FOUTCH COUTCH

Me-Chelle My Bell

2012-02-14T11:24:00.000-08:00

My dear friend Michelle is moving away. I am devastated. I will miss her dearly. She is going to be very happy where she is going so, that makes it a little okay. We had a surprise chocolate fondue party for her. She had no idea. I love that.

Michelle, I will always miss you! Thank goodness for the internet. It will help with my separation anxiety.

I love you. xoxo-

We are still here!

2012-02-05T17:32:00.000-08:00

We have been in our home for about a week now. Buying a home is quite the process but, so worth the time, paper work, and the wait. Some of our family came down to help us move and several of our ward members came too. I was glad I had been cleaning and packing for at least 6 weeks because when we got to our new place we had to clean and clean! Luckily our Realtor was nice enough to pay for the carpets to be cleaned. However, during the carpet cleaning process, their connection broke on their water hose and they ruined the hardwood in our entry. For four days now we have had a large air compressor running 24 hours a day, to dry the area. The sound drives me bonkers in the day but, at night it puts me right to sleep.

Other than that, we have been so grateful for the new larger spaces, the hardwood floors, fireplace, and the beautiful warm sunlight that pours through our windows all day long.

We have been painting our new craft room. It's been tough trying to keep Kamryn out. Here you can see a streak of white paint in her hiar.

Before and After pictures of the craft room are coming soon!

We have also been working on a huge opportunity for my photography business. I can't wait to share it with you!

And The Winner IS:

2012-01-27T14:02:00.000-08:00

Email your address to: cheriechicdesigns@gmail.com

Cheri Chic Giveaway: Chalkboard Calendar

2012-01-20T10:39:00.000-08:00

Meet my lovely friend Michelle (pictured below). She owns Cheri Chic and is doing a giveaway today on my blog!

{pic via}

She is giving away 1 Vinyl Chalkboard! Entries must be in by Friday, January 27th. One lucky winner will be chosen at 12pm on that Friday.

{pic via}

5 ways to enter:

1. Follow the Foutch Coutch.

2. Follow Cheri Chic.

3. Add Cheri Chic's etsy shop to your favorites.

4. Pin a picture from this post to pinterest.

5. Leave a comment on this post telling us how many ways you entered.

Be sure to visit Cheri Chic's Blog to see all her lovely products! She hand paints all her signs and uses reclaimed wood.

{pic via}

Serena's Focus Group

2011-12-29T12:38:00.000-08:00

A couple days before Christmas I had the opportunity to be apart of a focus group for Serena Thompson's new venture, My Favorite Find. It's exciting stuff so watch for more info!! We had a great day working together and chatting.

Thank you Serena! I was so happy to be apart of it!

Getting my camera setting right. Must have been funny!

Behind the scenes.

And a Polaroid for Serena.

Family Portraits 2011: Lori Lynn Photography

2011-12-29T11:31:00.000-08:00

HUGE thanks to Lori Lynn Photography for these beautiful portraits!

2011: Review

2011-12-17T16:46:00.000-08:00

See 2010: Review Here.

Making Cookies with Friends

2011-12-12T09:58:00.000-08:00

Baby Bob

2011-12-12T09:46:00.000-08:00

I took the Dear Lizzy Challenge

2011-11-11T11:30:00.000-08:00

Check out dear lizzy.

Can you find Brooklyn?

Vintage Finds and Handmade Treasures Market

2011-11-07T07:19:00.000-08:00

This last Saturday we all headed to Spokane for Lady Robin's Craft Fair at the Vintage finds and handmade treasures market. Bryan watched the girls all day so I could help out Robin and Grandma. We had a great time meeting so many wonder people, eating good food, and shopping at other vendors booths.

Here's a few snap shots from the show!

This is part of Robin's Booth. I had 30 minutes to put this together.

A cake made by Unexpected Necessities.

Fabulous Clothes Pins!

A sweet gift for each vendor from Vintage Finds.

These little stuff animals were made by grandma and went fast! Lady Robin made these pin cushions.

Love me a blue type writer.

Here's a list of some of the vendors that were at the show:

Lady Robin's Nest

Born in a Barn

Junky Cowgirl

Unexpected Necessities

A Country Hen

Gimme Some Sugar

Day 3: IQS

2011-11-02T17:54:00.001-07:00

Meals and Snack run down:

Breakfast:

Steel cut oats with unsweetened coconut shavings

1 egg

water

Snack:

Nuts

Water

Lunch:

Basil Pesto Tilapia

Veggies

Snack:

Popcorn

1/2 banana

water

Dinner:

Hungry Girl Tacos

Apple Slices

Water

Snack:

Green Smoothie

Day 2: IQS

2011-11-01T19:47:00.000-07:00

Had a craving for chocolate today. I chewed on this. yum.

All in all today was a good day. I had to travel to Spokane for allergy testing. Made sure I had good food with me. I bought apples, bananas, nuts, some deli meat, carrots, celery, peanut butter, pumpkin seeds, water, etc. Defiantly helped me stay full as I passed every fast food joint in town. I feel so good staying in control. Yay for day 2 down!

