live with art

Source: allthingsstylish.tumblr.com via Cortney on Pinterest

true dat.

one of the (dozen or so) challenges with our new house was what to do with our emormous fireplace.  we moved from a house with no fireplace, and although we have a modest art collection, all of our small pieces would've drowned above our mantle.

enter my mom (always one to save the day).  she bought us an enormous frame soon after we moved in.  we were still far renovation-wise from being able to hang the frame, so we had plenty of time to decide how to fill the frame.

we had two requirements: it needed to be affordable and meaningful.  the photos do no justice to the giant scale of the frame.  once we gave it some thought, we knew that putting a picture of the boys in the frame would end up looking like two creepy, giant heads floating above the fireplace.

when in doubt, etsy.  i started searching etsy (which in case you don't know, is a website that specializes in selling hand-made wares.  it's rad.)  since the majority of our little art collection is comprised of pieces from our favorite city, i searched 'maps' and found exactly what we were looking for.

SummitRidge is the name of an etsy shop by an incredible artist who creates watercolor paintings of maps.  anne's paintings look like bluprints.  she meticulously paints every city block and natural landmark.  her work is incredible, she is affordable, and in addition to her inventory of gorgeous maps of well-known cities, she will work with you to create a custom map of the city of your choice.  we knew we wanted a map of new orleans, but she did not have the size we needed.  she communicated with me over a period of a few weeks, we settled on a price, a color scheme, and she even sent me pictures of her progress on the map made in the size we needed.  the whole process felt very special.  and now we have a stunning painting over our mantle that is a talking piece and reflects wholly who we are as a family. and like we do with most major purchases, chris and i turned it into our anniversary gift to each other. win-win.

check her out.  buy a painting.  

live with art.  it's good for you.

greatest hits

so as you have probably noticed, there has been a little greatest hits hiatus.  it has been a shitty couple of weeks (not to worry, we are all healthy and will be fine in the end).  but amidst the crap, the kids keep on being cute and doing things that are worthy of picture-taking.  so here are a few of my favorites as of late.

1) at a play-date of epic proportions, i snapped a picture of this serious little boy smiling for me.  joe paradise is a sweetheart.

 ben told me recently that he didn't like any of the girls in his class because they are just cute.  he only loves beautiful girls like ellie grace and maggie.  thatta boy.

 2) did you know that gorillas collect acorns?

 even very, very fierce gorillas.

 3) mums make me happy.

 4) soccer season is upon us.  ben loves it, although he has no earthly idea where the ball is at any given time during his games.  it is, shall we say, entertaining.

 crosby is ready to play, obv.  and i have a feeling, when he does, he will probably know exactly where to find the ball on the field.  just sayin'.   

 {three generations of fans}

and while i am trying to look on the bright side of things, i should mention that my sweet friend jessica had a baby girl, layne thomas chobot!!! 

looking forward to sarah having her baby (finally!!!) and a weekend spent in ugg boots.

how was your week?  what are you looking forward to?

love,

coco

acl awards 2012

it's that time of year again.

the austin city limits music festival came and went, proving once again to be one of my most favorite ways to soak in my friends and music.  

it nourishes my soul.

cheesy?  yes.  true?  absolutely.

last year i created my own acl festival awards featuring the highlights of the weekend.

and this year i will do the same.

i just know you are all on the edge of your seats.

best pre-festival grub: 

giant burgers at casino el camino.  it served as a good sponge for the dozen or so beers we were about to consume at the festival.

best mudfinder:

marcy.  every. time.  on friday, zilker park was dry as a bone except for maybe one spot where someone probably dumped a cooler.  and if anyone is going to accidentally step in a puddle of mud (causing her friends to pee from laughter), marcy will.

(this is a big one....drumroll, please)

best in show:

hands down, florence and the machine.  here's the deal, i liked her songs on the radio but never bought an album. well, let me tell you, she is an amazing preformer.  i have been doing this festival thing for a while now and i can easily say that i have never seen someone command an audience like florence.  we were putty in her hands.  and because of that, i am a fan for life.

  

best way to spend a rainy day:

with these guys.

we skipped the festival on saturday (i know, i know, spare me the lecture) due to some pop-up thunderstorms.  having some of your best friends drive into town to hang out with you makes it really difficult to leave them to go stand in a field of mud.  i would rather see them than jack white anyday.

best impression of a 21 year old:

these fools.  and i love them for it.

the hostess with the mostest award goes to: 

the blond beauty in the pink dress.  becky didn't go to the festival, however she stayed up and waited for us to get home, she cooked us breakfast (which included these), she provided us with unlimited coffee, snacks and stories about suzy.  she delivered these all with warmth and kindness.  this is her blog debut!  say hello to becky!

best hangover helper:

watermelon agua fresca.  i required a gallon of it. 

most creative outfit:

it is a 40-way tie. every year, the acl festival is an education in what "kids" are wearing these days.  and by "kids" i mean the twelve year olds they now accept into universities.  current trends: fanny packs, high-waisted cut-off jean shorts, shiny spandex bodysuits, and apparently capes.  hmph.   

{the people-watching is out-of-this-world}

my favorite show:

the avett brothers.  florence may have stolen my heart but the avett brothers had me at hello.  they are so much fun to see live.  they put on a foot-stomping, twirl-yourself-silly kind of show.  true love.

disappointments: missing the lumineers and the alabama shakes due to insane crowds.  boo.

other highlights:

trampled by turtles (i am currently obsessed with their latest album)

ben howard

gary clark, jr.  

the happiest cousins on earth

PREFACE:

my in-laws (being the incredibly generous, loving people that they are) decided to celebrate their forty-fifth wedding anniversary by taking their ENTIRE family to disneyworld for the first time.

we are all spread out across the country, so for all of us to be in one place at the same time is a treat.

especially when we gather at the happiest place on earth.

CAST OF CHARACTERS:

princess aly, the sensitive care-taker

princess caroline, the charming southern belle

princess ava, the spunky fire-ball

jack aka woody, the blond lover-boy

pirate ben, the passionate defender

crosby mouse, the laid-back observer

disneyworld is a magical place.

for example:

the pirates you meet on the street are friendly.

six children ages six and under somehow stay together.  they were a tribe of cousins.  magical, see?

costumes are encouraged, not just on halloween.

you discover new heroes.

you are allowed to spin yourself silly.

princesses are perched around every corner.

giant bunnies roam the streets.

enormous pooh bears give you their autograph.

families can hula-hoop while awaiting their dinner reservation.

everything glows.

cat naps can be taken anywhere, even atop your daddy's shoulders.

hotel staff provides free entertainment for the kids while you wrangle your luggage.  and they even sing like a princess.  genius.

grandparents have unlimited access to hug on their babies.  

(and isn't that the real reason we went?)

unforgettable memories are made.