i heart mail

Who doesn't love getting a fun little package in the post?So when I heard about the new year blogging party and gift exchange,I signed myself right up!And I am so glad I did because I got to meet the very lovely Miss Lauren from Pink on the Cheek.She loves shopping - especially at Target (holler),her cute pup, and is an amazing artist!Go give the girl a visit.But first check out the love she sent me!

hairbands, knee socks (I'm a sucker for knee socks), cozy gloves and

bracelets in my favorite colors. The cutest.

and the gloves? They have touchscreen fingertips. What now?

So 2012. 

Thanks, Lauren! You're the best ever.

My house is fah-reezing right now, so I am going to keep the gloves on.

Love!

beauty product favorites: the basics

I love my job.

Besides mothering the little guys, 

I've been doing hair and makeup for the last six years.

I do a lot of weddings.

It is an awesome excuse to try fun new products

and experiment to find just the right fit.

Truth be told, I only spend about three minutes on my makeup

in the morning, which is actually enough time

to look presentable and I have found a few products

that are perfect basics. Like, I can't live without 'em.

The bonus is I can get most of them at Target,

but enough of them give me a reason to venture to

Sephora. It's like a candy store in there.

Minus the chocolate. 

They should really work on that.

Anyway, here are my favorite everyday wears.

concealer

This is a bare necessity in my book. 

It can instantly make you look bright eyed and bushy tailed, and I need that most mornings.

The first - Time Balm - is a  little on the pricey side, but it lasts forever and is 

honestly the very best concealer out there. Plus it's anti-wrinkle. Done.

The second - from Sonia Kashuk - is also great. It's half the price, and it does the job.

Plus it has a few colors and a little pressed powder, so it can really save the day 

when you need a little freshening up.

face

I have been using these bareMinerals for five years and I love them.

The basic mineral foundation is nice and light and it has spf.

The blush - in glee - is the perfect shade. 

I've tried other products and other colors, but I am sticking with this. 

Again, kinda pricey, but they last a really long time.

eyes

I am not lying when I say I have tried just about every mascara out there.

I have spent $26 on a tube of mascara, and yeah, it was great mascara.

But it seriously wasn't better than good ol' Great Lash, which you can score

for about 4 bucks. Every time I try a different kind, I am like 

"why, Carina, WHY did you spend your money on that?"

Also, eyeliner. Maybelline Expert Eyes, around 5 bucks.

I've spent more on "better" brands and they don't do anything magical.

This stuff works and I love it.

lips

I am not big on lipstick or anything heavy. 

I also don't like anything sticky or overly shiny.

So, this is my go to everyday. In fact, mine is almost gone and that makes me sad.

Neutrogena MoistureShine: kind of like lipgloss meets chapstick.

Love.

finishing

I never would have known such a thing existed except that all of 

the cute girls in beauty school swore by this and so I bought it.

That was seven years ago and I still love it.

MAC Fix+ finishing spray.

It's like a vitamin water mist that sets your makeup for the day.

I especially love it because when you use mineral makeup,

you can look a little powdery... here is the solution!

The best part of all of the above? It really does only take three minutes.

Oh, and just a note: none of these companies paid me to review their products,

but I'd totally let them. 

Please?

determined

I could pin my life away.
Maybe I am pinning my life away.

source

Anyway, I am bound and determined to put all of this time I've invested
into action. 


I've even started a pin board for the things I've actually accomplished (successfully).
Okay, so most of them are food.
We like to eat around here, it's true.
And I am not even kidding about the salsa recipe on there.
Make it immediately, I am telling you.


Next up is the kids rooms and I have pinned about 483 inspiration images.
(I need to reign it in, I know.)
Anyhoo, let me leave you with this.
Super easy, super cute, and a sure crowd pleaser... 
my boys could barely contain themselves long enough for me to take a photo :)

Happy Sunday, folks!
The day of rest and many, many pancakes. 

love ain't easy... and a challenge

Things have not exactly been easy lately.

Nothing in particular has happened... it's more like what hasn't happened.

"The days are long, but the years are short," has never been

truer than in the last few weeks.

I find myself short on patience, I don't hear kindness in my voice.

I am not doing things in love.

It's easy to brush it off and say that I can't expect myself to be

"on" all the time. That being a mother is hard work,

and don't I deserve to just feel the way I feel?

