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Just A Reminder

2012-02-04T16:05:00.001-06:00

I've been kind of obsessed over on Tumblr lately. So that's why no blogging but you can skip on over to my Tumblr Snapshot blog to see a little of our day to day in instagrams :)

Oh Yeah I Remember That

Book Shower

2012-01-25T11:59:00.000-06:00

I threw a book shower for a friend this past weekend. We ended up having it two weeks earlier than expected because the little man decided to come a little sooner. Two weeks sooner. All the guests brought him a book to start his library and it was so much fun looking through them all. I decided to not go with a theme since time was limited. I ended up ordering from Garnish and then found everything else locally and used what I already had. The food was pretty simple. Wrap sandwiches and chicken salad sandwiches, raw veggies, ranch and hummus, bagged kettle chips, clementines, Pellegrino, cream puffs and I bought two cakes from Whole Foods. The dessert forks were bamboo and had verses from Where the Wild Things Are and Goodnight Moon stamped on them (I ordered those on Etsy). I think it turned out great! SO much fun!

Me on being sick.

2012-01-16T12:06:00.001-06:00

I'm sitting here stuffing my face with tamales and ginger ale. I've had "the crud" the last few days and let me tell you...I don't like being sick. Sometimes I dream of the TV watching, no cooking downtime of being sick. Then reality sets in and I realize it quite frankly stinks. My nose is so red and chapped that I look like bozo the clown and it's 70 degrees outside and I'm not able to enjoy it. Little man is outside playing in the camper as I type. It's his new "secret spy" hideout or "secret bird watching" club and the password is "bird". Flossy is playing with an array of Barbies in her PJ's enjoying time away from Ro.

I heard this earlier and I totally thought "brilliant! this is the theme song to my life right now". I imagine a music box with a little figure trapped inside spinning around and around and never reaching a destination. That's me right now. Oh how I long for wanderlust and it's just a few months away. Spring breaking in the dessert perhaps?

Alright, that's enough of the pity party. I'm praying for a more positive attitude. I promise :)

Baby Jaxon Has Arrived...

2012-01-12T16:19:00.000-06:00

And he's beautiful! We love him already and he has some amazing parents. Here's his first photo shoot (mom, dad, and grandparents included). We had a full house ;)

Jaxon from Aja Vaught on Vimeo.

Oh Yeah I Remember That

2012-01-09T16:03:00.000-06:00

So after reading an amazing oh so true post by Tara Whitney, I decided to follow her lead and start a little tumblr blog with my iphone photos. All you need is a tumblr blog (which is free) and the instagram app (which is also free). Mine was just started yesterday so it's bare in photo content but I can see that changing soon since you can set your instagram to magically upload your photos to your tumblr. Awesome! So to check out daily iphone snaps of our little fam go to Oh Yeah I Remember That and see what we've been up to.

Breakfast Cookie...No Sugar, No Dairy, No Eggs, No Gluten

2012-01-03T21:25:00.000-06:00

So I stumbled across these little morsels on Pinterest the other day. They looked good, but I have to admit that I was a little skeptical because they contain no sugar. Yep, that's right. No chocolate. No peanut butter. How could they possibly be good? Well, let me tell you, they are my friends. Little ooey gooey morsels of yum. AND, they are great for a little "breakneck breakey". That's another word for breakfast according to a friend of ours. Anyways, just add fruit to the side of your plate and maybe a little greek yogurt and you're good to go. My oldest LOVES them. The youngest, well, he is a super healthy eater but when you use the word "cookie" he expects sugar. I never should have used that word. I think he thought the dates were chocolate chips. He is my child that's for sure. Can you blame him? I would take chocolate chips over dates any day. So here's the recipe...with my substitutions. I only had two ripe bananas and I try to avoid canola oil. You can substitute the oil for plain applesauce (just use less), pumpkin puree (my choice) or even coconut oil (although it can sometimes be all you taste).

No Sugar Breakfast Cookies

Adapted from Blueberry Girl In Oz

1 1/2 cups regular rolled oats (I used Gluten Free)
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 cup of almond meal
1/2 cup mixed nuts, finely chopped
1 cup dried fruit (I used 1 cup of chopped dates)

3 ripe bananas, mashed (I used two and 1/4 cup of pumpkin)
1/4 cup canola oil (I omitted and used 1/4 cup organic pumpkin puree)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 175C. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, almond meal, mixed nuts and coconut flakes. Stir in allspice and cinnamon. Add dried fruit and stir until well and evenly mixed. Make sure the dried fruit do not stick together in big batches.
In another bowl, combine canola oil, mashed banana and vanilla extract. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and stir until well combined.

Take a large cookie cutter and press spoonfuls of the batter into it. Remove cookie cutter. Bake for about 20 minutes or until edges are golden brown. ( I just used my cookie scoop but this will work too)

Baby M is on his little way!

2011-12-31T21:45:00.000-06:00

So I wanted to share a maternity session I did for some good friends of ours who are expecting their first baby in about 2 weeks. We are beyond excited to meet this little one and so incredibly happy for them. I know them well and know they will be amazing parents. Sounds cliche, but they really will. Baby M is also going to be gorgeous and I'm looking forward to his session in a few short weeks. Can you believe how good she looks? Don't let her cute little belly fool you, she's still teaching spin classes at 8.5 months pregnant! I wish I could share them all, but here's a few...

Pumped Up Kicks

2011-10-10T09:30:00.002-05:00

I wish this was me...just sayin ;)

Ohdeedoh

2011-10-02T20:42:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to post a quick link to Jude's Room Tour on Ohdeedoh!

Thanks Ohdeedoh!

Canned Hammin' It!

2011-09-28T13:36:00.005-05:00

Finally! We did it! We bought a 1966 Fan Camper and we are ecstatic which is actually an understatement. It should arrive from Michigan on Friday morning. It's ready to go other than putting our own spin on it. It's the cutest thing I've ever seen so cute. It sleeps our little family of four plus Fiona. I bought this book a few weeks ago and to my surprise I opened it up and saw a similar little camper. Ours is the exact same color! Now we can take her out west with us and see so much more ;) I'll post some photos when we get her finished.

a funk.

2011-09-24T15:19:00.002-05:00

funk 1 |fə ng k| informalnoun1 (also blue funk) [in sing. ] a state of depression : I sat absorbed in my own blue funk.• chiefly Brit. a state of great fear or panic : are you in a blue funk about running out of things to say?

Yep, that pretty much sums up me lately, BUT things they are a changin'...I hope. Sometimes funks happen and it stinks but my lack of motivation has given me a lot of time to think about things and about what's really important. I deleted a bunch of blogs from my reading list b/c I realized that I was spending waaay too much time on that kind of nonsense and it really wasn't helping my state of mind. I plan on tidying things up around here and maybe going private and spiffing up my photo blog and making that more of the public space. Not sure. Undecided (which is a funk induced side effect). I love having this place to record memories and then print it out in book form each year. We'll see :)
Blogger changed there interface and this new one is making my head spin! Anyone else? I am such a creature of habit.
This food allergy thing we have been dealing with has been interesting and a tad bit stressful but we're managing. We've also been flirting with the idea of eating a vegan diet, which really is about 70% of our diet anyways. But then I crave a bun less hamburger and it's all over. Darn you Kind Diet! Now I have anxiety when I eat my bun less hamburger!
About 2 weeks ago we got back from Gulf Shores and spent the first part of the vacation smack dap middle in Tropical Storm Lee. You better believe we were the dummies out there in it yelling look at me as the wind almost knocked us down. It was awesome. It was not awesome getting woken at 3am to sirens and a voice saying "Attention! Attention! Attention! An emergency has been reported. Please evacuate and do not use the elevators". Yeah, not fun. We are sheep though so we evacuated for a bit and we are still alive. YAY! It was also so cool that we were on the 14th floor of the condo and the light fixture was swaying. Lots of wind. Lots and lots of wind. We did manage to have about 4 days on the beach and the waves were great. The husbands surfed (not mine) and we basked in the sunshine and boogie boarded until our hearts content.
So, soonI hope to get this blog thing figured out :) Have a great weekend!

A Journey.

2011-08-25T09:10:00.001-05:00

So our family has been on a little journey. A few years ago I found out I had a gluten allergy as well as a dairy allergy. The day I gave those things up my life improved. But oh how quickly we forget. So like human tendency, as soon as I was feeling better, I slowly started eating gluten and dairy daily. So now I haven't been feeling so great. I wake up sore, tired and cranky. Then my youngest, my baby, who rarely gets sick, started getting recurrent strep infections and tonsillitis. This has been going on for the last 7 months. So we took him to our naturopath in hopes of getting to the bottom of it and treating what's going on instead of removing his tonsils. The result? We found out he is allergic to eggs and oranges as well as gluten. This is major. He drinks orange juice daily and usually got some form of gluten and egg daily. We also found out that he has a yeast infection in his stomach (from all the antibiotics). These things are weighing his immune system down so that is why he can't get rid of the strep. We're trying to be balanced though and if he needs his tonsils removed we'll be on board. We just hope we don't have to go that route. It will take a few months to see hoe his body responds. So far so good.

Finding out these results has had a tremendous impact our family. I'm forced now to avoid these things too which is good since I too have an allergy and we all feel better. I'm learning to cook with egg substitute and my sweetheart of a husband bought a bread maker with a gluten free setting and I have been making the most delicious gluten, dairy and egg free bread ever. We don't eat a lot of bread, but it's a must have for almond butter sandwiches for school. And this year there school has banned sugar! YAY! No more junk, no more candy. We bring our child's own snack and they have water bottles instead of germy drinking fountains. This could not have happened at a better time because last year they were given unhealthy snacks and candy everyday. Now I'm on a mission to make healthy gluten & dairy free lunches everyday and get creative with it.

On a side note, despite the debilitating heat we have had ALL summer, our little garden did really well. I haven't watered it since we got back from Cali and yesterday I pulled off a few tomatoes as well as a cucumber and we have more growing. Yay me! I put a lot of peat in the soil this year and made my own blend so I think maybe that's why it's doing so well. The peat is holding the water. That means a bigger garden next year because my Whole Foods bill just went up a little ;) I'll post some recipes soon :)

Last Vacation Post...I Promise.

2011-08-24T11:50:00.001-05:00

Summer 2011...NoCal & SoCal from Aja Vaught on Vimeo.

A few favorite memories from our trip that I don't want to forget...

Jude taking a big bite of Calimari a Riva's in Santa Cruz and giving us the thumbs up, then me telling him he was eating squid tentacles and him instantly gagging and choking and spitting the chewed up squid tentacles out. I know, I know.

