T he n . 

+  N ow . 

W oo :)  O ne  w h ol e   b lo g g in g   y e ar  . A nd  o h , w ha  t    a  y e ar   i t   h as   b ee  n .  An d   O H  , al l   th e   th in g s  I  h av e   le  arn ed .  A n d  ,  I   ST I LL  t h in k   I   l o ve   i t .  M mm m m h mm m  .  W el co m e   ,  on c e  mo re  ,  t o  W H IM S Y   L  OU . H av e  a  h app y  L ou   D ay  + st a y  po st ed   fo r  a  sp e ci al   L ou  re c ip e   th at   I 'll   h av e   gu e st  po st ed   @  K at e ly n 's   s wee t   p l a ce ,  N in th  +  B i rd  ver y, V ERY  s oo n .  X OX O .

W him s y : Ka te + L o ve P ar t II

K a te     do es   i t    ag ai n .

Do  y ou   re c all  my   S QU EA L S   o f   l as t  mo n th  bot h   H E RE +  H ER E ?

W ell , h er e   ar e  som e  m o re :  Love in the Colorado Mountains Part II : Kate Botwinski Photography

A n d  I   get   to   s e e   thi s   p re tt   y   gi r l    T H I S    WE E K  :)

An d   on ce  m o re  ,    t h e se   my   v ery   v ery   v e ry  fa v es   

{ y es ,  n arr o w ed   do w n   to  a  m er e   n in e }  f ro m    th i s   po s t . . ..

E a t  i t   u p .  Tha t  da y   w a s  a   li tt le   d rea m  f o r   m e .  I   l o v ed    ev e ryt hin g  ab ou t   i t .  P erh ap s  th e r e   will  b e   mo re  W HIM SY  L OU  +  K ate  B ot  win s ki   Ph o t o gr aph y  re u nio n s   to  c o m e   on c e  M i ss K a te   i s  m y   C o lor a do  n eig h bo r :)   T ha t  ' s   a  go o d   th ou gh t .  X O XO .

S inc e r e ly , L ou

Today is a day in which I usually send a little note to a little someone special . Being in Minnesota now + being away from my boy for 8 entire days now , I have already sent more than my fair share of mail to his sweet face { t hey 're   com i n g   R } . So , today I have simply been admiring the new products thathas to offer . They are U N DOU B T  ED  L Y  my favorite these days + probably always , with their hand painted goodness + precious little faces by miss Anna Bond . I have used Rifle ' s work for inspiration in our last Christmas card , in notes I send each week , in doodles I draw during church + more . It will also undoubtedly be an inspiration when I create a large drawing with the boy + my handwritten wedding vows to hang in our home . Sometimes , as silly as it seems , I really think that Anna Bond + I could be good friends . Truly , some of the doodles I have previously done , before I even knew of Rifle , are so similar . Take for instance one of her newest cards ,

 

, a simply handwritten beauty that reminds me alot of the new fabric postcard line I am working on . . . or perhaps

 

- isn ' t  it gorgeous ? I am loving the floral accents + those CO L O R S  together - my oh my . Or how about 

 

to send along their merry way to gracious faces in your life . All I know is that Rifle does the handmade + does it well . I cannot wait to visit their new little shop in Winter Park , F L someday :)  Furthermore , I am sure I will be talking up their calling card line very soon { F AB U L OU S } + would love to show you the newest calling cards for WH IM SY  L OU as well . I promise . But until then, take a little peek @ Rifle ' s grand offerings , send someone you love a H ELL O + keep L OV IN G  T O DA Y . 

W ee k (en d ) Wh im s y

On c e   u p on    a  tim e  ,  I   w ok e  u p +  s ai d " H as   i t  reall y  b een  a  wh ole   en t ir e  wee k   sin c e   we  ce l eb r at ed   M i cah   + S ara h ' s  we dd in g  +  w a tch ed    S a ra h  b ec om e   a ? "  { Sh e   h ad  a ctu all y   b ec om e  a N ew hou s e  , n o t  a  ho te l } .  "  Y es  ! "  I  g asp ed   as   I  re c all e d   th e   s w eet   vo w s  o f the  c e rem on y ,   th e  h a rpi s t  ,  th e  g oo d  fr ie n ds  , w atch in g  M + S  th e   ni gh t   aw ay   +  b e gin   t hei r   s wee  t   li f e   to g eth er . I  re ca ll ed  t ry in g  t o   s h o w   a   ser i ou s   si d e , b ut   actu all y   ju st  loo k in g   reall y  h an d s om e   in  h is   shi rt +  ti e  + l au ghin g + d an cin g th e   ni gh t   a way .  Th at   s am e   nig h t   we  we re   ab l e  t o   sp en d  w i th   som e  o f  my  boy ' s  s wee t   fr i e nd s   fr om   hi s   h igh   sch oo l   y ea r s ,  kno w n   as  th e  F o re st   L ak e  G ir ls { I  L O V E  TH EM ! } +  I  re c all   ga s pin g  w h en  I  s aw   th e   sh e  h a d  c rea te d   for   he r  b a g .   G o r g eou s  , ri gh t ?!   S o   i s   sh e :  .  F o ll o win g th e   w edd in g , t he  b oy  + I   h ad  a  f ew    da ys   to  s pe n d   with   ou r  T W IN S I ES ,  +  en joy  ed   sp en din g  ou r   day  s   b e in g ob s ess e d  w ith   ou r   au n  t +  un cl e h oo d .  W e   l aug h e d  + pl a y e d  w ith +  we   o oo h ed +  a ww w e d   wi th   .  W e   m a d e   B e nn y + g a ze d  b ac k   @ K el s + h er  b i g  b lu e

