A Beautiful Mess App

One of the best camera's in my collection is, yes - my phone.  I love my Nikon and it is definitely the nicest​ camera in my collection.  And Photoshop is a great tool as well, but everything pales in comparison to how easy, fast and accessible the camera phone is.  

Which brings me to my newest, most favorite app.  A Beautiful Mess - a wonderful blog by two sisters have created a great iPhone camera app.  It comes equipped with frames, filters, doodles and more.  They also have some add on effects for a price.  I've just been using the stock effects and LOVE it! ​

​Here are some examples of what I've been doing with the app.  And yes - Soren has started violin lessons...because​ he wants to!

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You can share to instagram straight from the app as well.  It also saves the final draft to your photo library.  It's really quick and snappy - quicker than some of my other apps.  At a whopping $0.99 - it's a must buy, don't ya think?​

Laughter

Really is the best medicine.​

I keep this sound bite around to remind me how awesome my life (or life in general) really is.  This is a clip of Soren's laughter.  The dudes had just picked me up from recording the CSO on a Saturday night.  Soren - at 10:30pm - tolerant, content and joyful.  I am so, so lucky.​

This is a deeply personal bite to share, but I know what his laugh does for me and I think we could all use a joy-filled reminder every now and then.

Weekender

Today was my first day back to work after two, YES, mark it down in the books - TWO consecutive days ​off.  Now to most 9-5'ers, 5 day a week peeps - this excitement overload may seem strange to you - but WOO-HOO! not to me.  It was AWESOME.

Not only that - but it was a glorious ​Mother's day weekend - the first one I have been able to spend with my ​Momma.  

However, the title weekender is not just because it is the end of my version of a weekend - but because I am also lusting after this bag by Everlane (eh-hem, Rick, my bday is coming up....).​

Back to the weekend.  Meine Mutti drove the hefty 12 hour round trip to not just come in town, but be our live-in sitter.  She and Soren were instant buds.  They had so much fun listening to May Festival dress rehearsal:​

Followed by dinosaur introductions:

​The next day we went to breakfast in the rain, snagged some swanky boots and an umbrella.  Grandma snagged some adorable photos of the wee one in the rain (while Rick and I were at work).  The next day, after Grandma babysat, we snagged some food from GreenDog Cafe and then showed Grandma the forest:

The next day we brewed from the Chemex (my really ​awesome Mother's day present - thanks guys!!), brunched at Dusmesh - roughed it up at Linwood Park (Lunken Playground) and Grandma snuggled with Soren - put him down for a nap and gave him one last smooch before taking off.  It was brief, but wonderful.  Wonderful indeed.

Thanks Mom, for the visit and devoting such a huge chunk of it to babysitting.  We really needed the help and it was wonderful to get a piece of family for the weekend.  Your 12 hours are so, SO appreciated.​

​Love you, xoxoxo

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18/52

'A portrait a week of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013'​​​​​​

Green Popsicles are a must ​in this household, especially when the weather changes.  This is a great way to be sure your little one is getting enough iron and are super tasty. I got the recipe from Weelicious, Enjoy!

1 cup packed Kale leaves (or spinach, or collard greens...)​

1 1/2 cups chopped pinapple

1 small banana

1 cup coconut water

1.  Combine all ingredients into a food processor or blender (our blender does a much better job breaking down the kale)​

2.  Pour into popsicle molds and let freeze for at least 6 hours.  Popsicles keep for about 4 months - Soren goes through them daily!​

3.  Unmold and serve!

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