Arizona Best Fest!

Yesterday we headed downtown to celebrate the start of Arizona's Centennial celebration, Best Fest!  It was the most perfect day - 70 degrees with a slight breeze- and as the day went on and cardigans and hoodies made their appearance, I couldn't help but send a little thank you to Mother Nature for this glorious Autumn weather.  Our little town was chock full of people, the roads were blocked off for parties, food tastings, and wine tents, and there was something to do on every corner.  The Old West and historic Arizona were the main focuses in most areas of the celebration, and we had everything from a mechanical bull to reenactments of old-time shootouts. It was really, really awesome. We walked all over and ended up grabbing dinner at Taj Mahal- best Indian food in town. Henry had a blast too, and even though we pushed him hours past his bedtime, he watched the people, and eventually the fireworks, with such adorable wide eyes. It was a great evening, and we ended it at the Moline's talking around their firepit and looking up at the stars. I went to bed last night with a truly thankful heart. And I kind of needed a day like yesterday- I had a rough start to the day and was feeling pretty down...but by the end of our night I was in great spirits. That's what being surrounded by good people does to you. So thankful.

And today is a good day already too. It's football all day in our house, and I'm looking forward to having friends over and eating good food. Typical Sunday in our house. Whatever you do, I hope it's a good one too! Here are some photos from our day - enjoy.





























Source URL: https://sweettattooforgirls.blogspot.com/search/label/downtown
Visit sweet tattoo for girls wallpaper for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection

Sunday.

Today was a good day. We spent the better part of the afternoon strolling around downtown, and soaking up the very last bits of summer that fell smack dab in the middle of our three-day weekend. Although it was a little too hot for our liking, I kept reminding myself that soon enough it'll be cold and snowy, so rather than complaining we found enough shade and treated ourselves to iced drinks at Wild Iris. Let me tell you, their iced coconut tea is to die for. Absolutely delicious. And it was a lot of fun walking around amidst all the tourists who come up on holiday weekend to take in the arts and crafts fair, the cooler temperatures, and the small-town feeling our home exudes. There was cotton candy, hot, toasted almonds, and enough freshly squeezed lemonade to go around for days.

I kept thinking about how at the close of next summer Henry will be a whopping almost-two!  It was kind of off-putting for a minute, and I got really sad...but then really excited. It's hard watching your baby grow up so quickly, the changes happen so fast and in the blink of an eye it seems like your little newborn is crawling, standing, walking. Heartbreaking that you can never go back, but equally as joyous that life is moving forward. Bittersweet is the best way to describe it. More sweet than bitter, but bitter none the less. So today in the late afternoon sun, I promised myself that I would stop focusing on the 'bitter' part of it. Just to accept it. Be happy. Celebrate the new stages and all of the new milestones. And instead of being half-happy, holding back a part of that to focus on being sad, I'm going to try my best to just be happy.  Keyword: try. ;)

Happy Labor Day weekend, everyone!














Source URL: https://sweettattooforgirls.blogspot.com/search/label/downtown
Visit sweet tattoo for girls wallpaper for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection

Odds & Ends

Hellllooo! I have a bunch of random things to share so I thought I would share a few photos and a some odds and ends as well.

















First of all, I've been having such a great time the past couple of days. Last night was extra-great because Hank took over on Daddy duty once Henry went to sleep and I got to enjoy a night out with friends. Amber and I started the evening off at The Raven up on the outdoor patio, then Adie came out and met us and we continued our night downtown. It was a great time (minus that Lone Star beer I tried in honor of Amber's visit from Texas. Yuck!).

Then today Amber, Henry and I headed down to Phoenix for the day so she could get more work done on her thigh piece. The wonderful fellow who tattoos us is a good friend of mine, so it was awesome to spend the day with him and his daughter, laughing and being ridiculous. All in all, awesome. And tomorrow night I'm having a girl's sleepover at my house. Can't wait for yummy food, dancing via Amber's new Michael Jackson game for the Wii, and going out for awhile too. Sleeping bags in the living room? Yes, please! Maybe we'll even play truth or dare. Obviously we're getting crazy.

Here are a couple blog-related things as well:

1) I've been getting tons of questions about the jalapeño mustard I talked about in this post!  Believe it or not, I got it at Walmart! Yes! And although I really don't like Walmart very much, I do like that they carry this mustard, so if you have been looking for it, check there. It's in the condiments aisle, with all of the regular (see also: less delicious) mustards.

2) Yes, Journal Day is continuing. I'm trying to get away from weekly features (I don't like feeling obligated to blog about something specific when I'm not feeling it- and journaling has to really be "felt," in my opinion), but I will be doing it at least 2x a month. The next one will be next week!

3) Recently I've been getting lots of questions about my camera. Lately I've been using my Nikon D60 more than ever, along with my brand new 35mm lens (birthday present from Hank).  I love it, and I've been having fun experimenting and trying out new things.

4) Yes, it's true. "Slice of" posts are coming to an end. I have about 5 or 6 more to share and that's it. It's been fun but to be honest I'm excited to wrap it up. The last few I have to share are awesome though, so yay for going out on a positive note! So to answer a very common question- no, I'm not taking anymore submissions.

5) I wanted to thank each of you for all of your support regarding Hello Giggles! I've been having so much fun being a part of their team and writing for them, and it's so neat to see your comments over there as well. I just wanted all of you to know how much I appreciate it, and you!

Have a great weekend! xoxoSource URL: https://sweettattooforgirls.blogspot.com/search/label/downtown
Visit sweet tattoo for girls wallpaper for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection

4th of July Parade!

Yesterday was our annual 4th of July Parade, and it was the best time. Red, white and blue everywhere, banners, streamers, American flags waving in the wind- hot dogs and cupcakes, lemonade and sandwiches. My family comes up every year to soak up some of our small-town goodness, and this year was extra special because Amber Joy's family spent the day with us too. I love love love when Amber is home, and it always makes me a little sad even when we're having fun, because I really wish she still lived here! A girl can dream, right? But really, I can't get enough of days like today, and having a little one around makes times like this much more special. This was Henry's first parade, and surprisingly the loud noises only made him laugh. My family took turns holding him, and he eventually took a nap in my Mom's arms, right in the middle of the celebration. It was a great day.












































Source URL: https://sweettattooforgirls.blogspot.com/search/label/downtown
Visit sweet tattoo for girls wallpaper for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection