10 favorite things {in honor of Easter}

      

In the middle of all the chocolate peanut butter eggs, yellow marshmallow peeps, spring dresses, and pastel colors I am trying to remember the true reason we celebrate this special day.  My wish is that you'll take a moment out of your busy weekend and count your blessings.  Jesus died to save us.  Through his sacrfice we can live an eternal life.  That is definitely something to be thankful for.  Happy Easter everyone!  I hope you have a wonderful day with family and friends.

mommyhood {thoughts on the first few months}

I've recently fallen in love with Carissa at JL Designs.  Her sweet little boy just turned one in November.  I couldn't help but share an excerpt from her blogpost on her recap of the first year with Decker.  She hit it right on the nail head. 

i am not gonna lie...the first couple months of mommy hood were really hard at times...it wasn't all sunshine and smiles and infatuation with my new little one...there were some days i just wanted to pull the covers back over my head in the morning and hide from him for the rest of the day...i am not ashamed to admit this because i know that this is something all new mommies go through and experience no matter what it may seem like on the outside...it doesn't make me a bad mom...it makes me REAL...
parenthood is hard...no one can prepare you for the complete overhaul your life goes through...but it does get easier and DANG does it get better...even though i haven't forgotten the fatigue, the tears, the frustration and sometimes physical pain - they aren't what i remember vividly...

 As Anna grows and we get closer to the year mark I too can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Gone are the sleepless nights, the postpartum anxiety, the rush of fear that you are doing every thing wrong.  I didn't have that full blown, all encompassing, take my breath away, mommy love right off the bat like a lot of moms.  Anna and I had to get to know each other.  And now, sometimes I'll whip out my camera and I'll get one of these.  My heart melts...

{photo by sixteen sunbuckles . Anna at 6 months}

shanks household {a trip to the zoo}

A gorgeous weekend means a sunny trip to the zoo.  Maximus was less than thrilled he had to stay home.

: all pictures taken by sixteen sunbuckles :

knits {newborn fuzzy blend}

The best thing about traveling around all the time is meeting all these people.  I met Katie while we were still in Corpus Christi.  Her husband has since then found another job and moved them both back to Michigan.  Katie and I have remained friends (thank goodness for social media!).  She is expecting their first child here in May and I couldn't be happier for them.  She asked me to make them a little knit for a newborn shoot.  They aren't sure what they are having so I used a blended yarn of pastel colors.  I can't wait to see it on baby b!

recipe of the week {frozen baby yogurt & fruit chips}

Anna and I recently came across these delicious fruit popiscles dipped in greek yogurt at Costco.  If I pull one of these out of the freezer and start unwrapping it she immediately starts cooing and wiggling her feet from excitement.  I have to hold her hands out of the way otherwise she'd cram the entire thing down her throat.  I'm trying to teach her "small bites" so we don't get a brain freeze... easier said than done.

^ these also come in berry - yum ^

I've noticed a recent craze (or maybe its just a trend on Pinterest) for frozen yogurt covered fruit.  Delicious!  Anna really likes yogurt but she can't eat very much at one sitting due to her acid reflux.  

 

^ Love these little yogurt cups by Dairlyand because they have DHA added and are sweetened by fruit juice ^ 

(I took a picture of the french side, whoops!)

So I decided to get creative and dip fresh fruit into these little yogurt cups.  What a great snack idea (I thought)

 ^ I pulled out a few handful of blueberries I had frozen.  You can use any fruit you like. ^

  ^ Then I dumped in two of the yogurt cups ^

 

 ^ swirl fruit and yogurt until the fruit is evenly covered ^ 

 

^Since the baby yogurt is pretty creamy I just plopped them down on a cookie sheet in spoonfuls (cookie style).  I put aluminum foil over the cookie sheet to alleviate some mess. ^

 

^ Freeze on cookie sheet in freezer.   I had to freeze in batches since my freezer is already overloaded with fix and freeze crockpot meals.  After they are frozen you can break apart into bite size pieces (for tiny fingers) and plop them into freezer bags ^

^Next I used frozen mango - yum ^

  ^ Here they are on the cookie sheet ready for the freezer ^

 ^ My official taste tester.  She was a little surprised by the coldness at first. ^