Looking out at Glacier point watching Jude climb a rock and then watching Jude lose his balance and tumble down the rock feet moving faster than he could go and catching himself at the edge of the point and saying "I meant to do that". Us checking our pulse to make sure our hearts were still beating.

Watching our children explore Yosemite fearlessly and curiously.

Picking Eric up from the airport in San Francisco and watching all the Asian flight attendants come off the plain from Bangkok. Seriously, they looked like Barbies or dolls. Wish I got a picture of their hair pieces and uniforms. Our flight attendants are so boring in the states.

Watching T carry Tristan off the Indian Jones ride in Disney. Bella and I bailed at the last minute. Apparently it was a wild ride but Judo LOVED it!

Tristan and I sleeping in a twin bed together for a week.

California's bounty. They have the best farmer's markets in the world and I have a new love for peaches. Can you believe I have never tried a white peach before? WOW!

Sleeping in a Yurt and being lulled to sleep by the sound of water flowing through the Tuolumne River at night.

River rafting on the Merced River in Yosemite Valley.

Lunch at the Awahanee Hotel.

The Giant Sequoia Trees. WOW!

Watching the surfers in Santa Cruz and looking for Lost Boys on the boardwalk ;) Come on Kiefer, where were yo?

Walking on the beach in Santa Cruz, freezing and playing in the ice cold water barefoot.

The Fischers.

Lunch with the Fischers at Half Moon Bay.

Singing show tunes and songs from the 70's, 80's and 90's and commenting on how cool it would be if we actually had one of those infomercial rock ballad cd's.

In-N-Out's. Enough Said.

The games we played trying to keep each other awake while driving at night.

Missing home and all the people who make it home. It's good to miss home.

Escaping 115 degrees back home. It was in the 60's to 80's.

Watching Bella take care of her little brother. At one point Jude fell asleep in the car with gum in his mouth. Bella was so worried about him choking on it that she woke him up and made him spit it in her hand. That's a few hours after we had to separate them b/c of fighting.

Also, watching Bella almost in tears b/c she was worried about her little brother riding Indiana Jone's. She just kept saying "poor Jude". I love to see how much they love each other.

Hanging with Fisch...you know you love us Eric ;)

Hanging out under the stars in our little Yurt Village with my tripod and camera and a glass of cheap Cali vino, eating tortilla chips.

San Francisco. Oh how I thought I would not like you. You are great and beautiful and have so much to explore. I can't wait to visit you again (minus the wharf).

Getting the Mister some Dogfish Head. Finally.

Surprising the kids with Disney and Bella saying "You Promise?"before she officially got excited. Too cute. I have a separate Disney post planned.

Traders Joe's and 2 Buck Chuck.

Yosemite. All. Of. It.

370 Miles.

2011-08-19T12:31:00.001-05:00

Thank you Sleep Inn and Suites for you accommodating accommodations, where bed jumping is allowed. After 16 STRAIGHT hours we arrived, only 370 short miles from home. The kids could not contain themselves so they took it out on the hotel bed and Audrey posed along with them ;) Still going through tons of pictures and had to share these.

Yosemite.

2011-08-18T21:36:00.001-05:00

We stayed up late one night, sitting outside our Yurt, eating tortilla chips and drinking cheap wine. Eric told us stories of Thailand and we waxed sentimental about how much we miss him all while waiting for this exposure. My 30 minute exposure at Yosemite. It's not what I was going for, but I didn't have a wide enough lens and there were so many darn trees in the way. It would have turned out my way if we were at a higher elevation too. Pretty cool how you can see how much the earth rotates from looking at the stars.

San Francisco

2011-08-18T17:15:00.001-05:00

So I had a plan to post al of our vacation pics from Northern and Southern California, but it's just too many to post so this will be it ;) I'll try to get a slideshow posted in a few days of the whole trip. I love slideshows for the memories anyways so its all good...

Here are a few from San Francisco, most being near Golden Gate and Fisherman's Wharf and Mussee Mecanique.

Home Again.

2011-08-15T15:13:00.001-05:00

And it feels so good. I LOVE California and have dreamed of living there, BUT I have come to realize that there is no place like home. We are so glad to be back and we're slowly getting back into a routine. Two weeks is a very long time to be away from normal so it's taking me a bit to get things done. I will share pictures soon! School starts next week and I'm a little sad about that, but anxious to get some things done. We are also leaving again in 3 weeks for Gulf Shores so lots to get done. I'll be updating this little blog like crazy soon!

Bella...Ghirardelli Square, San Francisco

Greetings from SoCo....

2011-08-10T13:49:00.000-05:00

We're in Southern California at the moment, about to head down to Huntington Beach. NoCal was beautiful and so different from the south. I have so much to share and so many pictures to wade through, post vacation bliss. More soon ;)

Mr. Jude's Room

2011-07-19T21:31:00.000-05:00

I have been meaning to post pictures of his room forever, but never got around to taking pictures and there's still a few things I want to do. But I decided to go for it and show off the awesome bed that Tristan built for his little guy. Everything in the room is things we already had except for the rug (purchased from CB2 with a gift card), the desk chair (from Ikea), the ceiling light (Ikea) and the brown floor pillow from Land of Nod. The wood rolling bins we built ad I stained them and I bought the castors for them from Ikea. I haven't bought bedding yet b/c really it doesn't show from the floor and I rarely make his bed b/c it's too difficult! His room is pretty small and so we decided to build a loft style bed. We found the one from Pottery Barn Teen and made it pretty similar. Like I said, it is a work in progress right now, but one day I'll get around to the rest.

Some beats.

2011-07-12T11:24:00.000-05:00

Listening to this right now while cleaning out the kitchen drawers, literally dancing eating a piece of cold leftover g-free homemade pizza. Life is good :)

Summer Lovin'

2011-07-10T17:06:00.000-05:00

It's been 100+ here the last few weeks and today it was 107 degrees. Northern Cali is callin' our name louder and louder. Three more weeks and we are counting down the days. SO far, our plans are to pick up Eric from the airport in San Francisco the day after we get there. His flight gets in from Thailand about 10:45 am so we'll get to hang out for the day there and then maybe stay with his sister in Napa later in the week and take a ferry back into the bay area. We also plan on visiting Yosemite and camping, although the whole bear thing scares Tristan and Jude a bit. I'm more worried about a bear sniffing out a lost french fry under a seat in our car and then having it smashed to pieces by the relentless bear trying to eat that french fry. I have heard you can pee around your tent and vehicle and they will stay away. Between the 4 of us I'm pretty sure we can conjour up enough pee to frighten a whole bear habitat away. Actually I'm pretty sure Bella and I have that covered for the whole family. The second week we are heading to southern Cali for some theme park fun and a few days at the beach. We also would like to visit the HUGE flea market in Pasadena at the Rose Bowl. Needless to say, I may not be coming back to Oklahoma. Especially if it's 100 degrees!!!

Some good friends of ours visited from the valley in south texas...

That black stuff is charred marshmellow NOT chocolate. How she ate that I will never know!

Swimming. Swimming. Swimming.

Ellis+Terra+Dan, Tulsa Family Photographer

2011-07-07T21:31:00.000-05:00

This sweet baby boy flew all the way here from DC this past week and I had the pleasure to spend the evening photographing him and his family. I even had a super cute assistant! I've know his mama for over 10 years and it was so good to finally meet this little guy. It was 100 degrees outside and we were all dripping with sweat but that was nothing a little trip to Riverside splashing in the water couldn't fix. Ellis LOVED the water and was super happy to be there even though it was way past his bedtime. He has the most beautiful hair and eyes I've ever seen on a baby and is the perfect mix of his mom and dad. Thanks guys, it was a blast even in the heat!

My cute little assistant who loves babies.

Training Wheels.

2011-06-28T15:47:00.000-05:00

She stared it down. I knew what she was thinking. That bike has been lamenting her for along time now. All her friends could ride their bikes with no training wheels. All the kids at school could ride their bikes with no training wheels too. But not this little 8 year old girl. The thought of it was just downright appalling to her. Why ride without training wheels when you have training wheels? We hopped on our bikes to cruise the hood and as she peddled faster and faster I knew it was time. I knew she could do it. I knew she was ready. I looked at her daddy and he looked at me and he knew it too. As the sun began descending in the sky we decided to head for home and break out the tools. Within minutes the trainers were off and she stared her pink cruiser down.

This time it was different. As if she knew it was her moment. They found a stretch of grass in the front yard and she hopped on aided by her dad and peddled. He held the seat so as not to shake her confidence.

She rode back and forth with a sweaty out of breath daddy in tow. Back and forth as I snapped photo after photo. Back and forth as it got darker and you could hear the cicada's sounding. The smell of summer filled the air and the sun beat down on us.

Back and forth she peddled and peddled until her daddy let go.

All of a sudden, our baby girl was on her own, riding her bike without even knowing it. We looked at each other as if we had succeeded. As if all the mistakes we've made as parents didn't exist.

With her daddy's loving hand and her mama's cheerleading, she did it. We did it. There were a few bumps and bruises along the way. She has not learned to break without falling over, but such is life. We will steady her bicycle for her always :)

Dear Photograph.

2011-06-21T17:07:00.000-05:00

This is the coolest blog...CHECK IT out!

Graduation Party Part 2

2011-06-19T21:38:00.000-05:00

So here are a few more pics from the party...

The kids totally fit the part! They kept saying "we look soooo vintage".

My beautiful friend Steph and her family...

My handsome man...

Wise guy huh?

My other beautiful Friend Lacy...

My friend Terri came a Carol Brady...too cute!

Terri's daughter Jayden also picked the 70's.

Teenagers these days...never thought I would say that! I'm not exactly sure what some of them were supposed to be.

FYI...this kids is a genious. period. Google is actually having him test things for them. Hence the google chrome knuckle things. He's 15 people!

There were so many people that I missed...so many. I was too busy making sure everything was done! Anyways, it was a blast and turned out perfect. I think I'll take a break from the party planning for awhile though!

Em's Graduation Party Part 1

2011-06-17T21:19:00.000-05:00

The past few months I have been helping a friend plan a graduation party for her daughter and the invitation list included 100 plus people. I've known Emily since she was Bella's age so it was so strange to be planning her graduation party. Fortunately, the food was handled, but I planned the decor and other stuff. This family is like family to me and I love them dearly so it was so much fun to be such a big part of it. Thanks to my super talented sis in law for helping me implement it and for helping me pull it all together. Emily's parents bid on the Harweldon Mansion at a school auction so they got a huuuuuge deal on the space. Emily wanted vintage decor so that's what she got. Handmade decorations, old quilts, wild flowers and kraft paper were a hit with the youngsters. It was so much fun!

