fresh picked whimsy

movie love

I've got two brand new prints to share with you today that are inspired by two of my very favorite movies.  The number one movie OF ALL TIME for me is...

i keep this little framed picture of the Bedford Falls welcome sign in the front hall of our home. 

 

and that was the inspiration behind this print...

{Our Bedford Falls in the shop here}

The second print that's new in the shop today is inspired by another favorite movie of mine...

i love ALL things Jane Austen...don't you?

{Our Pemberley print in the shop here}

If for some unthinkable reason you have not seen these two movies, you need to drop everything.  Get in your jammies, pile on the couch with a big comfy blanket and watch...now!

(Really...i can't think of a single reason why you wouldn't have seen them)

I'll be sharing lots of new things from whimsy studios in the coming weeks. I'm so excited to show you!  xo

 

friday funnies

Remember the days of film photography?...when you had to be selective about what you took pictures of because it was expensive to buy and develop it?  That's probably the thing i love most about digital...i snap pics ALL THE TIME...of even the silliest things.  Here are just a few of the funny shots i found in my camera recently...

the day one of our beach chairs failed on Griffin...

Culvers may want to rethink this flavor...

Found this on the kitchen counter one morning...

we seek out the silly hats wherever we go...

 

isn't this a lovely picture of katie a pineapple?

i bake a pan of brownies and this is what my kids do...

really?

Finally...this was a snapchat that we sent to our Georgia family.  We were sending individual goofy pics back and forth and then decided to get together for one big one.  It was griff's bday and he was the only one who didn't make a goofy face...which is funny because he's usually the goofiest of all.

i love my family.

♥
Happy Friday, friends! Go have some silly fun!

The magical days of Nanny McD

Listen up William & Kate, step aside Mary Poppins, there's a new super nanny on the scene.  Katie has spent the last 3 summers nannying two of our favorite little people in the world.  And everytime she sends me a picture of their adventures, i giggle and marvel at the creativity and the memories they're making!

homemade slime...

super bubbles... 

 
lemonade stands...

fort building...

a little fun with the camera...slam dunking! ;)

silly video making...

  

water balloon pinata...

dotty manicures...

Lego towers...

it's not slave labor when you have them wash your truck, it's teaching them the value of hard work...

popsicles in the pool...

sometimes it melts faster than you can eat it...

arts and crafts...

making magic wands... {swish and flick}

movie time...

and putt putt...

homemade ant farm...

stopping by the local pet shop and sending their mom & dad pictures and pleas for a new furry friend...

a picnic in a backyard tent...

shaving cream and cheese doodle toss...on their heads

which turned into just good ol' messy fun with shaving cream...

making sure they find time daily for reading and math, even at a swim meet...

Brock loves math...

  

homemade sidewalk chalk...

early driver's ed...

and cool treats...

and finally, mummies.  Yes, i said mummies...

 

I just know these fun-filled days will be ones that Katie and the kids will never forget.  Truth is, she has had just as much fun as they have. 

 Is she gonna be a great mom one day, or what?! 

 

Sorta kinda obsessed

...with movie quotes.  We are a movie quoting family.  Lotsa one liners.  My head is full of them.  I can't remember algebra or geometry to save my life (or to help my kids with homework), but I've got a library of movie quotes in my noggin.  Real life skills.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory {the original one!} is loaded with gems.  And, this one has always been one of my favorites...

Maybe it's because it doesn't add up.  Just like me.  Ha!  I think it would be a fun one to hang in a classroom.  Teacher's gift?  :)

Don't forget...there's a BOGO print sale in the shop right now!  Whatever you do today, be sure to shop at small business stores!  It's Small Business Saturday!  Thank you, friends!

Hope you're having a great weekend!

 

wise words from an elf

I'm ready for all things Christmas...cocoa, tinsel, carols, stockings, santa, twinkle lights and this movie...

 

This brand new print, which is sure to be a holiday conversation starter, is now available in the shop!  Here come the holidays, friends!!! 

getting there

We always drive.  We actually enjoy the road trip!  This time, it was a little more stressful because of the crazy spring break traffic, which we had never experienced before.  But, it was still fun.  The best part of our road trip was the stop half way there to see my sister, brother-in-law and kids in Georgia. 

