o. m. gooooodness.

need inspiration?

i mean really....

so one of my favs: this blog, did a post about this blog. and now i am in love.

say hello to, the glow. it's beautiful photography of motherhood, children, homes, and pretty much the beauty of the season i find myself in. it's inspiring and reminds me a lot of the selby, another photography blog i creep on - but a lot more my genre.

you have to take it with a grain of salt though - knowing these are celebrity and/or big career women with lots of money to buy big, roomy homes with huge windows, hardwood floor, and the best flea market finds. there kids are dressed to the nines, and they have everything your flesh probably insists you need.

well, it doesn't, and motherhood isn't that glamorous.

i think after you check out that blog you should head on over to my friend britney's blog, mike + brit, where another lovely blogger i know, alison from after his smile did a guest post on the TRUE beauty of motherhood. check it out here.

that's a good balanced day of blog creeping, if you ask me. ;)

-- bleubird vintage (the original blog crush post)
-- the glow (beautiful mamas with beautiful homes and beautiful children)
-- mike + brit (a lady who could definitely be featured on the above blog, while still writing about things that really matter.)
-- after His smile (the guest blogger who will keep any mother's heart focused on that which really matters.)

see the skyline featured on apartment therapy dot com!

Exciting news! See the Skyline has been featured over at apartment therapy!

check out amos' first birthday and click around to be inspired at some of the wonderful design and lifestyle ideas!

Check out the post I created featuring our pancake bar and other, handmade details.

And head on over to apartment therapy and leave a comment showing some support!

Also, top baby blogs did a reset and I'd love a vote from you today. Only takes two clicks. Love!

the king of the kitchen

so these are three of my favorite blogs... and this is posts of their toddlers eating some incredibly diverse foods:

food, food, and more food.

all of these baby's are breastfed or just recently weaned.

when i look at this, i think to myself - WHAT ON EARTH AM I DOING WRONG?! my little amos is the most picky, particular eater. if i put a variety on his plate, he immediately throws that which looks or smells strange or offensive to him on the floor. he may attempt to stab it with the blunt end of a fork or spoon for ten minutes with no intention of bringing it to his mouth. he starts pointing at random things in the kitchen saying more, and eat. and by the end will only eat a few number of items if prepared and served exactly according to his desire.

banana peeled, half way exposed, offered a bite. after 2 bites, no more.
grapes halved, and very, very cold.
one brand of crackers from trader joes.
a green squeeze packet.
vegan chicken nuggets, hot.
frozen, natural waffles cut in 3 long sticks.

and cheddar bunnies. if it was up to him, that's all he would eat.

add in a couple more items, and this is his list. the worst part of it, is after he eats something a dozen times, he is sick of it and then starts to refuse it. bananas - done. cuties - done. apple slices - done. blueberries - so done. squeeze packs - done. and now we are reaching the end of his love for waffles.

and i have tried everything. different preparations. let him throw the food all over and scrape it into his mouth. every variety.

and i read these articles that tell me toddlers know what to eat and when they are hungry. don't force it, and so i don't.

and he's still got enough roles to convince me he's not malnourished.

and the baby is cutting 3 molars...

but i think are main situation here is THIS BOY LOVES MILK (you should hear his cute little baby voice ask for it). he loves it. and i think he'd be content with 80% milk, 20% cheddar bunnies.

and so, i will keep trying. keep preparing. keep letting him dwindle away my baby food budget, as i watch item after item be thrown on the floor or mashed up with his baby spoon onto the high chair.

and JUST. KEEP. OFFERING.

i believe in the benefits of milk and i get a little skeptical at the suggestions breastmilk is somehow hindering his development (eating or otherwise)... and so i'll continue this food journey with my baby whose personality i still haven't fully deciphered. i use to proclaim he had the chill nature of my Ricky, but more and more i see strong-headed, opinionated, super crazy Tiffany coming out. what a journey.

here's some clips of Amos post lunch and during lunch. i think here he is eating some quinoa chicken nuggets. i'm not a fan of pre-perpared stuff but i know it has more nutritious value than air, so here ya go.

GIVE ME FOOD I AM STARVING...



Mmmm... just like i want it...





all insight, encouragement, or genius recipes are welcome.

*especially past experience that tells me this phase doesn't last forever.

christmas morning.

a little glimpse into christmas morning.

and of course, christmas was over a month ago. it's practically summer already - even the midwest is taking their children in walks through the park and sitting on their front stoop - and here i am featuring my little baby in candy cane pajamas and what not.

but oh wellllllllllll.












in other news, listen to this song and dance. and if it feels like spring - like it does hear, open the windows and let the curtains dance too. because, listen, he's brought our hearts love. he IS love.

hello 2012. i know it's february, but here are my goals!

So my free time of January and evenings with Ricky are not turned over to school, school, and more school.

that means i have to kick myself in the bum and get back to life.

i have a lot of goals for 2012. most of them are START goals, rather than complete goals. if i could just get them going, i think that will be enough to celebrate.

i love being a mom, but i wish my time was multiplied during the day. i am sure there is a great lesson to be learned in this season - specific to the fact i have so many projects i'd love to launch, and so little free time to do it. i feel like some are ideas from heaven, not because they are so original or life-altering, but because there is such fire in my belly connected to each "dream". so much motivation. so little hours.

how i didn't accomplish more in my single days is a travesty to me now. if only i knew was a gift those hours of solitude were. i could have written a commentary on books of the bible! studied hebrew! designed hundreds of original pieces of art! wrote songs! mastered the guitar! wrote a novel! ran 3 miles a day! and the list could go on and on. i mean i could have DESTROYED my "DIY" board on pinterest.

and of course, they weren't wasted. there were many of beautiful things developed in those hours. lots of little writings, long talks with best friends, journal after journal packed to the brim, a library of scribbled through theology books...

but still. the space to create was so large.

and i wonder, for us creative folk, sometimes the pressure of little to no time brings forth the greatest products. i don't know. maybe not. but it seems for me my greatest results come in the womb of the night where sleep is chasing me down and causing me to say, "5 more minutes" or in small spaces i find on my own.

i always performed under pressure.

and so. here in my one afternoon of solitude i wish to organize and prioritize. these are my goals for 2012.

