It's a Winnsical Life

grown up mac n' cheese, my mi casa & a peek!

2012-02-01T18:31:00.000-08:00

Last night I made Ina's grown up mac n' cheese, I'm not gonna lie, it was pretty darn fantastic. Adam said it was the best mac n' cheese he's ever had. The best mac n' cheese I've ever had is from a restaurant in Portland called Mothers, but this was a runner up I'd say. So, if you want to make some killer comfort food I'd give it a whirl! Here are my 2 cents: it says it makes 2 servings, I say it makes 4, but next time I would make it in smaller gratin dishes and have it as a side rather than a main course like we did last night (its pretty darn rich). Also, it is worth it to do the extra step of blending the fresh bread with the basil to put on top rather than using panko or something like that (which I considered doing to save time but I'm so glad I didn't!). Also, mine only need to bake for like 20 minutes versus the 30-40 the recipe suggests.

**switching gears**

Every Tuesday night we have our mi casa gathering at our house, I really love it. This semester is different from the last 2 semesters. A lot of folks can't make it due to evening classes, work schedules, studying abroad, etc.. We are just a smaller group which changes the dynamic...as much as I wish everyone could come every week and have my big ol' family of 20ish here I kinda like the change for a bit. We aren't doing dinner, rather I just make a dessert each week (last night it was chocolate chip cookies) and we can almost all fit around the couch and we talk about life, play a game, etc.. It's just a sweet change for a season and I'm really enjoying it. Next week we're meeting for dinner at a Mexican restaurant to say farewell to one of our darlings who is studying in Argentina for the term, that will be bittersweet. Its so weird but each of these college students feel like my own and its hard watching them grow up before my eyes! I swear just yesterday they were all timid freshman and now they are confident sophomores close to being juniors!! WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. I keep telling Adam they are going to leave me soon and its not okay!! Maybe we can convert the guest room into a bunk bed haven and they can all stay forever? :) Surely their parents won't mind......

Here's a peek of a lovely senior, more to come! xo

what would have been our our Christmas card & roast chicken

2012-01-31T09:04:00.000-08:00

So I still don't have my images yet from our family photo session that we had done last November but I have seen them. This one is my fave. I just ordered a big ol' canvas of it for our bedroom, can't wait for it to arrive!

Photo
Last night I made Ina Garten's Perfect Roast Chicken. I had never made a whole chicken before (I have an aversion to eating meat on a bone) but gave it a whirl and it was pretty darn tasty! Brennan is the.pickiest.eater. but she ate both HUGE drumsticks and said "I'm so full I don't even want dessert!" (she typically eats the bare minimum just to get dessert so this was a huge deal!). And Adam loved it, so I will count it a success! Here are my 2 cents on the recipe: make more veggies than it suggests b/c they shrink so much and are SO delish. I would do away w/ the fennel and just do more carrots and onions (my personal opinion). I added a couple potatoes to the mix as well and thought that was a good idea. Okie dokie, that's all I have for today! Happy Tuesday! xo

January is almost over!!!

2012-01-30T06:56:00.000-08:00

Is anyone else as excited as I am that January is almost done with for the year?!! I'm SO ready for a new month, bring on February! How was your weekend? Mine was very chill. I am still trying to get over this nasty cold but as of yesterday I think I'm finally on the mend!

One of the the questions I get asked a lot (around these here parts) is where is B going to school in the fall? I cringe a little each time I get asked this b/c it seems like an overwhelming choice to make. Adam and I narrowed it down to 2 private schools and are taking time to visit them both and ask lots of questions. Yesterday the 3 of us went and visited one and it was such a pleasant surprise to see a little girl from B's pre-school class also checking out the school with her parents. I would LOVE for B to have a friend before she even shows up! I remember my first day of kindergarten, I knew a gal in the class when I walked in but I was too nervous to go sit by her (so silly!) but I think just seeing her there made me instantly feel better. I felt so old walking into the school as a parent to find out about the quality of the education they offer, (yes, I'm aware I'm not as young as I feel). :) I came home and read booklets on private school tuition, uniforms/dress codes, fund raisers, stats on graduates from the high school (100% are going to college, thought that was pretty impressive!), etc. Ay yi yi, such a big decision! I remember when I was young hearing my mom say they picked our neighborhood b/c of the school district, I never really put much thought into what that really meant until now. Sigh. Sorry for that long-winded whatever that was, I think I'm just processing here on the ol' blog. Anyhoo, enough of my ramblings, head on over HERE to see more of this beauty. Happy Monday! xo

Attention Seniors!

2012-01-28T08:38:00.000-08:00

It's the time of year for graduates to start booking their senior portrait sessions! Head on over here to get a chance at a discount off your session fee!

colds & cupcakes

2012-01-26T11:59:00.000-08:00

Last week Adam had a nasty cold, he just recently passed it on to me. Ugh. I hate being all congested and only having 1 nostril to breath out of (which I guess is better than none). I spent most of yesterday in bed or on the couch feeling icky. I did make the cupcakes on Tuesday (the cupcakes a couple posts down), they were good but not good enough to justify the effort (in my opinion). In other {exciting} news I finally got to see our family photos that we had done in November! I would say they were worth the wait! I'll definitely show my favorites when I have them in my hot little hands. :) Okay, I'm gonna go blow my nose, laters. xo

sorry for the blog lull

2012-01-24T07:15:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure what I've been up to but I haven't been blogging! Laaaaame I know. So, lets see what's been going on...

*we went to the most fabulous Star Wars birthday party for B's friend this weekend, SO cute! The mom went all out, each kid had a fun noodle that was made into a light saber, she made pretzel rods into light sabers for the favors, all the food was star wars-themed, the birthday boy and his siblings were all dressed up like star wars folks, she made this planet-type thing for the pinata, huge signs made to look just like the star wars signage, etc.. SO cute!

*we went to our friend's 35th birthday party and that was fun, fun to get a babysitter and hang with adults for an evening of sipping good wine, nibbling delicious cheese, and chatting with good friends.

*Mi Casa started back up last week so tonight will be the second of the semester. We're taking a break from doing dinner and meeting a little later so I'm looking forward to trying some desserts this semester instead. Mixing it up a bit over here!

*B is the "star student" at school this week. So today she got to take 2 show -and- tell items (not too shocking she picked 2 of her doggies). I had to send some photos of her to school, and fill out a questionnaire about her. I always feel kinda bad when they ask about her siblings and her pets...um, skip and skip! Not much to share on those fronts! (she told me again the other day how she really doesn't want a brother or a sister but she would like 1000 dogs).

*The weather here in Waco has been kind of awesome, low 70s, sunny, makes me glad I'm not snowed in like all my friends/family in Washington! Sorry guys! (but I'm sure some of you love it...right?)

* Speaking of Washington, I'm headed up there in 10 days! I'm not looking forward to the traveling aspect but am looking forward to being "home" for a few days and seeing some dear friends.

*I tried this new pasta with peas and ham recipe last week, Adam loved it, I thought it was just okay.

*I've got some little projects around the house I'm hoping to work on in the coming weeks. I really need to hang some stuff on the walls in B's room, I'd love to find a new light fixture for B's bathroom, and the fireplace needs a second coat of paint.

Okay, now I'm just rambling, I'm gonna stop. I hope you all have a lovely rest of your week, some photos of sweet senior girls are a comin'! xo

yes please!

2012-01-20T08:35:00.000-08:00

So I'm thinking of making these cupcakes today:

(Happy Birthday Mer, if you come over I'll give you one). :)

The recipe doesn't specify how to get the filling in the middle, I'm thinking the "cupcake center remover" my mom got me for Christmas might just be the ticket!

In other news, this morning I painted the brick around the fireplace. It was an ugly creamish/slightly pinkish color, now its white. Much much better (and done before 11am, I'm feeling quite productive!).

Have a great weekend everyone! xo

my letter bracelets

2012-01-18T07:08:00.000-08:00

"Mom, I know why you have such a big "B" bracelet, (pause) its because you love me so much."

Joanna's house is on designmom.com -CHECK IT OUT!!

2012-01-17T06:18:00.000-08:00

Gabrielle of designmom.com is doing a feature called "living with kids" on her blog and today she is featuring my friend Joanna's house!! Go check it out HERE!! Congratulations Joanna!!! xo

inspired, uninspired, inspired, uninspired

2012-01-16T08:24:00.001-08:00

I'm torn. I keep going back and forth between being super inspired, and then, totally uninspired. I don't like January (old news) but I do like fresh starts so I feel like I'm caught in this place of having ideas and being excited and then 2 seconds later being "blah" about it all. The other day I took some updated photos of Joanna's house for the Wacoan and her office space is particularly inspiring to me so I thought I'd share. Here's to getting some inspiration flowing and keeping the momentum going! Happy Monday! xo

sweet peas & snakes (installement #4? 5? 6?)

2012-01-13T06:46:00.000-08:00

Ay yi yi, I'm not even sure what I've been doing but the blog has been quiet so lets fix that shall we?

I think its time for another installment of sweet peas and snakes since I feel like I have all kinds of things swirling around my noggin.

SWEET PEAS:

*my sweet girl. we have this little thing we do where I say "you are the sweetest goose" and she says "and you are the snuggliest mama!" I'm pretty smitten with her.

*having freshly painted fingernails, I'm particularly enjoying "skull and glossbones" (by OPI) these days.

*cookie dough. I made some cookies the other night but didn't want to bake them all so I put the dough in the fridge. Just seeing it in there makes me happy and its so convenient to grab a bite here and there. :)

*cute new shoes that were inexpensive but desperately needed!

*the fresh start that January brings. As much as I dislike January in general, I do love the newness of it all.

*impromptu dinners with friends.

*church. Our church took 2 weeks off (our church is mainly Baylor students so when Baylor is on break its a ghost town around here) and after a 2 week break it was sooo good to be back.

