When Life Gives You Lemons...

....Build a fire pit and roast hot dogs in your own backyard. 

We've been planning a camping trip with my family for almost a year now. We were going to go to Mt Lassen National Park, but that's a seven and a half hour drive, and when we discovered that long drives aren't the best with a baby, we scratched that idea and decided to go to Lost Lake in Mt Hood National Forest. 

And then....Ari caught chicken pox. 

It is a super mild case - only three little dots - and they haven't bothered her at all, but the doctor recommended not putting her through the stress of missed naps and unfamiliar places. 

So....Isaac bought a concrete fire ring (only $39 at the concrete pre-fab shop down the road? Yes, please!) and we roasted hot dogs in our backyard. 

It's a corner of our yard that we haven't done much to - unless you count cleaning out the two Christmas trees and carting out like 5 loads of brush - so it's nice to finally get something started out there. 

We contemplated setting the tent up and sleeping outside....but sleeping bags and rock-hard ground are only worth it if I'm in the forest miles away from cell phone service. 

Chalkboard Kitchen Door

I'm not sure when it happened, but my industrial design-obsessed husband has recently started pointing out how much he is liking rustic elements in home decor.

Imagine my surprise when the guy who usually likes cold concrete floors and super empty minimalist rooms suggested putting a chalkboard in our kitchen. Um, what? A chalkboard? You mean one of the trendiest rustic/homey elements in home design? The thing that I've been secretly craving but not saying anything about because I thought I would never get it? Are you sure we're talking about the same thing?

Love. 

Playing in the Yard

I feel silly, but I took a bunch of pictures with the goal of doing my first outfit post. Turns out all but one was out of focus and the one that did work wasn't cute at all.

On Me: Shirt:Ross / Cardi:Halogen / Skirt:Motherhood / Boots:Franco Sarto

On Ari: Jeans:Children's Place / Shirt:Carter's / Fleece:REI / Shoes:Robeez

So instead I took a bunch of pictures of Ari. Those turned out super adorable. Of course, it's not hard to take adorable pictures of this girl, but man....these ones turned out so so cute. There is something so sweet and innocent in her face. 

And then she starts digging in the dirt.....

And while she was digging in the dirt, I took pictures of my fuchsias...the ones Isaac calls old lady flowers. Oh well, I like them. 

PS. Looking at that picture makes me realize that I really need to move that skirt into the bin of maternity clothes in the back of my closet. Denim skirts are like the most important part of my wardrobe and I don't have one that fits right now.