Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Scrappy News

Just a simple page I did. I love the teeny tiny buttons I found in my button drawer. 


In some scrappy news, that I've been waiting to share...
I have a layout featured on the Aussie Scrap Source blog!


I was ecstatic when I was asked to share the page about Ryan.


I hope you all are having a great week.


XOXO,
Holly & Co.




Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Thoughtful Tuesday - Week 1

 I'm instituting Thoughtful Tuesdays as a weekly blog entry.
A place for thankful lists, random acts of kindness shared, and other happy thoughts.


Today I'm thankful for listening ears. Both heavenly and earthly. These ears never grow tired of hearing my worries or self-doubts. They always respond with patience, kindness and understanding.


For my sweet husband, who can read me like a book,
and just knows when I need some time to myself or a hug.


For traditions. It may seem silly, but traditions have me looking forward to holidays and events for months ahead of time. I love being a part of something that was started before I was born.


ETA: Free ice cream sandwiches at work. Yum!


Have a great Tuesday everyone.


XOXO,
Holly & Co.




Our winner is...

Raquel!


Raquel let me know what letter(s) you would like and so I can let Lisa know asap.


Thanks for everyone who entered, look for another giveaway around post 400.


XOXO,
Holly & Co.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Welcome to Summer

The sign at San Juan High School said it was 109° on the way home.
That is way too hot for my snow loving blood.
We headed straight to the pool armed with some cold lemonade.
I grabbed a couple of pictures of Zoe swimming. She's such a water baby.


***********************




I've been scrapping lately. I have lots of pages to share, but I'll do it a little at a time.


***Giveaway is still open until 12 pm tonight***
XOXO,
Holly & Co.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Happy quarter century Babe!

Ryan turns 25 today.
Lucky for me he doesn't read this blog, so I can post silly pictures like this :)


We had a nice low-key day. 
Lunch with Ryan's family at Chevy's...mmm...guacamole!
Home for a nap.
Trip to Fry's for a birthday present.


A visit with friends and some dessert.
Now home to play with the new gadget!


To the sweetest husband and father, Happy Birthday babe.
I love you.




***Giveaway still open below***


XOXO,
Holly & Co




Friday, June 25, 2010

A Story & A Giveaway

Lisa and I have worked together for just over 3 years now. She and her husband are amazing artists. 
We got to talking one day about how I wanted a small pendant with a single letter stamped, 
but was unable to find one as small as I wanted. 
Well thanks to Lisa, her husband and their awesome talent...
She showed up last week with exactly what I wanted!


Lisa now has them available in her Etsy shop, they've endearingly called, "AlphaBitties." 
They are sterling silver and completely customizable, with up to 3 letters and/or numbers.




For my 300th post giveaway, you could win you're very own AlphaBitty!



To be entered to win, you must leave your name, e-mail and how you found my blog :)

You have until 12pm, Monday June 28th to enter.

(US residents only)



To see Lisa & Josh's other amazing pieces of work, Kewish Designs on Facebook and Their Etsy Store.



Have a great weekend and thanks for being such great blog readers!



XOXO,

Holly & Co.

Budding Photographer

I let Zoe play with the camera tonight. She kept saying, "Cheese Daddy!"


She took about 50 photos with her fingers covering the lens. 
I'm so proud she taking after me. :)


Through the eyes of a toddler.....I'm surprised their weren't photos of her sippy cup in there.


Well folks this is post 299, so next one is the giveaway post!


XOXO,
Holly & Co.




Wednesday, June 23, 2010

thoughts for today and a challenge

"Another year is fast approaching. Go be that starving artist you’re afraid to be. Open up that journal and get poetic finally. Volunteer. Suck it up and travel. You were not born here to work and pay taxes. You were put here to be part of a vast organism to explore and create. Stop putting it off. The world has much more to offer than what’s on 15 televisions at TGI Fridays. Take pictures. Scare people. Shake up the scene. Be the change you want to see in the world."






— Jason Mraz
 
I found this quote today and I fell in love with it. I bolded my favorite part. Sometimes I need that reminder.
Days tend to blur together sometimes, sleep,eat,work,home,play,sleep and the cycle repeats.
 