Summa Time!

2011-06-17T15:17:00.000-05:00

Oh my goodness, this little blog is in need of a makeover. I just haven't had a spare second to blog, but I'm hoping that will change. Poor little Jude was sick with one thing after another for a month and then I've been busy planning a graduation party for a friend which happened last night and was a big success. We were on a tight budget so every bit of it was DIY. I'll share pics today or tomorrow. We also dressed up 40's which was a blast. I'm so glad I don't have to wear red lipstick every day. I had it all over me by the end of the night! Now that the party is out of the way, summer is in full swing around here. We have lots of swimming, grilling, farmers marketing, gardening, crafting, cooking, library trips and a big vacation to Cali to do. The summer will be topped off with a road trip to Northern California to visit some friends in Modesto and Napa, some hanging out in San Fran and a trip to Yosemite. Topping the trip off is a surprise visit to Disneyland for kiddos. Yay for summer! Boo for my blogging skills (hopefully that will change). Right now, I'm off to clean the pool and finish coloring our giant neighborhood for hot wheels and lego men. Miss B requested that I draw a skate shop and a Whole Foods. I'm not blogging a picture of that to spare myself humiliation! I hope you're all having a wonderful summer!

You Go Grand Rapids!

2011-05-31T22:02:00.002-05:00

This is so amazing. January's Newsweek listed Grand Rapids, Michigan as a "dying city". I have to admit, we drove there last Spring for a wedding and were not impressed. Not anymore. You go Grand Rapids!

This was there response...

Tornado Alley.

2011-05-25T10:11:00.000-05:00

That's what they call the area we live in. Nice. I've lived in Tornado Alley all of my life. Every spring the sirens go off and we usually go about our routine, which usually consists of me trying to scout out twisters with my camera. I've. never. seen. one. It always such a rush and can be exciting even knowing the destructive path they take. It's sounds awful to say, but I'm not the only Okie who feels excitement during storm season. I've always wanted to be a chaser. Not anymore. This is the first year we actually had a plan. The first year we found a "hidey hole" as my dad says. The first year we took it seriously.

For days they have been predicting a monstrous line of storms. A storm yielding 70-80 mile an hour straight line winds. A storm with significant rotation that could bring about numerous large tornados, like F5's. Typically us Okie's are out on our roof tops with snacks (not really) when tornado sirens sound. Not anymore. The devastation we have seen in Joplin and Alabama is too close for comfort. Last night the storms that ripped through Oklahoma and other states killed several people (one was a child, were critically injured). That same storm went right over our heads. It was scary to say the least. For the first time, we decided to heed the warning. For the first time we were scared.

We tracked the storm online.

Storms/Tornado's travel in a Northeast direction (I think). It was headed right for us. Tornado's had already touched down in this storm.

We watched the news, anxiously trying to figure out what to do. Wait it out at home (and in our mind wait for a mile wide tornado to touch down on our street) or go to my dad's apartment (where there was a basement).

We decided to head to my dad's apartment downtown thinking we would be safer in the basement there. He was out of town but my brother and sister were there. We stood on the balcony on the 6th floor and watched the storm blown in from the west. No sirens yet so we watched and waited.

As it got closer and closer the wind started to pick up considerably. Then suddenly out of nowhere, the rain started and the wind was howling. It felt like we could have been sucked right off the balcony. We ran inside. The wind was howling so loud from inside the building. At this point we decided to go down to the basement since there was a tornado warning on TV.

I couldn't get pictures of the storm b/c I couldn't go near the windows. The wind was crazy though. The storm passed quickly and warnings for Midtown were over so we went back upstairs to the balcony. The calm after the storm. Sirens never officially went of during the storm.

Then, while we were watching the storm move to the East, the sky was calm yet eery. Sirens started sounding. We knew we were safe though. In classic Okie style we watched the clouds and felt the cool breeze. It was over. We hoped...

When we got in the car to find shelter at my dad's I grabbed my phone, my camera and my external hard drive with all my pics backed up. Just in case our house was flattened, at least I would have my camera to document the aftermath and my precious family photos.

After we got the kids tucked in bed, we got a well deserved milkshake and ended up falling asleep on the couch. When we woke up at 11:45, the TV was on with the radar pulled up again. Then we realized the storm was in the path of some family and friends in Arkansas. I knew my family would be safe because they have a storm shelter. So we called our friends in the path of the storm to make sure they were up and taking cover. They were. Everyone was safe last night, at least those near and dear to us. Our hearts go out to those families less fortunate last night and in the past few weeks.

Ok, Mr. Spring...could you please go away now? We're on a mission to find a storm shelter for the house now for next season.

Lazy Day.

2011-05-18T09:11:00.001-05:00

We're on round two of strep throat in our home (not to mention my ear infection). Jude has had it twice and poor little guy has been miserable. We decided we had enough of the indoors, especially since we're supposed to have tons of rain soon, so we headed outdoors Saturday. We kept the germs contained to our own backyard and since we were confined to that vicinity we decided to make the best of it and get some much needed yard work done. We put on shorts and tanks and headed out to find ourselves dashing inside for jeans and hoodies. Brrrrrr. What is wrong with this weather lately?

Anyways, we had a good day despite the circumstances. As expected, it's pouring down rain today and doesn't look like it's going to stop this week so I guess that means it's time to get some much needed organizing done before school is out in two weeks. I long for those lazy summer days with my babies. Just a little while longer.

We planted 37 of these in our hard rocky Oklahoma dirt.

It was so easy to find simple beauty in our own backyard. I just had to open my eyes to see it.

And then sit back and take it all in.

I'm not exactly sure what this tree is in our backyard. I barely made a "B" in horticulture in college, but I love the little heart shapes leaves.

The blue skies that day reminded me of driving west through New Mexico and Arizona. They were so vibrant and the clouds were so plump and perfect.

I shed these puppies, as well as my hoodie, after being outside for a while and shoveling that hard, rocky Oklahoma soil. Then I got a sunburn.

Who am I kidding...EVERYTHING about this boy melts me.

and this boy too.

He works so hard for us and we appreciate everything he does. He's a gem.

Thank goodness for him....

And this little girl? Well, let me just tell you about her. She's the best. Sometimes I strive to be more like her. She's my sweet sweet girl and I'm so glad to be her mama.

She loves her brother so much and I'm also thankful for that.

(photo by daddy)

Apparently, they were hunting buffalo and roasting it on an open fire. Poor Mr. Buffalo.

The day would not have been complete without its own soundtrack.

Can't forget the pooch either...she's a big part of our familia.

So, there ya have. It was a beautiful day. We made our own fun, sick or not. I'm so thankful for these guys and the pooch too.

Bird Watching.

2011-05-10T09:10:00.000-05:00

Apparently, our little man has developed a love for birds. His aunt Celeste discovered this and took him to the book store Saturday to get a bird book as well as a few essentials like "beenocliers" (binoculars), a compass, and a small telescope. This is pretty serious business because I found him like this the other day and when I took his picture he looked at me as serious as can be and said "SHHHHHHH!!!!!". Of course my mama goggles are on, but it was pretty cute to see him so focused on his bird watching.

A few weeks ago, we had a scare with him and ended up at the Pediatric Cardiology Center. Fortunately, he's good, no problems, but it was the scariest week of our life waiting on that appointment, sitting in the waiting room and then watching him go through the testing. He's a healthy boy though :) I love these photos of him being so seeeerious :)

Backyard

2011-05-10T08:50:00.000-05:00

This summer we toyed with the idea of raising a garden again, but we just didn't have the time. We do however, have a trouble spot off our patio where we cant get grass to grow, the same spot where we once had a garden, and we didn't want to hire a lawn service, so we had to figure something out. Our plan...ROCKS! Saltwater Creek rocks were the solution. We started yesterday and we hope to reveal the finished product this week! A friend of ours picked up the fire pit for us in Stillwater, which is huge but we love it.

Baby Reece

2011-04-05T13:53:00.000-05:00

This baby girl could talk, seriously! She squealed and smiled the whole time, except when she had to change outfits ;) I think she is a total daddy's girl too, but mom is a close second. What a beautiful girl she is ;) I love my job (as part time as it may be)! Here was our first session together :)

Sneak Peak: Baby Reece, Tulsa Photographer

2011-04-04T20:26:00.000-05:00

Here's a little peak of this beautiful girl. She's almost 6 months old! It's hard to believe because I just took her 2 week pictures! More to come from this session :)

Abandon Ship!

2011-03-26T10:52:00.000-05:00

So much to do, so little time! That of course includes blogging. I will get back to this ship though :) In the meantime, I think I'll share one of Mr. Jude. He has really been stealing my heart these days. He gives me at least (and I'm not exaggerating) 100 kisses each day and tells me "you're the best mama ever, I love you the most". He learned how to whistle a few weeks ago and it gives a whole new meaning to whistle why you work. He whistles constantly and I think it's darling. He loves playing in his new room with his lego guys, and loves to play "people" with his big sis who, in his mind, is the only person in the entire world who knows how to play it the right way. He explained to me how a prism works when you add one light and then two, in detail. He has been asking for chai tea in the morning lately (decaf of course!). Every day when I pick him up from school he runs to me like it's been ages since he saw me last and gives me the biggest hug and then says "can I go play?". I love it. He has the cutest dimples when he smiles and he has the cutest fake smile with squinty eyes that I've ever seen. I'm so proud to be his mama. I was worried that his sensitive lovey side would fade a little when he started school but it hasn't. He's the same sweet loving little boy he's aways been and he amazes me every day. I love you Judo :)

Spring Issue of Sweet Paul

2011-03-04T08:39:00.000-06:00

The Spring issue of Sweet Paul magazine is here and it's a special kids edition. I'm loving all the recipes! Go check it out!

	Look inside >

Spring 2011

Progress.

2011-02-28T20:45:00.000-06:00

The bed is starting to look like a bed! YAY! All that's left to do is the desk and shelves then off to be painted. I finally picked a color scheme today. It's really exciting...gray. I know, thrilling huh? I always seem to play it safe with color. That's why I love all the little extra's that add color. Anyways, progress. That's all that matters :) There are lots of DIY's in the works over the next couple of weeks. I'll be sharing soon! I thought I would share a photo of the bed my wonderful hubs took today as well as a preview of my new/old bike that a friend is restoring for us. Mine is the olive green, and T's is red. So exciting! Can't wait to see all the new goodies on it. It's getting an overhaul with new tires, a new brown saddle, cork grips and white cables. I love my mountain bike, but a road bike will be so much better where I ride. So, hopefully things will keep moving and I will be able to post something interesting and not so boring. Until then, please bare with me :)

The Weekend.

