a family that paints together...

So in all my pinning frenzy on Pinterest this past weekend,

I am finding all sorts of absolutely beautiful pics that I just can't stop staring at.

I tweeted (look at me go!) that I would LOVE my hubby to paint this one for me.

Source: sunsurfer.tumblr.com via Sheri on Pinterest

He is very creative, very good at drawing and really, he is good at anything he tries.

For SURE one of those jack of all trades guys AND master of everything.

If he doesn't know how to do something he gets a book from the library and figures it out.

Or he goes on youtube and learns.

Our girls wanted balloon animals at their birthday party one year, so hubby went on youtube and learned how to make a bunch of different animals and flowers. It was SO COOL!

He's amazing that way.

And he knows this stuff within minutes.

So a while back, I asked him to paint me something for our home.

He knows I love the scenic beauty of Tuscany as well as the French Countryside.

I love lavender fields so he painted me my very own.

He was of course, critical of it and didn't like the way the house turned out etc. etc.. But I don't care about that. I love it.

(He'll probably be mortified that I'm sharing this and he'll be reading this....hi honey!)

A few years ago, on New Year's Eve Day, I wanted to do a family art project. I thought it would be cool to get a giant canvas and each take turns painting abstractedly! *Is that a word??*

So hubby gave the canvas a blue wash and then Z started painting. She wanted to use her hands and chose red! Totally fits her personality!

Then J got in there with her brush and chose green.

M did yellow and had to have a lift from Daddy to reach the top of the canvas!

I am NO artist (understatement) so I clumsily added some purple.

Hubby finished it off with some accents of white and....

Ta daaaaa! Art.

And it's still hanging in our home, 4 years later.

So whatya say honey, will you paint me another?

Pretty pleaaaase?

*Have you ever crafted or done art as a family?*

**Thanks to one of my lovely followers, Loulou who replied to my tweet and gave me the idea for this post!**

the glory of tri-ing

"Some people dream of success while others wake up and achieve it."

I am so

*inspired*

I have always loved watching triathlons. Either on tv, like the Hawaii Ironman, or during the Olympics. I am fascinated by these athletes and by this race. I cannot imagine the training that goes into preparing for one.

And then to go out and swim, bike and run.

1.5km swim, 40km bike ride, 10km run.

Without breaks!

No days in between!

Just minutes.

I always get emotional watching these races but yesterday was especially so.

My own fabulous sister did one.

She did it.

I am in awe and I am SO freakin' proud of her.

She has talked for years about completing a tri and now you have, sister.

Bask in the glow of your unbelievable achievement.

You deserve it.

Fill in the Blank Friday

{photo by Caroline of Coeur de La Photography}

I can't believe it's Friday already!

We have an exciting weekend planned.

Well, tomorrow not so much but Sunday we will be going to watch my sister do her first olympic distance triathlon!

I am so excited for her, she has been training like crazy for months and months and I am so proud of her!

Go, sister!!

Yesterday I told you that I joined Pinterest and I absolutely love it.

A bunch of you told me I should also try twitter.

So, drumroll please....I'm on *twitter*!

I still don't really understand what I'm doing but we'll see how it goes.

So if you'd like to follow me I am

tuylgirl

Please let me know your twitter name and I'll follow you too!!

Or I'll stalk your blogs and find out. : )

I LOVE this feature on Fridays called Fill in the Blank Friday

on one of my fave blogs...a day in the life...

she links up with the little things we do

I thought it looked like so much fun so here goes!

1. My go to outfit for a dress-up occasion like a wedding is a cocktail-length, colourful dress.

2. This week has been fun! Started off with camping and ended with relaxing time at home.

3. When it's dinnertime and I'm feeling lazy I'll usually eat breakfast for supper. Scrambled eggs and toast.

4. My favorite pair of shoes is probably my casual black wedges, I love to wear them with almost anything! I don't have any fancy brand name shoes.

5. A random item that I own that is completely unnecessary, but that I could never part with is my laptop (although I think it's a necessity!). I love that thing.

6. My favorite person is my 3 kids (I know that's 3 people but I love them all the same!)

7. If I were going to write my own blank it would say : If you could trade places with one person for a day, who would it be?

That was fun!! Wishing you a wonderful weekend, sweet peas!

♥

addicted

Source: toostinkincute.blogspot.com via Sheri on Pinterest

i did it, i joined Pinterest.

why didn't anyone tell me i'd be so addicted?

i cannot tear my eyes away from the screen!

ok, i did read on a couple of my fave blogs how addictive it is.

i have a gazillion (approximately) photos saved on my computer,

so this is a nice way to put them all together in one place.

ohhhh the inspiration!

Source: weheartit.com via Sheri on Pinterest

Source: sarahjanestudios.com via Sheri on Pinterest

Source: None via Sheri on Pinterest

join me?

