(by the way, if you’re on instagram, I’d love for you to find me there.. follow the chaos live in action! @annbeck)

So here it is, one month of life on the farm… brace yourself

1. Got three bunnies! Such sweet little pets, the girls were over the moon.

2. Lost one bunny. It was a beautiful service, he was euolgized by EK and buried to his favorite song, the theme from the Muppets.

3. Replace the fallen bunny with a goat. Why? I HAVE NO IDEA. This was a daddy decision. He’s actually very friendly, loves to sit in laps and go for walks on leashes. And has saved us hundreds in lawn work!

4. There were soccer games. Lots of soccer games.

5. Welcomed a new nephew! Sweet baby Charlie. And my girls cannot wait to stick their fingers in his mouth.

6. (not pictured) Organized a banquet for our high school honoring the top 10% of the graduating class. Such a huge undertaking THERE ARE NO PICTURES. Seriously. That should say something. But it was an amazing event that I was honored to be a part of, and really enjoyed all of the long hours.

7. Long day-in-the-life session at Cook Children’s to celebrate their new Dodson Specialty Clinic building. Gorgeous facility, darling kids.. sore feet!

8. Crews came to dig a pond in the back of the property. Pond is modest. Lake. Sink hole. Crater. Giant hole, with an even more giant pile of dirt next to it.

9.  Girls and their friends figured out the empty pond has just enough water to be a mud bath. Still washing dirt out of the bathtub from that day…

10. Same crews dug a hole to bury the trampoline. Hooray for cute jumping pictures! Not hooray for the second huge pile of dirt in the yard.

11. Sweet Baby made her first communion. Don’t get me started on how big she is, how few of the growing up milestones are left.. already verklempt just looking at the picture again.

12. Did I mention there were soccer games?

13. End of the year means track day, spelling bee, parties and field trips. Times three means PHEW!

14. Golf tournament for our Educational Foundation. In the middle of a thunderstorm. Fore!

15. Helped my BFF get elected to the school board for Grapevine-Colleyville ISD. The three or four month process was light years more involved and complex than I expected, but I am BEYOND proud of her and know she’s going to be amazing! I, on the other hand, have dismissed any future political ambitions, as I have neither the energy or enthusiasm to keep it up like she did.

16. Mother’s Day! Clearly I am teaching them well.. to enjoy trashy reality tv? Either way, hooray for moms, frazzled and dysfunctional as we may be!

If you’re still with me.. you win a gold star! Your reward is the return of sneak peeks, house updates, and all the great, informative things you have come to expect from the blog! Happy May!

With that, some bright and cheery images to perk up your Monday, now comes the hard part.. choosing the best ones for the website!

And of course, that made me think of pictures.. and how many times I have heard some of the amazing, funny, caring and involved moms I’ve photographed put themselves down, shy away from being in pictures, or dismiss every image of themselves. They see wrinkles, baby weight, grey hairs, and tired eyes. I see evidence of laughter, love, caring, and devotion. Most moms I know are NEVER the ones in front of the camera.. either you’re always the one snapping the photos, or you just shy away in self-consciousness.. or both! No matter why, it’s no excuse.. just as your kids want you, just as you are, they want to be able to remember YOU, just as you were.. the mom they grew up loving!

In that spirit, I’m announcing a day of mom & me minis.. super simple, just 10 minutes with you and your lovelies, just enough to capture the mom they love and your wonderful bond together. The minis will all be held on Sunday, May 6th, at my little farmhouse. There is no charge, this is my gift to all of you.. for mother’s day, for every day, just for the simple joy of capturing those moments while we can. Minis will be scheduled on a first come, first serve basis so please email me soon if you’d like to join in!

And on the same token … today is April 12! If you’re participating in the 12 in 2012 project, don’t forget to fill in your memories and capture some day in the life photos! Here’s the link to the original post with the downloadable form if you need it.