*BAYLOR WINNING THE ALAMO BOWL AND RGIII WINNING THE HEISMAN!!!!!!!!!!!! All the stereo types about Texas and football are true, it is a hard core football state and to be in/from a small town in central Texas and have the Heisman winner is a BIG DEAL! (and just so I sound uber cool (insert sarcastic tone), RGIII goes to our church -HOLLA!!). We are super proud of the Baylor Bears and its so fun to see the signs all.over.town. showing their pride and excitement. Sic 'em bears!

*Now that Baylor is back in session, Winn Mi Casa will be ON next Tuesday! Looking forward to seeing my darlings and hearing about their break!

*SNAKES

*my new calendar. For some reason Martha Stewart decided to put Monday in Sunday's place so when I glance at it, it totally throws me off. WHY WHY would she do such a thing?! Who's calendar starts on Monday for petesake?! Grrrr.

*holiday weight gain (and possibly cookie dough in the fridge weight gain). Boo.

*finally biting the bullet and ordering way.too.expensive. boots only to get them and not like them and return them. booooo!!

*WINDY cold nights that force Adam and I into the guest room (don't get me wrong, I love the guest room but it all of a sudden goes from looking pretty and calm to a disaster w/ pillows and sheets strewn about). Sigh. My analness likes one room in the house to be put together! :)

*January. 'Nuff said.

*STILL not seeing our family photos that we had taken in NOVEMBER!!

*quarterly business taxes. Sigh. the downfall to owning your own business, the taxes that seem to be due all.the.time.!! Jan. 20th is a comin'!! Ick!

And b/c it seems like bad mojo to end this post on a "snake," I made these pancakes the other day and it has turned out to be a great recipe to have on hand. Have a great weekend, all! xo

guest room

2012-01-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

I don't have a "before" photo of the guest room b/c I didn't do anything in here. I didn't even paint so, not too much to show. I do love this room though, especially when the light pours through the window and into the hallway. I hate cluttered spaces so I wanted this room to feel cozy but also, somewhat minimalistic. It is a guest room after all so, didn't want it to be overly personal or have too much going on. The only things left to do in here are to get a window treatment and put a photo in that black frame! Adam and I sleep in this room pretty often when its cold b/c its the warmest room of the house (and in the summer its the coolest room). So visitors, come one, come all! We'd love to have you! xo

ugh...January

2012-01-09T08:04:00.000-08:00

This is my 5th January of blogging (man I've been doing this a long time!) and so for those of you who have been reading all five, or maybe even one or two, you know January is my least favorite month of the year. So, here we are, January 9th -ugh. I was planning to blog today (like w/ photos, etc.) but ran out of time. I need to be somewhere soon and haven't showered so, more to come tomorrow!

In total randomness, I can't believe how LOUD Texas thunderstorms are! Last night Adam and I awoke to the loudest, most startling thunder crack I have ever heard!! It about gave me a heart attack! Texans...tell me, do you ever get used to this?! Unreal.

Today is Adam's first day back to school after break, boo. And of course, last night he started getting sick. In the middle of the night he was up putting on 10 layers of clothes b/c he was chilled. Lovely timing isn't it? (he's been off work for a month!)

B goes back to school tomorrow and I think we're both ready for that. :)

Anyhoo, tomorrow I'm going to post photos of the guest room that is now done so if you care, tune in for that! Have a good day, everyone! xo

peek-a-boo!

2012-01-05T07:11:00.000-08:00

My last session of 2011 is blogged over here. Check it out! xo

always on the back burner

2012-01-03T07:03:00.000-08:00

When Adam and I made the decision to move to Waco, we said we would make it our home for a minimum of 3 years unless the "perfect job" came along. We have purposefully not applied to several jobs that Adam could potentially get b/c in all honestly, we love it here so much that it really wasn't worth it at the end of the day. We sometimes talk about how crazy it would be if our first house ended up being our last house, and how we moved here kinda on a whim, but what if it all actually worked out in the long run? What if Waco, Texas is home for good?! Since we've moved around so much the past 4ish years its weird to think about, but the part of me that has longed to be home loves the idea. Well, the reality is, having a job is important, benefits are important, stability (eh) is nice. So, with that said, every once in a while a "perfect job" comes along and Adam applies. This process is sooooo long that I literally forget most of the time that he's even applied somewhere.

**switching gears**

Incase I don't mention it enough, I loooooooooooove my house, love, in a ridiculous way to love something made of wood, love. I tell myself all the time, its just a thing, it could burn to the ground tomorrow and I shouldn't hold onto an earthly possession so tightly, in the whole grand scheme, it doesn't mean a hill of beans. Thats all true, and I believe that, but just keepin' it real, I love my house! I often say (somewhat jokingly) that I hope/plan to be buried in it. :) Okay, point made yes? Anyhoo..........Adam has applied to a job in Alabama, again, I rarely even think about it. BUT, just for kicks, the other day I looked at housing in Alabama to see whats out there (the thought of leaving my house makes me throw up in my mouth a little) and VERY few houses made my heart skip a beat like mine does BUT, I did come across this beauty:

look at this porch!!

I'm not sure how I feel about these columns...

but I love this old fireplace

I LOVE exposed brick but am not a fan of this small island or these cabinents

look at that awesome staircase!

typical odd bathroom in an old home

another old fireplace and I love those windows!

Anyhoo, if you've been following my blog for a while you know I love to look online at old homes so its not like like I'm gearing up to move...just fun to browse. :) Happy Tuesday, ya'll! xo

Happy 2012 New Year!

2012-01-01T07:16:00.000-08:00

I love a fresh start! I'm a total list maker and love to check things off, sometimes I make lists just to check things off. :) Anal much? Yes, yes I am. I actually haven't sat down and come up with goals for this year yet, I will though (my computer got a virus and then was in the shop, that threw me off for a couple days). Several of my goals will be the same as last year, some because they didn't happen and some just because I enjoyed them so much I want to do it again. Last night Adam and I were at a new years party and he looked at me and said "I wonder what this year holds for us?" Our life has been a bit of a question mark for the past 4, now going on 5 years- we really don't know where we are going to live long term, what Adam's job will look like, where our daughter will go to school in the fall, etc... Living this way used to make me crazy, I've learned to embrace it along the way but sometimes that is harder than others. What I do know for sure is that God is faithful, and really, that is all you need to know (even though I'd admittedly like to know much more!). So, what does 2012 hold for us? I don't have a clue, not even a little, but I look forward to finding out! Here's to new beginnings and embracing what comes our way! Happy New Year everyone! xo

image

Happy New Years....card

2011-12-30T18:00:00.000-08:00

So, I waited and waited and waited for our family photos to be done, its been about 7 weeks and we still don't have them. Boo. So, I let the idea go of a Christmas card, then I thought about doing a New Years card but thought, nah, I'm over it, I'll just do one next year. Then I got some promotional free shipping, 15% off purchase, etc.. so I bit the bullet and ordered some new years cards, BUT I only ordered a handful. They were still a chunk of money that I really didn't want to spend since I was already so over the whole thing. So, to ALL of my friends and family out there who aren't seeing one in their mailbox PLEASE forgive me! It doesn't mean I don't love you, that you aren't important, that you won't get one from us next year, etc.. this year, I just didn't decided to be a bit more minimalistic about it all. So, there is my full disclosure. BUT, here is what it looks like, so, its like I am sending it to ALL of you...right? :) Happy New Year to everyone out there reading this, with MUCH love, the Winns. xo

what we've been up to

2011-12-28T20:40:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the blog lull, we've been hanging out. My parents were in town for Christmas so that meant lots of cooking, baking, game playing, movie watching, and just being. As usual the visits go by fast and then we're back to a quiet house. Today I had my last photo shoot of the year and now I'm just taking a deep breath, getting ready to gear up for the new year. I have lots of thoughts swirling around my head, I'm hoping to get some time to think and pause a bit in the next few days so I can make some goals and plans for next year (how is it Dec. 28th already?!!).

Remember the cake I posted a few posts back? Well, I made it and it did not disappoint! I also made the peppermint "plate" for it to sit on (did you know that if you placed peppermints on a cookie sheet and baked it for a few minutes they would melt into each other making a pretty plate? Thank you Southern Living magazine!). Anyhoo, the cake isn't hard, just a bit time consuming due to the freezing of the cheesecake layers, etc. so if you want a YUMMY "wow" dessert I would definitely recommend it!

Okay, its almost 11pm here and I'm wiped! I'm off to bed, but I did finally get around to blogging a sweet newborn session so head on over here to see more! xo

Merry Christmas & happy holidays

2011-12-24T11:50:00.001-08:00

"The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world" ~ John 1:9

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas! xo

heart of darkness brownies & a favorite fam

2011-12-21T08:21:00.000-08:00

A dear friend of ours who lives on our street, goes to our church, and whom we spend a lot of time with is going on sabbatical for EIGHT long months. He leaves for London in 2 days, and won't be back for 225 days, whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. A group of us that gets together regularly had a little goodbye dinner for him last night, I was in charge of dessert. A friend recently bought me a dessert cookbook called something like "messy oooey goey" -I can't think of the exact title but anyhoo, you get the idea right? Well, last night I tried the "heart of darkness brownies" and let me tell you, they were a heart attack on a plate! There were 5 candy bars, 3 cups of marshmallows, over 3 cups of sugar, chocolate chips, carmel sauce, etc.. in them! Ay yi yi. Cleaning the pans was fun too in case you were wondering. :) It was a lovely evening of toasting and saying farewell to our friend, I already can't wait for him to come back, sniff.

In other news, I finally got around to blogging the cutie patootie Peters. Head on over HERE to check out their session! xo

The office is painted!

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I finally took some pics of the office yesterday! I am thrilled with the color, really happy with how the paint job turned out. For interested folks the color I used is called grizzle gray by Sherwin Williams.

