hello monday.

its that funny time of year here in phoenix where you are just on the brink of weather change; you can almost taste it...a cool morning or a lovely evening and some slight breezes and just like that your mood elevates and says 'hey' is that fall i feel? is that only a 99 degree day ahead of me? break out the jeans, fill the grocery with pumpkins, and fight the urge to fill your flower beds with all new lovelies. fall, we welcome you with open arms. now if you dont mind we would love some even lower temperatures si vous plait? 

here are some fun monday links friends. 

doesnt this maple scented cornbread look so yummy?

are you already brainstorming halloween costumes? we change our mind about every week and i think we discuss it most of the year with ruby around. pinterest has some pretty funny ones you should check out.

this set of jumping pictures is oh so happy. found her here. 

we've been talking about making a chore chart for the kids to give them some incentive in helping out, besides just telling them to do it and hearing them say no. i found this one as a bit of inspiration. any pointers?

cheers. 

braids.

never quite knowing what to do with this wild woman's hair, i tend to resort to braids, as they stay put and keep things under control. for someone who likes to look 'fancy' all the time she sure does not like getting her hair brushed and is very quick to doubt my process...such as when she can not visually see the braids; so much critique i tell you. one particular little girl. 
anyhow, i found this darling little tutorial over on a cup of jo and it was splendidly simple. goodbye unruly hair, hello heidi.

donuts.

in need of an easy quick dessert that feels fancy? 

a while back i picked up one of those donut pans from 

target and i recently tried this recipe for buttermilk 

baked donuts. we dipped some in butter and then cinnamon 

sugar, and of course had to have some pink frosted ones with sprinkles. pretty soon i am thinking target may want to sponsor

me with the amount of shopping love i give them. 

anyhow, yummy and happy! toodles.

watercolor.

i really just love painting with watercolors. it makes you feel like you've made something fancy and beautiful with very minimal effort. ruby and i had some fun with these old hang tags ive had forever; sprucing them up to hang from a future present. apparently i need to invest in a monster pad of paper the way we go through it over here b/w drawings and paintings. studio mchale opening soon. keep your eyes peeled. haha, not really. 

peut etre.

{chacha papiers}

do you ever read look at blogs in another language just because they are pretty? 
i admit i get lost gawking over french blogs and wishing i lived in paris or the french country side. cant get enough of the beauty. so i decided i could justify my french blog lovin by maybe just maybe brushing up on my old rusty french i used to be so good at. that sounds like a pretty solid plan dont ya think?

hello monday.

so it has been a pretty lovely weekend...good family time, weather cooling a bit, visiting with friends over brunch, some good rain time on the front porch (my favorite place to be), and lots of baking...my personal addiction/therapy. i am definitely getting excited for the change in seasons and maybe a little day trip to do some apple picking; something ive been wanting to do with the kids. so here are some fun monday links for you to enjoy...hope you had a lovely weekend!

got stuck browsing at shoes and colorful pak paks over here

finally found a project for this scrap piece of leather i've had lying around forever...can not wait to try this one

found this fashionable tumblr i love

looking for a reason to throw a fun party so we can make these whimsical crepe paper hats

and my interest in crafting up some kids floral crowns only grew once i saw these sweet ones; here's another one ive had saved for some time...apparently crepe paper is all the rage.

dinner + a movie.

what happens sometimes when your husband

works late and you know he will not be eating 

dinner; your tired from a long day with cute kids

and 100 degree temperatures? 

smoothies and avocado sandwiches for dinner 

along with some singing in the rain

and definitely some dancing and dress ups. 

i did by the way discover nectarines 

are really tasty in smoothies.

stuff in my fridge smoothie.
1 smooshy old nectarine...cold from fridge
handful of frozen blueberries
3/4 c. coconut milk
1/2 c. milk
1 squeeze of honey
some ice
1 scoop of spirutein vanilla powder

have a lovely weekend!