This gorgeous princess came to me a few years ago for high school senior portraits, so I was beyond thrilled when she contacted me again heading into her college graduation. Couldn’t be happier for this amazing young woman, now joined by her adorable boyfriend! Cannot wait to see what’s next for them!

I am waking up a little more thankful today than I was yesterday.

Yesterday, I was thankful for my family, though they could have moved a little faster getting ready for school and maybe not left quite so much laundry for me to do.  Yesterday, I was thankful for my job, though my to-do list was more than I cared to think about. Yesterday, I was thankful for my friends though pouty that we never seem to get to spend any time together, and what good are texts and calls when you are too busy to see each other in person? Yesterday, I was thankful for my community, though frankly more than a little annoyed by the construction that was taking so long, the everyone-knows-everyone gossip circles, and everything else that comes with living in a small town.  Yesterday, I was thankful for the forecast of storms, so I had an excuse to hibernate inside.

Today, I am thankful for the sunshine.

Today, I am thankful that my family was safe, though hearing the stories of my oldest crouched in the corner of her classroom at the high school while the ceiling tiles shook and the freight train of a tornado barreled overhead were disturbing to say the least, they came home. They all came home, safe and sound. I will fold laundry for years if it means guaranteeing their sweet faces will continue walking through the door.  Today, I am thankful that my job is flexible enough that I was able to be home, to hold down the fort, to pick up kids from different places, to be where I was needed. And my sweet clients waiting for deliveries and emails never blinked an eye at delays. Today, I am thankful for the texts, calls, tweets and facebook posts checking on our family. I could barely keep up with it all, as the kind words flooded in. Some were from the people I talk to daily, many from friends I haven’t seen in years. That the mere mention of our town on the news was enough for them to pick up the phone is humbling. And for the few hours I was sitting in my (tiny!) bathroom with three labs, a yorkie, and a bunny (who in hindsight was probably safer in her cage weathering storms than loose in the bathroom weathering curious dogs) the texts and tweets kept me sane, comforted. Today, I am thankful for my small town. Where everyone knows everyone, and everyone knew immediately whose houses were worst hit, who needed the most help, who to call and where to go. Friends were caravaning kids from the chaotic school pickups, neighbors clearing trees from atop cars, so many students from the high school helping the houses nearby, the worst hit in our area.  My sweet teacher husband has his class out this morning already, picking up debris littered around campus. For all the posts I saw yesterday about the tornado, there was an overwhelming message of “I want to help.” I love my sweet, sometimes backwards, always crazy small town. And today I am thankful to be a part of it.

We are all a little more blessed today than yesterday. A few hours later, all those homes would have been filled with children, families making dinner. Even an hour difference would have put ten school buses on the road. Our schools did an amazing job keeping our littlest blessings safe and secure, and those brave teachers who comforted them through the worst of it are truly my heroes. Our rescue workers have done a wonderful job already at mobilizing efforts, organizing relief, and keeping everyone safe. And our community has come together to support each other, no questions or hesitation.

If you would like to help, our high school is collecting donations of clothing, non perishable food, water, trash bags and toiletries in the library during regular school hours. They are located at 901 Wildcat Way, Kennedale 76060. If you would like to make a donation but are unable to get down here, I would be happy to meet anyone to pick them up.

Today I am thankful for the calm after the storm, for clear skies so the workers can being cleanup and families without roofs do not lose any more possessions. Today I am thankful to send my people off to school, though part of me wishes they would have stayed a little longer, just so I could know they are safe.

Today, I am thankful we have a tomorrow to look forward to.

I’m sure regular blog readers will recognize those big blue eyes, though now they come with a full head of hair, tiny legs that not just walk but run, and the sweetest little voice you can imagine, spinning out complete sentences like nothing else! And to recap, here we have her at two months,  and finally now, just shy of two years old.. all grown up! I couldn’t bear to think this was the last time I’ll see her sweet face, so I’m hoping, like most baby planners, she becomes a regular part of the family.. stopping by for all the next big milestones on her list.. maybe even a real graduation!

