Suzanne McGrath Photography

Six on Sunday...a STAYcation recap

1.  Our staycation was a hit!  The girls had fun, we had fun, we ALL slept in every day.  Except for the heat, it was great.  Here's a recap:

We kicked things off last Saturday night with dinner at our favorite neighborhood bar and grill - Tanner's.  After dinner we stopped by Home Depot to stock up on supplies for the window seat.  We managed to get the girls to Home Depot by promising them a movie night.  Thankfully, it worked.  (They despise Home Depot.)

Sunday started off with the hubby and me working on the window seat (a recurring theme this week).  In an effort to spend more one-on-one time with the girls, #1 and I went on a date.  We each got a pedicure and had lunch at Einstein Bagels.  It was fun and a great way to get #4 to talk.

Monday was a big day!  We started off with a swim at the pool and ended the day with World's of Fun.  We were joined by my sister and her two kids since Aimee took the week off for a staycation, too.  (The weird part?  We didn't plan it that way, it just happened.)  It was supposed to be the coolest day of the week, but I'm willing to bet the high was near 100.  We got there shortly after 4pm (after the littles napped) and didn't leave until almost 10pm.  The girls all loved it - although in varying degrees.  #4 was too short for most rides and those she could ride she didn't love.  Oh well.  Better luck next year, I guess.

Here is #1 and #2 on the Scrambler:

#3 and her cousin on one of the rides in Camp Snoopy:

Here is #4 contemplating the ride.  In the end, she decided to skip it and just watch.

Here is my sister with her son.  Can you see the joy in her face?!

The hubby with my niece:

I think this was #4's favorite part of the day.  Playing Peek-a-Boo on the way out to World's of Fun!

Tuesday was a big sleep-in day.  We did a lot of work around the house.  #1 and #2 attended soccer camp from 6pm - 8pm.  It was HOT, too!  (They had camp through Thursday.)  But they were total troopers.  Of course we visited the pool again.  We capped off the night with a trip to Orange Leaf for frozen yogurt - yummy!

Wednesday was a FUN day.  We went out to Schlitterbahn and enjoyed all the water rides.  #4's favorite part was just playing in the water - she didn't care for the slides.  The other girls loved all the slides.  We were out there for four hours!  It's awesome because they allow you to bring in coolers so we packed a lunch and a lot of snacks.  I think that was my favorite day, despite the AC going out.

Thursday was another lay low day.  We spent time at the pool with my sister and her kids while our AC was being repaired.  The kids had a blast and the littles took mega naps that day.  

We spent Friday morning at Science City down at Union Station.  That was a great trip because it had something for all of the girls.  They each had fun.  That night we went for a bike ride with the girls and topped off the evening with a run to Twisters for ice cream and movie night.  

Side note:  The architecture of Union Station is well worth the trip alone.  It is just outstanding.  Check out this chandelier.  Cool fact:  When Union Station was being built, light bulbs were fairly new - as in new to the masses.  That is the reason the bulbs are not covered with something.  It was actually a status symbol to show off the light bulbs. 

Yesterday we had planned to ride our bikes to Einstein Brothers for breakfast but Mother Nature had other ideas.  It rained.  We settled for donuts after the grocery store.  We also had my college friends over for a spaghetti dinner.  It was definitely a fun night!

And that brings me to today.  Sigh.  Last day of staycation.  I went for a 10 mile run and topped it off with homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast.  We took the kids to the pool and #2 and I headed for our date day:  mani for me and pedi for her followed by ice cream.  The hubby is taking the older three to Cinderella tonight at Starlight Theater - a great way to end the week!

2.  I finished painting the dresser for our bedroom.  I just need to find the perfect drawer pulls.  I love the glossy finish but man, it shows EVERY SINGLE FLAW.  Here's a sneak peek:

3.  We also worked on the window seat for our living room.  It is a serious project!  (Maybe slightly harder than I bargained for - not that I will admit that out loud.)  But the big part is over.  We are now on to the finishing work.  And that is going to be difficult because it has to be near perfect to look good.  I don't want people to look at it and immediately think, "Oh, that's a DIY project."  Here's a status update:

4.  Our new roof and siding has been done for a month or more.  We love it!  The stone work adds a bigger punch than we anticipated.  It's awesome.  Here's a shot:

5.  We need a new refrigerator.  You see, we bought our current frig after we bought our first house - back when we were DINKs.  (Dual Income No Kids)  We are now a family of six and that thing is waaaaaay too small.  Every Saturday I curse it when I come home from the grocery store.  It's bad.  

