bring on October!

September literally flew by, I'm really not sure where it went. With that said, I'm so glad its over! I am so ready for October, a new month, fall, really getting into the swing of things, figuring out what my new normal is, etc. I feel like so far in Waco life hasn't really been "normal." We've had the newness of a new state, new town, new house, new school for B, new school for Adam, new church, etc. It takes a while to get into a groove and I think we're just starting to get there. My house has literally been in shambles until about a week ago, partly due to the flood, partly due to my lack of decision making on paint colors, and partly just due to moving in general. Needless to say, I'm ready to take a deep breath and dive into real life, I'm so over the honeymoon phase. I promise to share pictures of my kitchen next week, I know I've been saying that for a while but I just said the "p" word- its gonna happen.

If you've been reading my blog for a while then you know that November 2nd is my sweet pea's birthday, that is in FOUR weeks. Ohmyword do I have some work to do! Her party planning has definitely taken the back seat and I need to get a move on! Every year I think it sneaks up on me a little bit more. I feel like the house is finally falling together and I really need to focus my energy on my business. Owning your own business is a lot of work, period. And starting from scratch in a new town is a lot of work! I have done a lot lately (ie I'm finally officially a LLC) on the business end but I still have a lot to do. I also need to put a lot of effort into promoting my business, building relationships, and getting my name out there. All of this takes time and time is something that I've had a shortage of lately. Needless to say, I feel like I have a very full plate these days.

As mentioned earlier, I really am so looking forward to getting back to real life and a sense of normal. I miss sharing daily things on the blog, silly B photos, new recipes, etc. I'm longing for normal and hoping its just around the corner. I so appreciate all of my readers who check in daily to see what we're up to, it means a lot.

This weekend a friend and I are headed 2 hours away to a flea market in Canton, hoping to find some stools for my kitchen, fingers crossed! What are ya'll up to? xo

(P.S. today I drew a flamingo with a word cloud that says "hi B!" on her chalkboard lunchbox, curious what she'll think about that! :))

just us and a couch

What do you get when Kelly is in town, you have 20 minutes, us, a couch, and some yummy evening light? This...


















Kel, t.h.a.n.k. y.o.u. for the last minute trip~what a perfect suprise. Thank you for capturing this sweet time for our family, always a treat. We love you KellyShaw (that's what B calls her) and can't wait to see you in November! xo