2011-02-27T21:34:00.000-06:00

Friday night we went to a going away party for another friend moving to Thailand next month. I made fruit kabobs. I love the sight of fruit just washed with the tiny droplets of water. I especially love it in the summer time. I think it's about time for some solid sunshine and warm days and yummy produce. Our Whole Foods has been lacking in the organic produce lately :(

Tristan finished the floors in Judo's room. Well, started and finished I should say. Little man is now the proud owner of wood floors in his room. Actually, we're the owners. Don't want him thinking he owns the place. They will be perfect for block construction and lego monstrosities. The weather has been all over the place lately. I think it's making the keys on my macbook a little crazy, ever since the "chai tea" incident. Sometimes they're smooth, sometimes crunchy. It's driving me insane! I guess I need to pull them off one by one and clean them. I seriously think the weather is affecting them. Weird. Blogging is somewhat painful in there current condition. I have to apply extra pressure of letters are left out! Anyways, hope you had an amazing weekend!

I absolutely cannot wait for his room to be finished, but I must say that I love the tent he constructed in Bella's bottom bunk and the time they're spengding together shairing a room. (see what I mean about the mac kes?...TRAGIC!)

The Workshop.

2011-02-22T08:21:00.001-06:00

This morning, as I sat down to type this post, I burned my mouth on my chai tea. Yesterday morning, I burned the milk for my chai tea. Let's just hope the rest of the day goes better. Anyways, Saturday afternoon was a good day. Tristan decided he wanted Jude to help build his bed so they loaded up and went to Home Depot to buy materials and a few tools for Jude. Since we were dog sitting this weekend Isabella and I stayed behind to do some cleaning and play with the dogs. Our little Fiona was so glad to have Barker visiting.

When we arrived at the work shop, the boys were working away. Jude was so proud of the tools his daddy bought him that he was showing them off to the world. It was pretty cute. The bed is almost complete. If only I could pick out colors we could move forward. We're putting the wood floors in this weekend and I'm on the fence about a last minute trip to Dallas on Saturday for Ikea shopping. We'll see what happens :)

The Mr showing me how it's done. Honey, please don't cute your hand off or any fingers for that matter ;) He made that apron he's wearing. So cute! I'm sure that's just what he wants to hear, "cute!"

She is always posing, the sweet thing.

Out on the dock with chalk.

You better not throw that. Oooops...too late.

Our silly sweet little man. He couldn't be serious in front of the camera even if he tried.

The boy loves measuring tapes. He always has. I used to hide them from him when he was a toddler because I read an article in a magazine about how a little boy cut his finger off with a measuring tape. Yeah. Well, I guess I got over that ;)

Why, oh why did I have to blow the "J" out!

and the "B"!

The ladder is complete!

Have a super great Tuesday!!!!

A Motion Picture

2011-02-18T09:39:00.000-06:00

I decided to share with you my first ever video shot in HD on my new Nikon d7000. I was hesitant to share because it needs so much improvement, but that will come with time. Videography is so much different than photography but I love it because you can tell someone's story in motion. There are several things I learned while making this that I will post after the movie.

Untitled from Aja Vaught on Vimeo.

Ok, so as you can see...so.much.i.need.to.learn.period. First of all, I need a stabilizer so I am an researching making a homemade version. Second of all, FOCUS. You have to manually focus which is difficult when you can see to well to being with and you're looking at a very small monitor and you're chasing after a moving target trying not to shake the camera. That will take practice. I will get it down and I promise they will rock! Finally, I may need to buy a better editing program like Final Cut. iMovie does pretty good, but I would like more consistent control over the colors. That is that. Oh, and one final thing I absolutely must say is 'Thank You' to my dear ole' dad for making it possible for me to have this camera so I can do something I love. He has always encouraged us kids to be creative and use our abilities whether it be art, music, photography or in this case videography. Dad...I love you like biscuits and gravy ;) Thank You.

My Belle

2011-02-18T08:37:00.000-06:00

I think she is extraordinary. She has a compassion that is unlike any I have ever known. Yet a complexity only we know. She has a natural beauty that draws people to her. She is a life whisperer.

She is extraordinary. It is a precious gift to be her mother. Oh, and we love the boy too. He's pretty great ;)

Goodies.

2011-02-16T14:18:00.000-06:00

Oh my goodness did I score some goodies today. I went in search of some frames at Hobby Lobby for a totally tad photo project I'm working on but instead of finding frames, I discovered that they were having 50% off on spring stuff plus tons of clearance. Are you ready for this?

Mr. Snail (no idea why I NEEDED him, but I did)...$15 (discount 50%)... I paid $7.50

Metal Basket for Jude's room to store markers, etc...at his desk...$5 (discount 50%)...I paid $2.50 and the "V" tile...$4 and I paid 80 cents.

Rad drawer pulls...$6 each but I paid $1.20 each. I thought I only needed 8 but I need 10 so I have to get 2 more today before they sell out.

and...drum roll please...the best find at Hobby Lobby was my new owl planter turned utensil holder. He was $17 and I used a 40% off coupon (I printed online) which made him $10. Doesn't he look like he walked out of Anthro?

A Bento for the Mr.

2011-02-15T20:58:00.001-06:00

I guess Mr. Vaught felt a little left out when he saw me making lunches today for Flossy and Ro. So I made one Just. For. Him. If you think this isn't enough food for a grown man, you should know he usually only eats a Lara Bar and an apple for lunch each day. The other day he dropped his apple in the bathroom at work so it was history which meant NO lunch. This will do him just right :) And if you think I must have a lot of time on my hands to cut out mini talk bubbles for my fruit leather people, you thought wrong. I'm just not doing the things I should be doing, like laundry. And if you think my photography skills are lacking, you thought right. Sometimes you just gotta shoot with the Iphone in low light. It's called pure laziness. L-A-Z-I-N-E-S-S!!! I just had to throw in a picture of me in my chef's hat. It's so apropos :)

Tulsa People Magazine + Tulsa Photographer

2011-02-15T10:04:00.000-06:00

Tristan picked up a copy of the FebruaryTulsa People yesterday. While flipping through, to my excitement, he points out the office of one of my clients (his too) and there is a photo I took of my clients lovely wife and baby! Ok, so technically I wasn't "in" the magazine but how cool is that? My talented husband's work has been in Tulsa People a few times and my super funny talented father as well, but me? NEVER! Anyways, just thought I would share. I know, I know, no big dealio. Just humor me please ;) Thanks.

On a side note: I have been really wanting to hear the Beastie Boys lately so I went to Grooveshark and queued them up. I was so pumped when 'No Sleep Till Brooklyn' came on then 'Hey Ladies', but now I have a headache. Does that mean I'm getting old? They're getting on my nerves.

Words to Live By.

2011-02-12T22:31:00.000-06:00

My papaw always used to sing this to me. I can hear him now, I miss him so much.

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Gluten Free Ginger Spice Cupcakes

2011-02-10T16:32:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, during snowpocalypse, the kids and I made the most delicious cupcakes! I'm always skeptical about gluten free mixes because they can be really grainy depending on the types of flour used. I prefer Pamela's over Bob's Red Mill and I've tried Gluten FreePantry and it was ok. I used Namaste this time around and they were so good. They kind of taste like those ginger muffins from Jason's Deli you get at the salad bar. Anyways, YUM! We also made a home-made buttercream icing that was delish! Today we're about to deliver some to some friends down the street. We can't eat all of them!

Pinterest.

2011-02-07T23:41:00.001-06:00

My new latest obsession is pinterest. I guarantee you will love it! Come and follow me!

I also thought I would share my latest project, if you want to call it that ;) I really dislike toothbrush holders and we have limited storage in our bathrooms (no drawers) so I made this. A $2 mini planter from Ikea, some filler rocks from Target and wallah...a DIY toothbrush holder :) Well, I have so much I need to be doing right now like sit-ups, updating my photog site, reading, sleeping or preparing for Snowmaggedon II, but I'm pinning. You should too. It's addicting, but oh so much fun!

Snowboarding in Oklahoma

2011-02-07T20:55:00.000-06:00

Snowboarding in Oklahoma? Yes, apparently it can be done. Saturday we hit the slopes, I mean the hills in town to go sledding and snowboarding with some friends and to our surprise everyone else in town had the same idea. Isabella said "Mama, I had such a good time at the mountain." I said "Huh? Oh, you mean the hill. There's actually a football field underneath all that snow." Poor baby:( Even mole hills look like mountains to her. This snow is getting to all of us. We brought the dogs and the kids and spent the day playing in the snow. It was fun, but I've still had enough. Schools have been closed since last Tuesday, they're closed again tomorrow and there's 4-10 inches coming tomorrow. They haven't even plowed ALL the streets and side streets are a wreck! Anyways, enough of that. It's about perspective. We could look at it like this...

Oh, wait...we DID! Wasn't it a fews months back. An earthquake, here in middle America. We all felt it. What is Oklahoma coming to? Did you hear that... did you? It's California calling our name. We already have to deal with earthquakes, tornados, floods, blizzards. What's next Tsunami's? It wouldn't surprise me.

Blizzard 2011

In the meantime, we're preparing for yet another storm. Jude's room is getting a major makeover, which includes one of Mr. Vaught's fine furnishings, a loft bed. The playroom has to go for sanity sake. Two kiddos each with their own room + a huge playroom = messy messy messy. So, we're downsizing a bit and we'll now have a nice guest room for all of our unwanted house guests :) Just kidding of course, about the unwanted. Well sort of ;)

Lunch Was a Hoot!

