punxsutawney pudding cups for groundhog day

I saw this in a magazine and I instantly wanted to make this for groundhog day.  How adorable does punxsutawney phil look peeking out of a pudding cup?  Here are the simple instructions.

Start with a Pepperidge Farm Milano cookie.  To make the ears, halve a sliced almond.  Trim another almond into teeth (this was the trickiest part).  Cut off the points of two butterscotch chips to make them flat.  Spoon chocolate frosting into a ziplock sandwich bag and snip off a tiny corner.  Use dots of the frosting to attach the ears, teeth, and cheeks to the cookie.  Pipe on frosting eyes and nose.  Slide the cookie into a chocolate pudding cup and sprinkle on crumbled oreo for dirt.

The kids each got to make their own with a little help from me.

We got to eat them for dessert after dinner and they were delicious!

those ruby red lips

I've been loving the retro red lipstick look lately.  To be honest, I've loved it for ages, but I never had the guts to do it.  I was always worried that I would buy the wrong color or that such a bold color would make my lips look too thin.  After I saw a friend rocking her red lips, I decided to take the plunge and I am delighted that I did.

A few people have asked me how I get these red lips and how I make it last.  The lipstick is called "ruby woo" and it's by MAC.  It's a very vibrant red with a matte finish. 

The trick to making the color last is in the application.  I read this trick once in a magazine and I think it might have come from Taylor Swift???  Totally random.  I apply MAC lipliner in "brick" first.  Then, I apply one thick layer of lipstick.  Blot well.  Apply powder on top of lips and then apply another generous layer of lipstick.  Voila!  The retro glam look should almost last you through a meal.

So, there you have it.  I hope this beauty tip helps anyone else who might be hesitant to go for the bold red lips.  Just do it...maybe 2013 will be a red lipstick year for you!

making a list. checking it twice.

A few people have asked me what the kids want for Christmas this year.  If you ask the kids, Cody will say one thing: DREAM LIGHT (which we are giving him for his birthday).  Lyla will talk about whatever hidesouly obnoxious toy she recently saw on a TV commercial.  So, in other words, don't ask them.  Ask me!  I came up with a list of things that the kids could use. 

I found these cute travel neck pillows by "Noodlehead" on amazon.  I particularly like the black bear for Cody and the horse for Lyla.  These will come in handy for those long day trips when the kids need to nap in the car.  I hate to see their little heads dropping forward every time we hit the brakes!

These rain boots by "Western Chief" are also from amazon and I thought the dinosaur ones would be cute for Cody and any of the simple polka-dotted ones would be adorable on Lyla.  The kids currently do not have any rainwear which makes things difficult on those few rainy days we get here in the Inland Empire.

These sweaters are from "Zara" and they are to die for!  How cute is this pearl collar cardigan for Lyla or this flush jumper for Cody???  For all apparel items, Lyla wears size 4T and Cody wears 2T.

Or how about this little lady faux-fur waistcoat or this little man synthetic leather jacket? 

Of course, kids can never have too many pairs of jammies or socks!  These two are from llbean.  I love the constellation boy jammies.

These llbean slippers are excellent.  They are fun for the kids and they will stay on because they have an ankle elastic.  Perfect.  I like the little yellow dogand the brown bear pairs.  Cody wears size 7 and Lyla wears size 8.

What else?  Well, kids can never have too many books.  Stuffed animals and toys?  Yes, you can have too many of those.  But I believe that family reading time is precious and cherished by every one of us.  There is nothing better than when Lyla or Cody brings a book over to me so they can plop down in my lap as I read them a story. 

