Hey, y’all!! It’s Friday, and we are hosting Friday Favorites with some of my very favorite girls, Erika and Andrea!  

Right now, we are enjoying our time in San Antonio and having an amazing stay! Although I had big plans about having a great post for y’all today, I am just having too much with these three faces during our fun little trip! 

So, I’ll be back on Monday with our regularly scheduled programming! This small break has been such a sweet little blessing, and I can’t wait to share our fun with you on Monday! Spoiler alert: this has been such a neat trip! I can’t wait to share my thoughts! 

Happy Friday! Xoxo Narci 

Hey, y’all! What a sweet weekend over here at our house! It’s been a busy few weeks full of 2 birthdays, the end of school, my normal work routine, a baseball camp, a soccer camp, football conditioning, volleyball, VBS and more.  This is how I felt on Friday after making it all happen.  Mama was tired!

Honestly, my tank was empty.  So, I cleared my calendar as best I could for the rest of Friday and the weekend, and it was the best decision!  This was the first weekend where we really felt like summer was here, and it was amazing! 🙂

On Saturday morning, I met this cute family for a session!  They were just precious!

And, then Rob and I divided and conquered….He chaperoned while Jackson celebrated his birthday with a few friends at the Beach Club, and I took the younger two to a different pool for the day!  I heard that the boys had a blast, and Shrimp Tacos are almost always a good idea!

It really was the perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

This weekend, I spotted two cute boys playing in the backyard

And, I realized that we only had 76 days until the season opener for the Rebels! 

 College Football girls, you know my heart skipped a beat when I saw that!  And, on Sunday, we spent the day celebrating this guy!

Church, lunch, swimming, and grilling.   What a perfect day honoring this dad!

Followed by the most peaceful backyard sunset.

The perfect ending to a great weekend!  Happy Monday!

Just a note: the kids and I are heading on a little adventure, so this will be the last day I post for this week until Friday Favorites!  If you’d like to follow along, you can catch me over on Instagram!   Have a great week, friends! XOXO N

Hey, y’all!! It’s Friday, and we are hosting Friday Favorites with my girls, Erika and Andrea!  We’ve had a busy week full of camps and summer fun over here, but we are all ready for the weekend! Here are a few of my fashion favorites from this week!   Bring on all the cute styles for summer!

I love this little dress for summer!  The detailing is just gorgeous!

And speaking of dresses, I am just gaga over this one!   We are leaving for a little getaway on Wednesday, and I am thinking this one would be precious for dinner!

This little top is on sale for $23, and I love it with jeans and shorts!  I am 5’6″, and it lays perfectly for both!

Also, I love this gorgeous tote for summertime!  It’s a splurge, but so fun!

And, if you prefer a steal, I love this one as well!!

This week, I restocked my concealer, and I was reminded by how much I adore this in the summertime!   For everyday, I pair a little of this concealer under my eyes with my moisturizer, and it is perfect for the hot days!

There are so many cute items out there right now!  If you need a few more fun options, here you go!

Women’s Becca Color Play One-Piece Swimsuit • Becca
Free People Fleur Du Jour Mini Dress • Free People
Tarte TarteistTM PRO Palette • Tarte
A.N.A a.n.aTassel Trim Off The ShoulderBlouse
Anthropologie Jasmine Tassel Drops • Anthropologie
Madewell – Grayson Striped Cotton-jersey T-shirt – Blue • Madewell
Women’s Canvas Jewelry Fan Tassel Earrings
Women’s Bp. Zandra Beaded V-Strap Sandal • BP

Happy Friday!!  Don’t forget to blog about your favorites  and link up below!!  XOXO Narci

Just a little bit of this that going on around here these days!  We have had sweet bunny smiles…

and a new pool mascot 😉

I am  certain that it was quite the sight to see me stuff him in the back of my SUV, but he fit just fine after a little  shoving. 😉

Life has been a little bit of editing…

and posing with giant horse statues….

We’ve been decorating cupcakes….

I came across this quote in my Bible Study, and I thought  it was so powerful.  I really would love to display this somewhere in our kitchen!

This week has brought on size 12 shoes because our big boy is GROWING up

football scrimmages

and pool days with some of our favorite people!

Lately, I’ve been into this mixture for lunch….avocados, fajita chicken, and roma tomatoes with a little baslamic drizzled on for good measure.  Any reason to work in an avocado, right? haha. 😉

and, finally, I’ve been seeing some of the cutest little clients lately too.

Isn’t this family the sweetest?  Happy Thursday, y’all!  I will see you back here for Friday Favorites tomorrow! XOXO N

Hey, y’all!! It’s Wednesday, and I am so happy to be linking up with two of my girls, Shay and Erika, for their  LINK-UP….Workin’ It Wednesdays!!  