2011-02-03T16:59:00.001-06:00

This is what the kids had for lunch today. They thought it was a dog. Yeah. Not cool. After there excitement over their owl & tree, Jude promptly stated that he did not like cucumbers. Sooo, we traded his cucumbers for carrots and all was well. Yesterday Tristan got out with some friends and shoveled driveways for friends and when he got home we were just getting dressed to go outside. Poor guy had to shovel even more snow to make his kiddos an igloo. That's dedication, however I think we enjoyed it more than they did. They were too busy flying down the slide. I totally pictured a trip to the ER, but we all survived. Today we got out to head to Lowe's for some more summer time planning & paint. I think we were the only ones looking at patio stuff. Just so you know, I am over the snow. There. It's been declared. Now it can go away. At this rate, the kids will be in school until July! More snow is predicted for tomorrow and Sunday and Monday. Us Okies can't hang with the snow. There are abandoned cars stuck in the snow all over town. I saw one today with a sign hanging on it that read "NEED A PLOW". Then, there are the random few rcazy people in shorts and tennis shoes. Oh and the plastic bags pulled over the shoes taped around the knees. Classic. I could have spent the day photographing "how to get around in the snow Okie Style". It's sort of like photographing mullets at the state fair. Both would make great coffee table books don't ya think? Even the dog is freaking out a little. I shoveled a small patch of snow in the backyard to make her a potty area. Dumb dog. She sniffed around and then went and pooped right in the middle of the walkway to the fence with snow up to her neck. Then moments later I told Jude to watch out for the poop and he almost fell right in it! I think we're all slowly losing our minds, but man I love them and all this togetherness. That's what I keep telling myself :) No, really, I do. For all the east coasters out there who have it way worse...get over it! You have snow plows!!!

Self Portrait

2011-02-01T11:51:00.000-06:00

As predicted we are being pounded with snow as I type. They are actually calling it a blizzard and our weathermen and women are so funny to watch. It's as if Armageddon is here. T-town is shut down and everyone is trapped inside their homes awaiting rescue. No, not really.

So far we have about a foot of snow with more expected all day. Yippeee. Can you sense my lack of enthusiasm? So what do you do when you're trapped inside with two lively kids (besides play in the snow...it is a blizzard people)? Photograph them in the snow. Well, if you think like me.

I spent the morning wrapped in a vision of what my sui generis photograph would be. As my idea unfolded I promptly briefed Isabella on our objective and prefaced it with "I owe you big time". She reluctantly agreed and off to the loo we went to fashion braids. I won't reveal to you my ingenious idea, but I will say it was crazy and it didn't work. Isabella tried to comply, but trying to be creative and cooperative in a blizzard is arduous. So, I decided to attempt a self portrait. That too was mad as a March hare, but I did it. Me, in front of the camera, a different side that made me a little self conscious. But, I did it. Maybe when the blizzard isn't blizzarding anymore I can attempt my work of art again.

Is it summer yet?

2011-01-30T08:37:00.000-06:00

Nope. Afraid not. Most people would be thrilled to have a 67 degree day in January. I was not thrilled (ok, I was) however I did take advantage of it. It's a tease and makes me long for summer that much more. Also, the fact that it's supposed to snow and be freezing this week is torturous. Anyways, be positive right? You don't want to hear me rant and rave about that anymore so I'll tell ya what we did do. The Mr. and I sat outside on the porch swing and talked about future plans for the front yard and back yard. We talked about our garden. We talked about him selling his 65 (sorry honey, I do listen, I just forgot) BMW and our hopes of finding a vintage camper perfect for our brood. I spent the afternoon barefoot or in flip flops. As soon as we hit a constant temp of 55 degrees, the flip flops come out for good. But what we mostly did was watch these two together on a beautiful sunny day. I'm so glad they have each other and are best friends, although they wouldn't admit it.

He always has to monkey around. She tries so hard to please her mama.

Ok, so she fell prey and couldn't resist. Nobody's perfect.

This picture completely sums these two up. "Jude, listen to mama and quit monkeying around."

Wait for it, wait for it....

Awww....that's better.

They love each other these two monkeys :)

I just love that hazy afternoon sunlight...pure bliss. I wish I could wrap it up and give it as a gift. Seriously.

We cant forget our other baby.

Oh, and if you're in the market for a vintage BMW, there's quite the cult following for these, then look no further....your dream car awaits you.

Don't worry, he'll be ok. There are support groups for these kind of losses. Besides, he has me :)

That Food Guy.

2011-01-28T08:40:00.000-06:00

It's a sad state of affairs. I have nothing worthy to blog about so I'll leave with you a picture of the "food guy". That's what Jude calls himself. I bought the great chefs hats at Michaels the other day and "the food guy" decided he wanted a picture of himself and his apprentice in front of the fridge, with the fridge door open mind you and a stick of butter in his face. Go figure. Apparently he wants to start a kid foodie blog. As if I have time for that! Wouldn't that just be so cute though. I may have to do a vlog post one day of him cooking. He's a strange one, takes after his dad. Anyways, they love to cook and when I have the patience and the sanity I let them help. I found some really great kiddie gadgets here so they can peel, cut and measure to their little hearts content. Not sure what's up with the look on Bella's face. Poor baby had the flu over the weekend and then back to the dr. wednesday with a secondary sinus infection. She's pretty sick of being sick.

Oh, and speaking of Michaels earlier, if you love dollar bins as much as I do, you must go and check out all the goodies they have. I bought paper doilies (green and white), cupcakes stencils, rooster coaster (cute ones), chef's hats, a wooden play pizza and cookies, grocery pad, cupcake toppers, etc... I could have bought out the whole section, minus the Paula Dean stuff (I don't much care for her). They even had some adorable grocery pads for toddlers with pictures that I didn't buy because, well, I don't have toddlers anymore (sob, sob). I looked for something like that years ago. It's just not fair that when I'm done having babies, they come out with all kinds of cute stuff! Anyways, I'm looking forward to 69 degrees today. Time to wash the snow off the car (only for it to snow again Monday/Tuesday). Makes me want to move to Cali that much more, the crazy Oklahoma weather. Have a super great weekend!

Would You Look At This...

2011-01-26T07:49:00.001-06:00

Here's a little Wednesday funny for you :)

Oh, and if you interested, the Zingo is for sale for only $400,000.

Dreaming of...

2011-01-23T10:46:00.001-06:00

Photo Source: Butterfly Foodie

Winter and I only get along for so long. The short days, the cold, the wet slushy mucky snow could never comeback and I would. be. fine. just. fine.

But, seasons come and go so in the meantime I'm dreaming of summer, planning our garden, looking at vintage travel trailers, and imaging all the photos I'll be taking in the warm summer light.

My little B is sick with the flu and I'm counting the days until we all get it. Fortunately, we caught it quick so the Tamiflu is working. We've all been a little run down lately, but we'll keep on trucking and dream of summer. Oh how I absolutely LOVE and adore summer!

Have a happy Sunday! We're sanitizing and washing hands like crazy over here. This morning Bella looked at us with droopy eyes and little pout and said "I just wish I could have a hug". I couldn't resist. After all, it's just the flu ;)

Link Love.

2011-01-19T11:03:00.002-06:00

fresh365...a collection of vegetarian recipes. It lists what's in season and recipes for that season.

public bikes... A company out of San Francisco that sells bike's, accessories for your bike, clothing, etc... I love their bike helmets. I think the mr. and I need these for our bikes when they're finished :)

Of course if you're a blog reader you need google reader so get it now and then add the next button to your bookmark bar. Just go to your google account, click on reader and then add your subscriptions by typing in the blog address. Then add the next button by going to settings, reader settings then goodies. Then follow the instructions for adding the next button. It awesome and a big time saver if you read a lot of blogs.

Finally, Grooveshark. It's by far better than Radio Paradise and Pandora in my opinion. It's hard to explain, but go there and listen to your favorite music for free. You won't be disappointed.

Oh, and one more for you organized people out there. I hand write lists all. the. time. But when I ran across this I was smitten. How cool!

Printable Check Lists ....make your own custom lists and print them out...to do lists, grocery lists, packing lists. Genius!

Blurb Blog Books

2011-01-19T10:03:00.000-06:00

So, the whole reason for this little commentless blog is to document this time in our lives. The happenings, the sayings, the moments, the stress, the happiness, things we like, etc... Then, at the end of the year, I have the blog made into a book and waalaaa...we have a family yearbook. I have used 2 different companies in the past, blog2print and blurb. Both were user friendly, but I have to say I like blurb the best. I love the wrap around photo cover option and you can customize the posts more. It did take awhile to get it (almost a month), but well worth the wait. The whole book cost about $45, but the cost was worth it too. Google coupons if you're not on their email list. There is usually always a coupon for free shipping or % off or 2 for 1.

perspective.

2011-01-18T12:09:00.000-06:00

The last few days have been bleh. rough. Not sure why. It could be post vacation blues, the winter blahs and the wishing for sunny days and some greenery. Whatever the case may be, it's all in how we look at it. I was pondering what the last few days have been. Days that are now gone and could have been made better. Time I can't get back. Perspective. I'm going to make my days grand. I want my children's days to be memorable and happy. I want my best friend to come home and feel peaceful. That is what i vow to create for my family. Life is too short to waste it on bad days and yes, I know they will happen. But in our house, I will do my best to make days beautiful and grand. I will slow down and not rush my littles out the door every morning as if our time together is less important than the goings on in the world around. I will breathe and pray and at times cry and remember that life is a gift not to be taken for granted. My perspective will be grand and when the grass on my side is brown and crumbly, I will look back at this post and remember this. Sometimes, life slaps us in the face and we can't make the grass greener, but when the stinging subsides, we can choose to pick ourselves up and move forward, being grateful for what we do have and not what we don't. Perspective.

the hairballs persepctive.

the dog's perspective.

my spot in the morning.

what it looked like first.

breakfast oatmeal.

So True.

2011-01-18T09:27:00.000-06:00

Raisins are like fruity pieces of snot.

Home Movie

2011-01-14T13:16:00.002-06:00

Untitled from Aja Vaught on Vimeo.

Home Again, Home Again Jiggity Jig

2011-01-13T11:33:00.001-06:00

WARNING...super long post ahead!

We're back from our 10 day trek to Taos, NewMexico. We had a great time seeing new things and relaxing. It's nice to not have to be anywhere and to wake up and take each day with a stride. I did get a little cabin fevery though. I think I realized that as much as I love the concept of the pioneer days, I am a true city girl at heart. I'm still craving the west coast and would love to make California our home one day though. We visited some of the most beautiful country we've ever seen in New Mexico. It's such a spiritual place, so peaceful, so calming. One day we were visiting some locals selling jewelry and other items on the side of the road by the Rio Grande. I bought a necklace from one of the guys who told me the locals call it "the city of manana". You go out to chop some wood and then say "I'll do it manana" meaning tomorrow. Very laid back place. I was surprised to see the few restaurants they have cater to those with gluten allergies. At the Taos Diner I had a gluten free club that was to die for and fries with homemade green chili. Oh my goodness, their green chili is amazing and very common there. The red wasn't too bad either :) Taos is a tiny mountain town with not much to do unless you're in to museums, galleries or snow sports which was fine with us. It's mysterious and mesmerizing at the same time. Here are a few highlights from the trip...

