meg and i are teaming up to raise money for sergey!
we’re donating part of the proceeds from the oval wall hanging to help bring sergey home to his new family.
Hi, I’m Lisa-mommy to my boys, David, 9 and Matty, 8 and wife to Steve. I create handmade jewelry and love taking pictures. Stick around and get to know us!
Archive for April, 2011
egg hunt!
April 21st | family
it’s insane how a few plastic eggs, jelly beans and $2 buckets from target can make kids giddy. my weekly coffee date turned into a play date since the kids are on spring break and i decided last minute it was the perfect morning for an egg hunt. i love making memories. easter comes with baskets, egg hunt, coloring eggs, church, a special meal and lots of meaning!
what are some of your favorite easter or spring traditions?
what i wore wednesday
April 20th | what i wore wednesday
it’s time to link up with lindsey for a little fashion inspiration. headed to church above, dress from sundance. belt, boutique in santa barbara a long time ago. cardi and sandals, target. you are loved necklace, my shop.
this last saturday was lazy and hot! i stayed in jammies until noon and then changed into a comfy skirt and we went to avila beach. maxi skirt, target. tee, gap, flip flops, bass. {i need new flip flops!} blessed and lucky necklace, my shop. molded heart bracelet, my shop.
can i tell you how much i love this sweater? it was a gift from tea clothing and it’s perfect for laying in the cooler california months and for a trip to beach in the summer. go check out their beautiful and wearable clothing here! white tee, old navy. skinny jeans, banana republic. wedge sandals, targets.
spring break has me dreaming of summer and sunshine and playing outside. if you were planning a movie night in your backyard {with marshmallows, cozy blankets and lots of popcorn} what classic movie would you show? i’m thinking vacation {with chevy chase}, uncle buck {hilarious} or maybe something fun for the kids, like tangled?
when matthias was born
April 19th | family, thoughts
since mother’s day is approaching i’ve been reflecting on being a mom. last week i shared about david’s birth.
today i’ll share our journey with matthias’ birth and first year.
just 10 months after david was born we got pregnant again. we felt ready. 10 months of grieving, adjusting, making it work and falling in love with david felt more like 10 years. i think time moves slower when you’re in crisis.
we were considered a high-risk pregnancy because of david’s disability, but everything went incredibly well. we got pregnant easily. all the tests came back normal. all the ultrasounds looked perfect. even his delivery was easy. and when he was born it was like relief swept over my whole being. we had a healthy baby. we were so thankful!
if david’s birth story is about watching hope grow, matthias’ birth story is about finding peace and healing.
we brought our healthy baby boy home from the hospital and introduced him to david. and david wanted nothing to do with his new brother. he didn’t want to touch him or even look at him. and then the relief was gone and the guilt took over.
do i love matthias more than david?
will i have enough time to give david the attention he needs?
will matthias resent having a brother with a disability?
questions questions questions. and more guilt. how did this new baby fit into our family? everything was all out of whack again and i was devastated.
slowly we got to know matthias and fell in love. slowly we started to develop new routines. and slowly i began to feel that i could love each of my boys for who they were and stop comparing them.
i started to realize that the guilt was eating me from the inside out and it wasn’t doing anyone any good. it wasn’t wrong to be grateful that matthias didn’t have a disability. i realized having a healthy child freed me to enjoy david and his developmental stages while enjoying matthias’ more typical growth and learning.
i am so thankful we had matthias when we did. he brings so much joy, imagination and kindness to our family. he is full of love and self-confidence. the boys love each other and make each other’s lives better.
matthias, your life has brought joy and healing to my heart. i love you.
friends, if you have children, did anything about motherhood surprise you? did you have any unexpected emotions?
{scroll down for our free lovebird wall hanging special. valid april 19th only!}
found here and there {and a special offer!}
April 19th | blog friends, jewelry
we spotted lainey with a pewter wand over at enjoying the small things.
kelle also has a sweet heart banner with ‘imagine’. love the bright colors!
cameron and anna ingalls have a keepsake bowl. it’s filled with meaning between them. so sweet.
jessica over at the mom creative is expecting a little girl. she revealed the baby’s name with our hand-stamped heart banner. love. camille roskelley has a simplify pennant banner hanging on her mantle.
camille also has a keepsake bowl with the sweetest message. isn’t that beautiful?
miss mustard seed took some amazing pics with her dream pennant banner. so inspiring. check out her blog–she is a genius!
laura farris took these darling pics with our open circle necklace and the CUTEST baby ever.
love this close-up of the tiny toes with the necklace. dreamy.
i love seeing how you wear the jewelry and use the decor items. each piece takes on a new and meaningful life with it’s owner. it makes my heart so happy to see items we’ve created being used and loved and treasured. thank you!