Here is the "before" photo (I took this a picture a year and a half ago when we bought the house, apparently I'm really bad at remembering to take actual "before" photos):

After:

canvas photo by Shannon Stewart

Adam and I share the office, my desk is the industrial one, Adam's is the french one. One thing we didn't really take into consideration when thinking of this space was outlets. There aren't really any outlets that are close enough to my desk for my computer to reach. So, needless to say, I don't get much work done in here! Adam uses is all.the.time. though so I'm glad it gets some good use! (yes, we could get an extension cord but it would drag across the whole room, ugh)

I wish we could do away w/ the ceiling fan and put in a cool light fixture but since our home is 100+ years old and has horrible insulation (i.e. none) we really need the fan for the summer months in order to survive the heat. Oh well. One day I want to do away w/ the carpet and put in either white concrete or hardwood floors, that is waaaaaay down the line. The only things left I really need to do in here are to hang my "mwp" hooks (that are laying on the desk) and to get some window treatments. So, its close to being complete! I feel like this year was the year of furniture and painting in the Winn house and next year will be window treatments and light fixtures. Always something! Happy Tuesday all! xo

how is it Monday already?!

2011-12-19T08:05:00.001-08:00

This weekend flew by! I can't believe its Monday morning already! Okay, I'm all over the place this morning, kinda in a hurry and have lots of cleaning to do! I WILL post pictures of the office tomorrow (I know if I say it out loud I will get it done today). For today, I will leave you with a sneak peek of a sweet baby boy, more to come! Hope this is a great start to a fun week for everyone! xo

this made me laugh outloud & Seattle in February

2011-12-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

Brennan has been asking Adam and I about watching our wedding video for ages now. To be honest, I'm not sure why its taken us so long to get it out for her! Anyhoo, the other day we finally got to it and she was up in her room watching it (which I think is kinda cool:)) and she comes downstairs and says in a why/how didn't I know this kind of tone "hey! you know what?!" (with her hand on her hip), "granddad and grandpa used to have hair!!" Adam and I started busting up laughing, and we said "yes, B, they did used to have hair!" and then she goes on to say "and daddy doesn't have his goat!!!" I'm sure this story is loosing something in the translation but trust me, it was hysterical! I think she felt duped that all this time she didn't realize that her grandpas had hair at one point and she never knew! Made me laugh. So, I guess that's what she got out of watching our wedding video!

In other news, my trip to Seattle is officially booked! (woot woot!) I have one session scheduled while I'm there, I think I could squeeze in one more on Sunday, Feb. 5th if any one is interested. If you want it, email me: molly{at}mollywinnphotography{dot}com and we'll see if we can swing it!

Sorry, no pics today, yesterday was spent running around like a chicken w/ my head cut off - getting gifts shipped, groceries bought, shuttling B to her Christmas program at school (she was a candy cane for part of it and an angel for the other part -cutest thing EVER!). As we were getting ready to go to school she said to Adam "daddy, I don't have stagefrights any more, Jesus took it away." Sweet girl. So all that to say, pics to come another day! Have a fantastic weekend, all! xo

Layered Peppermint Cheesecake

2011-12-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

I plan to make this for Christmas Eve, I can.not. wait to taste it!

AND I posted a cute family photo session over HERE, check it out! xo

I spoke too soon

2011-12-14T07:02:00.000-08:00

So yesterday morning I thought I was over the worst of my sickness, I was wrong. About mid afternoon it all of a sudden hit me...AGAIN like a ton of bricks. So, pretty much most of my day was a total waste with very little accomplished. Sigh. My house is a pit, I have laundry stacked high, and little projects just waiting to be completed. I hate being sick!! I'm hopeful today will be a better day.

Here is a favorite of mine from a photo shoot I haven't had time to blog just yet, but I promise, more to come! xo

P.S. We still haven't seen the photos from our photo shoot that we had done over a month ago, so at this point I think its safe to say Christmas cards...not so much.

a nasty bug and a cute owl

2011-12-13T07:22:00.001-08:00

I just realized that this is my 1003 post! I was going to think of something unique/cool/fun, etc. to do for my 1000th post but clearly that ship has sailed. Darn it! Oh well, I guess now I'm off the hook for having to actually think of something unique/cool/fun, etc.. I really did have good intentions. :)

So I don't know what I caught/ate, etc. but I had the nastiest bug yesterday! I spent most of the day on the couch writhing in pain and moaning (in between trips to the bathroom of course...tmi?). Anyway, I'm feeling much better today but sluggish and blah. I hate being sick!

I had a whole list of things to get done today while B was at school, I'm thinking they aren't going to happen. Sigh. The office is officially all painted but I need to go around and clean up my moldings that took a beating. I also need to hang a couple things and then photos -promise!

For now, I will leave you with a sneak peek of this darling baby girl. Hope ya'll have a great day! xo

plumbing, peanut butter cookies, a purple toe, and a peek!

2011-12-12T07:23:00.000-08:00

This weekend was a busy one! It consisted of 2 photo shoots, 3 parties, 1 gathering (which is different than a party only b/c its a regular occurrence), 1 batch of cookie baking, and a plumbing crisis. Other than the plumbing crisis, it was a pretty good weekend!

First up: plumbing crisis-

After last year's whole sewage backup into the basement we put these senors downstairs, when water touches them they make a loud, obnoxious sound. Well, Sunday morning while I'm in the tippy top getting ready for church Adam is in the basement watching water pool. Lovely. Brennan and I head to church while Adam waits for the city folks to come check it out. The city folks come, tell us the backup isn't on their end and we're on our own! No problem, we have a home warranty that we pay for, we'll call our guys out! Well, our guys come out, tell us, yes, it is our problem BUT they won't fix it b/c access to the pipe isn't on our property line and they don't cover things not on our actual property. WHAT?!!!! Only the access to the pipe isn't on our property, the pipe IS but apparently they don't care about that. Third company of the day then comes out and fixes said problem. At the end of the day we were out $275, lovely timing 2 weeks before Christmas, no? (I seriously should start a a blog series called "the joys of home ownership" and open it up to the masses (well all 5 of you who read this :) and let everyone vent and share their horror stories). Fun times!

Next up: peanut butter cookies with hersey kisses -

We've all had these cookies right? Those yummy peanut butter ones w/ the fabulous hersey kiss in the center. Mmmm mmm mmm. During my junior year of college my roommate Kathy would make these and my other roommate Izzy and I would devour them the second they got out of the oven! I've always loved these but have never made them for myself. Well, I went to a cookie exchange party this weekend and had to bring 2 dozen cookies so, I googled a recipe and picked one to try. People, you've got.to.make.these.cookies.!! They are perfectly chewy, the baking time is exact, and they make like 4 dozen+, so a great option for a party or to spread some holiday cheer to friends! Here is the recipe link. Enjoy!

Third: purple toe -

Here is a photo (sooc) that I snapped after my fall that I talked about in my last post. Lest you think I was exaggerating about my poor toe (and don't look at my horribly chippy toenails!)

Lastly, sneek peek: -

Because blog posts are so much better with photos, and b/c this picture just makes me smile. More of this cute family to come! Happy Monday, all! xo

I fell...and it hurt....BAD

2011-12-08T20:12:00.000-08:00

Today I totally ate it, big time. I was running and I didn't see a step (a concrete step might I add), and I tripped, went flying, nearly head-on into a metal door. To protect my camera I threw my arm in front of it and landed on my arm in a funky way. My toe is hurting from the run-in with the step, my arm is sore from the rough landing, and my whole body aches from the fast fall. Ugh. Good news is my camera survived unscathed! Whew! I think my body is going to have a hard time getting out of bed tomorrow.

On a less painful note, here is sneak peek of a cute family session I'm working on, more to come! Hope everyone out there has a great weekend! xo

more randomness

2011-12-07T07:25:00.000-08:00

I just wrote a big ol' blog post and then hit "save." Do you ever do that? Write a letter, blog post, etc. knowing you very well might not send it/post it? Just to get your thoughts out there? I might publish it at some point, just not today. Funny me.

Okay, so yesterday we almost finished painting the office! Who hoo!! I had to stop to make pizza dough for mi casa. Can I just tell you my fears of yeast were confirmed!! I bought SIX packets of yeast just to be sure I would do it right. Here's the deal, I'm aware yeast needs a warm place to rise, my kitchen isn't exactly warm this time of year. When you take a bowl out of my cabinets it is c.o.l.d. So, naturally I ran the bowl under hot water and then did the yeast thing. I could tell it wasn't doing exactly what it should so I called my sis-in-law and she did it on her end in California (thanks Rachel!) so she could send me a pic, tell me how long hers took to respond, etc.. Well, after using all SIX batches, 2ish kinda turned out. I had the bowls of dough rising in the guest room (the warmest room of the house) but I still don't think they got as full as they should have. Sigh. Anyhoo, we put the dough on the grill, and sent one of our mi casa gals to the store to get some store-bought dough as well (to make sure everyone had enough). It worked out okay, it just wasn't exactly what it should have been, still tasty though.

What else...oh, I FINALLY found the per.fect. mirror for my bedroom! It was just what I had in mind for the space so happy birthday to me! I will try and remember to take a pic to post! I love checking things off my list! (esp when I look for an item for a really long time!)

I have to get going, gotta take B into the dr since her UTI is lingering. Poor girl. I hope you all have a great Wednesday! xo

************updated- photos of mirror!***************

why is it so hard to be motivated to paint a second coat?

2011-12-06T06:58:00.000-08:00

I've done enough painting in the past year and a half that I know how I work. I get super excited to start a project and get it going, and then when I see progress...I tend to loose some steam. Sigh. I have one coat of paint done in the office and one to go, and my motivation to finish has taken the back seat. I'm SO type A so don't get me wrong, this project WILL be done in the near future but the truth is, it should have and could have been done by now. Sigh.

