Lisa Leonard

*

last night’s open house was so much fun.

it was held at my friend susie’s new home.

they just finished building and

they’ve created a modern environment, perfect for their family.

*

*

i would describe it as industrial meets danish modern with lots of warm details.

their family homeschools and has a passion for books.

there is lots of open space to be together

and plenty of natural light pouring in the windows.

*

*

blue corduroy was there with her darling dresses, hats and bags.

vintage fabrics, and sheets paired with modern prints. love!

oh, if i had a little girl!!

*

*

lindsey was there with tea towels, aprons, and lots of yummy goodies.

she’s the brains behind the stitch market. she’s so good.

and have you seen dondibags? so fun.

*

*

my friend joy had darling sushi themed baby tees. and the cutest display.

she has a knack for decor (that’s an understatement!!)

and love that library shelving above.

*

*

i saved my favorite bit for last.

one wall paper with orla kiely and the most awesome chandelier i’ve ever seen.

so fun, so inspiring!

* * *

matthias has art class this morning

and i need to get out house in shape.

we are soaking up spring break

{except the boys woke up before 6am this morning, excuse me?!}

happy wednesday!

*

oh my goodness!

these chalkboard bubbles are so much fun.

can’t you tell how much i’ve enjoyed mine over the last week or two?

*

*

the perfect photo prop

and also lots of fun for a wall in your home.

genius, seriously

*

*

and the creative genius behind the {amazing{ chalkboard bubble?

the adorable and talented rachel denbow,

mommy and crafter. her blog is an every day favorite of mine.

*

*

check out her home tour on apartment therapy

and her amazing blog

and you can see her (and lots of other fun) creations on red velvet art.

* * *

and yippeee!  she is giving one away.

{they sell out super fast, so there aren’t any available in the shop right now}

leave a comment and tell us what you would do with a chalkboard bubble.

*

*

and i’m over at (in)courage today

come on over and join the discussion about finding joy.

happy tuesday!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED, thank you!

*

this weekend was so inspiring.

the sunshine alone was enough to make me smile all day.

we took the days slow

and really soaked up the amazing weather and time together.

*

*

since steve is training for a century (100 mile bike ride)

i took the boys to cambria on saturday.

we had so much fun!

we peeked in a few shops,

grabbed burgers at old stone station

and let the sun warm our shoulders.

oh, i can’t forget ice cream. yum.

*

*

i got a big top cupcake and matty and baked it up.

it turned out great-i had to trim off the bottom to make it even-but it is really cute.

i’m definitely not ready to part with traditional cupcakes, i love individual desserts.

*

*

there is an amazing bead shop in cambria–it’s like a candy shop.

* * *

we’ve been making an effort to turn off the tv

and spend that time creating.

for us, creating mean baking, sketching, molding, picture taking, painting and playing.

getting the house organized has really helped clear my brain and energize me.

*

what’s inspiring you?

how are you flexing your creative muscle?

* * *

AND come get inspired and play tomorrow night!

Spring boutique presented by the Stitch Market

I’ll be there with lots of jewelry.

and it’s at the most amaaazing house in Arroyo Grande, 6-9pm Tuesday 3/30.

Email me for an address (lisa@lisaleonardonline.com)

*

we are so happy it’s saturday

aaand the start of a two week spring break.

we are taking it slow this morning.

matthias and i have chocolate chip pancakes in our bellies

and david is still snoozing away in his bed.

steve is off on an extra long bike ride

so i am thinking about doing a little laundry and then heading to the beach.

the weatherman predict 77* today.

perfect.

* * *

what’s your saturday plan?

*

our interior garage door was olive green

and has a cat door

(and we don’t have a cat)

so it wasn’t too big of a risk to paint it with chalkboard paint.

now we have the perfect canvas for…

*

*

i got inspired by joy’s post here.

isn’t she amazing?

*

*

look at once wed did with a chalkboard.

and here are some other creative chalkboard ideas.

and here’s an article on using chalkboard paint for a casual every day look.

*

so fun, right?

more chalkboard love coming soon!

*

there is a lake near the boys’ school so i dropped by snapped some pics yesterday.

it was so lovely/spooky/magical with the fog hugging the water.

* * *

we are gearing up for spring break.

only two more days of school-yipppee!

i am looking forward to slow mornings, organizing the house and

a quick trip to so cal.

david is having a sedated echo at ucla to prepare for

heart surgery this summer-more on this later.

(but we plan to swing by disneyland as well).

enjoy your thursday!

*

we’re buzzing about our new little lady necklace!

so sweet and perfect for your girly-girl!!

*

*

you can choose a ladybug or bumblee

and customize with your own hand-stamped word or name.

darling!

*

*

and we wanted to keep them affordable

so we used silver-plated chain.

only $26, add a pearl for an add’l $7.

*

*

stuffiing easter baskets? get your order by tomorrow {march 26th} for easter delivery!

you can find the little lady necklace here.

aren’t they adorable?

*

*

another great easter basket stuffer?

{our freshwater pearl earrings}

and they’re on sale until thursday at midnight!!

get your orders in march 26th for easter delivery.

find them here.

*

this weekend we went out for waffles and ice cream in avila beach.

the sun was so shiny

and the surfers were so surfy

and it felt just like summer.

well, except for just a little bit of a chill in the air.

but it’s making me long for summer days

and laziness.

* * *

we need to plan our family vacation for this summer.

we usually spend a week in carpinteria playing at the beach and eating out.

but i’d also really like to try camping this summer.

how does your family vacation?

*

we woke up to beautiful foggy skies with the promise of sunshine.

this is the view from our from window.

i went out in my robe to get this photo, just for you.

