Tea & Brie

7/30

The girl's Aunt got Thaya a bubble machine back in April for her 2nd birthday.  It has to be the girl's all time favorite gift.  They love this thing.  No matter where I hide it (because, really... bubbles don't come cheap and if I ran this thing as much as they'd want me too I would be broke from bubbles and batteries, lol), they find it.  Really.  Don't believe me?  I'm inviting you over to try to hide it from them and see how long it takes for them to discover it again...

6/30 Outside play

I'm behind. I don't care. I'm a busy woman with two sick kids.  Hey, I never said it would be 30 consequtive days!

October Greeblepix

I'm thrilled to announce that I'm a finalist for the October Greeblepix contest!  I would be honored if you would point your browsers to the October Greeblepix Post and vote for Icing :)  Voting ends today, so just click on over now... it only takes a second (no registering or anything!)

5/30

Sometimes they take lunch so seriously.  I think it is more because by this time they are ready for nap. They want to pack it in, get it over and done, and head off to bed.

3/30, 4/30, and Best Shot Monday

Best Shot Monday - every day I feel like the girls are interacting more and more (for better and for worse...)

3/30 The weather turned cold on us, so I quickly knit the girls some hats.  I have a little yarn left, if I can find an easy and quick pattern I'll make some mittens too

4/40 - It's Monday. Can totally understand the attitude.

3/30

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Perfect to me... this is just *so* Brie and really just sums up our days together.  Well, ok... I admit if Thaya was jumping up and down on the table in the background it would be a more accurate depiction :P

2/30

When I told her it was time to frost the cupcakes, she dropped what she was doing and sprinted over.  Apparently "frosting the cupcakes" means something entirely different to a 2 year old.

I managed to get her to drop the fork before the frosting made it to her mouth (man, that sugar high would have taken days to come down from), and get it on the cupcakes instead.

If you haven't heard of Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World you are missing out.  If there is one cupcake book that you buy, THIS should be it.  It makes, by far, the best cupcakes I've ever had. In my life.

Boo - Halloween Craft

These are easy and quick to make, and the kids love them!  They aren't so spooky, but still add some halloween fun to the house...

All you do is this:

1) get your supplies - white tempra paint, a little bit of black tempra paint (though a black marker works in a pinch), a paint brush OR a shallow pan (i use disposable pie tins sometimes), black construction paper, scissors

2) Lay out your black construction paper, and pour out a little bit of white paint.

3) Strip your kids down to diapers or at least take off their socks and roll up their pants :)

4) Either paint a thin layer of paint onto the bottom of their feet or let them "step" into a shallow pan of white paint (depends on how messy you want to get. I have a big plastic table cloth that I lay down, but I'm still probably going to paint the bottom of their feet). Do this one foot at a time.

5) Press the foot onto the black construction paper. Repeat for the other foot :)

6) Let the foot print dry. Cut out the print, leaving about a 1/4 in black boarder around the print.

7) flip the print so the heel is at the top and the toes are at the bottom. Put a dab of black paint on their thumb and press it down to make two eyes and an "O" shaped mouth. If you are in a pinch just draw it on with marker.

8) hang your cutie patootie foot prints up and smile!

Happy Halloween :D

I Picked up my Camera

I was diagnosed with Postpartum Depression (PPD) a little over a year ago.  My reaction to the diagnosis was mixed.  At that point in my life, I was completely numb to everything that was going on around me, detached from my little girls, my husband, my friends.  I guess I could say I was relieved by the news, slightly comforted by the fact that I had an excuse for how I was acting.  The depression wasn’t me; it was something that was happening to me.

Unfortunately, all that came with the diagnosis was a bottle of little blue pills and a handful of books.  I needed help, and I thought I had asked for it.  I couldn’t find support groups or therapists because I would have a panic attack just thinking about having to pick up the phone.  The “what ifs” were incessant, and I was drowning in them.  I had to completely depend on the help of those around me, primarily my husband who truly became my knight-in-shining-armor.  Not only was I numb, detached, and anxious, I felt that I had absolutely no control over what was happening to me.  I would try to talk to myself rationally, convince myself I’d be ok, but emotionally I was consumed.  I felt like my life had stalled.  I kept trying to start it back up again, but something just wasn’t making a connection. 

Slowly, things started to get better, and as they did, I realized that I needed an outlet.  I needed a way to document what was happening, what I was seeing, how I was feeling.  I needed to put myself out there so others could see and understand what was going on in my life.  I picked up my camera and began a 365 day project.  I decided that if I made myself pick up my camera everyday to learn something new about it, or about taking pictures, or about post-processing, then I would be spending less time feeling sorry for myself and I would start a new process of growth.

I failed miserably at my project, only making it 1/3 of the way through, but that was only as far as I needed to go.  Along the way I discovered some pretty amazing people, and they inspired me over and over again, though they may not have even realized it.  Not only that, but I was encouraged to try new things, to set goals, and to take risks.  Most importantly, I found myself surrounded by a community of strong and wise women who brought me back from something dark and scary.  I’m finally at a place, one year later, that I feel I’m on top of things (though we all have our down days).  All it took was working up the nerve to pick up my camera.

What has your camera done for you?

**Cross-posted at Shutter Sisters**

Sharp

I got a new lens :) And... um... it's SHARP!

Be sure to check back tomorrow *wink*.

xo

meg