In other randomness, I'm DYING to see our family photos that we had done 3+ weeks ago. Still haven't even gotten a peek and my curiosity is about killing me. Can't wait!

I'm debating not doing Christmas cards this year. I feel like I go through this internal struggle every year and I always end up doing them but this year...I just don't know. I think at the very least I've tossed out the idea of designing my own (which I prefer), I don't know that I want to pour that much energy/time/thought/money into it this year. I'm also thinking about just ordering a handful and not sending out a million (okay not a million but a lot) like I usually do. I do love getting Christmas cards, opening my mailbox each day is like a little treat this time of year, no?

Its starting to get cold here in Waco, the low is 27 degrees tonight! Brrrr!! This Texas skin is quite thin these days and this is just crazy cold! Our bedroom is starting to become a freezer like it has proven to do this time of year. You literally get a chill walking down the hallway as you enter our room (the joys of living in a 100 year old home). :)

Tonight is our last mi casa of the semester, crazy how time flies! My darlings said they wanted to do make-your-own pizzas for dinner so I'm going to make this pizza dough that is specific to grilling the pizza, hope it turns out! My sis -in- law makes it every year on our vacation and its so yummy! (poor Adam has to stand in the cold and grill the pizzas, brr!!) I'm afraid of cooking anything w/ yeast so fingers crossed it turns out!

The end of the year is close at hand so its got me thinking a lot about the "new years goals" I made in January. I don't think there has ever been a year that my goals have been on the forefront of my mind more than this year. I think something about putting them "out there" for the world to read has kept me accountable and motivated (well, for the most part, there were some things I straight up dropped the ball on).

I took B to get her picture taken w/ Santa yesterday. We have done this every year since she was born (b/c my mom made me do it until I was in college thus I plan to torture my child in the same way). Its fun to see how she interacts w/ Santa the older she gets. She happily sat on his lap and told him she wanted a puppy (poor girl) and an American girl doll (poor parents...literally!). I think Santa was worried about this one and gave a sheepish "we'll have to see" -can't blame the guy, talk about setting him up for failure! No dogs will be coming into this house for Christmas! (but B's American girl doll is on its way, shhhh!)

My parents are coming to Texas for Christmas! My dad has never been to Texas and I don't know how many years its been since my parents have spent Christmas away from their house (at least 30, right mom?) so we are super excited to have them! B has already made cards to welcome them and we talk daily about how many more days it is until they get here. I feel like such an adult hosting my parents for Christmas. :) Fun!

Well, this post of randomness is getting a bit long so although I'm sure I could keep going I'll stop here for now. I better scrounge up some gumption and get to painting! Ciao for now! xo

In keeping with randomness, here is a random photo! These photos I took were on display at Joanna's home for her holiday show. If any past/future clients want to order these "stand outs" from their session let me know! I have a couple around my home and I love them! A fun, less expensive, frameless option to canvas!

Erin had her baby! and Seattle in February?

2011-12-05T05:00:00.000-08:00

Hello dear readers! Hope you all had a great weekend! We purchased and decorated our Christmas tree, contributed to the chili expo at church, helped B survive yet another UTI (booo!!!!), and watched the Baylor Bears kick some UT bootie! All in all, it was a good weekend! I painted 1 coat in the office and have 1 more to go, hoping to get the office all wrapped up this week, and then photos!! Woot woot! I can't wait to check that off my to-do list! In other news, I might be in Seattle the first weekend of February, if I can swing this trip I will have time for 1-2 photo sessions. If you are interested in a session, shoot me an email: molly{at)mollywinnphotography{dot}com and we'll see if we can make it happen! That is all the news around these here parts on this Monday morning. To see Erin's sweet pea head on over here! xo

she throws the best parties!

2011-12-02T07:15:00.000-08:00

The other day B asked me to take some pictures of the tea party that she was hosting in her bedroom. I happily obliged. I love her attention to detail, the bears have napkins, the food thoughtfully placed, etc. she really does think it all through. :) She even has her dogs in their dog houses in the back. Cutie. Have a great weekend, all! xo

wellllllllll............

2011-11-30T06:31:00.001-08:00

I didn't get one Christmas decoration out yesterday and I ran out of paint a couple hours into my project. So, although the office isn't even half done, I can already tell I'm going to LOVE my color choice! I think it makes the room look so much more cozy and unique.

For mi casa last night we busted out our new grill (thank you Mike!!) and grilled some hot dogs! It was a tad cold outside for grilling but they tasted delish! All in all, a pretty good day! Not much going on today, B doesn't have school on Wednesdays so we're just hanging out. Have a great Wednesday all, and head over here to see this fun mini session! xo

on tap for today

2011-11-29T06:25:00.000-08:00

So, I bit the bullet, I picked out a paint color for the office...and its DARK. I wanted to try something out of the box for me, something more daring and that would make a bold statement. I figured the office was the place to try something like this in, a smallish room, Adam and I are really the only ones ever in it, its a creative space so it would make sense to take a risk, etc. I've only painted part of one wall to see if I could handle it without sucking my thumb and rocking in a corner and so far, I think I can! I'm such a fan of white/open/airy spaces so this is definitely a risk. Of course I'll share some photos when I'm done, hoping it won't take too long!

We had an impromptu dinner party last night (which really just means some friends were here and ended up staying for dinner), we had T-Day leftovers, they were tasty! I'm glad my fridge has some more space in it and the 5lbs of potatoes I made are going to good use! We have mi casa tonight, I have no clue what we're having for dinner...gotta figure that out.

B went back to school today!! After a week and a half off the girl was ready, and truth be told, so was I! I'm looking forward to getting a lot done today! I still have pumpkin decor all over the house and it wasn't until yesterday that "Happy Thanksgiving!" got erased from the chalkboard! I gotta get into Christmas mode around here!

Okay, those are my ramblings for this fine Tuesday morning! I'll leave you with a sneak peek of this newborn session I'm working on, more of this cutie pie to come! xo

what I'm thankful for

2011-11-25T09:31:00.001-08:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, we sure did! I loved all the new recipes I tried and have leftovers for weeks! If anyone wants some food, come on over!! On my other blog I posted what I'm thankful for, go check it out here. Have a great weekend everyone! xo

Thanksgiving Day Line Up

2011-11-22T17:00:00.000-08:00

So I know I said in a previous post I didn't want to "over do" it since it was just going to be 4 of us at Thanksgiving this year (and one of those 4 being a 5 year old very picky eater) but as I was making the list of Thanksgiving "must haves" I realized, too bad, we're going to have a lot of food! The one thing I decided to let go of due to time was the goat cheese risotto that I made last week for mi casa. It was SO good and as much as I'd love to eat it again, there just isn't room in my cooking schedule (or my belly) to make it happen. So, with that said, here is the Winn T-Day food line up:

I'm trying Ina Garten's Perfect Roast Turkey for the first time, hope its good!

I'm trying Baked Bree's Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes for the first time. I don't have a food mill (yet, hoping to get one at some point) but I'm hoping it won't matter too much.

I'm making pretty standard but oh so delicious sweet potatoes topped with mini marshmallows.

I'm taking Rhodes frozen rolls out of the bag, letting them sit at room temperature all day and baking them. Not from scratch but so tasty!

I must have the very classic and typical green bean casserole, so thats easy enough!

I'm trying Ina Garten's Herb and Sausage Stuffing for the first time, looks good!

I'm also making Ina's gravy, seems easy enough so I hope it is! And I still have Cognac left over from Ina's beef bourguignon! Score, no trip to the drive in liquor store for me! :)

I'm making a creamed corn recipe that I got from my friend Lauren years ago, I make it every year b/c its the nectar of the gods. Its seriously one of my favorite things ever!

I'm trying this cranberry sauce for the first time, and last but not least, a chocolate peanut butter pie! Adam isn't a huge fan of pumpkin and since he's 1/4 of the people who will be eating I figure, I better make something he'd like. I've never tried this recipe before, it was in my food network magazine, fingers crossed it will be delish!

Hope everything turns out, I'm ready to roll up my sleeves and get cookin'!

the benefits of being sick

2011-11-21T07:02:00.000-08:00

I've felt pretty nasty the past several days, I think I'm on the mend though! A couple benefits to being sick are:

#1 I haven't had much of an appetite so the scale is down several pounds, who hoo!

#2 I have been in bed the majority of the weekend which means I've had lots of time to edit and blog!

Head on over here to see some of my favorites from this wedding. Happy Monday everyone! xo

sickie

2011-11-18T07:15:00.000-08:00

Ugh, I hate being sick. So far this is day 3 and its the worst so far, stuffy, congested, sore/scratchy throat, etc. Ick! Poor Adam has been doing everything and I've been laying around like a bump on a log. He leaves this morning for 5 days! Double Ick! Im foreseeing the t.v. on way too much and poor little B being bored and missing her daddy like crazy (which she always does when he's gone, but if mom is sick, even more so!).

I've been looking online for delicious turkey recipes and trying to figure out all the sides that I want to try. I think there are only going to be 4 of us this year so don't want to go too overboard. Does any one have any "must try" Thanksgiving dishes they want to share? (Jenny, thanks for the turkey recipe, I just might try it!).

Here is a fave of the ninner from her birthday session, more to come! Have a great weekend everyone! xo

Ella's Fairy Garden Party...

2011-11-17T07:20:00.001-08:00

...is being blogged over here today!

I made my first turkey yesterday!

