Brownies!!

DIY Projects!

This summer I have discovered one of my new favorite things... the DIY (do.it.yourself) channel. I am obsessed! Its my new background noise if I am blogging, editing photos, cough playing cityville cough. I just love it and the ideas I get from it! Along with the DIY channel, I have found some great DIY blogs that are giving me mucho ideas to pass the downtime this summer.

I have been talking about my super sweet frame collage wall, well I had a little project/addition to it today!

A little background to my piece of artwork first off. Growing up, my dad's side of the family and my father would always sign cards, letters, etc with "143". Which means "I love you" (notice the # of letters in each word if you are not familiar with this little secret saying.) Apparently...more people in the world use this than just my dad and his mother... news to me.

When John and I began dating and getting serious I signed a card with that... never have done it before. And he did not know what it meant! It soon became our little thing along with other little sayings, but this one is such a meaningful one to me since it was one that my dad and I used.

Anyhoo. I saw this little piece of love on one of my DIY blogs (they used a number 7--meaning special to them) and decided I wanted to add it to my collage wall! Below are the steps to it's origination!

tadah! :) I love it!!! AND as you can see my frame collage is a work in progress as well-- much progress this weekend I am happy to share.

Anyway. I am looking at intothedarkroom.com for website layout options...and im really liking if for the FUTURE home of LaurenAugustinePhotography :D

Tomorrow is a day of adventure- scouting downtown for good locations for photos. Pool with Jenna. And then who knows.

I LOVE SUMMER!

g'nite all!

{beware} gushy love crud!

Let me begin with this.

I am blessed.

God has blessed me in countless ways throughout my 26 years on this beautiful planet... but he really blew me away with one of the biggest blessings he's given me. John. I had a little bit of time before we start our movie

and sat thinking about how unbelievable he truly is to me. We went grocery shopping with a good friend of mine today and the conversation we had while shopping really just brought to light how great I have it. It is so easy to become complacent and take for granted all the wonderful things someone does for you... and it turns into an expectation so to speak. Well... it shouldn't.

I will say this about my relationship:

1. I am spoiled rotten. And when I say spoiled I mean... the boy will bend over backwards for me anytime of the day! I used to be this self sufficient, stubborn, do-it-myself kinda gal... boy have things changed!

2. We aren't perfect. We fight. We (I) hit. We pout. We cry. BUT we communicate, problem solve, and listen to each other. I heard a quote in a wonderful movie where a character told another one that "If my wife and I would have fought like you two, we would still be married!" And I love it! When it was said in the movie John gave me this stare down because he knew exactly how my wheels were a turning! Speaking of movies, we saw a movie one time where one of the couples in the movie were just unrealistically happy, perfect, spotless, annoying! Ill say, that just aint us but there's no one in this world I would rather argue with than him! ;)

*****The movie was called Table for Three. Unexpectedly funny flick... trailer here:

3. He is my best friend. I have so much fun with him! He really is my best friend... :)

4. Were happy right now. I think that people get so caught up in the "when we...." or the "I want to..." that they let the now slip past them. I feel like for so much of my "adult life" I was looking for more, wanting more, wanting to change this or that. For the first time in my life I am content where I am at. I know we have a long road until the I DO's ever come into play. We have been through a lot in our relationship and have been through things separately in our lives to know that weddings, babies, whatever is just a ways a way. I have my moments where that is a hard thing for me to be O.K. with...but i honestly am. We have things that we have to take care of before that can happen! As long as we have each other... we can do anything and I DO doesn't change that. ((but it'll be a pretty spectacular day when it does finally come!))

5. I could go on...and on... and list the millions of reasons why I love our relationship but I don't think many people care to hear that and my fingers are beginning to get a little crampy so well leave it at this for now. I couldn't have been more blessed with the person that I am blessed to spend my life with. I can't wait for all the adventures life has in store for us and I am so thankful for the man that he is!! :)

Love well.

{LA}

DIY Days!

Happy Friday!! ((Everyday is Friday to me...but I remember the days where you would count down to that glorious day.... #lovesummer))

Today was a good day! I was a little concerned at first considering I felt like poo from last night, but it ended up being a fun day. Little background: we met a friend for dinner, then went to Jazz under the stars at the DMA (totally rad little set up!) and then went to my favorite bar in dallas... Capitol Pub (aka CP). Good times were had for all, lovely target cube vino, sister time, live music, and summertime! However, my old body can't handle the vino like it used to and I woke up feeling a little under the weather!