PS- I am allergic to:

Cats

Feathers

Dust

Mites

All Grasses

All Trees except Ash

All Weeds

and a mold called Aspergillis

I feel like I am allergic to the world! Can't believe I haven't done something about this sooner. So ready to start allergy drops and to eventually be free of all this!

Day 1: IQS

2011-10-31T21:06:00.000-07:00

"I Quit Sugar"> Today was my first day of a 8 week quitting sugar program I am trying out. I am a sugar addict. I don't even want to think about how much refined sugar I was eating on a daily basis.

The first week is taking out all refined sugar. Can you believe I did this on Halloween! Just shows how excited I am about it. I ready to start feeling good more of the time and not having so many sugar highs and lows. Here's what I ate today:

Breakfast:

1 serving of Malt o Meal

2 tsp local honey

1 piece of low sodium bacon

Water

Snack:

Mixed nuts

Coconut Water

Lunch:

6 inch Whole wheat turkey Sandwich

Handful of chips

Water

Snack:

Organic Peanut Butter (only ingredient, peanuts)

Celery

Dinner:

Half a Potato

Light Sour Cream

Ham

Broiled Broccoli > ps- I would eat that everyday

Water

As long as I kept a snack in me and water I was good all day. I didn't even need a nap! Which I usually take on a daily basis. I am hoping that I can keep with this and see how different I feel.

I worked out tonight after a day without sugar. I can honestly say I felt much better while exercising. I felt more in control and like I had more endurance.

I will check in from time to time on my blog. Wish me luck!

30 Lollipops - kamryn has developed a very sophisticated pallet

2011-10-30T19:05:00.000-07:00

The fine art of sucker tasting (in 7 steps):

1. Prep the lips with a few air kisses

2. Stretch the facial muscles in turn, left, then right

3. Warm up the “sour reflexors”
4. Mental preparation

5. Engage: ensure consistent sampling by applying generous contact to both left and right cheeks.

6. While keeping the mouth open, quickly remove and inhale deeply to mix in aromas
7. Reflect

(repeat as necessary)

-pictures by kate and narration by bryan-

Halloween Costumes 2011

2011-10-29T22:45:00.000-07:00

Nothing worse than a crying unicorn.

awww, that's better. There nothing more wonderful than a happy unicorn and her trusty side kicks, wonder woman, and princess Minnie Mouse. Don't you love the theme we went for this year? We call it Thrift Store Awesomeness.

Halloween Gift

2011-10-27T12:48:00.001-07:00

Last minute Halloween gift:

Mason Jars or Pickle Jars

Ribbon

Peanuts

Candy Corn

Halloween Tags

Halloween Tags can be purchased from Lady Robin @ rafoutch@gmail.com.

This Halloween treat will always remind me of my Grandmother Watts. We love and miss you!

A Day Trip

2011-10-27T10:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Kamryn, Brooklyn, and I went on a day trip to Spokane. I had an appointment with a sinus and allergy specialist. Found out I have some abnormalities with my sinuses. I also go back next week for allergy testing. Found out there is an alternative to the allergy shots. There is a new method called allergy drops. You can take them at home! I am excited to start feeling better. I was also diagnosed with atypical facial pain. Basically it means that I have a constant headache and pressure pain. I am exhausted all the time because of it. They are hoping that allergy therapy will help with the ATFP. I am excited to finally have some answers.

I was so nervous waiting for the doctor to come in. Mainly because I had youtubed videos on sinus surgery. Bad idea. When the nurse took my pulse he said, are you going to be okay? hahaha! Even after giving birth 3 times I am still a chicken when it comes to medical stuff.

After the visit and CT scan I headed to lunch with my mom and dad. Next we went to see my mother in law Robin, aka Lady Robin. She is making some beautiful things for two up coming craft shows.

The first show is called the Vintage Market. It's on Saturday November 5th from 9am-4pm. The address is 10102 W. Charles Rd., Nine Mile Falls, WA.

The second show is called Two Women Vintage Goods Country Christmas. It's on Saturday December 3rd, 10am-6pm. The address is 6106 S Palouse Hwy Spokane, WA.

Here is a sneak peek at Lady Robin's creations and pictures of where she creates.

I got some of these fun Halloween Bracelets.

Are these owl's not the cutest things you've EVER seen?? They are ornaments! They will be on sale at the craft shows!

On our way home we stopped at Aunt Lori's. The girls are always very excited to visit her.

Kids with DSLR's

2011-10-24T17:17:00.001-07:00

On a whim I decided to teach my girls how to use my DSLR> It was really humorous. I set all the manual settings for them and let them shoot away. Mind you that they had to sit on the couch with the camera strap around their neck while they were shooting.

Here's my two favorite images that Lauryn (age 6) took. After I taught her how to hold the camera, focus, and take a picture, I showed her how to capture sparkly eyes. She nailed it!

(these are straight out of the camera. gotta love manual)

Brooklyn (age 4) was so fun to watch with the camera. She kept giving me little ideas of how to pose. Here's my favorite image that Brooklyn took.

Another one of Brooklyn's images I love, was an accident. I think the composition is really interesting. The large blank space with bits of Halloween on both sides.

