Charli's Chapter: Lost My First Tooth:

from charli's chair:

It was October 26th

A chilly Fall day

My tooth super wiggly 

Falling out was on it's way

Mommy started twisting

It didn't take much

I cried just a little

But Daddy said I'm tough

Then all of a sudden

My family by my side

Mommy said "I got it"

And I giggled with pride

I lost my first tooth

And there's another close behind

Now this talk about the Tooth Fairy

Is all that's on my mind! 

Catching Moments: {34/52}:

*Crew... Barefoot connoisseur, sitter of pumpkins. As soon as we arrived to the Pumpkin Patch, Crew took off his shoes because he said there was sand in them {if you know Crew well than you know he has a bit of a shoe fetish already... Cannot stand when they are dirty, wet, sandy, you name it}. So, pick & choose your battles... We let him run around barefoot. He then chose his pumpkin by sitting on it...   

*Charli... Kitchen helper, baker of all things. One of Charli's absolute favorite things to do is help us  cook or bake. Yesterday was an Early Release Day so as soon as we got home we decided to make some Pumpkin Bread! Oh how I love the smell of it baking! Charli requested a slice in her lunch for today!! 

Catching Moments: {33/52}:

*Wanting to make sure I always remember the way he looks 90% of the time right now... 

Sweaty, hair a mess, bumps, bruises, scrapes, athletic wear... Crew busted his face last week by falling straight onto my parents pavered patio; head, nose, and lip were all bloody. After crying for a little bit he exclaimed "mommy I a tough boy". He sure is! 

*All of Charli's five year old dreams came true yesterday... She got to ride on a big school bus for the very first time!! To say she was excited would be an understatement! I loved every minute of watching her walk off that school bus when they arrived to their field trip! She is growing up so fast! 

Charli's School Days: Kindergarten Open House:

Charli had her Kindergarten Open House a couple of weeks ago and both Steven and I were able to attend which was a huge surprise and something Charli was very happy about. Having Daddy able to be a part of things is always so special because it is very rare. We absolutely love Charli's teacher and were so excited to go in to her classroom and see the things she has been doing and learn about her day-to-day life as a Kindergartner! 

Mrs. K walked up to us and couldn't stop saying how much of a joy Charli is to teach. That she is such an excellent student, rule follower, leader, and goes above and beyond inside the classroom and out. It is everything every parent wants to hear about their child. We are so incredibly blessed with such an amazing little girl who truly makes us proud every single day. 

Steven and I have said from early on that Charli was "meant for school", meaning she has always enjoyed learning, reading, and being challenged with things. Sure enough, we were right. I love talking with her about her days and learning about all of her "BFF's" {yes people, she says "BFF" haha}, but more importantly I love hearing from her teacher that she is doing everything she is supposed to and that she loves it! 

After listening to the teacher for a little while we were able to walk around the room and look at all of the things our baby has been working on. Charli was so excited to take our hands and show us all of her things with a huge proud smile on her face! My favorite was her Family Tree. As she walked us over to show us, she pointed to each one of us and said "that's you" and then the proudest moment of all was when she pointed to the drawing of a person at the very bottom of her tree and said "and mommy & daddy, that's Jesus. Because he is in the center of our family". {Steven said he actually looked at the other family tree's just to see if anyone else did it and if maybe that was what made her want to do it and Charli was the only one}. You guys, I can't tell you how proud we were of her. We are clearly doing something right and I hope she always remembers that HE is right in the center of our family!  

The week after Charli's Open House we had our first Parent Teacher Conference. I cannot tell you how proud and happy we are with Charli. 

Some things her teacher said:

"Charli is my leader & mentor in class"

"Charli gets along and plays with every child in our class. She is such a social little girl"

"Charli is very bright"

"I have no concerns with her, she will go very far. She is smart, beautiful, and kind"

Charli Adele, keep shining bright baby girl! 

Mommy & Daddy are so proud of everything you are doing! 

