Home…be Inspired

Springtime in the Cottage on Easter Sunday

It's been a minute hasn't it? {2 years} That's what all the young people say, right? And I ain't young, just turned 58 last month. But my head says I'm 20 something, but my body says something else. Well, anyhow....I pretty much let this blog go since I post on my Home Instagram most of the time, over at elliemader but even over there I'm not very consistent with posting all things home decor and lifestyle. I have a Teacher Instagram {{the heart of a fourth grade teacher}} and that's pretty much were I spend my time posting, I guess all things teaching consumes me, probably in an unhealthy way at times. I think that's why I should spend more time with enjoying the beauty of my home and fixing that all up since that brings me so much joy, but there is only so much time in the day, am I right? I wish there was more. Maybe I'll notch out more time to post on here more consistently since that will give the balance I need. 

The why, when I was blogging before I was taking pictures on my camera and then uploading to my home computer and now I only take pictures on my phone and that is why if was easier to post on Instagram but I just realized I could easily add pictures, edit them on Snapseed APP then upload them from my phone and BOOM I could create a blog post!  I know...took me awhile to figure that one out. So here we are and I'm sharing my Easter tablescape with you all. Nothing really new, all stuff I already had except I did get some faux twisted candles at Christmas from Amazon.  I fell in love with Danielle's at Finding Silver Pennies, {hers are real} so I bought some I'm really happy with them with a click of a remote they all light up! All I had are pillar candlesticks, so I was on the hunt for some unique taper candlesticks holders, the brass ones were my husbands' grandmothers. I saw a beautiful pair over at Toni's Instagram that she thrifted, I'm still on the lookout for something similar, I absolutely fell in love with hers. I'm also so inspired by all her floral arrangements {which I tried to channel here with mine} she makes it looks so effortlessly with her florals. I got these from Trader Joes and I can't remember what they were called.  I added some Eucalyptus, white Rosehips, and a snipped a blue Hydrangea from my garden. I made my traditional Carrot Cake with chocolate nest and I added some milk chocolate golden eggs I got from Homegoods.  

                                                                Finding Silver Pennies Thanksgiving Table

                                                                                                    Toni Marianna

Now that my daughters are adults the Easter Baskets sure don't resemble the ones when they were little, do they? One thing though is Chocolate!  One of my daughters is Vegan so she can only eat the dark chocolate bars but they sure love their "sparkling wine". 

All color coordinated of course!  Most of the items came from Sprouts and a few from Trader Joe's. 

It feels good to be posting again.  I'm sure it won't be so much a drought next time. Happy springtime!   

Have you ever been BOOed?

No no, not that kind of booing where the audience boos you for a bad stage performance.  This is the good kind of BOOing were you give or get treats..that kind of  BOOing. I'll tell you how...right now.

Well it has been around for about 20 years according to this BEEN BOOed website  and there are so many versions of it, office BOOing, neighborhood BOOing and school BOOing.  The school I work at has been BOOing for the last several years now.  One teacher starts it and leaves a bag or a bucket of treats for a class at the school and maybe a little something for the teacher too {wine is always nice, Oh I didn't just say that} by the door. They put the "We've Been BOOed" sign out by their door and they in turn find another classroom who has not been BOOed by seeing if they have the sign out or not.  It's also very popular in neighborhoods across the country and I'll share a couple of versions with you if you want to start this fun Halloween tradition in your neighborhood.  This poem is probably one of the originals where I found at the above website which had quite a bit of info on the subject of BOOing. A ghost or phantom usually accompanies the Boo Bucket and that's where the whole "booing" thing came from. Here is the poem but their are lots of other versions floating around the internet.

                                                              Here to Download this version

You are supposed to put together a few treats in a container of your choice; a bucket, a seasonal decorated bag anything that will add to the spirit of Halloween and contain all your treats you've made or bought.  I've seen cones you can hang on  doorknobs, I've seen decorated boxes, anything that will hold some goodies will do.  There is also an adult beverage version, where you drop off a bottle of alcohol or wine, NOW that's right up my alley.  Then the sign says "We've been BOOZED"...Haha!!  World Market and Trader Joe's have so many Halloween themed labeled wines you'd have a great selection to choose from to do the "We've been BOOZEd version here. But out of all the printables out there this BOO printable for my neighbors was just perfect.  It had the cutest graphics of Frankie and the li'l red haired witch and I really liked all the detail that when into it, perfect for a family with small children.

