[the handmade home]

ashley is another one of my idols.

her creativity, charm and wit does not go unnoticed.  i posted about the handmade home months ago right after i found ashley through pinterest.  and i can't go a day without checking in to see what's this woman is up to next!  i swear she's super human.  i don't know when this girl sleeps.  she must have the energy of a five year old, 'cause DANG!  and i need to find out what she slips into her husband's morning juju, because obviously he is motivated too!

and she just announced today that she will be on the nate berkus show!!!  yes!  next tuesday october 4th!

i am so freakin' excited to see my little pen-pal blog friend appear on my television screen!  EEEEKK!

so, now you must check her work!  here is one of my faves.  her living room.

is that mills fab 5 the coolest thing you've ever seen?  do you think she'd let me borrow it?  like forever?

it's fitting...  my family calls me mills :)

okay, see the photo collage above her sofa?  all those family pics are taken with her iPhone via instagram.

she of course has a tutorial on that!  so rad!

now take a looksie at this room. 

 isn't this magical?  her quaint, soft style woos me.  calgon take me away!

learn how to recreate ashley's darling felt mobile here.  and that jenny lind bed... timeless.  more about this room here.

me lovie lotsa.

the nursery?  are you kidding me?  talk about a movie star's daughter's room!  ga-horgeous!  see tour here.

this here is ashley's light and bright beautiful kitchen.  this space is so cheery and welcoming!   

these fanciful curtains had me at YELLOW.  fabulous i tell you, fabulous!  so yummy!

so there is just too much awesomeness to fit in one post... so go check out her whole site.

grab a bag of cookies, hop back in bed if you have a laptop, and spend the whole day reading her blog.

there is so much eye candy, the cookies will be jealous because you won't even need to eat them.

then, you won't need to exercise today!

see, ashley's the bomb diggity! 

it's friday!

finally!

have a great weekend!

if you give amelia a handmade home post, she'll want a diet coke and blanket to go with it.... and once she has a her diet coke and blanket, that will remind her of the television.  and once she turns on that television, she'll be waiting for ashley to be on the NATE STINKIN' BERKUS SHOW!!!  

go ashley!

thanks for letting me feature you! 

xo

[9 monthies]

did i catch a niner in there?  ha ha i totally thought he was 9 months.  not so.  he's eight.  holy cow!  slow down little man!  you're growing too fast!

more of jack's shoot here!

©2011 brightsides, all rights reserved.

[the dirty dash]

it's dirty all right!

here are a few of my favorite images from saturday's dash.  we had blast!

sam and his bff chad dressed up as angry birds along with their super cool adobe team.  

go dirty birds!

here is where olivia gets scooped up by some random runner dude and gets dunked!

i was snapping away and right after i realized she was gonna be thrown in, i froze and had to see it with my bare eyes.  

regretfully i didn't get more pics.  i was laughing too hard :)

she was such a great sport and obviously saw it coming to hurry and plug her nose lol.

i don't think i've ever seen so much mud before!  especially on the shower floor!

until next year...

©2011 brightsides, all rights reserved.

[go buy yourself a shovel]

whilst working in my yard and garden yesterday, digging up weeds, i started laughing to myself as i recalled my darling dad telling us about a recent talk he gave in sacrament meeting a few months ago.  

apparently he told all the youth in his y.s.a. ward to go out and buy themselves a shovel if they didn't have one already.

"everyone needs a shovel." he encouraged.  "get out and work in your yard or your parent's yard for a while.  go get some fresh air... you'll feel better!  some of you may shock your parents.  they'll love it!  or your landlord will be so happy!"    

(this is all reinterpreted, but that was his main point.)  

my dad is amazing.  he is so cute.  he gives everyone shovels, and or hoses, but that's a story for a different post :) 

all his son-in-laws have either received one for their birthday or christmas if they didn't have one already.  i think he even gave one to his brother-in-law too one year.  i love and appreciate his practicality!  

i am so grateful for his incredible example.  he and my mom taught me the importance of work; and that is an invaluable gift i will cherish forever.  i know i groaned and murmured much of the time, but  i learned to enjoy it and appreciate it.  i enjoyed and still enjoy working side by side with my parents just working & talking.  

"Working together gives us the chance to praise our children, to tickle them, to be silly together, and to talk to them about what we really value in life.  It's natural to add in lots of hugs, pats on the back, and kisses when we're working together.  It's also a great time to compliment our children on who they are becoming--we can help them understand how amazing they are."

- September's article: Am I Destined to Live in a Pigsty?  by April Perry for The Power of Moms

there's nothing like sitting back after a good hard day's work and marvel in the result together as a family. 

my latest endeavor as a mother is to try and make work fun for my kids;  to keep it fresh and exciting and most importantly, enjoyable for all of us.  

there are so many awesome tips i've recently discovered, many in april's article, and now's it's time to implement!

if you haven't checked out The Power of Moms, you gotta!  you may have noticed their button over on my right hand column of links.  

but seriously, i am smitten by the wisdom.  ah hah tears happen to be my reoccurring reaction.

deliberate motherhood-so important.

©2011 brightsides, all rights reserved.

[stripes & chandeliers]

you can probably gather from my home that i love-a-love stripes & chandeliers big time; 

so when i came across this ceiling it was love at first sight!  isn't it so regal?  but in a non-stuffy homey kind of way?

i have never seen this been done before... so when my jaw dropped to the basement, i knew i must remember this.

jenn at wanting what i have guest posted on the handmade home a couple weeks ago, and that's where i found her :) 

jenn's blog is the cutest!  you can just tell she is amazing.  at everything.  but real.  and cool.
i just love her taste!
thanks jenn for sharing your home with us!
check out more pictures here and here!

[small and simple things]

sometimes the small and simple things things can be the sweetest!

sabrina plucked these tiny strawberries from our garden yesterday.  

they were little, but they were delicious. 

"We observe vast, sweeping world events; however, we must remember that the purposes of the Lord in our personal lives generally are fulfilled through the small and simple things." 

- Elder M. Russell Ballard, May 1990 Ensign

“By small and simple things are great things brought to pass” (Alma 37:6).

©2011 brightsides, all rights reserved.

[vintage milk glass]

my mother-in-law has a set of these adorable vintage pyrex butterprint milk glass refrigerator dishes with glass lids.  wow!  that was a mouthful!  i've had my eye on them for quite some time now.  i'd like to be the one to inherit them someday.  pretty please?  

[water worshiper]

it wasn't easy waking up this morning.  for all of us.

the crashing sound of water running was just enough to peek jack's interest.

he knows what bath time sounds like and he began fighting with all of his strong little might to join annie this morning for a monumental splash fest.  he let me know he wanted in.

this little mr. is the biggest splasher boy i've ever met!

loves is an understatement for him -

he worships the water and passionately slaps that aqua pura like it deserves punishment.

he gets the biggest kick out of watching those little water droplets move.

he puts up with the little mermaid doll too.  he doesn't mind her too much.  he quite enjoys the company.

this was his first bath with big sis, so he was an extra happy boy today!

go on, splash it like ya just don't care!

BAM!

they liquefy me.

©2011 brightsides, all rights reserved.