Buying an authentic native american drum made at the Taos Pueblo...Fiona's not too crazy about it though.

Actually seeing stars at night...all of them.

The sunsets from our table.

The sunrises from our bed.

Letting the kids get in the hot tub at night to star gaze in sub zero temps and listening to Bella tell me about the ice cycles that formed in her hair.

Playing Farkle and Bella beating us all.

Playing Jenga and Jude beating us all.

The mountains.

Our almost trip down the spiral icy road to see the John Dunn Bridge at the bottom of the Rio Grande Gorge which lead us exploring.

Our exploration of the beautiful countryside, getting lost in it and taking pictures of it...thank you Lola for helping us (our nav system).

Arroyo Seco and buying pillows from a beautiful sweet lady who made them from vintage kiln rugs.

Eating green chili.

Driving out of the way to O'Keefe country and Ghost Ranch to see the actual landscape that inspired Georgia O'Keefe's paintings. Breathtaking. Thanks Celeste :)

Hearing Bella talk about her trip to the Fechin Museum with her aunt and uncle while the Mr. and I got to spend some one on one time with our little man.

Did I mention the mountains?

Visting Santa Fe and walking though the plaza.

Getting a refund at the Santa Fe Children's Museum because it was LAME (but wait, we don't say that word) and not being embarrassed to ask. Come on', it was preschool day!

Visting the earth ships and at that moment thinking how cool it would be to live in one and actually considering it.

Re-considering on buying an earth ship! I can just imagine what people would think if we told them we were buying an earth ship and moving to the mountains :)

Making fun of Rob for sticking his nose in a book the first 3 days. Wait, was he there at first?

Waking up one morning and hearing Jude say "Go away mom, we're not doing anything!" Then they brought us thank you cards they made for us (with their aunt's help) with handmade potato stamps.

Watching Celeste paint the sunrise and watching her paint with the kids.

Going to a photographers gallery who was so inspiring and getting tips from him, then being invited back to shoot with him...so cool :)

Joking about booga booga.

Hiking in the snow in our backyard.

Jude. His funny sayings and comments, so cute. His cuddles and kisses.

Bella. Her goofiness and maturity. She is growing up and is fun to hang out with like a grown up.

Reading the Little Prince to my babies...including Mr. Vaught...he loves that book and I always find him at the foot of the bed listening along.

Almost peeing my pants when standing on the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. Thanks dad for my fear of heights :)

Spending ten days with some of my most favorite people.

Missing home and being happy to be home to see our friends and family. Home is definitely where the heart is. I can make my heart go to southern California though :)

So, it's good to be back. These last few months have flown by. My granny visited for 2 weeks then our friend Eric flew in from Cali for a week and a half, then our trip. In one year, we've been to Missouri, Michigan, Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico, California, and Arizona. We have plans to buy a vintage shasta and head west for vacations. This summer....Disneyland, Yosemite, then up to San Francisco, Big Sur, then Modesto to stay with Eric (when he gets back from Thailand) then a little tour of Napa, then home. That was our plan. Now, i'm thinking home sounds pretty good. I think we're about vacationed out. I don't know...ask us in about 2 months :)

Road Trippin'

2010-12-31T16:37:00.000-06:00

Yep, that's right...we're packin' our bags and headin' for the hills or er, the mountains. Taos is calling our names and we can't wait! A little winter get away suits us and because I know you're already thinkin' it, we're not skiiing cause I might break a hip! A little snowmobiling and snow tubing will be enough as well as the relaxation, and this view from the dining room (I think it's covered in snow now)...

And I get to wear these bad boys...

Sorel Tivoli Boots

I'm still undecided on taking my macbook after "the incident" but we'll see. Oh, wait. Did I not blog about the chai tea incident? Oh well, maybe another time. In the meantime, I have a little packing to do, a trip to Barnes and Noble to buy some books for a little fireside reading and dinner at Senior Tequila's for a burrito with some of my favorite people. If the macbook makes the journey west with us, I will start my 365 project and post photos. If not, I will have some catching up to do when we get back! I'm looking forward to 2011...a whole new decade!

So proud...

2010-12-31T15:30:00.000-06:00

I have this completely, talented, amazing husband who can build things. I mean really really beautiful things. Here's a recent project completed for clients of a high end store in town (I won't mention names, but it's on Brookside). Can you imagine having a piece of wood and making that wood look like these? This isn't the first time he's done this, just the first time I've blogged about it. And I recently finished building his website so everyone else can see how talented he is too ;) Apparently he gave Bella a lesson on saws and what they each do. One day she may follow in her daddy's footsteps ;) I think Jude is going to be a photographer or an architect. I can't keep the camera or legos out of his hands these days.

tvaughtfurniture.com

The China Study

2010-12-31T11:43:00.000-06:00

I've been wanting to read The China Study for along time now. Then today on Whole Foods blog, I ran across this video. Scary, but true. When I cook at home, we eat healthy. We don't eat a lot of meat. It's the eating out that scares me. I whole "heartledly" believe that we are what we eat. The tough part is giving up the western diet that we've been raised on and re-learning how to eat. When I discovered that I was gluten intolerant, I had to learn how to eat. It was tough at first, but eventually I got the hang of it and lost 40 pounds, felt better and made much healthier choices. Eating out was difficult to do gluten free so I didn't do it much and if I did, I ordered a healthy salad and soup instead of the burger. Processed foods were more difficult to find gluten free and more expensive so I had to bake and cook things from scratch. Now, over a year later, I cheat. ALOT! The result...I feel like crap. Bad moods, gaining weight, aches and pains are back, headaches. I'm eating out more and making bad choices. The cravings are back b/c I put the bad food back in my body. When you change your diet, you go through a detox phase and it's tough. But your cravings for starchy sugary foods quickly fade and you just naturally start eating to nourish your body instead of eating to make you happy. Now, after a relapse, I'm determined to eat more veggies, limit meat/dairy and avoid gluten. I deserve it, and my family deserves it. I'm heading to Barnes and Noble to pick up the book today.

http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2010/12/forks-over-knives-screening/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+WholeStoryBlog+%28Whole+Story+Blog%29

Caleb.

2010-12-28T09:09:00.000-06:00

My friend Stephanie brought her boys over yesterday so I took the opportunity to get some pictures. Caleb is the best baby, you know the kind that make you want to have another...the snuggly,giggly, gerber type of baby. But fortunately I get to play with him all the time and give him back to Steph so no need for more. Ever. Period. I love my monkeys and they are all I need :)

Sleep Wake.

2010-12-21T21:15:00.001-06:00

As a photographer, I find myself always thinking about different creative projects I could take on. Something different than portrait work. I plan on starting my photo a day project January 1st, but that's been done. Today I ran across Meredith Andrews Sleep/Wake project. I loved it for many reasons. Most of us might think it's just funny. I think it's genius and gutsy. She basically woke people up in the morning and took portraits of them. The truth is that we all look pretty bad in the morning and if you think you don't, prove it to me. I'll be over about 7am with my Nikon ;)

Woolaroc

2010-12-05T23:25:00.000-06:00

We recently ventured up north about 50 miles or so to Woolaroc. I have to admit that I wasn't to thrilled about seeing buffalo roam free or smell buffalo burgers cooking or see indian artifacts. I did see an opportunity for a family photo opt so we loaded up and headed north. Well, I have to admit it was a blast. The scenery was beautiful and the museum was surprisingly fun. I don't remember that when I was school and we visited Woolaroc for a field trip. Of course, it was for school and so I was probably more interested in boys and hanging out with my friends. Who knows. Bottom line, if you live near there, go there. I did not eat a buffalo burger although I've heard it's much healthier than beef and all buffalo are grass fed which makes it cheaper than grass fed beef. Bleh! Im sorry, but they're just too ugly to eat.

This is how the kids enjoyed the view...head out the window and sunroof. I can hear the wee woo's right now.

Then off to my new favorite location. Sorry, it's a secret :)

Baby Reece.

2010-12-05T22:42:00.000-06:00

This beautiful girl did not want to sleep. Her parents are clients of Tristan's and so that's how we met. I brought my sis-in-law along for help and we all worked hard to get this beautiful girl to sleep. She did, but not for long. There is nothing funnier than watching 4 grown up women doting over a newborn and seeing the things they do to keep a baby asleep. At times, it wasn't pretty, but mom and grandma were so wonderful and helpful and Celeste gave me much needed moral support. Oh, and fortunately, Miss Reece was such a charmer and was patient with us the wholetime. She just didn't want to miss anything. Neither did Duke, their bull dog!

Ava and Catherine

2010-12-05T22:29:00.000-06:00

I have been photographing these beautiful girls since the little one was 2 weeks old. I met them and there beautiful parents at Southern Hills for a fall photo session 2 weeks ago. The weather was perfect and so were the girls. I'm really looking forward to our next session together!

Miss Ruby Sue...

2010-12-05T22:20:00.000-06:00

my adorable dog niece had an impromptu mini session a few weeks ago. Girl can pose. That's all I can say. She has the sweetest little face and longest little legs. A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E.

Grandparent's Day.

2010-12-05T22:12:00.000-06:00

The 2nd grade had a special performance and Bella played the xylophone. It was pretty cute! Jude managed to sneak paw paw away for some donuts in the cafeteria after the performance and then got granny and dad into the library for some book buying. Thanks dad and granny for coming!

Principles Honor Roll

2010-12-05T22:03:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago we attended B's honor assembly at school. She is on the Principle's Honor Roll (or is it role?). Well, we all know I was never on the honor roll, especially for spelling. We were so proud of her and she never ceases to amaze us. Way to go Bell's! We love you :)

La La Love You Mr. Frank Black...

2010-12-05T21:58:00.000-06:00

and Kim Deal's not bad herself! A few months ago we went and saw the legendary Pixies at the Brady Theatre. It was so much fun and was up there with being in the same room as Paul McCartney when we went to his concert. At this point I can't remember what there set list was, but the show was sold out, the Brady was packed and they did 2 encores. Now Sir Paul didn't even do that. My bff Kim even got Kim Deals bass pick for us. Ten rows back in the middle and lots of screaming, belting out every song and dancing, we were Amazed. We la la love you PIxies! A few of my pics from the show. My video was too shaky from all the head banging (;)) but I found a good one on youtube so you could experience it too :)

Hope You Had a Nice Saturday...

