Photo Series: Spring is coming and it's already hot

We just got back from Utah where we had unbelievable weather for skiing and playing, only to come back to St. Louis with even warmer weather!  My house looks like a tornado hit because we've been spending all of our time outside just soaking it all in.  

The spring colors were too good to not whip out the camera for a second and capture spring awakening with the kiddies.

 {she's intense when she crawls}

 {chores}

Loving

{via here}

• 3:00 p.m. when both kiddies are sleeping
• Costco's raw tortillas
• homemade strawberry jam
• sunshiny days
• surviving my first trip to the grocery store with two children
• dusting off my running shoes (so sore!)
• shopping here
• mid-week date night with D (to Target, no less)
• brainstorming ideas with my sisters for Lizzy's big day (8.18.11)
• using manual settings on my camera
• a Recipe Club as an excuse to gather friends

These make me happy

 {via handmade charlotte}

{via pottery barn}

Jackets

We had to wear jackets this morning to play outside.  Aaaaaaahhhh...I love Fall.

I'm loving

...four things today:

1.  The new prints on the wall.  Thanks qa.  

2.  Hi-Chew candy.  Just bought a whole box.  

3.  This song by Marina & the Diamonds.  Because nobody wants to be a robot.

4.  My Our anniversary gift.  

Happy Monday!

Genius!

{by Lytot, via Handmade Charlotte}

Pacifier sunglasses.

Need I say more?

Waiting for Picasso

I was at a friend's house the other day for the first time.  It seemed like every room was adorned with at least one framed piece of her children's artwork.  Nicely framed, at that.  The artwork was the perfect personalization to the home.  I loved it.

Patiently, patiently.  There's a corner in the family room waiting to be filled with W's masterpieces just like this:

{via The Violet Hours}

Or perhaps something more organized, like this:  

{via Blonde Designs}

Running (wo)Man

One of my favorite things about running is when a song comes up on the iPod that makes me want to break out and dance whilst running.  Sometimes a song stops me dead in my tracks and, in my excitement, I have to make a quick decision as to whether I'll keep going or (very likely) humiliate myself on busy streets.  Regardless, it always makes me smile and then laugh a bit at the visual image of me dancing on the road in my spandex and neon shoes.

Speaking of running, I'm headed to UT this weekend to run a race with my momma.  A half-marathon, in fact.  Pretty impressive, right?  No, not for me, but for my mom, Ms. Fitness.  I'm proud of her.

I'm excited about this race.  Since we Waterfalls tend to run solo, I hope my playlist is excellent and keeps me jazzed along the course.  I'm looking forward to running through BEAUTIFUL Ogden canyon.  I'm looking forward to the cliche "runner's high," which really does happen.  I'm hoping I don't run behind this guy (that half-naked one you see):

When I ran in Chicago, for some reason I always noticed this guy around.  His shirtlessness was a little awkward perhaps, but that wasn't the problem.  I was running.  Which means I was sweating.  Which means I was wet.  But I kept sensing water or something similar hitting me (arms, legs, face!).  It wasn't raining.  I wasn't passing through puddles.  No, no.  It was the shirtless man!  His sweat!  Pelting me!  For miles!  It seemed as soon as I got away from him, there he was again.  I hope I don't experience a repeat situation.

Home Sweet Home

This is about the cutest thing I've seen all day.  Love it!  I think the Utah one would look perfect above my desk.  You think so?

{via 6th Street Design School}

Buy your own state's print here.

Springtime Breakfast

I love springtime.
I love when the weather warms up.
I love the way a warm sun feels.
I actually like rain.
But I hate wind.
Hate wind.
I love when the trees blossom.
They smell so good!
I love the look of new mulch in the front flower beds.
The dark wood chips look so pretty.
I especially love it when some friendly gentlemen show up unannounced one morning to put said mulch in the front beds.
But I especially love when the tulips push through the mulch.
I anticipate their blooming every day.
I returned home late one night to discover my tulips had bloomed over the weekend.
When I got up the next morning to take a picture, I discovered some small animal loved the tulips as much as I.
Only this small creature liked to eat them.
I hate rodents.

The end.