southwest retreat.

 

My daughters and I recently flew from our home and below freezing weather to a week away at my parent's house in Arizona. We did leave their house and enjoy many other things, but I want to highlight the amazing job my parents do with their yard. As my photos illustrate, you can spend all hours of the day in their backyard. We enjoyed garden gazing, sunbathing, pedicures by the pool, using the indoor/outdoor kitchen, eating the fruits of our labor and finally a cozy backyard fire and family game night.  They are so inspiring!

a home in omaha.

My brother and his wife live in Omaha, Nebraska on an Air Force assignment.  They just moved into base housing and are doing so much with their new place.  I went to visit and wanted to blog about their home's style and what a great job they are doing.  They had only been moved in one week when I arrived and took these snapshots...great work guys!

fulton family cottage.

In 2004, I remember rushing up to Caseville, MI because my boyfriend's family had just purchased a cottage on Sand Pointe. It was an exhilarating night when we first arrived and fun to go as a group and pick out a boat that we would park at the newly purchased dock. It was also fun to hang porch swings from trees, walk the new neighborhood and cruise the sunsets by boat. I do not know if all of us realized the memories that we would find there and how big a part of the family this place would become.

This little cottage has come to mean more and more to our family as we have grown. It became more important as my newborn son put his toes in the freshly poured cement that would also serve as the "stage" where he was baptized. On that same patio, I would marry that "boyfriend" one stormy Michigan, August evening in front of all our friends and family. As I watched my soon-to-be husband cruise up to that dock while Top Gun's "Highway to the Danger Zone" blared from the boat stereo, I knew this place would be more than a cottage to our family. I try to never take this place and this retreat for granted. That Sand Point cottage has already made so many memories for our growing family. As we introduce it to spouses, friends and grandbabies we understand all it has already done for us and can only imagine all the memories that are still to come.

collected cruise items.

As you know from my home decorating posts I appreciate a collected look so I decided to share photos of a few "collected" vacation items I scored from our recent cruise. The top picture with the jewelry and headbands are all the pretties that Emilia and I bought on our excursion. The photo with all the pink items ended up in Emilia's bedroom. I love the little turtle, the embroidered coin purse and the bejeweled, round jewelry box. The album pictured on the white table was purchased before the trip and holds the pictures of our trip...the fabric is Amy Butler and I love the way it looks displayed in my home. Most of the blue items ended up in my blue and white kitchen. I especially like the small bowl with the handpainted peacock and the seafoam green jewelry tray.

Caribbean Cruise 2011

Our family cruise to the Grand Cayman Islands; Cozumel, Mexico; Belize City, Belize; and Isla Roatan, Honduras was beautiful and one of the most unique experiences we have shared together as a family thus far. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, the family time and the views. RJ and I had time to spend as a couple and revive our family for the Spring. I spent time with my extended family by myself and was able to give them my full attention on some snorkeling adventures. The children were able to see things some adults never see. It really was a dream...the 382 pictures I brought back only begin to tell the tale of this amazing adventure.

Cruise Fashions

The kids, husband and I all worked on packing for our western Caribbean cruise yesterday. We had a couple hours of impromptu fashion shows around the living room and accessorizing our outfits for a week of sunshine and fun. We currently have 8 inches of snow on the ground and springtime still seems far away...(although we do know how quick weather can change in Michigan).

I will document our outfits well...we have fun stylish casual wear, beachwear and formalwear for this affair. I am looking forward to outfits and photographs as much as the memories themselves! The kids will be so adorable in their thongs sandals, seersucker and nautical themed outfits!

Cruise Fashions

I have been cheating on fashion with home decor for months now and I vow to document my cruise outfits well during the first week of April and blog them when I get home on April 11--hold me to it.