My New Look

Hello there! This week has been a whirlwind. Literally. We've been to the hospital for a tooth through the lip that about sent me to the E.R. along with her because I about had a heart attack. My niece is also staying with us for a week so this house is loud and crazy.

So down to business....Does anyone like my new layout? I'm obsessed to say the least. A big thank you to Mrs Stephanie T. If you are in need of a new blog design then shes your girl, shes on a quest to Blogher so go check her out! Her prices are totally reasonable and shes super sweet and easy to work with. I just told her a couple things that I had wanted, {aka cheveron and mint} and she did an amazing job! I couldnt be happier.


Happy Thursday :)

Little Bits of Happiness

Hello! So I've been fairly busy the last week or so, and Ive totally been neglecting my camera. I honestly really want need to figure that sucker out. We finally got Phone's...I know right! So obviously I started Instagram. (my name is @ashleadurrett find me!) I finally know why everyone is so in love with their IPhone. I haven't participated in Mrs. Stephanie T's Little Bits of Happiness in a couple weeks and I'm a little disappointed in myself because I love that link up.

Here are my Little Bits of Happiness this week.

Happy birthday to the Mr. We celebrated at our restaurant upstairs with our family. And tonight I get to take him on a birthday date. Score.

My fro yo. Our rainy day treat.

Hello new leopard shoes.

The fact that this little diva has her hands on her hips every second of the day, even in her carseat.

Little sister watching Big sisters swimming lessons. I melt.

Hopefully everyone had a fantastic weekend and had some fun outside :)

Ear Pierce Fail

My big girl has been wanting her ears pierced for quite some time now. Shes been telling us since around the time she turned 2. We've been putting it off, and putting it off some more. On Sunday I looked at the Mr. told him I had a "great idea" he looked at me un pleased because it's not often that my great ideas are really that great. I proceeded to tell him we should hit up Claires and get our girls ears done.

Wow he agreed! We got the girls ready and headed out quick. That's the way I like it, impromptu and unplanned. Our big girl was so excited! She was jabbering in her car seat telling us she wants "pink ear rings" and she wants them "right here" pointing to her ears. She kept repeating that she was "so excited" and she wants to show Aubree.

Super excited Raygan

When got there and she continued on her excitement. Telling the Clairs employees and the teenage girls waiting in line for their own ears all about it. She picked out Hello kitty earrings, which I was none to thrilled about. But shes growing up and I need to let he make her own decisions. Don't get me wrong I like me some Hello Kitty but I don't really want her prancing around with big kitty's in her ears.

Marking the spots

They marked the spots and Raygan sat perfectly still. The two Claires employees grabbed their equipment, showed my big girl her soon to be hello kitty earrings and she still was ready...until they came at her with their guns. Her hands went right up to her ears covering them completely. There was no way in hell they were getting to her ears. They tried giving her a sucker, she grabbed that sucker and her hands went right back on her ears.

Needless to say she said she would never get them done again. I was proud of her though. Throughout the whole thing she was great, even at the end, she didn't freak out, cry or scream. She just wasn't having it!

Whats cookin'

Another Pinterest snack.

I got the original recipe from here.

This was super easy because like I said before I'm not the best cook. But lately I have been going {way} out of my elements and the Mr. even gave me a compliment the other day, It made me giddy and excited to challenge more dinner recipes.

Ingredients:

-1 sheet puff pastry

-1/2 cup sugar

-2 Teaspoons Cinnamon

-1/2 stick butter melted

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the pastry sheet in half length ways. Then cut into one inch strips crosswise. Place on a cookie sheet bake 8-10 minutes. Mine took 8. Combine the sugar and cinnimon.

Remove the pastry from the cookie tray dip in butter then roll around in the sugar mixture.

Let sit for 5 minutes to dry.

The original recipe said to put them on lightly greased parchment paper. I did neither! When I decided to make this I was out of parchment paper and halfway into it already, It turned out perfectly.

Worldess Wednesday

I snuk in on her. She decided she wanted to wear her old flower girl dress all day...so I let her.

Linking up with The paper mama

Favorite 10

Today I ran into this fun little link up from Our Reflection and mom 2 memphisand Ruby I of course did it because I thought it'd be fun to look at our old photos. The only problem is I don't have any of Raygan as a newborn baby on this computer (they are tucked away in our closet on a memory card) The girls and I had fun roaming our computer looking at the old pictures, and I reminisced about old memories...like lack of sleep for one!

Raygan picking us up from the airport with my mom and dad.

From our family pictures/Raygans 1 year old pictures

I love this photo because this was her "famous" face! Literally we went to a burger joint and this lady said "look its the frowning baby" she had remembered her from a store where Raygan put on a show for everyone with her frowns!

Baby Remy at about 13 days

Story of my life the first couple months...both girls falling asleep one me

Pumkin patch!

Remy crawling

Hangin by the pool

Visiting my sister and my nephews

Remys newborn pictures

Two sisters playing :)

I love these pictures! They may not be the "best" photos we have around here but they are some of our best memories :)

Baby Sign Language

Right before Raygan was born, I was nesting like crazy. Full blown nesting. I cant tell you how many cook books I bought in fear that I was never going to be able to cook. In that time, I came across a  baby sign language book. I had intended to teach it to Raygan....but she was crazy, a high-strung kid to say the least. So randomly I decided the other day to teach Remy "more" and she caught on so dang quickly I went to the next sign, and then the next, and the next.

I get so giddy when she does it!

"more"

"all gone/done"

"eat"


   Not pictured...."thank you" & "bye bye"

Its been fun teaching her this, and Raygan gets in on it too and I show her a sign and she helps me teach Remy. To be honest I should be giving Raygan most if not all of the credit because Remy probably learns more from her big sister....girlfriend wants to do everything big sister does.

