Soon...

Morgan in one of her Little Miss Bossy moods.
She's ordering me around in this shot.
I wonder where she gets that from- her father of course.

I know, its been forever. I haven't forgotten about you or Little Miss Cupcake Sugarpants. We have been living with my in-laws while our home has been gutted from the inside out, and re-homed again. I am thrilled to be moving in at the end of this month! There is a God. To have our own space again will be heavenly. I'll back to blogging and posting in no time. Until then, thank you for your patience. Be prepared for an onslaught of entries. Soon you'll be so sick of me. I promise. xxoo L

Little Fairy in the Foxtails

Spending time with Morgan is like sinking my teeth into heaven everyday. Here is a little glimpse of some of my favorite shots I took of her frolicking in a shallow marsh of fox-tails. The sunshine, blue sky and her sweet sweet tutu made for a perfect little photo-shoot. The unplanned ones are always the best. I know its been awhile, so I thought I'd indulge you in a good one.

Spooktacular Halloween

The magic of Halloween...

I love how they did up the front steps of this house. Its tasteful, welcoming and cozy. It would be the first house I'd hit up on the block!

Butter with that please! How cute is Laney in her popcorn suit from http://www.potterybarnkids.com/. They've outdone themselves with super sweet costumes this year. I just want to order all of them!

Sweet enough to eat!

Halloween has always been my favourite holiday, maybe even more so than Christmas! Its close anyways. Slimey hands after carving the pumpkin, roasted pumpkin seeds, spookey music, green punch, spiderwebs, haunted houses, sprinting from door to door, calling out 'Candy Apples', Tricker-treat'. The pure joy when little bite sizd morcels are dropped into your treat bag. Sugar-galore. As a kid, I loved dreaming up my own costume and then creating it out of nothing. My brother and I would hunt around the house- in the storage room, mom's closet, even the garage for the perfect pieces.

Once suited up, glamorous or scarey, we'd parade for mom around the living room, so proud of our homemade get-ups. My fav's- Dreamglow Barbie when I six (my pink dress actually glowed in the dark). I was so mad at my mom when she made me put a puffy winter coat over it, and Vana White when I was eleven (I wore my mother's sparkly sapphire sequin dress from Vegas). Oh, and the pillow cases half full of tooth splinting candy. What a SWEET bonus. My mom would actually give us thirty-dollars for half of our candy, so we wouldn't gobble up every last nasty bit. She kept the stash 'hidden' under her bed, and always ended up eating it herself!

Decorating for halloween sure has changed. Its more festive and chic than ever. No more kleenex ghosts and window stickers! Well, unless you like to be old-school. There's nothing wrong with that! Just don't forget the creaky door music in the background.

I've always loved haunted houses. Our county pool used to put on a wicked halloween swim every year. They made a huge haunted house upstairs in the gym. I almost peed my pants everytime.

The classy pumpkin.

And now for some more fabulous costumes...

Yip Yips!!!! Seriously, this is awesome.

Do you remember these guys!?
'Yip, yip, yip, yip, awha, awha.'

Heavenly little mermaid.

This little owl suit from Pottery Barn Kids is just adorable.
You can order it online at www.potterybarn.com.

Can't go wrong with the always lovely Mary Poppins.

Eeeeeee. Love this one from Martha Stewart.

You can find the pattern to make it on her website http://www.marthastewart.com/.

Understated, chic and still spookey.

Perfect for a sassy office party.

What a perfect mommy and daughter combo.
Rose and tulip. Love this.

Ok, this one takes the cake. O O O so cute.

If you like butterflies, this one is gorgeous,

and easy to make yourself!

I love how halloween keeps us creative and thinking like kids again. I believe in dressing up no matter how old you are. Even though there are so many fabulous ready-to-go costumes, I still like creating your own out of everything and anything you can find around the house. Enjoy your eyeball soup and groovin to the Monster Mash. I know I will!

Ode to Beauty

Photo Credit: Kiss the Groom

Seriously, do these shoes really exsist? I love the pink spin on Dorothy's RR Slippers. These fabulous Christian Louboutin heels are weddinglicious, any day delicious really. The perfect 'feel betters' to slip into on a emotionally cloudy day. Something about a touch of sparkle I cannot resist, especially when its done so tastefully, and speaks to my inner little girl who just wants to sail away on a rhinestone boat over a gold sea. Did I really just say that? Sure did! The simplicity of this timeless wedding dress paired with these pink ladies, sings amore, amore. If these are her shoes, I wonder what her panties look like...turquois lace, perhaps.

Photo Credit: Kiss the Groom

This photo is calming just to look at. I'd love to hang it in my bedroom. The moody grays call for a resorative afternoon with an abundance of tea and chocolate peanut butter biscuts that melt in your mouth. Today- 1. Go for a walk 2. Cuddle with Morgan 3. Shop for bathroom taps 4. Snap some pics 5. Pack up for the last weekend at the lake 6. Cuddle with Morgan 7. Stop at the bakery 8. Get my butt out of the city. xo

A Little Catchup

My Dearest Morgan,
I can't believe how many words you are beginning to say. There's duck, kiss, up, hi, bye, book, bus, mama, dada, (the essentials), no (your fav.), bath, block, (she's very good with her b's and ck's), me (which is just as frequent as 'no'), puppy, milk, toot (today's addition, ha ha) and many more. Everyday your sweet little mouth is spilling out new words.

You know what I'm patiently waiting for...I love you. I must tell you how much I love you a hundred times a day. The day you say those two or three words back, I will melt many moons over and over again. Until then, I joyously welcome your adorable babbling and one worders. I also can't believe how much you can understand. It blows my mind how quickly you are comprehending what we are saying to you. Now, whether or not you choose to listen, is a completely other story.