So, we were in the process of pricing them out.  Our goal was to find the biggest one we could within our budget and space.  (For the record, I think it was about 29 cubic feet!)  Why am I telling you all this?  Because I did NOT get it!  Our AC decided to quit on us during the worst heat spell in hmmm...EVER?!  Ugh.  It was either fix the AC or get a new frig.  After sweating it out for an afternoon in an 89 degree house, the frig took a back seat.  Bummer.

6.  Here is #4's big girl room - all done!  WooHoo.  It's so nice to have a room in the house completely finished.  And she loves her room.  I love the homemade touches.  The two painted tables are totally different style-wise but I love them both.  I think they work because of their size and matching color.  Mostly, they just make me happy!

And...that's a wrap.  Have a great week!

I love Gallery Wraps!

Check this out.  I finally got my gallery wrap.  I've been waiting years to get the perfect picture.  I finally gave up on perfection and settled for pretty great.

I totally did not stage this image.  I was too excited.  Plus, I'm in the midst of re-decorating my family room so I didn't want to have to think too hard.  That part will come later.  Here's how the gallery wrap looks sitting on my mantle.  It's 26" x 30" which is big enough to make a statement rather than get lost.

It comes with a wire hanger even though I didn't need it.  (And yes, #3 and #4 were hiding behind the picture.)

Finally, here is what it looks like from the side.  You can see how the image wraps all the way around it.  The frame is actually an inch and a half thick so it's pretty significant.  It really allows the image to pop out!

Cool, huh?  

Six on Sunday...Random Thoughts

This will be another random installment of Six on Sunday.  In no particular order...

1.  I was all set to run this morning when the thunderstorms interfered.  I mean, I had set the alarm clock for 6am hoping to get outside by 6:30.  However, almost right at 6:30 it started really rumbling and then the rain came down.  I didn't actually make it out until 8:00am after the thunderstorm which meant it was about 100% humidity and just gross.  I only made it 7 miles.  Oh well.

And the reason I ran on Sunday?  The hubby ran yesterday and I needed to stay home with the kids.  This is what he found when he got home around 7am.  Yep.  We were already outside playing!

2.  I have talked about Project 365 on here previously and promised an update.  It's going in fits and starts but I'm still glad I'm doing it.  Below is an example spread.  I love that it includes things beyond simply pictures.  It's random stuff from our lives at the time and I like to mix it in every now and again.

3.  This week is our staycation.  As in, we are not leaving our house.  As in, I'm TOTALLY EXCITED!  We have all kinds of fun stuff planned.  We're going to Worlds of Fun, Schlitterbahn, Science City, the Nelson-Atkin museum, and Cinderella at Starlight.  We're also going to do other things like ride our bikes for bagels, go out for Peach Wave, you know - fun stuff.

4.  I'm also excited to have the week off to work on some projects and get some things wrapped up.  

• I need to hang the second headboard in #4's room
• I need to put the final coat of paint on our new-to-us dresser for our master bedroom
• I need to put the final coat of paint on an adorable little table to use as a night stand for #4's room
• Lastly - and the biggest - we are building a window seat in our front room.  I have the design plans all mapped out (in my head) and we started working on it today!  I'm going to make a series of boxes with drawers and top all of them off to make a window seat.  Of course I'll post pictures when we're finished.  This is where it's going to go...

5.  #4 is in her big girl bed!  Yep, after more than 10 years, we were finally able to take down the crib.  Woo Hoo.  The transition was super easy.  We went to my folks house for the 4th of July and they didn't have a crib.  (My mom got rid of hers after Christmas.)  At first, I was terrified.  How would she sleep?  Would she wake up a lot?  Would she EVER fall asleep?  And you know what?  It was great.  She didn't have any problems at my parent's house and when she got home, she went right into her big girl bed.  Sweet.  It's really nice to be out of that stage.  Now, I just have to get her out of diapers:)

6.  I shot senior pictures tonight down in the West Bottoms and Loose Park.  Despite the gross weather, it wasn't that bad and I know I got some GREAT shots.  I can't wait to post them.

Have a great week.  I know I will!

Thrifty Thursday...How to Make a Lamp Out of an Antique Tripod

I can't tell you how excited I am to blog about this one!  It started off completely innocently.  

