may all my headbands have a crown atop them

We spent last weekend in St. Louis with our good friends the Rapps. Theirs is the kind of home that you feel instantly comfortable in. They are those kind of people, oozing generosity and hospitality. They offered to watch the kids so that we could attend the temple. We didn't hear a peep from our children the entire time. Not one squabble, no "I'm bored!"...just nonstop transformers and dress ups.

I shot these pictures to go in Mia's brand new big girl room. We ran upstairs Saturday morning before breakfast to shoot, and maybe five minutes later we were done. I can't stop looking at these photographs. Like everyone in the Rapp family, Mia is gorgeous. And there is something so magical about an age where plastic earrings and pearls are all you need to feel fabulous.

St. Louis temple

February 2010

{married in St. Louis temple July 2002}

so...much...snow...

The snow totals this year are SO HIGH (for Missouri).

We've loved every minute.

Church was canceled on Sunday.

So we made a big breakfast of pumpkin pancakes

and bundled up to enjoy yet another winter snowstorm.

The good stuff

{A quick little Valentine shoot for my nephew - props created by his mom}

{a surprise gift from my valentine}

{pictures from a playgroup outing to fairy-tale village}

That's Roman pulling Rapunzel's hair and Lily helping the Little Red Hen bake bread.

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Another post (another week?) without a clear theme.

I enjoy the random bits of life.

It's such a tiny portion,

and it's always (mostly) the good things that make it to the blog.

I try to make room for the good things.

Because everyone knows life has bad stuff too.

In fact, the past two scattered blog posts are probably evidence that my

mind is on heavy life things.

So sometimes it's nice to come here and SEE,

LOOK! there is still so much good.

So much good.

amidst the blahhh.

There is so much to be grateful for.

Bla.bla.bla...

i like the month of February.

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we have gotten SO MUCH snow and cooooold weather this year. i'm liking that too.

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i read an article about how houseplants clean the toxins out of the air in your home (which is 12x more polluted than air outside!) then i googled the subject...and that was that. i headed to home depot to pick up some plants. They were clearancing in order to get ready for spring shipments, so I scored two plants for $0.99! Two seemed like a manageable beginning.

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if you look really closely at this picture you can see that i have smeared plain yogurt on the outside of the pot. Martha Stewart said this would help it turn into a nice aged and mossy planter. i hope so. otherwise...ewwww.
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I get (mostly) gift cards for Christmas. I really really like that. Because lately, Christmas morning is mostly about my kids...and it also means that the months of January and February are spent cashing my cards in. Keeps the winter doldrums away.

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i simultaneously feel like my life is moving really fast and really slow. I'm not sure I can explain that one except to say there are things I look forward to that seem to always be up ahead, and things I love so much (like my sweet children and the pace of our family life) that seem to be flying by.

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the past few months I have been thinking about the Holy Ghost. a lot. There is so much to learn. Most recently there is one line (from lds.org) that keeps going through my mind. In reference to the Holy Spirit being the only power that can help us receive a sure testimony of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, it says,

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"His communication to our spirit carries far more certainty than any communications we can receive through our natural senses."

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at first glance it seems so very straightforward.

and when you think about the Spirit's many many roles...

it's really a beautiful gift.

They say the best things in life are free

Ok. I know the best things in life aren't things.
But free stuff is pretty cool.

David is on a roll.
He does termite work for HUD housing.
There is always a trash pile of interesting stuff in the empty homes.
He pulled this out knowing I would like it.
I think I officially have a collection now.
This little gray guy makes vintage fan #2.

The key was another trash pile find.
We were browsing Anthropologie while on a date this weekend, and
they had a bowl of (smaller --less cool) keys for sale.
$12.95 a piece.
We took it as confirmation of coolness.

On that same date, we wondered into Williams-Sonoma.

I pointed out the little french tumblers I wanted to buy to replace our

(broken and cracked) everyday glasses.

David said a bar that he services, changed out their glassware and

there was a box of extras.

Sure enough, a box of 30 was delivered to my door...

free!

This last little treasure wasn't entirely free.

But it is an old refrigerator drawer that I spied on craigslist for $10.

And probably because I have an obsession with labels...I think it is so cool.

In my dream pantry it can hold potatoes and onions.

But right now it sits on my island and makes me happy.

Sometimes I wish I had more money for home decoration.

(ok, I wish that a lot lately)

But when I look around my house,

it's the pieces like these that make me smile.

They have a story.

A memory is attached.

They make it home-y.