models and photography friend

I am loving the most recent photoshoot with the above model that my friend Michelle Herrick shot. Not only is the photography, hair, make-up fabulous but the model is beautiful. I wish I had the cahonies to pull the above hair style off. I love it.

Speaking of having pictures taken it is getting that to be that time of year to start thinking of the annual family pictures. Michelle took our pictures last year as seen here. Actually to be honest she takes pictures for me quite often because she is my bud. In fact, she recently shot a bunch of pictures for some product that I made for a wedding (refer below). Anybody up for some modeling..I'm serious, email me (madamepumphrey@yahoo.com).

I was thinking about this year and taking our annual family pictures for the Christmas card and thought about those gorgeous sunflower fields just before you hit Flagstaff. Have you seen those fields? Well as I was talking to Michelle the other night she mentioned to me about her cool mini sessions that she is doing this year and I thought there may be some people out there that would be interested. Check out the flyer below as well as her blog here. Hurry before she books up. I highly recommend her and her skills. Also she has a brand new website here if you wanted to check it out.

A contemporary craftsman

Love the outside of the above home which recently appeared in D Home Magazine. It reminds me of fall with all of the usage of those colors. The pillows say it best with how I feel about this season we are coming into. LOVE! LOVE!

Why doesn't this chandelier come in a chrome finish?

...and I just received the most beautiful fabric in the mail today thanks to Sparks & Crewse..I love you guys. This picture does not even do this fabric justice. Someday I will show you some pictures of it in action.

{puffed kamut ceral}

We have been making our own sweet cold cereal lately and let me tell you that it is one of the easiest ways to make your house smell really good. You may have had puffed wheat as a child..I know I did. As I have grown I have learned a thing or two about grains, kamut being one of them. It is related to wheat but is larger and and many people who have wheat intolerances can tolerate kamut. Puffed kamut is also very inexpensive so it made complete sense that I picked up a bag and made something with it that was kid friendly and mother approved.

Want to try this very unfussy concoction? I am warning you it may be the easiest thing you have ever made.

1/2 cup honey (or a little more depending on what kind of sweet mood you are in)

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 teaspoon cinnamon (or more)

1 teaspoon vanilla

a dash of sea salt

Mix the ingredients together first then pour over the cereal and stir until evenly coated. Place on baking sheet and cook for 20 minutes @ 350. After the cereal has cook for 10 minutes give it a little stir stir and put back in for the remainding 10. Your kids will like it. I know I like it just to snack on. In fact I may be the biggest snacker alive.

tooth fairy

This morning I was woken up by a little girl who was very excited about what the tooth fairy left her for her very first tooth. She said that she didn't understand how the tooth fairy got the toothbrush under her pillow because she thought that the tooth fairy was just too little to carry such a big Hello Kitty toothbrush. I then asked her how she knew the tooth fairy was so little. She then told me that she saw her. I then ask her what she looked like. She gave me a very detailed answer about how little miss tooth fairy had pink hair with yellow diamonds and zig zags all over her dress. I told her it would be a very good idea if she drew a picture of her. She agreed and then asked me if it were alright if she could jump on her bed. I didn't really have a choice in the matter at that point...I went to fetch the camera.

Oh MAN! masculine goodness from Tommy Smythe

Well if a man cave looked any better than then I want to know about it. It has been so fun to figure out about Tommy Smythe. Since I have not watched tv in a very long time I would not know about Sarah Richardson or Tommy Smythe if it weren't for blogging...and that would be a darn shame.

{photos via get it girl style & apartment therapy}

take me to my real happy place...

NOTE TO MY FAMILY: I am really missing you today.

Sometimes when I am really missing my family and need a boost I break into my sister's photos just to see them in action. This summer we all had the opportunity of spending a couple of days together in California. It is a very rare occasion for all of of us to be together so when we do get that chance it is a treasured moment. Speaking of treasured moments...we can't wait to meet the newest addition from Korea. My sister and her husband are in the process of bringing the above sweet little boy home to their already 3 children. Did you know that adoption paperwork can be brutal? My sister reminded me about some of the same things my husband and I went through when we submitted our very own adoption papers 1 month before we found out we were pregnant with the girls. Apparently it is very important for any agency to know that my Dad is 6'5", was born with dark brown hair (turned gray), tells the best but dumbest jokes, has worn the same style of Levi 501s for over 55 years and was a crazy knee-boarder in his day. Seriously though agencies do ask those sort of questions about all immediate family...ok probably not about Levis 501 jeans..still a very intense questionaire nonetheless.

P.S.- I'm still wondering why my brother is trying to put seaweed on my Momma..weird. (refer to top picture)

{all pictures were taken by my sister}

{yellows, blues & grays}

I like the above from Chicago Home Mag which highlighted designers, Summer Thornton & Julia Edelmann. Very nice colors indeed.

At this very second in my life I would compare the color yellow to my very happy boys who happen to be bouncing off the walls in their bedroom as I type. I'm considering breaking them up into 3 seperate bedrooms. I'm such a party pooper.