the big 3-0!

Yes, yes, today marked a milestone event in my lil' ol' life...my 30th birthday. Holy cow.



In some ways I was dreading this day...just feeling old, and it's weird to be out of my twenties! But at the same time, I am totally ready to embrace my 30's and all that life has to offer. I have been told by many that "30 is the 20" so that is the mantra I'm going with! My 20's were just so full...and in many ways I feel like they defined me as a person and truly made me who I am today. I worked professionally as a dancer, I travelled, I got married, I worked, we became home-owners, I had 3 children...it has been a busy decade! On top of that I feel like my faith and beliefs in the gospel have grown from simply a way of life to my true purpose and meaning in this life. When I think of who I was at 20, and who I am today, I just feel like I have learned so many life lessons.



Life is good.



I have a crazy awesome wonderful man who I am lucky to call my husband. He knows me inside and out, we been through thick and thin, and he loves and supports me no matter what. I love where we are today...just the best of friends, going through this crazy life together. Oh, and he bought me these awesome boots and flowers, too. (thanks, babe!)



I have 3 perfect little angels who I am lucky to call my daughters. They truly are my everything. I can't imagine my life without them...they have taught me what selflessness is, and what and who is important in this life. Couldn't. live. without. them. Actually, it was funny, today Payton asked me, "Mommy, do all girls have to be mommies when they grow up?" I replied, "Well, no sweetie, not all girls have to be mommies, but wouldn't life be boring without'cha?" To that, Payton giggled, but in all seriousness, my daughters have just enriched my life to such a degree...they have taught me so much and brought me so much happiness, I wouldn't trade them for the world.









I just feel like one lucky gal today. Thank you soooooo much to everyone who wished me a Happy Birthday today! I never really think of my birthday as that big of a deal, but I was just so touched by all the phone messages, facebook messages, calls, and people who stopped by today...I just truly feel loved! One lady from church left me a message that had me in giggles and tears, it was so sweet. My BFF's took me for dinner on the weekend, my parents watched my kids tonight so Gray and I could go out, my friend dropped off a fabulous cupcake tonight, I'm going out with my sis tomorrow, my girls have been saying "Happy Birthday" since Friday...so...I have been spoiled. Thank you, thank you, thank you.




So bein' 30? Ah...I suppose it's not that bad. In fact, I plan on making this my best decade yet.




:)

another sneak peek!

I have another sneak peek over at Talia Audenart Photography...my brother-in-law and his little family. They're living in Australia for school right now and we miss them so much!



Enjoy.



T:)

happy birthday...cards

So, you know when it's someone's birthday and you need to give them a card, and you have none in your stash and no time to make one? Well, that's happened to me one time too many, so I cracked down the other day and made a handful of birthday cards. And I have to say...I had so much fun!

I went crazy with my glimmer mists and Heidi Swapp stamps and masks...it was fun to get my hands dirty again (or should I say "glimmery")!

So now, when a birthday comes...I am ready. I've already given a couple away!

Have a happy day!

T:)

wow.

i. want. this.

'nuff said.

:)

a little photo share...

Just a couple pics of this cute little guy! See more from his session here!

:)

DIY earrings

Okay, so a while back I was looking on my friend Jessica's blog, and I came across these cute earrings that she made using cabochons. I know, what the heck are cabochons, right? Well, they're cute little plastic charm/bead thingy's that you can use to make jewellery or embellish with, or whatever. Super cute!



So of course I had to get some and voila...I made all these earrings. All you gotta do is glue them to earring posts bought at the craft store. Super simple!










I just love them, and now I have a pair of earrings to go with every outfit. I got on etsy and just searched "cabochons" and tons of shops came up that sell them. Here are a couple:

MimiLolo

TomorrowsUnknown

Enjoy!



Tal:)

i'll be back

This has been a loooong week.
We've all had the flu, one by one...
It made it's way through each of us, slowly but surely.
I'm tired.
I want to get stuff done, but have no clue where to begin.
My house is a mess.
Hmmm.
So, this is the kind of week it's been for me.
I'll be back when things are lookin' up.

(and I'm hoping that will be really, really soon.)

T:)

obessesed

So every now and then I get obessed with something, and I get an idea in my head and I just have to give in. Yesterday, it was making these headbands. I decided that we needed some new ones so I got out my glue gun and went to town. Sooooo cute!! (And yes, I made alot...but I have 3 girls, plus I can use them as photo props...so it's all good!)

These were so easy to make and cost me nothing other than about $3 that I spent at the dollar store for some of the headbands. Everything else I had on hand. When I use silk flowers bought from the store, I totally take them apart and re-glue and only use the pieces that I want. Easy-peasy.

So then once I got going on all these headbands, I just couldn't stop...so I made this top. I love it!!

I bought this tank for $6 at Superstore and just pinned the flowers on...that way I can take them off when it's time to wash the shirt and there's no risk in wrecking my beautiful flowers in the wash. (hehe) I have another shirt that I'm going to embellish with some more handmade flowers...I can't wait! There's a little how-to here on making your own flowers, and besides that I just kind of experimented and did whatever I wanted to with glue, a needle and thread.