Thinking of having a Photography 101 Class here in town. Let me know if you are interested and I will set a tentative date!

Caramel Apples

2011-10-24T08:48:00.000-07:00

After Sunday naps we made homemade caramel apples! We found this recipe on pinterest. Kam was still sleeping while we made them. Hence her absence.

Before we started, I had Bryan and the girls venture outside to find sticks for the apples. Then Bryan sharpened the ends so we could put them in the apples.

After we dipped them, we rolled them in chopped snickers. YUM!

Pumpkins and Knitting: Happy 600th POST!

2011-10-21T17:18:00.000-07:00

Pumpkins and knitting are two of my favorite things about fall. I started this afghan last week and I am really excited about it.

I bought a bunch of these little pumpkins at a local pumpkin patch. I guess they are meant for pumpkin pie but I decided to line our patio with them! Has anyone made pumpkin pie from an actual pumpkin before? All I've ever used was pumpkin from a can.

I love pulling up to my drive way and seeing those little pumpkins. And when ever I look at Brooklyn, her hair always reminds me of them too.

What's your favorite things about fall?

Homecoming Parade

2011-10-20T08:57:00.000-07:00

We couldn't have asked for better weather on the morning of the homecoming parade. It was gorgeous out and downtown never looked so good!

I love this picture of Brooklyn and I, never realized just how much we look a like!

Our favorite part of the parade was defiantly the BANDS! Bryan and I being former band members, it made us want to bust out our instruments!

Oh and the Shriner's Octocycle was pretty awesome too!

Lauryn got tons of candy!

Beautiful Downtown-

Getting Back to Blogging

2011-10-19T17:26:00.000-07:00

It's almost been a WHOLE MONTH since I've blogged. Can't believe it. So, here is the first post of many more to come. I promise I am BACK! And this notice wouldn't be complete without some sorta of picture so, here is beautiful Lauryn.

xo- kate

PS- Did you check out the Festive Foutch Header?

ISO

2011-09-22T09:29:00.000-07:00

I've been playing around with my camera this week. Trying out new manual settings. Here's a few photos that I shot with a really high ISO and over exposed the shot. It was interesting to me how the grain wasn't as apparent.

ISO 1600 f/2.8 1/200 sec

Portlandia

2011-09-20T09:20:00.000-07:00

On the first of September I had the wonderful opportunity to photograph a wedding in Portland! See photos from their wedding here. My mom and sister went with me! We had such a wonderful time together.

I love being a mother and staying home with them. I just know that little weekends like this, make me feel rejuvenated.

mirror, mirror, on the wall....

Two of my favorite finds in Portland.

1. Flav: Aerated Flavored Water. soooooo refreshing.

2. Sparrow Clips. Put a bird on it.

On the way home I got to sit in the back next to the ikea loot. I slept almost the whole 6 hours home. It was so wonderful. No one was yelling, "mom! mama! mommy!"

2011 Yard: Before and After

2011-09-19T20:50:00.000-07:00

Here's our yard, before and after! We are renting this darling little duplex and just couldn't stand to not fix it up! We drew up some plans for our landlord and she loved them. She paid for all the supplies and we did all the work!

We find so much joy in beautifying spaces. Even if we don't own them. We are so happy with how everything turned out.

Freezer Meals are DONE!

2011-09-14T21:53:00.000-07:00

2 Pot Roasts ready for the slow cooker. Includes potatoes, onions, and carrots in the bag.

8 meals of cooked ground beef. Ready for Spaghetti, Lasagna, Shepherds Pie, Soup, etc.

4 meals of cooked and seasoned Taco meat. Ready for tacos or taco salad.

3 meals of cooked and shredded chicken. Ready for Hawaiian Hay stacks, Chicken noodle soup, Pasta dishes, etc.

2 meals of pesto chicken

1 Teriyaki Chicken meal

1 Teriyaki Beef meal

2 meals of Garlic Parmesan chicken breasts

3 bags of twice baked potatoes

2 bags of frozen chocolate chip cookie dough

3 bags of frozen chopped celery

4 bags of frozen shredded carrots. ( I love to add to any meal. My kids don't notice and they are getting more veggies! )

20 cups of shredded cheese

Frozen Pesto

I am SO happy to have a fully stocked and prepped freezer. This was a LOT of work but I think it's going to be so worth it. I got all my ideas from "A Turtle's Life for Me." She has so many wonderful ideas about freezing meals. I also purchased the book she suggested and I can't wait to get it!

Two Rainbow Birthday Cakes

2011-09-13T08:46:00.000-07:00

Lauryn's Birthday Dinner

2011-09-07T23:47:00.000-07:00

Lauryn posing for a quick sketch by bryan.

sister love-

after-

Her First Day

2011-08-31T09:07:00.000-07:00

I got her this little bracelet for her first day of school. She is always coloring something. She loved it. Lauryn got to pick out her outfit and her backpack. She knows what she likes!

Waiting for Lauryn to get on the bus. It was COLD this morning!

Bye Lauryn! We LOVE you!

Back in the warm van!

Summer

2011-08-30T13:19:00.000-07:00

Time to say good bye to summer. School starts tomorrow! Lauryn is starting Kindergarten! I am so excited for her.

