don't think you can ever have too many hearts.  Love her heart outfit.  I'd like one for myself as a matter a fact! 

In other random Daisy news:  We got the Frozen music CD a couple of weeks ago and we have been listening to the songs hundreds of times a day since then (because I am a softie mom and would rather keep my kiddo content in the car even if my ears are literally burning inside!)  I have all of the songs memorized and I catch myself singing them at random times of day and when I am walking around alone in public.  I need to stop.  Someone please help me.  

On the other hand I do love the movie and the songs are pretty...or at least they were the first few times I heard them.  I love listening to Daisy sing them in the back seat of our car.  She has almost all of the lyrics memorized as well.  Another blaring reminder that she is not so little anymore. 

Daisy you are my sweet, loving, wild and wonderful little buddy.

Oh how I love her so. 

One Shirt...

I really enjoy pinning outfits on Pinterest.  I marvel at all of the creativity out there.  Some gals manage to wear a different outfit every single day of the year.  That is a lot of clothing...and money.  Some gals have an incredible knack for accessorizing.  They rock arm candy like it aint no thang and  they know just the right earrings and necklaces to wear with every shirt and dress they own. Then there are the gals who have more shoes than I have hair on my head.  I am currently owner of a single pair of heels...yes, just one boring black pair that you will shortly see below.  Lastly, there are those ladies that layer like six shirts in such an epic way that we all step back and say, "wow, that is not practical in any way but they look so chic," and we want to look just like them.  hahaha

The truth is that as much as I like fashion, I am not a fashion savvy gal.  Most of what I wear is straight up copied from somewhere and as for accessorizing?? Fuggeddaboutit! I will say that earrings are my favorite accessory for some reason but, choosing which ones to wear with different outfits doesn't come easily to me.  I end up resorting to my silver diamond-studded hoops like 80% of the time.  I also have a couple of bracelets that I wear regularly and a few necklaces that I throw on if I feel like my outfit desperately needs a little more umph.

 

Anyhoo, I digress, I have my backdrop/studio set up this week and I wanted to get as much use out of it as possible.  I got the idea to do a "one shirt 3 ways average-mom style" feature...though technically I wore it 4 ways.  I had to use the basic pieces that I already had in my closet and I had to figure it out quickly because I had a mere 30 minutes until my kiddo woke up from her nap.  I probably would have come up with different outfits if I had more time and had planned this in advance but, it was a wild hair idea and I ran with it.

I thought it would be most realistic if I shared what I wear most mornings and weekends...oh and nights.  If I don't squeeze in a shower first thing in the morning, I often get stuck in the jammy outfit until nap time.  When I get stuck in this outfit I find that I am much less motivated to get anything done in the morning. I don't want to go out to the park or run errands and I don't even feel as awake.  I can gulp down two cups of coffee but, it makes no difference...this mom outfit is fabulously comfortable and fabulously demotivating at the same time.  It is real life.  For me that is.  

On better days when I get my " I'm not a morning person," butt out of bed and shower before my early rising child wakes up, I might wear something like this.  Scarfs annoy my neck so I don't wear them often but, they sure add a nice pop to a simple outfit. 

I'm really trying to limit my phone time these days because, I don't want my daughter to remember only that my eyes were always glued to a tiny screen in my hand.  I want her to remember my eyes and my heart, giving her my full attention more often than not.  

On the other hand, I thought it would be fun to exaggerate mom life in these pictures.  Step one: enjoying a quiet moment with my iPhone.  Step two: kids are screaming, throwing things and fighting over absolutely nothing...mommy time is over and mommy is not happy.  Step three: mommy has a tiny melt down and wonders why she ever wanted to have children.  Yes, this is mom life too.  hahahaha...though I am not remotely that intense. I promise!

When I have to go to an appointment or when I am going to church on Sunday etc. I try to take my normal mom outfit and add just a pinch of flair...it's a challenge lemme tell yah.  I do enjoy the occasional chance to dress a little less mom like and since my hubby is home on the weekend it gives me a tiny bit more time to get ready.  See below: This is as good as layering gets with me...two layers and I don't have a clue what to do with them but, the colors match so BAM.  I also threw on a skinny little belt that is almost completely invisible but, I feel stylish because it is there nonetheless.  Boots are also an easy way to add a little flair to a regular outfit.  I wish I owned lots of boots but, I only own two pairs...I'm working on changing that! I should have put a long necklace on with this outfit and I'm annoyed that you can't even see my hoop earrings.  Sigh.  Still, you get the idea. 