2011-11-16T06:38:00.000-08:00

So last night the Winn mi casa celebrated an early Thanksgiving! Since this was our last get together before actual Thanksgiving we thought it was now or never. I made a turkey for the first.time.ever. and it turned out! I watched the cooking show the other day and 2 recipes stood out to me, so, I gave them a whirl! I made this cranberry and orange glazed turkey and this pumpkin and goat cheese risotto! I LOOOOVE anything having to do w/ goat cheese and pumpkin (and it has bacon) so I figured I couldn't go wrong! The risotto did not disappoint and the turkey was delish (if I do say so myself!). We are hosting Thanksgiving again this year, cousin Mike is flying in from the Bahamas to join us (woot woot!) so that will be lots of fun. I think I'll try a different recipe for the turkey, something more savory rather than sweet (just to mix it up a bit), but the risotto might need to make another appearance. :) Also, the turkey I made last night, it had to be cut up into 6 parts while raw, I was reading online how to do this and needless to say...it was difficult. I asked the butcher at the grocery store about it and he said they used to do it but they don't do it any more. He didn't know of anywhere in town that would do it either so, I was on my own. I was up to my elbows in turkey carcase thinking there had to be a better way. Needless to say, I'm going to cook my next bird whole!

So I hardly ever get sick but I woke up this morning feeling a sickness coming on, ugh. Adam is about to go out of town for 5 days for his yearly conference so the timing is lovely (insert sarcastic tone and eye roll). If you don't hear from me for a while, its probably b/c I'm holed up in bed. Sigh. I had ambitions of painting the office while Adam was gone, we'll see if I can muster the strength (and more importantly, narrow down a color!).

Sorry, no pictures to show today, I still have many things to blog, its just been nuts around here as usual. More to come! xo

Magnolia Holiday Show THIS Thursday!

2011-11-14T14:59:00.000-08:00

Okay Wacoans, Joanna's holiday show is this week! Everyone head over to 1 Carriage Sq on Thursday the 17th from 9am-5:30pm and pick out something fabulous!

what are ya'll up to this weekend? (and a sneak peek!)

2011-11-11T06:24:00.000-08:00

I feel like I'm almost at the end of my rat race, and I'm not gonna lie, I'm g.i.d.d.y. about it. I often don't go into too much personal stuff on this blog, there is a time and a place and the place is often not here...for any lookie-loo to see/read. It's been a tough week, some hard family news this week has left my heart pretty burdened. Not a great time for a girl who loves her birthday to have her birthday! Thank you to ALL of you who sent cards, emails, phone calls, texts, facebook messages, etc. it was so so appreciated and I felt really cared for and loved. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times, God is good all the time.

So, this weekend wraps up the Winn crazy, we are getting our family photos taken (which we do once a year every year). I would much prefer to be behind the lens but I make myself step in front of it yearly and the time is now. I had hoped I would have been more disciplined and been down more than 5lbs but alas, that's where I'm at. Hope they turn out cute! (now, if I could just figure out what we're gonna wear! ay yi yi so unlike me to wait this long to figure it out!!)

Mi casa groups have to help facilitate our church service twice a semester, this weekend is my mi casa's turn so we've got that going on, and a birthday party for sweet little Everett who turns 3! It's going to be a busy weekend but then, the calm comes (before the holiday craziness of course!).

So, that's what's on tap for the Winns, what are ya'll up to this weekend? I'd love to hear all about it!

And now, here is a sneak peek of the ninner. I do a birthday shoot with her every year and I'm pretty darn happy with how this year's turned out! Can't wait to share all my favorites soon! Have a fantastic weekend, everyone! Lots of love from Waco, Texas! xo

**A huge and sincere thank you to all the veterans who serve and have served this country, may you feel honored today. **

head on over to Plum!

2011-11-10T06:34:00.000-08:00

Read more about why you should here (as if you need a reason!). Happy Thursday! xo

Brennan's Unicorn Birthday Party

2011-11-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

Brennan decided in.... oh, I don't know.... April (I think) that she wanted a unicorn birthday party. She said she wanted the colors of the party to be pink, yellow, and white, and she wanted a 3 tiered birthday cake. The girl had a vision! It was a fun afternoon of decorating unicorn cookies, making unicorn necklaces and bracelets, coloring unicorns, and playing pin the horn on the unicorn. To quote B "this is the best birthday EVER!" So, I'd say it was a success! Happy 5th birthday my precious girl! xo

It must be said, I could not have pulled this afternoon off without the help of 2 of my mi casa darlings, Carlee and Casey! Also, I can take no credit for the cake or the unicorn horns, that was all my talented friend Emily. Thanks gals! xo

Brennan's unicorn birthday morning

2011-11-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

This post is really for the grandparents. :) B opening up her gifts on the morning of her birthday, sweet girl. I want to remember her crazy bedhead and her excited look when she opened her Rapunzel doll she was hoping for. How is my baby 5 already?!!!

Sneak Peek!

2011-11-07T06:32:00.001-08:00

I'm in a big rush this morning but wanted to get a post up of a sneak peek from a wedding I shot this weekend. More to come! Happy Monday all! xo

the painted built ins!

2011-11-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I finally got around to taking pictures of the painted built ins! I am SO glad I decided to bite the bullet and paint them white, it makes such a difference in that room! It is so much lighter and airier and just makes me feel so much more at home if that makes sense. I laid out several things that I had for the bookshelves, got out some fall decorations, and my friend Joanna came over and worked her magic and made them look so pretty! Built ins are tough for a minimalist like myself, I h.a.t.e. clutter and can't stand "busy" spaces so its really hard to fill empty shelves with "things" and not have it look cluttered or just plain empty. So, without further ado, here is the before and after!

Before:
I didn't think to take a photo how it was before they were painted, this is the photo I took right after we bought the house so, although its hard to tell how it really was w/out furniture, etc. you can see how dark it was.

After:
Okay, so to say I hate the light fixtures in this room would be an understatement. I haaate them. I have been trying to find something that meets the criteria I'm looking for and after looking through thousands (literally) of fixtures, I still can't find what I want. They cast a yellow sheen on every.thing. and its very unattractive lighting and makes everything appear a different color. Ick! So, try to ignore the bad light/fixtures and imagine the walls a creamier white than the built ins (painting them is on the ever growing to-do list). And, we are planning to move the couch. Now that we have a sectional sofa it really cuts the room in half so the goal is to move the couch to the corner and open up the room, stay tuned on that front too!

You can see I took off the shade on the sconce b/c I decided I'd rather have it bare than that hideous yellow light! Maybe I can just say I'm going for an "industrial" feel.:)

Happy Friday and have a great weekend! xo

this mini session...

2011-11-03T06:40:00.000-07:00

is being blogged over here today!

My birth story is being featured on Design Mom!!

2011-11-02T12:45:00.000-07:00

So cool, Gabrielle Blair of design mom is featuring my birth story on her blog today, go check it out here!

my baby girl is 5 today (sniff!)

2011-11-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

How can it be?! FIVE already?! I know I say this every year but 5 seems like big time to me, like no more little girl, but a big girl who's going to leave me next year all day every day to go to school. WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

Oh Brennan Grace, your daddy and I love you beyond anything you can imagine. You are growing up before our very eyes, asking lots of (good!) questions, you are a deep thinker and don't take our simple answers any more! You recently said your favorite color was no longer pink but yellow, this was a big deal. You are still a picky eater and you don't like shoes, especially if they require you to wear socks. You still want to wear a skirt or a dress about every day. You make your daddy and I laugh all the time, the other day I asked you how you got to be so cute and you pointed up, I asked "Jesus?" and you said "yes." He does get the credit, but do I get a little? (especially considering I carried you in my belly for 7 months and have stretch marks?) :) You love to go to church and have such a tender heart. You are nice to everyone and you care about other's feelings, that makes me so proud. You are beautiful inside and out and I'm so glad I get to be your mom.

Happy 5th birthday my precious girl, I hope you enjoy your unicorn party and that it is everything you want it to be. I love you. xo

Happy Halloween 2011!

2011-10-31T21:59:00.000-07:00

According to the clock its 11:59pm here in Waco, 1 minute to do a legit Halloween post! I hope you all had a fun Halloween, we did! We started off at our church trunk or treat and then headed to the burbs to trick or treat with some friends. B scored way more candy this year than last so I would say it was a success!

Here is my cute Dorothy...

Cecilia's Fiesta is being blogged...

2011-10-30T18:14:00.000-07:00

over HERE. Check it out!

Happy 35th Birthday to my sweet husband!

2011-10-29T15:04:00.001-07:00

I can't really explain how this particular shade of green frosting came to be but it sure tasted good! Happy birthday Adam, B and I love you to bits! xo

OUCH and have a good weekend!

2011-10-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

So the other day I dropped a calphalon pot on top of my right foot. This photo was taken 5 or so days after it happened. It hurt. Bad. Anyhoo, theres a little randomness for ya from down here in Waco! Hope ya'll have a good weekend and aren't as clumsy as me in the kitchen! xo

(This photo is sooc)

Waco Trivia

2011-10-27T07:27:00.000-07:00

Did you know that Waco is the home/birth place of Dr. Pepper? Well, it is! Waco has its very own Dr. Pepper museum (which, I'll be honest, I haven't been too yet -but I will, its like 5 minutes from my house). When I picked out this location for my minis I didn't even notice the old Dr. Pepper symbol on the wall, but when I saw it, I became even more smitten with this spot. It's no secret I love shooting in urban locations, but I also love something unique that brings a special element to a location. There is some definite Waco pride for those of us who call Waco home, there is just something about the ol' 254 that is pretty awesome. I love that this family loves Waco, and that their photos have a little Waco symbolism in them. To see more of this mini session, head on over here. Happy Thursday, all! xo

crunch time

2011-10-25T07:13:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year, I'm starting to feel the crunch. Yesterday I was just plain grouchy to my poor husband and daughter b/c I'm feeling the walls closing in. Deep breaths. Just one day at a time, right?

Here is a cutie patootie who I get to hang out with regularly. His family had a mini session with me this weekend, more to come! xo

The Girl Next Door

2011-10-24T13:26:00.001-07:00

A cute shop is being blogged over here. Happy Monday, all! xo

signing off early for the weekend!