We had a really awesome storm the other night. Here's a photo I caught. The Moscow Pullman Daily News is going to run it soon. Does anyone get their paper??

Today Is My Birthday!

2011-08-29T10:02:00.001-07:00

Have you missed me!?!? Blogging has defiantly taken a back seat as I did 3 weddings in 3 weeks. It was crazy but so worth it.

I turned 26 today!!! Can't believe it! Here is a photo of my 8th birthday. One of my favorite birthday's ever!

Thank you for all of those who have sent me notes! I love you all!

a quilt shop

2011-08-10T15:11:00.000-07:00

Been on vacation. I was working but, I didn't have any of my girls with me so I considered it a vacation! I went down to southern Idaho to photograph my cousins wedding. I was such a wonderful time being with my family. I was so sad to leave them all.

Some of us girls did get a chance to go to a local quilt shop. It was amazing.

See more of Ryan and Amber's Wedding here.

Taya's 3rd Birthday!

2011-07-28T15:33:00.000-07:00

This is my friend Michelle's daughter. We went to her birthday party today! The girls had a blast! We are sure going to miss them when they move away this week. Here are photos of the beautiful party Michelle threw. It was amazing!

Featured on: Attend

2011-07-26T13:05:00.000-07:00

I was asked to do a guest post on Attend! Kristine, the creator of attend, asked me to do a write up of Kamryn's 2nd Birthday. Go check it out!

Fresh Raspberries= Straight out of the camera

2011-07-25T22:26:00.000-07:00

Picking raspberries is one of my girls favorite things to do at grandma's house. Each morning they wake up asking when it's time to go picking. It's one of my favorite things to do too! We just planted a bunch of raspberry starts this year and can't wait to pick then next year.

These photos are straight out of the camera. I feel so excited to be at the point with my photography where I don't always have to use Photoshop. Don't get me wrong, I still use it however it's nice to able to get spot on without it. One of my teachers told me to pretend that each shot I took was on film. That way I would slow down, think about every setting. Shutter, aperture, ISO, focal length, white balance, the direction of the sun, etc.

So, here you have some fresh, organic photography.

Kamryn Turns 2!

2011-07-24T23:57:00.000-07:00

We had a fun little party for Kamryn's 2nd Birthday. Bryan was traveling home that day and got stuck in Chicago. I had my dad video tape her party for him.

As we were talking and eating the cake all of the sudden did a back flip off the stand. We were all laughing.

I made the girls each a new apron and put a new set of crayons inside. I did a little shoot with Kamryn in her apron. Makes me want to do commercial work for crayola!

Over 400 pins from my Pinterest Page

2011-07-14T22:38:00.000-07:00

Focus

2011-07-13T23:14:00.000-07:00

We had our summer pasta salad for dinner tonight. I make a homemade lemon garlic dressing that goes on top. Yum! We had a picnic ready for Bryan when he got home. We attempted to take some photos together. They aren't in focus but I think that's what I love about this photo! Who says they always have to be in focus?

Want my pasta salad recipe? I posted it on my blog in June of 2007! CRAZY! 4 years ago! Check out the recipe here.

Here's the rest of the shots from the timer......

Mom, mom, mom, mom!

2011-07-11T23:47:00.000-07:00

While working in the garden late tonight, I was getting nagged by Kamryn. She said my name at least 20 times before I finally looked up and this is what she wanted to show me.

Next time I will listen better to her! What a beautiful site! Saggy diaper and all! :)

Kamryn in Black and White

2011-07-11T08:21:00.000-07:00

Cheese!

Here is Kam pondering life. "Hmmmmm."

Here's her stunned face.

Silly Girl.

And yes, she has better hair than MacGyver. Long live the Mullet!

"I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike."- Queen

2011-07-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

My girls got their first big bikes! We took them to a church parking lot that was deserted. That made it much easier to teach them. It was a great day of firsts.

Reverse Charades

2011-07-07T10:09:00.000-07:00

This was the best game ever! If you don't own it, go buy it now! Check out Reverse Charades here. Thanks to Chris and Amber for introducing us to this amazingness. Here's pictures from when we played. See if you can guess what they are acting out from just a picture.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Answer Key:

1. Baby Powder

2. Whopper

3. Camel

4. Not sure, extra points if you can get it right

5. ummm, I don't know this one either

6. Car Crash

7. The Macarena

Sunday Morning

2011-07-07T10:06:00.000-07:00

Check out this beautiful piece that Cheri Chic Hand painted for me! I LOVE it!

Fireworks

2011-07-07T09:48:00.000-07:00

Party at the pool

2011-07-07T09:46:00.000-07:00

GO DAD!

4th Of July Rocket Launch

2011-07-07T09:45:00.000-07:00

Wave the American Flag

2011-07-07T08:23:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful 4th of July Weekend. We celebrated for days! Tons of posts coming soon!

Dollar Scoop Night

2011-07-07T08:20:00.000-07:00

We have been doing some major yard work. I am so excited to show you the before and after. I have also been painting our little picket fence. This first coat was just primer! Took me about 3 days and 3 gallons of paint!

