WIWW

I still can't get used to taking pictures for What I Wore Wednesday and every single time I do it, I feel ultra silly. This week is no different. I find myself sneaking behind a tree to have B take some quick shots for me. I worry the neighbors will watch and think that I'm a weirdo who wants pictures of myself. Oy!

Lately I like mixing colors that are bright. A lime green shirt? How about an orange necklace with that? Why not, right?? Aqua capri pants? Uh, where is that leopard belt of mine? My husband thinks I'm having a mid-life crisis! Maybe I am..... I even bought some really red lipstick the other day. I feel like my grandma when I put it on because it might just be the same shade she wears!

T-shirt: Ann Taylor Loft

Linen capris: Old Navy

Shoes: Target

Necklace: Charming Charlies

Ring: Local shop (Curiousities)

I'm linking up with Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy for What I Wore Wednesday. I'm also linking up with Allison at Two Thirty-Five Designs for Casual Friday.

Lemon Bar Yumminess

I LOVE all things lemon. I craved lemon anything when I was pregnant with MiniMe. I never pass up a good lemon bar and have a stockpile of lemon bar recipes. This ranks as one of my top recipes.

Check out the Food Librarian's blog at this link for the recipe. It is DELISH!!!!

Hello Monday

I am so incredibly grateful to all the military men and women of today and the past, those who've lost their lives in service, and all who have had the courage and strength to serve--THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I hope you feel the love you deserve today.

Since today is also Monday, I'm linking up with Lisa Leonard for Hello Monday!

Hello sweet Aspen. I can't believe you turn 10 next month. It seems like yesterday I was engulfed by all your puppiness and clumsy Labby kisses. I'm trying to so hard to be aware that time is short and soaking you in whenever I can.

Hello breakfast for dinner. I promise that they ate decent cereal before I let them eat the junky cereal. Checkmark one off our Summmer To Do list!

Hello new summer pjs. I can't wait to wear you out and outgrow you!

Photo Challenge: Animal, Something Pink, Close Up

I have felt under the weather the past few days so I'm going to post a couple of days of photos that I was too sick to post.

For the animal photo challenge (our tortoise Sheldon eating leaves):

For the Something Pink photo challenge (MiniMe's stuffed heart):

For the Close Up photo challenge (MiniMe!):

Photo Challenge: Summer Break Has Begun

The challenge today was supposed to be of a sunflare but the skies were overcast today. So, because it was cooler out, the kids wanted to set up a fort. This is the first week of summer break here. Let the fun begin!

What I Wore Wednesday

It 'm linking up with The Pleated Poppy for What I Wore Wednesday.

It is officially summer break around here! I will soon be running kids around to VBS, swimming, mini chef camp and more. We are hitting the high 80s here so once we hit the 90s, I am fashion challenged. I can only manage shorts and flip flops with a tank in the 90s. This outfit was definitely off by noon! You like my little Shih Tzu on the ground? She loves putting her belly on the warm patio.

Cardigan: Gap

T-shirt: Ann Taylor Loft

Boyfriend Jeans: Ann Taylor Loft

Shoes: Charming Charlies

Necklace: Lisa Leonard

Red Bracelet: Target

Experimenting with Color

Normally when I buy clothes, I seek out neutral colors. I'm trying to branch out but I still feel silly walking out of the house in such colorful clothing. It is so, well...not me. I can tell I'm uncomfortable in this picture! Oh well!

Cardigan: Old Navy

T-shirt: Gap

Pants: Ann Taylor Loft

Bracelet and Rings: Some silver jewelry store in Santa Fe

On a funny note, check out this picture and look in the background. Hilarious!!!

Photo Challenge: Hands

I find it hard to take a "hands" image with only one hand so it is going to have to be a hand picture. I piled on some Santa Fe jewelry for fun. Hands are so much a part of a person and their personality, don't you think? I could never be a hand model. My veins kept showing up in the picture so I had to use an Instagram filter!

Photo Challenge: Faceless Self Portrait

I love my sock yarn!

Photo Challenge: Bokeh

This challenge is hard!!!! I've only been able to accomplish taking a Bokeh picture once before and it involved my Christmas tree lights. Since it is May, I was worried how I'd accomplish this one. I watched several You Tube videos about how to take a Bokeh picture. Bokeh is Japanese for "blur." Most bokeh images are of twinkly lights in the background that look like orbs, while something in the foreground is in focus. Or, you've probably seen images with car lights whizzing in a blur in the picture. There are also lots of cool nature images with dew drops of water in focus while the background is a blur--love those! Here is my best attempt at bokeh!

I'm so proud of B, who took this bokeh image of our irises. He's pretty good!

Hello Monday

Hello SUMMER! Break just started today. Fun days ahead. MiniMe had a hard time saying bye to her wonderful teacher.

Hello Bundt cake I made this weekend. You were yummy.....and worth all the calories!

Hello local yarn shop. I love you. You make me happy.

Hello funny faces. MiniB loves taking funny pictures on Instagram while we wait for MiniMe to get out of school. I love this kid's laugh.

Hello Colorado IKEA. I finally got around to visiting you.

Linking up to Lisa Leonard for Hello Monday!

Photo Challenge: Orange

Orange has long been one of my favorite colors so it wasn't hard to find something orange to take a picture of for this challenge. This is my newest favorite necklace and scarf. Woot woo!

Photo Challenge: Shoes

It's day 18--last day of school here--and my challenge is to take a picture of my shoes.

Photo Challenge: Technology

Y ou have to love technology. Today's photo challenge wasn't a challenge, just a picture of everyday life. I used my iPhone to take a picture of myself watching the news, while watching a news stream on my laptop.