Way up above us, twinkling bright,
There must be a million stars in the sky tonight.
But don’t you worry, no need to cry,
You are the only twinkle that’s in my eye, tonight.
You’re more than one in a million
No one can take your place.
Though I could try,
There’s no way that I could ever forget your face.
You’re more than one in a million,
No other ever could do.
Cause not even one in a million, could ever compare to you,
Could ever come close to you.
Through all the laughter, through all the tears,
Whenever you need me, I will be standing here, right here.
No need to wonder, don’t ever fear,
Though you may wonder,
Ill always be right here.

One in a Million, Veggie Tales

This session was last weekend, on one of those perfectly gorgeous days we’ve been enjoying lately, with a family I’ve known for a while through some dear friends but never had the opportunity to photograph. Oh! Am I ever glad they finally booked! The girls are at great ages.. on the cusp of really becoming full-fledged teens, gorgeous glimpses of the young women they will be but still young enough to be comfortable in front of the camera enough to snuggle and get silly. And mom & dad were so easygoing and fun, I couldn’t have created a more perfect session!

With that, their sneak peek… hope you enjoy.. plenty more to come!

I kid.

Sort of…

I discovered Pinterest about the same time we discovered this little house, and the months it took to get paperwork and contracts worked out was exactly how long I needed to obsess research all my options and get in there with a serious game plan. We loved this house for its location, and especially for the land. But the house? Let’s just say the realtor described it on the listing as “as is.” No worries.. I’ve got a husband who loves projects and a creative brain that loves coming up with them (more so than actually following through with them, but it’s a good combination!) so we took a chance, leap of faith, and here we are!

We spent most of the holiday school break painting, sanding, hammering, and cleaning. No, not much sleeping. And yes, we did 90% of it ourselves. We’ve never been particularly handy but have learned as we go, and have found we actually enjoy this stuff a lot more than either of us expected!

I’ve been talking about the house, in person and on the blog, for so long, and keep promising some long-overdue pictures. I think it’s taken so long because I just don’t feel like we are to the “after” yet.. but I’m learning that feeling will never go away! So, if you all promise to understand these are still work-in-progress pictures, I’m going to start sharing some of my favorite elements and projects. And yes, most of the ideas came from Pinterest. If you find me there you can probably see most of the source links on my home board. Got any other questions about how-to and/or source, just let me know! I’ve learned SO much from reading other blogs and tutorials, I am so thrilled to pay it forward.

First.. brace yourself… the before. I should clarify this house was built in 1951 and much of it was original. What wasn’t original was added in the mid 80s I think. Joy. Notice the lovely cedar cabinets, matching paneling (handmade by the original owner), and weird island thing that was unfinished on one side and unattached to the ground so it slid when you touched it. The stove did not work, nor did the faucet. The floors? Gorgeous peeling vinyl that had a very distinct odor. Again.. have to look through a creative filter!

And now… my still unfinished but oh so pretty, makes me smile when I walk in the door and almost look forward to cooking.. kitchen!

Biggest change is obviously the cabinets. The room is dark already (I’m begging for a skylight in phase two of renovations!) But for the time being, I needed to brighten things up, and I’d always wanted something a little more dramatic. This was it! I went with my favorite shade of aqua blue, and we already had all the red appliances and accents from our previous kitchen, so they were just the right pop of color. (And yes, my kitchen now matches my logo colors. At least I’m consistent?)

We had discussed new counters, but I loved the aluminum trim on the edge of the original formica counters, and the tan color was much easier to tolerate with the brown wood gone. I do want to add a white subway tile backsplash just to keep the clean look going, and we need to finish the trim on the window over the sink but we’re hoping to replace the windows soon, so I didn’t want to do anything that would just get undone.