I hope this list is helpful in some way even if you are buying for some other kiddos in your life.  Happy Christmas shopping!

fall...in a forest...in murrieta

Can you believe these photos were taken just minutes from our house?  There's a little park/greenbelt right around the corner from Los Alamos and Hancock in Murrieta.  Who would have thought there would be such woodsy scenery so close to home?  It was a really fun setting for a photo session with Lyla and Cody.  Thanks to Ashley from LoveLockandCo for once again capturing some amazing photos.  These are just a few of my favorites.

brrrrr...it's 56 degrees

I know,  I know.  56 degrees outside is not that cold.  But when you've had a record long summer with temps well over 100 degrees, this weather feels pretty chilly.  So we're bundling up around here.  The weather here has been gorgeous.  The clouds in the sky have been very puffy (I think they're called cumulus?) which makes for stunning morning skies and breathtaking sunsets.  We've also had a few rainbows due to some scattered showers.  It's really been quite magical.  Not to mention that it's cool enough to enjoy my most recently discovered favorite: the pumpkin spice chai tea latte!  Thank you, Jesus, for giving me a substitute for the pumpkin spice lattes that I love so dearly.  I'm trying to stay away from caffeine as much as possible in these early weeks of pregnancy, so I was delighted to find out that this drink existed.  If you haven't tried it, you should!  It's so good.

Now for today's fashion.  Cody is wearing a gap beanie, old navy shirt, zara jeans, and ugg boots. These boots were Lyla's last year and now they fit Cody!  Lyla wears a long sleeve shirt from target, vest from zara, jeans from gap, and boots from h&m. 

Loving this boot weather!

too cool for preschool

Today marks the completion of lyla's first week of preschool.  The verdict?  Thumbs up!  She is having fun, learning a lot about Jesus, and she loves her teachers.  We knew that Lyla would transition really well into preschool because she is such a social butterfly.  Lyla told me on Wednesday that she tried to comfort another little girl who was crying because she missed her mommy and daddy.  She has such a big heart.  But don't let that fool you, she will be up to many shenanigans this school year, no doubt.  This little girl is always up to something.

Lyla is wearing a "bonjour" GAP t-shirt (clearance section +30% off = I paid next to nothing!), old navy skinny jeans, and laceless converse.

Lyla's cute hello kitty style bow clip is from "chic baby rose" on etsy.  It comes in lots of colors and you can buy a 5-pack here.  We can't seem to keep track of hairclips around my house, so it just makes sense to buy in bulk.

Cody is wearing a mickey t-shirt from target and mustard skinny jeans from zara.  Cody is way too cool for school...for now.  In two short years it will be his turn to sport a backpack and lunchbag! 

the best lyrics ever written

These lyrics are from a song called, "In Christ Alone" written by Keith Getty and Stuart Townsend.  This song has always spoken to my heart.  It is absolutely the perfect reflection of my love for Jesus put into song.  I couldn't have said it better myself.  You can watch a video and listen to the song performed here on youtube, but I listed the lyrics below so that you can focus on the words without the music.  The lyrics are so powerful and moving on their own. 

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless Babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save

Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again

And as He stands in victory
Sins curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny

No power of hell, no scheme of man
Could ever pluck me from His hand
Til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I stand

how about a little afternoon tea?

Afternoon Tea is this really adorable kids clothing line that is "globally inspired".  The design of their clothing is really cute and very good quality.  I would even dare to say maybe the highest quality kids clothes that I've found.  The colors don't fade after many washes and the material is thick and durable.  Here's Lyla modeling her new terrific tank top and ikat swing shorts that we ordered online.  They are on sale right now.  Check out the sale here.

zara lookbook

One of my favorite places to shop for kids clothes has got to be zara.  Check out their May lookbook for baby.  I am loving it all!

breast is best, but it's not always easy.

I am proud to say that I breastfed Cody until he was 16 months old.  I only breastfed Lyla until she was 8 months old.  Sound unfair?  Let me explain.  The reason I stopped at 8 months with Lyla is because I "ran out" of milk.  I mistakenly thought that because I was working full-time, I had no choice but to expect that my milk would eventually deplete.  Little did I know that there is this wonderful herb called fenugreek that will increase and even revive your milk supply!  Now I know better, and I want to help other moms out there who struggle with their milk production. 