 I have some "littles" who live across the street that I  have gotten to know quite well and they are also fellow teachers too.  I've written about them on my blog several times. Once when I gave them a "Welcome to the Neighborhood Gift" and several birthday parties that our family have been invited to. Recently, I shared the Country Living's Blue Truck Pumpkin I carved for them for their son's birthday in September on my Instagram.  It came out really cute and I love looking out my kitchen window seeing it on their porch as I do the dishes.  That's WIN WIN in my book!

Their children LOVE to read books and this little Apples and Pumpkins book by Anne Rockwell is one of my favorites to read to small children, I read it every year to the students at school.  I have quite the collection of Halloween books, my newest one is Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson.  Yes, I have a thing for Witches, some people Mackenzie who will remain nameless feel that my Witch obsession is becoming disturbing. Humph...I say to that!

Did I tell you how cute this  little "We've Been BOOed" Free Printable is?  Oh I did, I found it on Pinterest but go here if you want more of a selection to choose from.   Pinterest is loaded with great ideas, there are now "We've Been Elfed" and "We've Been Pinched" for St. Patrick's Day and a "We've Been Egged" for Easter.    Anyways...this FREE printable was perfect for my need especially since it matched the Frankie cookie I found at Homegoods. Next time I think I'd like to make some homemade sugar cookies for the BOO baskets instead of store bought.  I saw this cute Owl Sugar Cookie I've been wanting to bake and decorate.

Here is the breakdown of items I used to put together for the "We've Been BOOed" Jack O'Lantern Bucket.....

I had this Jack O'Lantern bucket already from the last time we got BOOed in our old neighborhood and it fit all of our chosen treats perfectly, so free is always good. 

The Apples and Pumpkins book I found at the my local bookstore, since they are 2 and 3 this cardboard version is very sturdy for little hands.

The sugar cookie Frankenstein and Jack O'Lanterns I got at Homegoods.  Like I said, I'll have to make my own sugar cookies next year or take on another BOO recipient in the "hood" in the next couple of weeks. Halloween is just two weeks away! But isn't Frankie cute?  Oh how I love his sweet face.  One year my eldest daughter was The Bride of Frankenstein, it was homemade costume and was one of my favorite costumes to date...I think she should do it again this year, her boyfriend is 6'5", he would make a great Frankenstein, it would make a great couple costume in my opinion but they never ask for my opinion.

The Glow in the Dark Saucer Flyer, the Vampire Gummies, and the Dia De Los Muertos measuring spoons { a li'l something for the cook in the house} I got at Cost Plus World Market.  They have a great selection of Halloween treats and décor, my go to store for all seasonal items. 

Don't you want to start this tradition in your neighborhood or school or even your office, it brings out the kid in all of us.  It can fit any budget or your creativity as you see fit.   Just make sure you ring the doorbell and leave your li'l surprise and run like a Bat out of Hell!!  Happy BOOing everyone!!  BWWWHAAAAA!!!!

 

I've Been Bloggging for 9 years but I used to Scrapbook

                                                                     {Sept. 2007}

 Apple pie, apple cider, applesauce...apple with caramel...to head on to Oak Glen, Calif. (The link is at the botoom,)...so be ready to put on your jean overalls and bring out your Cameras...ya'll. Lots of Pumpkins and Apple Orchards. These pictures are from a couple of years ago and man have my girls grown! Another place that is beautiful to pick apples is Julian, near San Diego. I loved that town. We went a few years ago and we had just gott there and MacKenzie peed her pants..I had no spare clothes, she was like 4 and fully pottied trained, so I didn't think to bring an extra pair and it was a chilly day, so we had to turn around and go home :( We were in the town approx 15 minutes so we didn't get to see much. I loved what I saw though and plan to go back. I could actually see myself living there in the country..I am such a country girl at heart even though I have been raised in the suburbs of Los Angeles. I loved living on Kaua'i..it was so country. People would ask, " do you get rock or island fever"...I never felt like that at all., it was so beautiful on Kaua'i.

This is an excerpt from one of my very first posts I ever did in 2007, can you believe it? I've been blogging for 9 years!  I've grown as a blogger but probably not as fast as I could or should have, I wish I was better at it and was able to attend some of the conferences that many of the "superstar bloggers" go to. I think you learn so much from the blogging world and would really improve my blogging game, I know there are keys things bloggers do to have a successful blog and make some or a lot of money at it. When I started Home be Inspired blog it was a way to journal about my life, I was really big into scrapbooking before I had children and when they were very young.  Somewhere along the line I stopped scrapbooking, I miss that a lot.  I was even published in some of the major publications at the time, as was my scrapbook room, Mr. Incredible built for me. It was huge and had air conditioning and cable television,  It overlooked the backyard with the jungle gym the girls played on, it even had a creative space for them to paint and play along side me. But that was in the first house we lived in when we moved back to California.  Some of my best work came out of that creative space.