the story of "the" lunchbox

Moving is hard on everyone, but I think kids have an especially tough time. Kids like their routine and things that they know, starting over can be really daunting, especially to my little one who likes things how she likes things (hmm...wonder where she gets that from?). Anyway, before we left Oregon I was trying to get B all excited about our big move to Texas and I was telling her how she would be going to a new school, and school would be longer this year and she would get to bring her lunch! I explained that this news was exciting because she would get to pick out a lunchbox for the first time! Who hoo right?! Well, anyway, my daughter being very particular '(again, wonder where she gets that?) responds with "I want it to have butterflies on it and polka dots." With this information I think "hmm...that could be hard to come by, if such a thing even exists!" Fast forward a month or so, we are in Toys R' Us looking for a birthday gift for a friend and it hits me that school is starting next week and I forgot to buy B a lunchbox! Gah! I realize I may forget to get her one if I don't do it now because I have a lot on my mind (hey, I'm not the worst mom ever, we had just moved!). So, anyway, we walk in and see some lunchboxes, of course the selection was sparse as school was just starting and I say to B "you can pick out a lunchbox!" She responds with "I want it to have butterflies with polka dots." (side note: seriously, what 3 year old remembers such detail a month later?!). I'm realizing this isn't going to happen, especially at Toys R' Us but B is obsessed with all things princess and I see that there is ONE princess lunchbox left and of course she makes a beeline for it and says "I want this one!" Well, thats cool right? I mean, she found one she likes, she didn't say anything about the fact that it didn't have butterflies nor polka dots, and it was only $7.99 so its kinda a win win situation right? Only, truth be told, I really didn't want her to have a cloth lunchbox, I could see it getting all nasty and dirty with time, and it just wasn't the old school metal lunchbox I had in mind for her. I figured it would do in the short term but I'd keep my eyes peeled for the "real deal."
Fast forward another week or so, (I know, I realize this story about a lunch box is getting long, hang in there with me) I'm on a website that has home decor items, kids stuff, etc. and this "back to school" line pops up and I see cute things so I click on it. All of a sudden...there it is, the lunchbox!!! It has a butterfly in the middle of it with polka dots in the background -SCORE ONE FOR MOMMY!!! I am hearing angels singing in the background as I picture B telling me I'm the best mommy in the world and I'm feeling like I all of a sudden deserve a big ol' pat on the back. This moment of glory last all of 2 seconds when I excitedly say to B "B, come here!!! Look what mommy found, its just what you wanted!!!!!!!!" She looks at the screen, sees "the" lunchbox, and then glances at the others in the background and says (in a very unenthusiastic tone) "I don't want that one, I want that one" and points to one with a boring old flower on it. I gasp and say "no, no, you don't!! you want this one, its JUST what you've been telling me for months, this is the one!!!" To which she says the same thing, "no, I want that one." Big deflated sigh. We go back and forth like this for quite a while, Adam is in the background shaking his head at me and then he says "let her get the one she wants." (I think its fair to say, he just didn't get it!) Sigh. Any mom out there can appreciate this story, right?! COME ON, I found the lunchbox!! Anyway, I resign myself to the fact that it is her lunchbox and although I found it, "it" is not what she ended up wanting, FINE. So, I proceed to check out to enter my credit card number and then, I see it...$40.00!! Whatthe???????? Is it made out of sterling silver?! $40.00 for a lunchbox?! It was clearly too late at this point to abandon said lunchbox but truth be told, I'm still thinking how ridiculous that is. For the record, no, I do not condone spending $40.00 on a 3 year old's lunchbox, however, if it had been the lunchbox, it would have been easier to swallow, for me at least. Happy Tuesday! xo



one cool thing I didn't know about this ridiculously over priced lunchbox, it comes with a chalkboard inside so I can write notes to my sweet pea, this helps me mentally just a tad.

Sneak Peek: US!

Kelly was in town, here's the proof...


more to come!

Pottery Barn Butterfly Costume for SALE $40-SOLD

B's Pottery Barn Butterfly costume is for sale! Its a 2-3T and she wore it for probably 2 hours total. The costume is in perfect condition, and Pottery Barn is selling it again this year! The costume was originally $69 and they are selling it again for $69 so $40 is a GREAT deal! If you want it, email me at mollywinn2@yahoo.com

just a random little B story

Last night B and I drove the 45 minutes to meet Adam at UMHB. The religion department was having a BBQ (or as Texans call it, a "cookout") for all Christian Ministries majors, kind of a meet and greet if you will. We got there, started chit chatting and before I knew it B was sitting on this gal's lap in the door way handing out raffle tickets. She was so proud of her new job and was handing one to each person walking in the door. All the college girls told me how cute she was and how if we lived closer they would totally baby sit. :) Anyway, at the end of the meal they started the drawing for the raffle, there were several little prizes being given away and some folks had given B their tickets (at first she was reluctant to take them saying "I already have my own!" but then once she understood that the more tickets she got, the more chances she had to win she happily grabbed tickets out of folks hands! Mine included!). Anyway, the very last number called, was Brennan's! She won a prize!! With my prodding she nervously walked up in front of the crowd to claim her prize, everyone started to clap and cheer for her, she was so proud! B is the proud new owner of a $15 Wal-Mart gift card which she promptly wants to spend today on something "princess." It was a sweet ending to a lovely night in central Texas. Happy Friday and have a great weekend, all! xo

I know, what a lame sneak peek!