A couple weeks ago, when we were at Lake Okoboji, we stopped in to an adorable little coffee house one morning.  While my hubby was in line, I went to browse around the antique shop located inside.  And I found the most perfect tripod.  The best part?  It was only $39!  I hadn't really even been looking for anything special.  So really, it found me.

I brought it home and immediately ran out to Home Depot to get the goods I would need to turn this baby into a lamp.  Now admittedly, I am a little more modern than Pottery Barn, but I do like some of their pieces.  And this lamp really reminds me of their Surveyor's Floor Lamp - only less expensive.

And below is the story of how my tripod became a lamp.

First, pick up the goods.  I bought a lamp kit, a harp (didn't need it, though), a bulb (duh), and a different colored cord.  (I wanted clear, not the white color that came with the kit.)  This all came to about $24.  However, the extra cord was $8 so you could ditch it and I didn't need the $3 harp, either.  

I simply followed the instructions that came with the lamp kit.  They were very easy to follow!  It comes with a few different sizes of these tubby things.  I simply figured out which one fit into my tripod the best.  Here is the winner:

Next, you screw two parts onto this longer screw-type thing.  Yes, these are all technical words!

Next, you start dealing with the cords.  Here is what it looked like:

Then, for some unknown electrical reason, you have to tie the cords in a knot.  Strange, I know.

Lastly, you screw on the top part of the kit which is what the light bulb screws into.  That's it.  

Here's what he looked like when it was all put together.

I bought my lamp shade at Target.  I really did look all over but had a hard time finding places that sold plain lamp shades.  I think this one was about $15.  

And check out his legs.  Don't you love the detail?

Here is the finished product.  I love the juxtaposition (big word, big word!) of the mid-century modern chair with the antique tripod lamp.  All I need is my awesome silver martini side table from West Elm and this little vignette will be finished!

Note:  Please ignore the ugly, gross stairs.  They will be replaced with hardwoods...some day.

And there you have it.  A new lamp for around $75.  Not too shabby.

Six on Sunday...Okoboji-Style

In honor of the previous weekend, I'd like to devote this Six on Sunday entry to Lake Okoboji in Iowa.

I'm not entirely sure, but I think the first time I ever visited Okoboji was when I was seven.  I learned to ski on that lake.  My family took several summer vacations at Crescent Beach on Okoboji.  I simply love it there.  I spent time there in different ways, shapes, and forms over my school years.  The lake has a special place in my heart.  

Enter my husband, 1995.  (OK, he wasn't my husband yet but I kinda thought he was cute and maybe he'd make a good boyfriend.)  His best friend's girlfriend's family had a cabin on Okoboji.  Score one for the Boyfriend! That summer was the first summer we spent time up at the lake with Jason and Susan and all their friends.  It was awesome.  It was the place we "honeymooned" with a crowd of oh, about TEN!  I've been up there while pregnant, while nursing a baby, and now as the mom of four girls.  Each and every summer has been a total BLAST and something we look forward to all year - both for the beauty of the lake and the company of our great friends.

I am now dedicating this post to Lake Okoboji.  Here are six reasons Okoboji ROCKS!

1.  O'Farrell Sisters  This place has been in business since before I was born.  For reals.  We go up there every single morning for breakfast and they never disappoint.  True, it's only about a 20 yard walk but still, it's seriously good breakfast.  And since I can really pack it in, it negates the need for lunch.  So it's like two meals in one.  A win-win.

This is the Triple K.  My favorite.  Two eggs, two slices of bacon, two pieces of toast, hashbrowns, and one pancake.  See?  I told you I can pack it in!  I wasn't lying.  Why do you think I run all those crazy miles?

2.  Barefoot Bar and Okoboji Boatworks and Bracco's  These are all fantastic places to go for a drink (Barefoot Bar and Boatworks) or for dinner.  What's the similarity?  They are all right off the water which means you can cruise on up, hop off the boat, and dine in your swim suit.  Perfect.  No need for a shower!

Here is the view at Bracco's.

3.  Cheese balls.  Deep fat fried, cheddar cheese balls.  Dipped in Ranch.  Enough said.

4.  The lake itself is simply beautiful.  It is one of the cleanest lakes you will find - especially in the midwest.  You see, it's really, really deep - the deepest lake in the state of Iowa.  What does that mean?  Well, the lake only "turns over" twice a year.  More shallow lakes can turn over once a day, even multiple times a day due to wind.  That means everything gets all mixed together - dirt, etc.  Since Okoboji is so deep, the wind can't turn it over.  So each spring and fall, it turns over.  When the water on top becomes colder than the water underneath it, it "turns over".  The result is a super clean lake.