Bathing Beauty

2011-06-29T09:26:00.001-07:00

Happy July

2011-06-27T12:59:00.000-07:00

That's what the girls call the 4th of July, Happy July. I love it. We are getting ready to have loads of family in town. We are so excited! We have a weekend of activities planned. Swimming, crafts, fireworks, rockets, food, a parade, and much more!

Farm chicks 2011: Interview

2011-06-24T09:16:00.000-07:00

Remember Farm Chicks 2011? My girls and I were interviewed by King5 News station in Seattle. They finally put up the video. You can see us dancing, see our aprons, and hear me sound really cheesy!

Moments That Matter Most

2011-06-23T20:04:00.000-07:00

I am always blown away by the Mormon Messages. They are so inspired in everyway. This one is amazing. Please take 3 min to watch this.

"Diligently doing things that matter most, will lead us to the Savior of the World. " President Dieter F Uchtdorf

Please pass this video along. Make a similar post and share a few of your favorite images of moments that matter. These images are from this past week.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

2011-06-21T09:48:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago my friend Jenalee posted about this amazing strawberry rhubarb pie recipe. And since I have been having severe pie cravings, no I am NOT pregnant, I had to make one! I have been dreaming about pie ever since I started watching Pushing Daisy's on Netflix.

Have you seen it? Oh! I loved it so much I finished both seasons in a couple weeks. It was canceled after two seasons. boo. Check it out. Back to my pie craving, the girls and I got dressed and went to the store. Kam wore this super cute clip from Lady Robin.

At the store I let my girls push the cart and bring their zhu zhu pets to infest the store with. It took my a long time after Kamryn was born for me to venture out to the store with all three girls. Now, it's so easy that she's almost 2.

It was fun to watch everyone's reactions to the Zhu Zhu pets.

Back to the pie. We found some rhubarb, strawberries, and some beautiful peony's and headed home.

Here's the recipe I got from Jenalee's blog. I ended up being super lazy and omitted the pie crust and just made a crumble. I put it into a 9x9 glass dish. OH was it good! I took it over to a friend's house for a girls night. We devoured it.

Check out my latest wedding on my photo blog!

Father's Week- Her Papa

2011-06-17T00:13:00.000-07:00

Father's Week- Grandpa makes anything better

2011-06-15T09:07:00.000-07:00

Father's Week- Making a 2 year old's day

2011-06-14T11:47:00.000-07:00

This was Kamryn's real first experience on a "bike" or in this case a wiggle car. Bryan, the awesome dad that he is, pulled her the whole way on our walk. She was BEAMING!

What a sweet father!

Here she is upset with us. She is crying because we made her get off the wiggle car. Bryan had to run get a diaper and she cried while we waited. After she was changed, we got back on the wiggle car and she was happy the whole way home!

Father's WEEK!

2011-06-13T08:11:00.000-07:00

We made these sweet neck tie cards last week. We just used cardboard from cereal boxes and scrap paper. Our dad is going to love them!

On a Sunday

2011-06-12T21:28:00.000-07:00

These pictures were taken on the University of Idaho's Campus. We enjoy taking our girls there just about every Sunday after church.

I had two family photo shoots this weekend, that both went really well! These families were adorable! And the weather was perfect!

Check them out here- www.katejenningsphotography.blogspot.com

A Morning Jaunt with 6 Mothers and 12 Kids

2011-06-10T13:47:00.000-07:00

It was a 3 hour walk. It was long but it was worth it!

There were some exciting events. Michelle got attacked by a bird! Scary! Cierra, with her camera as usual!

Beautiful Livi and Cash Monkey.

Organic Strawberries. THE BEST EVER> and Slade baby!

On our way home! Lauryn was such a champ, she rode her scooter the whole way!

Dear Farm Chicks=

2011-06-09T10:11:00.001-07:00

Thank you, oh so ever much, for bumping my blog views from a whopping 33, to 567!!!!

Serena Thompson, the original farm chick, posted several links to blogs that posted about the Farm Chicks show. She put my link on as number 2. Woot woot! Thanks for bumping up my views!

And thank you to all the new readers and followers!

Quote

2011-06-08T20:21:00.000-07:00

My mom had me print several copies of this to give to her Young Women who are leaving this year. I really love the quote she picked. If you would like to order a print, let me know!

Playing Hard

2011-06-08T11:01:00.000-07:00

Kamryn thinks she's big enough to ride this BIG WHEEL. It's hilarious. She just pushes herself around backwards.

Miss Lauryn rides her scooter like Bob Burnqist. She plays so hard, all her jeans are holy. hehe.

We found a ladybug! Happy Day!

Here's another cute clip Lady Robin made!

Every time Kamryn sees a ladybug she scrunches up her body and squeals!

Here's what's left of Lauryn's jeans. Worn in and out!

I was at Michelle's house and she said she was going to make all of her daughters holy jeans into skirts with ruffles. It inspired me and I came up with this-

They were suppose to be ruffles. Maybe the next pair will come out more ruffly. I still like this pair and Lauryn likes them too!

Getting Ready for eARTh day projects

2011-06-07T13:29:00.000-07:00

Remember last years summer eARTh day projects? They are about to begin again! I can't wait! Neither can the girls!