Here is a sneak peek at my kitchen, I know...its a lame one. I haven't taken photos yet b/c I'm still needing to hang a couple things, etc. Its almost ready! Who hoo!! I actually almost have another room done (its only taken me what?...like 6 weeks?!). Anyway, while B is at school today I have a looooooooooong to-do list and am hoping to check lots of things off so I can have some photos to share, hopefully next week!! So, that's what I'm up today ~ happy Thursday to you sweet readers out there! xo

outstanding in the field

I came across this website from another blog. How cool would this be?! You essentially get tickets (if you're lucky, from what I can tell tickets are hard to come by and sell out fast!) and you go to some remote location and eat a fabulous meal prepared by a local chef ~ COOL! I happened to see that there are still some seats available for the one taking place in Austin next month, if only I had an extra $400 dollars laying around to spend on dinner. Sigh. A girl can dream. :) I would love to add this to my "things to do before I die" list (not that I technically have one, but you know, in theory). If any one goes, please tell me what its like, every detail, I want to know!

yesterday and some random thoughts

Yesterday had the potential to be a lot of fun, but in reality...not so much. Adam had to teach so B came with Kelly and I on our trip to Austin. On the way there she started scratching at her face and saying she couldn't stop and that she itched really badly. Then, she started to cry and. didn't.stop. I turned around to look at her and quickly realized her impetigo was coming back, again, for the third time. Big sigh. Poor girl wouldn't stop crying and here I am driving to Austin with virtually no idea where I am and hours away from her medication at home. My patience is quickly gone as there is little I can do and a crying child in the back seat who can't relax. I get to Austin, call the closest Walgreens and plead my case for prescription cream for my daughter. Thankfully the pharmacist had mercy on me and filled the prescription without a doctor's note and we were able to get things under control fairly soon. Whew! A tad stressful for sure. Later in the day I'm driving Kelly to the airport and a strange number shows up on my cell (I know, shame on my for answering while I was driving, bad Molly! I know I know), anyway, it was Adam, borrowing some random stranger's cell to tell me he had a tire blowout on the freeway and would possibly not be home when I got there and he didn't want me to worry. SCARY! He said he was a foot away from semi trucks whizzing by as he squatted on the freeway changing his tire (thank you Jesus for keeping him safe!). Needless to say, not the best day for the Winns. We're home now, safe and sound, B quietly sleeping in bed and Adam and I taking some deep breaths. Life is funny isn't it? You really never know what each day will bring. I feel like my posts lately have sounded so pathetic and "poor me" and I'm sorry about that, its been a weird time over here. It's all about to change though! I'm going to be more intentional about focusing on the good things and leaving the lame things behind, and I truly will start taking some photos to share (something I really haven't had time for lately and really really miss). Thanks for bearing with me, I know I haven't been the best read for sure! More to come. xo

my super cool spur-of-the-moment suprise

Saturday morning I was talking to Kelly and she was saying how she didn't have a wedding to photograph this weekend and how she was thinking of spending her day watching "Pride and Prejudice." I mentioned that I wished she could come to Texas and hang out with me instead! The next thing I knew, she was looking at tickets, found one that left in a matter of hours for $200 and was on her way!! (I really do have the best friends ever!). So, I got my wish and I've had Kelly with me for the weekend! We are spending the day frolicking in Austin before she has to catch her flight back to Chicago tonight, so that's what we're up to today! I got a lot done around the house before Kelly arrived, things are really starting to come together and I should have some photos really soon! Happy Monday y'all! xo


Photo of Austin, TX from here.

