Fabo Holiday gifts ideas for your little girlies!!

How cute are these t-shirts from Bailee*n*Brooka*Buggs ?!!

This personalized Valentine (or anytime!) t-shirt would make a great gift for Christmas! hurry if you order now, you can get 10% off by using the coupon on her website!

Not in the mood for love quite yet? Check out this funky Rocker Chick T-shirt!!

Like the cobblers children have no shoes......

The photographers walls have no prints!

I do have four BIG black and whites in my foyer....one of each of my kids and then four other smaller photos on the adjoining walls, but that's it. I'm the worst at getting my own work printed! This week, I rearranged my living room so that it now has more useable wall space. We'll be having lots of family here in February for David's commissioning, so I thought it was time to jazz up the place!

When we moved into the fabulous old house, I did just the minimum to make it feel like home. I felt it was impractical to buy house specific things since we'll be moving so soon. This house has soooo much potential to be an incredibly charming, warm space, but I've put little effort into it. It's been all I can do to keep myself from painting the living room walls or buying rugs and window treatments to fit specific rooms.

I LOVE decorating, but for the past five years, it's just been silly to put so much effort into something that is so temporary. This is a big reason why I am looking forward to moving to Seattle and STAYING for at least three years! I'm going ot unleash my pent up creative energy all over whatever house we end up renting!

But, prints can go anywhere in any house right? SO, I decided it was time to surround myself with my favorite photos. We bought 12 frames months ago when they were on sale at Michaels, and I ordered photos to fill them all! I even ordered a really big 20x24 print of the picture that is now my blog header. I don't have a matt and frame for it yet, but I'm going to Michaels later today to see what it will run me.

I'm sooooo excited! The photos should be delivered today!!

I will take pictures of them on my walls when I get them all up!!

Nothing Gold Can Stay.....

Having a yard full of swirling leaves and almost naked trees, we had to drive all the way to Maryland to get some more of Fall!!

These were taken outside my mom's condo. Such glorious color! I was just in heaven photographically speaking!

Check out this HUGE leaf!!!

Michael earned big brownie points with Bren as he threw leaves up in the air to dance in the wind for her. He had as much fun as she did!

I was waiting for the perfect photo series to use one of my favorite poems:

Nothing Gold Can Stay

~Robert Frost

Nature's first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf's a flower;

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay.

If you grew up in the 80's, you can't help but think of The Outsiders when you hear that poem. It was one of my favorites growing up! Go ahead, admit it!! Which one did you have a crush on??

Me?

I had an embarrasingly huge collage of Ralph Macchio all over my walls in middle school!

Not so much The Outsiders Ralph Macchio though....it was the Karate Kid that did it for me!

Go ahead, post YOUR movie star crush in my comments!

Giving Thanks!!!

We went to Maryland this Thanksgiving to spend some time with my Mom and Paul.

Bren had a special request for breakfast......

Pancakes!

We spent three quiet days at Nana's doing things like playing jacks, watching football, sharing a book, playing cards and games, surfing the net, playing playstation and of course preparing and eating a fabulous feast complete with turkey and ham!

We also had a visit to santa, celebrated Zach's 16th birthday and played in the last of the Fall leaves. I'll blog about those later.

What I'm thankful for:

Being a military family and moving as often as we have in the past 7 years, it is so easy to feel isolated. Starting up new friendships and keeping old ones can really be challenge. It's so easy to put up walls and not reach out to others for friendship because it hurts to much to say goodbye. It is also easy to lose contact with old friends in the bustle of a busy life.

This month we have had the pleasure of composing a list of friends and family that we want to invite to David's commissioning in February. Actually sitting down and creating a list of people who have touched our lives over the past 15 years has really been a blessing. It has shown us that we have led a life full of love and laughter because of the people that God has brought into our lives. We've learned from some, taught some, cried and celebrated with others. While the season for our close friendships with some of these people have passed, the joy of having known them remains and for that I am so thankful!

If you are a friend of mine, new or old, near or far, I just want to give a big "Thank You" to you for what you bring to my life! I am who I am because of all of the people in my life who have given me a bit of their hearts. It is because of your friendship, your kindness, your belief in me, your unselfishness, compassion and prayers that I look at the world the way I do. I'm so thankful for you my friend. Whether I've ever met you in person or not, whether we've ever shared giggles over coffee or not, whether I've held your babies in my arms or not, whether we've ever sat and cried over a loss together or not, whether I talk to you every day or just a couple times a year,

I'm thankful for the part you play in my life!

Vintage Bird

Baby Go Retro has done it again! As soon as I saw this set, I knew that I had to use this vintage camera as a prop. It just kinda fits, don't ya think?

To see more amazing outfits created by Sheila of baby Go Retro, visit her fabulous website!

Fall Photo Session....

This family is full of fun and laughter and I really enjoyed photographing them!

"Little Miss N" is so lucky to be surrounded by so many people who adore her!

A Room with a View....

One of the best things about the leaves falling off the trees is that our view becomes more and more unobstructed.

Here is Zach's view from his bedroom window.

And here the view from Michael's bedroom.

These were taken through the window because it's way too cold to open them up, so forgive the fogginess.

I hope that we'll find a home with a view when we move to Washington!

Holiday mini-sessions!!

Book your session today!

We'll have holiday treats and hot chocolate to enjoy at each session!

3 Sleepers and a Princess in Purple Shoes!

Trick-or-Treating is over and sugar shock has definitely set in here at the Cleary house!

Zach, Michael and Madison decided to go for comfort this year and wore their jammies for trick-or-treating.

Zach went a step further and wore his super warm "hunting" hat complete with ear warmers. We are Southerners ya know, and with it dipping into the high 50's during the festivities of the evening, a kid's ears can't be too warm!

A group of candy hunting friends...some yet to be costumed.....

and then there was a Princess.....

With PURPLE shoes! (she insisted!)

She had a blast going from house to house with David and I. She gave each candy-giver a gift of her own by lighting up her fiber-optic Princess dress for them!

She'd press the button and stand there proudly turning ever so slightly side to side as her sparkling dress wowed the candy-givers.

She was greeted by what seemed to be an endless neighborhood of grandma's and grandpa's.

Now we've got enough candy between all of the kids for everyone in our house to have two pieces a day for a YEAR!!

Oy!