We have a cute little guest for fashion friday! I decided to let this little munchkin take the spotlight for the day. Honestly, because I just can't resist such cuteness! She was very excited about the both of us wearing matching leopard today. I told her to smile and pose for me and she went to town! I'm telling you we have a future model among us. I will definitely be letting her take over fashion friday in the future.
Miss Riley's outfit {Basic tank: 77 kids, Leopard Cardigan : Old Navy, Leggings: Old Navy, Brown boots: Old Navy }
Introducing a new part of the blog. {MUSIC MONDAY} Music is my first love, passion..etc
Ever since I was a little girl I've always known what I wanted to do. I've always wanted to be a singer.
At a young age, as long as I can even remember I've been writing lyrics, making up songs {sometimes very cheesy songs} Unfortunately, lack of confidence or courage has definitely put a damper on those plans. As well as really bad luck/timing working with other musicians. I've been driven but I've kept it well hidden. I have actually sang in public before but it has been far and in between.
Stage fright has always been a friend of mine. We've become very, very close over the years. After a lot of hard work, the time has come to say goodbye to those irrational fears. I knew moving to a new place, meant a fresh start. So here's to continuing on with this dream and set aside any of those things that have held me back. You should never let those little {sometimes big} excuses get in the way of your dreams. No matter what they are! As a mom now I don't want my daughter to be held back like that. My hope is to blog my journey to wherever it leads. The work that goes into it, behind the scenes, my inspirations, the triumphs, fails and of course finished products.
To start off this whole new journey, I have been in voice lessons for about a month now.
I've never really had an actual formal lesson besides choir in high school. I have been retraining my brain and my body to do all these techniques, breathing, stance, stamina. You have to use your whole body and it's hard! Whoever said vocalists weren't really musicians or that it wasn't really hard work. They were absolutely wrong! I will just be glad when it actually starts to stick in my brain.
This is one of my songs that I wrote with my friend Mike about 4 1/2 years ago {WOW time goes by really fast! especially when you're old..like me!} titled "Into the Unknown" I wrote the lyrics on the road driving from Virginia to California. It was about five months after suffering a loss. It's mainly about life and moving on. The words just kind of spilled out of me onto the paper. The music was actually a little piece I have messed around with on the piano since I was little. I gave it to Mike and he ran with it. Funny how things come full circle like that, which makes me very proud of this piece! This video was made just for reference for me. I have a tendency to forget it unless I repeat it over and over in my head. I had just plopped the {new} camera at the time on top of the piano. That's why it's a bit loud and I was a little sick at the time. Forgive me! But I will add the lyrics so you can try to follow along with me. Don't steal them either! lol
Farther from the truth I've found myself
But I'm as close as I can come
Reaching for something I can't yet grasp
Holding onto something with both hands
Into the unknown
I'll take my steps through tomorrow
Not looking to yesterday
Leaving what will behind, this is all I have
Into the unknown
I've fallen and I've stood
I've failed and I've won
I believe in things you cannot see
I've hurt and I've loved
I've lived and I've lost
I am what you will never be
I'll take my steps through tomorrow
Not looking to yesterday
Leaving what will behind, this is all I have
I've fallen and I've stood
I've failed and I've won
I believe in things you cannot see
I've hurt and I've loved
I've lived and I've lost I am what you will never be
It's a rainy fashion friday! The perfect time get all cozy on the couch with some hot chocolate! One of my favorite things about fall is hot chocolate. My other fall favorites are cozy sweaters {as you can see}.
My day today, after dropping off the little munchkin off at school. The husband and I had a much needed lunch date. Who doesn't love a nice little cheap date at Chilli's, then a little stroll through barnes and noble checking out all the humorous books. My fave of the day was Dancing with Jesus definitely had a few good laughs over that one. Just one of the things we like to do together. P.S my husband is cute and he makes me smile.
{1} I have an unusual memory for all things celebrity and Hollywood. For example Justin Timberlakes' birthday is January 31st 1981. See! I'm weird!
{2} I'm a huge comic book/movie nerd! Spider-man, Batman, Superman etc. I love action!
{3} I have an irrational fear of being mugged, getting lost, or getting kidnapped in a foreign country.
{4} I used to perform spice girl songs with my cousins.. a lot! I was Posh spice :)
{5} I love to eat raw cookie dough...sometimes after a bad day. Who doesn't?!
{Awkward}
For those of you who don't know this. Living on a military base comes with its perks. Then there are the bad parts. That's where the awkwardness comes in. When they do any type of annual maintenance they are supposed to give you some sort of warning before they come to your house. Usually a paper in your door or a call. If you aren't home they are allowed to just come in. I didn't receive one this week.
So as I get out of the shower I hear a mans voice, which took me a second to realize that it wasn't the husband. I peek out of the doorway (Shower cap and all! Yes I do rock the shower cap!) as the maintenance guy is walking up my stairs! How are you even supposed to act in that situation? If it would've been a second or even few minutes later he would've been practically in my room while I was in the shower. The guy felt so bad, which made me feel bad. AWKWARD!
{Awesome}
I don't know about you guys but it is pretty exciting that Urban Outfitters has brought back Lisa Frank! I used to love Lisa Frank growing up, with the crazy, bright colors! Pretty awesome find if you ask me!
It's only about a month out from the last installment of the twilight movies. Yes! That's right I am a twilight fan. I'm not afraid to say it! I first had a twilight party when New Moon came out in 2009. Last year was my second party for Breaking Dawn. It was smaller party since I had a just a few friends this time. I still had all the decorations still so why not have another party. Since Edward and Bella got married in Breaking Dawn I did more of a wedding theme. I decorated the entry way with tulle and indoor Christmas lights as well as tea light candles. I even used some of my own decor from my wedding. The ring barer pillow, candelabra centerpieces etc.
