We adore you!

Celebrating her 10th birthday this month. 

Here are 10 things we are loooove about our Lauren:

love. love. loves being outside. doing a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g.

crazy creative. (yup, rocks from our backyard)

can put. food. away. (where does it go?)

silly. silly. silly.

a heart of gold...okay, heart of platinum. 

(a surprise scrambled egg breakfast-in-bed for me one morning)

adventurous.

brave.

ambitious.

always ready to help and get 'er done.

so in love with her Daddy.

so in love with Polly.

water!!!

I can't tell you how adorable this blondie is. 

I am crazy in love.

I can't wait to see her bloom and blossom more into the lovely person she is becoming...

goodbye school year!

End of the year stuff consists of:

fun field day

sweet friends

ice cream sundaes

a big graduation/continuation to middle school and 6 big awards 

given to to our smart sweetie

(...my baby?! I just took her to Kindergarten! sniff. sniff.)

saying goodbye to the most favorite teacher

family joining in

more friends

saying goodbye but looking forward to new everything

a proud Momma

a precious, precious little lady.

Art Gypsies: May project

This was the coolest and most unexpectedly cool, project we did. Thanks, Becky! 

We took any old or new faux leather item and completely altered them.

Here's how we did it:

Took a plain looking purse. Primed it with white gesso. Let that dry.

Then we had fun tissue paper choices (that was sprayed with a sealant beforehand so that the ink on the tissue wouldn't bleed) and applied ripped pieces to our item with a gel medium using a paintbrush.

After the gel medium dried, we stamped, used sharpie pens, painted with acrylic paint.

It was amazing how everything turned out- by just using tissue paper and paint!

This was just an old, plain black leather wallet. The result was: fun and fabulous! The art gel medium (it's kind of like Modge Podge; get it at Michaels) that was used makes it flexible and totally useable. When we were all done, we just sealed it up with another coat and all dried quickly.

Leather bracelet.

Eyeglass case.

mom-day and birth-day!

I get spoiled twice in one week every year. Here is Mama's Day...

(...the girls call me Momma...not Mommy any more, and not quite Mom yet I suppose.)

Started with breakfast in bed. Then the guys went to get the best BBQ here 

(not quite TX good, but close!) and the best homemade mac-n-cheese. 

Presents too? yay!

The girls did "Mama Spa" stations...

nails... foot rub...hair done...

back/shoulder rubs... so sweet.

Lauren painted for me...how did she know that i LOVE pink?:)

Mom's are the best. All kinds- Young. Old. New. Grand.

It's such a treasure to call my Mom my best friend too.

The last year of my thirties this year. Yikes!

It was a delightful birthday. 

A day full of everything I love: doing art, family and great friends.

Here are some of the "Art Gypsies"- they did lunch, presents, flowers, cake.

Then the day ended with a dinner out at my favorite restaurant with family and more prizes.

I. Am. So. Very. Blessed.