^ Cold mouth sensation :) ^

10 favorite things {of the week}

 

one.  Essie top and bottom coat.  For all the days I never have time to paint my fingernails at least I can feel somewhat girly with a fresh coat of gloss.

two.  Stella & Dot  piper necklace in silver with glass beads. 

three. Vicks baby rub . When Anna has a cold I love to massage a little of this on her chest and feet.

four. You Are My Sunshine by Jimmie Davie and Caroline Church .  Picked this up on a whim from Walmart while we were shopping.  It is now our favorite before naptime.

five. Texas General Square Candles are little but can smell up an entire room.

six. Baby Gourmet organic baby food is delicious.

seven. Loops & Threads Country Loom yarn in nobility . Going to make a gorgeous baby blanket.

eight. Canon EF 50mm 1:1.8 prime lens is my newest photography challenge.
nine. History Channels The Bible series is outstanding.
ten. Nabob Coffee Co. is the only thing that keeps me running somedays.

: all pictures taken by me with the Canon 50mm except for eight and nine :

rockstar mom {jessica simmons}

{a new feature each month} I have so many good friends that are such an inspiration to me.  Some of them juggle a full time job, some work from home, some have 4+ kids, some homeschool.  I think about all the complaining I do and advice I ask from them.  I only have one child and am currently a stay at home housewife. Sometimes I don't know how they do it.  They are all rockstars in my book and I wanted to showcase one a month.  Enjoy meeting my friends!

^ I asked Jessica about this picture and she said, "I think it shows not everything will always be perfect."  However, it looks perfect to me.  Her little girls are the cutest! ^

Jessica and I met at a design firm in Indianapolis, 6 years ago (can you believe its been 6 years?)  We kept in touch all this time and I'm please to introduce you to her! Jessica is one of the most talented people I know.  Her eye for design and graphic concepts is awe-inspiring. For freelance work Jessica has many irons in the fire but currently she is enjoys working on custom birth prints for newborns. 

 Jessica, tell us about all the "hats" you are currently wearing.

Wife to my amazing husband Jake, mom to Reese (4) and Paige (10 months), professor of interior architecture design, freelance graphic designer and communications team leader at our church.

What inspires you to design? 

As a designer, I am a visual person by nature. A beautiful image, interesting texture, stunning typography, great photograph or color palette my mind starts off in a hundred different directions.

How on earth do you find time?

I’m laughing as I read this because I really struggle with time! Lunch breaks, nap times and after bedtime is usually when I work on my design projects. It does take me longer to produce the final product because I work in small time blocks. This is something I clearly tell all of my clients ahead of time and I set realistic deadlines for myself. I have at least ten projects I would like to do in my house but they are on hold until summer break. I value my evenings and weekends with my family so I choose not to take on big projects that can’t be completed in a couple of hours.

What's the single most important advice you would give to a new mom in the workplace?

Take it one day at a time. I get extremely stressed out when I think about everything on my “to do” list for the week/month. If I refocus that on just the day, what I need to accomplish my list becomes more manageable. I find a lot of comfort in Matthew 6:34: Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Amen!

As a busy working mom, how do you stay connected to your children? to your faith?

I try to leave work at work and focus on my family when I am at home. We eat dinner together, read books, sing silly songs and talk to each other about our day. The girls go to bed at 7 and 8 so I try and make those few hours in the evening count. Weekends are left unplanned for the most part so we have time to just be together and enjoy the day.

I try to spend daily time in the word of God. Some days that means in the parking lot before I go into work or reading at my desk before class. It refreshes me and sets the tone for my day. On days where I skip – my day usually doesn’t go so well or I’m constantly stressed out. I struggle with relying more on my strength than on the Lord’s and He working on me in that area. It seems the more I rely on myself, the more stressed I become and I break down but when I FULLY rely on God, I know that He is in control and I am at peace.

Are your personal life and professional life compartmentalized, blended, or a combination of the two?

For the most part my life is compartmentalized. I am always a Believer, wife, mom and designer but I find it easier for me to focus when I separate my professional and personal life. 

Anything else you'd love to share?

I have an amazing husband who is very supportive. He cleans on his days off, cooks dinner, picks up the girls from school, bathes them as needed, sings silly songs, reads to them at night and deals with all of my mood swings. He is a true partner in everything. 