But then I think...

what am I teaching my children with my life?

I spend all the day long telling them the difference between right and wrong,

but what are they learning by what they see?

Lately, I can for sure tell you they are not learning patience.

Or kindness. Or gentleness.

I have been a burnt out, tired out, ready for a drink break mama.

Sometimes I catch myself resenting my kids for needing me.

Like they chose to be my kids or something.

And when I catch myself I feel a pang of guilt.

I remember that they are my beloveds,

that they need me not only to make their sandwiches

and tie their shoes

and wipe their noses,

but they need me to

watch them ride their bikes just to praise them for their speed,

to rub their backs before they go to sleep,

to laugh at their silliness,

to dance with them,

to make funny faces...

to engage.

To love.

A week or so ago I was catching up on a blog or two, when I happened upon 

The Gentleness Challenge.

These ladies are challenging us to approach our children

with a spirit of gentleness,

and to eliminate the harsh.

It was timely. My heart was convicted, and I have thought about it

every single day since.

If I am in step with the Spirit, He will provide the love,

joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,

faithfulness, gentleness and self-control

that I need to function on a daily basis.

That I need to nurture and grow my amazing,

loving, sweet, tender boys.

Will it be easy?

Heck, no.

But it's possible. It's possible to give it over, to sacrifice,

to be different, to worship God and love my children

with my words and actions.

I am definitely going to need His help to do it, 

but I can't think of anything better.

{diy}: valentine's wreath

Last week was crazy town around here when the city was covered in six inches of snow,

then another inch of ice. And then a little more snow.

My city doesn't deal well with winter weather...

So there was a serious case of cabin fever happening up in here.

It was time to get crafty.

I pulled out all of our art supplies and let the boys go to town.

I didn't want to be left out of the fun!

So I came up with this little bit of cheer to brighten things up a bit.

Here's what you need:

My wreath was 7 1/4" in diameter. I used my kids washable paint, but any paint would work.

First up, paint your hearts. I mixed all my colors with a little white to give them the look of "conversation hearts".
 I think they'd also be so cute modpodged with a scrappy fabric.
While they're drying, grab your wreath and yarn.

Wrap your yarn around and tie a knot, and then start wrapping until your entire wreath is covered.

(again, this you could use fabric scraps instead. cute.)

This is a good time to catch up on 30 Rock while you wrap.

 Now that your hearts are dry, grab a couple of  paper doilies, your white paint and a brush and go to town stenciling. Precision is of zero importance. Just have fun! 

Since I used washable paint I had to spray them with this:

but if you start with acrylic paint, or even craft paint, you should be ok without it. 

Or you can do a quick coat of mod podge!

(remember: homemade mod podge is CHEAP and it's just watered down glue.)

 Start gluing! I used fabric glue, but hot glue would also work well.

 Once all your cute little hearts are in place, press them down and wait until it's good and dry.
 Then grab a strip of fabric, some twine or matching yarn,
tie a loop around your wreath and
voila!

Quick and easy, and so fully of cheery Valentine goodness.

Have fun and happy creating!

seven pretty things on a sunday

There is a fun little blog party happening today and everyone 

is sharing the pretty things that 

are inspiring them this week.

This week it's all about projects. 

My husband cleared a space in the basement for me to create my very own craft corner. 

Have I mentioned he's the best ever?

{source}
Wouldn't this be the sweetest little work space?

Just think of all the fun things I could create!

{source}

How perfect is this little t-shirt makeover?

This is definitely doable.

{source}

Not sure my skill set is up to this piece of lovely, but a girl can try.

And it would be amazing with that tee!

{source}
Someday there will be a little lady around here,
and she is going to need one of these tops.
I know just the person to make it if it proves to be more than I can muster.
(Yep, talking to you, Mom.)

{source}
Thinking about babies and bedrooms. The boys are consolidating into one room, 
we need a nursery before the baby arrives... 
that means I have a lot of room design on the brain.
This sign is a for sure. And how lovely are these colors?

{source}
 I can just see this bit of cuteness in my girl's room.

{source}
These hearts make me happy.
I am all about Valentine's Day this year,
and this is the perfect project to do with my boy!