We replaced the old sink and faucet with a shiny white and aluminum set we got for a steal at ReStore. The floors (not pictured) are also from ReStore, brand new laminate wood also bought for a fraction of the price. Love the bargains!

We also slid the island over to a side wall and made it more of a bar. I’ll show that more in another post, since it’s equal parts living room now and this one is already super long! But that helped to open the room up and give us more room for the table.

The big conversation starter in the room, of course, is our stove. It’s a 1954 Kelvinator brand stove, in perfect working condition. Yes, this is what we cook on every night. (and since the house has no microwave no room for one, we use it a lot!) I wish I could take some credit for this gem, but that goes completely to my husband, who found it on Craigslist for a ridiculously cheap price in this perfect shape. We are madly in love with this monster, temperamental as it may be sometimes, and it never ceases to get a few oohs and ahhs. Even has a built in deep fryer! LOL

This picture shows more of the Pinterest style inspiration I had. I love all the images of the retro style homes, but wanted to be able to mix in some modern elements.. not an authentic reproduction but more a funky, quirky blend of the two. We replaced the kitchen hardware, all in the shiny aluminum to go with the counters and the stove, and when we couldn’t find new hinges to fit the old cabinets we just spray painted the old ones!

We took the doors off the top cabients, a look I’ve always loved but never thought I could pull off. Turns out the key was simplifying, which I was already doing a lot of as we moved. I don’t need four colanders, nor do I need to save every tupperware lid that doesn’t go with a bowl. I consolidated and ended up buying these inexpensive (and unbreakable!) Corrolle dishes at Walmart.. for $50 I’d rather have an easy matching set and nothing else. Plus, we don’t have a dishwasher, so having only a few dishes means you have to keep up with the washing or you don’t have anything to eat with!

We lined the shelves with vinyl sticky tile squares (again, thank you Pinterest) in the classic black & white check pattern. It was the perfect little pop of funky inside the cool blue cabinents, and the tiles are GREAT as shelf liners, they are super think and waterproof, so they are really easy to wipe clean and don’t tear or nick.

The kitchen table sits perpendicular to the stove, sticking out into the middle of the kitchen, farmhouse style. I already had the Warhol print and put this wall grouping together based on lots of great samples I’d seen online.

A more detailed look, again more Pinterest steals. The blue square is just a frame with scrapbook paper, we use a dry erase marker to write the week’s meals and just erase as we eat. So simple, totally love it. The frames on that side still have the pictures they came with, I’m working on gathering some old photos of our grandparents etc in their kitchens to sort of tie together the old/new vibe. The print is one of my favorite quotes, just formatted it in photoshop and printed it as an 11×14.. I’ve been finding all these great quote prints but couldn’t decide on one.. so I made my own! The clock is from Ikea, the B from Anthropologie, and they are all things we already had, just in different places around the old house.

This last picture is one of my favorite things in the kitchen, and sort of a blend of a few Pinterest ideas (and yes, some of my own!). The crate we actually found out in an old shed on the property after moving in. Yes, it was full of old Coke bottles. Jackpot, right?! I cleaned it up and brought it to the kitchen.. all the right colors, aluminum, vintage, etc. This crate stays on our kitchen table all the time, and is full of different mason jars in all sorts of sizes. I’ve filled each jar with different items.. pencils, pens, scissors, crayons, glue. That was the original plan, so that when the girls sit down to do homework everything is handy.. we have buckets of art supplies for bigger projects, but I wanted a way for them to have everything handy.

Once the box was in place, I found the girls sitting at the table more often, just to color or write, beyond the homework time. So we added a jar of scrabble letters, and another jar with the tiles for one of our favorite family games, Rummikub. I’ve got a few more things I’m hoping to add to our box, just looking for the right size jar to fit them. But I love how simple it is, and yet it makes just hanging out together so much fun.. and less work! Hooray to that!

Phew. That was an insanely long post and I apologize. I think I covered most of it, but please, let me know if you have any questions.. and I promise to post more soon!