To get things started off, we made a inspiration board. It's a board we can change all the time, add, and take away from. Last year we made an alphabet tree. Not sure yet what theme we will do this year..... maybe RAINBOW! It seems to be all the rage right now.

We are gathering all of our recycled materials, art supplies, and organizational stuff. We went to a few thrift store today and found some great finds! We got this cute turn around catty for $2.50! yay!

We also picked up this cute little Martha Stewart Cubbie and home depot. Who knew they carried her stuff!? It's a great way to quickly clean up clutter. On each basket, we made a little clip art that tells the girls what goes where. They actually listen when it's time to clean up! I think it helps them to know where things go!

A Note From Serena: Creator of the Farm Chicks

2011-06-06T20:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Lady Robin!

2011-06-06T14:02:00.000-07:00

Bryan baked the cake and I decorated it.

Lately I have been making large inspiration boards for people on their birthday's. Here's Lady Robin's! I think it's my favorite one I've made so far! Robin is my wonderful mother in law. This picture was taken in her "Nest". She has an esty store called Lady Robin's Nest. Check it out!

These peony's were in her beautiful yard. One of our gifts to her was weeding her garden!

The messy Kamryn!

Levi, having fun "snowboarding".

Nothing better than a blowtorch to light birthday candles.

Singing!

These cute clips were made by Lady Robin!

The after math.

Happy Birthday Lady Robin! So glad that you are apart of my life! We had a wonderful evening with you! XOX- the Foutch Coutch

Farm Chicks 2011

2011-06-06T13:02:00.000-07:00

June 4, 2011 @ 7:15 am > We arrive at Farm Chicks. Aprons on, cash in pockets, and doughnuts to scarf.

YUM> Doughnut heaven.

Farm Chicks giving us a good wave!

Cute nude flats. This lady drove all the way from UT. She was adorable!

On the way to Farm Chicks this year, it dawned on me. BRING SIDEWALK CHALK. We were only 3 hours early to get in line. Why not make a mural while we wait! It ended up being so fun! We had everyone in like sign their name, write their state, and put down their blog urls. There was a couple in line who was having their 40th wedding anniversary. They asked me to make a big heart with their names in it. SO cute!

Us girls, with Serena herself!

These are my girls. Krystal was already getting tired of me taking pictures. Michelle, the girliest girl of us all was doing her nails. Ceirra and I danced our little hearts all morning. We ended up being interviewed for King5 news station in Seattle. They put the little microphone on me and everything!

Finally we get to go in!

And Welcome to Antique Heaven.

TOMS all around.

Yes, there was a chicken and yes, there are men there too.

THANK YOU FARM CHICKS> We had the best time EVER!!! Until NEXT year! XOXO!

A Girls Weekend

2011-06-06T12:33:00.000-07:00

Friday June 3, 2011 @ 5:30pm> We were on the road. No husbands, no kids.

8pm> We had 1 hour at the mall.

Miss Cierra and I always have our cameras glued to our faces.

He's Leaving on a Jet Plane

2011-06-03T14:26:00.000-07:00

Bryan went on his first business trip last week. He got to fly in one of the three private jets that the company owns. This one is a Cessna Citation X. She is a beauty!

Here's my handsome jet setter!

Here's Bry on his laptop with his co workers.

Once they landed in TN, they stepped off the plane to get right into their rental cars. Talk about runway side service!

If he has to fly coach, I think he's going to hate it after this view.

The brookie cookie

2011-06-02T22:34:00.001-07:00

Cabin Fever

2011-06-01T15:34:00.000-07:00

It's the first of June and it's still in the low 50's! Seriously! I AM GOING CRAZY! I need some real vitamin D. I am stilling at my desk, blogging, with a jacket on, a blanket around me, and my heat on. Did I also mention that it's raining. I swear it wouldn't be so bad if it was at least 75 and raining. Then we could play in the rain!

Oh, what a lame sob story. Really, I have so much to be happy about. A wonderful job, my three beautiful girls, a nice home to live in, a van, thrift stores, and so much more. It could be worse. I pray for those who have suffered so much from all the tornadoes. It is so heartbreaking. So, the girls and I have tired to find fun in lots of different ways. Here's a few:

1. Doing the dishes together! The water is warm and there's bubbles!

2. Jumping on the bed. Well, it's always a good time for that.

3. And lots, and lots of coloring.

{photo taken with ipod touch}

Dreamy Diana Lens

2011-06-01T15:24:00.000-07:00

I've been having fun with my new Diana lens. It goes right on to my dslr. Which rocks because I don't have to worry about film. The first Diana camera came out in the 1960's. It was mainly sold as a novelty gift or given out as prizes at fairs. It wasn't very popular back in the day because people could buy a nicer Kodak camera for cheap. Thanks to photojojo we are bringing it back people!

Buy the The Dreamy Diana Lens at the Photojojo Store!

Here's a few of my images taken with this lens.

