Summer Loving + A Few Links I Love

image via Jenessa Wait

How can it possibly be the last day of July? I feel like the kiddos just got out of school and now they go back next week. How can that possibly be? This next week will be filled with family, friends and last minute school shopping for a few odds and ends. I just want to soak up every last minute. Yes, I am THAT mother, but let's not forget I am THIS mother too. There are some perks of school starting back though. The Mr and I will have Friday date days back in full swing, topgolf is our go to. I will start tackling home projects once again by painting all our interior doors and installing the hardware I bought before Christmas. Also I have big plans with for this ole blog space and now my attention won't be divided. Hallelujah. 

Thank you all who gave input on this post. Ellie is officially ready to tackle 7th grade. Thank you for all the encouragement! 

My boy is adopting his own style and these tee's are pretty much all he wears. The sharkweek tee he is most excited about currently.

We searched for what seems like forever for a new back back for Ellie that fit her taste and needs. The last few years we bought some from big box stores and although cute they quickly fell apart with the load she had to carry. Hoping this one, in the elwha blue, lasts for the next couple of years at least. I have high hopes! 

This summer I bought new towels for the master. I agonized over which ones to get. I did not want to waste money on towels that did not live up to the price. I came across these and fell in love. They absorb well, but can fold thin enough to where they can fit in our very limited space. Plus the price could not be beat. I finally decided to do the same for the kiddos since most of those are stained or damaged. Although the solid white are no longer available I ended up buying this color way. Hoping they will hide the boy dirt that will inevitable happen. Plus the extra 30% off made it a no brainer for me since new towels were on my list of things to buy anyway. 

Talking about bathrooms, I love this one from my friend Stacy. Have you seen her new blog? It's a good one folks. 

Finally as I am entering another season I am constantly reminding myself of the above quote. Do you follow Jenessa on Instagram? She inspires me daily through beautifully written words. She has a shop too! 

Hope you all have a beautiful start to August!

Thirteen

I am sure no words can do justice when it comes to describing this girl. She is everything. She is brave, she is strong, she is tender, she is fun, she is gentle, she loves without you having to love her first. She has a heart of gold and this past year it has been broken time and time again. She isn't one who has many friends so when one says they are done it leaves her very lonely.  She has a hard time fitting into certain groups and has struggled finding her own. I can't tell you how many tears have been shed because she was TOLD she wasn't cute enough, her clothes could be better if only she wore them this way, etc. etc. Her heart breaks and so does mine. As a parent you want everyone to see her as I do. She can be your greatest friend. As a parent I want to go and remind everyone to be kind. As a parent I want to keep her home and protect her from all the lies that we constantly have to remind her are not true. Most importantly though I know our job is to raise her in constant love and support. To be her greatest allies and encourage her to not give up on others or more importantly herself. To never loose her contagious laugh, to always be brave enough to try new things even when it doesn't always work out, to always be kind to others because you don't know what their own battles are. I pray that this year as she enters 7th grade it will go better. She will again have her crew and maybe the naysayers will have decided to silent their judgments. I also pray that if this is not our year again then she will still find the joy in the every day. That it will never weigh her down and silence her brave heart. 

Saturday she turns 13 and she gave me permission to share our struggles with school life and bullying. She is the girl who wants to make this world a better place for everyone or even just the one person who is left in the corner. She is that girl.

*Writing this post was hard. Really hard. At times the screen becomes so blurry through all the tears it became not only emotionally hard to write, but physically. We are and have been in a season of not understanding. I hope this post not only helps those walking the similar path, but also to take a minute before school starts and remind your child in the importance of being kind. Of course it's never your child who would do such a thing, but what if your child could be the one to reach out and check on the one who was pushed again in PE on "accident" rather than just staring and sometimes laughing. What if that one short talk can set them up for not only school book success, but also success in kindness. 

HOME TOUR: kitchen + family room

When people ask what I do I sometimes tend to hesitate. Over the years I have done many things. Currently I do many things. I am a freelancer who fills the need where it is needed. It all revolves around design in some way or another. Whether it is designing a room, making a corporate area speak to those who are within its walls, photographing interiors or photographing weddings. Need help organizing? I love to do that too. I have always been a very visual person and love to observe spaces and people around them. I am sure some dr would tell me it stems from being dyslexic as a child and having trouble reading, writing and communicating. I would say it's a gift that God gave me and maybe that gift wouldn't have been realized if I didn't have that time to train myself to communicate differently when I was small. I drew, I created, I had rainbows painted on my walls. Creating always helped clear my mind. That is why during this season I can add blogger back to my long list of 'what I do'. 

This home I had the pleasure of capturing for Slate Barganier, a local building company that creates some of the most exquisite homes. Upon walking in, this home immediately filled me with awe. It filled all my senses. The home exuded peace and the sense that this was a place for family and friends to truly gather. Every detail was thought out and executed beautifully. The best part, the kitchen reminded me of mine once it grows up. Maybe that is why this house immediately felt like home. The sweet pups didn't hurt either. Today I am just sharing the family area. I am sure I will share the rest one day too, but this is the area I wanted to curl up in with a good book after eating a hearty meal. The area where they hang most. Where life happens. The kitchen, eat in area, and the family room that was surrounded by glass hence making it my favorite space ever. I hope this home captures one of your senses whether visually, through a feeling or even just a piece that speaks to you.