Truth be told: I am a busy girl….I manage three precious kiddos, their commitments, a photography business, this blog, a fun Stella and Dot gig, and much more.   I can’t wait to share what’s worked for our little family and read about your awesome tips, too. 🙂  My best ideas always come from my friends, so I am excited to plug into this set of topics!

Today, we are sharing about how we keep kids our kids entertained all summer long!  Here’s my list of summer fun for our family!

Summer Camps

Each summer, I sign each of our kiddos up for one camp based on their interests.  This year, we have soccer, baseball, and volleyball camp planned!

Pool Days

Our family loves the pool, so we tend to hit the pool as much as we can each week!  We swim, dive, jump, play basketball, and splash away….it’s our favorite outdoor summertime activity!

Bible Camp/VBS

There’s nothing more special or important than heading to learn more about Jesus…and I am thankful that my kiddos have an opportunity to do so!  They always have so much fun!

Evening Walks

We actually live a short walk away from our local grocery store, a few restaurants, and Starbucks! So, we have been going for evening walks to all of our favorite places!

Crafts, Baking, and Reading Time

Each summer, we spend time crafting, baking fun desserts, and adding in more reading time to our schedule!  These activities are great for days that are super hot and when we need something to keep us busy!   Presley has been all about the “fortune tellers” this summer and has been slowly making an inventory to sell at our next lemonade stand. 🙂  I love seeing their creativity at work!

Vacation 

And, finally, we usually try to plan a few vacations to break up the summer months…either to the beach or a fun road trip!   One of my favorite parts of summer is the opportunity to get some special time together as a family!

Thank you so much for the fun link up!  What’s your favorite summer activity?  Leave your ideas in the comments!  And, then hop on over and read everyone else’s ideas!

Happy Wednesday, y’all! XOXO N

Hey, y’all! Before we get started, I wanted to remind everyone that we are doing our summer photo challenge over on Instagram!

I think that I will be posting my photos on my regular Instagram feed and in my Instastories!  I would love for you to play along!   Just use the hashtag #graceandlovephotochallenge!   It’s going to be so much fun!

In the meantime, today, I’m linking up with Andrea for her super fun Show and and tell link up!

Twice a month, we show and tell about certain topics!   Today, is all about #thestruggleisreal!

So, when I think of this phrase, I always consider it to be tongue in cheek…saying the struggle is real…when really whatever your going through is totally a first world problem.  So, I interpreted this as more of a lighthearted topic!

It just so happened that we had one of those crazy #thestruggleisreal days yesterday!   This is what our schedule looked like—notice how many conflicts we had:

7-8:30 am Football conditioning

8:30-noon Jackson working at Mission McKinney

8:30-noon Luke’s soccer camp

9:30-11:30 am Presley at Backyard Bible Club.

Chaotic, right?  Then this happened on the way to our 2nd stop for the day…

And, then after a quick charge, my battery died again about mid-way through our morning lineup.  Andre, an employee at our favorite McKinney grocery store, Market Street, SAVED ME and jumped my car again (Dear Market Street, please give him a raise….he was amazing!), but I was totally feeling like #thestrugglewasreal. haha.  Eventually, we got my car over to the dealership!  You just have to laugh about stuff like this right? 🙂  Also, our day totally reminded me of this meme that I saw a few weeks ago.  This is so our life at the moment. 😉

And, speaking of parenting and #thestruggleisreal…I totally laughed at these memes as well! 😉

yep!

I’m considering printing this one out and taping it to my face. 😉

And, I just had to include this one as well….because #yesmaam.

Happy Tuesday, y’all! XOXO Narci

Happy Birthday to my number 1.

Jackson, today, you are 14, and I couldn’t be more proud of the young man that you’ve become!

Jackson, you are strong, independent, and the kind of “outside of the box thinker” that sets the world on fire.

You are gracious but outspoken, a big thinker and a big believer.  You are careful…but willing to light it up when someone rattles your cage.  I predict big things, for you, my love.  This world needs more people just like you.

So smart and with a heart of gold…..Always willing to patiently wait for your opportunity….the best big brother that anyone could ever ask for….Jackson, our family loves you to pieces, and I can’t wait to celebrate you with your friends next weekend!

Happy Birthday, Jackson, JDD, Jack, and a few other nicknames that I can’t embarass you with on the internet. 😉  You make fourteen look good, bud.

 XOXO –Mom

Hey, y’all!! It’s Friday, and we are hosting Friday Favorites with my girls, Erika and Andrea!  My favorites include a whole bunch of this and that today!

First Day of Summer donuts just make us happy!

followed by walks to Starbucks

and trips to the gym and pool dates!

Jackson had his first High School football scrimmage, and seeing him enjoy playing is definitely a favorite!

A few of you asked about these darling flamingo shorts

and you can find them here!

