Spring Cleaning.

Time to do my monthly phone picture spring cleaning!

Testing out the Grandparents new 3-D t.v.

We get this random rainbow at the top of the stairs around 4:00 every day.

We saw Lagwagon and NOFX in San Diego

Went to the batting cages and jacked up our hands

Went to a hockey game in Escondido

Went to Porterville and ate all the ice cream we wanted at anytime of the day.

Siblings.

Remember when I had one sister?

Funny how one day you just acquire a whole crap load of brothers and sisters

All of my siblings (minus 2) at the ice cream store in Porterville.

I can't wait till everyone starts having kids and family get -togethers turn into complete chaos.

The good kind of chaos of course.

P.S. If you don't already know, my in-laws own an ice cream store.

Jealous?

One of my favorite Disney memories...

Long Time Coming.

I'm about to get real personal here....You've been warned

Since I was about 11 I've been self-conscious about my weight. I've always said I was fat and spent far too much time comparing myself to my mom and sister. All through junior high and high school I would wear baggie sweatshirts and sweaters no matter how hot it was just so I could hide my arms and feel like the more fabric I wore, the less people would notice.

I can remember a specific time where a relative picked me up to shoot a basketball after he picked up my male cousin and he said, "Geez, you weigh more than Josh!"

I was mortified. I know that person didn't mean any harm but I will never forget how

horrible I felt about myself. I wasn't supposed to be heavier than a boy!

Girls are supposed to be delicate and tiny.

As I got older people didn't really make comments directly to me but wherever we went I heard stuff about how tiny my mom and sister were.

"She's definitely got her moms athletic body!" or "Can you believe it!? She can eat anything and she looks like that!"

I always made myself to feel like the outcast in the family. I seemed to take over pictures of the 3 of us and in my mind, ruin photographs.

After high school I stayed at the same weight, maybe going up or down a pound or two and continuing to hate my body.

I would have people tell me I was pretty and I would thank them and in my head wonder if they felt they had to say that because they just told my sister the same thing.

(Me at my heaviest about a month before I met The Boy)

I know, this is all very Debbie Downer of me but it's about to get better!

Today in the shower (told you I was gonna get personal) I realized that I was okay with myself. I realized that I am finally content with how I look and at times, dare I say it, I feel beautiful. Of course,

I can attribute this to the 7 months of feeling horribly ill for reasons still under investigation, resulting in the almost 20 lb weight loss, but I don't.

I deep down in my heart feel that I've matured and come to realize that I will never be a size 0.

Simply because my body is not made that way.

And the best part you ask? I found a man who loves me the way I am and is so supportive of me at any shape or size that I don't have to hate myself anymore.

When we first got engaged Tim wrote me a letter and in it he said, "I cant wait until you are pregnant, not to be creepy, but I think you'll look so cute pregnant!"

Unconditional love.

This is in no way saying that I wasn't loved unconditionally by my family and friends growing up.

It's just a different kind of love. He chose me. He picked me to spend the rest of his life with because he thinks that I'm beautiful inside and out.

That is a wonderful thing.

(Me on the happiest day of my life)

Makeover.

Yesterday my mom came over to measure my craft room and sketch out some of our ideas. Is it weird that we were most concerned with creating awesome storage for wrapping paper??

Thanks to Pinterest it was pretty easy because everything there is beautiful!

Side note: While hanging out with my mom and sister the other day, every sentence started out with, "Oooh on Pinterest..." so we decided that it should just be known where we saw it or got the idea.

Anyway.. I know that I want the walls to be Mint. The last couple months I've fallen in love with anything mint green. If I could have a mint green Mini Cooper I'd die of happiness!

Today I went to Home Depot to check out paint and the man working must have thought I was crazy grabbing every mint green sample they had.

Here is some of the inspiration I found on Pin...well, you know where.

And here is what my dad will be building:

I'm so excited! I can hardly wait to start filling every little drawer and cubby with crafty goodness!

"Nice to meet you! Here's my card!"

I can totally say this now!

My business cards arrived today and I love them!

If you want a stack to pass around let me know. :)

We've Got Buttons!

Thanks to the lovely Alexandra over at

I now have buttons for my blog and shop!

I just recently started following her blog and not only does she have great style and the cutest baby

girl named Indigo (swoon!!), she generously offered to create some buttons for me!

So go on and grab one for yourself!

And don't forget to check out Alexandras blog!

Rooted.

In the last year Tim and I have been interested in becoming more involved with our church

and becoming closer to God as a family. Mariners offers an in-depth "bible study" experience of sorts

that 100's of people are joining and being wonderfully transformed and finding their purpose.

We took this big leap and signed up for Rooted and will be attending the 11 week experience that has been described as intense and life changing.

Last night was our first meeting. We were put into a group of about 18 and we are all married couples.

The 2 leaders told us about what we will be doing and how we will all become so close and fall in love with the people in our group because we will all learn so much about each other and be vulnerable in front of one another.

I'm terrified.

Some of the things that we will be doing are:

-Serving the community

-3 hours of prayer where we have to pray out loud. (This is the most frightening part for me. I can't even pray aloud in front of Tim let alone 18 others).

-Sharing our testimony with non-believers. Also very scary for me. I don't have a testimony. I have never heard God and I don't know what my purpose is. I'm really hoping that by the end I will have the answers.

It all seems very intense, and will take a lot of dedication for the 11 weeks.

I'm nervous, anxious, and scared but I feel like if I can do this I can do anything and what better person to do it for than God?

Rooted Montage - Winter 2011 from mariners church on Vimeo.

Beyond Grateful!