Creatively:
----------------------
- Lay out the skeleton of my children's novel. Perhaps complete the first section.
- Lay out the theme of the 3 set children's books I'd like to create. Decide on artform. Perhaps partner with someone.
- Create 5 strong stationary designs for webstore.
- Create 5 strong Christmas card designs.
- Turn poetry/writings into 2 songs.

- Focus more on blog. Use Ricky's school night to develop and create scheduled posts.

Family:
-------------------
- Do family worship once a week.
- Do daily worship with Amos Monday through Friday. (play on piano and/or dance to worship music)
- Wake up early with Ricky (6?) to spend the morning together.
- Receive divine revelation about how to transition Amos into sleeping better (not needing nursing to fall back asleep, sleeping through the night/or only 1 waking)
- Date night once every other week with Ricky. (so many choices in san diego, something unique every time!)
- Plan a small night getaway on each of Ricky's breaks. (groupon getaways?)
- Pack more diverse lunches/dinners for Ricky - especially on his school days.
- Do one OUTING a week with Amos. Perhaps on Monday. (Park, Aquarium, Museum, etc.)

Spiritually:
--------------------
- Keep and be consistent on a prayer list.
- Finish bible study books.
- Figure out a bible reading plan.
- Journal at least once a day.
- Memorize a scripture once a week (put all over home. turn into song with Amos. etc.)
- Practice contemplative prayer... perhaps in morning or during nap time.
- Go to at least 2 conferences this year. Perhaps visit Bethel? Or IHOP retreat?

Organizational:
------------------------
- Meal plan for Monday - Friday! (more crockpot meals)
- Begin envelope system for budgeting (cash only).
- Only do errands twice a week.
- Get all photos in albums.
- Get digital photos in albums.
- Work on next years Christmas gifts through out this year so I'm not slammed in the fall when I'm worn out at the end of Ricky's semester.
- Transition all etsy business onto a separate money system. (to better track expenses/profits)




That's all I can think of now. I'm sure I'll add as things come up.

What are some of your goals for 2012?
What does your daily schedule/routine look like?

Any ideas on how to improve life as a mom/wife/lover of Jesus?

remember.

you can be set free.

i'm back! :)

so i'm obviously so behind. i took a quite unintentional blogging break - and though i feel a little behind (it feels like i have a million events to document) it was pretty good for my heart to give it (and the little biz) a break. the Lord kissed the past couple of weeks with His goodness. i mean, i just felt His delight.

and that's a beautiful thing.

and so, yes, the past weeks as Ricky has been free from school and even from work for a bit has been like water to a dry, dry riverbed. our family was a normal family for a bit, with family dinners, and outings, and an overwhelmingly "not exhausted"-ness. the exact opposite of last semester.

and i guess now that i have crawled out from that madness, i have realized some things about this journey of a busy (way too busy, but it's certainly the right thing) busy husband. i don't think i knew, in the midst of it, how exhausted we all were. i was trying to get Amos to sleep in his crib (success! for half the night atleast), and sleep through the night (absolute no success) - and so i was spending hours rocking amos - swaying in our small bedroom between crib and a sleeping husband in our big, white bed. swaying and staring at the city lights through the almost closed blinds.

and i would lay amos down, to have him scream and scream, to the whole process again until i would surrender him back into our bed.

and this post isn't about how to or the best process of parenting your toddler into successful sleeping patterns yadda yadda. because, as far as i'm concerned, the minute ricky was out of school for the holidays - staying up all night to lead to an exhausting day with my family was not an option. we'll rejoin that journey once ricky starts back at the end of the month.

and so, i was exhausted - which was the trying aspect, but just as I was lovingly and patiently (by His spirit) holding Amos through this season of baby to toddler, i felt the same motherly kindness come out of the nearness of the Lord. Amos' long nights lead to growth (even if not complete) and those long nights lead to my own growth. how often the comforts of yesterday leave me unsettled and fearful, rather than trusting the Lord's leadership and fathering are directing me into that which is for my good.

breathe, little Amos, and know the next phase is much more glorious than the last. if you only knew the beautiful feeling of 8 straight hours of sleep!

breathe, little Tiffany, and know the next phase of this journey - of motherhood - of the path our family is on has much, much in store. and in it, I will reveal my son through His spirit.

and so the absence of Ricky, too, has proven so fruitful. doing parenthood, relatively on my own has forced me into a new level of organization I had the luxury to avoid before. for this i'm so thankful.

and this leads to my blogging preface. i will unashamedly be posting christmas pictures. i know, i know. christmas is over and forgotten, but i just now feel back in the swing of things. my little baby is asleep before 8:30, and I have groceries and my overwhelming task list of December is almost completely annihilated.

it's a 2012 miracle.

---

and so i have giveaway winners to announce. i'm closing them all on friday - so one more chance to enter: urban rain packages, fabric garland, sketched portrait art, wedding program design, and the dainty woods bundle.

i have many things to post about and a lot of vision for this space for 2012. i'm hoping to team up with a weekly feature with the beautiful britney over at mike + brit. and much, much more so don't forget to come on by!


ps listen. your heart will remember what it feels like to be in love.