I challenge you to do something this week, that breaks from your normal routine.
It doens't have to be big, just something different.
 
XOXO,
Holly & Co.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

the Piggy bank

Like I mentioned in an earlier post, Zoe got a piggy bank from our trip to Tahoe.


When we got home it was the toddler witching hour (read: 5pm) and I needed an activity to entertain her until dinner.


Lucky for me, we keep a giant jar of pennies.


Piggy all of a sudden got an appetite.


I showed Zoe how to drop the coins in her piggy bank.


Every couple of minutes I'd hear, " I tan't do it!" (I can't do it!)
I'd remind her to turn the penny the other way.
Then I'd hear, " Yeah I did it!"
and then she'd kiss the pig.


I love her little phrases and songs as the background to my days.


XOXO,
Holly & Co.


Sunday, June 20, 2010

my daddy & me



Happy Father's Day to the best Daddy ever.
I Love you!


P.S. We need to take as new picture, this one is 3 years old :)


XOXO,
Holly & Co.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Getting out of dodge....













Thanks to a little nudge from a good friend, we decided to get out of town today.


We needed a break from our regular routine. 
So bright and early this morning, we packed the car and headed up to Tahoe for the day.


First stop - miniature golf . 
We chose the Storybook course which had everything from nursery rhymes to Stonehenge.


We didn't keep track of strokes but Ryan had 3 hole-in-ones.


Next stop - Lunch.
We were excited to try someplace new, but ended up at Chevy's.




I guess we were both a little afraid of the unknown.
{BTW - Chevy's deep fried ice cream is delicious and humongous!}


Last Stop - Shopping
We walked around a few shopping centers and the car show. 
Zoe ended up with a small pink piggy bank that says "Lake Tahoe" on the side.
Her choice.
We also got to stop into a gallery that had a Dr. Suess exhibit. 
Apparently, Theodore Geisel was quite an artist and had a much larger career than just writing Dr. Suess books.
Who knew?
Then back home we came.


It was great to spend some time up in the mountains.
It made me feel like I was back in Colorado again.
It also got me out a a little funk I was in, so back to crafting I go.


XOXO,
Holly & Co.


Signs of Summer

I have a sun-kissed toddler who smells like sunscreen and chlorine on my lap
....it's officially summer.


{Zoe last summer}


We did quite the bathing suit search this year.
We finally found one for mommy (lime ricki) & two for Zoe (target).










I see lots of trips to the pool and popsicles in our future.
Thankfully, it's been relatively cool this summer.


Zoe asks practically every day to go to the pool. I wasn't going to look into swimming lessons until next year, but she's pretty fearless when it comes to swimming, so we might be starting a round or two this summer instead.
I bought some red plastic hamburger baskets from the $1 bin at target the other day. I don't know what I have in store for them yet, but they were too cute to pass up. Any Ideas or links to share?



We're getting close to 300 posts, so that means, another giveaway very, very soon!


Have a great weekend everyone!


XOXO,
Holly & Co.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Sneak Peek

I've been a little busy immersed in a project I'm working on.

1 awesomely cute Cricut cartridge + 1 multi-pack of cardstock = busy Holly.



I'm not finished with it yet but here's a sneak



 I'll reveal the whole thing once it's done.



XOXO,

Holly & Co.

Friday, June 11, 2010

First Carousel Ride

We spent the evening at the mall with the Stauffers. 


Zoe LOVED the carousel. She kept saying, "Beautiful horses." She cried when her ride was over. We'll have to plan on riding the carousel every time we go to the mall.


We came home and went straight to bed.
That's exactly where I'm headed.
Just wanted to share a picture of my little lady.


More tomorrow.


XOXO,
Holly & Co.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

the (wo)man behind the curtain

After reading a blog entry from one of my favorite bloggers, Stephanie, I was provoked to write one similar.



I completely agree that it's prevalent and tempting to create a "my perfect world" type blog. Who wouldn't want one? That's the nice part about being the author of the blog, you control the content.

I tend to follow a more light-hearted trend on this blog, simply because my Dad always told me to be careful what you put in writing, as it's permanent and I've continued to keep my blog public.