Wedding Photography

2011-05-31T10:13:00.000-07:00

Just got home from Spokane. I got to have a weekend to myself! I was working but still, I didn't have to think about anyone else but me! It was a nice little vaca. See more from the wedding here.

http://katejenningsphotography.blogspot.com/

Spokane Falls 2011

2011-05-27T10:02:00.000-07:00

Grandma's House

2011-05-27T09:57:00.000-07:00

1. Pancakes in the morning. Well, every morning.

2. Helping water the garden.

3. Smelling the lilacs. Smells like home.

4. Learning new things. Color by number.

5. Reading favorite books and saying new words.

6. Spending time together.

7. Hang time with papa.

The Newest Member of the family

2011-05-22T19:20:00.000-07:00

Say hello to my new best friend. So happy and excited to have my own vehicle. And so grateful. Having three kids crammed into the back of a sedan is not easy.

Keep Calm and Carry On

2011-05-20T10:49:00.001-07:00

Seems to be the quote that is seen everywhere! I don't care, I still love it!

I try to keep calm and carry on, sometimes it doesn't work but it's a good reminder to have any way! Want to know where this poster came from and the history behind it? Check it here! I thought it was very interesting!

Growing like a weed....

2011-05-20T09:22:00.001-07:00

Once upon a sunny day...

2011-05-18T22:48:00.000-07:00

I actually got to wear some sandals!

The girls picked and picked dandelions until there weren't any left.

Graduation 2011: It's finally here!

2011-05-14T10:52:00.000-07:00

I honestly felt like I lost hope a few years ago. Would we ever graduate! Seriously, I couldn't be more grateful for this day to come and go. Bryan starts his official new job on Monday and a week from Monday they are flying him in one of their private jets on his first business trip! He is definably the man of the hour. Pulled in so many directions by so many people! It will be nice to just have ONE job.

Graduation day was beautiful! And that also means that everyone got a good sun burn on the left sides of their faces! Yes, the graduation was outside. We were all happy to take a sun burn over being soggy wet from rain.

We were so far away from the front of the graduation. The stage was all the way up by the red arrow.

Here's the family waiting for it to start.

We were so far away, we could barley see him on the big screens! hahah!

We all cheered so loud! It was so fun to see him up there.

The after party:

It was also my sister in law's 30th birthday! We had a little party for her too!!

Jer and Kell loved the art my girls created on the wall. We had to take this hilarious shot!

I love my nephew and niece!

We did a mini portrait session with my mother in law and kelli!

Belly Dancing

2011-05-13T11:03:00.000-07:00

I took a belly dancing class this semester and we had to do a final performance. I wouldn't say I was happy I had to, I did have fun though!

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T10:43:00.000-07:00

Especially happy this mother's day. I couldn't really ask for more...... expect a VAN! hahaha, yes I have finally come to the realization that a van is in my future.

Bryan bought three small ugly bouquets for me. He took them all and made this beautiful masterpiece. Is there anything is man can't do?

The primary children did a great job singing in church. It was my first time leading them in sacrament meeting. This idea really did help them be ready.

Hope your mothers day was wonderful too. Happy day to all you mothers!

Brooklyn Bubbles: HAPPY FRIDAY!

2011-05-06T10:47:00.000-07:00

Only 8 more days till Bryan's Graduation! We can't wait!~

University of Idaho: Engineering EXPO 2011

2011-05-03T16:17:00.000-07:00

Bryan and his team did a fabulous job at this year's Engineering EXPO. It was so fun to go and see him in action! I was kinda worried about him since he had pulled an all nigher. They had a non stop crowd at their table for the whole EXPO. Bryan even got a good contact from NASA. Pretty exciting! Way to go babe! We love you and are so grateful you are DONE! WOooooHOOO!!

Spring is on the way- No matter What!

2011-04-21T11:46:00.001-07:00

Even if it still snowing outside, inside it's starting to look like spring! I planted some beautiful ranunculus and I have to keep them inside for now. I don't mind though, they are lovely to look at all day!

Last post I talked about a few projects I've been working on. Here's a close up of the chalk board calendar! Thanks to T and M Vinyl.

Here's a close up of the bunting banner I made. I used a template from Grace Designs. I didn't make the bunting like she did, I just used her template. I cut out my triangles, then with right sides together sewed them. Then you turn them and press. I attached them to a thick white basting tape. Easy!

Another project, I got a shadow box to cover my ugly thermostats.

I found a cute little chair at antique store for 10$. I spray painted it and covered the seat! I think it will be adorable for senior girls pictures.

I've redone my inspiration board.

Got some new big and beautiful prints in the mail!

And got my new business cards in the mail!

Whew! I swear that's it for now. I've got the bug and I don't think it's going away soon.....

A Billion Bubbles!

2011-04-20T16:34:00.001-07:00

I've been working on so many projects! Getting ready for Bryan's Graduation party! Can you see the chalk board wall calendar and the bunting banner? That's a few projects to name. And have you ever bought a bubble machine? I am in love! Why didn't I buy one before?!

Easter

2011-04-14T15:11:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that Easter is less than 2 weeks away. I recently picked up these beautiful tulips. They reminded me of our Savoir, Jesus Christ. I am trying to think of new aways to help my girls see Easter in a more spiritual way. What have you done in the past?