Once I motivated myself enough to roll out of bed I met sister and John at chilis for some gressy cure-all food! Afterwards we went to Home Depot to purchase some necessities for my DIY projects. ((purchases included: wood, paint, tape and greens!) I have really started to enjoy gardening, and planting in pots to enjoy the plants beauty! Today after not so much luck in the past... we found a lime tree! I am so stinking excited about this! I love water with lime, and have been wanting a little lime tree so I don't have to 1. go to sonic to get the delicious beverage or 2. buy limes at the store. So pretty awesome find! We would always stumble upon lemon tress, but never the lime! I also got some sweet potato vines and finally potted my cute (onsale) gerber daisy plant... which makes for 2 gerber daisy plants!

cute photo insert below:

Movie time! Enjoy the weekend!

LA

Big Decisions/New Adventures!

So I wanted to write about some exciting news/changes coming in my life. My wonderful boyfriend, who has been such an encourager in my desire to get into photography got me an awesome gift for my birthday. He registered me fora photography workshop at a great little studio called spot studio. I was pretty apprehensive and to be honest, bummed out when he told me that was my gift! I was hoping for a coach purse, or a new camera lens... :/ horrible! Reluctantly I went to the workshop yesterday andI am so glad i did! I learned a lot, things were made a little more clear for me and I got some great practice and shots while there. The workshop really confirmed how much I love to shoot and really want to turn this into something. I have been toyingwith the idea for years now and I am ready to make the leap! :) I am currently working on getting a few more sessions to build up my portfolio (I have a plethora of dog and kid shots...not a whole lot of anything else though!) and I should have the site up and running soon! I have decided to take this whole thing as it comes at me. I am not real sure what I want to really focus on just yet so well see where the Lord leads me!

So, again. Loved the workshop! I am still editing my brains out but here are some of my FAV shots so far!

until next time!

eventful fridays...

or maybe not.

I have been sitting in my dinning room and slowly have learned that while wearing shorts my dining room chairs are not so comfty. :/ I decided to make my dining room table my "work" area until further notice. Did you just catch yourself asking the question "what work, it's summer for you!" (haha don't hate). Well, I will answer that one for you simply. My work has consisted of the following.

1.Cityville. My recent game obsession. I have never really been one to play the facebook games but, man on man-- I'm hooked! :) Love it! Anyway, I spent a better part of 2-ish hours rearranging my growing city into the great town it is not.

Summer=lots-o-time!

2. Creating my logo for my photography! Samples to come soon when blogger isn't being LAME and not uploading my photo. grrrr.

Summer Lovin...

So it's been forever since I have written, and I am ashamed! :( Summer came, I got the lazies and have neglected my faithful little blog. Let me update you a little bit on what has happened in the last few weeks... :x

1. School ended- the last day of school is alway

s such a bitter sweet moment for me. For the few days building up to it I get so sad... and proud... and relieved. Sad to see my little babies all grown up and ready for first grade. Proud because they're ready. Every one of them (with the exception of 1...) is ready and moving on to the next grade. And let me tell you, if you asked me in August my thoughts on the matter... I would have probably teared up in fear. I had a little dude who came and when I asked him to tell me letters as I showed him the letters... he tells me numbers, along with the occasional random letter. June 2nd, little dude was reading on level and just shining. Relieved because of all those days I went home crying, or wanted to

scream because... every job is frusterating AND who doesn't just LOVE summer!!!! I wanted to share a cute photo of my kiddos on the last day, but guidelines these days.... probably not the best idea. So...use your imagination. 18 excited, brilliant and adorable kiddos pumped for summer and for new adventures!

2. My 26th Birthday- huge success! Probably my favorite birthday "party" ever. We invited people over and just cooked out and enjoyed e

achother's company. Somehow through out the day on Saturday my Adult Birthday Cookout turned into a Pirate Party, arrrrggggh!!! Long story but it all began with a treasure chest birthday candle! Here are a few shots from the evening...

3. Sweet, Sweet, Summer Time- So, I have absolutely been loving summertime so far!! The best part...we aren't even through the first week! :) There has been lots of reading, r

esearching for my hopeful, up and coming business, laying by the pool, cleaning and tv/movie watching! For my birthday, John registered me for a photography class. To be honest. I am not sure how I feel about it. It is an all day thing, models coming in and all this jazz. I feel like it's my first day of school all over again. EEPA! Anyway, well see how it goes... Im sure I will love it and it will be a great learning experience for me I am just weird/nervous/anxious! Anyhoo- with all this extra time I have been blog hopping and found my new FAV site: www.younghouselove.com. Along with my new found reading obsession came ideas/DIY projects for the summer. My inspiration for my first project is a photo frame collage. I have always wanted to do one, and just fell in love with hers, so I decided... I am doing it!

Inspiration photo below Before Shots....

Well. That's all I've got for now! Were heading to the lovely Jenna Petty's home for some yummy food, drinks and most importantly... to view a ....

Dallas Mavericks VICTORY!

More to come later on! :)