31

That's how many chigger bites my daughter had on her body when she woke up this morning, thirty one. I know I've said it before, but stick a fork in me...SO done. Sigh. Okay so, pretty much yesterday was another plumber coming out to take a look at the drain in the basement b/c even though the sewage was gone, when Adam went down to start the clean up process (thank you, Ad) the water backed up....again. So yeah, another plumber came out and dealt with that problem and then when Adam got home from work he started operation clean up. Poor guy has been at it for hours, sweeping up sewage remains, garbage, etc. Now its all "cleaned out" and he is hosing it down. Once it dries his friend will come over and spray the anti-bacterial chemicals and finish the restoration process and we should be all good to go. Oh, and we have another plumber coming tomorrow to determine if we need a whole new hot water heater or if ours can still work but with some fixes (thankfully we still have hot water on the third floor so we can all still shower w/out too much trouble). So, there's that...a long clean up process, multiple folks out to determine this and that, and our house is in total disarray. I generally feel fairly optimistic but mainly I feel like my house needs a big ol' bath.
My bed and couch were delivered yesterday! Who hoo! I didn't even unwrap the couch b/c I didn't want it exposed to the nastiness that is my house right now, so I have no clue if I like it or not just yet. However, I did notice that a small piece of wood from one of the legs broke off...awesome. The bed looks great, it just doesn't have a mattress in it so, there the empty frame sits in the master bedroom. B/c of that, Adam and I slept in the guest bedroom last night for the first time (and to all of you potential guests out there, its the coldest room of the house ~lucky you!).
It has been a crazy month and an even crazier week. I am (almost) literally dying for some "normal" around here and hope that in the next weeks it will be coming. I really would love to share some photos of the house, life here in Texas, and just my usual day to day stuff with you all but I'm sure you understand that will have to wait. I could go downstairs and take a picture of Adam w/ his sewage covered boots and hygiene mask on, but that wouldn't be very nice of me now would it? :) I'll just leave you with the mental picture (again, THANK YOU ADAM!). Okay folks, more later, as always, any prayers you want to send our way -we'll take! xo

"it looks like a giant cream cicle"

Yesterday was brutal, no doubt about it. We had over 2 feet of flooding in our basement. The plumbers came, discovered the city line was backed up and that the sewage from our neighbors was all coming into our house. Lovely. The smell...rancid. The plumber then informed me that the gas smell is harmful to be breathing in and said how sometimes once you go to bed, you don't wake up. SCARY, esp considering my little sweet pea just down the hall! Needless to say, its a work in progress over here. The water/sewage has been drained but now the clean up needs to begin. We have friends in the restoration business (what a blessing!) but due to the Texas flooding they are quite busy so Adam has been given the needed info and has been working on it himself. Big sigh. I spent most of yesterday in tears, today action was taken and things are looking up. I really hope after this we get a breather from home "issues."

On a happier note, we went to Tennessee this weekend! Adam and I left B w/ the Peters (thanks guys!) and met up with Mike, Doug, and Kemi for the Oregon Duck football game! When we walked on the campus all we saw was orange, Adam said "it looks like a giant cream cicle" -and it did! Some proud TN volunteers! I'm not sure if anyone reading this actually watched the game but they had over an hour delay due to weather. Needless to say, there was lightening, LOTS of rain, and some crazy wind (not super comforting when you are sitting in the highest/top row, in water, next to long metal flag poles). So, we sat there soaking wet and the game got over around midnight. But, it was all worth it because the Ducks were victorious! 48-13....NICE! I love our tradition of traveling to a Duck game every year (even though we missed last year), always a great time. Here are some snapshots I took on the ol' piece -o-crap point n' shoot -enjoy! xo

flooding

Adam and I were in Tennessee all weekend for the Oregon Ducks game (go Ducks!), pictures of that fun time coming soon. All that to say, when we got home, we realized our basement was flooded. A.W.E.S.O.M.E. I'll spare you the details of how my house smells right now, but needless to say, LOVING the joys of home ownership.....................NOT.

cowboy hat chip n' dip

While I have no intention of becoming all "Texas prideish" about everything, I do kinda think this chip n' dip would be fun to have at a party down here. :)



From here.

