More Pics...

A friend mine took these at the butterfly farm...

Elle really loved this place..for the first few seconds.

Sam seemed a natural

I'd like to think that she was trying to say "cheese."

After the initial "awe passes, she pretty much goofed off  to past the time...

Both girls had a good time,

but I'm not sure it had  much to do with butterflies :)

A Picture or Twenty

Recently, I had a photographer come by and take a few shots of the family. To my surprise the little one cooperated, and so did the weather. The following is what she came up with...

Makeup

I'm going on forty years old and I don't know how to apply makeup. I'm not saying that I couldn't benefit from wearing it. I'm just saying that I don't wear it. Call it laziness, or lack of femininity or whatever. I don't touch the stuff. It always seemed like more of a hassle than it was worth. As the years have gone by, the idea of learning how just became more overwhelming. Honestly, have you seen the number of things that women are expected to wear,at one time! On my best day, I wear three of them, max! And believe me when I tell you it takes a special event to bring out the trifecta. I'm talking mascara, eyeliner and lip gloss. 

I've heard women express feeling naked without my makeup. I can't relate. I think the closest I come to understanding that feeling is associating it with the way I feel when I miss a morning workout. Truth is I feel "made up" with makeup, like I'm no longer me somehow. Plus, I don't understand all the lingo connected to cosmetics. I'd probably end up with a black eye trying to give myself a "smokey eye." I can still remember my makeup savvy sister's laughter hysteria during an incident where I attempted to pluck my eyebrows. I wish I could say that incident occurred when I was a kid, but that was just a few years ago. I haven't attempted to pluck them since. Pity too, because I have a wicked uni-brow gene. Unfortunately, it's a gene I passed on to both my girls. You'd think I'd be motivated to learn more about cosmetics for their sake. Nope! At this point I'm pretty sure I'm gonna have to hire someone to come in and teach them what most women my age already know.

Some days I do feel like getting old is getting old. I've been seeing a bit more wrinkles with age. I don't want to cover them up. It's not like I won't know that they are still under there. Truth is, I want the benefit of looking like I know how to apply makeup, without the hassle of actually having to learn. It's not just makeup either, I have ZERO beauty secrets! If you have some that you want to share, and that are super EASY, I'd be open to hearing about it/them. My girls would thank you for it I'm sure :)

Mother's Day

It's that time of year again, Mother's Day. I've never made much of it in the past, but with each one that comes and goes I realize two things: how quickly childhood passes, and how blessed I truly am. Among my greatest blessings, my marriage. This Mother's Day finds me especially grateful for my husband. The absolute best thing about being a mom is having this man as father to my children.

Oh, and having my girls, ain't so shabby either ;) Happy Mother's Day ya'll!

Old School Update

My husband (Mr. wonderful, more on that later) has been urging me to go clothes shop for some time. I haven't. He's taken me shopping with no budget in place, turned me loose, and still nothing. Normally, that's an offer I can't refuse. Recently though, I've been busy, uninterested in shopping, and cautious.

   I'm a mom of two, and years removed from my twenties. I don't want clothes that suggest, wild, young or crazy. I want clothes that are comfy. I want the effortless sophistication classic pieces, but I want a modern edge. That's a lot to ask of fabric, and exact the reason I've hesitated to buy. I've spent some time looking at things I used to wear, and what I have now. I've realized that my style, like my hair has not changed much in twenty years. However unlike my hair it doesn't need to. The clothing I once loved, I still do. In fact I still have a skirt I bought when I was seventeen. Yes it still fits,albeit a bit friendlier than it once did, but that's hardly the point. The point is I STILL love that skirt. I still love and miss clothing like it that I let go in the name of updating my wardrobe. Why attempt to fix what's not broken? Usually my clothing policy is, if I love it, and it's modest, I wear it, no matter how old. There was a short time though where I lost sight of that, and accepted the thinking that clothing becomes less fashionable with time. I gave away some real gems during that period. I now think that a nice piece of clothing is never out of fashion. It's the imagination that changes. A great eye, and you can't lose. Rarely is it the clothes, it's more limited imaginations. Plus, I'm a sucker for a fashion challenge. I love taking that thing that no one wants, the outdated, the strange, and making it look blazing! That said I've been pursuing my "first loves" clothing wise. That's hard to do, because I've loved elements from the last nine decades! I especially love the 70's, and 80's. I didn't get to rock them like I wanted. I was too young, too broke, too whatever! The good news is, it's not to late. I decided that I'm getting my old wardrobe back, and then some. All the things I used to love, and still do, I'm going to buy them, no matter HOW "out of fashion." Yes, I'll get some new pieces too. I actually began this little adventure last weekend, but I've got a great excursion planned for next week (God willing). I'm absolutely giddy about it. I can't wait to see what I find. The pieces I posted here, are pieces I once owned or similar to them. I'm still having nightmares about giving them away. I'm hoping I find at least one of them. Believe me, if I find anything worth sharing,I will!

Sam at her one and only mud run...thus far...

Forward

I hadn't heard this one. My daughter recently shared it with me. It's one of her favorites. I think safe to say it's now one of mine.
"If you can't fly then run. If you can't run, then walk. If you can't walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward." -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.