Hope you like!

T:)

impromptu party

So on Monday we had a little "impromptu birthday party" for Payton and her friend that was visiting from out of town, and I was pretty proud with what I was able to come up with if I do say so myself! Besides her friends gift, I managed to do everything from the simple decorations to the treat bags with stuff I had around the house. Add some princess dresses, and suddenly it's a princess party and everyone is happy. It was so much fun, and you know what...for how simple and totally "no frills" it was...the girls had so much fun and had no idea that it was whipped together in no time. Oh, I love having little kids. Not only do I love just how easy to please they can be, but I love the parties and all the things like this simple little afternoon that come with being young. Payton and I had talked about having a birthday party for her at the end of this month with friends, but I'm hoping this will be enough...we'll see!



I have had such good intentions of blogging more regularly and surprise, that hasn't been happening has it? I have lots of ideas and things I want to blog about, but my darn clock just ticks too quickly! I swear...if only I could have 4 or 5 more hours in the day. Wouldn't that be the best?



Anyways, if you haven't been checking, I do have a few more photos on my 365 blog. I am loving taking a photo everyday. It's still not a habit, but we'll get there. Be back soon!



T:)

just wanted to share...

...a few shots from my first high school senior session. This girl is such a beauty!



I have been meaning to blog, but we have a sick little baby at home this week. Two infected ears, coughing, runny nose, fever...she has it all. Gotta love this time of year. I'll be back next week!



T:)

project 365

So you may or may not have noticed my little "Project 365" button in my sidebar over there. I have decided to jump on the photo-a-day bandwagon for 2010. This was something that I wanted to do last year but didn't start in time, and me, being as OCD as I am, I didn't want to start part-way through the year. So I waited. And now it is 2010 and I am ready to take pictures.



For those of you who have no idea what "Project 365" is, it is a concept that was created by Becky Higgins to take a photo every day of the year. You can go here to see the kit that she has offered (this year she is calling it "Project Life") and just to learn more about it general. So how am I going to approach my Project 365? I am going to keep it simple. No kit. No scrapbooking the pictures (just yet). I am simply going to do my best at taking a photo every single day, and post it over on my cute little Project 365 blog. I'll wait until closer to the end of the year to decide on just what I want to DO with all of my photos...hmmmm. Maybe a Shutterfly or iPhoto book? Maybe at some point I'll get Becky's kit? Maybe photo collages of each month? Not quite sure yet. But I'm not worried. For me, the main focus will be on capturing all of the moments that are my family. What we do, where we go, our surroundings, what we eat, our home, ourselves...just all the little things that make us US. I am not going be beat myself up if I miss a day here and there. I'll simply just keep taking the pictures that tell our story. That is what it is all about. Our story.



So please take a look at my Project 365 blog. There are 2 whole pictures for your viewing pleasure! Haha! I'm sure I'll have no rhyme nor reason as to how/when I post my photos as well...sometimes I may be posting everyday, and sometimes I'll probably post in batches. Like I said, just keeping it simple and going with the flow.



Can't wait to see what this year holds for us.



Tal:)

(Oh, and I have a new sneak peek up over on my photography blog!)

happy happy new year

First things first. Happy New Year to everyone out there. Can you believe it is 2010? This past decade has flown by. I spent New Year's Eve 2000 on a boat in Tokyo eating sushi and it was awesome. I had no idea that 10 years later I would be married with 3 kids and just enjoying life as a stay-at-home mama. It was what I always wanted, and to see that things all worked out the way I always dreamed is pretty darn cool.



I had a quiet new year's at home at home and it was perfect. After we got the kiddos to bed Graham played his Tony Hawk PS3 game that I got him for Christmas and I just browsed through all of our family photos from 2009 (see collage above). I was totally caught up in the memories and everything that we did, learned and accomplished this past year. I am super sentimental and emotional and I found myself saying the same old things to myself...I want my kids to stop growing! Time is going by too fast! But you know what? It was a good year and I'm excited for a new one. I love new beginnings and a fresh start, so bring it on.



I have some goals in mind for this new year, but nothing set in stone yet. I plan on finding a few quiet moments this weekend to sit down and really think about what changes I need to make, what things I want to accomplish and what I need to improve on. The list is just too long of all the ways I could improve myself, so I'll have to narrow it down to just a few! But I am excited.



I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Ours was so so good. I just love the magic of Christmas with little kids...they definately brought a spirit with them this year that was irreplaceable. I just love my little family.



I'm excited to get back on the blogging bandwagon for 2010...I'll see you soon!



T:)

merry christmas to you!

Wishing you all a Wonderful and Merry Christmas! Hope that it's spent with friends, family and all those you love. I am excited to have some much needed family time and a whole lotta fun.



See you in the new year!



xo Tal

five

She's 5. Five years old.



How did that happen? Where has the time gone? Have I really been a mom for that long? Holy cow.