2010-11-13T21:14:00.000-06:00

because I think it's gonna get cold soon ;) We spent the day at Woolaroc and then went frolicking in a field. Lots more photos to come soon as well as a family update, a few client sessions and some more goodies. Just be patient!

I dunno. Just makes me happy :)

2010-10-28T07:58:00.002-05:00

How fun would it have been to be in that room? Tons.

A Picnic.

2010-10-27T07:56:00.001-05:00

The kids were out of school for Fall break Thursday, Friday and Monday and with all the activity and the completion of our bathroom remodel, we realized we didn't get much of a chance to do anything with them. Of course, they were busy too, going to friend's houses and playing. We have missed them so much since school started and I was determined to have a picnic in the park, even if my back was out. I packed everything up and hobbled to the car and we met Tristan at Woodward. It was a good time :)

Picnic from Aja Vaught on Vimeo.

SNEAK PEAK Senior Portraits...Tulsa Photographer

2010-10-15T08:38:00.000-05:00

Here's a little sneak peak from a high school senior session. I've known Emily since she was four years old. The first time I met her, she was wearing red glittery dorothy shoes and was grinning ear to ear. They have become family to us and we love them so much! Congratulations Emily!

Random. Really Random.

2010-10-13T18:36:00.001-05:00

Have you ever been sitting around and a song litterally pops into your head and you're like, why? But after several attempts to make a mental block, you find yourself humming it in your head until you can't control it anymore and you belt out the chorus rock start style and all? Well, that happened tonight with me. At first, it was INNOCENT humming. Then moments later Tristan and I were belting it out in the kitchen (rock star style), drums and all. The kids crashed our party moments later. Apparently we are not cool. So what songs have you been belting out lately?

2010-10-04T20:31:00.000-05:00

Nothing beats this in your inbox...thank you my loves, for making me laugh out loud :)

Fall Portrait Sessions 20% OFF

2010-10-02T19:30:00.000-05:00

For full details, please sign up for our mailing list below. Thanks!

2010-09-30T23:08:00.000-05:00

It's been a bad week. No blogging here (lots of prayers being said), and despite it all I'm thinking...

DIY Cheap Wall Art

2010-09-22T09:16:00.001-05:00

Since we moved into this house almost 3 years ago, I have had a plan to do something really amazing on the hallway walls. To no avail. I have struggled with what to do, whether I should do floating shelves, arrange family photos, hang some amazing vintage looking wallpaper, paint the walls a bright fun color or hang artwork. After several attempts to make it look good, I left it empty with the holes from previous frames and it's been that way a LONG LONG time now. I am one of those people that really gets bothered by emptiness. Everyday I walk down my hallway & cringe at the naked walls.

Then, I was reading the September Issue of Martha Stewart magazine and in an instant planted my eyes on the most inspiring thing. A bachelor pad with HUGE canvases with very basic black lines painted on them. Ah Ha, I thought to myself, I can do that!

Well, canvases are not cheap and I didn't know the first thing about painting. So I called my sister-in-law, who coincidentally is an amazing artist, she's got skills I tell ya, and got a little how to from her. I went to Michaels and Hobby Lobby to price canvases. Michaels had their 36 X 48 canvases on sale buy one get one 50% off. That would make them $60 total. Then I had a coupon that I printed from Hobby Lobby for 40% off. In the end, I realized that Mr. Vaught could build them much cheaper and so that was the way of it. He does build furniture and all so I knew he could build a simple canvas. So, here's what we did.

Tristan had scrap poplar left over from projects in his shop so that was FREE. I took my 40% off coupon to Hobby Lobby and bought the gesso primer (large container) which made it $10. Then I went back the next day with another 40% off coupon and bought the canvas in the fabric section for $8 (about 2 1/3 yards of 60 inch wide canvas). The small print on the coupon said you couldn't use 2 coupons in one day so it was perfectly legal to go back ;) I borrowed 2 paint brushes from my SIL, but you can use any old paint brush lying around. She also had a bottle of black acrylic paint she gave me, but it only costs $6.99 from HL so still cheap.

Total COST for two 24X36 custom canvas art pieces: $18

I will post how to make the canvases, etc...and after shots in a couple of days. I still have some work to do in the hallway, including finding a rug (unless anyone has a DIY on rug making...I actually do, but YIKES).

BTW, if you wanted to skip building canvases and just buy them, it would still be pretty cheap. ou could easily do this for under $100. That's muy cheapo if you ask me! More on that later :)

Sorry for the picture quality (taken with my iphone at night)

Bento Lunches

2010-09-20T21:14:00.001-05:00

I'm sitting here stuffing my face full of chocolate & peanut butter covered almonds from the bulk bins at Whole Foods. It's my latest addiction. Well, that and Chick-Fila's chocolate milk shakes. Anyways, while stuffing my face with sugar I thought I would post some pics of the kids lunches. It will make me feel better. At least they eat good, right?!

Bella's consists of white sharp cheddar, broccoli, tomato's and flower shaped cucumbers with ranch, fruit leather cut into a flower shape, an almond butter and jelly sandwich on ezekial bread, heart shaped kiwi with a few grapes and raspberry yogurt covered pretzels.

Judo's lunch consisted of an almond butter and jelly sandwich on ezekial bread, star shaped fruit leather, cheese men, carrots and ranch, green grapes on food picks, and yogurt covered raisins. He's a bit more picky than his sister.

Anyways, I ~~had fun~~ labored making lunches tonight. I'm no super mom so this does NOT happen every day. By the way, these are lame compared to some I've seen. Just sayin'. Also, I think I just figured out why Jude keeps using the word lame. Oh well, I guess it could be worse ;)

Just in case you're wondering, I bought the mini cookie cutters from Hobby Lobby for 50 cents each, the food picks on the same isle at Hobby Lobby, the silicone cupcake molds in the Target dollar isle a long time ago, and the bento boxes are from laptoplunches.com. I ordered some bento boxes yesterday from easylunchboxes.com. They are backordered until October, but if you order now you get a free lunch bag with them that will hold 3 containers (great for family outings). I also ordered from allthingsforsale.com, which has some great bento items as well. Well, I'm off to bed. I guess I should be off to the gym after all those choco almonds. YIKES!

Sweet Paul Magazine

2010-09-20T11:22:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone had a nice weekend. Ours was busy as usual, but memorable! We went and saw the Pixies Saturday night at the Brady. I'll post pics from that later. The kids spent the night with there pawpaw and were spoiled rotten of course. Good times!

I'm sure most of you are craving Fall as much as I am. I have been holding out on making gluten free pumpkin bread. Hopefully the days will cool off and I'll have the desire to go outside again. But in typical Oklahoma fashion it's hot, humid and not comfort food weather. Have you heard of Sweet Paul Magazine? It's an online magazine, FREE, and completely and utterly inspiring and will make you crave Fall more than ever. I'm dying to try the Roasted Potato and Leek Chestnut Soup as well as the Roasted Chicken Pies. Or the Kale and Bean soup with Parmesan. YUM! Go check it out...NOW...I promise you'll love it!

	Look inside >

Fall 2010

I'm so Hard-Core.

2010-09-16T10:08:00.004-05:00

hard-core
noun
the most active, committed, or doctrinaire members of a group or movement : there is always a hard core of trusty stalwarts | [as adj. ] a hard core following.
• popular music that is experimental in nature and typically characterized by high volume and aggressive presentation.

I am now joining the ranks of hard-core iphone users, most typically known as teenagers. When I showed my sister, who will be 19 this month and technically still classifies as a teenager, my "hard-core" iphone, she said "Yeah, I guess you are, if you want to use that word." Ok well, if that word is no longer "cool" then how about "diehard, staunch, dedicated, committed, steadfast, dyed-in-the-wool, long-standing; hardline, extreme, entrenched, radical, intransigent, uncompromising, rigid"? Will any of those do?

I guess the new iphone 4 is calling my name :) But, if I really want to be diehard, staunch or hard-core, then I will continue to use my current phone, glass getting stuck in my fingers and all.

First Day of School, Tulsa Photographer

2010-09-16T10:02:00.004-05:00

Here's a little first day of school action for you. This was actually Jude's first day since he started 2 days after Bella. It's an early morning shot and a snapshot at that. Not pro. I cannot take good pics early in the morning, hence why I ALWAYS opt for evening sessions ;) Judo was so proud that day to be sporting his big boy backpack and wearing a uniform like his big sis. I'm happy to report that he is doing really good, so far ;) I mean, boys will be boys after all!

ETSY Wednesday

2010-09-15T07:49:00.002-05:00

Just a few of my favorites on Etsy right now. Enjoy looking!

Mr. Noah, Tulsa Photographer

2010-09-14T10:23:00.004-05:00

Well, it's a rainy drury day in T-Town. Blah. Hopefully it will cool things off a bit, but knowing Oklahoma, it will just make it humid. Oh well, here's a few photo's to put a smile on your face. This is what happens when you leave your kid with me to babysit.

Arizona & New Mexico Desert, Tulsa Photographer

2010-09-13T08:37:00.004-05:00

I hope everyone had a great weekend. We spent ours in Fayetteville visiting family and doing a little vintage shopping. If you're ever there check out The Flying Dog Vintage Mall off College. We also found this amazing little store called the Himalayan Mountain Store right off the Square. Many of the locals don't even know about it yet. I bought a few things from them. It's all made in Nepal, except for the basket I bought which was made in Africa. Many of the handmade items were made from wool felt (I'm obsessed) and it was all super cheap. Oh, I just realized I forgot to post a few of the images of the landscape from our trip out west so I thought I would go ahead and post them now. We were in awe of the show that mother nature put on for us. It just proves the existence of a magnificent creator for those that doubt such an existence.

Mondays aren't my favorite, but I hope yours is good :) I was reluctant to leave my babies at school today. I miss them so much this morning :(

Blogging for Bliss, Books and Bookshelves

2010-09-10T09:05:00.005-05:00

I love books. The funny thing is that I don't actually like to read very much, but I love the photos in books. Photos, whether of someone's eclectic, modern, cosy decor or of a home cooked meal decked out waiting for it's close-up, are inspiring to me. They keep me refreshed, up to date and inspired. I love to look over at our bookshelf in the kitchen and see a variety of cookbooks with there colorful spines peering through the glass or my living room bookshelves adorning the collection of books old and new. I plan on filling them top to bottom with books one day.

Click here for for more book shelf eye candy.

