My life...just not on the road I expected (but it's still dang good).

Pumpkins.

I'm home (will post about the craziness in Philly later this week).

Josh & the kids waited for me to carve pumpkins.

I bought a couple pumpkin carving books awhile back and even though everyone started off with a fancy pumpkin in mind, we all eventually downgraded to much simpler, hand-drawn pumpkins.

And Ross is apparently "too old" for pumpkin carving, so he played a little pumpkin carving music instead (Annie is Ross's lil' dancing groupie).

Coley loses his mind every single year, because he wants to carve pumpkins, but can't stand to actually put his hand inside one.

And his pumpkin guts were particularly gross this year because his pumpkin got a little mushy.

So Josh cleaned out Coley's pumpkin.

 

And that little one just ran around getting into everything (Sharpies, knives, etc.)

I started out with a heart on my pumpkin.

But then abandoned the whole project when  Josh made some comment about hearts & Halloween "not going together".

Coley's pumkin is the cranky one.

Courtney's is the happy one.

And Josh's is of course, the OSU one (apparently OSU & Halloween do "go together").

Feeling a little guilty that we didn't carve one for Annie though.

And the kids stayed up past their bedtimes watching Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin.

Stuck in Philly (hopefully home tomorrow).

Heading to Philly bright and early.

Coley prayed tonight that I would have fun in Philadelphia, but not forget about him while I'm gone. 

Poor kid...it must be rough having the kind of Mom who "forgets" about her kids while she's out of town.

Back on Monday.

Rose Petal Betty.

I've been wanting to post about this for awhile.

But Jill wouldn't let me (I think she was afraid of not having enough product on hand).

Especially since she started filling wholesale orders for little bed & breakfast shops and little boutique shops.

But she's stocked up now...

I just think this is the greatest thing.

I love that she had this idea and I love that she saw it through and I love how it all turned out.

And I love that we're best friends (going on 25 years) - so she feels obligated to give me tons of it.

Red Clover Tea is my very favorite (bath salt, soap, lotion).

Actually, the Raspberry Plum Pucker Paste is my favorite (I'm really picky about lip balm and I get really cranky if I can't find any, so the last time I saw Jill, I got 20 tubes...for my car, my purse, my scrapbook room, the kitchen, my nightstand, etc.).

Annie takes off with every tube of Pucker Paste she can get her hands on.

Courtney took off with my Yuzu Japanese Grapefruit lotion.

And I even got Josh & Ross some Spa Mint bath soap and Vanilla Mint Pucker Paste.

Coley doesn't want anything to do with any of it though.

Such good stuff (and I know a few people who might just get some for Christmas).

Rose Petal Betty Bath Co.

Just a few things.

1. I'm the November guest designer Cocoa Daisy (the kit and add-ons will be available November 1). I can't tell you how fun it was to pick all of my favorite stuff for the kit.  Lot's of new Narratives stuff that just started shipping, Autumn Leaves, 7Gypsies, Anna Griffin, Prima and a whole bunch of other stuff that I'm crazy about.  Exclusive acrylic stamps and some other exclusive designs (I can't figure out if the word "exclusive" sounds really exciting or really pretentious???).

Did this album a couple of weeks ago using products from the kit and add-ons.  Will be sure to post the inside pages once I finish them up.

2. Annie is feeling better.

3. No current plans of doing a book.  I don't think that I would ever author a scrapbooking type book on my own (I'm just waaaaaay too slow of a scrapbooker), but love being a contributor on book projects (so I'm always open to doing that).

I wouldn't rule out doing a photography book (but again, nothing in the works right now).

3. I know a lot of people are wanting to make the Snapshots of a Good Life album for Christmas gifts, I still have kits available, but am only scheduled to teach the class a few more times (at Memory Lane in Quakertown, PA this Friday, which is a full class, at Box R Ranch in Ashland, OR on November 3rd and at No Bare Pages in Phoenix, OR on November 10th) before Christmas.