Scrapbooking was such a creative outlet for me to do when the children were little and it gave me something else to do instead of tending to all my Mom and housewife duties 24/7.  Being creative was very therapeutic  as it still is to this very day.  I have to do something creative.

When I look back at this page, I can't believe I hand painted all the brads white to give them a shabby chic look, boy I was a bit nuts!

As you can see I loved patterns and it's been transferred from my scrapbook pages to my home décor.

That little metal box in the top page in the left bottom corner opens up to reveal an accordion book of mini pictures. Yes, I put a lot of details into my pages. I don't know how it happened but my scrapbooking time ended up being replaced with blogging about my family life, crafts and DIY projects for the home.  Shopping yard sales and thrift stores and repainting furniture to turn my house into a home.

I belonged to a scrapbook group and we called ourselves The Scrapanos and we would meet on the 3rd Saturday of the month and scrapbook ALL DAY and ALL NIGHT and sometimes go on excursions like French General or The Rose Bowl.  We always had such a fun filled time and I cherish those relationships that came from that time in my life.  Soon those Saturdays got replaced with Soccer or Volleyball games and slowly my scrapbooking ceased which is so sad but such is life as a Mom.  My Scrapanos group are split from living in San Diego, Orange, Riverside and Los Angeles counties so we don't all live close together,  it has not been easy to keep this creative group going.  I know we miss each other and we have been trying to carve out a girls weekend together., it quite hasn't panned out yet. Quite a few of us have used the scrapbook world to springboard to careers into something else, one of the girls has a photography company, one has taken calligraphy and started a company with her fantastic penmanship.  Some have gone back to teaching and I've continued to substitute and kept of this blog and work as an Ambassador to World Market. 

I know that I'll never be a Superblogger because My Home...be Inspired blog was never created to be a place where I make an income, it was a replacement for my lack of scrapbooking.  That creative outlet has moved to DIY projects in the Cottage on Cullen, gardening, renovations and the interior decorating that I enjoy to do.  Maybe as time opens up to me I'll come full circle and go back to finishing the Albums I've started and begin scrapbooking again, you never know stranger things have happened.

 

 

Bohemian Chic Dream Board

It's best to start with a vision board when redoing a space especially since I'm not the "client" but my daughter is.  I see things that my eye is naturally drawn too but she will have an idea what is inside her head and I try to guess what she wants to do or what she likes, what is her vision? So instead of guessing, I've been "pinning" images to the Bohemian Chic board and asking her if this image or look is what she has in mind.  She gives me the thumbs up or says, "no, I want it more simple" or "that's too cluttered of a look".  I believe I tend to be more cluttery, yes I think so.  I created this vision board on Pic Monkey so I can "see" as I listen to what that vision is or hopefully be transformed too.  That's what so great about Pinterest, I'm a very visual person so seeing something I like or don't like really helps.

So what are we going to do in this Adult {ish} Bedroom?  We will keep some key pieces, such as my childhood bed with it's chippy white paint as seen in the top picture.  The desk which she repainted white a couple of years ago. We may shop for a new chair or I think I have one in the garage that will work. The Button Chair came from my neighbor, it's from World Market and is so comfortable.  I love it's different patterned buttons and the linen material. We added a patterned pillow from Homegoods and a tandem bicycle pillow I shopped the house for, I got it from So Vintage Chic this past year, blues and corals are one of my favorite color combos and who doesn't love a tandem bike full of flowers? .We have had this log for a few winter seasons and I've always had in sitting in the fireplace grate just for looks.  I had Mr. Incredible cut it straight and flat and then I tapped it off and painted the bottom 1/3 white for a cute little side table.

That's what we have done so far, we did pick up  some bedding from World Market and a few more pillows from around the house.  Here are the links on a few of the items we plan on incorporating into the décor of her Boho Chic Bedroom.

