a break from busy

wow oh wow. can i have anything more to do for the month of may. i guess it's good that i'm not bored.

this monday and tuesday were the first two days that my husband has had off in about a million years. yes, a million years is a very accurate estimation. anyways, on monday we ran around trying to get some things for upcoming parties/showers and our trip to jamaica. on tuesday, i decided that i had to take a breather and hand out with my girls. we ended up running a few errands but spent lots of time just playing and spending time together.

miss ella grace is getting so big. she is losing all of that newborn look and is getting a few little rolls here and there. she is such a happy baby and a joy to be around. i laid her on a blanket and talked to her for a good while. i was able to snap like a million pics. it's just too easy when the babies are that cute. here are a few.








lulu is getting so big. she seems to be such a lady. her vocabulary has grown tons and she is using nothing but elaborate, dramatic, complete sentences.



she absolutely loves ella and is surprisingly very gentle with her.




we were able to go to houma and grab a bite to eat, get a few things from the mall that nannie needed. lu also got her nails painted which she LOVES having done. we even caught a few intense episodes of dora. shane snapped these pics of us cuddled up in the chair. i was so mad that he was taking pics of me but now i am so glad that he did because i love these.




hayden was at school so it was just the girls. i miss him though. we definately will be spending some time together when shane and i get back from our trip.

and if you are all wondering why we aren't having babies soon, there is no need. not when we have all these cute kids to spoil like crazee, and still get some sleep at night.

i am looking forward to a jam packed weekend of graduations, graduation parties, honey do shower, and working on some customer scrapboks. hope to get it all done.

hope your wednesday was happy.

ash

Cinco de Mayo!

In honor of Cinco De Mayo, here's a sweet pic from a mexican fiesta not that long ago.



we went as mexican workers.

and look at this one.



hahaha this cracks me up.

shane could barely look at me all night because he was so grossed out by my facial and chest hair. now, he knows how i feel. lol.

happy may 5th.

ash

Lately...

Lately...

i have been thinking of us.



what we want.

what we don't want.

our present lives.

our future.

the sacrifices that you have made.

the ones you continue to make.

our needs.

the lifestyle we want to lead.

the people we want to be.

the couple we want to be.

how far we have come.

our future kids. (way way way future)

what we want to be able to give them.

our future home.

where, what, when.

all of the things that make up our lives.

our dreams.

hopes.

wishes.

prayers.

Lately...

i have been thinking of me.



what i want from this thing called life.

what i have given up.

what i have gained.

what i have been blessed with.

what i need to give to my husband.

what i need to give to my children.

the sacrifices that i need to make.

the ones that i haven't made.

the person that i want to be.

the person that i used to be.

the progress that has been made through the Man.

my family and their thoughts about me and where i am going.

my friends and where their lives are.

the things that i am not willing to compromise.

the desires of my heart.

the hard work that i have done.

the feelings of embarassment and disappointment because of a choice.

letting go of the negative feelings and listening to the One who knows it all.

soul searching.

lots and lots of soul searching.

Lately...

I have been thinking of HIM.



the one who already knows the end from the beginning.

the author.

the finisher.

the one who knows my heart.

the one who gave it all for me to be free.

the one who knows which doors need to be closed.

unlocking the ones that need to be opened.

knocking at the ones that i must open.

praying for His guidance.

trying to be sensitive to His voice.

praying that He leads my husband.

praying that He speaks to those around me.

praying that they give sound, Godly advice.

praying that He helps me to understand.

not to question.

to embrace His word and His commands.

to let go and let Him work.

to not step outside His will again.

to make Him happy.

to please Him.

to make Him smile.

not to doubt Him.

to remember He sometimes waits till the last minute just to see if we will trust.

to learn the lesson that He is teaching.

to let Him mold me with His hands.

remembering that He is the peace in the middle of the storm.

that everything has a purpose in my life.

that He wouldn't have done it unless He wanted me to learn something.

that if it is His direction there will be a way.

there will be peace.

praising Him for what has done.

praising Him for what He has given.

who He has given.

Lately...

i can't quite figure it all out.

i am trying.

i know that there is a shift in my life right now.

that this is an amazing season to be embraced.

that i will trust God and know that He has it figured out.

i don't need to be worried about anything.

