Best gift ever..

Remember my blog about my friend, Jillian giving me her coupon code for a free 8x8 hardcover Shutterfly photo book?

Well it's heeeere! And I LOOOOVE it sooo much!! So much, infact I want to make more, soon anyway :)



I have to put a disclaimer, that I CAN NOT take a photo of a photo, so excuse that the focus is off, but TRUST ME, I am not lying, because if I didn't like it I would tell you the truth. It is HIGH resolution quality, it printed JUST like I see the photos I take on my computer screen. I couldn't of asked for a better book! So, as you look at these, just keep in mind that the photos I took of the book are bad, it is GREAT quality in person :) They normally retail for 30 bucks, but there are coupon codes all over the web, retailmenot.com is a good place to look.
(These are all photos I took myself)







I want to make one of Ethan's 1st birthday "smash the cake" session I took.

Sharing some photos from today

Today, while I was being bitter that it's so far into fall (my favorite season) and it's still in the upper 80's here, I snapped a quick photo of my son. From this photo you can't tell in the original he was leaning on my leg as I sat in my usual spot (the mama recliner) and he put on his halloween cowboy hat, because for some reason or another it's his new fav thing to wear.

You can't tell that he was waving his arm bout with my daughter's clear beaded costume jewelry (that looked like something I won't even mention aahhaha). And so I took to the cropping. I am a fan of off centered crops. I am also a fan of upping the color and making things pop. I think I love this photo a ton, because it's random, and it's up close and personal.

And then I took it outside to photograph the bird house in my maples. I bought this on sale at Joann's some time ago, and I am surprised it hasn't rotted from the diverse weather scheme we have had lately over the years.


It's beautiful, and it looks like fall but it doesn't feel like it. Maybe next week..

I had this wonderful idea for the pottery barn hacks I have seen everyone do with the mini pumpkins. I was going to spray paint three, and tie diff ribbons on each, and they were going to sit in this bamboo tray I bought at the dollar store years ago and make a fabulous centerpiece..

Only, two of my pumpkins decided I burned a candle too close to them prior to my idea and they kind of imploded. No lie, they imploded. Inside out, goey and gross. yuck.

I still loved the one I did manage to save



Other then that, I finaaaally ordered the kids fall photos off snapfish. I can't wait to get them, even if by the time I recieve them it will be late for family, that's why I chose to do some UN costume like this time:


&


Works for me, they can stay right up right on through Thanksgiving until Christmas time when I'll need to do more anyway.

And my thoughts on that? Well, do any of you watch AMC's Mad Men??
I am in love with the 60's fashion and have all intentions of doing the kids a Mad Men inspired children's Christmas photo session. Gosh, I really am addicted to Mad Men. I didn't discover it until July of this year when I was at my sister's in Cali allll alone in her apartment while she was in the hospital and I was chanel surfing (not familiar with the out of state chanels) something on AMC grabbed my attention and kept it. YES, me, short attention span as all get out. It whisped me in and held me. I thought it was a movie at first, I was beyond captivated. Then some minutes later I realized it was a tv series marathon. It was parts of season one and most of two, and when I got home season 4 had started soon after.

It was THAT good a show that I didn't care I missed all of the previous seasons, I jumped right into 4 and fell in love again.

Now that seaon 4 is sadly over (crrrrries) Doug has ordered me season 1 - through on netflix. I am going to have a fantastic time catching up;) it's like watching prequels. hehe.

But back on the topic of photos, my gorgeous friend, Jillian gave me a code for a free shutterfly photo book. Normally I am too cheap to spend the 30+s&h & taxes on just myself so I was tickled pink she gave me her code and let me have it:D when all was said and done it only cost me under 9 bucks for s&h. I can't wait to get it, and it will arrive before my birthday.

Seriously, I always say I am unlucky, but this girl just made my entire day/week/month :D I am so ecstatic!!! <3 I rarely do prints for myself but this time I get a whole nice hardcover book. YAY!! Jillian, you are THE BEST :D

Thank GOD for Ebay!

My daughter is in rec. cheerleading this year. It's her first year doing anything extracuricular. We really had no idea the uniforms would cost over 100 bucks, and with times being tight we really didn't have the money. SO, I took off to hunt on Ebay for the uniform when I learned the cheerleading squard is actually a well known organization across the US.

