pure desktop magic

Been in the midst of a MAJOR cleanup & overhaul of my laptop, computer, and multiple hard drives… let's just say, not very fun (and seemingly never-ending).  However I'm discovering it does have its rewards!  I am constantly changing my desktop wallpaper to reflect my mood or the season.  And as I was doing some reorganizing, I ran across an old favorite- which of course got my creative juices flowing… and well… welcome to my new desktop!

I got the idea for this little gem a long while back from The CoffeeShop Blog, which resulted in my first attempt at this lovely little desktop, which I admired for a long time (and still do… just needed a little visual update is all)!

My sweet Gracie (aka Beans…) always remains a constant of course!

you're number one in my book!

If I close my eyes, I can still remember a time… filled with brown paper sacks, full of handmade cards and valentine sentiments…  Exchanging cards and yummie sweets with my fellow classmates is a favorite pastime of mine.  So when my sister asked if I could help out my nephew with this year's valentines, I was delighted!  (She's crafty herself!  She makes really pretty things…)  Anyhoo, she passed along the idea to me from Pinterest (linked to this blog)- 

AND here is my version of these really neat bookmarks that he will get to pass out to all his friends this Valentine's Day!  

They are so good, all the adults want one too!!

So which one's your favorite?  Hard to pick just one, I know…

happy reading friends

july photo challenge

Can't believe it's August already… Hope you're all enjoying the last bits of summer!  Here's a fun little photo challenge I did to get my creative juices flowing with the fabulous ladies of fPOE… all Instagram, all iPhone snapshots.

1:: green - 2:: fruit - 3:: stripes

4:: morning - 5:: landscape - 6:: purple - 7:: floral

8:: sweet - 9:: reflection - 10:: sky - 11:: favorite things

12:: 9pm - 13:: soft - 14:: circles - 15:: dark

16:: in the kitchen - 17:: on the road - 18:: heart - 19:: black&white

20:: critters - 21:: pastel - 22:: 11am - 23:: literary

24:: shadows - 25:: doors/windows - 26:: red - 27:: what I wore

28:: symbols - 29:: movie/tv/music - 30:: vintage - 31:: selfie

Surprisingly, this last one was my favorite… selfie included (so not good at those)!!  If I could swap the vinyl for my what I wore, it would be a great "pieces of me" summary… but then again, guess the whole challenge gives insight into the life of me & a few of my favorite things!

on a crisp sunny morning...

I had the pleasure of meeting up with this lovely family
to shoot their photos, just in time for christmas.

here's a few of the memories made on that beautiful day…

joy...

so it's week one of the nelou & laura show… super exciting stuff!

this week's theme is "joy" suggested by one of our lovely readers Domestic Stories with Ivy.  and as you can see, our train of thought was pretty similar here… we're just a little smitten with our babies & the joy they've brought into our lives.  

Laura's handsome baby boy is on the left, 

and my sweet sweet Grace is on the right...

we can't wait to see where we end up & are thrilled you're along for the ride.  

oh, and don't forget to share your input & ideas from week to week… 

up next is "showing restraint" 

be sure to trail along by finding us on facebook or simply following our blogs.

a sandy retreat...

It's no surprise that my hubby's job requires us to be apart alot.  However, I was able to get away with him recently.  We had a few short days together in the Netherlands, and honestly I've never seen so many people on bikes!!  Near our hotel was an interesting find, and I must say Grace loved her first time in the sand… 

so this was our little day at the "beach," minus the water… where we got to kick off our shoes, do a little exploring, & Grace even got to meet a few other pups.  The winds were perfect for kite flying, & although the day started out gray, it turned into a thing of beauty.  It's creating these moments… which I can look upon & cherish during the times that we can't always be together that I find most important.

bittersweet...

The sun is shining and the birdies are chirping, what a wonderful start to the weekend.  The time when people get to take a break from their hectic lives and relax and enjoy their families.  They play outside, snuggle up with a good book, or even take the dog for a walk and meander a little longer than usual.  For me only one thing's missing… another weekend without my hubby.  So I just try to make the most of it.  Whether the distance is far or near, and the time is short or long… I like to remember our walks together.  It's these moments that carry me through and keep me smiling until I can see him again.

ten random things about me:

it seems i have a love-hate relationship with my computer.  there are days it's all i see, and then there are days i refuse to allow myself to even sit down in front of it.  blogging seems so foreign to me, somehow impersonal.  but in this day and age, where it's all the rage, i find myself discovering new things.  finding inspiration.  and in not so sunny germany... well let's just say it's a breath of fresh air to find like-minded people, whether it be in life or in cyberspace.  so how to get this ball rolling??  i suppose i shall start off light with a few minor tidbits about me...  super exciting stuff, i know.  so please try to contain yourself.

one.  my dog is my favorite person
two.  green is my signature color
three.  socks need not match and should always be patterned
four.  i heart photography, graphics, architecture, & design
five.  chairs are a HUGE weakness
six.  i'm often seen with a cup of coffee in hand
seven.  i'm obsessed with flea markets
eight.  i am in love with europe
nine.  random should probably be my middle name, along with procrastination
ten.  i'm def a dot dot dot kind of girl