As you walked in there was Edward and Bella's wedding invitation. A basket of candy favors for the movie at midnight.
We had Italian food because the Volturi's are from Italy. Spaghetti, Anti "Volturi" Pasta Salad, Veggies for the vegetarian vampires. Water bottles from "Isle Esme" and of course the tasty wedding cake with E & B on it.
We then played Twilight word search, which ended up being very difficult, and twilight scene it, and had a couple of twilight prizes. Then we decorated mini Twilight totes with Twilight inspired stencils and glitter! Then it was off to the midnight showing! Hope this inspires you to have themed parties, because they are so much fun! ~ Cheers
Happy Friday everyone!! Hope everyone is going to have an awesome weekend! My weekend is pretty jam packed.
A few more Fall shows I watched this week:
Nashville: Felt like we were starting in the middle of the season instead of the series premiere. Maybe a little too much unnecessary drama. You got have just the right amount of drama to keep me interested but not too much that it just gets annoying.
Beauty and the Beast: Seems ok, willing to watch the next episode to finally decide. Some parts seem a little bit cheesy. However, it could have the potential to get better.
Well it has been quite an eventful day! After trying to fight off the beginnings of a cold, and taking some nyquil the night before. I had a hard time waking up this morning to get Little Miss off to her very first day of Preschool! Luckily I signed her up for the afternoons and not mornings. See I am a smart mama! I ran to the store to get this chalkboard to get these sweet pictures! I'm glad I did, but it made us a tiny little late! We still made it though....{continued below}
Awkward: We finally were able to go get our new piano! {Pictures to come soon} I don't know if you know this but upright pianos are extremely heavy!? Also, did you know that old New England homes are extremely teeny tiny!? Well with that said the husband and his one friend weren't quite enough to get the piano out. I was so scared the piano was going to get stuck right in between this ladies front door and her mini mud room door! Thankfully we got it out but MAN that was awkwardly painful. I really hope they didn't cause much damage to it.
Awesome: As the morning came for Rileys' day we had a nice moment of morning cuddling in bed together. I got to cherish a few minutes hugging my little babycakes. Time will indeed go by faster and faster so I have to make sure I am even more aware of these sweet moments!
NOW.. I had to add a little awkward to my awesome though! After being a few minutes late to her class. Riley's teacher Mrs T never got word that Riley was starting today! OOPS...
Then I rush back at 2:15 to pick her up only to realize her pick up time was 2:45! I had to go and sit in the car for 20- 30 min of uninterrupted "plugged in" time, can't complain! 2:45 came I got out of the car and oh hey there are two police cars, an ambulance AND a fire truck! Great, Awesome... so I walk up and ask another mom "Do you know what's going on?..she then replies "Some kind of emergency" ...as I am thinking to myself.. "uhh obviously!" Then they tell us that they are delaying pick up until they get the situation under control. So I wait, and wait..more waiting. Finally I go in as Mrs. T is calling me. They never told me I could go back and poor Riley was the last one to get picked up! I felt so bad!! :( {P.S an older kid got hurt not sure of other details than that, I think they were ok though}
So that was our very eventful day! Hey at least it wasn't a boring day!
Riley getting her own little locker
Had to add the picture with the nose picking kid behind us hehe..
I don't really believe in keeping feelings to yourself. I like to be
honest no matter how much it hurts. If we are not honest, especially
with ourselves how can we be normal, or human. I want to help others,
even if I'm not so sure all the time how to handle it myself.
October is Pregnancy & Infant loss awareness month. Making it a bittersweet month for our family.
This July we celebrated what would've been our sons 5th birthday.
Since it was such a huge birthday; we went down to the beach. We took a glass heart shaped bottle with little messages from each of us and threw it in the water. No matter how many years go by it's still a hard painful thing. As a mommy I feel I need to do everything I can to preserve the memory of our sweet baby. We talk about him constantly. Little Miss knows all about her big brother in heaven, and talks about him all the time. She tells all her friends and strangers about him. As sad as it is, it makes me happy to keep him present in our lives, in our home etc as much as possible.
I was reminded this morning of the story of Elijah in the bible. I don't think I ever really read much about him growing up. Basically Elijah was a man in need of comfort, exhausted and depressed. God came through and provided that much needed comfort for him.
It makes me wonder if it was always meant to be that I name my baby Elijah. That it all came together somehow. Elijah, God, Comfort. It all ties together....maybe it's just me. It's taken quite a long time to get here. It's a struggle every day, some days are harder than others. No one ever said it would be easy. I have gone through many different feelings and emotions. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. We do move forward but we never forget. NEVER EVER FORGET!
{Quote}
“I was there when your heart beat for the very
first time....and for the very last. We will always share a special
bond, my heavenly child and I, that absence or time can never
undermine". ~ Lori Spray-Esteve
{Verse from this morning} 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is the Father who is full of mercy and all comfort. He comforts us every time we have trouble, so when others have trouble. we can comfort them with the same comfort God gives us. {Bible Verse on Elijah's headstone} 2 Kings 2:11
And
it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there
appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both
asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
Elijah Andrew Reed July 9th 2007
How we honor his memory
Both babies initials put together
P.S Please don't be afraid to comment on this post. Also if you need someone to talk to about losing a child you can email me @ A_Reedphotography@yahoo.com
