Lots of yummies in this post! Got to make a trip to Atkinson Farm on spring-cypress (North Houston). Little dude’s family happens to make that place run. So, when his grammy rolled up on the 4-wheeler with boxes of fresh vegetables, we took a minute to let him play around. (plus – I don’t think his granddad was going to let me off the farm before we took a picture of his grandson & his vegetables! just kidding of course – sort of;o)).

Prickly eggplant is way more fun than icing and cake?? whatever works. The freshly picked vegetables looked so much prettier than what you see at the grocery. And, I can attest to the fact that they tasted soooo much sweeter and crispier and yummier. They generously sent me off with a box of goodies. The corn above posed breifly before it was devoured by my family for dinner that night. We also made a very yummy squash casserole with all the summer squash. If you don’t have a local farmer’s market that you love . . . they frequent some of the larger ones like the Farmer’s Market in Grogan’s Mill here in The Woodlands. OR you can just go to Atkinson Farm and buy whatever you need whenever you need. They have  a store front right on the farm that is open all week.  They also have blueberry picking and seasonal activities for the kids! I think you can go and pick your own vegetables any day? Check with them though. . .  

Just found this link looking for something else . . . it has a list of common fresh produce found at a Farmer’s Market & when you click on the notepad just left of the item it takes you to a page of recipes for that vegetable or fruit! I like it so much that I’m sharing it:o)

1) Check out Silly Nilly Designs if you are here in The Woodlands or anywhere else in the world! They are responsible for these “ridiculously cute” custom made kids clothes. They have an etsy shop or if you’re local . . . even better! They promote quality, cute, local, American made, fun kids clothes. Jennifer, the owner, posts ideas for having a “silly nilly” day on her blog & in her e-newsletters. I always look forward to them. I had fun with her girls when they came out for our bluebonnet mini-sessions last month. We fit in a few product shots for Silly Nilly because the colors were just too perfect!

2) Which leads me to number 2! I’m in love with their clothes!!! I can’t wait to show off my girls’ coordinating outfits when we get them. So, if you are local & want to see some of their clothes AND MEET ME and some other unique/handmade local vendors PLEASE COME to the Mom’s Favorite Finds Trunk Show this Thursday!! It will be in Sterling Ridge right here in The Woodlands. I’m already eyeing some of these really sweet hair flowers from Silla Soup.

A new favorite artist of mine based in Houston, Holly, fromTembo Studio will also be there. I really think her work is fantastic, creative, whimsical and earthy. I loove it a lot. She has the most creative kids alphabet flash cards. Check out her etsy shopif you can’t come this Thursday! BUT, if you can come. . . please do! We’d love to meet you & there will be some excellent shopping (and visiting) to be done all in one place! Download the flier here. The basics: 9:00 – 3:00, Sterling Ridge, The Woodlands, Wednesday June 2nd! See ya!!

Oh yea – I’m having a drawing for a free session;o) If you’re interested in that sorta thing.

Sooo many of us in The Woodlands - Houston area and across the world spent many a days praying for the family of Layla Grace Marsh as she was fighting a battle with the nasty cancer Neuroblastoma. Sweet Layla was here for a very specific reason. I’m quite sure it was to bring our community collectively and simultaneously closer to God. We wanted so badly to do what we could to end the tangible pain that Shanna wrote about on her blog. It was so real and she was so transparent that no one read it without stopping short of breath and crying out for it to stop. We pleaded, demanded, begged, stormed and cried for Layla to be cured.

And she finally was.

She is not forgotten . . . because it would be a shame for us not to realize that God had a hand in it all & we must, we must, we must look to him every minute of every day to see the kind of changes we saw in our city during those days.

So, this brings me to my friend Christie Lacy ) She asked for our help & I/we said absolutely . . . tell me what to do & I’m there. Not just for the family of Layla Grace, but also because she asked. I continue to be amazed that through this business/art-form. . . I almost daily run into the most amazing Christian/business women?!? It’s by no coincidence. It’s because I’m following The path that I’ve asked for. Don’t know where I’m going – which, yes, annoys this Type-A girl most days. But, I’m confident – that [today] I’m going where I’m supposed to. BECAUSE of the angels that keep appearing on my path. There’s no point in re-inventing the wheel – read Christie’s post about our event or visit the site here. It was a success! I have a few more to come, but here are a few of the images we managed to bang out in 20 minute mini sessions a couple of weekends ago! See – told you I’m blessed – He sent me the most awesome baby, kids and families too!  

Have a happy Friday!

um, seriously??! How could these not be some of my favorite all-time “boy” images. You see . . . I have 2 girls. We have tea parties, play dolls, play dolls, play school, play dolls, and play dolls. I realized my 3 year old didn’t really even know what to do with a sword when planning this! Thanks to my good friend Sara who has experience raising boys a plenty – I now know that boys love and I mean get really serious and almost chop their sweet sister’s head off excited - LOVE swords. I can’t help but get totally lost in the sheer realness on their faces. Then there is baby sister – who was not in the mood for dealing with me in most of our other pics. But, put her in a boat with her crazy brothers and she’s content. “Least restrictive environment” at its’ best;o)

These kids happened to be visiting their grandparents when we were in Chappell Hill doing mini sessions during the Bluebonnet festival. And, their front yard just happened to be one of my favorite locations. You can barely see the buttery horse just behind the baby’s head in the second picture. These pictures were  just too perfect with the red barn and the bluebonnets. OH, and the pretty kids! It’s a good thing it clouded over for their time or I would have lost that fair skin to the sun!

I have about 10 different sessions, including two “nested” posts to post! I hate being behind, but I also hate staying up all night.

So, if I catch up . . . I catch up. If It don’t . . . I don’t.

I’m excited to feature some local businesses too! One has the cutest kids clothes in The Woodlands (and etsy of course) the other I’ve mentioned on facebook . . . it has my favorite furniture. Kids clothes + furniture = some really awesomely fantastical word that doesn’t exist yet.

Happy almost Friday!!!!!

Can you tell I’m a little hopped up? There’s-never-enough-time.

(You’re telling me Jesse.)

. . . post waaaaay too many images from this session?? They were all equally awesome and some of my favorite ever images. This family just completely and totally got it! If some of these images aren’t screaming print me on a massive canvas and hang me on a wall, then I quit. Linsey Hasenbank of LLH Designs in Houston is just way to neat for words (well mine anyways). She is a girl after my own heart . . . over thinker, perfectionist, lover of all things beautifully and thoughtfully designed. And, speaking of “thoughtful,” she one of those people that I’m always jealous of – she’s always thinking of AND taking the time to do such thoughtful things for others. She’s one of the other amazing Christian women I have met online of all places. I just dig her altogether. I felt this way BEFORE I even met her in person! Then she showed up bearing gifts. Stationary – of course. With a nest on it. I’d take a picture if I wasn’t drowning in images as we speak. So, you must check out her blog. It’s full of fun, fresh, authentic and positive inspiration (and beautiful paper designs of all kinds).

Needless to say, I was a little worried that I wouldn’t be able to meet her expectations. I guess we did alright?? hee, hee.