I like that the zippers on the back of my boots matches the blue of my shirt.  Bonus points:).

Lastly, I wore my blue shirt with a short, striped skirt that I have worn all of 1 time since I bought it almost a year ago. I wore it on a hot date with my hubby to the movies.  The end. 

 This skirt requires the weather to be warm and requires me to be temporarily childless because, I cannot...or should I say, I will not bend in this skirt. I don't like wearing things that limit my mobility and I don't like being uncomfortable...this skirt poses numerous problems for me. So, I call it my, "weeeeee arrrreee never ever, going to go steady," skirt.  I added a chunky necklace that used to be my Gram's so it is sentimental to me, along with her broken skinny watch.  I added a funky turquoise ring and I wore my only pair of heels...for this picture.  I can barely walk in them...seriously.  In spite of the fact that this outfit is in no way functional and I might only wear it once a year, it did feel good to put something extra girly on for about two minutes.  I was pretty proud of myself for finding 4 rather simple ways to wear one royal blue, cotton shirt.  Four outfits ranging from frumpy jammies to a nice date night out.  This is mom life.  Whew. That was a fun...might even try it again someday!

  Don't judge my legs...they haven't seen the sun since the summer of 2012.  :)

Sequined Skirts Are A Little Girl's Delight

Joey and I went to the mall tonight to get a bite to eat, pass some time and let Daisy run around. She was on cloud nine walking around in the mall like a big girl and going in and out of the stores with her Daddy and Mommy. While in The Children's Place we had one particularly priceless parent moment.  As Daisy was walking around in the store she happened upon a little sequined black skirt on one of the lower wracks all by herself and she was mesmerized.   Joey and I still weren't thinking much of it but, as we watched our precious little girl sway back and forth with her new treasure pinned against her waist we heard her say, "oooooooo purrrrdeeeeee," and we bust up laughing and smiled so big our faces hurt.  She pointed to the ground and asked us to sit down so we could oo and aaa over her new skirt so we did just that...and weird as it might have looked to everyone around us, we had the sweetest 5 minutes together as a family.  A couple of times Daisy held the skirt up to Joey and said, "Daddy like."  Oh man, we were both a big mess of sloppy parental mush (and yes I just made that up so it probably only sounds right to me lol). And while she was still holding the black sequined skirt she reached over and grabbed some sparkly silver shoes...man she isn't even 2 yet and she already has more fashion sense than her momma! hahahaha  It really was a memory that I know Joey and I will always treasure.

And while I am on the subject of little girls and cute things they can wear....man, little girls are fun to shop for!

Source: shop.nordstrom.com via Casey on Pinterest

Step Out, A Cute Baby and AWESOME Felt Boards - (oh yes, random)

I love pinning cute outfits on Pinterest and pulling ideas from much more fashionable people than myself.  I really do love fashion but, I think due to my very restricted budget, I tend to avoid shopping and looking at clothes and accessories online too much so that I don't get bummed out about all the things that I want and cannot have.  I'm sure a lot of you can relate:).  If you ever hear that Forever 21 or perhaps Express is giving away all of their clothes could you let me know, please.  Thanks! lol  Anyhoo, here is my Step Out attire for church this morning.  We attend a very casual church as you can tell:).

White Blouse: Aeropostle (last year)

 Jeans: Marshalls

Sweater: Marshalls

Shoes: Target (clearance..woot woot!)

necklace:  no clue....had it forever. 

Belt: Aeropostle (last Christmas) love cute belts!

Would love to have had some cute turquoise bracelets and maybe some fake diamond studded hoop earrings to add to this ensemble.  And our tall wall molding makes me look short doesn't it?  I promise you that I am not but, I think I am actually relishing a moment of looking shorter.  Maybe then I could wear stiletto heels! ha!

This is my friend Diana's new baby girl that I photographed as a newborn.  Now she is about 7 weeks old and isn't she just breath taking and beautiful!  I can't keep my hands off of her when she visits...and when I am not holding her I am usually photographing her.  Lucky me, I got to see her twice this week. hehe.  She is just so precious that I had to share her sweetness with you all and give you a baby fix (if you needed one):-).