It was only one overnight, which was entirely too short, but it was so great to see them! 

We brought Kismet along with us on this trip.  She's simply too old and fraile to board at the vet, so we checked Sunny in for a week and Kismet got to go with us.  Katie said, "she's really checking a lot of things off her bucket list this week!"  Hilarious!

She was a pampered pooch and i think she enjoyed herself.  The kids set her up with a cushy bed in the van. 

She was a little confused about the rental house and it took her a few days to get the feel of her surroundings.  But, for the most part, she did wonderfully. 

Mark does all of the driving...by choice.  And, I don't usually sleep during our drives.  I love looking at and taking pictures of the signs, the other cars, unusual sights, funny things, weird things.  Here's just a few of the things i captured...

this is always a uneasy sight...

we've past these signs for years...what is Rock City? and, will i ever see it?  probs not...

About half way between home and Florida is McDonough, Georgia! 

And, if that weren't cool enough, the next town over is Griffin, Georgia!  Oh yes, he loves driving past all of the signs with his name on them. 

We bought the Hunger Games audio book and loaded it on my iphone and listened to it the whole way there. 

Katie was the only one who had read it and seen the movie.  Then, for the trip home, we uploaded the 2nd Hunger Games book.  We still haven't finished it.  It was very long!  On the last day of break, we took the kids to see the movie.  It was really good.  It's a very sad story and a little bit disturbing, but going to the movies was a fun way to wrap up our break. 

Sunny was so happy to have us home.  We couldn't wait to see that face again!

Feels good to be home. ♥

 

just another day in paradise...

 "The kids screaming, phone ringing
Dog barking at the mailman bringing
That stack of bills - overdue
Good morning baby, how are you?
Got a half hour, quick shower
Take a drink of milk but the milk's gone sour
My funny face makes you laugh
Twist the top on and I put it back
There goes the washing machine
Baby, don't kick it.
I promise I'll fix it
Long about a million other things"

Mark and I call that song by Phil Vassar our own personal theme song.  You can listen to the song and watch the {little bit cheesy} video here.  Seriously, it was as if the guy was in our house, watching our life when he wrote it.  That last part about the washing machine being broken is particularly true to life for us.  Only it's not just the washing machine.  It's the dryer, vacuum cleaner, dishwasher, kitchen sink, ice maker, shower stall, pool cover, pool heater, half painted house, half finished game room...and on and on. 

No, i'm not looking for you to have pity on us.  We live in an awesome, cozy, wonderful house that we wouldn't trade for anything.  Honestly, we adore it.  We are blessed beyond measure.  But, i was having one of those days today.  And, when you live in a 40+ year old house, things give out and things need replacing.  It's stressful and comical at the same time.  We have to laugh about it or we will cry.  There's always something...  And, when you're on the verge of making college tuition payments, you tend to try to repair things yourselves rather than pay someone else to do it. 

Mark has fixed our hand-me-down, duct-taped vacuum cleaner at least a dozen times.  The last time was this past weekend and today I vacuumed for about 2 minutes before this happened....

it literally fell apart.  and i had to laugh.  Made me immediately think of that scene in the movie The Money Pit with Tom Hanks...you know that scene...

  

 ok, just had to share my funny housekeeping woes with you...

and yes, i'm fully aware how fortunate we are and how unfortunate so many other people are around the world.  Like i said, i'm not looking for sympathy...just thought we would giggle together because i was having "one of those days" where everything seems to be breaking around me, the dog pooped on my shoe, the kitchen sink is backed up, i opened the dryer door and a bolt fell out, and the internet went out on me in the middle of typing this post.  And, i know sometimes you have those days, too.  Right? 

Yes indeed, life is very good...and sometimes you just gotta laugh.

front row seats

a little breathing room after the massive rush of the holidays meant it was time for the annual...

i LOVE going to the movies, watching movies, watching the award shows, etc.  Going to the theater these days costs a small fortune...especially when you're taking the whole fam.  So, we really enjoy Netflix and the On Demand movie channels.  It's so much cozier watching movies on your own couch, snuggled up to your family and four legged furry friends. 

