B. Love

I LOVE being a Mommy!
I know, someone out there is thinking to themselves "oh gag me. Stop with the mushy stuff." But I am proclaiming my love today, and it is in the shape of family & Motherhood. Loving what you do makes you want to scream from the rooftops how happy you are. I am so blessed to spend every day with the mini love of my life. We all need or have something we love...sometimes it is glaringly obvious, sometimes we have to search for what it is that we love. But the best advice I have for you is to figure out what it is that makes you want to join me up on the rooftop!

Don’t just like.

LIKE is watered-down love.

Like is mediocre.

Like is the wishy-washy emotion of the content.

Athletes don’t do it for the like of a sport.

Artists don’t suffer for the like of art.

There is no I Like N.Y. T-shirt.

And Romeo didn’t just like Juliet.

LOVE.

Now that’s powerful stuff.

Love changes things. Upsets things. Conquers things.

Love is at the root of everything good that has ever happened

and will ever happen.

LOVE what you do.

\\giselavoss\\

Inspiration from one of my favorite toy creators - "B"

"encouraging kids to B. whoever they were meant to B. is part of our mission. B. silly.

B. smart. B. loud. B. happy. B. you."

For every toy you buy they give  15 cents to Free the Children, a group of children helping children. It is a network determined to "take action to improve the lives of fellow children overseas."
They make THE most adorable toys & each one comes with a booklet of inspirations and funny quotes from kiddos. Their quote section on the page invites parents to add their own, so there are new funnies all the time!
They will definitely put a smile on your face!

Friday Favorite {Compassion.For.Yourself}

I previously posted a blog about the empowering website, The Shape of a Mother. Recently, a blogger & an Oklahoma native posted a handful of pictures of herself with a few beautiful words to her readers. It was her own tribute to her postpartum body and to mothers all the same. Little did she know that her moment of bravery would end up in Parenting mag & Glamour.

The blog {Starving Artist ink} was simple. Three beautiful pictures & a few sentences...

"you are beautiful, do you know that?
and your imperfections make you even more perfect."

-xo

Her follow up blog ever so simply and beautifully, depicted her feelings towards her body & an urge for women to love the skin they are in & to have "compassion.for.yourself."

“i'm a mama…
my body is so imperfect and soft and sexy in a different way. in a real way… in a way that my husband grabs me and wants me. in a powerful way that- i carried life, i gave birth, and i nourish this babe.  in a way that- i know i look more like you and less like airbrushed images. genuine and honest and imperfectly perfect.
“being vulnerable can be powerful.  loving yourself can be even more.
you don't have to get naked and take pictures of yourself.  you don't have to be brave.
just start with compassion. for. yourself.
open your eyes wide and see the bigger picture. see beyond what stands in the mirror.”

you.are.beautiful.

Four Generations

Before Christmas Ryan, Dylan, Bob, Sherry & I packed up and drove to Norman to meet Great Grandpa Smith. Jennifer joined our visit as well! Dylan was a delight during the road trip. Jennifer was in her last few weeks of pregnancy and we got to feel baby JJ kick! Dylan cozied up with his cousin in her lap and took a nap. We had such a great time looking at old pictures and snapping family pictures. Ryan was super excited to get a few four generations photographs. It was so great to get everyone together!

Looking at old family photos

Aunt Jennifer!!

Doing his favorite thing (standing) with Grandma

Catching up :)

Sitting with Great Grandpa for the first time

Not quiiiiite so sure what to think...

Gma to the rescue!

Can you find cutie pie Ryan as a kiddo?

Daddy helping open presents

nom nom nom!

Snack and a nap with Aunt Jennifer & JJ

Out! Check out his lambie slippers from Jen :)

All three of us feeling JJ wiggle around!

Vernon & Lucille - For the watermelon patch ;)

Four Generations of Smiths

After our wonderful visit with Vernon, Lucille & Jennifer, we stopped at Bob & Sherry's good friends' house! Jerry & Martha Edgin welcomed us into their beautiful home and we stayed and played for a while. Dylan really enjoyed them both! Martha was so sweet letting me scour her wonderful home & take pictures of all of her treasures. I could have taken so many more! They offered to take us out for dinner, but we needed to get back on the road home. It was such a fun visit!

One of their many adorable Christmas trees  - OU themed!

Her adorable collection of watering cans

Jerry's Motorcycle Santa collection from Martha

Dylan loved their two puppies!

Smiles with Jerry!

One of  several stained glass windows around the house

The perfect spot for a vintage find

The ladder of quilts

Shave and a haircut!

Relaxing with Daddy before we hit the road again

The Edgins & The Smiths

{Wordless Wednesday}

Friday Favorite {Mila's Daydreams}

In the beginning of my pregnancy a friend of my Mom forwarded on this awesome website.

Mila's Daydreams

A crafty Mom named Adele Enerson takes the most beautiful pictures of her baby girl, Mila, while she sleeps.

"While my baby is taking her nap, I try to imagine her dream and capture it."

Using fabrics and props from around her house, she would set the stage for a beautiful dreamland for Mila

Adele would upload a new picture weekly and I couldn't wait to see what she came up with. Sadly, over the past year her blog has changed quite a bit. Her site not only became swamped with advertisers trying to use her ideas, but other parents were stealing her pictures and claiming them as her own. She took the photos down with a request that bloggers only show a handful of her photos, and to please give her the credit. I had saved my favorites long before she made these changes. I'll only post a few, at her request.

I applaud her efforts and I think she deserves to be noticed for her art!

Adele just recently got picked up for a book that will be available in 2012.

"When My Baby Dreams"

On Adele's Facebook there is a Fan Photo section where hundreds of similar photos have been uploaded by others who love her ideas!

maxbentleychronicles

asialunamarie

Such a fun idea to spice up everyday photos. I'm sure as heck not going to be able to snap any fun pictures of Dylan sleeping in outer space (her kid must sleep like a champ!) but I might have to try my hand at some prop photography...

p.s. Check out her fun post on how to make your own family tree!