My Little Garden

Last year for Mother's Day, Andrew bought me a Tomato Tower from Ace Hardware.  IT'S AWESOME!  We live in a little town home and there is no where to have a garden.  Sooo... Andrew bought me this amazing little garden center for my back porch.  It has five places to hang vine plants (tomatoes, bell peppers, and jalapeno peppers) from the bottom of the planter and then herbs, flowers, and other veggies up on top (leopard's bane perennial, sweet basil, and cilantro).  In honor of this week containing several days with temperatures over 80 degrees I decided it was time to start my little garden. My family was in last week which was amazing.  It sure is quiet around here.  So I needed something to keep Selah and I occupied :)

Here are some pictures of our week...

 Cilantro

 Sweet Basil

 Tomato, Bell Pepper, & Jalapeno Pepper Plants

This is the view from my back porch... April showers bring May flowers :)

My indulgences this week = Godiva Hazelnut Creme coffee and Paula Deen's Mystery Pecan Pie candle :)

I hope you're having a fabulous week :)

5 Months Old!

Oh my.  My Selah Grace is 5 months old already!! Can you believe it?

We have started some solid foods like rice cereal and she has successfully learned how to roll from her tummy to her back and vice versa.  She can almost sit up on her own and she is giggling up a storm ALL of the time.  She is such a happy baby.  We are completely enjoying her. My Mom and Brother came to our house to spend spring break with us.  We did art projects and my Mom got to play dress-up with Selah everyday.  I think she enjoyed herself. 

To see more pictures of Selah like the one above then click HERE.

Have a blessed day :)

EASTER EGGSTRAVAGANZA!

Go to my website to see my latest photography sale, My EASTER EGGSTRAVAGANZA!  Hope to hearing from you soon :)

Editing Process - TAKEN BY TERRA

Click HERE to see a little sneaky peek at a simple version of the before and after my editing process!  Enjoy :)

Spring Cleaning

I am in a spring cleaning mood this week.  I have a running log in my mind of each place in my tiny house that I want to clean this weekend.  I have seen lots of people out and about buying seeds to start their gardens, mulch to give their flower beds a fresh feel, and all of the trees in our area are starting to bloom!  So exciting!

Andrew would disagree though.. his allergies are going nuts! 

This time of the year also brings on the need to Spring Clean my heart as well.  To eat healthier, exercise, and get back in the swing of spending time with God each day. 

I hope this passage of scripture encourages you as much as it has encouraged me today...

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your

unfailing love; according to your great

compassion blot out my transgressions.

Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.

Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight;

so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.

Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;

you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

 Let me hear joy and gladness;

 let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.

Create in me a pure heart,

O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Psalm 51:1-10

Happy Cleaning!

Baby Showers

The past month has been full of baby showers!  First came one of my co-workers, Amanda, who gave birth via c-section to her beautiful daughter Amaya Renee.  Then our dear friend Hannah had her twin boys, Jack and Finn, when she was only 30 weeks pregnant.  And I'm happy to report that the boys are doing fantastic.  I went and saw them last night and it blessed my heart.  They are soo tiny!

Then Marisa had her second child, Thomas George.  He's pretty tiny too and the most laid back baby I have ever met!

THEN... Brittany is about to give birth to Harper!  And can I just say that I am beyond thrilled that Harper will be joining us soon :)

Here are some pictures of the festivities: 

Audrey Franklin - SNEAK PEEK!

Won't you do me a favor and bop on over to my photography blog (CLICK HERE) to see my latest photography session?  Thanks!

It's Tough Being a Woman!

Today, I just needed to type out what was on my mind.  My heart is hurting for our world. 

Here in America, we have become very selfish human beings.  It's got to be all about me or it can't be about anyone.  The American dream is not just about becoming successful anymore... it has become more than that. 

There are parents out there that are feeling the pressure to make sure their children are the best at everything!  Putting their children in a million different sports by the time they are four years old and dishing out severe emotional whiplash when those children fail at anything whether in school or extra-curricular activities.  And don't get me wrong.. I am all about teaching your children how to be smart and driven individuals.  But there is definitely a fine line there that is often blurred in our culture.  And it is not only the children in our society that are thrown these expectations.  It is often the adults that feel the effects of this movement as well.  There are those parents that live vicariously through the success of their child or they ditch their child and live out their own dreams. 