 .  I   w as   e v en  ab l e  to  sp end  a  d ay   with   som e  co ll eg e  p al s  +  th eir   li tt le   a dd i tion : { re c all  th at  on e si e  I   sen t  b ac k  in M ay ? }  A f ew    day s   l at er  ,  my  b oy   g ot  on a  p lan e  +  fl ew  b ac k  h om e  to  C o lo r ad o , ju st  in  tim e   fo r   m e  t o  stay   +  g o   to  th e  wi th   my   f am i l y .  N o w ,  u p @  th e  la k e  ,  ou  r   fa mil y  h as    on e  ca b in   c all e d    th e  +  on e   m a in   ca bin   ca ll e d  th e  .   I t  lo ok s   a b i t   li ke   thi s : . T h er e  i s  al so   a  g u est  

 +  a  +  a  li tt l e  fo r  my   c ou sin s .  B u t  th at 's   n o t  all .  W e  al so   ha v e  a  call e d  th e   T ea h ou se   + a  w h ere   w e   sto r e   e ve r y t hin g   fo r  f i sh in g +  b oa tin g  ,  a lon g  wi th  a   sa u n a   f or   s om e   p re +  po st   s wi mm in g   w ar m th  .  S om e thi ng   th at   m ust   b e   to l d   in   thi s  st ory   i s   th at   T h e   H a ve n  w a s  b uil t  b y   m  y   Gr an d p a   m any   y ea rs   a go  , bu t  t his   v er y   su mm e r   w as  t he    2 5 th  a nn i ve r sary   o f  " F ami l y   We ek "  wh ere   e v er y   sin gle   p er son   on   m y   M om 's  s id e  o f the  family    sp end  t h e  e n tir e   wee k  t og ethe r   @   th e H av en .  T h is   li tt le   tr a di tion   of  g ath eri n g   e a ch   y ea r   ,  b egi nn in g  F ath er 's  D ay   wee ke n d  un ti l   t h e   n e xt ,  b e gan   th e   f irs t  su mm er  I  wa s   a li ve :)  A n d  e very   su mm er   o f  m y   li fe  ,   we  h av e  sp end   "  Fa  mily   W eek " pl ay in g t o ur  n am en t s ,  ,  ,  c on su m in g  m uch    {  th at  W AS  i c e c ream  } +  o th er  Gr an dm a   goo di es ,  pl ay in g  a  li tt le   h ere  +  th er  e ,  and    tak in g  i t  e asy   li k e  my , A nn a .  S he    ta ke s  i t   VE RY   e as  y  m o st   da y s ,  whe th er  @ t he   H av e n   o r @ h om e .  A nd   a s  if   on e   c ra zy   w ee k   wit h  

Kathy 

Margaret

Scott

Sarah

Kristen

Kyle

Jeanne

Duane

Mom

Dad

Jake

Allison

Benjamin

Chris

Ryan

Dylan

Kira

Emma

Jon

Amy

Aubrey

Tim

Grandpa

Grandma

+ 5  pu p s   cou l d   g et   any   c ra zi e r ,   we   d e c id e d   to  c on tin u e   the   "  F am ily   W eek " +  go  t o  a   fa mily  r eu nio n  t og eth er   @  th e  en d o f the   w ee k ,  in s tea d  o f  goin g   h om e . A n d   so  b e gan    th e   c o n voy    to  F ar go   o f  all   pl a ce s   t o   s ee   fa m il y   me m be rs   we   ne v er   b ef or e   kn ew   of  :)   On c e   t h e re   ,  we   ch att ed + l au gh ed   +  m os tl y  loo k ed   at  o ld   , on e   b y  on e ,   s po tt in g  ou t  p eo p l e   w e  r e co gn i z ed {} l ik e   M om  +  D ad 3 0  y e ar s   ag o  +  p eo pl e   we   di dn 't    re co g ni z e   wh o   too k   b ea uti fu l  ph ot og ra ph s :+ 

+

A n d  som e  tim es   r id i cu l ou s ly   fu nn y   ph o to gr aph s :+ + . Th i s   w as    th e  f a rm   th at  my  G ra n dm a  g re w  up  o n :.  B e aut if u l , I 'd    say  . Fin all y   ,  th is  w h ims y    w e ek { en d }   c am e   to   a  cl o se   +   I   fol l ow  ed   my

 b a ck   to   th eir   n e w  h om e  wh er e   M om    h as   pu t   m e  t o  w or k   pl an tin g   flo wer s +  h an gin g  f ram e s  +  h elp in g  h er   re co gn iz e th at  th ou gh   h er    wall   p ain t  colo r s  h av e   1 2   di f f er en t   na me s,   they   all   cou ld    very   we ll  ju st  b e   c all ed  O F F   WH I T E .  " O h ,   I  lo v e  my    M om  +  I   h av e  su re l y  l o v ed  thi s   wee  k ,"  I s ai d   + I   cu rle d  up   with   my  f amil y   on c e   mo re   in   th e    li v i ng   roo m .  

T h e   e nd . X O XO