1.} the crochet edged pillow case is from Pottery Barn to add some texture, Bohemian style has lots of textures and patterns and a very organic look

2.} globe terrariums with moss and air plants along with the copper geo terrarium

3.} I loved these succulent ceramic candles I saw at Anthropologie and they are sold out now and when I went into the store they a 2 left but the flowers were broken, :(  but with lots of faux and real succulents in her room it will be ok, I just thought they were adorable

4.} the beaded light from HERE I think would make a great statement but we may go with something a pierced tin  lantern, a more Indian look

5.} the micro lights with the mini clothespins and the Instagram photos for some ambiance and pizazz

6.} the log table was easy and free as well as the little jug the Billy Balls are in, I think they are so adorable, came from Trader Joe's

That jug the Billy Balls are in Mr. Incredible made in Ceramics class in high school.....and we have a few more vases and cups that might make an appearance in the her room.  The links are highlighted in blue to the items we got already or plan on getting. The colorful hand painted floor I'm in love with, I'm not at all artistic but I'm a good copycat, I wouldn't put it on the floor but a wood piece and hang it up as art.  I'd like to get some kind of macramé art or make up some dream catchers. 

Her dream bedroom  is coming along and it's kind of fun for me to do something out of my comfort zone....Boho Chic here we come!

Boho Chic Bedroom in the Making

  When we moved into the Cottage on Cullen my daughters choose the theme and paint color of their bedrooms, it's an individual choice and I believe they need to have a say so in what they would like to do in their own space. Six years ago Madison my then 12 year old, chose a very bright green paint color and wanted a Hawaiian themed bedroom, see here for full post. 

Since then she has changed it around a bit but the paint color was always a bright green.   She is staying home for college and got a "wild hair" and she wanted to do away with the paint color on her walls and refresh it to more of a young adult girls' bedroom style, Bohemian or Boho Chic,  I get that.  We went to the paint store, she picked out a more neutral sand color and when to work painting her room.  I'm so proud of her because she prepped and painted her very small space, all by herself with no help from Mr. Incredible or myself.

Well....there was one little helper...but she is more of the designer than the painter.  Checking to see if the bed is in the right spot and height so she can get a running jump to get on it, tee, hee.  My neighbor asked if I wanted this World Market Chair, I loved that chair when I saw it in the store with it's eclectic fabric covered buttons but I didn't have a place for it,  now it looks perfect in her corner and we jumped at the chance when she offered. We are still in the mist of refreshing her Boho Chic bedroom but hey it's a start. New bedding, new artwork and décor to come soon so I hope you check back soon for the full reveal. 

 

 

 

S'mores Galore at World Market

This past Saturday I hosted a S'mores Galore demonstration at my local World Market in Brea, California. I'm sure you know I'm a big fan of their products, if it's for my house or in a recipe,  I love World Market! You can't go in one room in my Cottage and not see a World Market product, that's why I wanted to be an Ambassador.  It was funny when Mr. Incredible and I were first married he said,  "I want to take you to this store", thinking I've never been to World Market...I'm like I'm a shopper of course I've been to World Market.  He was so cute thinking he was turning me on to something.  I bet he is sorry now.  Well, anyhow...back to this post. 

S'mores, S'mores, S'mores!!! Since we are smack dab in the middle of summer, what could be better than a S'more?  How about 3 of them and no campfire needed!  That's right, you don't need to fire up the pit.  It's S'mores Galore and World Market!

I created three different types of S'mores for the many different types of taste buds out there, all were yummy in their own way.  Pictures below.

                                  {pictures and recipes by Jennifer Robins of Predominantly Paleo}

I think they are enjoying them, some happy customers, I've heard through the grapevine this was the best S'more they ever had!  So if you want to whip up a little summer goodness for your friends or family this summer, here are the yum in your tum recipes.  Thanks Robin from Predominantly Paleo for your AWESOMENESS!

Kidsational S'more

Ingredients:

~2 Walker Animal Shortbreads

~2 teaspoons of marshmallow fluff

~Multi-colored sprinkles, as needed

~2 squares of Milka Dragees chocolate bar

Directions:

1.} Spread marshmallow fluff on one shortbread cookie.

2.} Shake sprinkles onto the marshmallow fluff

3.} Place chocolate on the sprinkles so the sprinkles push down into fluff

4.} Top with other shortbread cookie and your done!