Toddlers and Tiaras.  Meet Mackenzie...


There is this new idea that mothers need to define themselves and that by doing that, leaving your husband and children to make that happen is acceptable. 

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WRONG!  That is a lie that Satan has thrown at mothers across America.  Believe me.. You can be a mom and a wife and still be YOU!  The problem is that women and men alike are defining themselves by what they do and how successful they are at that one thing instead of defining themselves as child of God first and foremost.  Our priorities have gotten all out of whack. 

When I was in college I saw this all the time.  Being a commercial music major in a very successful fine arts program you are taught how to make yourself marketable.  It's all about being the best and always striving to become better and better and better.   There is a difference between always learning new things and striving to become perfect.  I saw young girls destroy themselves after a performance at school when they didn't do it perfectly.  Accepting ourselves for who we are as women in this society is a challenge.   And becoming a wife and a mom does not mean that your life is over.  When I married Andrew and especially when I became pregnant with our first baby, a lot of people that I knew looked at me and would say, "well, I just really wish you would have done this and this and this before all of this happened."  Well, gee... thanks.  So basically, what you are telling me is that because now that I am a wife and a mom my life has officially ended?  That because I didn't reach my ultimate potential before I got married and had kids that means I will never reach it?  That's a pretty sad way to look at how God created our world. 

Being a wife and a mom is hard work!  The one thing that will make it harder is by letting that take precedence over your relationship with God.  It can become very overwhelming taking care of every one and every thing when no one is pouring anything into you. 

Husbands, love your wives more than you love yourselves!  Tell them how great of a job they are doing.  Surprise them often.  Help them live out their dreams.  Two people can really make accomplishing dreams a whole lot easier than one person.

Ladies, wake up with purpose!  Wake up knowing that God is going to show you something remarkable before your head hits the pillow again.  Spend time with him first thing in the morning searching for his purpose for you. 

If you are looking for some guidance in how to find that purpose in your life I recommend the biblestudy "Esther,  It's Tough Being a Woman" by Beth Moore. 


Esther, It's Tough Being a Woman from LifeWay Media on Vimeo.


Stay strong all you Moms out there!  I'm praying for you!

My day.

Here's a little glimpse of what my day looked like..

While talking on the phone with Andrew this morning, he mentioned that Genesis Diamonds in Nashville now carries the Tacori brand.  He told me that we should get all dressed up and go get my ring cleaned.  You know.. we don't want any one at Genesis Diamonds thinking we are rednecks or anything... :)

Somebody is fighting sleep today...

Look at those eyelashes!!  She got those from me :)

Ginger is fighting sleep too.  And look at that HONKER!  She didn't get that from me... :)

Ummm.. it's a little difficult to touch up your nails when you have a almost five month old.  This may take me all day.  But it will get done!

The name is my favorite part about the nail polish.  Muchi Muchi

It's 6:21 and I already feel like going to bed. 
Good night y'all.

The Zoo!

This past weekend, Andrew had a few jobs in Birmingham AL.  So Selah and I tagged along.  We shopped all day Friday and then went to the zoo on Saturday before heading home.

The zoo was, well... interesting.  Around noon Selah started getting hungry.  So... Andrew and I found a shady spot in the outdoor food court of the zoo and I put on my handy-dandy nursing wrap and started feeding Selah.  So far.. so good.  THEN - Selah decided she was done.  Kicking her legs like she was sprinting for the finish line I started to panic - in fear that she was going to expose me for all I was worth - I quickly asked Andrew to help me get her out from under the wrap.  You know... before I gave a peep show to the entire group of mentally challenged adults sitting about two feet from our table.  Smart Terra.. real smart.  Within a blink of an eye there went Selah.. and so did my wrap.  Andrew busted out laughing and my face turned about 50 shades of red. 

Let's just put it this way... I am glad that we live in Nashville and not Birmingham.