Oh, lovely Spring, you're back and blooming! When I look outside, the bare space between branches is filling in with tiny, green buds and white, flowering blossoms. The birds moved back, too, singing to us all day from their homes on high. Our grass is green, our tulips are up, the squirrels are playing, the breeze smells clean and new and fresh again. I leave the windows open all day, making the inside feel and smell like the outside. *Sigh* My heart and eyesbuds and nose - well, all of me - are so...happy!
And countless things have already unfolded...
our lovely lilacs have arrived
"Outside? Outside? Play outside?" | our tulips popped
tulips in the rain
Alice is a ham - major ham.
And she is saying so many cute phrases: "Hey, stop that!" "I'm makin' eggs." "I drew you some cookies. Eat it?" "Oh, bother/boy/goodness/dear." "I bonked my heeeeeead." "DeLISCious!" "Bless you!" "I hear the owls - hoohoo, hoohoo." "I wanna go for a bike ride." "I'm drummin'." "I wanna play outsiiiiiide." "Makin' Anna braids" - as she rats my hair. "I like cheese/Zia/coffee/tortillas/Libby." "Slide! Slide Slide!" "I wanna hold it." "Bite, please!" "I wanna fly." "Ewwww, gross...boogers!"
The husband has been baking rustic loaves lately. So yummy, and they make great gifts, too!
Speaking of gifts...this box of goodies came all the way from Ogallala to brighten our days...and mouths. Thanks, Mom/Grandma Linda! (The peanut butter granola bars were my favorite...just in case you need that information for future purposes ;D)
Alice is ambidextrous AND can draw with her toes! Talented, this one.
a masterpiece
Mama got paid! I had two business goal purchases for this year and as of March I already saved up enough money to buy both. This lovely treasure is an ONA camera bag and I am so glad to have one that can store multiple lenses, my flash, batteries, camera body, and the other dozen little random photography accouterments I find myself needing on a big shoot. Welcome to the family, you gorgeous piece of leather! I foresee much frolicking together in our future.
The other goal was a monitor for editing. I can't tell you what a challenge it has been to edit on a 14-inch screen, but let's just say doubling that has been a huge improvement. Way easier to make better editing decisions, not to mention erase those blemishes and wrinkles!
That classical guitar is another new addition to our family. I've been wanting to play again for ages but am not exactly in love with picking away at the electric downstairs in JD's man cave, so I finally saved enough to go halvsies with the husband on a lovely acoustic. Callouses on my left fingers are already in progress. Who knows, maybe we'll start a family band once Alice learns ;)
Speaking of improvements, this was my desk space in the studio a few months ago. It was nice and sufficient, but felt temporary with the reupholstered folding chairs. I've since moved in a big-girl chair I scored at a garage sale in Ogallala and it all feels a little cozier and more purposeful now, especially with the monitor.
It's so fun to see spaces evolve!
Alice's desk
my gear from painting the infamous turtle
Did a sketch of daffodils a while back on semi-transparent paper and had fun layering it on top of another paper with some patches of color to make it pop
Mood board as of late.
I just love layering images, creating dainty vignettes that look like they belong together.
"cheese!"
our cute little garden helper
Man, have we been busy! I've been trying my hand at landscaping in the front of the house, digging up 15 wheelbarrow loads of dirt, re-grading the mulched areas, pulling weeds, and hauling said dirt to our garden beds in the back. Lots of hours, sweat, sore back muscles, and callouses, but so worth it. I LOVE digging in the dirt and making things beautiful, and Alice does, too. She was out there with me in her hat and boots, flinging dirt with her pink shovel, watching the squirrels romp around our yard, and waving at any passing vehicles. I'm excited to give her a little plot of dirt someday for her very own garden :)
raspberries putting on new shoots
New pavers and edgers to line a new garden bed and the plants around the fence's perimeter.
Can't wait to get them in place!
Morning snack: the husband made me some cold-brew and Alice and I shared a pink lady apple...and the coffee, too. The girl loves coffee. As you can tell, I like a little coffee with my milk and sugar. No wonder she likes "coffee."
Park time with our buddy, Jack . He's such a good big brother to her! She adores him and chases him everywhere, and he lets her :)
Alice loves slides. Like, as soon as she sees a swing or a slide she begins to bounce and clap frantically while saying "hooray! hooray! aaaaahhh!!!! SLIIIIIDE!!"
Downside: she's fearless. She'll walk up to the biggest, fastest slide and doesn't hesitate to go down. Definitely keeps me on my toes.
Another masterpiece. No crayons for this artist's daughter - only Prisma pencils, pastels, and Stabilo markers.
Won a homemade, hand-picked cherry pie at our church's pie auction a couple of weeks ago. All proceeds go to youth missions - something we're passionate about - so it was a pleasure to donate AND get to eat the best cherry pie of my life!
It's safe to say Alice liked it, too :)
a winding path and some flowers on a walk
Someone got her first library card :) And this is the free book she got to pick out at the library today. Girl loves her daddy.
I love seeing these little shoes next to mine :) Her winter/spring/summer lineup.
Happy Spring!