California Photo Sessions ~ November 12th-14th

Hi all! It's that time of year again, fall photo session time! I'm thinking of coming to California November 12th-14th to photograph some adorable folks. Due to time restraints I am only planning to do a small number of sessions. If you are interested in a session please email me at:
molly@mollywinnphotography.com to get pricing, times, etc. Hope to see you! xo

Bri

I'm blogging over here today. Check it out!

so its kinda coming together

It's been weird around here, kinda busy, kinda not, but still feeling not-quite-put-together but with definite progress made. I think thats the best way I can describe it. I finally decided on a paint color....and here's the kicker, its the same color that is essentially all over the house. I just had to make a decision, it was getting more than a little ridiculous. I know how the color looks with the dark wood and in the rest of the house so...I went for it. I've been painting for 2 days now and I'm still not done. I'm sure it will need another coat, so theres that, sigh. BUT it looks leaps and bounds better than the past 2 paint attempts which my poor mother in law had to endure (sorry Kemi!). Kemi is a way better painter than I am so, sadly some of my moldings have taken a beating...sad. Anyhoo, the house is in shambles b/c all the furniture is moved to the middle of the room and there are drop clothes on the floor, etc. All that to say, I do feel like progress is being made but alas, no pictures to show and it still won't be done for a while. But its coming!!

I also finally ordered our new bed (who hoo!) and our new couch (that I ordered weeks and weeks ago) should be arriving any day now. We still haven't picked out a mattress but I haven't really felt a strong need since the bed isn't even here yet. Its all coming together!

Adam, B and I went to our first Baylor Bears football game! Texans love their football of course and the green and gold was out in full force (and cowboy boots)! It was BLAZING hot and we were in direct sunlight so B and I didn't last too long. We did manage to get long yummy corn dogs, popcorn and see the Bears first touchdown, so not a total loss! Sic 'em bears! (I like living in a college town, I think its fun). :)

I hope you all had a nice Labor Day, I did! I worked the whole day and loved every second of it! I love my job, and since I've been on a bit of a hiatus for the past few weeks it was great to be out shooting again. Here is a sneak peek at this adorable senior, more photos coming very soon. Happy Tuesday, all! xo

he did it again!

Since its my blog I reserve the right to brag about my husband any ol' time I want to! I'm really proud of Adam, he just got his second publication! All of his hard work/research that he did while in Ireland got published recently and they sent us a few of the first copies! Way to go Ad, B and I couldn't be more proud! xo

thoughts/feelings on being known

One of the hard parts about being new is not being known. I'm someone who deeply desires to really be known by my friends, not in the casual 'they know my name and my kid's name and we can chat about the weather way,' but in the you know what makes me tick, what I'm passionate about, and what I like on my waffles kind of way (which is really a trick question b/c if you know me you know I'm not a huge fan of waffles). :) I also know being truly known can only really happen with so many people. Relationships take time, energy, attention, nurturing, etc. and as human beings we only have so much time to devote to these things and (realistically) to a pretty small number of people.
Adam and I have gone to 3 churches here in Waco and we knew immediately which one "home" was going to be. Last night we went to our first parents gathering (that only take place once a month) and we met some great people who we look forward to getting to know better, deeper, and with whom to "do" life with. I say all of this because when I woke up this morning, I had an email from a long time friend, someone who knows me well, what little things make my heart smile, and what I (and my daughter) love to eat. :) She sent me an email with this photo/recipe and told me she instantly thought of me and B. I loved the email for many reasons, obviously I'm giddy to try this delicious looking treat, but mainly, I love the feeling of being known. It was especially timely since I'm new (which I'm not a big fan of) ~ knowing that someone many states and a time zone away is thinking of me and sees something I would love and took the time to tell me. I have great friends, the best really, and am so thankful for them and that I am known, even if not in Waco....yet. Thank you my friend, cupcakes with marshmallows on top -perfect!! xo


(image from here)

Brennan's Room

One of the things that I finally got around to doing while B was in school is taking photos of B's room! I tell you what, it is amazing how many things I can get done while that girl is in school! (I'm sure all of you moms out there with multiple children are rolling your eyes at me... I know, I only have one, but still!). So anyway, here is where the princess sleeps. Try to imagine real window coverings rather than the paper ones currently there. I figured at the rate I'm going to have to go to get window coverings in this house, you'd never see any pictures of the place! I still need to hang some stuff on her walls and find a little stand for her tv, but its pretty much done! Enjoy! xo