 

You're Bacon Me Hungry S'more

Ingredients:

~1 chocolate-coated World Market Lacey

~1 tablespoon marshmallow fluff

~2 squares Vosges Mo's Bacon Chocolate Bar

~1 tablespoon Sahale Snacks Maple Pecans, or Valdosta Pecans or Honey Almonds

Directions:

1.} Spread the marshmallow fluff on one Lacey

2.}Place nuts on the fluff and top with chocolate

3.} Serve open faced or if your really CRAZY put on another Lacey

 

Sea Salt & Dulce de Luscious S'more

Ingredients:

~2 Reko Pizelles

~1 tablespoon of marshmallow fluff

~2 squares of Lindt Sea Salt Chocolate Bar

~1 teaspoon of Gaucho Dulce de Leche

Directions:

1.} Spread the marshmallow fluff on one Pizelle cookie, careful not to press too hard

2.} Place 1 chocolate square on fluff

3.} Top with Dulce de Leche

4.} Repeat step 1 and put Pizelle on top of Dulce de Leche.

This one has to be my favorite one!  I love anything with sea salt and dulce de leche, my daughters' favorite was the Kidsational S'more, she loved the shortbread cookie flavor and what kid or teenage doesn't love sprinkles.  All above ingredients can be found at World Market. 

******I'm a World Market Ambassador and all opinions are 100% my own and I have been compensated for this post by World Market. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Laguna.....it Just Feels So Good

 

This is such a beautiful beach to go to and it's my daughter MacKenzie's favorite beach...

As evidenced by the amount of selfie's she takes down there with her friends, ahhhh to be independent, have your own car and 16! Boy do I remember those days, smile.

Yep, I've been doing the selfie thing a bit more...better watch out Kim Kardashian, there is a new selfie queen in town.

The water is the most perfect temperature this time of the year and so refreshing, it feels great on you skin, the warm sand on your toes.  Relaxing.

Even a couple of seals were super close to shore,  it was so adorable seeing their little heads bopping up and down in the surf all day.

Then they were lounging on the rocks taking a break from swimming and looking for lunch.

Even the cottontails were looking for lunch, they were the cutest, most adorable bunnies with their fluffy white tails.

Yep, might of been a relative of Peter's in the restaurants' garden searching for some Kale.

This quite doesn't look like Mr. McGreogors garden, however these little rabbits have the best view, don't they?

This is the entrance where the non-animals enter The Montage Resort in Laguna Beach.  Look at THAT color of the shingles, I wonder how they get this shade of shingle?  It's like a mottled, blueish-gray, the most perfect shade and so unique, I would be over the moon to paint my little Cottage on Cullen this color.

This cottage white paint on the pergolas and all the trim matches the blueish-gray shingles perfectly, very soothing and so coastal chic.  This resort if very expensive but your allowed to go down on the beach in front of it and that's what we do, we truck the long step stairs to the little cove.

This is the back side of the restaurant called, the Studio. 

 

Here is the front of the Studio Restaurant, I love all the foliage along the paths, to the left lots of fragrant lavender, colorful bougainvillea, lots of palms, and so many different types of succulents! The succulents are all blooming with flowers this time of the year so it's very colorful.

This day they were getting an altar set up near the restaurant and it looked like a bright and colorful wedding and indeed it was because as I was leaving I got caught in the middle of the groom's group as he was riding up on a white horse to meet his bride and they were all dressed in their Indian finery. So gorgeous and I couldn't help but join in a little bit with the Bollywood Dancing as the danced along the pathway.  {I have a video on my Facebook page}

What a beautiful place to get married, huh?  Very lucky I must say, $$$$

Yes, it does feel really good...that's me swimming in the sea....with the Seals and feeling the cool water on my hot skin. 

The Montage in Laguna is a favorite of ours..for snorkeling, swimming in the sea or just sitting back and watching the sunset with friends. 

 

 

 

Their Daddy, My Mr. Incredible

 
This picture was taken in Alabama, where my husband's father lives, Their Papa.  I loved Alabama and took a TON and I mean a TON of pictures so I think my camera shy girl and hubby had enough of me. 

 

I had to get them when they were not looking.  Anywho...this trip was several years ago.   It was not very easy to find just pictures of Mr. Incredible and just the girls..{note to self, take more of them}.

I wanted to say a BIG Thank you to Mr. Incredible, who always puts US first!  He works harder than anyone I know to provide for his family.  Yes, he does! His need are last on the list, give him a cold beer after work and a tasty burrito and he is happy.  I love him and I know I drive him crazy and he drives me crazy too but he is the most loving, husband and father.  Happy Father's Day Daddy!!  Ok, I'm off to light up the BBQ put on the Carne Asada and put the Blue Moon on ice!

