Faith, Hope and Charity

Jordan River Temple print by Hiya Papaya

While my weekends are usually crazy, aside from my child's little soccer game, most of our weekend was spent watching The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints semi-annual General Conference. Twice a year, in April and October, the members all over the world  gather to listen to our church leaders, who are divinely appointed apostles and prophets speak to us. Their talks are so inspiring, they help us see how to be stronger, better people and issue moments of warning at the same time, yet they are always full of love, hope and sincerity. I always listen intently with much faith and reverance am never disappointed. Not to mention the legendary Mormon Tabernacle choir singing, moves me to tears almost every time.

 together forever print by sugarfresh

I loved the talk by Richard G Scott's. He speaks about his family being together forever and how to strengthen family ties and marriages. Which was so touching to hear as he not only lost his wife recently, but two of his children, one of them as an infant while he was a young man. His little stories of his marital antics are so sweet.

search ponder and pray print by sugarfresh

 Another one of my favorite talks was Jeffrey R. Holland's. He explains what General Conference his and how it is divinely inspired (around the 3 min mark), and how God truly lives and communicates with us today. It was so powerful, but his always are.

Salt Lake City Temple print by katies clicks

Our prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, spoke 5 talks this conference, that can be accessed here. There is also so much love in his voice, and he always has the best stories. I truly have a testimony that he and the other men and women called in these positions in the church are truly inspired by God, and that they communicate His messages. While I know there is a lot of misinformation about our faith in the world, my heart knows of it's truthfulness, and that God truly has a plan for each and every one of us. Past conferences, since 1974 can be seen here.

Sweet Animal Friends

Glamour Dogs Book by Catherine Ledner

I just love the innocence and free spirits of little animals. I truly believe they have developed, little souls inside those bodies. Just look at the eyes and you can see the love, fear, confusion, desperation, forgiveness pouring out of them.

Bunny in a Basket via Real Beauty

Swimming Piglets via Real Beauty

Bichon Puppy kicksy by Emilie (I miss my childhood bichon, Keiki!)

Jimmy the Guinea Pig by Samantha Warren Photography (I think I squealed in delight when I saw this!)

"Saimai is a two year old tiger and as a baby was suckled by a pig until she was 4 months old. This democratic start in life allowed her to form a loving relationship with other pigs and even a dog."

The Magic of Pothole Gardens

Have you ever seen such ingenuity? Pete Dungey created a spectacular little wolrd by planting little " guerrellia" gardens in Britain's neglected potholes.

One such passerby remarked, "f we planted one of those in every hole, it would be like a forest in the road".

It makes me think, if we attack a problem with a negative attitude, how much change can we really bring, how much credibility do we bring to ourselves?

I would rather bring attention and change to a problem, through a spectacular and simple way. One that warms hearts and forces people to look. Also, it makes one wonder if those speeding through those roads will drive more safely, and slow down to observe the little colorful wonders in the road.

Another artist, Steve Wheen, showcases his pothole gardens in London, on his blog, The Pothole Garden. His interview is simple and insightful. It's wonderful when little cultural ideas take off like that.

More interesting gardens can be seen here.

Please. Enjoy. Love. Safely

~ jamie, from me to you

This is the big weekend where we temporarily move in with the in-laws. I choose to look at it as a new journey, it helps keep things focused and positive. So, wherever you are in this world, geographically, metaphorically, emotionally... may your weekend be fun, safe, peaceful and happy.

via aura-joon

Hope Floats: A Balloon Journey

uncredited. anyone know whose it is?

Golden, curly haired, adorable little ones, with the soft, rosy pink tones and the sweet message of hope. Notice hope is reminiscent to something, light, airy, hanging by a thread. Simply let go, and it's gone.


It would be different if it was a photo of two children holding anvils. Heavy, stoic, firm, unmovable, unable to be shaped, opaque no, that wouldn't be right.


Hope, uplifts us, lightens our load, overcomes our weaknesses, helps us look upward, set our focus and concentrate our energy. Hope is something we engage our hearts in, we grasp on to, and hold on for the ride.

Kristi ~ Beauty in Everything

balloon canopy by Gustafson Porter for the Venice Architectural Biennale 

miss m

 via el astronauta

 disney's UP (I cry the first 15 minutes every time I see this movie)

li wei

Miss Dior Cherie

Hope is an investment in ourselves and in our future. 

Homefront: Withered Life

My sons go outside to ride their scooters and play. But they cannot come back inside without bringing me flowers. Sometimes, the stems are so short that I float the blooms, but this morning glory specimen wanted a little bottle of her own. I love using my little vintage apothecary bottles for life baring purposes.

My little jar and crystal window vignette looks so much prettier with a pretty pink wild flower, don't you agree? Some of my glass bottles have sold, but I hope to replace them soon, for my own enjoyment.

This flower died. I was *this close* to throwing the flower away.... but I remembered those two green buds and let the crumbled bloom stay around for a few days. Not thinking much about what would happen.

Then soon enough... Two new blooms and one spent one.