At the center of everything is my faith. God is continually reminding me that I need Him to do all of this. I love this quote from David Platt’s Radical Book.

“Instead of imagining all the things we can accomplish, we ask God to do what only he can accomplish. Yes, we work, we plan, we organize, and we create, but we do it all while we fast, while we pray, and while we constantly confess our need for the provision of God.”

I pray that God will use me to further His kingdom through design, teaching, as a wife and mom. I want exist for His glory not mine. 

If you are interested in ordering custom prints from Jessica please contact her via email, jnsinteriors@hotmail.com

{shanks household} cold all the way around

It hasn't been the greatest of weeks here at the Shanks household.  Only one word to describe it - cold.
We had the best weekend full of giggles.  Anna really is getting to a fun age where her little personality is shining through.  However, Monday morning I woke up to her not holding anything down and a fever of 100.4.  Our first stomach bug!  As any new mom knows, I panicked and worried all day long.  I of course rushed her to our doctor.  Our doctor just reassured me she would be fine and kids bounce back rather quickly.  I know I was just having "new mom anxiety" but it never hurts to go, right? All we have been doing is snuggling and I so wish I could tell her it'll be over soon and everything will be ok.  I am enjoying all these snuggles even if it is with a whimpering and fussy 8 month old. 

^ I walked in to find her STANDING up in her crib Monday morning - that's a first! *proud momma* ^

 ^ But then I noticed she wasn't feeling that great. Thought maybe she was just hungry? ^

 (Definitely not the answer)

 ^ and then the day just got more and more miserable... poor baby ^

 ^ thank God for technology and getting our mind off our fever for a few minutes ^

 ^ mickey mouse clubhouse definitely saved the day ... along with sesame street ^

^ Kind of amazing how our furry friends sense we don't feel good.  Maximus has been staying extra close. ^

And then I looked outside and realized it has finally stopped snowing after three days straight.  (these pictures I took this weekend) I am so looking forward to warmer weather and getting over colds and being able to finally embrace sunshine and long walks at the park.  I know Maximus is too.  He is so over being couped up inside.

{all pictures taken by sixteen sunbuckles / Anna at 8 months / Anna's monkey onesie is by Carters, past season}

knits {pink and white and a little bit of glitter}

Can I say again how much fun these little hats are?  I got the basic pattern from Tricky Knits and I usually rework the design a little to fit my taste and yarn style.  I whipped up this little gem for my new friend Andie and her little girl, Scarlett.  The yarn has just enough glitter and a little bit of sequin to say "yes i'm girly" without being too prissy.  I did a little photo shoot with Anna the other afternoon.  I couldn't resist.

{photos by sixteen sunbuckles / Anna at 8 months / duvet cover by IKEA / white knitted blanket shower gift by The Turquoise Penguin's mom / knitted hat by sixteen sunbuckles

recipe of the week {salmon with roasted vegetables}

This is delicious, fast, and easy.  A no-brainer dinner after an exhausting Monday.

Salmon with Roasted Vegetables

{the goods}
2-4 salmon fillets (wild is always better than farmed)
Peppers *I used orange, green, and red
1/2 a red onion
*I also threw in one sweet potato (I cooked it for 5 minutes in the microwave first so it was already soft)
olive oil
salt and pepper

{cooking}
Preheat the oven to 425 deg.  Slice peppers, onion (and sweet potato).  Spread vegetables out on a rimmed baking sheet.  Pour 2 Tbl of olive oil over top.  Make room for the fillets.  Sprinkle salt and pepper over everything.  Bake 8-10 minutes or until salmon is flaky.

: Real Simple Magazine February 2013 :

10 favorite things {in honor of st. patrick's day}

one. Nine West / two. Target / three. Crate and Barrel / four. Stella & Dot / five. ModCloth / six. Anthropologie / seven. Kate Spade / eight. JCrew / nine. H&M / ten. Urban Outfitters

save the date {aqua and coral themed wedding}

One of my good friends' big sister is getting married this August!  I was so flattered to be asked to design her save the dates and wedding invitations.  She'll be an absolutely gorgeous bride.  Here are a few ideas from our save the date concepts.  Which is your favorite?