Being Me.

Ill admit that I sometimes struggle at finding the balance in life and have trouble being me. I get lost somewhere in trying to be a loving and caring mom, and a doting wife, as well as keeping up my duties as being a good sister, daughter and friend. I don't write much about myself on this blog and that was actually a big reason as to why I started this. (I get distracted with my crazy girls!) I wanted a creative outlet, something that was my own and I get to meet a lot of really cool people along the way.

I'm a stay at home mom and sometimes I feel like I am totally defined as a mom. Yes I am a mom, and I try to be the best mom I can be, but that's not all there is to me! I swear! I need to remember the things that used to get me giddy before I had kids. Like reading, I.can.not. tell you the last book I got to read! I used to be such a book worm before Raygan, then It slowly dwindled and after Remy, literally not one book has been read....many have been purchased but not read.  I used to wear more jewlery, but then it got to be a pain in the ass when I would have to take it to get fixed every week! (thank goodness the mr. got the warrenty!) I love to dance, I of course have a huge love for shopping and all things clothes. I love to decorate and plan parties. That's something I thrive on, if I could be a party planner I totally would.

Please excuse the gaint vein!!

There are a list of things that I want to learn or do, like photo shop! Holy molly I have had it for a while now and I cant find the time to learn how. Well I need to make time.

Basically Ive decided that I need to have more me time. I need to spend my time on stuff that interests me and what makes me happy. Not that my girls don't, because Lord knows that they make me the absolute happiest. I just need a balance. And its hard. Really hard trying to be the manager of the house....let alone my entire extended family. I know that if I take a couple times out of the month to do something for me, it will be better for everyone! I almost feel guilty even acknowledging the fact that I need some more me time.

Wordless Wednesday: My Couch Ate My Camera

I lost my point and shoot camera on the night of 4th of July last year. I totally thought I had left it at the park and blamed it on my absent mindless and the fact that I had to be in charge of all of our belonging and the kids. It was a great night on the river with friends and topped it off with great fireworks...my favorite!

I was digging around the couch, pulling the couch from the wall, taking cushions apart looking for my phone the other day all while the Mr. was in the shower trying to spare myself a smart ass  "are you kidding me right now" remark. I miss place my phone at least 2 times a day, so I can't blame him. {I guess!!}

Needless to say I happened to stumble upon my good ol' Sony cybershot that I had assumed I left at the river....in JULY. In the midst of all my organizing that's been going on here lately I had thrown away the USB for it along with the charger. I thought it was long gone by now! After forking out nearly $80 to replace them. The thought hadn't occurred to me until after I had already used them that the smarter idea would have been just to get a universal USB so I could have the pictures and maybe just get a whole new point and shoot camera! ahh.

So here were our long lost 4th of July pictures I thought were gone forever!

Me and Raygan/ /Super bald remy!//Daddy and Remy//Raygan eating a strawberry!//and daddy tickleing Raygan

have a great wednesday :)

Linking up with, Jenni from the blog,The paper mama

Weekend Date in Seattle

This passed weekend me and the Mr. had an amazing weekend to ourselves. I'm very lucky and fortunate to have parents that offered to take the girls for a weekend so we could go to Seattle and have a amazing weekend! We never have babysitters and the girls are not used to being away from us at all! Like literally at all. We tried the gym day care once and they came and got us from the basketball court 10 minutes later and Raygan was literally in twitching she was crying so hard and while I grabbed Raygan from the day care lady she said "your other ones falling apart in there too"

Its not something I'm good at. Leaving the girls. I panic and leave my parents three pages of notes and label the entire house. True story. Even when I go to work for those 3 short hours once a week, I'm texting Cameron and already have a crock pot dinner awaiting them.

Needless to say, we had a great weekend. We stayed at the Edgewater, and we ate at the Metropolitan. We walked through Pikes Place and spoiled the girls like no buddys buisness. We went shopping (thanks for putting up with me babe!) and played some arcade games....I figured I better since he went with me for the shopping :) We stayed out late and got a full nights sleep, first time since I.dont.know.when. We had funny taxi drivers and had good drinks. We got to eat our food unterupted and visit a good friend. I had the time of my life and he spoiled me. We ate at Ivars and we
stopped at Starbucks.

Carrying the bad-ass teepee we got for the girls.

We did the whole cha-bang.

The girls were excited to see us, hopefully not just because we came with presents! Raygan filled us in on everything she did with the grandparents including where she hid during hide and seek. We were so excited to come home to these crazy girls who just fill this house with life and so much love.

Little Bits of Happiness 2.

Linking up {again} with Mrs Stephanie T, for her Little Bits of Happiness Link up.

I think its such a great idea to take a second and appreciate the little things in life that keep ya going, make you happy, and most important make you laugh. I believe laughing is the key to being happy. 

More glasses! She loves them now! Turning into a little fashion-ista like her sister.

Painting our nails. She has to have them re-done everytime she gets a chip in them!! so basically once a day!

Basketball tickets to see Trailblazers vs. The Heat

Pink Lady Apples. My FAV.

Me and the MR. are heading out for a weekend to ourselves. All week, Ive been preparing my house for my parents for this weekend. They are staying at our house and watching the girls. I've made labels, I've made lunches, and I've put outfits together and Ive been cleaning like a mofo.

In reality, I know Raygan will refuse to wear her said outfits, and most likely choose something else for lunch. I get anxious and nervous when I leave my girls, but I know they are in good hands with my parents, they are always better for them! No fits, no attitude! They like to push mama to her limits :) have a great weekend! I'm super excited for out little adventure to ourselves!