Catching Moments: {32/52}:

*Sharing a moment from when we visited Salem, Massachusetts last month. We walked around the cute town and saw "all the spooky things that happen there". The kids loved running through these Stick Sculptures built by a local artist. Charli stated "this is definitely where the witches live" haha.  

Fresh Fall Tablescape:

Good Morning Friends & Happy half way through the week! 

I finally started to put together my Fall Tablescape yesterday and am so in love with how my vision is unfolding. I shared a few snippets over on Instagram in my Insta Stories and got a ton of comments & love, so I figured I would share with you all here. 

There is not many things that I am in love with more than an amazing tablescape. I love how they truly set the tone in your home for any gathering, party, or even day-to-day life. For instance, every time I walk past our dining room I smile and feel happy, and that my friends is exactly why I do these things. It's my "feel good". For me it brings a since of calm to my day, makes me happy, and somehow a since of peacefulness is near. Even while I'm crafting & putting it together I feel good. Not everyone is like me though and that is more than ok, that is why I am here to help by sharing this with you. Now you won't have to think or brainstorm of an idea, you can just plop it on your table and be done! 

I loved my tablescape from Thanksgiving last year, it was a very rustic & woodsy feel but I knew I wanted different this year. I wanted something I could put out now and be out all of Fall and come Thanksgiving add a few different elements to change it up just a bit. I wanted crisp & fresh, and I feel I accomplished just that. When designing a tablescape I think of all the elements I want present; textures, heights, flowers, candles, etc. I used a neutral base layer table runner and I knew I wanted some sort of greenery involved. Eucalyptus are an amazing go-to, they are simple, elegant, but add a hint of rustic flare {not to mention they smell amazing, so your home will smell lovely}. I also knew I wanted white pumpkins and some candles, and that is exactly how this came to life.

I always play around with all the elements and almost never keep an item in the first place I put it. Like the pitcher, I placed it directly in the center of the table but decided I liked it better off center with the big pumpkin close by. And I have already moved the candlestick about 4 more times. 

So how can you make your simple Fall tablescape? Search for things around your home before going out and purchasing; burlap, table runners, candles, candle holders or pedestals, vases or pitchers, the sky's the limit {even faux flowers. I am using my faux hydrangeas for now and will buy fresh later}.  And remember, it does not all have to match. Having an eclectic feel is something I love too. Play with the heights of everything, you don't want everything the same exact height. You can do pumpkins like I did or throw in some pinecones, or both. And if you love Eucalyptus as well, then head to your neighborhood Trader Joe's to find some for a whopping $2.99. 

And for the leftover Eucalyptus, throw it in a vase and add it to your breakfast nook or coffee table!

I hope this has inspired you to make your Fall tablescape or has given you an idea of what you might want for your Thanksgiving dinner table!

Charli's School Days: First School Dance:

Charli had her very first School Dance at the end of her second week of school. It was every bit of the most chaotic, yet thing I have ever seen! Charli could not wait to tell me all about the dance when the signs started popping up around the school. She exclaimed, "Mommy, so we have a school dance! So you are going to just drop me off at the dance, and then you will just come back later for me. And mommy, that's how it works, ok?"... Ummmm, nope. Hate to break it to ya, but mommy will be attending as well (hahaha... seriously you guys, she wasn't playing) 

The night of the dance Charli picked out exactly what she wanted to wear (I was on stand by in case it wasn't up to standards!). She picked out her tulle skirt and a top because "Mommy, it is the most twirliest thing and will be so good for all of my dance moves" she exclaimed! That night was a total glimpse into our future of what we will be dealing with in 10 years, guaranteed! 

 When we arrived at the dance Charli was so excited to see her friends. The moment she stepped into the gymnasium she was grooving to the music (Crew too, because, little brother problems and having to attend everything!) It truly was such a memorable night with Charli's new school & friends. She had the absolute best time, danced with ALL of her friends {boys & girls}, and all it did was make me think "we are seriously going to have our hands full with this social little butterfly". 

The Welcome Back to School Dance was a super fun & fabulous way to kickoff ofthe school year!!