4. I am kind of (but not really) starting to do wedding/engagement shoots.  I am shooting a wedding next August, but have been turning down other jobs due to time (and because I'm scared). 

5. Blogs I love?...this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, and definitely this one.

6. I got the "Home...where your story begins" sign that is on our front door from Decorate Your Life.

7. I used my Canon 5D and my 50mm f1.2 for the pictures that I took when Josh and I went out to dinner a couple of nights ago.   That 50mm really is my favorite lens.

8. Working on a new kit right now, but I don't think I'll have it ready to ship for a couple of months.

9. Still giving a lot of thought to doing online photography classes with limited numbers of students.  Just working out all the details in my head and have been talking with a web designer.  If I do it, I would make the first class available around April or May of next year.

10. Hope I didn't miss any questions.

101.4

Her first week of school and her first fever (I'm guessing there is a direct correlation).

Friday night.

Josh & I went out Friday night.

My Mom had a been gone on vacation and wanted to spend some time with the kids when she got back (so we got an unplanned night off).

A few good-bye kisses.

And then dinner at Porter's in Medford (it's an old train station with crazy-good food).

Sweet potato fries, spinach dip, pear & blue cheese salad (for me) and some kind of beef dish for Josh.

And a few hours of feeling like "just a couple" (instead of "just Mom and Dad").

And we're so wild that we stayed out until 8:15pm.

This & That.

1. If I could only have a 50mm lens or an 85mm lens, I think I'd have to go with the 50mm.  The 85mm f1.8 and the 50mm f1.4 are similarly priced.

2. Dan's mom said that they got that pink Hollister shirt from a Hollister store in Washington awhile back and the polka dot rubber boots are from Fred Meyer.

3. Ross really got the short end of the stick with that hair.

4. The armoire in my living room is from Target (I think they still carry them).

5. I'll try to remember to get some more pictures of my house (although, it's nothing impressive at all...really...I'll have to get pics to prove it's lack of impressiveness).

6. Annie gave me a big kiss when I showed up at daycare yesterday...and then she hit me when she realized that I was taking her home.

7. I'm in Philly next weekend at Memory Lane .  I think there might be spots left in the Picture This class (not sure though) and they opened up a second Photography Q&A class, which I think has a few spots left too.  I shipped a bunch of extra kits to the store though, so if you couldn't get into one of the classes, you can pick up a kit from the store.  I am soooooo looking forward to this trip.

8. And most importantly, if anyone would like to make a donation in honor of Pam Krenzke, Betsy's adoptive mom, Faith is doing a walk to remember their family (all donations are going to Hospice, who cared for Pam and her boys).

9. I try really hard not to miss any questions (but I'm sure I still do), so if I have overlooked something you asked, feel free to post it again here.

10. I can't think of a #10.

Bella.

Coley had a tough time deciding between Bella Union and Red Robin for his birthday dinner.

He finally decided on Bella Union.

I might have swayed his decision (purposely) by reminding him several times that Bella has mud pie on their desert menu (I left out the fact that Red Robin serves mud pie too).

That one cracks me up for some reason.

So does that one.

And even though I'm cranky with him...that one kind of cracks me up too.

Before Coley went to bed, we read all the "Happy Birthday" comments that were posted (which he got a huge kick out of - thanks).

Happy Birthday.

Coley is 7 today.

He's still in bed.

Josh is making Happy Birthday waffles right now.

And I just remembered that I need to wrap the Beaver's Monopoly game that I got him.

And he get's to decide where we go for his birthday dinner tonight (I have my finger's crossed for Bella Union).

We did a big BBQ and celebration last Saturday.

It was perfect. 

Tons of family and tons of fun.

And Coley got Heely's (those shoes with built in wheels), two Beaver's blankets, tons of Legos, a table & chair set, a whole bunch of money and a whole bunch of other stuff I can't remember.

And this year was the first year he could read his birthday cards all by himself.

Love you Coley.