 5.  Lakeshore Dr.  I love to run along Lakeshore Dr.  It is so fun to look at the different architecture!  Each house is completely different from the next which is so refreshing coming from the 'burbs.  Some homes are gigantic mansions and some are true lake cottages.  It takes my mind off what I'm doing and how hot I am.  Another plus are the trees.  The drive is almost all in the shade which makes it possible to run at all times of the day.  You don't have to get up super early to get in your long run - a definite bonus when you're on vacation!

6.  Friends.  Of course I have to end on this note.  Okoboji just wouldn't be the same without all our friends.  Oh, I'd still go - but it wouldn't be half as fun.  Now that we're getting up there in years, some of the boys can say they've been friends for 30 years!  And those of us who met in college are coming up on knowing each other 20 years!  That's a long time.  That's a lot of great memories.  

This year, three of Jason and my hubby's friends from grade school (through high school) came up on Saturday night.  Most of us were surprised and it was a truly awesome surprise!  It's so fun to listen to them reminisce and give each other a hard time.  Love it.  

Here we all are at the Ritz about midnight - so forgive the crappy picture!

When Smacker, Trump, and John showed up, nobody skipped a beat.  It felt like we had just hung out together the weekend before.  There are no awkward pauses, no silence.  Everyone just has a great time together!

Every year we play cards.  Every year I lose.  Every year the hubby loses our money.  Every. Single. Year.

We dance.  We love to go out dancing and that is something I NEVER do at home.  That means letting my hair down and that doesn't happen very often.  But when it does?  Watch out!  The hubby clearly enjoyed himself as well.  Here he is "singing along" with the band at the Ritz.  I am simply amazed he hasn't been picked up by a major label yet.  

Inside jokes.  We have a lot of them and they always make me laugh.  Running home from the bars, telling stories, taking pictures with other people's cameras, you name it.  Okoboji is always a great time!  Can't wait for next year.

 

Thrifty Thursday...Modern Wall Hooks

Tonight I thought I'd show you the wall hooks we put up in #1's bedroom earlier this year.  I promised pictures way back when and now I'll deliver on that promise.  A few months late?  Perhaps.  But better late than never!

Previously, #1 had a small shelf with three glass knobs for hooks hanging on the wall.  Once her 10th birthday neared she decided it was too babyish so we took it down.  Therefore, we put these hooks up because #1 needed the storage space.  She has her own bathroom but the trade-off is that her closet stinks.  It's fairly small.  And you know kids - their stuff grows exponentially as they get older!

We found these hooks at Home Depot.  If memory serves, they were somewhere around $20 for each set. I think they are meant for the kitchen, but I simply love them on the wall in her room.  They're modern which suits my aesthetic but TOTALLY functional which is even better! 

Below is the whole wall shot.  We need to come up with something for the wall above the hooks.

These were super easy to hang.  I simply figured how where I wanted them on the wall, drilled the first hole and used a level to determine where the other holes would go.

Ta-da!  That's it.  Cool, huh?  Have you found something designed for one room of the house but used it in another room?  I'd love to hear more ideas.

 

Six (or Ten) on Sunday...a 4th of July Recap

Hi there!  Six on Sunday is back.  We've been super busy and I've been having intermittent internet access issues.  But here I go...

1.  We took off the Friday before the 4th of July to head up to my parents house in Sioux Falls, SD.  They are going to retire down in Arkansas next spring, so it was their last 4th in SD.  We decided to celebrate the holiday with them, my sister and her kids, and all of us since it will be our last opportunity to enjoy the cooler weather in SD over a 4th of July holiday.  We had a great time and enjoyed the weather immensely.  

2.  As a lot of you are probably aware, there is major flooding going on all along the Missouri River.  We witnessed it first-hand driving up to SF and again when we dropped the kids off at their other grandparents in Omaha.  It is really shocking to see it up close.  We had to take some major detours to get around the flooding.  While it was a minor inconvenience to us, I really feel for people who are out of their homes for who-knows-how-long.  

I snapped this picture out the car window off I-29 at the Rockport, MO exit.  Where you see water - you shouldn't.  It should all be land.  It's just crazy.  I can't tell you how many farms we saw where the house, the sheds, and the barns were all under water.  So sad.

3.  While in SF, the kids enjoyed a few sparklers and some fountains.  It was a little crazy with six kids running around while waving FIRE on a STICK - but whatever - they had a blast and nobody caught fire. (Not that is wasn't this close.)

