I took a little break from blogging. Spent my time…

Working on the Artists Way course. Going on Artist Dates, like to the thrift store, digging up treasures from my childhood. Doing my weekly tasks, like playing with DIY projects.

Spending a lot of time with family. Particularly, getting Lily ready for her first ever day of school! I think she started a blog about her adventures.

Hanging out with people who inspire and motivate me…in art, in health, in life. I’m so blessed with amazing friends.

Observing the world around me. Enjoying life. Breathing. Letting my soul catch up with my body.

It really has been a nice little break. But I’m also glad to be back here. I missed it.

Back in July, my brother bought Lily a digital kids camera for her birthday. She loves taking pictures just like her big brother. Last night I finally got around to browsing through her photos and was surprised to see she had taken over three hundred shots! Even more surprising was that some of the shots, while not great quality, were such interesting perspectives. Except the one she caught of me in my underwear–don’t worry, I’ll spare the world that image. I found it fascinating to see the world through her eyes. She took a lot of those pictures when we weren’t looking, unaware that she was catching us in our underwear, on our computers and iPhones, sleeping in unflattering positions (hello triple chin!). She took a lot of her best friends: Caillou and Rosie, Teddy Bear, Angelina Ballerina. And she took a lot of herself. Somehow she learned to turn the camera around and aim just right to capture an extreme close-up of her face, her eyes, lips, nose.

I wonder what else they see when we’re not looking.

1. Lily has taken to bringing along imaginary Disney Princesses whenever we go. I don’t even know they’re along for the ride until I lift Lily off of the carousel and she’s all, “Wait! Wait! I need to get my friends.” Then she goes to each and every horse, grabbing hands, talking about, “C’mon, Jasmine. C’mon, Sleeping Beauty.” But no princess can come close to her BFF, Teddy Bear.  I love watching how she is with him, always kissing his nose and showing him her new toys.

2. For some reason, this picture scares me a little. Like a sign of high maintenance teenage girl drama to come…

3. Three guesses who hung these ornaments.

4. Target ran out of the cheapie cotton ball tree skirts. So, it was either this or the $30 ones. Steve thinks it looks ghetto. I think it’s fashion forward–a mini skirt! For a tree!

5. When we were decorating, Lily kept calling the stockings “socks”. Then proceeded to put them on her feet.

6. Three guesses who got a little extra fiber with their cupcake.

7. Steve wrapped my scarf around her head to be silly, but it actually looked super cute. I’m about to sport this look.

8. My grandma came into town this weekend. This right here is four generations of crazy.

Imagine, if you will, Bruno Mars’ “Just the Way You Are” playing as you view the pictures below. Because that’s the song that often plays in my head when I’m hanging out with this chick.

I cannot convey how much this little girl takes my breath away. Her imagination inspires me. Her wit constantly amazes me. Her humor cracks me up every single day. Her resourcefulness suprises me (that picture of her wearing a brown dress and blue belt? it’s actually a headband she has decided looks better as a belt). She really is my sunshine. How can bad days not melt away with one look at that face??

Isn’t this plant awesome? My office-mate got it for her birthday. Now, if it only grew little caramel macchiatos…

Lily loves stickers. The other day at Target she kept pleading, “Gicker? Gicker? Peas? Gicker?” OK, we’ll get you some stickers.So we headed over to the $1 Spot and Steve picked out some alphabet stickers. I was like, “Boring! She doesn’t want no alphabet stickers.” And Lily was all, “Abadet! Yay! Abadet!”

First of all, I should have known she would want alphabet stickers since she LOVES her ABC’s. Sings it all the time. “B, B, E, la la la la, Ooooo!” But, since when does she say ‘alphabet’?

She is repeating every word, every mannerism, every facial expression. I swear, it is THE MOST amazing thing to watch her development. To hear her go from incoherent babbling to saying ‘abadet!’ To see her go from eating crayons to drawing happy faces. To watch her go from having a meltdown when she can’t do something to assertively declaring, “Nee hep! Nee hep!” (Read: “Need help!”)

Most days I just stare at her in awe, my heart melting into a gooey, mushy mess.