There are so many reasons to try to breastfeed for as long as possible...and there is SO MUCH information out there on the world wide web.  I recently read this excerpt from an article on npr.com and found this part interesting:

"We know far more about red wine than we know about human breast milk. But the things they're discovering are sort of amazing. We used to think that breast milk was just a food and that it was filled with fats and proteins and vitamins and that formula companies were successfully able to mimic this. But we now know that there are substances in breast milk that exist almost at the same levels that are not digestible by infants. So what are they doing there? It turns out, they're digestible by beneficial bacteria. So over millions of years, the mother has been creating a substance that will recruit useful bacteria into her infant's gut, and this sets her infant up for life. So as much as breast milk is a food, we also now understand that it's also a medicine." - interview with Florence Willaims, author of "Breasts: a Natural and Unnatural History". 

This just further encourages me to keep up the hard work of breastfeeding my babies even past the age that society thinks is "appropriate".  I hope that I can encourage other mothers to do the same!

Check out this nursing cover on amazon.  It's by "hooter hiders" and it's 100% cotton.  I like the ruffles.

These Lansinoh disposable nursing pads were a must have during the first 6 months or so of nursing! 

This Medela Pump-in-style breast pump is awesome.  It helped me nurse while working full time with both my kids.  In my opinion, you have to go with the double-pump instead of the single because it cuts the pumping time in half!

yet another reason to give me baby fever.

I wish that I was either engaged to be wed or pregnant so that I could use one of these precious invitations. It does make me consider that our 10 year vow renewal ceremony doesn't seem so far off anymore...and Cody does need a little brother! Hehe. These are dangerous thoughts.

These invitations are all available to be customized and purchased at kellimurrayart on etsy. The best part? My beautiful and talented friend kelli designs them! Be sure to check out all of her other wonderful pieces of art, too. I just adore her feminine style with all the soft colors and sweet images. It really speaks to my girlish nature.

Here's the vintage garden wedding invitation:
Adorable bunny and blooms baby shower invite:

Sweet little baby bird shower invitation:

Woodland baby bear shower invite (cute for a boy or girl!):

target treasures

I am obsessed with these super skinny jeans from target right now. They are such a steal at only $22.99! I bought the red and teal...maybe I should go back and get blue and purple?

lyla means dark beauty

seriously, does it get any more precious than this? get your kid's custom nameplate here!

anyone else obsessed with etsy?

I have so many artistically talented friends with etsy shops. I feel inspired when I see them using the gifts that God gave them in such beautiful and creative ways. It often comes to mind that I should feature their work here so that everyone can benefit! One of my favorite shops, mukibaba, is owned by my dear friends Kata and Agi (mukibaba is an old family nickname). They sell handmade bookmarks, magnets, home decor and custom baby clothes. They are sisters from Hungary that I met through Nick and Sara and from working at the Conference Center. Their shop motto is, "for the glory of God" and each item is uniquely handcrafted with bible verses on most of them in a really cute hand-written font. Please check out mukibaba on etsy, but here's a preview of a few of my favorites from their shop! Here's charming little matthias in his custom onesie:

Piano pillow for the home

An adorable fridge magnet with psalm 34

Asian girl bookmark with Isaiah 54:40

Girl bookmark with Matthew 6:33

thank you, nixon! (not the former president)

nixon inc. will always hold a very special place in my heart. nixon is the watch company where travis and i both worked and met. After I graduated from UC Davis in 2002, I needed a real job. I had just received my degree in Textiles and Clothing, so I started applying for a variety of positions in the fashion industry. After little success with some big clothing brands, I decided to expand my search. With my background in repairing watches (my parents have had a watch repair business at the Orange County Swap Meet since before I was born), I decided to apply at nixon as a service technician. At my interview, they decided I was a better fit as an Office Manager, so I accepted the position. On my first day of work, I made the rounds and met a lot of amazing people that I am still friends with to this day. Most importantly, I met the adorable and charming Travis Mitchell. We shook hands and introduced ourselves and became almost instant friends. The rest is history. Here is a recent nixon ad featuring nixon's latest and greatest: And this is the first watch that I ever purchased from nixon well before I ever thought of working there. The player. I fell in love with the simple and sleek design the first time I laid eyes on it. I am still drawn to this watch even after years of new styles and trends. Thanks to this watch, I met my husband (ok, so God was obviously the One that brought us together, but He used this watch to do it)