We're not so much a popcorn family, as we are an ice cream family. 

Which leads to the stacks of yummy blankets and pillows. 

These are some of the movies that we've watched over the past month and my review of them {if you're interested}...

Super 8 - loved the 1970's setting of this flick.  Brought me back.  It was scary and entertaining, but the ending was just a little hokey.  big kids loved it.  Didn't let Griff watch it...too scary for him yet.

Dolphin Tale - good family friendly movie.  Not as awesome as Soul Surfer, but a feel good movie nonetheless.  A little over-acting.

I Don't Know How She Does it - eh. 

Adjustment Bureau - crazy premise.  good movie. 

Crazy Stupid Love - i love just about anything Steve Carrell does.  Totally didn't see the curveball they threw at me towards the end of the movie.  katie and i liked it.  Mark did not. 

Arthur - I LOVED the original and was afraid they would ruin it.  they didn't.  i thought it was cute.  Not a huge Russell Brand fan, but i thought he did a good job and had me cheering for him.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes - Katie and Riley picked this one.  again, crazy premise.  we all know how it ends going into this one. 

We Bought a Zoo - Mark took the kids to see this one, while i went to visit a friend in the hospital.  They all loved it.  I will catch it on Netflix when it comes out for sure.

Next on my list are some movies that are getting Oscar buzz...because its so much more fun to cheer them on when you've seen them!!! {Tree of Life, Moneyball, The Descendents, The Ides of March, WarHorse and The Help} Yes, i'm the only woman on the planet that hasn't see The Help, which is crazy because i read it so long ago and freaked out when i heard they were making the movie.  I'm DYING to see it.  Maybe this weekend...

any other movie recommendations????

 

time travel in a photo

 
Have you guys seen the blog Dear Photograph?  OH MY WORD.  The first time i laid eyes on it, i cried.  I am such a sentimental softie.  And this...just pushed me over the edge.  They encourage their readers to take photographs from the past and then take new photographs of that photograph in front of the location where the original photo was taken.  Confused?  Take a look at the photo above.  That's my Riley and Katie when they were probably 3 and 5 years old. That's their Poppy {Mark's Dad} watching them in the background.  That's a picture of our house that i took today, in the big picture.  Mark grew up in our house.  His parents lovingly gave us the house 13 years ago.  We've since painted the house, obviously, but the structure remains the same.  Isn't that fun?  I think i might go crazy snapping these photos.  We have so many from Mark's childhood, too, that would be fun to do.  Like this one of Mark doing the dishes about 35 years ago...

 
i die.  Isn't he the cutest thing you've ever seen? 

Now, go...give it a try!  It's a warm fuzzies kinda thing to do.  Speaking of warm fuzzies...thanks for all the love and concern for Katie after yesterday's post.  You're the best. xo

 

Magic

 
Said good-bye to some old friends this weekend.  If you haven't seen it yet, you really really need to.  It was AWESOME.  We laughed, we cried, we cheered...everything we hoped it would be.

 
We began reading these books when Katie was just beginning school.  We read them aloud, in the family room all together and i still remember the wide eyed looks of wonder that Katie and Riley would have.  It was simply magical.  And although there was a lot of darkness throughout the series, i still think it was wonderfully imaginative creation and i'm so happy it was a part of my children's childhood.

You must read Katie's blog post all about going to the midnight premier with her friends...all dressed up...so much fun!

 
 
 Which brings me to another magical thing...a new blogging friend of mine, Amy, of One Day at a Time and her sweet family are adopting Davis from Russia...and she is having a HUGE giveaway on her blog to help raise the funds they need to bring Davis home.  There are TONS of goodies to be won including an iPad2, gorgeous stuff from etsy and 3, yes that's right, 3 prints from me!  Click on over there today to help them bring Davis home and to grab a chance to win some lovely stuff!  Giveaway runs through this Thursday, July 21st.  Thank you so much, friends!