Quick & Easy Halloween Decor

Annnnddd we're back. You guys, I've been so busy launching Fresh Bib, I've totally neglected my first baby and her followers. I'm so sorry. So how have things been in blog world? Anything earth shattering that I need to know about? I trust you'll tell me if so.

So what have I been up to lately, besides working my tail off for Fresh BiB? Well, decorating the house for Fall/Halloween for one. I wasn't going to do a thing, but then my boys begged with little puppy dog eyes and I couldn't resist. Oddly, I have lost most of our halloween decor so I was forced to create a few new things. Inspired by where else but Pinterest? I created a few new banners that took me less than 30 minutes for both! I had some stiff felt in black and sticky back felt in white left over from some other craft projects; both were perfect for what I wanted to create.

A Beautiful Mess created this fun "Boo" banner a while back; I've always loved it and thought I'd finally try making my own...

Y'all, it was so easy. I simply cut the banner out of the sheet of stiff felt and punched holes in the corners for my yarn. Then I traced the word "BOO" onto the sticky back white felt, cut it out, peeled off the backing and stuck my letters onto the banner. Done!  How easy is that? The pumpkin and black cat cutouts above are actually old Halloween cards that my aunt sent my boys two years ago. Old cards are such a simple way to decorate. I perched these atop vintage spools, but they also look great framed.

Since our fireplace is in the boys' playroom, I wanted their decor to be playful, not scary! I'm not big on the scary side of Halloween. Plus, my boys have been having nightmares lately and are sleeping with their bedside lights on. This pacman garland from Minieco was perfect for them! Using my stiff felt, I traced circles (using chalk so that it would show up) and ghosts. After cutting out the triangle for pacman's mouth, I added googly eyes with my hot glue gun to the ghosts. The finishing touch...hot glueing my pieces to a string of bakers twine that I had on hand, followed by hanging above the fireplace, adorned with candles, owl, pipecleaner pumpkins and egg crate spiders. Done.

So easy right? Tell me, do you do the scary decor thing for Halloween? It's good to be back. I've missed y'all! xo

Letting the Cat Out of the Bag

I'm sure many of you have noticed my major neglect of this sweet blog. And several weeks ago I told you all that I promised once I was able to share with you guys, you'd see that it was totally worth it. Well, today is the day that I finally get to share the reason for my absence. I'm excited to introduce my Pure and Noble family to my new baby... Fresh BiB.

The hubs and I have spent the past four months developing and producing Fresh BiB and mercy it has been a lot of work. But so worth it. What is Fresh BiB, you ask? Well, we're a monthly subscription to one-of-a-kind designer bibs. And you thought diapers were the only things you could get delivered monthly! ha ha ha

We're not just a bib though... Our bandana bibs are 100% cotton, reversible, made in the USA, have snap closures and come in a reusable container. Oh, and the fabric design/print is a surprise each month. You never know what you're gonna get! (We think mommies deserve a few fun surprises - mixed in with some high-fives and hugs - each month for all the hard work they do every day.)

I hope you guys will stop by and say "hi"; I'd love to hear your thoughts. I can't even begin to tell you how excited we are and how much fun this has been to just get off the ground. Thank you all for hanging out and not dropping like flies while I've been gone. To show my deepest gratitude, I'd like to offer my Pure and Noble family a 20% discount for the rest of July. Check us out and enter promo code: FRAMILY20. xo

Around the House: Painted Front Doors

Hello Monday. I'm greeting you with a freshly painted front door. It finally happened... the goodness of mint is covering my entryway. I hope to snap some pics today so that I can show the big reveal sometime this week. In the meantime, here are some amazing painted doors that show just why I feel in love with greeting guests in color!

yellow via

orange via

pink via

 robin's egg blue via

dual-tone via

orange via

I rest my case. Color glorious color! Hope this brightens your Monday after the long holiday weekend. xo

top image via plastolux

4th of July Inspiration

If you're anything like me, you've put off planning any 4th of July activities and now you're scrambling to put something together last minute. Fear not. There are millions of clever folks out there that have gone before us, creating the perfect crafts and food fare for tomorrow's celebration. And to them I say, thank you and God bless you! And thank you Pinterest for being a one stop idea place for all procrastinators. ha ha ha.

In my pretend world I'm having a family gathering at the beautiful table above with a bounty of fruit cobblers, pies and Blue Bell ice cream. The littles are running around in handmade patriotic tees with bubble wands and crafted faux fireworks and sparklers. And the adults are drinking delicious blueberry jam and gin cocktails while playing corn hole. Then reality sets in and I'm brought back to real like where my husband is still out of town, my kids are currently bickering and tonight we are braving the crowds of my sister's town square in hopes of having some "small town" fun.

If you're up for any last minute prep, here are some fun ideas... I happen to love the paper cups below that could easily be painted by littles in different designs so that everyone knows who's cup is who's.