 

 

Soccer Mom to Flower Designer?

 

About a month ago it was my daughter's Soccer Banquet which she received several awards including League MVP, not an easy feat since there was so much talent in the league this year. She has been playing soccer since she was 5 years old and I can remember at one point after the half she was running in the wrong direction and almost scored for the other team.  She loves the game of soccer {she also has played Volleyball and Softball} but it's the game of soccer who has stolen her heart. She has been a starter since she was a Freshman and captain of both her High School and Club teams.  We are extremely proud of all her athletic accomplishments as well as her academic endeavors, she graduated from high school with a 4.1 G.P.A.

Here she is with all the graduating seniors at the banquet and her coach Brian.  She is moving on to play soccer in college but I'm not sure it will be the same for me as I am her numero uno fan....some people may see me as overly enthusiastic when I cheer her on, I'm quite passionate about the game.  I've rarely missed either her soccer nor her volleyball games in all the years she has been playing.  As she moves on, I'm at a crossroads per say,  my younger daughter has told me she has no desire to try out for volleyball again at either the High School or Club level. Insert sad face so, I'm kind of having a "what the heck am I going to do with myself" moment as of late. I'm very passionate about home décor and have spent the last several years working on household projects in the Cottage on Cullen and honing my style which is Coastal Farmhouse. 

Since the soccer banquet was going to be at the Country Club for the first time ever this year, I thought we better get some flower arrangements on the tables to decorate the place and I do have a passion for flowers too if you haven't noticed. I also put out some tealight candles which adds so much ambiance to a nighttime event. I posted my flower arrangements on instagram and a friend of mine said, "your quite gifted". I'm like, "thanks" and thought, Oh he is being kind to say such things but it got me to thinking about Flower design, am I gifted?.

I mean I had a color palette in mind and they came together quite nicely I thought.  The flowers do all the work, it's not hard they are already so beautiful.  Yellow, white, and green florals popped into country Ball jars looked beautiful on the banquet tables.

You can not go wrong with Trader Joe's flowers, they have so many varieties to choose from? As of late I've been driving by this old flower shop which is for sale or for rent, it so happens to be owned by a friend of mine and I keep thinking...or dreaming or I have my head of my ASS........

                                                         {this is not the Flower shop this image is from pinterest}

...would it not be kind of neat to open up a flower shop?  It would not be any ordinary flower shop because I like to plant in unusual things....like my husband's old work boots...or I like to find not your run-of-the-mill plants,  the ones that are unique.

 The shop would have a lot of old, crusty, moss-covered terracotta pots....

 
I'm sure fairy gardens planted in old enamel pans....or rusty old mop buckets...would be in the shop.

No doubt Hydrangeas would be a staple....in every color but especially in white and blue.

 I'd use lots of old watering cans to keep the flowers in or anything unconventional..

Peonies in the month of May for Mother's Day...

 

Red, white, and blue for the 4th of July...

Cute succulents in pumpkins for the fall...

 

or sweet herbs for your kitchen herb garden...

 

 
and Lavender all year round....I'd love to create unique stakes such as this one I made for my good friends birthday or the gather chalkboard message in the pumpkin above.  There are so many ideas, this are ALL that I have done in the last several years, most have been gifts for friends and hostesses.

I don't know....they say, "it all starts with a dream", and having support....do you think I can get Mr. Incredible behind me? 

 

 

 

 

Prom 2016

It's bittersweet knowing this is the last dance that my daughter will attend in high school.  The theme was The Lost City of Atlantis and the venue was at The Aquarium of the Pacific, among Sealife, how fun would that be? 

The dress she chose reminded me of a Mermaid, what do you think? It's a bit nude up top but covered in jewels.

It flared out with a train a bit but we had it cut and hemmed so she wouldn't trip over it.  Does it remind you of a mermaid?

I loved this tender moment with her boyfriend.

The exchange...

Beautiful and manicured hands...

Friends since Elementary School, 2nd grade to be exact.

Her partner in crime...BFF.

This park called Heritage Park in Cerritos, California has lots of memories I've taken my daughters here on many occasions.  As you can guess it is very New Englandish, the colonial structures...

and red covered bridges.

You know any structure with brick, wood planks and dormers...speaks to my heart, I'm happy that they decided to take pictures here at Heritage Park, I would of loved to tag along to the Aquarium too, but that might of been a bit much...ya think?

 

I can squeeze right in there and you want even notice me...

They had a great time at the Prom in the Lost City of Atlantis...