Category Archives: {misc. mondays}

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it’s the little things in life

October 24, 2009 – 12:27 pm

Fall is in the air today in Nashville!!!  I love this time of year.  Here are a few random pictures I snapped yesterday around the house.  The leaves are turning, the pumpkins are on the front porch, I’m decorating my house with beautiful, natural foliage from my yard, my in-laws just brought us a huge load of wood for the fireplace & I bought some pretty fall-colored flowers to make little bouquets to go all around the house.

Fall_blog

I just got back home from a fun session with a great family at Percy Warner Park.  It was a little chilly, but we had a good time (and the leaves are beautiful there)!  If you’re in Nashville, you should definitely drive over there this weekend.

By Katie | Also posted in {the dunlap family} | Comments (2)

still here . . .

October 14, 2009 – 9:57 am

It’s been a while, but I’m still here . . . just a little preoccupied these days.  I’ve been super busy with the normal everyday stuff (like everybody else), but I’ve also had a lot of new things swirling around in my head.  I haven’t quite been able to put it all into words (and I still can’t), but if you want a sneak peek into my crazy brain, you can start here.

And then go here and here.

And then you can read this book. And then this one.

That should keep you pretty busy for a while.  I would love to elaborate on all of those – and I will sometime – but right now my heart and my mind are still sorting through all of it.  Those blogs will completely knock your socks off (read them like a book – from the oldest post to the newest).  And those books are completely rocking my world.  So, all that to say . . . there will be more discussion on those to come.  I just wanted to let you know why I’ve been MIA.

As far as photography stuff goes, I’m in the middle of the crazy fall rush . . . and loving it.  I’m heading to Memphis this weekend (finally) to do some sessions with old & new friends there.  Then I’ll hit the ground running again with local sessions.  And because I know we all despise a post with no pictures (right?!?!), let me introduce you to my brother-in-law and soon-to-be sister-in-law (that’s an awful lot of hyphens!).  They are getting married in April, and I’m sooooooo excited for them!  I would want to be Leslie’s friend even if we weren’t married to brothers, so it’s just icing on the cake that we’ll officially be family soon!

B&L_blog

By Katie | Also posted in {the dunlap family} | Comments (5)

raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens . . .

June 25, 2009 – 4:14 pm

. . . bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
brown paper packages tied up with strings
these are a few of my favorite things.

Those really aren’t a few of my favorite things (even though I like the song), but these are!

favs

First, fresh summer fruit is way up on my list these days.  Last night I cut up strawberries and added blueberries, blackberries and red grapes to them.  It was so cold and yummy!  I’ve finally gotten out of my post-vacation slump and gotten back on track eating healthier & exercising.  I bought these and this to help get me motivated to get back on the treadmill, too, and they’ve worked beautifully.  Who knew dri-fit stuff was so wonderful?!?!

Another favorite of mine: Heather Bailey’s Trash Ties.  I just purchased some of these last week, and they are GREAT! They work really well, and they’re super cute.

I just can’t say enough about the next item.  I really liked the fabric that Christina used for the table runners for her wedding reception.  I searched online trying to find the exact material, and I finally came across Anna Maria Horner’s website! Her fabric is just perfect, and I was so excited when I found out that she lives here in Nashville! This is what Christina used, and I think I might just have to purchase some for myself. Brad recently surprised me with furniture for our dining room for our 10th anniversary, so I’m going to make a table runner and some napkins to accessorize! I don’t really know how to sew, but I think I can handle four straight lines . . . maybe?! I’ll let you know how it turns out.  If you’re a Nashvillian and you want to find some of Anna Maria’s fabric, it’s sold here.

Lastly, I wanted to let you in on a fun offer I just heard about.  Glidden is giving away free quarts of paint! You can sign up online and choose your color. The offer is good through July 2nd (or while supplies last), so hurry over to their website! I chose Red Delicious, and I think I’m going to paint a bookshelf to go in my office.

Well, that’s all the eye candy I have for today, BUT you could have your very own eye candy, delivered directly to your door!  Leave a comment, and you’ll be in the drawing for THIS!!! That’s right . . . one lucky blog friend will be the proud owner of this adorable 14 inch pillow cover made out of Anna Maria Horner’s Sketchbook fabric! So go ahead and leave your comment now!  The winner will be announced on Thursday, July 2nd.  Bye!  Bye!

By Katie | Also posted in {news} | Comments (11)

crafty, crafty

March 19, 2009 – 5:09 pm

This is Spring Break for my boys, and I must admit that I am enjoying a laid back week that doesn’t include getting up super early and rushing out the door!  My mom is also in town, so we’ve been having a good time.  Today we went to the Main Street Toy Company in downtown Franklin.  We also managed to sneak into a few other shoppes on our stroll back to the car.  Tonight Brad and the boys are camping out in the backyard . . . complete with smores, of course!  They’ve been out back helping Brad get everything set up, and they’re so cute when they’re excited!  My mom and I are going to my monthly Stamp Club, and speaking of which . . . here are a few cards I made last weekend.  I really like how they turned out.  Several of them are copied directly from the catalog, so I can’t necessarily take credit for their designs.  I love having cards on hand to send out for special occassions.

