allorahandmade.com

instafriday!

April 13, 2012

here’s a look at my week through my cell phone pics:

our easter was really chill, but really great. of course we were late for church because the silly macy’s employee left the security tags on the boys’ shirts and i didn’t notice until 10 minutes before church, but thank goodness the hubs is macgyver. other than that, we had a great day! food, family, treats, church – the recipe for a fabulous easter!

1. we had fun experimenting with dotted, striped, and ombre eggs for easter 2. brotherly hug. or headlock. 3. henry’s happy/excited face to see what the easter bunny brought him 4. family photo. 5. yes, the easter bunny shops at target. at 10pm the night before easter. nothing like waiting till the very last minute!

i have really been trying to eat better and am so happy to say that my relationship with food is MUCH improved. i am happier, feel healthier, and feel so much more in control. if the pounds would start dropping i’d feel even better, but that’s ok.

1. strawberries are my treat these days. sooo glad yummy fruit is in season. 2. fave salad this week: spinach, mango, green apple, strawberries, avocado, walnuts. 3. tried a new meal this week: stuffed peppers. the boys had to be convinced, but i was excited to try something new 4. new favorite snack. yum, yum, yum!

such a great treat – sharlie came to visit this week! it was surreal being in the same room with her since the last time i saw her was right after the transplant. she is doing so well, and will be coming home for good soon! yay!!!

1. playdate with 2 of my favorite people and oldest friends=the best 2. that we all have boys who love to play together too =the cherry on top.

the boys. i keep wondering if they will ever sit still. nope. they are moving, wiggling, dancing, yelling, laughing, fighting or sleeping. nothing in between!!

1. the only 3 seconds this boy wasn’t wiggling around that day. 2. love it when they fall asleep on their own. i thought he was being awfully quiet! 3. family run on the trails when the boys decided they didn’t want to come to the gym with me. don’t you love henry’s glasses? too bad he broke them like 2 days later. 4. splash park! yes, we think it’s summer here in san diego.

a few fun ones of me mixing it up a little this week!

1. sweet bows make me happy. thinking of adding them to the shop. 2. curly hair day = ronald mcdonald/little orphan annie/margaret thatcher/ golden girls. but sometimes you just gotta go with it. 3. new shoes- yay or nay? 4. love mixing a little allora with a little pleated poppy. (it rained in the morning this day and i busted out a scarf, boots and tights. and then was sweating by mid-day!)

this guy is so good to me.

clint does the dishes every night. and usually every morning. i know, i’m the luckiest.

how was your week? come link up over at life rearranged!

5 Comments | Filed Under: family life, henry, hubs, instafriday, me, owen, the boys

hello, monday.

March 26, 2012

hello friends! thought i would link up with sweet lisa today and say hello to a few things this week. want to join me?

hello, neglected little blog :(

last week i was in some kind of funk. and while there were plenty of things to write about, i just didn’t want to. and so i didn’t. (sorry!)

but, it’s a new week, and i feel it will be a good one.

hello, shop updates!

it feels so good to start off the week with a full shop! what color do you have your eye on?

hello, new listing!

i’m excited to offer a new option to ready to ship. each week i will add a handful of made to order options. if the item you’ve been waiting on is sold out, this may be your chance to get it. some items will have a $2 premium to be added to the queue, and all items will have a 2 week processing time. but if you must have that accessory NOW, i’m happy to offer this option.

hello, hunger games obession.

i only started the first book last week and promised myself i would only read it at the gym. hence the 97 minutes on the treadmill!! loved the book, and hope i can sneak away to see the movie sometime soon. now i MUST get my hands on the next 2 books before i go MAD!

hello, spring colors!

i’m having fun experimenting with a few new colors that will hit the shop soon. i’ve been hesitant about the neon craze, but i might be partially convinced with these 4 hanging around my desk all week.

hello, morning runs.

after a month of chaos, i am desperate to not only get back into the routine of exercising daily, but also to renew my love of running. i am not quite there yet, but 5 miles along the coast yesterday was a really good start. p.s. hello, san diego. i love you.

hello, 7 years.

today i’m reliving the most perfect wedding day in my mind and wondering where the time has gone. 7 years ago, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into, but i am so blessed to be in the thick of it with this guy. our life looks so different now than it did that day, but what an amazing life together. i love him more now than i could have ever imagined 7 years ago.

i posted this 3 years ago, and i just can hardly believe that it is STILL true today:

still feel like the lucky one
still get giddy when i see you
still consider you my best friend
still know i’m a better person because of you
still look forward to many adventures
still love you like i loved you on that day (only more)
still can’t wait for eternity
still sleep better next to you
still wake up happy next to you
still think you are perfect for me in every way
still admire the kind of husband and father you are
still dare to dream with you
still know on march 26th i made the most important and best decision of my life.
still love you madly.

happy anniversary, loverly.

what are you saying hello to today?

8 Comments | Filed Under: color, hello monday, hubs, marriage, me, shop updates

J loves C tutorial!

February 23, 2012

Making a gift for the husband is always tricky. There is a fine line between sweetly sentimental and obnoxiously cheesy. And husband hates cheese. I had several ideas floating around for weeks, mostly stemming from this room I loved by Emily Henderson:

I decided to use maps to create something a bit more personal:

Here is what you will need:
1-Maps- I chose maps from places that represented me for the J, Clint for the C, and us as a family for the heart. You can find individual maps at bookstores.

2-wood or paper mâché letters. (I found mine at Michaels)

3-modpodge and a sponge brush

4-scissors an, x-acto knife and a cutting may

I promise this is so super simple!
Start by cutting out your maps with places that are significant to you. I used maps of Places we had lived, where we grew up, served missions, etc.

Next, use your sponge brush to apply modpodge to your letters to glue your map pieces to the letter.

Overlap the map pieces so that there is no wood showing underneath and you have a collage effect.
Next use the modpodge on top of the maps to join the seams and decoupage the whole thing.

Once you have your letter all covered in maps and have a coat of modpodge on the whole thing, let it dry and move on to your next letter.

When all your letter are dry flip them over and one at a time place them on a cutting mat map side down. Use your x-acto knife to cut off the excess map.

If you have 3 dimensional items like this heart, you will need to use smaller map pieces or carefully place them so that they don’t crinkle as you are applying the maps.

Once all of your letters are dry and excess is cut off, go back with another coat of modpodge making sure to seal the edges of the letters. You can apply as many coats as you want, just be sure to let them dry completely between coats.
And there you have it!

I love the symbolism of this project and that it subtly signifies where we both came from, who we were, and who we are now as a family. I also love that as we continue to add memories and significant places to our story, we can add pieces along the way.
Have fun creating!