Yes, Payton officially turned 5 yesterday. We had a busy, busy day. First we went to school. I stayed and helped in her class for the morning and brought cupcakes for my birthday girl. It was so fun to see how excited Payton was to finally be 5, to be the birthday girl in her class and to have her mama there with her. I love these special times with my girls...the one-on-one, no interruptions from other kids times. After school we went home for the afternoon where she got to open a couple presents, then it was out for dinner with the family. The best part for her was standing on her chair while the waiters and waitresses sang to her...she loved it! Then we went to see "The Princess and the Frog" at the movie theatre...it was a jam-packed day and Payton was just in heaven. It was so nice to spoil her for a day and just have everything be about her. (a little hard for Gabby, though...I ended up going downstairs and pulling a little present from her Christmas stash so she could have something to open, too. It's hard to understand what "July" means when you're 3 and just wanting it to be your birthday, too!)



So, Happy Birthday Payton Isabella! We love you so much and just couldn't live without you!!!




Love, Mommy, Daddy, Gabbs & KK
xoxo

i could just eat this face...

...i really could.



Oh, how this little bug just melts our hearts. She is definitely the queen of our house and loved by all.



We all fight for her attention. Even daddy. We do whatever it takes to make her laugh and smile. Although, it doesn't take very much 'cause she's just so darn happy all the time. Honestly. Right before this picture she fell on her head and Payton had her laughing minutes later. She is the best.



Everyone who sees her always mentions how happy she is and that they've never seen her cry. It's true. She only cries when something is wrong or when she's sleepy. She's just our happy happy little girl. If I could guarantee that our next baby would be as good as Kherington, I'd have another one in a second. HA. Daddy thinks differently, though. He seems to think that 3 daughters, a wife and a female dog are enough girls for him to deal with.



I suppose most days that is true. (wink)



T:)

a couple ideas...

Need some simple Christmas ideas? "Simple" is all I seem to be capable of lately, so if you're anything like me then here you go.



First, these little Christmas gift tags. I downloaded this kit from House of 3, printed the tags off, cut them out, inked the edges, then stapled on a little bag topper. (that I created myself using House of 3 brushes.)






And second, these simple Christmas postcards using this kit from House of 3 as well. I love it! So simple and cute, and since the House of 3 graphics are so amazing, it looks alot more impressive than it really was to make. Love that!






I'm just enjoying my Monday afternoon. All 3 girls are playing nicely, the house is (pretty) clean and I'm just getting ready for my week ahead. I wish I could say that I don't have that much going on, but that is not the case! My plan is to just take it one day at a time. I'd loooove to get all my Christmas shopping done this week, but we'll see if that actually happens.



I can't believe that 2009 is coming to an end. I need to go through all of my pictures from this year and reflect on everything that we've done as a little family. It is hard for me to imagine not having Kherington...she just fits in with us so perfectly, I can't believe she's only been with us for a few months. I love checking on her at night and seeing her sleeping with her little bum up in the air. It is just so dang cute. (my mom always told me I used to sleep that way, too.) She is precious.



And Payton has become such a big girl in this past year. She is getting tall and skinny and no longer has that "chubbiness" that little kids have that I just love so much. But she is becoming such a sweet girl and such a wonderful little helper to me. She is very sensitive and kind and has developed a conscience (yay!). She's feels bad if she knows she's done something wrong, or hurt someone's feelings...she always apologizes so sincerely. :)



And Gabby. Oh, what to say about my little Gabby? She is the epitomy of "naughty and nice". One minute she'll be downright nasty and then next minute she'll say, "Thank you, mommy. You're the best mommy in the whole wide world." which makes me completely forget how nasty she was just seconds before. I love bedtime when Gray and I take turns singing and tickling her back...she just loves to be loved. And we love to love her.



Last night I spent who knows how long reading Stephanie's blog, and I am always moved to tears as I read about her life, her struggles, her accident. Seeing what she has overcome just makes me so grateful for all that I have in my life, for the little things that make me who I am. If you've never read her blog, go now. I promise you'll be changed for good.



And now, if my kids will let me, I think it is time for a nap. And tonight, the Christmas baking begins.



Tal xo

a sneak peek...

...of my beautiful sister-in-law! See more images here.



Tal xo

'tis the season

Being that it's now December, I thought I'd do a little Christmas scrapbook share. This layout was actually supposed to be in this months issue of Creating Keepsakes. I did it back in July in the middle of going back and forth between home and Montana...they wanted me to change the font I used for the "tis the season" title and I just wasn't able to re-do the layout and get it back to them in time, so I missed out. But oh, well! I can still share it here! Man, oh man I need to do some scrapbooking. I miss it. But for now I need to focus on all things Christmas...and the first thing on my list is getting my tree up. I usually do it in November so I am feeling behind.



Before I run, just wanted to mention that I went to the SYTYCD Canada Concert last night with Kim and A and it was sooooo much fun! (besides the freezing cold walk from the parking lot...brrr!) We were surrounded by screaming teenagers, it was hilairious, and the dancers were so CUTE in real life. Loved, loved, loved it. Thanks for the fun night girls!



Okay, decorating, here I come!



T:)