What is inspiring you this week? 

adoption: more of our story

It's been forever since I've written some of our story, and I wanted to jump back in where I left off last May. I want to remember the details, especially before we get wrapped up in the details of the next (no word yet, by the way. still praying for our girl!).


When we got the call that we'd been chosen for a baby, we were elated. Like, over the moon, butterflies, giddy excited. We called our families and friends and announced that we'd be bringing home a baby boy in a month's time. I went through baby clothes, we set up the crib, looked into places to stay and planned and prepped for his arrival.


One sunny June morning we took Lute to the zoo to see the cows. He is all about exotic animals, you know. We knew our caseworker would be calling soon so that we could "meet" or birthmother over the phone. As we walked through the trees, my phone rang. We nervously pulled the stroller over to a bench in a quiet area and began a conversation that would change the lives of all involved. We listened as she asked us questions about why we'd like to adopt and why we'd chosen a different ethnicity than our own. We heard her story and told her ours. I told her (rather nervously) that I was actually pregnant and she was more than happy that her baby boy would have another sibling. When the conversation ended, we felt peace and more excitement, and a greater love in our hearts for a baby to be and the woman who carried him. God was pressing into our hearts a desire to pray for her and to let her know that she would always be with us.


We were told not to book our plane tickets until we got the call that she was in labor, as there was no real point in being there any earlier. She'd invited me to be in the delivery room if I'd arrived in time... but she warned me she'd probably do a lot of swearing. (ha.) 
The call came midday on the due date and we booked our tickets for that night. Our bags were ready and we were off. We flew cross country, rented a car and drove the two hours to the town where she was. I was convinced we'd missed the birth because of the long flight, but we got a call that her contractions had stopped and she was resting. 
Have you ever heard of that happening? I haven't, and I am pretty convinced God was waiting for us.


We fell into a tired heap in our hotel room, my cell phone inches from my ear so I wouldn't miss the call. It came at 9:25am and we were out the door and in the car to drive the short two mile journey to the hospital. When we got to the waiting room of the tiniest hospital I'd ever been in, I called Sandy, our caseworker, to let her know we'd arrived, but only got her voicemail.


Seven minutes later we heard the chimes over the announcer that let the hospital know a baby had just been born.


Our baby.


Just moments later Sandy came out to tell us all about the birth. She'd done it naturally, our baby had arrived, and he was 9 pounds, 10 ounces. (Go ahead and process that. Natural childbirth+huge baby=my hero.) She told us we could come back to the room and meet him, and coached us that we should also remember to focus on our birthmother (we'll call her Molly). I am going to be honest: it was awkward. I didn't know if I should look at her or the baby first. Ask to hold him, engage her in conversation, hug her... what. Her sister was there and they immediately put him in our arms. I held him, introduced my very talkative two year old, and Nick (as he always is) was easy and natural in conversation with the sweet girl who had just given us one of the greatest gifts we've ever known.


Over the next two days, we sat with Molly and watched reality tv (kindred spirit) and talked about our lives back home, what she liked to do in her free time, and all the other getting to know you stuff. Nick and I would take turns slipping out of the room to go hold Eddie and feed him his bottles and snuggle him until the other one switched out. It was all surreal, all amazing, and even now I sit in wonder of it. All the while, Lute was at our side, loving his new baby brother.

Once Molly was released, we were free to take our baby back to the hotel. We spent another couple of days together as a family before Nick and Lute flew back home and I stayed back with Eddie until we were cleared to leave by our state and the state he where he was born. Once they agreed it was a valid adoption, I bought my ticket home to begin our life as a family of four. 


It was a bittersweet babymoon for Eddie and me. I loved having endless hours to snuggle my new little love and bond as mother and son. But I also longed for home, to wrap my arms around Lute, and to marvel at this baby with my husband. I was able to have a few meals with Sandy and Molly before I left, and I still hope that I was able to convey my gratitude during our short time together. The sacrifice she made in giving her boy to me - to us - has left an indelible mark on my heart forever.

I can't imagine one day without Eddie in it. He is my little man, my pumpkin, my active, curious, often crazy, little snuggler. 

I love that kid.

a snippet of me

Last week I got an email from my friend Daisy. She tagged me in a little bloggy game and I thought it'd be a fun way to tell you some things you might not know about me.