Well, I hate to be so short, but I’m about to run out the door.  I hope you all are having a lovely week!  I’ll be back soon with more fun pictures . . . of people – ha! ha!

By Katie | Also posted in {the dunlap family} | Comments (2)

i love a good pen . . .

February 23, 2009 – 9:40 pm

. . . and I just found THESE! I used one for the first time today, and I really like it.  Sharpie, by the way, has a fun website . . . who knew? That’s all I have to share. I’ve been tearing up all day thinking about Riley being born 8 years ago and about how MUCH I love him . . . and I’m worn out now! We pulled out his baby album tonight, and we all had so much fun looking through his newborn & first year pictures. He’s getting big, but he’ll always be my baby.  I’m swamped working on the yearbook for my boys’ school this week, but I’ll have some FUN wedding pictures to post after Mike & McKinsey’s wedding on Saturday . . . stay tuned!

By Katie | Comments (4)

miscellaneous monday (vol. 9)

February 2, 2009 – 11:17 pm

Happy Monday . . . what little bit is left of it!  I don’t have a ton to say because I’m sleepy and ready to go to bed.  I do, however, have lots of pictures of my recent craftiness.  I’ve mentioned on here before that I get together with a group of ladies once a month to stamp.  We make cards and little gifts and all sorts of fun goodies.  I hosted our group last month and got all inspired.  So this week I drug all my stuff downstairs to play.  My goal was to replenish my supply of cards.  I like to keep some on hand to use throughout the year for birthdays, weddings, baby showers, thank you notes or “just because.”  I also made some really simple gable boxes for Valentine’s Day.  They were made using one piece of solid cardstock, and they’re so easy!  So, for your viewing pleasure . . . here are some pictures.  This is what you see when you come into my dining room right now!

These are the gable boxes that will soon be filled with some sort of fun Valentine’s treat.

And here are the cards.  I’m *really* into embossing right now.  I got a light table for Christmas, so I’ve been doing a lot of dry embossing, too.  FUN STUFF!

The color came out kind of weird in some of these, but you get the idea.  If any of you Nashville girls are interested in getting together and doing this kind of stuff on a monthly basis, shoot me an email and let me know.  I can hook you up with my fabulous friend, Beckie, who’s a Stampin’ Up demonstrator.  I look forward to getting together with my group every month.  It’s a great outlet for me to be with friends and get inspired to be creative.  Okay, I did coffee with friends this morning, and I think I’m all out of words for the day!  I’m off to bed.  I hope you all have a great week!

By Katie | Comments (3)

miscellaneous monday (vol. 8)

January 26, 2009 – 10:21 pm

So . . . today is Monday . . . and I’m trying to figure out what to post.  I’m cold, and I think I need a SNUGGIE or a SLANKET.  I tend to be cold-natured, and you can usually find me at night on the couch with a blanket draped over my lap . . . like a little old lady :) .

I’ve been busy trying to nurse my sweet kitty back to health this week.  He seemed to be getting better, but now he’s running a fever and has a swollen belly.  He’s having surgery tomorrow morning to see if they can figure out exactly what’s going on with him.  I’m ready for him to be happy and healthy and back to his crazy, hyper self.  I would also like to find the owners of the dogs that attacked him so I can give them the vet bill . . . seriously.

I know I’m a little partial, but isn’t he the cutest?!  These were taken several months ago when he was a baby, but he’s still this sweet.  He’s my buddy, and many of YOUR pictures have been edited with him in my lap or lying on the desk beside my computer :) .

Since I’m talking about the cat, I thought some of you animal-lovers might enjoy these fun finds:
Catnip Eyeballs . . . how weird and creepy and funny . . . all at the same time!
Need a little Valentine’s Day treat for your pooch?
If your kitty likes to play video games, check out this . . . crazy!
You can even get a plushie replica of your furry friend made :) .
If you love hoodies & scarves as much as me, you’re gonna like these and these!
If your dog has bad breath, maybe you could try some of this.
This person will even paint a custom picture of your pet.

That’s all I have for now.  Have a great week!  Until next time . . .

By Katie | Also posted in {the dunlap family} | Comments (0)

my baby is SIX!

January 22, 2009 – 10:34 am

Whew . . . what a week it’s been!  I completely missed my “Miscellaneous Monday” post . . . but I have a very good reason that I’ll get to later.  We had a big weekend because Cole’s sixth birthday was Saturday.  I can’t believe that my youngest child is SIX!  We invited the boys from his class over for a Spiderman party.  Six of them came, and they had so much fun together!  It was really neat watching them play outside the structure of the classroom.  They played air hockey and other games in the garage and then spread all the legos out in the living room and built ships and trucks.  We had pizza, cupcakes & ice cream, and it was a really fun party!  I’m thankful for the great friends that Cole’s made in school.  They have a neat class, and they’re all so sweet.  Brad’s brother and his girlfriend came to visit us over the long weekend, so they got to experience the fun of having a bunch of six-year-old excited, sugared-up boys in the house, too!