Also my little Beyonce, you are blooming into one dancing diva. You work that bootie just like your mama! You love to dance. Whether its music on a commercial, or we're having a little family dance party, you like to move it. When you get crabby or when life is feeling a bit tense, we just turn up the tunes and shake the crabbies away! Works every time sweetpea, for little girls and big girls, like mommy too. Remember that honey.

My friends and loyal readers,
I know the posts haven't been as frequent. My apologies. We have been busy beyond belief. Brydon's been swamped with Integrity, while completely gutting and renovating our new home, and raising a wee one, never-mind all the other stuff that seems to pile up. Sometimes he's not home until after 10pm, or the next day if he has a move to Calgary. I miss him, and I can't wait until we can just chill as a family in our new home. I love it, but some days, it poops me out. The mommies with two and three bugs are snickering at me right now. I know it. Oh good news! Morgan just started to sleep through the night at 16-months. Hip-hip-hooray! Man oh man, she's down for 11 to 12-hours and its bliss.

We rented our condo out on the 20th of September, so now we're staying with Brydon's mom and dad until the renovations are done. AKA- the in-laws, ha. We're thinking we'll be in late Oct. but who knows. Renovations never go as planned. In the meantime, we're working our bananas off to get the house done and enjoying the fall, my favourite time of year. I crave the tailored coats, cozy sweaters, long pants, dark jeans, and great boots. On my wish list- camel riding boots. I'll trade in the bright summer colors for romantic jewel tones, chocolate, red, navy and punches of yellow and green any day. (As I write this, I'm telling Morgan, "Please don't eat the Play-Doh, honey. Yucky!" It just can't taste good. Silly goose nugget.)

...Back to oozing over fall. Oh, fall. How I love your minimalistic elegance, your classic comfort, and inhaling a chai latte while taking a stroll through the pumpkin and crimson kissed river- valley.

Exciting news. I meet my birth grandparents this Sunday. They're coming up to Edmonton for brunch. What should I make? I"m sure they can't wait to get a snuggle from Morgan. They go by 'Bo Bo' and 'Gong Gong', or Bo and Gong. Yup, kind of wild, but super fun. I'll tell you how they got those names after our visit on Sunday. I don't know too much about them yet. I know they've lived in the same family home for 50-plus years, have vacationed in Hawaii every year for 50-plus years as well (talk about solid peeps), and supposedly, I get my natural passion for writing from my Gong Gong (grandpa), who is described as a Scottish romantic who creates 'magic' with words. I'm so looking forward to absorbing more of my family, getting to know them is like getting to know myself on a deeper level. So amazing. I am so thankful.

Here is a beautiful little writing piece of Gong Gong's that sent to all of his children and grandchildren this July:

Spider Webs & Cobwebs

We are all reminded daily that the path of life is often littered with spider webs and cobwebs, some old and some new. The old cobwebs, from days gone by, bring forth memories from the past and the new spider webs may often ensnare us in conflict as they are spun across our path of life; or lead us on a life changing wonderful adventure. The old adage that "a new broom sweeps clean" comes to mind as we try to clean out some of the past and avoid the many pitfalls on the way to the future. A slippery slope to negotiate at the best of times trying to find a way over, under or through the obstacles in the path of life, or taking us on an exhilarating climb to new and exciting places. The right path usually exists; a fork in the road; trying to find it is part of the journey of life. I believe that the fabric of life is intrinsically woven by a power beyond our control.

"... the soul would have no rainbow
if the eyes had no tears."

~ Part of a Native American saying

To all those I love and hold dear to my heart.
With great love and respect,
Dad, Grand Dad, Great Grand Dad, Gong Gong
Monday, July 26, 2010

This is the family I have the pleasure to get to know. Lucky, lucky me. Through all of life's plenty of hardships, an abundance of sweetness manages to soak through the cracks. I plan to lap up every inch of its nectar. Even if i have to get down on my hands and knees and lick the cement.

Summer Holidays

Brydon, Morgan and I were able to sneak away to B.C. for a week with some fabulous friends. Between moving, renovating and vacationing, we've been one busy family. A holiday was exactly what we needed. Here are some pics from our lovely week in the Okanogan.

Look at me. I finally got some teeth!

Morgan and Keira gobbled down a whole bowl of Mini Wheats

during some classic bedtime stories. They went nuts.

Who doesn't like Mini Wheats- yum.

It was seriously a week long playdate for Morgan.

She had such a riot.

Our only nice day of weather!

Thank God the company was so good.

Old school.

This view is going to be my backyard someday.

The wineries in the Okanogan are amazing. This one is particular, us ladies loved. The boys looked after the kiddies one evening, so us girls could enjoy B.C.'s best.

Tricia, me, Lisa and Chelsea.

The gorgeous and ridiculously chic, Ex Nihila.

Silly girls.

This winery was just...sexy. I'll be back.

Oh, and the wine was good too.

Jude sleeping on his mommy.

Makes me want another asap. Sooo sweet.

Hangin on the window sill with daddy.

Keira and her million dollar smile.

A real beauty just like her mama.

Jude and Rylan were so quiet and chill. Sometimes we'd forget they were playing on the floor, and we'd almost trip over them.

Lisa's new Mark Jacob's flats, love em.

Lisa and Keira cruising down the dock.

Sleepy sailor. Morgan zonked out about

5-minutes into her first boat road.

And she's out.

Morgan loved her sand toys.

She had a ball with that little pink beach set.

Travis and Trish's little one, Rylan.

I don't know how many time I kissed those cheeks.

Precious chubs.

Keira and Morgan became kiss and hugaholics by the end of the trip. They just adored each other. I am so thrilled we got to spend time with some of our best friends. Can't wait to do it again next year. Love you guys. xo