Hula With Me

Day 4: Favourite Place

today (a day late, this should have been yesterday's challenge) i decided to change up my style, add a little colour, add a whole lot of crosshatch.  i'm none to pleased with it but i'm okay with that.
this is the view from my favourite place in the world, the lanai of our beach front rental condo makani sands in maui, hawaii.  i've been twice and stayed here both times.  it was on the ocean, it had a pool, it was a short walk to shops and a short drive to lahaina where all the good shopping and restaurants are. holiday heaven.

Excuse Me While I Wipe The Drool From My Chin

Day 3: Favourite Food

how dare i be challenged to sit for an hour and draw my biggest culinary weakness.
i almost gave up after drawing 6 pieces of california roll but i decided to keep on going because i didn't feel like thinking of what else to draw.  yup, my laziness to find something new became determination to finish what i started.  it turned out okay though, i'm glad i finished it.
now, who's up for going out for sushi?

Meow

today's "draw your favourite animal" drawing challenge made me feel like i was doing a grade school project.  my favourite animal has always been cats.  "c-a-t" was the first word i learned how to spell, taught to me by my older sister and brother while sitting in our car in the church parking lot after church, waiting for my parents to finish their coffee and visits.

when i was still quite young my brother brought home a kitten after hanging out at a friends house one day, it needed a home and steve decided ours would be a good one.  somehow we also ended up with the kittens sister, too.  between the two of them they had a few batches of kittens that we raised and found good homes for, cats were a part of my life for a long time.  colin's, too.  i'm glad i married a man who shares my love of cats.

colin and i had a kitten just after we were married, but she ran out into the street and was hit by a car a few months before elliott was born.  it broke my heart, she had a very special place in my heart.

when elliott was 4 months old we bought another but he was way too rambunctious to keep at our house so my parents adopted him for us (thanks mom and dad!)

we visit the kittens at the pet store all the time, elliott tries to get them to lick his fingers and molly giggles and talks to them like they're babies.  i don't think she's old enough to know not to carry them around by their tail and avoid stepping on them, so for now we'll hold off.  perhaps in another year or so, i think she'll be a little wiser at 2 1/2.

anyway, without further adieu, kittens:

Day 2: Favourite Animal

30 Day Drawing Challenge

i came across this 30 day drawing challenge while browsing pinterest yesterday afternoon and got excited.  i did the 30 day photography challenge a couple of months ago and had so much fun but still don't feel like i really have the knack for photography i should, but drawing is something i've always been passionate about and haven't done nearly as much as i'd like to, mainly because i haven't been inspired to do so.  i don't just sit down and start drawing, i need a topic, a direction, some kind of push.  and here it is!
i'm pretty excited about it!

i started today with my first challenge: myself.  sheesh, this again?  i had a really hard time doing this in the photography challenge, but at least this time i could copy a photo i already like of myself ;)

Day 1: Yourself

here it is, straight from my scanner.
it sorta looks like me, right?  sorta?

Hairstyle Upon Hairstyle Upon Hairstyle

this tumblr page resource for a gazillion photos of hair: inspirationalhair.tumbler/archive.

boy oh boy, i could spend hours in there!

Bag Lady

the day before a big planned beach day i realized i didn't have a bag big enough to carry towels, a blanket, bathing suits, water shoes, extra diapers, extra clothes, snacks, and my wallet & phone.  i had a vision of myself holding molly in one arms, holding hands with elliott with my other, towels draped over my shoulder, my diaper bag draped over the other, a back-pack, and a couple of reusable grocery bags.  the thought was so overwhelming that i almost didn't want to go anymore.  then i remembered i had a bunch of extra khaki fabric, a sewing machine, basic sewing skills and a bunch of saved pinterest links to simple beach bag tutorials.

a couple hours, some cutting, inventing and machine-sewing later i had a beach bag that looked so oversized i thought, "oh no, that's way too huge, i'm going to look like the weirdo at the beach who can carry all of my stuff and my children in my bag."  then i packed it and wouldn't you know it, it was the absolute perfect size.  it fit every little thing i needed and room in the front pocket for a collection of shells to bring back home.  i'm pretty proud of it!

i even added my own tag ;)

my fabric was a little dull so i made my own piping and sewed it in all the seams.  i think it added something special, i'm proud of how it turned out.

go make one here: canvas beach bag with elle apparel.

Welcome Lincoln David

just one month before candace's due date

 a very big congratulations to my brother-in-law ryan & sister-in-law candace on the arrival of

your first baby!

link!

lincoln david was born on august 25th at 10:15pm, weighing 9 pounds 2 ounces and measuring 55.5cm. he's the 3rd boy and 4th baby in the family now.
colin and i love his name, it was actually on our list of boy names, too, when we were having molly.

molly likes lincoln's nose

i've had the great pleasure and honour to have met him and held him twice now.  he's been sleeping both times, i have yet to see his eyes open.  he's really cute, he looks just like his momma!
we're all over the moon!