today only, every order $125 will receive a free lovebird wall hanging with the phrase ‘you are loved’ and turquoise ribbon. it’s the sweetest gift for mom or yourself! no need to use a coupon, we’ll automatically include it with any order over $125 placed on april 19th before 12am PST. yay!
home tour
April 18th | decorating
i have been in full cleaning and organizing mode and it’s a wonderful feeling! to tell the truth, i’d lost my rhythm after david’s heart surgery and the piles of stuff i needed to deal with, were really getting me down. enough was finally enough! over the weekend i tackled some piles and cleaned and i’m on my way to making our home feel peaceful again.
above is our entryway. the black buffet was a craigslist find. all the other pieces are mostly treasures picked up from thrift stores. you can see the DIY hand-painted love sign here.
this is the other wall in our entryway. the arched mirror and bench were both hand-me-downs from my generous mom. the ruffle pillow is from tj maxx.
in front of the fireplace is my happy aqua chair. you can see the chair before and after pics here. it was a serious transformation! that adorable quilt? made by my sweet friend, camille roskelley. it’s a treasure and so special to me! more pics about the spring mantle here.
this is a collage made up of thrifted frames and paintings. my most recent addition is the orange poppy painting–a gift from my twin sister. i love it. seriously love it {and her}. i’m on the hunt for more paintings for this space.
here’s a close-up of a couple paintings and our pewter heart wall hanging.
on our kitchen table is a wire basket with found treasures from the ocean and a napkin holder.
it might be time to re-do this nook again, but i’m still loving it. you can watch a little video about the nook re-do here.
a little cleaning and organizing and i am really falling in love with our home again. some of the areas i wanted to avoid before feel peaceful now. what’s your favorite spot in your home?
hello monday
April 18th | hello monday
hello inventing new superheros
hello practing kung fu and sword fighting {matthias}
hello play dates and imagination
hello colored pencils that get sharpened and resharpened
hello blank paper waiting for inspiration
hello new ideas and creativity
hello spring break and warm sunshine
hello easter egg hunt with friends
hello jellybeans and coloring eggs with cousins
hello composing keyboard tunes
hello sniffles and breathing treatments {david}
hello snuggles and lazy mornings
hello cleaning and organizing {i have pictures to share!}
hello shirts to press and easter baskets to fill
hello monday! it’s easter week!
what are you saying hello to this week?
sunday inspiration {via pinterest}
April 17th | decorating, food & goodies
i’m inspired by spring this week! here are some of my favorite bits of inspiration found on pinterest this week!
Source: parenthacks.com via lisaleonard on Pinterest
Source: cilantropist.blogspot.com via lisaleonard on Pinterest
Source: laylagrayce.com via lisaleonard on Pinterest
Source: wedding.theknot.com via lisaleonard on Pinterest
Source: allorahandmade.com via lisaleonard on Pinterest
Source: camilledawn.com via lisaleonard on Pinterest
Source: alisaburke.blogspot.com via lisaleonard on Pinterest
*
1. easter eggs in muffin tins. so easy!
2. the happiest cake ever. love!
3. the shape and color of this side table is perfect.
4. library card wrapping. simple and sweet.
5. cutest spring wreath from allora handmade
6. hand-stitched hands. makes a perfect keepsake.
7. watercolor + eggs = so beautiful. alisa burke is a genius.
this week i definitely want to try to watercolor easter eggs and maybe the stitched hands. love it all! what’s inspiring you?
saturday love
April 16th | family
above, some photos from instagram this week. top right, i got to see my family while we were down south. bottom left, the most a.maz.ing quilt arrived from camille roskelly. it’s so beautiful and such a treasure!
david and i just got back from Los Angeles where we visited his cardiologist and pulmonologist. Although David was very feisty–he doesn’t like a lot of tests and being still–everything went great! We are so happy with how he has healed and become stronger since the heart surgery. Thank you, Lord!!
Today is the start of a two-week spring break for the boys. I have high high hopes to do some organization around the house and maybe a couple fun projects.
We’re still in jammies, just finished chocolate chip pancakes and wondering what we should do with our Saturday?!
What does your Saturday hold?
my spring to-do list
April 15th | an everyday moment
something about the blue skies, fresh air and sunshine makes me seriously want to freshen up my space and get creative!
here’s a few things on my spring to-do list…
1. simplify the kitchen counters {clear off clutter}
2. organize the boys’ toys. this feels like a massive project.
3. create a spring wreath {which hopefully i can share with you!}
4. find a mirror to hang over our bed
5. take a class at our community college. either photography or painting?
6. Make strawberry jam. And lots of it!
7. Spruce up our backyard with plants a new {maybe thrifted} table and chairs for warmer weather and outdoor eating!
8. What else??