The reason I missed posting on Monday is because we had a scary experience with our little kitty, Piper.  He was attacked by two big dogs right in front of our house.  He managed to get away and crawled down into a storm drain.  I won’t go into all the crazy details, but it took us three hours (in the freezing cold & snow flurries) to get him out of a 100 foot pipe that runs under and diagonally across our street.  I’ll just say that a fire truck, a news van, me climbing down into a nasty seven foot drain, and some conduit with a football duct taped to the end were involved . . . I told you it was CRAZY!  We didn’t know the extent of his internal injuries, but after spending a couple of days under the vet’s care and watchful eye, he was able to come home yesterday.  He’s still very sore, but he can hobble around now, and he’s going to be okay.  It was so sad and scary, and I’m so glad to have him back home.  He curled up in my lap last night and started purring and fell asleep :) .  I went to bed with a lighter heart and a big smile on my face!

By Katie | Also posted in {the dunlap family} | Comments (1)

miscellaneous monday (vol. 7)

January 12, 2009 – 5:02 pm

I really enjoy purchasing handmade goodies when possible . . . if you haven’t noticed already!  Aren’t these too cute???

I found them at Black Lion at the Opry Mills Mall, but you can also find them here.  I really enjoy making my own cards, but I had to snag these and some little bird ones when I saw them.  The paper and material are sewn onto the card, so I told Brad that I need a sewing machine now so I can make my own.  You can imagine his response :) .

I’ve mentioned on here that I love music, and I’ve found myself really diggin’ Taylor Swift’s new Fearless CD lately.  It’s a random pick for me, but it takes me back to all the emotions that I felt as a teenager.  When I hear those songs, I can still feel those first love butterflies and the conflict that goes on in the heart of a girl who’s becoming a young woman.  I think my favorite song so far is Love Story.  I was in the car by myself belting it out just today on my way home from having coffee with some girlfriends :) .  My niece got the CD for Christmas, and I have this sweet picture in my mind of her sitting in my mom’s kitchen listening to each song and following along with the lyrics.  I did that ALL the time when I was younger, and I still do it now!  She was sitting in a chair with her knees bent and pulled up to her chest.  I just watched her and thought, “Oh my goodness!  She’s growing up!  She reminds me of ME!”  So, Miss Olivia . . . I’ll be jammin’ out to Taylor with you, and if I see her around town, I’ll get an autograph for you :) .  

By Katie | Comments (3)

miscellaneous monday (vol. 6)

January 5, 2009 – 9:57 pm

Wow!  It’s been TWO WEEKS since I posted on here!  I know you’ve been holding your breath to read my latest and greatest (ha!), but I really enjoyed taking a little break.  It was much needed after a busy, busy fall season.  We had a great Christmas in Alabama with our families, and I *thoroughly* enjoyed hanging out with my boys while they were out on Christmas break.  They go back to school tomorrow, and while I’ll be kind of glad to get back into a routine, I’m a little sad, too.  It was nice to spend some quality time with them without the rush of our typical schedule.  Last night we all piled up in the living room and watched The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.  Brad and I had seen it already, but this was the first time the boys watched it.  I knew they’d LOVE it, and they did!  Even better than the movie, though, was the time spent snuggling on the couch and just being together.  At one point, both boys were on the love seat with me, and Brad was on the couch all by himself!  What can I say
. . . they love their mama :) .  I took a few minutes to step outside of the movie and breathe in the moment in an attempt to etch it in my mind forever.  Those are the times that I cherish so much and know I will long for again years down the road when they’re all grown up and gone.  If you haven’t seen the movie, you should!  We’re also reading the book to the boys at night, which is a lot of fun.

I’ve also enjoyed having a little time off to get my house organized . . . whoo hoo!  You have to understand that at the core of who I am is a girl who just loves for things to be organized and neat and tidy.  Now, having two THREE boys sometimes gets in the way of all that, and I’ve learned to be okay with it . . . most days.  BUT, I really like for everything to have a place and for the flow of our house to make life easier and make sense.  AND, I got a LABEL MAKER for Christmas!  I didn’t even ask for one, and Brad came up with the idea on his own (brownie points for that one – it doesn’t take much to make me happy!).  All you people out there got Wii’s and stuff, but I’m perfectly content with my label maker :) .  I’ve found all sorts of things around the house that *need* labeling!  (And of course, I had to go out and buy some more fun boxes, baskets & containers to sort things into!)  Speaking of getting organized . . .

. . . I have so many things swirling through my mind to share because I’ve been brainstorming ideas for my photography business for 2009.  I’ve been waiting for the boys to get back in school, though, to really sit down and sift through my thoughts and come up with some definite plans.  I’m also updating the galleries on the website this week, and I’ll be making some minor changes to it and this blog in the next couple of weeks.  I have a newborn session later this week, and I’m sooooo excited about it!  It’s been a little while since I’ve photographed a newborn, so it should be super fun . . . and it’s a little girl!  Stay tuned for some sweet images :) , and check back for more news as I continue to make plans for 2009!  I’ll be posting every day this week . . . no really . . . I will . . . you’ll see . . .

By Katie | Comments (0)