He holds the key.

always has.

always will.

realizing that i have a lot to be proud of.

i have achieved a lot.

i have reached for my dreams.

i have many more dreams to reach for.

knowing that shane and i both have to make sacrifices for this to work.

knowing that i need to make more sacrifices.

knowing that shane has been so selfless and so giving and so loving.

knowing that now, at this point, i have to make choices and decisions.

i cannot run from them.

they have to be based on God and what He wants.

nothing else.

no one else.

Lately...

life is so good.

it will only get better.

it feels good to know that i am growing.

to know that this is a time for change and growth.

to know that i will succeed.

i will do what is best for my husband, my future family, myself.

i will remember that He is right on the side of me.

all i have to do is reach for His hand.

...just a little peace of my heart today.

ash

This weekend...

this weekend was oh so fabulous. i took the day off friday and shane and i went shopping. i got these:

when i saw them at aldo i had to have them. i am pretty sure i had some exactly like them when i was 8. shane was a sweetie and got them as an easter present.
i also got new wedges and lots of clothes. i love to shop. i really really do. it's the best stress relief and definately therapy.

after some retail therapy on friday, i did some creative therapy on saturday. we had a crop at the store and some of my most favorite people were there. we had a blast. i got a butt load of stuff done too. here's some of the layouts that i did.




title: one month
journaling: at one month, you are growing lots. you are starting to smile and focus a lot more. you started eating formula. you are even getting a couple of little jelly rolls.




title: proud
journaling: hayden is so proud to be you and madelyn's big brother. he will take such good care of you.




title: i wonder
journaling: what they are thinking in their little heads. what they are feeling in their little hearts.




title: that hair
journaling: even though your daddy has dark hair, everyone was surprised to see your head full of black hair. i think it is so precious, especially the way it all sticks up around the middle.




title: adoration
journaling: you can see it all over her face. ella and nana 2/24/11




title: none

see i told ya i got a lot done. i also got a few projects for the Pretty Little Studio design team completed. you will have to check out their blog to see them. also check out all of the awesome products over at pretty little studio.

on sunday i went to church (which was amazing and life changing, literally) and slept pretty much all day.

this weekend was so necessary to rejuvenate myself. i was definately a little rundown. so excited about the holiday weekend and so excited to spend some time with family. sad that the boo is working all weekend though.

well time to get some things picked up around the store. hope you are all doing well.

happy happy tuesday.
ash

Stuff

i have been popping into my scraproom during all my free little moments lately. all i have been working on is miss ella's book. why is is that baby girls are the funnest thing to scrap. god help me if i have a son.

i have also been poking around blogs and checking out sketches. i think i have followed a sketch once in my whole scrap life. however, in the last week, i have kinda used three of em. they definately help give direction and jumpstart the scrapping process.

here's a sketch from the Sassafras blog that i chekced out.



here's what i came up with:




Title: A mother's love is like nothing else in the world it knows no law, no pity, it dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path. Agatha Christie.

I am working on a sketch from Studio Calico now and will post it soon.

Here are a few other layouts that i've created recently.




Title: Already
Journaling: They already love you. They are already hooked. They already know you are meant to be here. They are already asking lots of questions about you. They already want to hug and kiss on you. They are already calling you their baby sister. You have only been in this big world for 30 minutes and still, they already know that you belong to them, always.




Title: where there is love there is life.
Journaling: your first moments with your parents after you were born. 2/24/11




Title: Meeting Ella
Journaling: It is amazing the joy, love, and happiness a new baby brings to a family. Your birth was no exception. MiMi, Pops, Nana, Daddy, Hayden, Madelyn, Maw Maw Ethel, Aunt Kathy, nannie, and Paran were all at the hospital when you were born. All of our hearts grew a little bit bigger when we met you. You are a very loved little girl.

even though i've gotten a lot of layouts done lately i haven't felt super creative. you know that great feeling you get when you feel like you are oozing all over with inspiration. i brought some stuff to the store today to work on so i am hoping the oozing begins soon.

happy happy thursday!
hope it's blessed.

ash

Dreaming...