2011-10-20T11:13:00.001-07:00

Hi All!
I'm getting a good start on my many projects I have going on so I won't be blogging tomorrow, so have a great weekend and head on over HERE to see this cute fam! xo

its just been plain crazy around here!

2011-10-19T06:39:00.000-07:00

Whew! It's been a little nuts around here! This past weekend I painted Brennan's bathroom, it still needs 1 more coat so I'm not 100% sure how I feel about it yet but I think I like the color. :) (I really do think picking out paint colors can qualify as torture)

The fair was in town and our friend got us tickets so we took B to the fair on Saturday night, that was fun! Nothing like snow cones, funnel cake, cotton candy, etc. to make you feel awesome about yourself! (of course totally worth it though!)

I went on B's fieldtrip to the news station the other day, the kids ended up being on the news that night! It was so cute, they were asked about their Halloween costumes, etc... B's interview didn't make it on the news but she was on there looking cute!

I'm in full on "go mode" (as I called it last year) with birthday planning in full swing, holiday photo sessions going on, house projects half completed, etc.. I do like feeling like I'm checking things off my list but my list just keeps growing!

Wacoans: Speaking of holiday photos and Halloween, I was talking w/ some friends and wanted to throw an idea out there...I know a lot of moms spend a lot time/planning/sometimes making their kids Halloween costumes. I was thinking of setting up a photo booth in my back yard and offering 5 minute sessions of your kiddos in their Halloween costumes. You would get 1-2 digital images and the cost would be around $15-20 per kid (if you had 3+ kids there would be a discount). Anyhoo, I said I would put this out there and if I got enough response I would do it. So, if you're interested give me a holler (molly@mollywinnphotography.com) and let me know!

What else...oh, recipes! Okay, I've made a couple new things lately, I made this honey balsamic chicken a while ago, my chicken wasn't totally thawed so the texture wasn't quite right, good flavor though and if your chicken is fresh should be just great! I also made these cheesy pretzels the other day, the recipe came from an old cookbook so I can't share it this very moment but they were a tasty snack!

I also made Ina's Lemon Chicken, and the food networks white chicken chili (which I got out of the magazine, maybe the recipe is online?). I didn't love the lemon chicken but I did LOVE the chili, way better than the last recipe I tried and definitely a repeater!

In other exciting news, fall has come to Waco! It's so crazy how quickly the weather changes here! Two days ago it was 90 degrees and now its in the low 70s and our room was cold this morning! Hooray for fall!!

I'm super excited about the house projects that are going on, when they finally get done I promise to share photos! Happy Wednesday! xo

sneak peek of a session I'm working on!

this maternity session...

2011-10-17T14:33:00.000-07:00

...is being blogged over here today!

B and her pink skirt in the kitchen

2011-10-14T07:23:00.001-07:00

The other day B was standing on a chair looking out the window in the kitchen, I thought she looked so sweet so I ran and grabbed my camera. *Disclaimer: I hadn't combed her hair yet (but truth be told it looks like this shortly after I do anyway!) and yes, clearly my floors needed cleaning! :)

spied&wanted

2011-10-13T10:17:00.000-07:00

I would LOVE this light fixture for my kitchen but I think I would want plain glass shades, not these beveled/bumpy ones.

the surprise of hope

2011-10-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

I had no intention of blogging today but I just had to share my heart for a moment. I have a lot on my mind, its a crazy time of year for me (like always) but that aside there are some other little things that occupy my thoughts way too much of the time. And the bottom line is, I need to trust more. Today with one little email I was reminded of how quickly things can change (for the better, this isn't a sad post :). This email didn't guarantee anything or promise anything, but it was a reminder, a reminder of the hope that can come with a snap of the fingers. So, with that email, I have hope, hope that I didn't have moments ago. I guess I'm sharing this incase someone out there reading this needs a little hope, or just the reminder that things can change for the better in an instant. Hang in there, God is good, all the time. xo

Happy Monday!

2011-10-10T06:36:00.000-07:00

I hope you all had a nice weekend! We had the built-ins painted (they are finishing up this morning) so far it looks great! It POURED down rain here, (which was a huge blessing since we're in such a drought) so it was nice having the windows open to air out the house and not melt! The house is currently in total chaos with furniture strewn about and hardware and doors all over the place. When things get a little more put back together, pics to come! For now, head on over here to check out these love birds. Have a great day! xo

P.S. Due to a scheduling conflict I had to take off 2 of the mini sessions, so now there are only 8 versus 10. If you want one, let me know!!

pot roast and a sneak peek

2011-10-07T06:57:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday, all!! Well, my new recipe this week was Ina Garten's Company Pot Roast. Adam (essentially) said it was the best meal I've ever made and that he might consider asking me to make that for his birthday every year as opposed to going out for ribs. You could say it was a winner. :) (well, I guess that depends on who you ask, Brennan dipped a few pieces in ketchup and had a disgusted look on her face until I told her she could be all done). Here is a sneak peek at an engagement session I'm working on, more to come! Have a great weekend everyone! xo

I've made a decision...FINALLY

2011-10-05T07:33:00.000-07:00

So remember a long time ago when I asked the question about whether or not I should paint some/all of the wood in my living room? A lot of you weighed in and I really appreciated it. I decided to live in the house for a while as is and really think about what I wanted to do. Well, here we are a little over a year later and I've made a decision. For the record, yes, several of you said I should do this so I'm now officially giving you all the credit. I'm going to paint the built-ins white! I'm not painting the beams, the french doors, the floors, the staircase, etc. only the built-ins and I couldn't be happier about it! Its true, the wood on the built-ins is different from the other wood, the quality isn't the same and it does kind of have a cheap-ness look to it (which is hard to see in pictures). I think it will make that room SO.MUCH.LIGHTER. that I will be amazed. The painters are coming on Saturday and I am giddy to see the result! As with everything I do these days, one project leads to another, so, once the built-ins are painted I think the walls are going to be re-painted. Ay yi yi. For those if you who endured my paint fiasco for that room last year, yes, its true, I'm starting over. BUT, this time, I'm just painting them white. The walls will be a different white than the built-ins to add some contrast but I think the room will be so much airier and brighter which I'm really excited about! So, stay tuned for some before/after shots! It will take some time but they will be coming! Fingers crossed that I'm making a good choice! :) Happy Wednesday! xo

these love birds....

2011-10-04T06:23:00.000-07:00

are being blogged over here today! xo

color or black&white?

2011-10-03T05:43:00.000-07:00

I've had several people ask me about how I like the new couch, sorry I forgot to update! I LOVE the new couch!! It really is just what I wanted and its so nice to have more space to sit!! With that said, it seems that everything I "fix" lately it creates about 3 more issues that need to be addressed. So, now that the couch is here, it really cuts off the room so I'm thinking it needs to be moved where the armoire is that houses the tv. Well, that is the only wall in the room for that piece of furniture so now I'm thinking we need to move the armoire to the guest room (which is totally fine) but then where do we put the tv?! Herein lies my issue. Sigh. The other thing is that we attempted to move the old couch to the tippy top for some much needed seating up there but alas, after several attempts and scratching up the walls, the couch won't fit up our narrow stairs that lead to the third floor. BIG SIGH. So, now we have walls that need to be re-painted (well, touched up any way), a couch we need to sell, and a new seating situation we need to figure out for the tippy top. So, yeah, fixed 1 thing and created a couple more things to fix! Ay yi yi. Clearly very insignificant things to ramble about but that's the haps over here!

Here is a sneak peek from an engagement session I'm working on, what say you...color or black and white? I originally thought the color would be the no brainer choice for me but after seeing the black and white I'm not sure. Thoughts?

new armoire and randomness

2011-09-30T06:22:00.000-07:00

I was planning on painting Brennan's bathroom today but I woke up with a stiff neck! Don't you hate it when you sleep funny and it throws you all off? Boo. So I guess I'll do yard sale prep and get out my pumpkins instead. :) Bring on October!!!

This was a good week in the Winn household (well, for me anyway!). At the last minute a band member was able to finagle me a vip pass to the sold out David Crowder Band show in Austin, that was pretty darn cool, if I do say so myself! I was so thankful to be there! I got home around 1am on Wednesday night and am still playing catch up on my sleep. So, tiredness w/ bad neck=a likely not productive day for me (but worth it of course!).

Oh, B's birthday invites from Croatia made it!! So, it was closer to the 8 day guestimation versus the possible month! Who hoo!

Another cool thing that happened this week was we had some folks over for dinner and w/out even asking, when the guys in the group saw the armoire sitting in the living room they started to hatch a plan to move it upstairs! I was so thankful, really, that was such a huge/heavy/awkward piece and they got it right where it needed to be! And once they got it up there they brought the old one downstairs so I could sell it (and one of them ended up buying it!). Awesomeness all around. So, without further ado, here is the new (old) armoire that replaced the other one. A big improvement, I think. Hope all of you have a great weekend! xo

this is a weird angle but I thought it showed it a bit better

MWP Holiday Mini Sessions!

2011-09-28T06:26:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again! Molly Winn Photography holiday mini sessions are now available! Head on over here to get the deets!

Urban or Rural...it's your choice! Hurry, go sign up NOW!!!!!!!!!!!

Ask 5 for 5

2011-09-27T06:56:00.000-07:00

One of my best friends has asked me to participate in this, and I am, and you should too. Please take just a minute to read what's going on in our world and give $5 and ask your friends/family to do the same. Change the world, literally. Thank you! xo

its up! its up!

2011-09-26T06:02:00.000-07:00

I'm short on words today, I joined a Bible study that meets a little too early on Monday mornings so I gotta get going! :) But head on over here to see a gor.geous. home! Happy Monday all! xo

if its not one thing, its another

2011-09-23T06:35:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the slow blog week, I was in Austin all day yesterday picking up my camera (well, and hanging out at Ikea) and just haven't gotten around to it. Hopefully next week will be better!

