toddlers and tiaras

howdy,

i know i mentioned i did the disney princess half marathon last month, but i wanted to go a little bit more in depth with pictures in hopes that it will inspire you to join me and the 17,000 other princesses running next year! 

the day before the race we picked up our race packets and walked around the expo for an hour or so. they had a TON of really cute running gear for sale. things you didn't even know you were missing out on! i got a cute t-shirt made of bamboo (super soft) and the best earpiece ever! 

the morning of the race we woke up at 2:40a (which, by the way, is 1:40a in my timezone). we got ready by the light of our cellphones so as not to wake up the sleeping baby. we met up with our friends who were also running the race at 3:15a in front of the shuttles. and then the party started!! a DJ was getting everyone pumped up with fun music. there were tiaras, boas, dresses, and glittery princesses EVERYWHERE! the energy was so high that you would not have guessed it was 3:00a....

so here we go....

red carpet fun!

fireworks for every corral

a magic spell at the start line from the fairy godmother

capt. jack sparrow (blurry bc i was running before the sun came up)

space mountain! mile 4ish

coming up on the castle! 

tomorrowland mile 5ish

mile 8 or 9 and still smiling!

hot air balloons 

look closely - all those ppl BEHIND us!

our friends caught up with us at the end!

epcot - mile 12

aaaand done!

seeeee!?! don't ya wanna go lace up and hit the pavement now!!

so much entertainment along the way - highschool marching bands, gospel choir, characters, people on stilts, acrobats, cheering crowds... it's just plain magical. 

worth every penny! do it! you won't regret it.

-michel

greedy girl

oh, you thought i was serious when i said i would be posting everyday? silly rabbit! 

lately i've noticed that most of my sentences begin with "i want..." 

i try to stop myself, but it just slips out.

i want: 

stand up paddleboard

i want:

canon 7d

i want: 

to be a mama

Source: None via Sarah on Pinterest

to look like her...

Source: joannagoddard.blogspot.com via Jane on Pinterest

but to eat like this...

Source: mybakingaddiction.com via Torie on Pinterest

a new sofa

Source: sofa.com via Ben on Pinterest

and then i remember...

for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (matthew 6:21)

no one can serve two masters. either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. you cannot serve both God and money. (luke 16:13)

and the want list shrinks. 

x, michel

deserted

oops. i just saw a tumbleweed blow across the screen... this blog looks like a deserted ghost town. my apologies, reader. but i sort of have an excuse.. ya see... well... ehh... i got nothin. here's a little bit of what i've been up to while away:

• i had a very good pal and her kiddos come to visit
• i shot a wedding:

•  i went to disney world with my mom, sister and niece:

• i ran the disney princess half marathon with my mom:

excuse the sweat glistening - 6 miles in

•  i visited with a sweet little baby girl, Eisley. and her people. must not forget her people. they cooked for me, gave me vanilla coke zero, gave me a place to lay my head, poured me bowls of cereal :), endured my messiness, fixed my nappy hair. (ps. creating a chic ponytail is an talent i do not possess.) needless to say, i love the folds mucho mucho! 
• i was in a wedding. not just a wedding, but the wedding. my friends, sarah beth and gabe tied the knot last weekend in a very sweet, very FUN wedding.  sarah beth is my most thoughtful friend and i'm glad we were in each other's weddings:

the three amigos. love these girls and our fun memories.

some bridesmaids at rehearsal dinner - katie, lindsey, me, jennygray

seeeee... i have been busy! i'll be back next week in full force! 

p.s. my sister and i were on one of our favorite blogs, here! 

material girl

i could spend hours reading blogs and pinning things on pinterest, but sometimes i get bummed because i can't buy everything i like. silly, i know.

 one day i was looking around my house and thought "i love my stuff." i may not have every little thing i see that i like, but who does? and really when all is said and done stuff is stuff. if the house burns down, i'm grabbing jake - the rest is replaceable. but i sure would miss my stuff ;) i walked around the house and snapped some pictures of a few things that make me happy. 

mickey mouse cookie jar

my magazine collection - the only thing i hoard 

my memaw's girl scout handbook  - circa 1952

my coffee cup collection - this is the newest to the group

my medal - a reminder of a goal i reached

my first love

a new summer dress

another dress i wanted forever and got 80% off

my mom's old sewing machine

salt and pepper shaker - pier 1... $3

the books on my nightstand

respect the recession and appreciate whatcha got! word? (don't remind me that i said this when i'm whining for a new camera)

michel 

date night - portraits

as i previously posted, the lough family is getting back to basics. we had our first date night in a while. 

we turned on the big chill soundtrack (highly recommend) and broke out the painting supplies for portrait date night. 

the supplies

my drawing of jake - hold the laughter :)

don't worry - i'm going to stick to my day job! 

jake should stick to his day job, too!

oh man... i really hope i don't look like the picture jake painted! yikes. and i am now super self-conscious of my moles on my face (i prefer to call them "beauty marks") 

when i hear "mole" i think of this:

moley, moley, moley

it was a pretty fun date. we talked and sang and laughed. 

total cost: $10 for the canvases.  i had everything else.

nice to mole you,

michel

she bakes!

a couple of weeks ago i was looking up recipes for a few freezable meals for a friend who just had a baby. i was so overwhelmed by all of the delicious recipes posted out there on the world wide web that i shut down and ended up baking. whoops! that reminds me, i still need to cook for her! i found an oatmeal raisin cookie recipe that i needed right then and there! i added chocolate chips because it was friday, and everyone knows you add chocolate chips on friday.

throw the goods in the bowl

stir it up, little darlin

spread the love on a cookie sheet and bake

 and, because a family friend was in town and had a birthday, i baked a cake!

before the powdered sugar shower

hope your day is sweet!

michel

i'm reinstating date night. dang it.

via on Pinterest

once upon a time there was a young couple who did fun stuff all the time. every day felt like a date. they dressed up in 70's clothes from a thift store and went to a fancy restaurant in atlanta. they did things like that all the time - totally enjoying each other's company, hardly noticing anyone else around. they set up a campground (huge tent, sleeping bags) in the living room and told ghost stories and sang campfire songs.

fast foward almost six years...

we they spent this evening watching food network, dawson's creek, and how i met your mother... in our their sweats.

and that's ok. we're married. that's just life. but there needs to be some dating too. a gal needs to be pursued.  it's not ALL jake's fault. (heh. kidding) money is tight and when you think "date night" you think money. after 6 years, sometimes it seems as though we have no more tricks up our sleeves.

that's not always the case. and we need to remember that.

thanks to the ole blog-a-roo i've found great ideas for expensive (or free) date nights. it just takes a little thinking. most of these don't even involve leaving the house. date night is about spending time together - chatting, laughing, learning things you didn't know about the person who hogs your sheets every night.

via on Pinterest

• paint portraits of each other. 
• cook 2 new recipes - one person picks the main course. the other person picks the dessert.  
• put together a puzzle or play a 2-person board game.
• video game night.
• create bucket lists together.
• read the same book and have a little book club night. discuss the book over coffee and dessert.
• go through old yearbooks together. 
• museum/ art gallery/ local brewery. 
• geocaching. 
• staycation at a bed and breakfast. 
• progressive dinner.
• day dates - antique stores, thrift stores, movie dates {cause it's cheaper in the day ;)}

some of these are cheesy, or are better in theory. but it sure beats the heck out of what we are doing now!

via on Pinterest

via on Pinterest

if you have ideas i would love to hear them!

here's to reinstating date night and the pursuit of feeling pursued.

xx, ml