orchid...

just a quick post, because....

yesterday, my pretty orchid started opening up... so happy!!

 it was a beautiful spring morning! i took these shots...

hope you are having a blessed day!

:)

saturday snapshot!

{i am linking up with yellow songbird for today's "saturday snapshot"}

snapshot details:

this is me & my sister on a camping trip in the summer of 2008! we were relaxing along the arkansas river in colorado! this is one of my many amazing memories of trips around the beautiful colorado mountains... i absolutely love where i live! ♥ & this shot makes me long for summer time!

recipe: homemade brownies

i love to bake! & i love brownies!! but for some reason, i have never made homemade brownies before... it has always seemed easier to just buy a mix from the store... but when i found this brownie recipe, i knew that i had to give it a try... they seemed so easy to make, not too mention they looked like the perfect brownie...

{i adapted this recipe from kim...}

 
1 stick butter
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 to 1 cup walnuts, chopped
Pinch of salt
+ Coarse sea salt, for the top.


Preheat oven to 390 degrees F. Line an 8×8″ baking pan with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan or pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add both sugars and mix. Remove from heat. Add eggs and vanilla, mix thoroughly. Then, slowly add the flour and cocoa. Slowly mix until well combined. Fold in walnuts, pinch of salt and any other additions. Pour batter into baking pan. Sprinkle with a generous amount of coarse sea salt. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

they turned out perfect!!! i can't wait to make these again!!

don't worry!

{my latest design, for sale in my etsy shop}

today was a creative day for me! & i love days like this!

i drew these flowers & worked them into a print for my shop, so fun!

lately, i have felt so inspired by spring & growth...

so, i had to include the little part from matthew 6:28

i have a tendancy to worry, sometimes...

i know God is in control, but sometimes i let little things get to me.

that is why i love matthew 6:27-34, it is such a beautiful reminder everyday...

"Can worry make you live longer? Why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow. They don't work hard to make their clothes. But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealth wasn't as well clothed as one of them. God gives such beauty to everything that grows in the fields, even though it is here today and thrown into a fire tomorrow. He will surely do even more for you! Why do you have such little faith? Don't worry and ask yourselves, "Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?" Only people who don't know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows that you need all of these. But more than anything else, put God's work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well. Don't worry about tomorrow. It will take care of itself. You have enough to worry about today."

i felt like it was a perfect fit for this!

inspired by...

here are some lovely things that i have found around the internet lately...

+  i love these polaroids & they way they capture color!
    so bright & fun!

+  i love this adorable bike print by artist, nan lawson.

    you can buy it from her etsy shop.

 +  this dream kitchen that i spotted on inspired design!!
     the colors & details are so pretty!

+  this is such a fun decorating idea for wall art, that i spotted on poppytalk...

    i like anything that involves scrabble! :)

giveaway winner!!! + get 25% off!!!

it is time to announce the winner
of my blog birthday giveaway!!
a big thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway!
i am so blessed to have you as followers of my blog.
& i really enjoyed reading your comments!
:)
random.org helped me to choose #3
so that means...
Kelly is the winner!!

Congratulations Kelly!
Send me an email to brightside_02@hotmail.com
with your mailing information & which photo you would like...


& as a special thank you to all of you...
i am currently offering 25% off your order  from my etsy shop!
use the coupon code: SPRING25 at the checkout
{this is for a limited time only}

happy spring!! & weekend photos...

i just have to say...

it is officially spring!!! yay!!! 

sunday was a perfect way to start the season... the weather was so beautiful!!

we went to church! watched a rockies game! went for a walk!

& ate homemade strawberry shortcake, made with these beauties...

♥

on saturday, my sister & i went to meet our friend's brand new baby girl!!
awe, she is so sweet! i loved taking photos of her, she just posed perfectly...

& here is one of me holding the sweet baby girl! :)

what a special weekend...
i hope yours was too!

thank you daylight saving time...

i took this picture at about 6:45 last night... yay!!

oh how i love this golden light...

the longer days & more sunlight have made me so happy!

plus the weather here has been so beautiful lately!

this shot is from the field beside my house...

& i have to share this picture of my doggie... such a cutie! :)

 don't forget to enter my giveaway!!

{click here to read more & to enter}

blog birthday giveaway!!

my blog is one year old this month!! yay!!!

i am so thankful for all of you who have read my blog over this past year! you all inspire me so much & have made blogging so much fun!

so, in honor of this occasion, i am having a...

you must follow my blog &

leave a comment below this post!

just for fun, tell me what day your birthday is
& how you like to celebrate...

+ for one extra entry:

visit my etsy shop
& let me know which item is your favorite...

(this must be in a separate comment in order to count)

{a winner will be chosen on Tuesday, March 22nd}

thanks for reading! :)

pray.

seeing all of the news & photos of japan is so unbelievable. i can't even begin to understand what it must be like to go through what they are going through right now. it's hard for me to know what to even think, because it is so far away & it feels so surreal... however, i do know that there is something great that i can do & that is to pray! we all need to come together to lift up those who are hopeless, scared, alone, hungry, cold... so, please take time & pray for the pain & loss that so many are facing right now... because even in the midst of this pain, people need to know that there is hope. & it only comes from being in the presence of God's love...

i thought i would share this photo that i spotted on hello, friend.
so pretty & such inspiring words for this current time.
{Revelation 21:1-5}

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven & earth had passed away, & there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. & I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, & he will dwell with them. They will be his people, & God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy & true.”

that says it all! :)

through my lens {lately}

i ♥ my new 50mm lens!!

it was a pretty quite & restful weekend for me...

so, there is not much to share, other than these recent photos.

oh & i have to share that i have basically watched "i love lucy" all.weekend.long.

♥

(thank you hallmark channel for the marathon)

it's timeless & so funny... i love it!

ps. the nail polish (pictured above) is called "plum luck"

& be sure to watch my blog for a special giveaway coming this week!

yay!!

{saturday snapshot}

i am linking up with kim of yellow songbird for "saturday snapshot"! it's so fun to go back & look at old photos... plus, i know that i have never shared this photo on here before, which is a shame, because it's one of my most favorite photos! :)
so here it is:

this is me with my mom & sister, swimming with dolphins in mexico! so much fun!!

one of my most favorite memories...

we went with two of our close friends to riviera maya, mexico & it was definitely a dream vacation! we had many fun adventures... relaxed by the pool & ordered fancy drinks... & made tons of great memories!! it's something i will always cherish!

do you have a photo that you really love & want to share??
link up with yellow songbird...

color palette no. 2

"it's plain to see, what we got is color, in a world of black&white..."
... from a favorite song by joy williams, "charmed life"

this photo is by laney butler >>

photography fun!!

my new lens has arrived..... yay!!!

i have been playing with it a little bit...

i also bought a new set of photoshop actions & boarders from k. miller >>

i used them for these photos... they are lots of fun! :)

the above shot is dinner from last night.

it's a cheesy soup, with homemade noodles, potatoes & little smokies.

it's not too healthy... but i did make it with skim milk.

& i don't make it very often... so it's okay! :)

can't wait to get out tomorrow & take more photos!!!

buttons!

there is a new print for sale in my shop today!!

i love these spring-y colors!! :)

family photos!

over the weekend...

i got to meet my cousin's sweet little baby girl, for the first time!!

yay!!!!
she is 4 months old & such a cutie...

my grandma made the dolly for her! cute!!

we had so much fun passing her around & getting to know her!

they live in california, so it was pretty special to spend this time with them...

& a big family shot!

(sadly, my grandpa is missing from this photo)

 it was a very fun weekend for my family!

:)