{Words} To Live By

{Weekend Adventure} Photography

I think I mentioned here about my new photography hobby. I have been really practicing and getting acclimated to my dslr as of late. I'm truly starting to feel like I am getting the hang of this wonderous little machine.

So when my cousin Kim  asked if I would take some fun photos of her and her husband to celebrate her baby bump, I of course said yes. After all, I desperately need the practice and they were so ideally open to a fun shoot with a range of Pinterest inspired ideas.

A local park and a few hours later we had some shots I just adore.

It was such a pleasure to photograph a beautiful couple who were so patient with my inexperienced-self. It was also a wonderful learning experience.

What did you do this weekend?

{Crockpot Chronicles} Roasted Chicken

I could sing a sweet serenade of love to my beloved crock pot atleast once a week for saving me from the dinnertime blues. Really, what's better than forgetting you had dinner in the crockpot until you hit your front door and the aromas enter your nose. A huge sigh of relief always follows. 


It seems many others share my enthusiasm for crockpot cooking. Lately I've seen that the crockpot girls and skinny crock have reached a massive amount of followers who are also sharing their favorite tried and true slow cooking meals. 


My plan this fall and winter is to plow through as many of these recommended recipes as possible. I'll be sharing here as I try each one, reporting the low-down on how easy it was to to do and how delicious the results were. I'll start with one I've used several times over the last few weeks that is a real pleaser in my home: Lemon & Herb Roasted Chicken


Trust when I say that I may never roast a whole chicken any other way. I know the following picture may not look overly appetizing, but you would be so wrong. So very wrong.

Time for you to try this so you can sing it's praises as well!

{Pinspiration} Text on Canvas

My addiction to Pinterest no doubt has birthed endless inspiration to start multiple projects. The trick is completing one and actually liking the end result. Everything looks possible and flattering on a pin board. Case in point is one of my latest DIY art projects inspired by this pin of Alisa Burke and her canvas art she created with a shoe polish applicator.

So cute, right? How awesome does that look on her wall above her couch with all those beautiful pillows? All I could think was: want.want.want. must have. must have. 

E.E. Cummings writes poetry that speaks to me. This poem in particular has been a favorite of mine for as long as I can remember. 

Luckily because of my faithful thrifting, I already had a large canvas on hand to re-purpose that I purchased for a whopping $5. Looks like all I needed was some white paint to cover the current art on the canvas and some black shoe polish. Easy enough.

With a spare hour or so to myself in the front yard, I followed Alisa's directions and got this:

The shoe polish in the applicator was really easy to  write with. I did however misjudge my letters and spacing, so things got a bit cramped there at the end. There are really no rules with this type of art, so even-still I like the free spirit of it, especially the running of the shoe polish. 

Surprisingly my husband liked it too, but after putting it up over my coach in my own living room, I am not sold that its the best compliment to the space. So for now this canvas does not have a home in my home, but I enjoyed the process and know I will use a similar technique for future projects. 

So I say success!

What has Pinterest inspired you to do lately? It really has infiltrated my menu, my style, my home and my thoughts!

A Summer Farewell

Howdy! Hope you are enjoying your Labor Day weekend. It is always bittersweet for me. I love the long holiday weekend, but am heartbroken that it signifies the end of summer.


Especially since the summer has been full of sun, water, trips and lots of laughter.


Farewell Summer. You will be missed.