Kitchen: Cleaning and Organization

2011-04-12T22:12:00.000-07:00

Tonight I was asked by my church to teach a mini class on Kitchen cleaning and organization. I made the board above as a visual.Here's the recap.

Messes are an everyday part of life! Trust me. I know. You've seen them on my blog before. I believe the most popular mess I've shared was the one where Lauryn put paint all over Kamryn when she was a baby.

Keep in mind, that messes are a whole lot easier to clean up if the foundation of your kitchen is organized and clean.

How can we find a desire to clean? I have found it's much easier for me to find joy in cleaning when I keep the end goal in mind. What's my end goal? A home where the spirit of God can dwell. If I neglect the breakfast dishes and it comes time for lunch, I usually have 3 unhappy girls at my feet begging for food. They are unhappy and I'm unhappy and the spirit leaves. The second goal I like to keep in mind, is having family dinner every night. It's my second favorite time of the day after nap time!

Getting started with Organization:

1- Ask for help! It's easier and more fun to organize with a family member or friend!

2- Plan it out! Think logically about where things should go. Put the flatware, bowls, and cups directly above the dishwasher. It's much faster to empty the dishwasher that way. Another idea is putting your "bake center" above the area with the most counter space.

3- Don't do it all in one day! Here's a link to a handout I wrote up. It's a 9 day kitchen organization challenge! Keep in mind you don't have to do each one consecutively. Take one month to do the whole list.

Here's the link! Click on organization copy, download it, and print!

Cleaning!

Do you dread to clean!?

-play music or listen to a conference talk

-wear a fun apron and colorful rubber gloves

Products I love:

Clean the microwave: in a glass bowl add 2 cups of water, some lemon juice and microwave till boils at least 1 min. The steam will loosen all the grease and you can wipe it all off.

Freshen the disposal: put ice, and a lime peel down the disposal, run it with cool water.

I made a general cleaning list for the kitchen.

Download it here! Click on "clean copy".

I hope more than anything, you can find inspiration to get organized and to get cleaning! I keep a journal of images from magazines that I love. Here's one of my favorites! Under the kitchen sink organization:

I found some similar pull out bins here.

Mother's Day Primary Song Idea

2011-04-08T11:40:00.000-07:00

My current calling in our Church is the Primary Chorister. It's my job to teach the children new songs every week! For mother's day at church they asked me to teach the children 2 new songs to sing in front of everyone. My problem is finding a good incentive for them to learn the songs. I read this idea somewhere but can't remember where so I could link to it.

Here's the idea: Make a picture of a mother with holes in her eyes. Then teach the children the songs. If they sing it good enough the mother will star to "cry". I will have someone in the back of the poster spraying water from a water bottle when they think they sang the song good enough. This is only for practice!

I think the kids will love it!

I made her shirt and flower out of scrap book paper. Then I took packaging tape and covered the entire thing so it wouldn't get wet. (I thought it was easier than going and getting it laminated)

We will see how it goes! Wish me Luck!

Other NEWS: I've been featured!!! Check it out!!!!

CLICK HERE!!!

I heart facetime

2011-04-08T09:45:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite features about the new ipod touch is facetime! I love being able to chat face to face with my sister!

Zumba! Everybody say Zumba!

2011-04-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was dress up day at Zumba! We had a blast! If you haven't tried Zumba yet, you MUST! I'm defiantly obsessed! I got at least 5 times a week! We have a Zumbathon to raise money for the American Heart Association on April 15th 6:30-8:30 pm. Admission is 5$. It's at the Student Rec Center. Please Come and help support! I will be there photographing the event!

Also, did you happen to see the photo shoot I did of the girls with their new hair cuts?! Check it out-

http://katejenningsphotography.blogspot.com/

irobot

2011-04-04T01:14:00.001-07:00

I love: a freshly stocked fridge and pantry

2011-04-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

"White Trash"

2011-03-31T10:44:00.001-07:00

{this was before she cut her hair off}

Girl's Hair Cuts: Take 2....... or 8 inches off

2011-03-29T17:28:00.000-07:00

I guess this all was my fault. I was the one who laid down to take a quick nap. Who knew I would wake up to my girls chopping each other's hair off. Guess I learned my lesson. Just this last Sunday I took extra time to do their hair so they would look extra cute as they wore their spring dresses for the first time. So, here are the pictures of the girls on Sunday, then pictures of their self cut hair dos, and finally pictures of the new hair cuts.

[FRAMED]

2011-03-23T08:41:00.000-07:00

I am entering the [FRAMED] photography contest.

Follow [FRAMED] HERE & HERE !

We need to share a photo we have taken that tells a story. I am going to let this photo speak for it's self.

Spring Pillows!

2011-03-22T14:18:00.000-07:00

{ found the bottom 3 prints at Jo Ann's for 14$ & the top Amy Butler print was $6 }

New Spring Pillow covers = 20$

Brooklyn jumped in for a picture. It looks nice out here but it's still very cold!

{ pillow cover tutorial }

A refresh

2011-03-22T11:44:00.000-07:00

{ cut & color }

Recovering my couch pillows

2011-03-21T12:53:00.000-07:00

{thinking bright happy thoughts}

A Ponytail

2011-03-20T20:22:00.000-07:00

{her first}