*

just a few fun things today,

1. i am looooving the pics you are sending for our flickr pool.

if you have a flickr account, you can add your pics yourself

if not, email them to me at customerservice@lisaleonardonline.com and we’ll add them for you!

you can see all the pics here.

*

are you following me on twitter?

don’t miss out on big news

like when i throw a load of laundry in…victory!!

and little bits of the day to share.

twitter is fun, i’m starting to understand/enjoy it!

you can follow me here.

*

are you signed up for our newsletter?

we send out great coupons, special and fun ideas.

i don’t want you to miss out!

sign up here.

*

*

you can’t look at this pic of david without smiling.

it’s scientifically impossible.

* * *

i’m guest posting over at life.rearranged today.

jeannett is a real life friend with three daaarling kiddos, a great sense of humor, and a huge heart

please hop over and read about our change of plans

and consider donating a dollar or two to the CdLS foundation.

they have been such a huge support to our little family!!

*

happy monday!

*

this weekend was good and hard.

i had time to relax and enjoy the sunshine,

and at times found myself stressed and anxious.

*

*

and i found myself excited and overwhelmed.

i cleaned and purged and felt a sense of accomplishment.

and also looked around the house and took in the amount of stuff we have

and felt an overwhelming urge to spend the next 48 cleaning out every drawer and cupboard.

*

*

i want a cleaner home

a more organized schedule

more healthy, home-cooked meals

and kids with wrinkle-free clothes.

but it’s a process.

and i’m trying to let myself be imperfect without feeling like a failure.

sigh, thanks for letting me vent.

* * *

on to happy, dreamy, romantic things!!

our {randomly chosen} winner for the jane austen giveaway is…

jacquelyn

congrats, sweet girl!!

email me at customerservice@lisaleonardonline.com to work out details.

*

and the sale on the family crest necklace is extended to monday at midnight.

so hop over and grab one!!

*

do you love classic beauty and romance?

do you long to join the idle rich for card play, sketching and a tune on the piano forte?

does the sentence,

“my heart is, and always will be, yours.”

give you goosebumps?

then you’re in the right place.

because we’re doing a jane austen giveaway!

*

*

we’re giving away

* a new, classic hardcover copy of sense & sensibility (light blue with pink flowers)

*the BBC pride and prejudice (yes, the 6-hour-colin-firth one)

AND

*a family crest necklace.

*

*

it’s all about romance, sigh.

and during the giveaway

we’re having a SALE on the family crest necklace

this weekend, saturday + sunday only!!

it’s usually $68 and this weekend it’s $44.

which is insane! It’s one of my fave pieces. LoVe, love it!!

you’ll find the family crest necklace here.

* * *

yay! to enter

just tell us which austen novel is your fave.

and of course, tweet it, blog it, facebook it for extra entries.

leave a comment for each entry

*

and click here to shop.

{GIVEAWAY CLOSED, thank you!!}

*

thank you for your comments

wow! it’s amazing to read your stories.

to hear how love has left it’s mark forever on your hearts.

i’ve been moved to tears and also so encouraged.

*

our two {randomly chosen} winners are…

tiffany morse

and

jenny

* * *

ladies, i hope this necklace is a treasure and brings hope.

to those who didn’t win, the marked by love necklace is on sale for two days.

you’ll find it here.

*

make sure to stop by tomorrow for a fun, saturday surprise!

{and more on that amazing chalkboard next week!!}

*

we flew kites with david’s class earlier this week.

that’s david’s 1:1 aide and she is an angel. and david loves her {obviously}.

the weather has been amazing.

78* and lovely.

it’s making me long for summer!

*

*

we had about 15 college students over monday night for dinner during finals week.

can i just say, i do not miss finals!!

i made taco stack-up. i put 4 lbs of (already cooked) seasoned ground turkey in the crock-pot and

set out bowls of lettuce, beans, chesse, etc.

we served buffet style. easy, peasy.

what’s your go-to dinner for guests?

*

*

this little cutie belongs to my real life friend, lindsey.

love that he is sooo well hidden under the table. we had absolutely no idea where he was!

*

*

just a couple of pretty pics for your thursday.

i’m working on some big projects this week and making progress.

*

let’s end today with a ‘would you rather?’

would you rather wake up to birds chirping and the sun shining

OR waves crashing on the beach and cloudy skies??

*

just a few iphone pics taken with shakeitphoto app.

lots of blue skies and coffee around here.

we aren’t complaining.

*

*

we went out for thrifty’s ice cream on saturday.

matthias got blue bubble gum. and he also got a little messy.

that other pic is a drawing of me. love it.

*

*

we visited some horses down the road.

they were very friendly.

and so big.

i am always impressed by horses, especially up close.

*

*

and some doodles during a meeting.

and david’s silly smile at the grocery store.

* * *

thank you all so much for your comments about the new

marked by love {audrey’s necklace}

i read a few, cry, read some more, take a break.

it’s amazing to experience community online.

thank you for sharing your hearts and your journey with all of us.

*

our new marked by love {audrey’s necklace} is full of meaning.

i am so excited to tell you about it and hope it will be meaningful to you or someone you know.

it’s meant for moms who have lost a child, but can be worn by any woman, any mom.

angie smith and i put our heads together to create a necklace

that would bring hope and be a reminder of life and love.

*

*

angie and todd lost their baby girl, audrey, shortly after she was born.

it’s a beautiful story and you can read it here.

grab a couple tissues.

*

*

it’s a simple, beautiful piece

that will touch your heart and resonate with all types of moms.

* * *

and we’re giving two away.

leave a comment and tell us how YOU have been marked by love.

blog it, facebook it, tweet it, for extra entries.

please leave a comment for each entry!!

* *

view the new marked by love necklace here!

{GIVEAWAY CLOSED, thank you!}