So, I've now been a home owner for 1 year and a handful of months. I knew buying a home would mean a never ending list of "to dos" but the unexpected problems really don't ever go away do they? (or, do they but not if you own a 101 year old home?). We've definitely had some home repairs in our house in the year we've lived in it and it just keeps on goin'! Yesterday afternoon I walked into the bathroom (that is downstairs) and noticed the floor was damp...odd. Then I felt a drop of water on my shoulder and looked up to see the ceiling cracking and water pouring out...lovely. This was taking place during Brennan's bath (which of course was taking place directly above me). Last year we had a similar leak about 5 feet away from the same bathroom but rather than coming from the tub it was coming from the toilet. SIGH. So, I've got a call into our home warranty company and am waiting for someone to come out and rip open my ceiling. Ay yi yi...its always something!! And of course my to-do list just for my own little house projects continues to get longer rather than shorter, how does that happen?!I feel like I'll cross something off and then add 3 more things!

I do get to cross one thing off my list that's been bothering me. Remember when I showed pics of my bedroom and there was that pine armoire that needing a make over? Well, it was painted several months ago (not by me) and it didn't turn out quite like I had envisioned. Needless to say, I found a replacement for it this week! It was reasonably priced and really, just what I was looking for. So, its currently laying in my living room b/c Adam and I aren't sure which army to recruit to help us get it up the stairs...fun times. :) So, once that is in place, I will take a pic and post it here! Yeah, one thing that got "done!"

Several months ago we ordered a new couch for our downstairs so the couch downstairs can go in the tippy top. The guy just called and the couch is ready so Adam gets to drive to Austin tomorrow to pick it up! I have virtually no idea what it will look like since it was a custom order, (the fabric swatch was pretty small and I did a different layout than what was in the photo so, I'm not gonna lie, I'm a tad nervous). Fingers crossed it exceeds my expectations (she said sheepishly)! :)

I've decided I'm going to do another yard sale (yes, I've done MANY since living here, only they are never in my yard but this one will be!) so, I'll be posting a few things on here in the next week to see if anyone wants them before they get added to the ol' yard sale stack.

I think that's all the news for now. Thanks for enduring my ramblings, hope ya'll have a lovely weekend and pics to come! xo

Here's another pic from the house I showed below, a full post coming, promise!

French Onion Soup & White Chicken Chili

2011-09-20T06:34:00.000-07:00

I've made 2 new soup recipes these week, first up, this french onion soup. I love french onion soup and have never tried making it before so I thought I'd give it a whirl. Here are my 2 cents on this recipe, it was indeed very tasty but different from other french onion soups I've tried. I think since it uses red onions it gave it a bit of a different flavor. I do think there was not enough broth compared to how much "stuff" there was in the pot. If I make it again I will definitely add more stock, or possibly only use 1 1/2 onions versus 2.

Last night I tried this white chicken chili recipe, it was good! Adam told me he loved it and wanted me to make it again. Here are my 2 cents on this dish, it wasn't as thick as I thought it would be, seemed more like a soup than a chili to me. It tasted good but Adam accidentally brought home parsley versus the cilantro that I asked him to get so I think if it had the cilantro it would've added more punch which I think it needed. All in all, very good though and definitely worth repeating. Hope you enjoy! And because posts are so much better with photos, here is a sneak peek at the lovely home I photographed last week! More to come!

odds n' ends

2011-09-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hey there! I hope this post finds you all well. Not too much exciting stuff going on in the Winn household this week, lets see:

*I bought some new pillows and I love them (don't you love when you hang onto a gift card for a really long time and use it for something you just love? love that!)

*I took a day trip to Austin all by myself to drop my camera/lenses off for a good cleaning (Austin is the closest place to take it!! 2 hours!)

*I love Austin and kinda wish I could pick up Waco and move it closer (only kinda though)

*While in Austin I made a trip pretty out of the way just to get a cupcake from "Hey Cupcake!" and it was worth it

*Dropping all of my gear off at the camera store kinda made me feel like I was leaving my child there, and I even said so to the technician, he agreed.

*Not having my camera in my house feels weird

*I photographed another amazingly gorgeous home last week and can't wait to share it with all of you!

*a friend came over to my house and offered me her thoughts on a few things that have been making me crazy in my house and I'm excited to implement some of her ideas (and have some before/after photos to share w/ all of you!). Hooray for house projects!!

*Brennan really likes school! I realized I forgot to update everyone on that, she seems to really enjoy it and is happy to go when we drop her off! Whew! (I knew she'd love it once she was there for 10 seconds, glad I was right!)

*B's birthday party planning is in full swing and I'm feeling good about my progress so far. I'm trying not to wait until the week of to do a lot of the little details so I won't feel so overwhelmed when it comes this year. I'm thinking I'm going to throw her party on her actual b-day since I'm shooting a wedding the Saturday after (could you believe her bday party wasn't on my radar when I booked this wedding months and months ago?! ay yi yi, I'm slipping!) :)

*I should really pay more attention when ordering things for said birthday party, I fell in love with these postcard type things and am going to use them for her invitations. Thankfully I'm on the ball and have plenty of time for them to arrive b/c I just realized they are being sent from Croatia (!!) and might not get here for a month!!!!

*Its still in the triple digits here and Brennan asked me the other day when I could turn down the heat. :) I wish!!

*B told me yesterday in the car that she hoped we never left Texas, made my heart smile. I told her I kinda hoped so too.

*Does anyone else really not enjoy the whole picking -out- the -Halloween -costume -every -year -deal? It kinda makes me nuts. Costumes are either really spendy and well made, or really spendy and cheap looking. And most of them seem to be super hot and heavy! And when you live in Texas, that's just a bad deal. Every year I sell Brennan's Halloween costume that she wore the year before so I don't end up spending much money in the long run but still, the costumes get worn for an hour or so and then that's it! I really enjoy Halloween but this process every year kinda makes me nuts, and I only have 1 kid to plan for!!

*I made this new Italian recipe the other night, Adam and I both thought it was really good! I didn't have Marsala wine so I can't speak to that but I used white cooking wine and thought it was delish!

*I have to/get to drive back to Austin next week to pick up my gear, excited to do some more exploring...wish I knew that city better, there is so much to offer!

*There was a crazy lightening/thunder/rain storm here last night, it was SO dang loud! Needless to say, didn't sleep super hot.

*Sadly there won't be many pics for the next week or so due to no camera but I do have several shoots lined up for October so check back in!! If you're still reading, thanks for enduring my randomness!! xo

rats nest

2011-09-15T06:34:00.000-07:00

this hero family...

2011-09-14T07:16:00.000-07:00

is being blogged over here today. Happy Wednesday! xo

chicken pot pie and a cute family

2011-09-12T06:32:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a lovely weekend, we did! Nothing too exciting, just a pretty good weekend all around. Last night we had impromptu dinner guests (I love it when that happens!) and I tried a new recipe, its a keeper. If you want some good ol' fashioned comfort food, I'd highly recommend this chicken pot pie, delish! And it you want to see more of this cute fam, head on over here. Happy Monday! xo

the beach, orange cream cheese frosting, and weight

2011-09-09T06:30:00.000-07:00

I'm still playing catch up with our summer photos! Here are some pics from our day at Cannon Beach with our Waco friends, Adam and Amanda (so fun having friends from "home" come visit the northwest, show them the cool spots, etc...).

This is one of B's favorite places to be, my girl loooooves the beach (and often asks when we can go back)!

ah, thanks B!

This week hasn't been so much of a "try a new recipe" week as its been, repeat a new recipe that I've only made one or so times. BUT my sister turned 40 last week and I wasn't able to attend her big ol' birthday bash, but I did get to hear all about it. She made chocolate cupcakes with orange cream cheese frosting, how awesome does that sound? Once I heard about this I couldn't get it off my mind, so, I baked chocolate cupcakes and then tried this new recipe for orange cream cheese frosting, it was delish! So, I managed to keep my new years resolution in trying something new and have a new go-to recipe in the arsenal. :) Enjoy!

And since I haven't talked much about weight loss (and I committed to doing so-ick!) here's the skinny on that topic. Deep breath, okay, before we went on vacation I was officially down 7.6lbs, then I went on vacation and proceeded to gain back 6 of those pounds (insert deep sigh), then I re-joined the real world and the land of the eating like a normal person (versus rice krispie treats for 3 meals a day) and am now down 4.6lbs from when I first started this thing. So, there you have it, I'm not as low as I was and I'm still 17lbs from the ultimate goal (which sounds really impossible where I sit today typing this). I'm not being as disciplined as I could be so I can't get too mad over my slow progress, but slow and steady wins the race right??...crickets.............................................................................................................................

So, there's the scoop in these here parts! Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!! xo

my babies are back!!

2011-09-08T06:51:00.000-07:00

Baylor is back in session, which means Winn Mi Casa is ON again!! Tuesday night there were almost 20 of us packed in our house, we loved it! B was happy as a clam and I felt like a mom welcoming 18 of my kids home after they've been at camp for the summer. :) Starting to feel like normal around here again...finally!

Magnolia Homes

2011-09-07T08:02:00.001-07:00

Head on over here to check out more of this gorgeous home! Happy Wednesday, all! xo

B's first day of school!!

2011-09-06T07:24:00.000-07:00

So the day has finally arrived, B is officially in pre-K! We are slow movers in the morning in the Winn household so I had to wake B up today (which is one of my least favorite things to do, makes me so sad to wake a sleeping child!). We cuddled in bed for a few minutes and then it was a whirlwind of bath, breakfast, snapping a few photos on the porch, rocking out to the David Crowder Band's song "Oh Happiness" before arriving at school at 8:27am. Whew! We might need to start doing her bath at night b/c I think we were a little frazzled with all the rushing around this morning (and no one is in a hurry to get up any earlier!). Adam and I both walked her into class and watched as she sat down and started coloring at a table full of little girls (last year her class was mostly boys so this is a new experience!). I hope she has a great day and comes home all smiles!