You can follow me on pinterest right HERE!

are you on pinterest?

i wanna follow you too. ♥

my sister-in-law is trying to get me to join twitter.

one thing at a time, i'm so behind the blogging times!

where the wild things are

hey ya'll, i've been mia for a couple days, we were camping in the mountains.

it was wonderful, relaxing, beautiful, warm.

i must admit though, i am not used to camping in the mountains, even though i've lived an hour from them all my life.

i always try to pick campgrounds that AREN'T in the mountains

because i'm just slightly (a lot) afraid of

bears.

plus, it gets waaaaay cold at night.

we went a month ago and i froze.

this time i was prepared with lots of layers and warm hats.

and hubby brought a heater.

thanks honey.

now if i can just get used to living amongst the bears.

but isn't the view worth it?

style crush - mila kunis

happy monday, sweet peas!

how was everyone's weekend?

filled with sunshine?

enjoy some outdoor time?

i had an AWESOME date day/night with my hubby this weekend.

we shopped, we sat outside on the patio at one of our fave restaurants and

had drinks and appies.

we went cruising (ok running a few errands) in my hubby's mustang

and then we saw a late movie.

it was such a great day.

oh, we saw crazy, stupid, love.

really good!

*hubs and me getting a milkshake at the drive-thru, he's ordering*

so here's something about me -

i'm a celebrity nut.

i love to watch entertainment tonight and access hollywood and browse people.com.

i especially love to see what people are wearing.

right now i am style crushing on miss IT girl,

mila kunis

she can do no wrong fashion-wise in my humble opinion,

she is gorgeous but she also looks classy.

i just LOVE her style!

check out some of my faves

the oscar red carpet wearing Elie Saab

in oscar de la renta

in monique lhuillier

in matthew williamson

*gorgeous* in vera wang at the golden globes

i love this one! another elie saab gown

loving her hair in this pic

every time i see her i think i have found my favourite outfit or dress on her.

that is until i see the next red carpet or event she attends.

its hard to pick a favourite.

but i do think this one is it.

at the SAG awards wearing Alexander McQueen.

*love love love*

do you have a style crush?

sheri had a little lamb...

...or two.

do you like my new slippers? I think they are completely adorable and i may never

take them off. they are so cute and comfy!

it's friday, do you have plans for the weekend?

it's a long weekend here and i am off to my parents house tonight for my

sister's birthday dinner.

hoping it'll be a sunny weekend so we can barbecue lots this weekend and go for bike rides.

hubs and I like to sit in the yard in the evenings if it's warm enough

and have a glass of wine.

looking so forward to it.

happy weekend my sweet peas! ♥

the tanning incident

so I *may* have overdone it with the tanning cream last night.

I was trying a new one out and it goes on and instantly gives you a bronzy color

which is nice because you can see where you are applying it.

sorta.

i thought i had blended it in but you know those areas that are tougher like your hands, wrists,

ankles, knees?

most of those areas i managed to blend in nicely.

but I must have forgot about my hands.

yeeesh

it ain't pretty, gals.

but it will fade right? it looks so nasty!

my feet turned out ok, although I have them hidden in these shoes

i do like the brand, it doesn't smell as bad as some i have tried.

it's a bit on the perfumy side and i felt sticky for a while until it completely dried.

I apply mine before bed and sleep overnight with it on.

then shower in the morning.

so I don't like those awful stinky ones when i have to sleep with it on.

i'll definitely use it again but next time i'll be sure to blend a bit better!

*i really am bad at blending*

not sure how well you can see it but trust me, it's bad. on both sides of both hands!

*top: F21, necklace and headband: claires, , shoes: payless, watch: fossil, nail polishes: love and beauty in magenta, revlon in kiss me coral*

better luck next time!

*do you use self-tanner? have you found a brand you love?*

angel in the locker room

so yesterday my faith in people

was a little shaken when I took my kids to swim lessons.

two of my girls are great in the water and doing well in their lessons.

one of my girls, j, is very timid in the water

that is her personality, actually.

she is a quieter girl,

content to play alone a lot of the time with her webkinz, dinosaurs and space toys.

but she has lots of friends and loves to giggle with them and her sisters.

she just has an aversion to athletics, poor girl, just like her mom.

sorry, j, for passing that lovely genetic tidbit onto you.

but she tries.

and that's all I can ask for.

I eventually learned to swim and liked it and so will she.

so imagine my utter shock and lump in the throat-inducing dispiritedness

when I hear a big, loud-mouthed dad spewing,

'look at that girl in the life vest, all she does is sit there on the side and shiver. She does absolutely nothing!'

that 'girl in the life vest' was MY kid. I was mortified. I didn't even know what to do.

i wanted to say something so badly.

but that's not me.

i wish i had.

but if I had opened my mouth, hot-burning tears would have bursted from my eyes

and probably nothing would have come out of my mouth.

i was so ANGRY.

and upset.

what kind of parent says something like that?

i went to get j when her lesson was over and she was upset

because she got scared near the end when her instructor asked her to try a front float.

i was upset about the comment but trying to put on a happy face for her

telling her she was so brave today for trying something new.

kids don't learn things at the same pace.

i know she'll get it eventually.

she's only 7 for goodness sake.

but i'll tell you what this 7 year old kid CAN do,

she can tell you the name of every dinosaur known to man,

she can name all of the planets, in order from the sun outward

before you can even start thinking about which comes first.

she can tell you the name of each and every one of her 15 webkinz

she can identify a nickelback song within the first 2 notes of a song

(yes nickelback...)

she knows what a jabberwocky and a jedi knight is

and she is the sweetest, most gentle kid I know.

i was telling j how proud of her i was

when a mom standing next to us in the locker room,

who knew nothing of the loud-mouthed comment

came over and said to j,

'do you know how brave you are, sweetheart? you are getting better and better each time. you really are, ok?'

thank you, thank you, lady in the locker room,

for restoring my faith.

there is more good than bad in the world.