The reality is I'm a young, married, working mom. I work more than I want to. I see Zoe way less than I want to. I see Ryan even less than I see Zoe. Some days it's hard. Some days we come home and spend the evening cuddled on the couch, because mom needs the snuggle time. I have driven all the way to daycare on my lunch hour, just to give Zoe a hug, because I missed her so much and I needed to see her that very minute.

We spend most Saturdays in pj's until almost noon. Which is very opposite of my house growing up. I rarely make my bed (although I've never done that). We don't clean up Zoe's room every night.



Most nights I choose my scrapbook desk over the dirty dishes in the sink. 





I would wear my yoga pants and Ryan's giant BYU sweatshirt every day of my life, if it was socially acceptable. If you stop by unannounced after 7pm, that's most likely what I'll be wearing.



Cereal or oatmeal for dinner are always options.



Zoe throws tantrums comparable to my own as a child. I'm certain my parents secretly laugh when I tell them she's Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde some days.



Life is not perfect and that's great.
If it was, we'd all be bored.
( I say that, because I'm constantly trying to remind myself)


I've blogged a little too long and now need to get ready for my day. 


Thanks to all my blog readers. 
I don't hate comments and I wish to hear from more of you.
Drop a note, I don't bite:)


XOXO,
Holly & Co.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

The Party

The Set-Up.
The Banner.
The Popcorn Cupcakes.
The Birthday Girl.


XOXO,
Holly & Co.

Happy Birthday Zoe

Our internet was down all night so I didn't get to post this yesterday.


Happy Birthday Little Bug.








From this little peanut...




To this crazy bundle of fun!




Thanks to all the friends and family who helped us celebrate!


XOXO,
Holly & Co.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Scrappy Shares

Well, thank goodness the sickness was short-lived. Zoe is back to her normal self.
Thank goodness!
In anticipation of Zoe's birthday and having lots of pictures to scrapbook...I've been trying to take care of some of the pages that I've wanted to do for awhile but haven't done yet. 
This is one of them...

Still using the new Studio Calico Documentary line.
All about my jet setting and traveling, in my 24 years.


Jamie got a new camera and let me play with it a few nights ago.
Such a cheese ball!
I still can't believe tomorrow we'll be celebrating this little girl's 2nd birthday.
She's being exposed early to the Morgan family birthday tradition of Pillsbury Orange Rolls, 
which have been in my fridge just waiting for tomorrow morning!
I'm sure I'm much more excited that she is!


Off to wrap presents! 
Have a great night!


XOXO,
Holly & Co.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Anniversary Curse

So I thought it was just bad luck, but I guess bad things always happen in three's anyways.
Our Anniversary seems to be a spoiled day every year. 
The actual day we got married though, was wonderful. Perfect Day.
However, June 2nd for the past 3 years, has been less than awesome.


Year One: I was very pregnant. I was so swollen I could even sit up. I had to lie down the whole night. My water broke less than 24 hours later.


Year Two: I made dinner at home. Ryan was about 2 hours late. Then I got food poisoning.


and .....
Year Three: Things were great until we came home from dinner. Then Zoe started puking. { and the worst part is, she kept saying," I'm so sorry mommy, I'm so sorry." ::breaks my heart::}


I'm intrigued to see what next year has in store....
But Ryan and I have accepted this fate and just roll with the punches that the anniversary curse brings us.


I'm hopefully going to have some fun news to share with you soon. So look for that coming soon. 
{No, I'm not pregnant.}


XOXO,

Holly & Co.

3 years

3 years ago today, I married my sweetheart for time and all eternity.


Don't we look so young? 
It was only 3 years ago. My how time flies.


Ryan doesn't read this blog, at least that's what he tells me, but I love him anyway. 
He is my favorite and always has been. 
I knew he was the one, after he broke up with me.
I didn't want to imagine my life without him.
He came to his senses, eventually.


He endures my over-emotional moments and my crazy moments. 
He knows me well enough to sense when I need him to bring me home a coke. 
He works unbelievably hard for me and for our family.
He is my soulmate.
I love you Ryan.
You were worth the wait.


XOXO,
Holly & Co.