DSLR CAMERA WOOOOOOOOO!

I am no camera techie- I don't even know what DSLR stands for unless I sit and think about it really hard, which I'm not going to do right now!  Or even google it- because I'm too excited to share the photos I've taken with my NEW AWESOME CAMERA!!!  All I know is this is the most awesome thing ever.  It takes the best pictures.  I love it.  I regret regret regret not just sucking it up and saving up for one a long time ago!  They are so much more affordable now, though- and I'm sure the technology is even better (like, I just have to choose which "mode" I want to shoot in- I don't have to adjust anything like a real photographer would.  "Kids", "food scene", "portraits", and "candlelight" are a few preset "scenes" I've played with and they are all amazing.  Obviously "portrait" is my favorite because it comes out with the highest quality- but even on "kids" I've gotten shots of the kids I would never get with my iPhone or old camera (which has been collecting dust in a drawer for 2 years because it just wasn't that much better than my phone camera).

So, without further adieu, here are the best pictures I've ever taken in my life! I can't wait to cover my entire house with photos :) As you can see- what began as some tinkering with my camera became an all day Spiderman photoshoot!

 I love love love this girl.

 Eating mulch- per usual!

Oh my heart explodes when I see this picture of my precious Spidey.
Dax: "Mom, you just call me if you need anything."
Me: "Ok!  I sure will."
Dax (from the other room, 3 seconds later): "OK!  CALL ME NOW!"

I'm hell bent on making Dax and Tate's birthday party invitations this year.  Why?  Because I'm stupid. But this is SO the picture I'm going to use for Dax's, I think! (Dax is having a Super Hero party!)

 I'm not very good with indoor shots yet- I need to play around some more with the settings, I guess- but it's still better than what I would've taken!

Mud Room Update

We are so lucky that this little "mud room" came with our house. I would have never been able to pull off the mud rooms you see on Pinterest. People amaze me!!! Anyway- our mud room had 2 hooks. There are 5 people in our family. That have purses, backpacks, dance bags, coats, sweaters, bathing suits, towels, etc. All for 2 measley hooks! Not working- our mud room was more cluttered that peoples homes that don't have mud rooms. So I added some hooks, and wanted to dress it up! Here is what I did, in pictures: 

What I started with- 8x10 chalkboards (Amazon), and $12 frames from Target (glass and matts removed). The chalkboards were gray, and had an annoying border on them. So I painted them with more chalkboard paint, and popped the borders off (so they'd attach behind the frame without causing issues with hanging them). The borders were easy to pop off- probably not a pro most of the time, but for today it was great! 

I also had to paint the frames gold. Like, HAD TO.

The paints I used were:

Finished with step 1!

Step 2- glue the chalkboard to the frame. I used "gorilla glue" bc it's what we had on hand. Kind of annoying bc it dries white so you can see the seepage on the front of the chalkboard- but whatever. Then place them upside down to dry with something heavy on top. We used training skates :) (I left the open space to leave room for hooks- my wall space wasn't long enough for the frames and hooks underneath!)

This was the best before picture I could get. Before pictures aren't my forte. Usually I remember mid-project.

And after!! Love it! 

Got the hooks at Target- $6 for each "rack":

Mud Room Update

We are so lucky that this little "mud room" came with our house. I would have never been able to pull off the mud rooms you see on Pinterest. People amaze me!!! Anyway- our mud room had 2 hooks. There are 5 people in our family. That have purses, backpacks, dance bags, coats, sweaters, bathing suits, towels, etc. All for 2 measley hooks! Not working- our mud room was more cluttered that peoples homes that don't have mud rooms. So I added some hooks, and wanted to dress it up! Here is what I did, in pictures: 

What I started with- 8x10 chalkboards (Amazon), and $12 frames from Target (glass and matts removed). The chalkboards were gray, and had an annoying border on them. So I painted them with more chalkboard paint, and popped the borders off (so they'd attach behind the frame without causing issues with hanging them). The borders were easy to pop off- probably not a pro most of the time, but for today it was great! 

I also had to paint the frames gold. Like, HAD TO.

The paints I used were:

Finished with step 1!

Step 2- glue the chalkboard to the frame. I used "gorilla glue" bc it's what we had on hand. Kind of annoying bc it dries white so you can see the seepage on the front of the chalkboard- but whatever. Then place them upside down to dry with something heavy on top. We used training skates :) (I left the open space to leave room for hooks- my wall space wasn't long enough for the frames and hooks underneath!)

This was the best before picture I could get. Before pictures aren't my forte. Usually I remember mid-project.

And after!! Love it! 

Got the hooks at Target- $6 for each "rack":

Mother's Day 2013 <3

What an AWESOME Mother's Day with my sweet fam! Here are some pictures :)

Trying to get a decent photo while everyone's in their Sunday best. HA! I love Dax scampering off with my rose he'd given me then snapped in half, me pulling his shirt, Ada's expression & body language, and Tate's screaming. It doesn't get more classic Dowell fam than that!!

My boys working hard to grant mommy's Mother's Day wish- some colorful plants and black mulch in the front yard. 

Maybe if I get IN the hole...

Ada had a blast digging, planting, and watering. Of course! So pretty- 

Tate did decently well! I had to watch from the sidelines about 75% of the time holding the bubbs, but when he was in his chair he was having fun punching and kicking his toys like crazy :)

After we'd gotten the kids to bed (sort of - Tate's in my lap and Dax wouldn't stay in bed)- we are grilled burgers and drank Coronas on the driveway, enjoying our freshly beautified front lawn! (I wish I'd taken a before and after picture- it really looks so great!)

My gift the boys made at Sunday School, so precious!! Ada made me several precious gifts too. Definitely a WONDERFUL Mother's Day!!

And I'll leave you with a picture of all 4 generations of my grandma, mom, me, and Ada from several years ago <3

Mother's Day Tea

Ada's little school put on a "Mother's Day Tea" for all of the kids' moms to attend- it was so wonderful! And MorMor came to keep both boys so Ada and I could have a little date afterwards too. :) We had a really nice afternoon! 

At Sonshine about to eat some snacks- I got to meet Eli and Eli's mom. Eli is Ada's BFF who wrote her a love letter yesterday. That is my next post :)

We went to Orange Leaf for frozen yogurt where she chose chocolate cake flavor with marshmallow and gummy bear toppings :)

She picked me pretty purple flowers-

Then she decided she wanted to go to Hobby Lobby to get some ribbon. (Which was convenient because I needed to go anyway for some gift making supplies.)

When we got home she realized MorMor had brought her some COOL presents! She found an antique doll bed, and made adorable sheets, pillows, a mattress and comforter- and even brought her OWN doll blankets her mother made her when she was little- those blankets are about 75 years old! So cool.