Charming Tags GIVEAWAY!!

So here is how you can win: make a purchase from my Etsy shop http://michelelaurene.etsy.com/ and your name goes in the drawing twice

or comment on my blog and your name goes in once... it is that easy!

These five tags are blank on the back for your sentiments. They make cute gift toppers, look great hanging from a cute gift bag or can be used alone as a fun, unique card. I will draw on Saturday!

A week of photography

Photography is one of my favorite hobbies and having the opportunity to get shots of my friends and their children....their expressions...their love for life... life is good.





And my handsome Merit.

Capturing life, love and expressions

More photography posts tomorrow...

Look who likes the slide!

Spending time at the Dunes

Taking the boys and the dogs to the dunes is a favorite activity. It is really beautiful out there. Yesterday we joined Bill and Heidi, Pat and Elizabeth, along with many others and had fun exploring, mudding and hanging out at the dunes.

Recent Card Creations

I got the bug to make cards over the weekend. My texts and packets for the courses I am registered for STILL have not arrived. I'm eager to get started, but in the mean time am keeping busy with photography, running Merit too and from school and soccer practice, playing soccer, monster trucks and school with the boys, playing with BETTY and making cards.......

Betty

Betty...we have officially named her Betty. Merit is SLOWLY getting used to her. He has made it very clear to us that he is more loyal to Rudy, but thinks this little gal has an adorable face. Merit is also a little nervous when she is doing the wild puppy, jump up and play rough thing....... She is hyped up first thing in the morning and loves to tug on pant legs and get rowdy. Willem has bonded with her a bit more and just shoves her down when she gets too wild. I think she is adorable...playful...funny and a lot of work.

Painter of the family

Like it or not, I am the painter in the family. It all started when Vance and I built our first house. The home was beautiful, the rooms roomy and comfortable... all they seemed to be lacking was color. I started small scale, I decided to paint the half bath. After four coats of different browns and many hours taping and painting I had pretty much accomplished what I had hoped. But it took a while and the bathroom was "under construction" for a week. I then did another bathroom, a very cheery yellow. That room didn't take as long... I did one room of our bedroom and lastly I did a guest bedroom.... I was FINALLY getting the hang of it. And then we moved. We moved to a 1970s fixer upper in Boardman, OR with orange shag carpet and very dingy walls. We replaced the shag and painted EVERY room of the house. I painted every room of the house (with my dear friend Lissa's help). By the end of that I was sick of painting. We lived there for three years, then back to Moses Lake to a rental and now our current home. I have done some painting of rooms here -- and have had help from Lucy -- but what I really like are small projects - a distressed table, a bar stool, a fun old chair.

Last week we started on a scrap lumber dock. Vance used all old lumber from our deck, which was replaced with Trek decking and we have this fun place to sit, visit and fish on Crab Creek. But you know what it needed? A paint job. I recruited Merit to help me and this recycled dock is now a peaceful haven with a fresh coat of paint. And now maybe we have two painters in the family.

Baby Fever

We have a puppy!! We wondered if my baby fever was real baby fever, or if it were something a puppy could cure. I guess we will find out. :) Also, Rudy is getting up there in years. We got her when we were engaged, she was a six week old puppy, she is now 10 1/2. Rudy has been a good, loyal dog. Our hope is that she can maybe help train a puppy. I am crazy about this new addition, so is Vance and Willem is having fun with her but Merit isn't sold on her yet. In fact, Merit cried himself to sleep last night because he feels so sad for Rudy and he is worried about the day when Rudy will be gone. Rudy is losing her sight and hearing a bit, but she is really doing quite well for being a big, old dog. For now, we will enjoy caring for and loving two black labs.

Puppy Love

Trash to Treasure

Before AfterI can't seem to drop Merit off at kindergarten and get back home without stopping at a thrift store. My three favorite things to look at: furniture, books and linens. Willem is an official junkstore junkie. :) A few months ago, Liz and I were thrifting and I found this table. This is the only "before" pic I got of this little treasure...Merit's pose is quite comical, but that's Merit.
And the after....I am crazy about it. A fun addition to our dining room.
I just registered for three college courses... education classes to keep my teaching certificate current. My trash to treasure projects and card making may be on hold for a while...

Enjoying family time in Plain

What a great weekend! My dad, brothers, Matt's friend Stephanie, my sisters and their families, Vance, Merit, Will and I enjoyed a weekend of laughter in Plain, WA, just outside of Leavenworth. We stayed at "Oma Lodge." The cousins had a wonderful time playing. The weather was beautiful, the lodge provided plenty of room for our big group and we enjoyed laughing and making memories. Can't wait to do it again!

What a fun weekend!!

Merit, Kai, Willem and Lane enjoying hot cocoa.
Uncle Phil
Uncle Matt
Lane
Grandpa Jim with the boys...tire swing fun!

Labor Day

We had a quiet, relaxing Labor Day. We spent Saturday and Sunday at the dunes but just stayed home on Labor Day and enjoyed a quiet family day. We took a hike and enjoyed our surroundings.

We have a kindergartener!

Last week was a fun, exciting, emotional week. We have a kindergartener in the house! Sending Merit off to school wasn't easy. But these are exciting times. He has a very nice teacher and he is having fun making new friends.