Lately...

i have been dreaming about home decor.

i have been checking home decor blogs.

i have been reading home decor magazines.

i am surrounding myslef in home decor inspiration.

this is quite the tease for me because, we are renting right now. don't get me wrong, i love our apartment. i am in no rush to pick out a house. it's just hard when you rent because you can't paint. and, we dont wanna go buying tons of furniture to make the apartment look like we want when we know it is only short term and when we get a house i am gonna want all new stuff and we will have different needs.

so anyways, i am going to share some home decor inspiration that i have been storing in my folder on the puter. i have all these amazing images stored away ready to come to life when we get our home.



love all the white. love the mirror. love all of the different chairs. love how un-put together it all is.




obsessed with collage walls right now. here are just a couple. i am collecting b's and trying to find some number 2's. have to re-create one like this. have to.



gotta love the little clotheslines of inspiration. love.



oh god. swoon. seriously. i love vintage luggage. i have a bunch of pieces now. but i will never have enough. i want stacks in every room.

well there are just a few photos.

i don't think my heart can take much more.

i could go decorating crazee.

i so wish i could have my way with that apartment.

happy friday!
ash

A few new things

Lately...all i want to do is scrapbook. guess i'm in need of some serious therapy lately that's all. hehe! Here is a frame that i created as a donation for our local university, Nicholls.



i really like the way it came out and did not want to give it away.

i have also been working lots on my new godchild ella's little book. i usually give the kiddos their scrapbook of their first year of life for their first birthday. i am trying to keep up with hers so that i am not starting on 6 months old the week before the party.

here are a couple of layouts for that book.




No the title is not egg. That's her initials. Ella Grace Guidry.




Title: And then there were five.

Hoping to get lots more scrapping done this week and weekend. I've been trying to popp into my scraproom during the few litte spare moments that I have been having.

Hope your day is beautiful.

I wanna say Happy birthday to my baby bro Copeland. He is such an amazing person with such a good heart. He is strong, loyal, determined, hardworking, sweet, and so many more things. I admire him and love him more than he will ever realize. I miss him tons too!

I'm so proud of the person he is!



Happy Birthday Cope! I love so freakin much. Hope it's a perfect day. You deserve it!

Ash

Some Wedding Goodness

As most of you know, I got married on December 4th of last year. Umm I hope you are clapping because that deserves a round of applause. HUGE accomplishment. Lol. Anyways. Lots of folks have been asking to see some wedding pics. I will share a few of my favorites periodically on the blog. Today, I will show you some from the preparation process.






Getting my hair did.





Tiff showing my mom where the hairpiece and veil go before she headed out.



Mom needed some comfort. The veil was too much for her to handle. Love that bout her.



Time for some grub.



They all wore whatever shoes they wanted. Like them, they were all very different.



Taking time to look at old photos and reminisce.



Checking out the ceremony area. It was all becoming a little real to me and my heart was beginning to get very full, my belly very nervous, and my head very cloudy.



The best part about the prep of the wedding was that the day was very relaxed. We had lots of time to talk, laugh, and soak it all up. I can't help but almost wanna cry now thinking about how I was thinking, "Man, I hope I don't lose this once I'm married." Those girls are very very important to me and almost all have been since the age of 5. I wouldn't have shared the day with anyone else.



This photo has a little place in my heart. Two years ago, when I got that tatoo, it was symbolic of a very trying and hard time in my life. It was a declaration that things had to CHANGE. Now, I sit, two years later with it on my foot on the day that I will marry my best friend. It makes me realize how quickly God changed the mess into a masterpiece.



A lot on the brain. Can't you tell?



Kasi and Jess behind me like they had been the whole year. They definately had my back.



More Laughs :)



Surrounded by three of the people that held me together that year.



There she is. Adding the finishing touches, picking up the pieces, pulling me together. That's where she has been my entire life. Loving me and supporting me so fully. No matter what. No matter who I had become. Even if she didn't like it. She has loved me and made me and taught me oh so much. There is no way to explain my love for her.



There she is. Kasi. My cousin but so much more like my sister. She provided me with something borrowed. Which is funny. I feel like she was my something borrowed all year. I feel like I borrowed her from her family all year. She was sooooooo there for me. She just listened. No judgment. No criticism. She watched me grow. She helped ease the growing pains. She told me she went through lots of the same. She's amazing. She has become so necessary in my life. We have become so close. Love her so much!



Everything was getting much more real for me at this point. They were still laughing and chatting. My heart was beginning to race.

Okay so there are a few from the prep process.

All photos are by Mr. Clint Shuttlesworth out of Houston, Texas. You can check him out at www.clintdoesablog.com or www.clinttakesphotos.com. He's amazing.

Sorry I was so mushy gushy today but, hey, it was a wedding that's how they are.

Hope your weekend is totally blessed. I know mine will be. I have great plans.

Happy Friday.

Ash