one of Lo's favorites... /  by jen geigley


when she hears this song come on, she gets a huge smile on her face. and she waves at the girl. i like it too. i end up whistling it around the house all day. because i can't quite get a handle on all of the words yet.

[give it a few more reps.]

get out the Sharpie... /  by jen geigley


New challenge is up today at The Creative Type. I liked this one a lot – get out your pen or some stamps and write on your photos. See what the rest of the girlies did here... good stuff.

I like this quote... it makes me think of all of the people who leave their mark on you as you grow into the adult you eventually become. Of course I'm totally still getting there.

I smile when I think of my first piano teacher, an elderly neighbor lady (who I'd visit almost daily when I was a kid) who was an amazingly talented painter, my favorite teachers in school, my not-so favorite teachers in school. The girls in my class ... the nice ones and the not-so-nice ones. The boys who broke my heart and my high school art teacher who told me I should major in graphic design when I went to college. The hurt, angst, smiles, cries and friends who have held your hand through it all. The changing and growing and learning and failing and falling. Who was there, and who helped you get here?

PS ... you absolutely must see the stellar photography posts at Work Your Soul. Kim has put together some jaw dropping stuff and you might be inspired to try something new with your photo taking. Go look now... here, here and here! Amazing job, friend.

the re-cap /  by jen geigley


Hoping everyone had a fun Easter weekend! We stayed busy making cookies and treats to share.

I bought some new Easter cookie cutters this year.

Which started out looking so cute...

...but then end up looking like this. Does Wilton have a test kitchen, and did this happen to them? Is it the dough, the pan ... me? Probably.

Lotus had a blast with the sprinkles.

And she made some artwork to give to our family members.

I was brave enough this year to let her have a go at the eggs.


And she did a great job.

We spent the weekend visiting family and had a fun drive up north to goof around with my parents, uncle Chris and Lisa.

This was one of my fave toys when I was little ... the Sesame Street clubhouse. I love seeing the old toys and books my parents break out of the closet when we visit.

And over the course of the weekend, Lo participated in several egg hunts.

She is now an egg hunt professional.




And our house is completely filled with chocolate eggs and rabbits. If you need a chocolate fix, come on over and help us out. Please.

today... /  by jen geigley


Lotus and I visited the Easter bunny. At the mall. Isn't it weird that you visit Santa and the Easter bunny at a mall? I think it's absurd. I hope she never asks me to explain why they're at the mall. Anyway, there were the expected tears, but it wasn't all bad because when it was over, Lo kept talking about how she sat with the Bunny and seemed quite proud. And I think every time I look at this picture in the future, I will have to laugh about the flip flops that she's wearing. We had a huge struggle getting her dressed and it was too chilly for flip flops, but they were the only way we were getting out of the house. I can't believe we're already at such a high level of wardrobe negotiation. But we're there. We're so there.

Bo scored a sweet used drum set yesterday and Lo wasted no time breaking it in.

She was quite good right away. And we're okay with the loud banging, I promise. Bo and I play guitar so we're pushing her towards percussion for our own selfish reasons. ('You'll play in the family band and you'll like it!')

We had a little arts and crafts fun together and painted some pink bunnies to give to the grandparents this weekend. (These squeeze paints rule.) Lo painted a nice bright blue streak in her hair and I was tempted to not wash it out right away to see what would happen. But I caved. And it washed out.

And we are the proud parents of a big girl who sleeps in her big girl bed. Every night. I think she's been out of the crib for almost a week now. You may remember our first attempt a couple of months ago but this one went much better. And she's just as proud as we are. Though we're still getting used to hearing her wake up (sometimes really early) and pitter patter around the house for a little bit before coming to find us or climbing back into her bed.

I'm getting some things ready for Craft Saturday in a couple of weeks. I'm bringing the usual kids' birthday t-shirts, along with some new knitted things. Like the black cotton spring scarf above. Which I kind of want to keep for myself. Craft Saturday always sneaks up on me so I'm trying to get things finished up. No matter what, it's always so much fun and a great chance to hang out all day (and drink Java Joes coffee) with Erin. Can't complain!

what would you do... /  by jen geigley


It's Friday and a new Dare is up. What would you do if you won the lottery? At first this topic had me thinking about LOST (which happens any time I hear about airplanes or time travel or ... the lottery.) Anyway, I knew what my top three things would be and then I asked Bo what his were and surprisingly (or not) they were the same. We'd build the modern/pre-fab/green house of our dreams. Maybe in California. And travel all around the world. And help kids. In some way. And having these ideas is all just fine, I know, but the trick is finding little things you can do to help someone in the meantime. You know, until you win the lotto.

So I know you've heard about the 'one for one' concept of TOMS shoes. (If you haven't, check the video above.)

But here's something new ... TOMS and Element skateboards have collaborated to help kids in South Africa in a new way that goes beyond shoes. You can check it out here. So why all the 'do-gooder' stuff today? Because it's incredibly easy to get caught up in life, things and yourself. I do it every day. And maybe you don't have money to spend and you've got bills to pay. But maybe you can still find some way to help someone else, to give your time, teach a skill, or donate something that you have. Or buy a pair of shoes so that someone else can have a pair, too. (PS ... to get free shipping @ TOMS + 15% off, use this coupon code at checkout – TOMSShoes09)

shout it out loud /  by jen geigley


This is my baby girl.

In Gene Simmons' KISS makeup.

Bo took Lotus out to family night at the mall, where there was face painting. I was home knitting.

And she came home looking like this. My first honest reaction: horror. But seconds later I embraced the coolness. And laughed really hard. Who else paints their two year old daughter's face in KISS makeup? I heard that she terrorized the mall play area and got a lot of compliments. My family kicks A.

one year in one book /  by jen geigley


When Lotus was born, I had several ideas about what her baby book should look like, what info it would contain, and how I would ever begin to choose which photos to include.

And it wasn't until this week that I finally tackled this project.

Every month for a year, I took a black and white photo of Lo with a calendar page (I used the 2nd day of each month, because her b-day was on the 2nd.) And I wrote a few notes each month to document the many changes, developments and funny stories that can be so quickly forgotten. (Seriously, as I was typing up my notes, I couldn't believe how much everything had changed since she was a newborn and am so thankful I wrote down the little stuff.)

So here's the whole thing...










I kept it sort of simple because the photos and the notes are the best part. I think if CZ saw this, she would be proud of me. This project is up for the challenge at The Creative Type this week. Be sure to check out the rest later today and play along. Sometimes, challenges like this get you motivated to make something you have been wanting to do for a long time. And I say go for it!