P.S. I tripple dog dare you to click on the DCB link above and not start rocking out, its pretty much impossible :)

B just met her teacher

2011-09-02T09:01:00.000-07:00

This morning was the day when the kids get to meet their teacher for the new year, B and I just got home. The past 2 years I've been so giddy for B to start school but when I walk down that hallway with her I find myself fighting back the tears! Its so silly, she'll be fine, but still, my baby is growing up and is out from under my protection and its a little scary and a little sad. She's also my only one so every time we have a first, its also a last for me which is a little weird too. Her teacher seems really nice and B always warms up after a couple minutes so by the time we left she hugged her teacher goodbye, even though she'd hardly say "hello" when we walked in. My baby is growing up, pre-K here we come! SNIFF!

P.S. HAPPY 40TH BIRTHDAY TO MY SISTER ANNIE TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lately

2011-09-01T06:35:00.000-07:00

It's been kinda weird around here lately, I can't really put my finger on why that is, but I'll try. It's just been a bit "off" b/c most kids are back in school but B doesn't start until Tuesday (!!!), it feels like summer is over but its still 104 degrees outside, I can definitely feel fall in the air, I can't really explain how I just can. Adam and I went to back to school night the other night and met B's new teacher, B is going to a different school this year so its an adjustment for us both (we both hate change...the child is more like me every day I think (stay tuned on whether thats a good thing or not). :) Due to when Brennan's bday is, she will likely be the oldest one in the class (I was too and kinda liked it so I hope she does too!), which also means her birthday is coming!! The fall always sneaks up on me and knocks me over so maybe this year I can be a little more on the ball? Heres to hoping! I also always feel like Halloween sneaks up on me too, sadly Brennan's new school doesn't celebrate Halloween at all so that's kinda a bummer. In the vein of Halloween talk, her dog costume from last year is for sale! If anyone wants it, shoot me an email (mollywinn2@yahoo.com) and let me know! Its a 2T-3T, she wore it for maybe an hour, and Pottery Barn is selling it again this year for $54 but its yours for $40 (shipping included if any one is interested!).

Okay, these are my ramblings for this here Thursday morning! And b/c blog posts are so much better w/ photos, here is a sneak peek of a session I'm working on. Happy Thursday! xo

just some photos from Montana

2011-08-31T07:31:00.000-07:00

I hardly took any photos the whole time we were in Montana but here are a handful that I took the one day we went to Glacier. It sure was pretty!

I was there too! :)

a sweet baby girl...

2011-08-29T20:27:00.000-07:00

is being blogged over here today, check it out! xo

color or black&white?

2011-08-28T13:49:00.000-07:00

I'm editing this fun family session and I came across this image and can't tell how I prefer it. What say you, color or black and white?

cutie patootie Sam and his cute parents...

2011-08-26T06:16:00.000-07:00

are being blogged over here today! Happy Friday! xo

back in the kitchen!

2011-08-24T07:45:00.000-07:00

I can't tell you how great it has been to be back in my kitchen cooking! I made some yummy new things last week so I thought I'd share:

This brown sugar and balsamic clow cooked pork is delish! I made extra sauce for dipping/pouring over and I think that was a good move b/c it also helped make it moist for leftovers.

These simply perfect chicken enchilladas are good but I added some black beans and corn to give it more flavor/substance and I think that was a good move.

This creamy chicken avocado salad is so good and so easy that I made it twice! I had enough corn, beans, and cilantro to use for both times and I used the same corn and beans for the enchilladas so I felt like I got the most bang for my buck!

Adam loved all 3 of these newbies so I'm sure they will make their way back into rotation! Enjoy! xo

this gorgeous family...

2011-08-23T07:21:00.000-07:00

is being blogged over here today!

San Fran in July

2011-08-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

It's an understatement to say that things have been a little crazy around here, which brings me to why I'm only now getting around to sharing a few pics from the couple days we spent in San Francisco last month! We love San Fran and have been fortunate enough to have gone there several times. Each visit is always too short though, and leaves me longing for more! Here are just a few photos of our quick visit. Happy Monday! xo

little sleepwalker

2011-08-20T08:26:00.000-07:00

Brennan has a unique ability to be 100% coherent (even if she has been totally asleep for however long) when she gets instantly woken up. Even after she's been asleep for hours, if you walk in her room and adjust her a bit or make a noise and she wakes up, she is totally alert and can have a normal conversation with you, its bizarre! One time I peeked in on her, she rolled off her bed and instantly stood up and said (in a totally clear and awake voice) "I'm okay!! It was fun, kinda like a ride!" and then proceeded to crawl back in bed and go right back to sleep! (I didn't know whether to laugh or feel badly for her that she just fell out of bed!). Anyway, fast forward to several days ago, all 3 of us were in a hotel room and in the middle of the night Brennan gets up and starts walking around, Adam says "B, what are you doing?" She seemed a little confused, I can't remember if she answered him or not but then he said "get back in bed, sweetie" and she went and crawled back into bed. Fast forward to the other night, Adam and I are both working on our computers downstairs on the couch watching a movie, (it was around 11:30pm) and we hear B coming down the stairs (keep in mind Brennan NEVER gets out of bed once we put her to sleep). I look at Adam and say "is that B?" We both start to get up b/c I'm getting worried that she could maybe fall down the stairs if she isn't aware she's walking down the stairs (and our stairs are wood...ouch!). Anyway, she comes down and we ask her what she's doing, she doesn't really answer, Adam tells her he loves her and she says "I love you too." I pick her up and take her back to bed and continue to ask her what she needed, what she was doing, etc. and she doesn't really respond. Typically when we ask B about something that happened while she was "asleep" (ie the falling out of bed incident) she totally remembers, well, in the morning Adam and I both asked her if she remembered walking downstairs in the night and she said she didn't remember! I think I have a sleepwalker on my hands!! This is kinda scary for several reasons...I know a lot of kids go through this and then grow out of it but does any one have any suggestions of what to do to keep her from getting hurt in the night? Bells on her door? Also, we have an alarm in our house so if she walks downstairs and we are asleep, the alarm will go off (and undoubtedly give Adam and I a heart attack!). Anyway, just wanted to throw this out there and ask for any suggestions??

yesterday was productive!

2011-08-17T06:34:00.000-07:00

So I got a lot done yesterday! I thought this would be a blogless week but alas, I have a post up and ready! Head on over here to see more of this cute fam! xo

home and playing catch up

2011-08-16T06:48:00.000-07:00

After three very long days in the car, we're home! And we're loving it!! Brennan said last night "I don't ever want to leave again, ever ever!" :) Its been a whirlwind so far! We've been sorting through mail from 6 weeks, dealing with car stuff, making appointments, chatting with friends who stop by (love that!), getting mi casa stuff in order to ramp up for the next year (can't wait to see all my babies!!), doing laundry, cleaning my dusty house, grocery shopping and COOKING (I can't tell you how great it feels to be back in my kitchen and eating like a normal person again, I'm not gonna lie, I pretty much gained back everything I lost while gone for 6 weeks! I'm already back at it though and the scale is already starting to come down...ay yi yi, SO glad to be back on the horse!). I can't wait to try and share some recipes this week! (and seriously, thank you to all of you who told me how much you've been trying and enjoying my recipes I'm sharing, that's so awesome!!). Anyhoo, its gonna be crazy around here this week just getting back to real life so the blog might be kinda quiet, BUT I still have a ton of photos to share (work and personal) so keeping checking in!

LOVING BEING HOME,
Molly

P.S. here is a sneak peek at one of my favoritist families, more to come!

somewhere in northern Texas...

2011-08-13T21:39:00.000-07:00

I'm in a hotel room somewhere in very northern Texas after spending two very long days in the car. I'm exhausted, my child is getting on my last nerve, and fast food is definitely leaving something to be desired at this point. Tomorrow we will FINALLY be home after spending 47 days away from home, I literally can.not. wait. to get into my own bed. Sorry for my complaining, its been a week, I may have experienced one of the most terrifying moments of my life in a river in Montana a few days ago, and B has been asking "are we there yet?" about a million times a day so my nerves are a little shot. Anyhoo...lets move on to something much more delightful shall we? Here's a sneak peek of one of my besties and her first born. All together now "ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh." :)

in Montana...

2011-08-10T08:21:00.000-07:00

relaxing with good friends, but wanted to share a sneak peek! Hope you are all having a lovely week!!! xo

2nd to last leg

2011-08-04T10:26:00.000-07:00

Well, we're almost on the home stretch of our journey! We leave today for the second to the last leg of our trip. I'll be M.I.A. for a while due to intermittent internet access, being busy with work, play, and travel. I hope you all have a lovely (early) weekend! Head on over here to see this fun session! xo

this is how i feel

2011-08-02T10:17:00.000-07:00

More of this little guy and his cute parents to come. :)

our 4th in southern Cal

2011-07-31T16:23:00.001-07:00

So clearly I'm a bit behind on personal blogging, work has been taking over, sorry! Okay, while we were in California we got to spend some much needed quality time with our dear friends, and on the 4th of July to boot! Emily and Manish recently purchased and re-modeled a lovely bungalow, and come on, since they are both architects you KNOW its going to turn out fabulous! Here is a peek at our lovely 4th, in Emily and Manish's lovely home. xo

P.S. Katie, your lemon bars were to.die.for. :)

gotta run!

2011-07-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

Whew! Its been crazy busy around here! No time for chatter but wanted to share this cute family's photos. Head on over here! xo