And with that I found the uniform on Ebay, it was larger then her actual size, but I figured if I could win this I'll be saving money and she can reuse it next year.

THANKFULLY at the last minute when my high bid was out bid, I typed as fast as I could and put in my max bid and as the countdown went to the VERY last second LITERALLY I punched it in and WON!! THANK YOU LORRRRD!!


Now, I only have to buy the black body suit, but the skirt, vest and bloomer alone would of been over 60 bucks based on our price list we were given. I won it for 30 bucks!! THANK YOU WHOEVER LISTED THIS!! Not only that, the sizes ran SMALL so thank GOD it WAS a big size and I went with it and got it anyway :) the vest is a little loose but the skirt is a perfect fit. Now we better sell those raffle tickets and use it towards her bodysuite and pom poms and the showcase in December:)

She loves it:D and so does little brother ;)

DIY Monogramed PAINTED pumpkin for under 3 bucks!

I have been seeing these vinyl kits to decorate pumpkins ALL over etsy and the web, but I am far too frugal to shellout 10-15 bucks for one. LORD NO.

So I do what I do, and I go to Joann and buy two paints for 1.20 a pop and some ribbon. I use a coupon and my total is right under 3 bucks :D

For someone who can't paint I say I did pretty great:)


Incase you're wondering, yes, my last initial starts with an "M" however my kids and their dad's starts with a "W" :)

So anyway, how to do the font? I went online and googled "curlz font" and you know my butt doesn't even have a printer (with ink anyway) so I had to hand sketch this bad boy (yeah, literally, ignore the chicken scratch):


During the paint process:


Adding dots:

Ta daaaaa, (yes, the little pumpkin is for me "M", it's my way of feeling special haha. No, I'm only kidding, it's for my parents).


Throw it in the yard on a random plant stand and you have yourself a cute little pumpkin (but you may want to keep it on a covered porch incase it rains, the paint isn't water proof, I don't think..)

Seriously, THREE BUCKS!! go make one :D

Photographing the Children

Whoever said photographing children together was easy, is crazy. Especially if they are my children. I always seem to get perfect shots of other people's children, but when it comes to my own two..well, let's just say it doesn't always work out how I imagined:

That being said, if you can appreciate the realness of photography, then you can appreciate images like the one above;) My son is a ham, but he is definately not one for staying still for photos. He likes to do his own thing, even if he wants to pout about it. I must say, I could be biased, but I LOVE THIS PHOTO!

Still Prepping for Halloween.

I can not lie, Halloween is my favorite holiday, EVER. I love fall so much my living room is fall colors year round. I secretly pray the summer's will be short, and I crave the leaves to turn from my FAVORITE COLOR green into deep reds, oranges, golds, etc. This year the summer's in NC have been insanely long and the heat has been extended well into October. I am mad at this.

I seriously hate the heat. While most girls are ready to break out the flip flops and short shorts, you will NEVER catch me dead in shorts, EVR. :) For one I am chubby for two I anticipate the fall and the cool crisp breeze. I love nothing more then to not use the a/c, and pop open my windows while burning any fall scented candle.

So above is a photo of MiMi in the cat tutu costume dress I made her. So now MiMi and her cousin ( my neice ) will match, even if they are clear across the US from one another. hehe. And in two days I promise to post the tutorial for this costume. IT's too fun and easy not to share with my few subscribers.

So tell me, friends, what is your favorite part about fall? I DARE YA TO SHARE ;) <3

This & That Halloween Black Cat tutu Dress Costume

I just got done making this adorable black cat tutu dress costume for my neice. I know it looks big, but it's the picture. Remind me and I will post the photo tutorial on how to make this exact costume for under 20 bucks :) If enough people are interested I will blog the how to on this pretty. I just shipped it Thursday and I can't wait to see my baby neice wear it.



I love making tutu's SUPER PUFFY & tutu dresses, they are so easy to make, and SO CHEAP!! You'll get a kick out of doing it yourself also :) Besides, what little girl WOULDN'T LOVEEEE a super puffy tutu dress costume! This black cat tutu dress costume is puuuurrrfect for any little girl! :)

I also made MiMi one, and Ethan? Well, I think he'll be a cowboy (I THINK).