I honestly don't know how many parts there will be, but we should probably start with Part I right?  I'm sort of sad that it's taken me THIS long to share her party with you!  I was behind from Nadia's party.  Then my computer crashed and I was behind from that.  Then I was sick (and so were the kids) and I was behind from that.  Then I started attending a bible study requiring daily homework and am always behind in that (though it's a huge blessing).  I'm starting to think "behind" is just my typical state of being lately and I should just roll with it. Anyway, here I am ready to share some party deets.  Starting with the dessert table of course.  (Because that's my favorite part.  I think).

I know it's late...but if I "save" this post for next year it will never happen.  So if you like this idea, you have about 72 hours to make it happen or you can pin now and use later!

This deal goes along perfectly with yesterday's first post (and this constitutes my 4th post this week.  virtual pat on the back please?).  Shutterfly is currently having a 40% off of EVERYTHING sale! And even better?  You can combine it with their free shipping deal!  Check it out here.  And order some prints! Or Christmas cards! Or a photo book!

I am called to be a stay-at-home mom.  I know that.  I have peace in that.  And yet lately the refrain: "I don't have what it takes," and the thought: "I'm not cut out for this" has been plaguing me.  Well today, God spoke to my heart.  I was reading an article in the "Mercy Triumphs" Beth Moore study by her daughter--a super smart bible and theology genius (I think that's her official title) in which she discusses perfection, wholeness, and living a life true to our identity as children of God.  This section and scripture particularly struck me:

Just thought I'd share my latest Shutterfly Creation.  I'm totally behind in making the girls' books.  I made Nadia's baby book and Genevieve's baby book (via How Fast Time Flies), and that's it. I honestly don't think it's realistic for me to try to make one per year per kid but I'd love to at least do their first few years and then switch to just including their photos in a family year book.

Do you make family yearbooks?  I take so many pictures that's it's really hard to boil down an entire year into one book, so we'll see how/when/if that will happen! For now it's a bit random.  I made a Father's Day book for Joe that I loved, a book of these family photos, a book of Nadia's month by month photos, and a random one of a few pictures of her.  I totally need a more organized approach!

That said, at least I'm doing something with my pictures. That will be a huge goal for 2014.  I have way too many images just sitting on my computer.  Anyway that was just a brain dump of my photography organizational woes.  But I'm happy to finish it off with this fun flashback of Genevieve from 1 to 2 years old!

I'm over on Live the Fancy Life today talking about my new favorite clothing line! I'm a tiny bit obsessed. Between JCP adding this line AND opening a Sephora...I'm smitten with a store with which I never thought I'd be smitten! Check out the full post here.

I love to blog other people's parties! I can enjoy sharing the details with you without re-living fatal flaws (this comment might make more sense after I publish the first of Nadia's party posts which I'm currently working on).  I also love to share parties that vary in style.  My sisters-in-law who I've mentioned before and I all have different styles, tastes, and strengths.  Erin makes the most amazing cakes and always has fun activities and games.  Christy makes the most delicious food and cool paper products.  And I go crazy with crafting and DIY decor.  The best of all worlds is when we all work together.  Oh how I wish we had the time and cash to do that more often!  Christy, the one who made Nadia's gorgeous circus invitation and book party invitation, threw this awesome party for her son Luke and Joe.  My husband.  That Joe.  The last couple of years she's been gracious enough to add Joe's name to the invitation so that I didn't have two parties back to back.  There's a reason I love this woman.  Of course it's me, so I forgot to take pictures of the food which was incredible (I'm still dreaming about the scallops wrapped in bacon) but I took pictures of other party elements that were fun!  So without further ado:

I love fall.  (It's what comes next that I'm not so crazy about).  Between enjoying the season and the wonderful bible study I'm participating in (with its abundance of homework), I really haven't had much time to blog.  Which--as always--makes me sad!  Nevertheless I thought I'd at least pop in and share some photos from two of my favorite fall traditions: apple picking and the fair.

So in a really random moment I decided to try to make something of Genevieve's boring 'ol ceiling fan.  I'd purchased the sweetest chandelier for her nursery and was beyond sad when we realized that due to wiring we needed a light with a switch on it.  Since we don't have central AC, a fan would also be practical if not essential.  Have you ever tried to find a cute, non-cheesy, affordable fan?  I'm convinced that they don't exist (much like my search for inexpensive modern toddler bedding except for worse). So we settled on a plain white fan and hoped it would just fade into the background.

Remember my DIY memo board?  Well I decided to use the same approach to make a little jewelry holder/display for Genevieve.  I already had gray chevron fabric (I still love chevron; especially in gray) that I snagged from the remnants section during this shopping spree.  I figured it'd be an inexpensive but useful addition to her room.  Side note: does anyone else's mom have a necklace buying obsession?  Don't get me wrong; I'm not complaining (we love you grandma!).  I just needed a place to keep all the cute baubles she sends.  This won't be a tutorial because I used the exact same method as here.  But a couple of things.