 1 | 2 | 3

1 | 2 | 3

As dreary as today seems, I know tomorrow is a new day. A day to be grateful for all the men and women that have gone before me and those that still fight today for our freedom. It is a beautiful thing this freedom that we often take for granted. It changes everything and I am so grateful to live in America. What are your plans for the fourth? xo

lovely table setting above via 79 Ideas

Around the House: Homestead Seattle (and The Chore I've Put Off For Years)

Just when I thought inspiration had flown the coop and there was nothing left to blog about I found Homestead Seattle via Instagram. Oh my heavens. Not only does this amazing team, Michele and Ryan, have incredible style, their finds are sold online and displayed in their showroom (which they happen to live above). It is a feast for the senses. Leather. Wool. Tapestries. Wood. Most of it second-hand and shown in a way that send send chills up my spine. Seriously, it's that good.

Seeing all of this amazingness has inspired me to rearrange/redecorate (with items I already own) and do a bit of much needed cleaning along the way. Maybe that's what finally got me to do this... I have been putting off the daunting task of cleaning my washing machine out with bleach and a scrub brush, but now that's it's done I wonder what took me so long? I'm a huge procrastinator and cleaning gross things causes my gag reflexes to get excited. Happy clean-ish Monday. So, are you a procrastinator? Please let me know I'm not alone. xo

Around the House: Studio Days

I've been spending a lot of time in my upstairs studio lately. Last minute tweaks and revisions are happening and it's almost time for me to spill the beans about why I've been so absent around these parts lately. There is a hint in the image above. I shall say nothing more - mum is the word.

I'm so grateful for my studio. The sunlight pours in and it's large enough to accommodate a wrestling mat for my crazy boys. Gotta keep it real y'all. Boys will be boys and as much as I'd love for them to sit down with me and "make something", they would so much rather be wrestling or throwing the basketball off the balcony in hopes of it swishing through the net. Their giggles keep me company and I wouldn't have it any other way. (most of the time)

Thanks for sticking around and being patient while I sporadically pop in and out. Happy Summer Monday. xo

Is Instagram...

Is it possible that blogs are losing their voice? As schedules get busier and time seems to be more and more precious, could Instagram be the new blog? I don't know; but I have noticed a few trends that seem to suggest that people are kind of over blogging.

1. Less posts and comments. Maybe it's just me because I've been away from my blog so much lately. Very possible, but I've notices this trend with bloggers I follow as well.

2. Less time. It's so much easier to snap a pic with your iphone, post to IG and go than to sit down with wifi connection, write posts, edit photos and the like.

3. There are millions upon millions of blogs. How can we keep up? And how do we decide who to follow, much less actually read their posts?

4. I recently saw on someone's IG page that their "about" line said, "Instagram blogger." Am I late to this party? Are there now IG "bloggers"?

Once I saw this (#4) I couldn't help but wonder... What is the official definition of a blog anyway? I found this, "a personal website or web page on which an individual records opinions, links to other sites, etc. on a regular basis." Most of my friends don't have time or have left blogging because of the super-sized market. I don't know who even reads blogs anymore. If video killed the radio star, did Instagram kill the blog star? What are your thoughts? Do you blog? Are you over it? And yes, I realize the irony of asking these questions on a blog. ha ha ha. Indulge me just a little. xo

Around the House: Plant Vibes

I'm crushing pretty hard on the whole 70's plant vibe that's so trendy right now. So much so, I was inspired to redecorate a bit. I like change...in the home. Home decor, that is. Adding a bit of greenery just seems to make things more cozy and inviting. Now I don't want to turn into a crazy plant lady where you walk into my home and think, "whoa, welcome to the jungle." But a nice mix here and there seems to breathe just the right amount of laid back hippie vibes into our home for the summer.

 via studded rose

 via breanna rose

 via design sponge

via vtwonen

After all, isn't that exactly what summer is supposed to be? Laid back. Welcoming. Inviting. I don't want to feel rushed, anxious or stuffy when I'm at home. It's my sanctuary and I'm there almost all day, everyday. I needed some summer calm in my home decor. xo

top image via local milk

Father's Day Winners

This little giveaway is officially closed and the winners are...

Kerri Dawson

Loraine Ellis

David Webb

Jordan Troublefield

wlubake

Maura Monahan

See what happens when you enter contests of bloggers with a small following? Everyone's a winner. Woot Woot! Thanks for your comments guys. Y'all had me laughing pretty good and my creative wheels spinning. Congrats to David Webb on being a "boss"! 

Email me your mailing addresses to brookecfish@gmail.com and I will ship your socks out first thing Monday. xo

Just Say No

How old do you have to be before "addictions" are a concern? Up until a few days ago, I would have told you teenager for sure. I don't know why I thought that - naivety I guess. My oldest has sucked his thumb since he was about 2 weeks old or less. I'm pretty sure thumb sucking is an addiction. It's an action that soothes my son to sleep. And though he is almost nine, he still does it sometimes when he's really tired. So I looked up the definition of "addicted"; it reads, "physically and mentally dependent on a particular substance, and unable to stop..." The synonyms? "devoted, obsessed, fixated, dedicated, passionate, a slave to." Whoa! Hold on. A slave to? Yikes. I'm pretty sure God warns us about being a slave to anything other than Him, because only He is a good and perfect Master.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. If I were just talking about thumb sucking I wouldn't be so concerned. Shoot, even with my youngest I didn't care if he sucked his paci until college because I knew that would just never happen. As our littles grow up, those childhood habits tend to fall away. But the other night my son was in the restroom for almost an hour. (To be fair, he does take an unusually long time in there, but not that long.) I finally got up from the dinner table to check on him. I opened the door after a quick knock and his eyes darted up at me while he frantically tried to hide his phone. Before you get all upset and possibly judgmental at the idea of a 9 year old having a phone, allow me to explain. It's an old, old iphone that has been disabled in every way except music and games. It was given to him as a Christmas gift one year after being wiped clean and having child friendly learning games uploaded.