 Patience pays off. When one thing withers away, an opportunity is lost, there is always something else in the works. Some say it is fate, others say it is God preparing a way, others say that's just life. What say you?

Sometimes, It's Okay to...

FLOWN by Pale Preoccupation

Cry. Show some raw emotion. Even if you don't have a reason... but especially if you do, it's therapeutic, empowering, and pink puffy eyes are just so attractive, to the right person of course.

We spend so much time suppressing fears, exhaustion, disappointment, sadness and uncertainty, cry it out for once. As soon as you are done, it can only get better from the clarity you receive after standing up, wiping your face, and getting back to work.

Childhood Dreams

"Today, find a photo of yourself as a child, put it in a pretty frame, place it on your desk or night stand and remember. That child had dreams, remember? Have you accomplished any? Write them down and choose one to make a reality."  ~crazyland

This is me at dance, betwen the ages of my two children's right now. They created a special class for my age group just for me, called the Baby Dolls, because I wanted to dance so badly. My teacher's names were Miss Rose (Virgina Kickbush who had a small part in Parent Trap) and another whom I loved. I need to find those photos, in storage somewhere :(

Waking Up

sing outloud every day bird print by please be still

I feel kind of like a zombie, every single day. Minus the craving of brains and rotting skin, of course, but the slow, jerky movements, the dragging of one leg as the other gimps forward. Eyes puffy and purple and twitching. Arms stretched outwards to catch me in case I black out for a minute and fall because I have not put my contacts in, or because my blood sugar is low. I feel like laying on the couch, barking barely legible commands to my children while swaddled in my down comforter until about 3:00 pm. My to do list keeps getting longer and longer as the majority of my day is lost in this haze of shrouded fatigue.

After about 3:00pm, I magically wake-up, like Dorothy in the "Wizard of Oz" when she opens the door of her black and white world into this magical kingdom full of vibrance and color. I finally have the much needed energy to do the things I have been wanting to do... but the day is getting late.

yellow brick road print by madd hatters lab

What is going on? I decided, I have become a victim of self-fulfilling prophecy. I know this is how I am every.single.day. so I have come to terms with it, I've hung up my punching gloves and said, "I am defeated by my body". Even though I feel like the witch that got a house dropped on her,  I've decided, "Well, not any more". I am going to wake up singing some "Meet Me in St. Louis" songs and dance and twirl my way through the morning. If I happen to pass out on the way to the living room and my warm and cozy blanket softens my fall, don't hate me. I can only try. Perhaps I'lll repost this again in a few months when I need a subtle reminder poke in the ribs... But for now, I am not going to be a "surrender Dorothy".

*this post was oddly appropriate, since I played a munchin in elementary school play, and a talking, semi-acrobatic toto in high school. I'll update with pics if I ever find them!

Family Time: Jumping on the Bed Gets You Closer to God

This weekend I visited my local antique mall and brought my camera! I have over 200 amazing photos to share with you and will be posting the best of the best this week, so do come back! (click on photos for larger view)


Mommy: (blow drying hair)
3 yr old: (jumping on mommy's bed)
Mommy: (putting on make-up)
3 yr old: I love Jesus
Mommy: You do? How come?
3 yr old: He loves me. He lives up high! (pointing to the sky)
Mommy: He does?
3 year old: Yeah, but he lives on Earth, too.
Mommy: uh-huh
3 year old: I'm going to die someday
Mommy: (silence)
3 year old: But it's okay because Jesus loves me.
Mommy: He does. I love you too!
3 year old: You're silly mommy
Mommy: (continues putting on make-up)
3 year old: (screaming contest with little brother ensues)



I try not to ask leading questions so I can see where my son goes with these conversations. He really likes to talk about God and the wonders of the Earth. I hope it never stops.



I know this letter has been around for a while, but I read it and it was a reminder that we should never underestimate our children. We should teach them that it is okay to not always agree, and to question authority at times lest something like this awful thing happens to them (video here, but don't watch if you upset easily. For a rundown sparring the details, in the video, the abused young girl says she did was she was told by the abuser because her parents taught her to never question what an adult told her to do).



Some day our precious little ones will grow up and may possibly rebel or go through other hardships and make our hearts ache, but that doesn't mean we can't open up our arms to them in those rough times. We have to remember, that if we do our part, they have to be trusted to eventually make their own decisions. I believe, that at a young age, a child can be led by the Spirit, as they are closer to the veil than we are. But as we age and we harden and the world bears down upon our children, we as parents and adults in general have to help guide our young. As the Prophet Joseph Smith once said, “I teach them {the children} correct principles, and they govern themselves." I love this talk, "Teaching Children to Govern Themselves" on the subject.



That has always been my goal, and just as long as my children know that I love them and want what is best for them, everything will be alright in the end if we keep our family strong. What is your goal when fostering your children up in this world?



Look at all of these Mormon related coloring pages and these non-denominational Christian pages I found for little ones. Great to keep them occupied in church instead of coloring in a Disney or dinosaur book!