#makesmesmile (5)

Time again for another Friday Instagram photo dump of the lil’ things that put a smile on my face this week.  Obviously, I am a little late writing this post because some bigger life events occupied my time.

Buying baby gifts for a friend’s handsome lil’ guy #makesmesmile

Grilled cheese on rye with avocado…grilled on The Green Egg #makesmesmile

Flowers that survived the snow #makesmesmile

Making my house feel a little more like home by adding Instagram photos to the wall #makesmesmile

Watching it snow #makesmesmile

Hosting my first dinner party in my new home #makesmesmile

I hope you all had a great weekend.  What is something little that made you smile?

lil’ changes

Snowing here today, so just enjoying a little time indoors in front of my computer.  Since I am inside today, I decided to take a few photos to share some lil’ changes that have been happenin’ in our lil’ home.

The first change is related to this post titled Before and After.  I mentioned that I would be changing out the two desks for a larger table that could double as a desk to help balance the scale.  It has telescoping legs so we can do “sit down and dine” style or “buffet” style.

Before with two small desks

After with the larger desk/table

What do you think?  I cannot wait to score some modern multi colored chairs to have on hand when we have friends over for dinner.  And, I scored that lamp for $14 on one of Target’s Clearance racks.

The second change is some little updates N has made to our art wall.  He is forever creating.  That is the beauty of this art display; it is “easy peasy” to change out pieces of art.  The Wall of Art was introduced in this post.

The third lil’ change involves the area above our coat rack we made out of water valves that you can check out here.  I simply took the Instagram photos I had printed through Mpix and glued them onto white foam board and played around a little with the arrangement.

Kid's coat rack

Before

After

And finally, I scored a spring wreath for my front “Hello Door.”

I love this vinyl decal so much that I ordered some numbers for a different project that I am sure I will share with you.  I love making simple changes around the home.  Sometimes, it is the little things.

Have you made some simple changes lately in your house that make it seem more like your home and that make you smile?  Please share.

Hope these lil’ guys survive this round of snow that we are getting here today.  Patiently waiting for spring.

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Stairs/Steps

After walking N and his friend’s to school this morning in the snow, I decided to warm up and share my cup of coffee with my WordPress Reader.  Several entries down, I discovered a photo challenge that seems like fun over on Cee’s Photography.  The feature this week is stairs or steps. While perusing my archive of memories, I found a few photos to share.

Stairs can lead us to some thing unknown and amazing like the blue stairs in the observatory that, at the top, rewarded us with beautiful mountains as far as the eye could see.  N especially loved the rock stairs on our hike on the Alum Cave Trail in the Smoky Mountains.  And wouldn’t you LoVe to have the “artistic” stairs some where in your home, preferably with a slide right next to them.  FUN!!

IphoneOgraphy Challenge: B&W

I enjoy photography.  I enjoy taking photos and admiring and being inspired by other photographers’ work.  I enjoy flexing my creative muscle.  When I discovered the IphoneOgraphy Challenge on Lens and Pens by Sally, I decided to give it a try.  This week’s theme is black and white, so…

You are a REFLECTION OF the company you keep,

Using my iphone 5, I took the photo with the Afterlight App.  Within this app, I changed the photo to B&W using the Ceal filter and added a border.  I then used the Snapseed App to add drama and to change the center focus.

Do you often use your iphone to take photos?  What are your favorite iphone photography apps?  Please share.

Weekly Photo Challenge: change

Sometimes a ChAnGe is not a Change at all,

but some thing that has been there all along

UNnoticed.

IMG_0902 IMG_0904I am a first timer of the photo challenge over on The Daily Post.  It was great fun, so I can definitely see myself checking out another photo challenge next week.  Grab your camera, your creativity, your computer and join the challenge.  Sometimes, it is the little things…

#makesmesmile (4)

Hello BeAuTiFuL day!  Time again for another Friday Instagram photo dump of the lil’ things that put a smile on my face this week.  If you ever want to participate, feel free to post a photo of something little that made you smile this week and leave your link in the comments section.

A hand painted bday card from a neighbor #makesmesmile

A hand painted bday card from a neighbor #makesmesmile

My new BiRdHoUsE #makesmesmile

Chai Tea Latte and the West Elm catalog #makesmesmile

Polish cookies made and delivered by a new friend #makesmesmile

Watching N trying to figure out a toy I played with as a kid #makesmesmile

I hope you have many things over the weekend that just make you smile.  Get out your camera and document the every day things that bring you joy.  Sometimes, it is the little things…

Daring Spring

Under the snow blossoms a daring spring. ~Terri Guillemets

I took this photo last spring at my parents’ home in SC.  Do you have signs of the promise of spring in your yard?

AdVeNtUrE Time last year (#2)

Adventures with my family make me happy.  Memories of these adventures make me smile.  So, I decided to start a new series each month called “AdVeNtUrE Time last year…”  I will load this post with pictures/memories of my family’s adventure this time last year.  Hope you enjoy this second post in this series.

In April 2012, my family and I went camping in the Pisgah National Forest in the Appalachian Mountains in the western part of NC.  We enjoyed some hiking, fly fishing, bouldering, and just playing in the river.

Hiking our first trail

Hiking our first trail

Hiking the yellow blazed trail

A huge rock face that we encountered on our hike

It was Peregrine Falcon mating season, so access was restricted in some parts.

One lonely flower

N bouldering. We hiked two different trails looking for a bouldering field.

Enjoying some fly fishing on our 2nd day

_MG_2607 IMG_2678 IMG_2682

Can’t wait to share another “AdVeNtUre Time last year” post.  To reminisce just makes me smile.  Sometimes, it is the little things.