The other day I was running on a treadmill, listening to my 'Running' playlist on my iPhone. The funny part is that I was also reading the Steve Jobs book on my iPad. What would we do without Apple? I love my iProducts.

Photo Challenge: Slow Exposure

I took this image using a laser pen light and slow exposure on my iPhone camera. I bet with more practice and my SLR, I can really get a good one. I'm going to give it another try for sure!

What I Wore

I'm linking up with Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy for What I Wore Wednesday!

I never thought I'd own such a bright colored jacket. My family makes fun of me saying they can find me at church really easily and they pretend they need sunglasses on when I wear it.

Shirt: Ann Taylor

Jacket: Gap

Boyfriend jeans: Gap

Shoes: Target

Hat: Gap

Necklace: Lisa Leonard

When it hasn't been jacket weather around here, it still is good for a cardigan. I find that I pose the same in every picture. This WIWW stuff isn't natural for me.

My yellow Lab, Aspen wanted in on the action. He's wearing his favorite outfit--yellow fur. :)

T-Shirt: Gap

Boyfriend jeans: Ann Taylor

Shoes: Target

Cardigan: Gap

Belt: Target

Photo Challenge: Silhouette

I had to Google "silhouette" and it was exactlly what I thought it was. I just set the kids up in front of the garage and used the sun. I wish I had more time today to do this challenge right. Long day, I'm exhausted, and this was all I could come up with.

MiniB's Silhouette (I love that you can see his little belly sticking out!)

MiniMe's Silhouette (I love that you can see her glasses!)

Photo Challenge: Eyes

Who can resist these big browns? I love this challenge. It is easy to get a good picture of MiniB's eyes. He is a great muse!

Photo Challenge: Me with 13 Things

I thought this was a funny challenge. My husband saw me taking 13 items out to our patio table, setting up the tripod and was baffled why I cared to take a picture of these random items and myself.

Here is a list of what the 13 things are:

1-3. Three Kokeshi dolls

4. A high-heeled shoe

5. A heart-shaped rock that MiniMe gave me years ago.

6. Pippa-my Shih Tzu pup

7. A green appled-flavored ChapStick (my favorite)

8. A felt brooch

9. A WEDGITS pyramid that MiniB likes to make for me and leave on my bedside.

10. Sunglasses

11-12. Two little IKEA stuffed critters that Pippa loves.

13. A silver oil lamp used in our wedding.

It was funny taking timed pictures with Pippa. She is a very affectionate girl and just wanted to lick me instead of look at the camera. She's so precious!

Photo Challenge: Sunset

Today's challenge is a sunset. It has been so overcast here, I thought for sure that I wouldn't be able to get this one accomplished. But the sky cleared! It is a beautiful evening.

Photo Challenge: Something Blue

I t was a very dreary day here-lots of rain and clouds. I wanted to find something blue that was unique but I was basically stuck inside. I've been working on a chore chart for the kids with colorful dry erase markers. This was the only blue that I could find.

Operation KSL Continues

I'm in the midddle of a pair of socks for Operation KSL. They are coming along nicely. Can't wait to share about them! Here's hoping I have enough yarn. I'm trying a new brand and it sure feels like I'm cutting it close.

Photo Challenge: Childhood Memory

P hoto Challenge #10 is a childhood memory. I volunteered in my daughter's class today. She's in first grade. I think back to when I was in first grade--the little chairs, the chalk board, the small desks. Some things have changed. Instead of chalk boards, they use dry erase boards. The desks look different. There are computers in the classroom. As we are approaching the end of her first grade year, I think of how quickly time passes. Just yesterday it seems I was looking down at her sweet face with the long eyelashes as she slept. She used to suck her thumb. Now she's getting two new front teeth. Where does time go?

Photo Challenge: Someone You Love

I must admit that it was hard to squeeze in picture-taking time today. It was an Instagram kind of day....again! Here are some pictures I took of MiniB as we were waiting for our Chinese takeout.

I love this picture because MiniB was blowing me kisses. He is such a sweet and affectionate kiddo. I love this boy!

Operation KSL: Hedera

In this post I wrote about Operation KSL and my quest to complete every pattern in the book Knit.Sock.Love by Cookie A. I saw that there is a Knit.Sock.Love Knit-A-Long on Ravelry! I'll have to look into that further.

Anywho.....the next pattern I took on was Hedera. I mentioned in my last post how I've only knit socks with Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock yarn. I branched out and tried something new! I used Spud & Chloe yarn. They also have some yummy colorways. Here are the details:

Pattern Name: Hedera, pg. 11

Yarn Brand: Spud & Chloe

Yarn Color: Clementine (fine)

DPN size: US 1

Size Knit: S

Project Timeline: 4 weeks to complete

I loved this pattern! You might recognize Hedera because Cookie featured it in Knitty. It was an easy repeat and as the pattern formed, I loved the look of it with the orange yarn. I think this pattern is best-suited with a solid color but I'd be curious to see it with a verigated yarn. I knit my socks in the evening after the kids went to bed. Is a month a long time to finish a pair of socks? I have finished socks much faster and I could have completed these faster but life gets in the way sometimes.

I like to finish my socks with a star toe. I like the way it looks and feels and it spares me from the dreaded Kitchener stitch! I find my toes look really stubby when I finish socks with Kitchener. Do you have a favorite toe finish?

I like Cookie's patterns because most of her patterns are knit from the leg down to the toe. I'm not a toe up kind of gal I guess! Do you have a preference?