Speaking of shorts, I accidentally ordered the wrong style of denim shorts last week, and now they are backordered! Boohoo!

 But, the ones that I did receive are super cute with the raw cuffed hem and distressing!

vneck tee shorts sandals

  Best mistake ever!

Also, I finally wore my new favorite dress to church!   I wore a half slip underneath (which hit me about mid-thigh), and it was perfect since the dress is pretty see-through on the bottom.  If you wanted this dress, I say go for it (but add something underneath)!  Or, it would be a darling coverup as well! 🙂  

Date night with this guy is definitely a favorite!

And, we celebrated Luke’s birthday with a very epic party!   These boys are seriously the cutest!

Our original party location was closed down the night before, so we rallied with a simple pool date and fidget spinner favors for the win.

Double rainbows out my back window are always a favorite!

and baby pouts make my heart go pitter patter!

I saw this in my Bible this week, and I just loved it so.  Isn’t this the truth?  

Gracious words can go a long way in nearly any situation.

Any, finally, our summer photo challenge starts on Monday, and I just can’t wait to get started!!

Don’t forget to play along if you want!  This is going to be a great summer!

Happy Friday, y’all!  Post about your favorites and link up below!!  XOXO Narci

Today is our awesome monthly feature, Photo 101, which is all about photography!  It has been a big hit with you guys, and I am so happy to be answering your photo-related questions again and sharing a few tips along the way!!     Each month, we will talk about various topics.  So far, we’ve discussed:

taking great pictures with your iPhone

where to print you images

photo storage

and being a mom with a camera

Today, we are talking about composing your shot, and don’t worry!   We won’t get too technical here!   These will be some simple tips that you can use when setting up your photos for a more eye-catching or professional look!  If you are a visual person like me, then this graphic should be super helpful!

Here are my top 5 favorite composition tips!

Tip 1: Rule of Thirds

In the rule of thirds, photos are divided by using the grid shown above. Important compositional elements (your subject) are placed on or near the imaginary lines and where the lines intersect.  This creates more visual interests in the areas that the eye are naturally drawn to already. 🙂

Tip 2: Leading Lines

Leading lines are lines within an image that lead the eye to another point in the image. Anything with a definite line can be a leading line: Fences, bridges, even a shoreline can lead the eye.  I am a big fan of a good leading line!

Tip 3: Cropping

They always say that you want to get your composition right when you take your image….However, if you didn’t get what you wanted when you took the photo,  cropping allows you to recompose your images afterwards for maximum impact.

Tip 4: Point of View

 Point of view’ refers to the position of your camera when viewing a scene.   Playing with the POV can give you instant interest in an image.   Shooting from up high or from the ground gives a unique viewpoint and instantly creates a story!

Tip 5: Horizon Line

Placing the horizon high in the frame accentuates all of your details in the front of the image and enhances the sense of distance.  I love this for a moodier or introspective shot!   And, Horizons placed very low in the frame accentuate the subjects on the horizon.  For instance, I almost always place a horizon very low if I want to draw attention to someone  or something near my horizon line.  (Think a sunset, a rainbow, or even athletes on a sports sideline. :))

Now, tell me what you would like to see in our Photo 101 feature, y’all!!  I would love to know!   Just leave me a message in the comments!  Happy Thursday! XOXO Narci

One of our favorite pies to make in the summer is strawberry rhubarb pie! If you need something fun for your summer dessert, try a fruit pie! They never disappoint.  To simplify the recipe, you can always use frozen fruit as well! 🙂  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 double-crust pie dough of your choice

3 1/2 cups (about 1 1/2 pounds, untrimmed) rhubarb, in 1/2-inch thick slices

3 1/2 cups (about 1 pound) strawberries, hulled and sliced if big, halved if tiny

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 large egg yolk beaten to blend with 1 teaspoon water (for glaze)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a well-floured counter, roll half of pie dough into a 12-inch circle and carefully transfer to a 9-inch pie plate.
2. Stir together rhubarb, strawberries, sugars, lemon, salt and tapioca in a large bowl. Mound filling inside bottom pie crust and dot with bits of unsalted butter. Roll second half of pie dough into an 11-inch circle and cut decorative slits in it. Transfer it to center over the pie filling. Trim top and bottom pie dough so that their overhang beyond the pie plate lip is only 1/2-inch. Tuck rim of dough underneath itself and crimp it decoratively. *i feel like I should tell you that my pies never look cookbook perfect, so don’t stress if yours isn’t perfect either! It’s going to taste great!
3. Transfer pie to a baking sheet and brush egg yolk mixture over dough. Bake for 20 minutes then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 25 to 30 minutes, until the pie is golden and the juices bubble visibly.
4. Transfer pie to wire rack to cool. When fully cooled(several hours later,  the juices will gel. Serve. 🙂

Happy Wednesday, y’all! XOXO Narci