i have to include this bottom one b/c is that not the saddest face you've ever seen? 🙁

and also, is it just me or does harper look about 9 here? scary!!!

hope today is extra fun!

two things-

1. slowly but surely working my way through the blog your heart links. you guys are incredible. big time.if you still want to participate…please do! no time limit. 🙂

2. today is the last day to buy from my scentsy fundraiser benefiting wounded warrior project. thanks so much to all of you who bought something…if you haven't you can still contribute today!!!

xxo

***giveaway still open below!! ***

 

so here’s how this works. monthly i will post this challenge to you. it’s a pretty simple challenge. blog your heart. HONESTLY. it can be silly, funny, serious, short or long…whatever you want it to be. as long as it is authentic.

no judging on what is shared. 🙂 also you don’t have to blog, you can share in the comments.

 

last month i read every single entry (and commented) that was posted here. i will do the same every month. but you have to post a working link for me to do so. 🙂

 

please feel free to use the graphic above…but please link back to this post!

here’s my heart this month.

 

1. i have completely fallen off of the exercise bandwagon. completely. i have only worked out 3x since jimmy came home. i am FURIOUS with myself. i feel bad about myself, i’m not fitting in clothes i was fitting in, i feel sloppy. i keep telling myself “next week i’ll start again” and i never do. i’ve had enough. it is absolutely RIDICULOUS that i have reversed all of the hard work i did this summer.

 

2. i have horrible nails. i bite them and there is never polish on them. the last manicure i got was the day before my wedding.

 

3. i have this weird thing where i really don’t want to like what EVERYONE is nuts over at the moment. if there is a tv show, movie or book (twilight!!!) or gadget (cameo!) that everyone is tweeting/blogging/talking about, for some reason it makes me not want to get sucked into the hoopla. i know. ridiculous. but i’ve always been like that. lots of times i give in (iPad), lots of times i don’t (twilight,harry potter).

 

4.this is going to sound nuts to you guys, but i’m a better mother when J is gone. i am more patient. you see, when i KNOW someone is coming home at the end of the night i am less patient. i know i have reinforcements soon. 🙂 when he is gone, i know there is no help coming, no rest for the weary…and i am much better with the girls. i know, crazy huh?

 

5. i worry way too much (in my head) i am always thinking of things that could happen to the girls and it terrifies me. it’s enough to make me want to keep them wrapped in the safe bubble wrap confines of our home forever. but of course this is ridiculous. luckily, this is in my head and not projected or verbalized.

 

6. i need to work on my faith. i pray steadfastly, but i need to fit in quiet time. i need to join a small group. i need to grow.

 

7. i want my girls to love reading like i do. i want them to LONG for a good book…to escape into a story the way i do. harper is not reading (completely) yet. i’m fine with that. she can read plenty of words. i vowed i would never be that teacher turned mom who pushed my children. i just REALLY want her to learn to read so that she can fall in love with it. we just started charlotte’s web and she loves it.

 

8. a lot of times i read other blogs and feel inadequate. don’t get me wrong…i LOVE my life and feel very blessed. but i do not have a home straight out of a magazine, i don’t travel, i’m not always impeccably dressed. i don’t have it all together. the thing is, i realize they probably don’t either. and that makes me feel better. i will never be that girl. i’m not sure i would want to be that girl. but sometimes i think i want to!

 

okay, that’s it for today. that’s what’s on my heart.

what about you? spread the word, and link in the comments.

xxo

s

hey guys! it’s harper here with some fall fashion tips.

 

what’s a howell girl to wear when the temperatures drop a bit? why a trench coat of course!

 

mommy always says that audrey hepburn made the trench coat classic.then she starts talking about cat and the rain and a kiss (EW!)…and we have no idea what she’s talking about but we just listen to her anyway.

 

when you wear a trench coat, it’s imperative to make this pose and yell (FAAAASHION!!!!!)

harper’s coat is by secretly spoiled and sadie’s is several years ago from old navy.

 

a cute shirt dress and tights is always good for the fall too. i like this one because i can do alllll the buttons all by myself. and when i do them it makes sadie cry because she can’t do buttons yet and she’s jealous.

 

and it makes mommy look like she’s going to cry because it takes me about 30 minutes.

 

curled hair is always cute, i asked mommy to do mine for picture day. this meant we had to wake up 30 minutes earlier and for some weird reason mommy’s eyes were half closed the whole time. next time i’ll make her drink her coffee first.

 

it really helps (because it kind of HURTS to have your hair curled) to sing “FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASHION reeeeeeealy HURRRRRRRRRTS” while you are having your hair curled. this is what i did the entire time…in an  opera voice. it was pretty awesome.

dress by elephantito , tights by crewcuts

 

now i’m going to share sadie’s fashion tips. she can’t share them herself because a. she doesn’t want to and  b.she’s off jumping off of things, doing headstands,making messes,and scaring my parents half to death.

 

the boo boo on her face is from when she ran into a slide at full speed while running under the play structure at forsyth park. she likes the scar, she says it makes her look tough.

 

sadie likes to yell “BACK OFF” at me when i talk to her about fashion. i don’t know why she acts like she doesn’t care, i know for a FACT that she tried on three different outfits before mommy chose the one below.

 

she must like fashion because the first outfit she chose was a princess dress, a kate gosselin wig,and pajama pants!

 

anyway…sadie says the best ‘cessory is a tough face. she also favors the “who are you trying to get crazy with ese? don’t you know i’m LOCO???” face as displayed in the black and white photo below.

 

shirt&jeans-target

and just so you all know i KNOW she secretly loves fashion. she wore skinny jeans the other day and she kept smiling and saying she looked like boppy (that’s me!!!)and she didn’t want to take them off. i know her secret!!

 

well, that’s it!

 

have a great day everyone!! i’m off to dress my 2394823984 barbies in complicated clothes! i can’t do it myself but i ask my mommy every time and i know she loves it!

 

happy monday!

h

 

first- i want to share an interview i did with papercrafters corner. i LOVED this interview b/c the questions were very original, different and funny…in short it was a blast to do!

please stop by and leave a comment if you enjoy it, i know susan works hard on this site and would love to hear what you think!!

 

harper at 10 months:

by the way- i still LOVE this page.

 

lucy at 10 months:

 

think they look alike much? WOW!

sadie at 9 months:

still love this page too. i think my style hasn’t changed much and i’m 100 percent okay with that.

cate at 9 months:

we’ve decided that lucy is harper’s complete doppleganger. and sadie and cate are well…unlike anyone else. neither of them really look like anyone else in the family. and i love that. i can’t wait to see how cate looks at sadie’s age!

 

and this? is reason 293480238 i love scrapbooking. how cool to be able to look back like this!

happy sunday!

xxo

s

oh yes. that’s right. they are carbon copies of me.

that’s what’s wrong with them.and by wrong i mean just right of course.

on the plus side, all three of us can REALLY embarrass mr. “i don’t need a map because my brain is a map” super secret agent GPS.

i taught them everything i know. it’s a talent really.

carry on girls. carry on.