not your typical gift certificate...

But then again, I'm not your typical photographer :) I fell in love with Polly's creative style a few years back when my mother-in-law shared her mini works of art with me during a visit. (My MIL had even gifted me with a bit of Polly's handiwork HERE.) After receiving a request for a session gift certificate, I immediately thought of Polly:

And as you can see for yourself, her work is AMAZING!

Simply amazing. Rich in detail:

And like a good potato chip, I can't stop at just one...

Posting, that is. Thank you SO MUCH, Polly! I look forward to doing business with you again :)

So what are you jonesing for?

I celebrated my 21st birthday again. My sister offered to stay with the boys while my husband and I went out on the town. (Which at my age, means we went out to eat somewhere other than our town.) In my search for new and interesting places, I came across Burger Jones and was immediately hooked. Despite the drive. Despite the smattering of poor reviews concerning long waits and price complaints. Despite my devotion to The Blue Door Pub.

I just KNEW in my heart of hearts, I would love this place. And love this place I did! The Tri-Fry Tasting Tower helped, as did the dipping sauces, and hard shakes (a.k.a. alcohol-infused medleys). Want to see more? You can check out the full menu by clicking HERE.

Spent today with the family at the Minnesota State Capitol, participating in an art treasures scavenger hunt. It was great because while the boys were busy looking for treasure, my husband and I went hog wild with our cameras.

Needless to say, we had a lot of fun :)

a few things to share...

Love, love, love THIS PIC.

THIS beautiful blog speaks to my heart in the most profound way.

I love THESE sweet dolls.

So happy to have found THIS LENS at a steal.

THIS t-shirt makes me smile :)

THESE coasters remind me of a set I received from my grandma. Sadly, I'm down to two. (They seem to disappear faster than my spoons!)

My new favorite iPhone app is THIS ONE. The download is free!

Love THIS educational game from Compassion.

Free birthday treats! To get your own, click HERE to find a list of fun offers.

How about you? What have you been inspired by lately?

i've been a busy baker

Working on some special treats for the ladies attending the February Faithbooking Crop on Saturday. As I mentioned in my last post, I've had cookies on the brain.

They might not look like much right now...

But I have grand plans for these little buggers.

Months ago I was inspired by THESE delightful treats. (I will be attempting my own next Christmas.) Not only have I had cookies on the brain, I've had mug-toting cookies on the brain. I'm not one for baking (let alone creating notched cookie templates) so imagine my delight in finding these sweet ready-to-go cutters:

My early birthday present :) I'll be spending the next couple of days dressing them up a bit. And then I'll be back to share all of the colorful details with you!

random things that make me happy

1. Daydreaming about future vacations.
2. Watching Chuck with my hubby.
3. Having the right ingredients in my pantry and fridge to make a really good meal.
4. Taking pictures.
5. Playing with pictures on the computer.
6. Being done with my taxes.
7. Artificial tears. Who knew?
8. Provoking my children with song.
9. A clean house.
10. Foosball.
11. Having quiet time alone.
12. Amazon.
13. Finding super cute things on clearance at Target.
14. Fancy chocolate.
15. Coffee shops.
16. The Taste of Peace & Quiet.
17. Scrapbooking embellishments.
18. Fancy journals.
19. My church.
20. Listening to my kids play together... without fighting.
21. Lunch dates with my hubby.
22. Socks without holes.
23. A day without errands.
24. Talking on the phone.
25. Blogging.

What makes you happy?

first birthday photo props

For those of you contemplating a birthday session, here are several fun photo prop ideas. I love the idea of incorporating a small cake and found this sweet bakery in the Twin Cities area. There's nothing like a fun, colorful cake to add to an already sweet image of your little one:

Especially when it is theirs alone to dive into! The above image (and cake!) is from Queen of Cakes located in Edina, Minnesota. (A couple of other bakeries I adore are Woullet Bakery and McHatties.)

Personalized t-shirts or onesies make simple, yet equally adorable photo props. Here are a few of my finds:

You'll find the design above by clicking HERE. And a boy version:

Which you can find by clicking HERE. Bibs and party hats also work well, take this for example:

You'll find the sock monkey bib HERE. If you'd like images that ooze with cuteness, you might want to consider something like this:

You'll find the adorable tutu above (and more!) by clicking HERE. It just doesn't end:

You'll find these fun bodysuits by clicking HERE. And if you're wondering how to best capture all of those precious images from your child's first year, click HERE to learn how to create a user-friendly digital photo book.

Any first birthday ideas of your own to share? I'd love to hear them...

my new favorite website(s)

So many cool recipes and fun projects, just click HERE to see for yourself!

The Pioneer Woman - she has a little bit of EVERYTHING, including photography. Click HERE to get lost for hours. I'm totally serious.

I plan to wear more dresses in 2010. Why? Because of THIS FABULOUS WEBSITE:

Not only do the have gorgeous dresses for women, they have a them for girls and preteens as well! Know what's even better? Shabby Apple is offering 20% off all orders placed by January 28, 2010.

Have fun browsing! Perhaps we'll bump into one each other tonight...

a few of my favorite things...

I really love this heart wreath from Williams-Sonoma, along with these sweet Pocket Pie Molds.

I have my eyes on these adorable wrist warmers by The Yarnival (this mother-daughter duo offers an amazing selection):

Too, I love old windows and was an instant fan of this creation by the Shabby Chic Cottage:

Gina shares how she transformed this old window into a chalkboard HERE. What a great idea!

I found some beautiful aprons on Etsy as well... BOOJIBOO is the name of the shop.

Last but not least, I've had my eye on a couple of cute coffee sleeves at Red Velvet Art. When I stopped by today, they were on sale!! I ordered this one:

So many fun treats :) Here's one more:

It's a journal created by recycling a vintage book. I found this one at Renegade Handmade and ran across a few at Wet Paint last summer. You'll also find a huge selection HERE.

Happy looking!