Another thing I love are blogs. Blogs are like books with a vast array of intoxicating photography, scrumptious recipes and amazing artistry of all sorts that influence, rouse and stir a sense of creativity in me.

There are so many books out there to scour over and I hate to admit it, but I have bought books before that were not inspiring. They were a waist of money. I know harsh, it's true. Not ALL books are a thing of beauty. So instead of waisting money on books, I went to our local libraries website and put holds on several books. It was so easy and a few days later I headed to our library and picked up about 20 books I've been pining over. I checked out recipe books, craft books and home decor books as well as some chapter books for B. Several of these books I read about on blogs and some of them I am so glad I didn't buy. BUT, there were a few that were buzz worthy. One of them was Blogging for Bliss and I'm ACTUALLY reading it! Lots of good information for creating your own blog for fun or for business. Very informative and detailed as far as SEO's and traffic. These are just a few that I loved and since they are informative they are keepers. Well, i'll return these and buy my own copy :)

A few others worth checking out are The Family at Home, Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express and One Yard Wonders. I'm just sayin'...

Do you have any good book recommendations?

Happy Friday. Have a great weekend!

Love.

2010-09-08T07:42:00.001-05:00

California from Aja Vaught on Vimeo.

Home Is Wherever I'm With You.

2010-09-06T15:11:00.006-05:00

The drive through the west was beautiful, something we look forward to doing again soon. Maybe with an old airstream or even a pop-up in tow. There were several places to stop and camp, the old meteorite site would be cool or maybe the petrified forrest. The Grand Canyon was among them, but would have been 3 hours round trip out of the way. So we stopped at a gas station and showed our little disappointed monkeys a post card with a cheesy photo of it. Bella said "That's it?". We said said, "That's it. Now you've seen it." They were fine skipping it at that point. Not sure what she thought it was all about, but a big gigantic hole in the ground was not it. Next time, we'll camp there or drive up through Colorado and do some camping. Driving into to LA was crazy. TRAFFIC. That's all I can say. We stayed in Venice Beach (which was way more bazaar than we thought it would be), but we loved being so close to everything and the neighborhood we stayed in used to house Julia Roberts and Molly Ringwald. We took the kids down to Santa Monica Pier and there was a celebrity event that night so the rides were shut down. I was a bit relieved b/c I kind of mentioned I would get on the trapeze and swing like a crazy person. Darn, missed that opportunity! I think that night on the pier, the fog started rolling in and it dropped down to the low 50's. Crazy, sunny California was not all that sunny and warm in August this year. It was a nice break from the 104 degrees we had in Oklahoma. We went to a beach in Malibu one day, visited Huntington Beach for the US Open of Surfing, took the kids to Disneyland (most fun EVER), stayed in Beverly Hills, saw a concert on Sunset Blvd at the Viper Room (used to be owned by Johnny Depp), went to the Original Farmer's Market in West Hollywood, window shopped at the Grove, saw Rodeo Drive, went to a few vintage stores in West Hollywood and Venice, bought our groceries at the best Whole Foods in the world (I hate ours now), watched a drum circle on Venice Beach (and took in the sights and the smells that we were not ready to explain to our youngin's so we promptly vacated), shopped on Abbot Kinney Blvd and bought cupcakes from Cupcakes A Go Go, ate In-n-Out like 5 times (which I'm hankering for right now), hung out with Eric (who drove down from Modesto) for 5 days which was the icing on the cake for us, picked a lime off a tree in the backyard of the hills rental, got stuck in traffic, bought absolutely nothing except for food and a few sweaters cause' did I mention it was cold?, and had an amazing time together. We basked in the beauty of each other, the time we had each and everyday to wake up together, wondering what new and exciting thing that day would bring. Each day was exciting, new, and composed, filled with no expectations other than enjoying the new scenery surrounding us, together. We left there refreshed, sad to be going home, in reverence of the beauty that we came from and dreaming of what our next adventure west would be like. It was THE best vacation we have ever had together, but only for now. There will be many more to come. For now though, I'm glad to be home, where our family and friends are.

We're Back from Southern California...

2010-08-13T13:30:00.005-05:00

and oh how much I miss it already. I will post more shots from the trip later (I only have about 700 images to choose from) but until then, here's one from the road. Absolutely NO Photoshop done to this one. Yes, the skies are actually that blue in Arizona and the clouds are in fact that fluffy. Now I'm off to spend another day back to school shopping. This year will be hard. I spent last night in tears already having to face the fact that my youngest, my baby boy is going to school. We're going to spend next week in lazy summer mode and as Bella now says "chillaxin'".

For your entertainment pleasures...

2010-07-28T13:29:00.004-05:00

This is what happens when we visit T at work...

FYI...If you have the "old" iPhones like we do, like the really old one, the 2nd generation one, you can download "video camera" and you can change the real time effects. It's rad...although not as rad as the video on the iPhone 4.

a beach chalet.

2010-07-28T08:52:00.004-05:00

If you ask me, I would gladly trade my 2100 square feet for this 388 square foot clad chalet with cedar shingles WITH a view of the ocean. Any ocean would do, but I have a feeling in the next week I'll be wishing it was the pacific. But who's asking me anyways :)

(via studiomama)

Pajama run!

2010-07-26T20:37:00.003-05:00

Tonight Tristan and Bella had a dinner date and Jude and I had a dinner date. It was fun having some one on one. We're in vacation mode already. The days are becoming painful as we wait for Friday to come. So, we decided to have a little fun with the kids. After dinner, computer time and a few books we put them to bed. They were actually pretty tired after spending the day at work with their daddy. About 5 minutes later, we started the car and ran into their rooms yelling and clapping "Pajama run...GET UP, GET UP!!!" Now, I know it sounds a little crazy. I mean what were we thinking. Yelling and clapping is enough to scare anyone, right? We put all thought aside and did it anyways thinking the outcome would be great. They were stunned. The look on their faces made me laugh so hard I could barely get the words out. Awful I know. It was too funny. They didn't know what to think. They ran out of their rooms, got their flips on and got in the car still with the stunned looks on their little precious faces. At this point we were still laughing pretty hard, but we managed to tell them that we were going to get ice cream in our pj's. That's what a pajama run is. Then their stunned little faces turned to smiles and laughs and they began to tell us what in the world they thought was going on. Bella said she was a little scared and Jude said he thought I was singing a song. It was funny. 3 single dip waffle cones with mint chocolate chip and 1 (I was the oddball) scoop of vanilla with chocolate syrup in a cup later and they knew exactly what a pajama run was. It was a memory being made. A rule then had to be enforced. YOU DO NOT ASK FOR A PAJAMA RUN...IF YOU DO THEN YOU AUTOMATICALLY DO NOT GET ONE. I'm sure Jude will be the one to be reckoned with on this room asking every night for the next two weeks, but we'll see. Isn't that a 4 year old for you? Or is that just my 4 year old. Don't answer that. The reason for this crazy shinanagan was to create tradition. Or it could be said that we were breaking tradition, the bedtime tradition. Either way, I will never forget it or the many more to come and I'm pretty sure the rest of the gang won't either. Family is great...I love them so much!

Then when we came home and put our sugared up little howler monkeys to bed, I opened my email and saw this in my in-box from my mister...isn't he talented? He even called me when he saw it and wanted me to take a picture of it maybe thinking I could do a better job. I think not! He did a fine job. I love him so much!

2010-07-21T09:19:00.005-05:00

Be warned...the photos you are about to see are photos of little fashionista's in training. This is what not to wear while hiking in the woods.

Pink patent combat boots = good

Pajamas & flip flops = not so good

Knee high roller derby socks with green & purple stripes and stars = you decide ;)

I so wish I had an up close shot of Flossy's knobby knees in those roller derby socks & hot pink patent combat boots. This is so her right now. She carried around her papaw's old digital camera & case everywhere she goes and wears a gray hat given to her by her aunt Celeste. I definitely need a picture of that. Sometimes, while trying to let her express herself, I make her go change b/c the outfit is simply to embarrassing to let her leave the house. Thank goodness for school uniforms! Both boys are sporting handmade pj shorties made with love by granny.

They do get gussied up too.

And last but not least...a camping shot in the dark ;)

Have You Heard?

2010-07-21T09:01:00.004-05:00

Peachwave is the place to go...froyo is all the rage! It's best place on the planet. My personal fave is vanilla & white chocolate with chocloate syrup. Yeah, I'm kinda simple like that. The kids have a little of everything. I just can't like gummy worms and oreo's in my fro-yo, but to each his own. You must go check it out. If you're local it's in the Tulsa Hills Shopping Center off 75. Oh and did I mention it has some health benefits?!

Sun Safety

2010-07-21T08:47:00.003-05:00

So just when thought I had the whole sunscreen figured out (don't get me started on microwaves), I was drinking my chai tea this morning and reading up on all the blogs I follow when I came across this article on sunscreen from Simple Organic. It turns out, the expensive sunscreen I have been buying and using on the kids all summer has oxybenzone, which is one of the worst ingredients in sunscreen that is causing a lot of the hype. I thought I was doing good to get paraben-free and using a "block" instead of a "screen" that is made from minerals. Well, I thought wrong! Then I ran across this article on "safe" sunscreens. So, I will be buying one of these for our hot days in California. Oh, we haven't told the kids, but we're taking them to Disneyland for a day! We can't wait to surprise them ;)

Try these out...

For Sale.

2010-07-19T22:26:00.003-05:00

CB2 Scan Lounge Chairs

I listed our chairs on craigs list today and hate to sell them, but since Tristan built us the sectional & chair, we have no room. If you're interested, let me know. I will only sell them locally :)

Here is the ad...check them out!

A little of this...a little of that.

2010-07-18T20:07:00.005-05:00

We're back from a weekend in the country with the kids. They went fishing, camping, swimming and marshmallow roasting, I went thrifting. We're getting reading for our trip to Cali in 2 weeks. As we speak, Mr. Vaught is googling celeb homes in Venice Beach. We'll have a full week in Venice and then a weekend in the Hills, Beverly Hills that is. I'm afraid I might be a little of the starstruck kind so I'm hoping to see some shopping on Abbot Kinney or strolling by our temporary home for the week. We may be moving there ;) I can wait to do some thrifting in West Hollywood, see 100 Monkeys at the Viper Room (if our body guards accompany us...tee hee), enjoy family & good friends, have a great photo shoot in Laguna and so much more. It's gonna be a blast and we're even looking forward to the 24 hour drive through the dessert. No...really!

Baby C decided to take a catnap in the pool...his first time in the pool too...