4.  My dad found an old pool stored somewhere in the garage and inflated it for the kids.  Wouldn't you know it - the older kids were the ones who had the most fun!  We were cracking up just watching them.

5.  We enjoyed a parade on the morning of the 4th.  It was nice and short.  My only complaint is that nobody threw out candy.  Isn't that required at parades?  No?  Well, it should be.

They had free ice cream sandwiches after the parade.  The older kids knew to eat them fast.  #4?  Nope, she savored every bite.

6.  The kids also enjoyed the swing that hangs in the neighbor's yard.  And #4 played in the fountain every. chance. she. got.

Below is my nephew - patiently (or impatiently) waiting his turn on the swing.

7.  My mom bought a pellet gun.  At first I thought she was off her rocker.  A pellet gun?  Seriously?  But I must admit, the kids loved it.  My dad set up a big sheet of plywood with several targets on it.  The kids had a blast.  I think only #4 failed to shoot the gun.  (Not that she wouldn't have wanted to - I simply put my foot down.)

8.  My oldest loves to set the table.  She was in charge every night and she did a fabulous job!  She made the table look so festive and it was actually a huge help.

9.  I made it my MISSION to get a good photograph of the girls in their coordinating 4th of July outfits last Monday.  Everyone laughed at me.  But I wouldn't let that stop me.  Nope.  I did it.  I managed to get one good shot.  I've already submitted it to my printer for a large gallery wrapped canvas.  I can't wait for it to arrive on my doorstep:)  This is the image I captured:

10.  Lastly, I am just tickled to pink to tell you I have been featured over on The Design File.  You see, I was so happy with my mid-century dresser I revealed on my Thrifty Thursday post that I linked up to another blog.  That's where Lesley found my post.  She did a little write-up on it and included a couple of my pictures.  How cool is that?!  Seriously.  I think I'm famous!

All right, folks.  That's it.  Have a great week! 

Thrifty Thursday...a mid-century dresser

Finally, I can show you the finished product.  I bought this beauty earlier in the spring.  Honestly, I can't remember if I paid $60 or $80 for her.  I think she was only $60.  I simply adore her clean lines.  And the storage?  Oh, you can't beat the storage.

If you've read this blog before today, you may know she was originally slated to be used as a buffet in the dining room. However, when we moved her behind the couch during #2's First Communion celebration, we decided that would be her final home.  She now serves as craft storage which is perfect since she's right off the kitchen.  

When I finally get around to (re) decorating my family room, I'll put a couple bright yellow lamps on top of her and maybe a pretty glass tray.  Time will tell... 

Here she is:

I didn't have to buy any supplies to refinish her because I simply used what I had.  The great part about using what I had on hand is that she perfectly matches the dining room table!

I followed the same steps I used when I refinished the wood (veneer) dining table.  It was really fairly easy but it did take a little elbow grease - particularly when it came to sanding this baby.  In hindsight, I probably should have used some sort of de-greaser before I started sanding.  I think that may have made my job easier.  Oh well.  Live and learn.

Since the top was laminate, I chose to paint it white.  At first I used latex paint.  However, there was a crazy orange stain that started seeping up through the paint.  I swear I didn't see it before I started painting!  But after three coats of latex, I realized it was time to bring in the big guns - oil based.  Two coats of oil based paint worked like a charm.  I just used a foam roller to apply it and it was done.

Thankfully I really liked the pulls that came with her.   

Since the door was crooked when I brought her home, we decided to fill in the holes and we re-set the hinges.  It worked like a charm.  The door is now straight and doesn't scratch against the bottom when it opens and closes.

And there you have it - a pretty swanky sofa table for less than a hundred bucks.  Not bad, huh?!

 

The Life of Cosette.........................................{Overland Park child photographer}

I briefly wrote about photographing this ballet a few weeks ago.  I was there to photograph Chloe who was the lead in the first half and played a couple different characters in the second half.  She danced beautifully and it was a really touching story, too.

These are a few of my favorite images...

I also put together a few statement pieces.  The idea was to capture the whole show on one, large canvas.  Check them out:

This is a 10x20.

Here is another 10x20.

This one is a 30x30.

And lastly, the show piece!  40x40.

Which one is your favorite?  Do you favor the smaller one?  Or if this was your daughter, would you go big?



 

 

 

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July - I hope you're enjoying your day as much as we have!