1. I majored in anthropology, became a barista, went to beauty school, became a stylist and now I have a little salon in my basement. 
2. I have been to 5 of the 7 continents.
3. I could eat noodles at every meal.
4. I just finished The Hunger Games and I feel a gaping hole in my life. Someone suggest a good book, please.
5. Sometimes I look at my kids and feel like my heart is going to burst because I am so blessed.
6. My husband and I are coming up on seven years of marriage. I feel like that might deserve a night away?
7. I think reality tv is so stupid and so fascinating all at the same time.
8. I am slightly obsessed with boots.
9. I love the women in my family more than I ever have before. Something about getting older, I think.
10. The seasonings I use most in my kitchen are cumin and soy sauce (but never together, 'cause that might be gross.)
11. Headbands are my favorite but I almost never wear them. 


Now for the questions Daisy asked me:
1. What did you want to be when you grew up? A pediatrician. I spent a lot of time in hospitals and I always felt at home and wanted to give back in the way I'd been given to. Then I found out I hate science.
2. Favorite activity to do outside? Gardening! It's kind of a new hobby. 

3. If you could only eat one thing for the rest of you life, what would it be? Well, I did just say noodles, but maybe pizza. Or sushi. I need variety, people!

4. The best thing that has happened to you? I could say my husband and kids, but none of the would mean anything with out Jesus.

5. Name the person you look up to? My husband. That man is where it's at.

6. One thing you can’t live without? Coffee. Lots and lots of coffee.

7. A goal you want to finish before the year is done? Become a runner. Ugh.

8. All-time favorite movie, that you’d watch every day? Walk the Line or A Little Princess.

9.Wine or beer? Wine. Specifically, Pinot Noir.

10. If you could be an animal, what would you be? Even though I seriously dislike them, probably a cat. They sleep all the time and don't care what anyone thinks about them.

11. Something you’ve learned since you starting your blog? Be honest and be yourself. 

Want to play along? I'd love to read what YOU have to say. Link back with your post!

our christmas card

I have no notions of grandeur when it comes to our family image.
Like tonight, for example, we all tromped in the snow up the steps to church, 
hope in my heart that we would not be a spectacle.
And... we were. The sanctuary was only about half full because of the cold weather, 
and my little men made sure we were visible. 
And audible. To everyone.
Anyhoo. 


Our tradition is to take our Christmas card photo on Thanksgiving night so that I will, 
in theory, have plenty of time to order and send them before Christmas.
Not so much this year. 
I put off ordering them, but still gave myself plenty of time.
And then the company we ordered them from had overextended themselves
with some "prints for a penny" sale, and our cards arrived on Christmas Eve.
And then I mailed half of them a week later.
And another batch last week.
And there are still several, unaddressed in our desk drawer.
Oh well, here's to 2012.


Back to that photo.

Here is what we sent out...Aren't they so cute? (from life made lovely!)

So, maybe they're not smiling, but they are all looking

in the same direction (thanks to an uncle doing some very enthusiastic dancing).

But because I like keeping it real, this is what the other 82 attempts looked like.

Yup.

true love

One day last week Lute was in our bedroom and asked if he could take a framed photo sitting on Nick's dresser and put it in his room. It is one of Nick and I sitting on a balcony in Costa Rica on our honeymoon.

I thought it was sweet, so I said yes.

 Then last night as we were getting all the boys ready for bed and Lute was alone in his room getting his jammies on, I looked in to check on him.

He didn't see me, and I saw him holding the frame and staring at it for several seconds.

He looked up and caught me watching him and a huge grin spread across his face.

"I just love you guys, Mama."

And then I dissolved into a pool of mushy goo on the floor as my heart welled

with love and affection for my sweet boy.

That kid's a keeper.

{wiww} my little cinderella story

poncho:target tee:urban outfitters  jeans:old navy  shoes:target
earrings:nordstrom b.p.

When I was little, my favorite disney movie was definitely Cinderella.

I loved her shoes. And I am not talking about her glass slippers. 

I am talking about her black ballet flats that she wore when she swept all the livelong day.

Weird? Maybe. But even today, I drool for cute flats.

The pair I am wearing in these photos are my favorite.

As soon as I saw them, I immediately thought of Cinderella.

I love them. They're covered in wool and lined with fleece.

They are the comfiest, coziest pair of cute little flats I've ever owned.

And I do do a lot of sweeping...