A few weeks back I entered a blog giveaway that Amber from Click, Love, Pray was hosting.  Let me just say that I pretty much never win anything...ever and I never enter anything expecting to win, just for fun.  This particular giveaway really caught my eye though because the winner would receive 3 Learning Fun with Felt Board SETS.  I loved playing with paper dolls and flannels as a kid and to this day I still have such fond memories of the things I learned and created.  I've been desperate for new activities to do with Daisy lately.  We color, play with play-doh, do alphabet and number puzzles, put shapes in a shape box and go on walks every day.  I'm not gonna lie...I sometimes struggle with mommy boredom from doing the same activities day after day after day and hour after hour and I think Daisy does too.  She is a smart cookie and she likes to be challenged with new activities so these felt boards couldn't have been more of a blessing or more timely!  I LOVE THEM...really, I think I love them so much that I could shut the door of my room and play with them by myself and create a farm or a beach scene and have a blast!  Check out Betty Lukens felt boards here!! They are SOOOO FUN and in case you are wondering since I am starting to sound like an infomercial...I am advertising on my own accord simply because I am so thrilled with this fantastic little activity that I get to do with Daisy.  Fun for mommy and baby:). 

Even the bags that the felt boards come are cool...seriously, what a score huh!!  Daisy thinks so:).  And no, she doesn't dress like that in public but, in our house what you see here is high quality fashion at it's finest (to Daisy)! lol

I Love Deals

Well, to be fair not much of what I am wearing below is what I would consider a deal but, what my hubby is wearing is!!  Scroll down to see what I mean:)  I was so proud of that score and now I am kicking myself for not buying the entire wrack of shirts for my him!

I have only worn this dress a couple of times and I've never really cared for it much.  So, I decided to change it up a little by cutting one of my belts that was ridiculously long and turning it into a midriff belt to add a nice punch of brown to this blah, black dress.  I was really happy with the way the belt added more interest and I might even wear this more often.  I am SO not ever up to speed with fashion.  I simply cannot afford to stay hip, but recycling what I already have is quite fun and it saves money! Do you ever try to discover new ways to wear old things?

I probably should have put some shoes on before taking these pictures but, I gotta be honest...I'm a barefoot kinda gal:)

My hubby is a good sport.  He was willing to stand against the wall so I could take his picture becuzz I got his shirt for $5!! Actually, I got two shirts for him and each were only $5!! How fantastic of a score is that!!  Rue 21 is a great store for deals!  Honey, you are too stinkin' sexy!

Steppin' Out

I am so bored of all of my skirts and dresses and I don't have very many to begin with.  I've never been very comfortable in them so I never like to spend money on them only to have them hang in my closet unworn.  This past Memorial weekend however; I wanted to dress it up a little for fun and now on a single family income I have to get creative!  I took my favorite green skirt (my favorite color!) and wore it as a high waist skirt instead of the hipster that it is intended to be.  I wore it with my old old old black and white polka dot shirt.  The heels are kind of old school with the round toe and short heel and the whole outfit together felt almost vintage which I loved!  I actually remind myself a little bit of Rachel from Glee here...not in my physical appearance (clearly!), just the short skirt with the high waist.  lol Do you see it??

(now bear with me as I go off on a rambling tangent)

There are things about my body that I don't love.  I know, I know...think what you will but, I know we all have those things.  I won't bore you with mine, well, really I don't want to tell you and then have you look at the picture below and agree or disagree with me! hahaha.  But, the one thing that constantly gives me confidence to step out is the knowledge that I am only young once.  The body that I have now, that I constantly critique is only getting older by the day.  I am finally at a place in my life where I realize I have to embrace all of me.  I need to embrace my youth and my body.  There is a certain peace that comes with age and I like it.  Contentment.  I would like to add that I try to avoid scales, mirrors and magazines and certain TV shows.  Not all the time of course as that would be impossible but, I keep those things to a minimum.  The way I see it...if those things are not helping my confidence then they are hurting me and ultimately they are toxic influences in my life.  I want to keep things around that build me up not that tear my esteem down.  I totally realize each person is different and perhaps some people have no insecurities whatsoever....could you please leave me a comment if this is you and tell me what your secret is???  But...for the rest of us both men and women it is important to embrace who we are.  Discover your gifts and use them.  Highlight your features that you love.  Look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself that you are perfect just the way you are because God makes no mistakes.  For every lie you hear in your head about who you are, speak 5 truths to counteract them.  Sorry, this is the psychologist in me!  Just wanted to encourage all my beautiful friends out there.  You are ALL beautiful, just the way you are! xoxo

And lastly...I just watched Toddlers and Tiaras on my Netflix account simply out of curiosity.  I wanted to cry more than once while watching this show.  Please don't think I am judging and if any of you have entered your child in a pageant I do not think less of you as some of the moms are really sweet and down to earth but, some of them are just downright sad.  How could a mom force her two year old, who is dying to take a nap to power through a full day of performing.  She is screaming and miserable and being dragged on stage.  All she wanted to do was crawl into her stroller and sleep. I wanted to go hold her and tell her it was okay and that she didn't have to do any silly competitions.  Just be a little girl little one.  No make up, no fake hair or tans; just soak up your childhood and innocence...but, alas it isn't my call to make.  What are your thoughts on subjecting a child to pageants when they are clearly not in to it?

skirt: Old Navy two years ago

Shirt: Don't even remember it has been like 6 years but, I think Ross

Shoes: Target several years ago

Bracelet: Um, sorry too long to remember

Necklace...ummm, shoot I have no idea. ARG. sorry.