I can't believe how great the response to Doe Eyed Dear has been lately.

I'm not going to lie, the first month I was nervous and starting to lose hope.

January has been too kind to me!

In the last 3 days I've received 3 custom orders for weddings and baby showers!

The extra income is nice to have a little cushion and to be able to build on the business, but

what really makes me happy is that people are interested in something that I've created.

Thanks to everyone for your support and encouragement.

P.S. I ordered business cards! I'll need my family and friends to leave them everywhere! :)

Go Go Juice

Not only am I afraid for this child's future,

but I'm afraid of the fact that I would totally hangout with her.

Side note: Where can I get that Go-Go Juice?!

Our New House Guest.

Remember our old Long Beach friend Steve?

You can read about him

Here and Here

Well, we have a new friend here in Lake Elsinore. Gert the bird.

She's a saucy gal who spends her days doing who knows what but always comes home

to settle in for the night above our front door.

She enjoys pooping all over our doorstep and scaring the living daylights out of our visitors.

Anytime you get close to the door whether you're coming or going she swoops down and flutters awkwardly in your face before hiding on the roof till youre gone. It's frightening!

My 2 favorite Gert moments so far are:

1. Devon and Mike came over one night and as they were walking up to the door

Gert swooped down and went straight for them. Devon screamed and ran and

Mike let out a fearful, "Oh SHIT" before trying to catch her.

2. Leah and Kathleen were leaving one night and before I could get the words, "Watch out for..", Gert tried to attack Kathleen's head. If you haven't met Kathleen then you don't know how entertaining something so simple could be.

I've grown to love her and learned to make lots of noise before exiting through

the front. Tim on the other hand hates her and is plotting a way to....let's just say

"Permanently Remove" her.

So this is a warning. If you come over to our house after 6:00 PM, watch out for my girl Gert.

New Year, New Blog

I decided it was time to spruce up the blog a bit.

I love it!

Finally added tabs at the top. Look at me all bloggy and stuff.

House Tour: Living Room

Of all the rooms in this big ol' house I decided to focus on the living room first because that's where

people congregate. After the wedding we purchased the furniture and started decorating. I pretty much love it so far. We need some curtains but I'm holding out for the perfect ones.

I've longed for a ceramic deer head for as long as I can remember!

I finally found one in our price range at Z Gallerie and I'm in love with it!

Some people think it's weird and that I'm crazy, but it's a good conversation piece.

Peeking into the kitchen from the living room.

This is where we pile our newspapers.

This is where I put things that need to go upstairs. If I went upstairs every time I needed to put something away I would have the calves of a goddess. But I don't.

(You people with stairs know what I mean)

The comfiest cuddle chair ever! Tim and I fit perfectly in it.

On Christmas my dad took down our ugly generic light fixture and put up our awesome $30 find.

A turquoise chandelier!? Love it!

Babies...I love em'

Last month my friend Wyatt asked me if I would take pictures of his daughter to surprise his wife

for Christmas. I was soooooo excited! I LOVE babies!

Let me tell you, Khloe is a delight!

She was so smiley and talkative and only fussed a couple times for like 2 seconds!

Wyatt and Emma, you are so blessed with that little girl!

The session came to an abrupt end when she tried to eat the door stopper.

An Ode to Mr. Lopez

Being married to Mr. Lopez is a wonderful thing.

He is loving, thoughtful, silly, and understanding, all qualities of the perfect husband.

Here are 5 things that make him super awesome:

1. He is supportive of anything I want to do and my biggest fan.

2. He tells me I'm beautiful everyday at least once. This morning I woke up to find this on Twitter:

"I wake up next to the most beautiful person ever! :)"

3. Whenever I'm feeling down or sick or bored he always says, "I think you need some ice cream!"

(I guess I should give his parents credit for that one)

4. He sings to me daily. Usually the songs don't make any sense but those are the best ones. A recent diddy went something like this, "My Cuddlebuuuggg, love her today, she's beautiful today, and tomorrow, I like her bangss...oh yeahhhh... Thank you."

5. He's so excited to be a dad someday. He always says stuff like, "Can you imagine a little baby cuddling with us?" or "Imagine holding a baby and it reaches up and touches your face with it's little hand." These thoughts make me melt into a big old puddle.

Love you Mr. Lopez <3

Long Over Do...

I've needed to clean my Office/Craft room since we moved in.

It's really embarrassing. I don't like showing people and sometimes I have no where to walk.

Theres unpacked plastic tubs with stuff I obviously don't need because I haven't looked in them

in at least 2 years. Ribbons, Flowers, Fabric, Paper, Beads, Buttons, Glue Sticks and markers are everywhere! It's not a pretty site. (Shut up Devon!) These were actually taken before the wedding so add 3 + more months onto it and you have a disaster zone!

For Christmas my parents gave me the gift of organization!

They bought me cute little canisters, A little cabinet and a multi functioning, rotating cube that has

all sorts of fun features. (A ribbon dispenser!? Yes Please!) They are also going to build me a workstation complete with cabinets and shelves!

Today was the day. I had to make a dent in it. I filled 3 large bags with trash and unwanted items and cleared a large enough space to spin in.

Side Note: Why is it that when a large space is cleared kids

have to spin in it or run in a circle? Like, "Hey, Mom moved the couch to clean the carpet, SPIN!" You did it too.

Anyway, I made progress and even started filling tiny things with even tinier things, which if you know me, you know that I love anything that's tiny.

Here's to a Tidy 2012!

ALSO, Check out Doe Eyed Dear Shop! Lot's of new things!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/DoeEyedDear?ref=si_shop