We got our kicks!

Ok, I know it's a cheesy title but after a week of vacationing in Williams, Arizona, it fits. Williams is a super cute, quaint little town in Northern Arizona. Route 66 runs right through the center of town and is surrounded by tacky tourist shops, local artisan boutiques, coffee shops, and a handful of yummy restaurants. My SIL's family has few cabins up in the mountain just above the town and they are gracious enough to let us stay there each year.

While we were there we managed to do a lot of hiking and exploring.

We hung out with the locals.

We fed some deer

Who were ridiculously smart.

We got a shiner from our little brother.

We tried and tried to get the boys to smile for the camera to no avail.

We dropped our plastic cow in the wolf pup exhibit which resulted in a serious meltdown.

But most importantly, we had a great time together without our usual daily distractions.

Flyin' the coop!

We are flyin' the coop and heading up north to beat the heat. We'll be back next weekend with lots of photos and stories to share.

The Understated Mad Hatter

When I was asked to style the lone boy in Laura Winslow's Alice in Wonderland inspired photo shoot, I was all over it! I wanted him to fit right in with all of the girls but not be overly costumey.

 

I spent a couple of weeks researching different ideas and finally came up with this little ensemble featured above. I made the hat from a great tutorial that you can find here - it was a little intimidating at first but it really came together. I made the bow tie following instructions from Ruffles and Stuff's tutorial here. The bow tie was super easy to make and turned out really cute. I'm just sorry it took me so long to discover Ruffles and Stuff as Disney is no longer blogging. And the mustache tee is a tee that I have listed in my shop. If you'd like to try and make your own mustache tee, check out my tutorial here. 

Isn't this little model the best? He was such a trooper and totally rocked it! If you haven't already, you have to pop over to Laura's blog and see the whole shoot. The pictures are absolutely incredible!

Halloween Already?

My 3 year old has been talking non-stop about Halloween lately which I think was triggered by a recent trip to Hobby Lobby. They have all of their fall and Christmas decor out. During checkout, he insisted that we needed rush home and hang up our Christmas lights.

When Finley was 10 months old, I couldn't resist the low price and cuteness of those puffy costumes at Old Navy so he was a little monkey. The following year Oliver joined us and I decided they would be a gnome and a mushroom. Finley refused to wear the beard so my husband stuck a little piece of white fluff into the side of his hat instead. I have no idea where the flag came from.

Last year I wanted to make them luchador costumes but I totally ran out of time. At the last minute, I picked up a puppy dog costume for Finley (that's the only choice you get the day before Halloween) and put together a viking costumer for Oliver with stuff we had around the house. Not the most original costumes but they still looked cute.

I love Halloween. It is my favorite holiday. I have loved dressing up my babies for the past few years and dictating what they would be. I knew the time would soon come when they would decide for themselves what they would be and that time is now upon me. Both of them are insistent on what they will be this year and no matter how hard I've tried, I can't change their minds. Those of you who know my kids in real life will not be surprised at their choices. If any of you have ideas of how to turn these into costumes, please let me know. Good thing we're getting an early start this year.

Finley's Costume:

Oliver's Costume:

My husband and I are pretty crafty but I'm not sure we're *that* crafty...

Sneak Peek of the Alice in Wonderland Photo Shoot

The big Alice in Wonderland inspired photo shoot was this past weekend and at the risk of sounding super cheesy, it really was magical. The tablescape by TomKat Studio was amazing, the location was breathtaking, the little models were adorable and ridiculously patient, and the clothing was gorgeous. Being a mom of two boys, it was so fun to be surrounded by all things girlie and feminine. Here are a few sneak peeks from Laura Winslow at Laura Winslow Photography.

Flowers by Zuzu's Petals

Tablescape by Kim of the TomKat Studio

Hair blooms by Dolce Vita Mia, tutus by Tiny Belles Boutique, and tanks by me.

Be sure to pop in to Laura's blog to see more photos from the shoot soon.

Look what I found this morning!

 

Our first egg!

I am a proud chicken mama today!

Upcoming photo shoot

I have been super busy preparing for a photo shoot next weekend that I mentioned a while back. It's going to be a gorgeous, creative shoot styled and shot by Laura of Laura Winslow Photography, Kim of The TomKat Studio, and Mia of Dolce Vita Mia.

There is going to be a ton of fabulous clothing featured from some of my favorite designers. Here is a small sample of work from a few of the amazing shops that are involved.

Sweet Plume 

Little Mave

Lillipops Designs

How gorgeous is this clothing? I am so honored to be contributing to this effort with such talented designers. I am responsible for styling the lone boy in the shoot and will be making some brand new tanks for the girls. Stay tuned... details and photos from the shoot will be up later this month.

A watched pot...

Photograph courtesy of www.marthastewart.com

Well, the girls are 20 weeks old today. I blogged about my anticipation of their fresh eggs here and my sister kindly reminded me that a watched pot never boils. So I'm giving the girls a break. They'll give us the freshies when they're good and ready. Hopefully it won't be too much longer.

Pirate Matryoshka from Lil Blue Boo {Tutorial}

How ridiculously cute is this little pirate matryoshka doll from Lil Blue Boo?

Head on over to her blog for a tutorial on how to make this little pirate and transfer it on to the garment of your choice. This is my favorite kind of tutorial - the kind that anyone can do. Easy peasy.

I am so going to transfer this little guy on to a pair of matching onesies for my brand.spanking.new.arriving.this.fall.twin.nephews! And of course my boys will need this on a tee. The possibilities are endless.

If you haven't checked out the Lil Blue Boo blog before, be sure to do so. It is chock full of fun and creative ideas for novice to not so novice crafters. Trust me, you'll be hooked.