Monday Mash Up

I always get to the point where I have a bunch of random pictures and updates and there simply is no way to do a single post for each silly little thing so today is my mash up day again! haha First in the mash up is a step out picture.  I haven't done one in ages and as I looked through my past step out pics I was ALWAYS in pants so I realized it was time to dress up a bit.  This was what I wore to church two Sundays ago.  I love how comfortable and chic this dress is (got it at Nordstroms on their clearance wrack) and because my legs are still deathly white, I love that comfy leggings are a perfect solution for that! I don't like wearing dresses because I have a one year old and need to be able to bend over and run around without yah know....flashing anyone but, every now and then it feels good to dress girly!!

                                                  Dress: Nordstroms
                                                 Leggings: Christmas gift from Express (thanks sissy)
                                                 Shoes: I think Target
                                                 Jewelry: Rue 21
                                                 Fake smile: 100% ah naturallll

 Second in the mash up are two sneak peaks from my engagement session last weekend.  I have SO many pictures that I love and in fact am waiting to post my favorites until the end when they are all done.  Don't want to give away the best till last but, these were adorable too! I know Christina from my church and she also asked me to shoot her bridals and her wedding in August.  It'll be my first wedding so it's a big deal and I am so thankful that she his taking a chance on me!  This couple is seriously the sweetest bunch of love ever.
They did whatever I asked and giggled and laughed the whole time. Love them!

  And last but, certainly not least we got a special visit from my Great Aunt Jane and my cousin Lindsey last weekend.  Jane is my mom's Dad's sister.  Did you follow that?  She lives in Georgia but, I haven't seen her in years and years.  My Grandpa (her brother) passed away several years ago now and it was so special to see Jane because I see so much of my Grandpa in her eyes and face.  Miss him.  Lindsey actually lives locally and yet we have never met up before so it was a treat to see her after all these years as well.  Daisy LOVED Jane's cell phone and loved the lights and beeps.  I think she turned it on and off a few times to.  I am thankful that Jane didn't mind as phones are D's favorite thing right now...especially if they are real! Thanks for stopping by you two!  Love Daisy's pretty dark eyes in the second pic.  She is growing up SO fast!!

Wear It

First, I want to thank all of you who left such sweet comments in response to my first vlog! I really appreciate the encouragement and kindness! I'm blessed to have such awesome blog buddies! xo

I think I have multiple fashion personalities because my style is all over the map. Just depends on what I'm feeling like on a given day I guess! haha

Shirt: TJ Max
Earrings: WalMart
Belt: Hand me down
Pants: PacSun Clearance
Shoes: Payless Shoe Source

Love loafers/moccasins I used to have them in brown and warm pink. They are just SO comfy and casual and yet classy in my opinion. I want to find some more!

And another reminder: Come back and visit tomorrow so you can link up with your Momma In Focus picture or pictures! Tomorrow is a freebie day so post whatever pictures you would like with your kiddos! Hope you can challenge yourself to get a picture once a week with your darlings! You won't regret it!! I am going to give you all a prompt for next week's challenge so stay tuned!!

Project 31 - Day 22 and Day 23

Meet Momma Monroe or better yet Shirley Temple! You too can achieve this look with the lovely help of sponge curlers! lol. I envisioned long beautiful ringlets and instead got insanely bouncy curls that were uber short. I figured I might as well dress the part! Kinda fun. Broadway perhaps? lol

I am veering away from the given question for day 22 only because truth be told I am not exactly sure how to answer the question.

So my Day 22 Question is: What am I doing right now?

