raking...

leaves?

screw that!

just use the leafblower...

and then? jump away!


favorite!

fall happenings...

i know...

i'm a bit late, but, what are you gonna do?

here's a rundown of all of our fall & halloween happenings...

we hosted our 6th annual haywood hayride...

and for the first time in about 3 years, we actually got around to carving the pumpkins we picked on our hayride.

this is not one of our pumpkins. it's my cousin's. pumpkin "pi". love it!

a couple shots of our decor. we had a lot of halloween decor out, but this is the only one i took a pic of.

i'm bad about snapping those random, around-the-house-every-day pictures. i need to get better. especially since it's so easy with my phone.

and i know this is not halloween, but it was put up in october. i am absolutely, head-over-heels, madly in love with christmas! can't wait for it! we are never home for thanksgiving. so my poor little house doesn't even know it exists. it just thinks christmas trees naturally follow pumpkins.

we took the girls to foy's...a local strip of halloween stores. costumes, grim reaper on stilts, haunted ambulances, free candy...what more could they ask for?

and of course, trick-or-treating. the girls almost always pick the same or very similar costumes. ashlyn was a spider bride and jaden was a spider witch.

we live in a tiny neighborhood...like 8 houses. and we have the only kids. so our first stop, before heading to my aunt's neighborhood, is the next door neighbor's house. they buy candy just for the girls and love seeing them every year.

then, we hit my aunt's neighborhood. this is the crew that went out to score candy. (that's my aunt in the toy story alien costume) the 2 big kids took the rest of the kiddos around while we hung out in my aunt's driveway with all her neighbors and passed out candy. loved it.

oh, did i mention i'm a candy sorter? and...all this and only one bag of peanut m&m's?!? wth!?

phew...

it's been a while. i've been busy busy busy.

about a month back, i got to do my first newborn mini shoot.

isn't she scrumptious?!

lots more to come.

planning a fun fall post to catch you up on our fall and halloween happenings.

check back soon.

i told you...

i'd be back.

took a little longer than i expected.

we've been hit with the cold and flu season. hard.

this summer, i did a senior photo shoot for my cousin.

with the start of school and adjusting to a new grade, etc., it's taken me some time to edit her pics.

but, she's amazing and patient...and beautiful!

i'm still working on the pics from my first newborn shoot. hope to have some of those posted early next week.

and, are you ready for this????

are you sitting down????

i have plans to scrapbook! yeah...you heard me!

i also have some fun christmas projects in mind.

so check back soon for some fun goodies!

i'll be baaack...

soon.

i promise.

i've been soooo busy with work. trying to acclimate myself to a new grade...a new curriculum.

tyring to keep my head above water.

but, i'm starting to slip into a routine.

i even found time last weekend to clean my scrap room.

and...i did my first newborn photo shoot. just a little mini session 'cus the little missy was a bit fussy, but i'm excited to share some of those pics.

just keep checking back. i'll have some new goodies for you before you know it.

we partied...

like rock stars!!

(alert! very very very long post with lots and lots and lots of photos)

ashlyn's 6th birthday party was her big "theme" party. we had to do something on the same scale as jaden's princess party.

we made invitations and asked our guests (kids mostly...but adults were also encouraged) to dress like a rock star!!!

the night before the party, we laid out all of our goodies and assembled "swag bags"...

this is what our rock stars received upon arrival. it's okay...you can be jealous.

swag bags & the signature canvas.

of course, in order to be a rock star, you need a microphone, mesh gloves, a guitar, and colorful hair. here's the birthday girl all decked out.
i just snipped some scrapbook jewel strips for face bling.
the funkier the hat, the more rock star, i guess...
divas!
mamaw & dirt know how to party...

we had our own girl band. eat your heart out pussycat dolls.

see this? this is why i love. my. family. they get so involved in our theme parties. i can't wait to see what they come up with. uh-mazing!
bobo...
marky marc and the funky bunch (a.k.a. the webkins dressed as avril lavine, jay-z, taylor swift & madonna)...

and my two beautiful rock stars...

we set up a hair-painting station. which the kids l.o.v.e.d. i think all 8 cans were empty within an hour. even the hubby opted for a new do. apparently, it took an entire team of stylists to decide how to make him an appropriate rock star...
rock. on. (see his badge? it says "v.i.p." i had one that said "press" and "i'm with the band")

more fun hair...
yes, that IS a smiley face...

ummm...even rock stars need presents, right?
favorite present? why, the singing justin bieber doll, of course.

cake...

okay...i don't know what's up with this kid. she kept blowing UP instead of towards her candles. you'd think she hadn't done this at least 5 times before...

but she finally figured it out.

after cake & ice cream, things got c.r.a.z.y.

wearing stretchy balls on our heads.

passing out (a.k.a. napping) in the hammock...

and glo sticks...

lots. and lots. and lots. of glo sticks.

all in all, i think we had the best rock star event ever. well, at least of the year. okay, at least in our neighborhood.

gotta run. i've only got 9 months to plan jaden's next party...and we all know she's gonna want to outdo her sister.