At this very moment I am blogging, sitting in my jammies on the couch, listening to my mini Dachshund crunching on her kibbles and all while watching American Idol. Karen Rodriguez just sang it it was UH-MAZING. She seems so genuine and comfortable not to mention beautiful, sweet and a what a great voice she has! I loved her. Did any of you watch her sing tonight? If so, what did you think? I started watching late so I haven't seen all of the singers but, she has been my favorite so far. I've never had cable so I really never followed American Idol and honestly it's no big deal if I miss a week but, it's fun to watch when I am home. I wish I could sing like that. Seriously, I can sing..but, NOTHING like that. lol It would be so fun to belt out a tune and hit crazy notes without shattering my bathroom window. hehe. Oh, and did I mention that I made some delicious brownies and am eating a couple with a nice cold glass of milk too! Good night for me not so good for my baby. Daisy had a 101.5 temperature when I laid her down for bed. She was tired and groggy and flushed. I gave her tylenol before I put her to sleep and when I felt her forehead a few minutes ago it felt cooler. Doctor visit for Daisy tomorrow. Poor boo boo.

Day 23 - What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?

I am well aware of both my strengths and my weaknesses in my head but, putting them out there in a blog post is not an easy thing to do. I'll give this a go though. My weaknesses are my need for things to be scheduled all the time. I don't like things that get thrown at me without time to prepare or plan on them. I don't like last minute changes to a big plan. It stresses me out and can even make me angry at times. Sometimes I surprise myself and I am flexible but, I wish I was always flexible and I admire people who are! Another weakness is that I struggle with insecurities and I think they hold me back at times. I have overcome SO much but, this is still a work in progress. I don't like doubting myself or the gifts God has given me and I don't like feeling inadequate next to other people when we are all cherished by the King! I have a borderline phobia of public speaking. It terrifies me to be in front of people whether on a stage, in a small group, on camera, etc. I have been working to overcome this for years. Baby steps! lol

I think a strength of mine is that I am pretty even keeled and patient. I don't respond in anger very often (which has been a big asset in my marriage) and I try to process things quietly before responding so I communicate my thoughts as lovingly as possible even when I am frustrated. Mom, is this true about me? lol I love to encourage people. If I see someone struggling with confidence, feeling down, sick or whatever it is my hearts desire build them up with Godly counsel and support. Oddly enough I am not always great about encouraging myself..oh wait, that should have gone under my weaknesses, haha.

So yah, how bout we leave it at this for now:-)

Day 4 - Picture in a Favorite Outfit and Other Things

“You don't love a woman because she is beautiful, but she is beautiful because you love her”

I don't have a favorite outfit or a favorite anything for that matter. I tend to like different things depending on my mood or the weather. lol. I am very much a casual person. I would say my black yoga pants, Uggs and a comfy sweater would be high up there on my favorite outfit list but, those things are in the laundry because I wear them so often. hehe. So, my next favorite thing to wear is something that is both comfortable and yet makes me feel feminine and pretty. As a mom I have very little time for hair, makeup or outfits that take too much thought. This is easy to pull on, easy to chase a baby around in and yet nice enough to go out and run errands in and feel somewhat classy. Thanks to my hubby for patiently watching Daisy while I got ready and for taking this picture!

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Daisy and Daddy playing on the swing set in our church nursery while I took some pictures for a friend whose daughter is turning one soon.
Gotta love Wal-Mart for an affordable and yet somewhat stylish storage solution for baby toys!!

Yeah! They only look that organized for the picture!

Joey scoping out some crown molding at Lowe's. We are really excited about starting our dining room molding in the spring!

mommy and Daisy hanging out while Daddy checks things out

Ever since the CIO episodes with Daisy at nap time I have noticed an improvement in her nightly sleeping routine. She never slept through the night prior to this but, since she has slept through the night (which for her is 7ish until 5AM) a good 6 or 7 times now. My body doesn't even know how to handle the extra sleep it is getting. I generally go into Daisy's room and give her pacifier back to her and lay her back down (as she is always standing up in her crib at 5 AM) and she goes back to sleep for another hour or so. It is brutal how early Daisy likes to wake up...brutal, but for now I am praising God for the fact that she is sleeping almost 10 hours without waking...not every night but, most nights lately. Baby steps right!

Daisy always holds onto something to keep her balance when she is standing but, just in the past couple of days she is letting go when she gets to a standing position. She wobbles and usually catches herself before falling but, it is really neat to see that she is already exploring her limits. I think walking is a good couple of months of yet but, maybe not. Who knows!

Daisy is clearly saying mama and dada now. She often will say it on cue if she is in a good mood. She imitated Joey several times today and it was the coolest thing ever to hear her understand and repeat after him. It is awesome to hear her holler for us...annoying too sometimes but, mostly awesome! haha

Daisy has begun to do a silly little dance when she hears music. She waves her hands above her head and shakes them back and forth. It is darling! Hmmmm, I really need to get a video of all of these new things!

Okay, that's all for now!