As we grew more and more comfortable with the "child friendly" games, he began to request other games like Angry Bird, Minecraft and Clash of Clans. After some research, I decided these games were just glorified Lego games. He got to create, build and strategize in order to play. Harmless right? One look at his fear of being caught and desperate attempt to hide, I knew we were dealing with something much bigger than just a "child friendly" game. My oldest is a rule follower. He loves to do the right thing and has a very tender heart. He began crying and asked if there would be discipline for his being on the phone without permission. (Our boys generally get around 15 - 30 minutes each day, but on this particular day he wasn't allowed to play.)

As we discussed the whys behind his choices, he told me something that was unbelievable hard to hear and so painful... With tears streaming down his cheeks he said, "Mommy, I just can't help it. I have to play. It's like I can't stop myself." How on earth had we gotten here? The games, the iphone, they all seemed so innocent. But for my sweet boy they had become an addition. Something that he was a slave to. These games that were supposed to be fun and a source of joy were robbing my sweet son of his freedom, obedience and joy. At that very moment I knew - NOT WORTH IT.

The ease that comes from allowing my boys to play on various devices freely while I get stuff done around the house or work on the new business. It's just not worth it. I want my boys to have joy and freedom that comes with being a child - the good stuff! That rush that you get when you go down a hill really fast on your bike - good stuff. Catching lightening bugs at dusk - good stuff. Getting to talk that extra 5-10 minutes after it's "lights out" - good stuff. Those are the joys of childhood. The things that actually make memories. I don't think any child is going to be reminiscing over that really epic time they had playing video games together.

So I have decided that this summer my boys are device free. And as far as it stands right now, we are device free for a very long time. (Yes, I will limit my time as well.) My job as a parent it to protect, nurture and teach. If my son doesn't feel freedom and safety in playing those games, I don't want anything to do with them. Now I am certainly not saying that this is the choice that every parent should make. Not at all. This is the right choice for us. And as if I needed further convincing, I stumbled upon this post from a Mom who wrote a lovely letter to her boys about why they too are device free. It spoke straight to my heart. Give it a read. You will be so glad you did. Either that, or you will hate me because you might be a tad bit convicted. Whatever the case, I'm diving in and choosing to engage with my boys this summer.

Hello Summer. Goodbye iphone. I'm off to make our Summer Bucket List. Happy Weekend. xo

One Year. Already.

That handsome, hairy, dapper dude is my Dad. The world's best dad. Today marks one year since he lost his battle with cancer. I miss him. (Don't hate on my Dorothy Hamill haircut. I know you're jealous.)

He was funny, bold, full of life and adventure. He never met a stranger and he loved the outdoors. I don't know who will teach my boys to fish or how to shoot a rifle, but I know they will never forget him. He left an amazing legacy. 

This Father's Day, go hug your Daddy and squeeze him as tight as you can. And if his head is bald, give it an extra rub just for me. xo

My Baby is SIX?

This moment. Six years ago my oldest became a big brother to the funniest, sweetest, kind hearted boy in the world. Liam has brought so much joy into our lives. He completed our little family and makes us laugh every single day. Oddly enough my dad called it the first time he ever held Liam. He looked into his eyes, looked at me and said, "this one... this one's gonna be funny."

A few weeks later, I had the sleep deprived emotion driven response of,  "I don't know him at all. I only know that he has changed everything and I'm so crazy right now that I can't even love my oldest well right now, much less give him the time he needs with his Momma." The first five and a half weeks of little Liam's life were some of the most challenging I have ever faced. It was a scary dark time for me. One that I am forever grateful to be on the healing and redeemed side of. I didn't like who I was those first five weeks. But once the hormones began to regulate, he started eating well and began sleeping - finally sleeping for more than 20-30 minutes, the love poured in and it hasn't stopped since. 

Liam makes every day better for whomever he spends time with that day. His adventurous spirit and carefree soul is infectious. We would be lost without this our bundle of laughter that turns six today and we celebrate the mighty ways that God has already used this little warrior in our lives. We love you Liam. You are simply amazing and hysterically funny.

Go squeeze your littles. They grow up too fast. xo

Father's Day - A Giveaway

Giveaways aren't something I usually do, but Father's Day is coming up and I figure some of my sweet readers might be too busy wranglin' kiddos, now that school is out, to shop for that perfect gift. No need to worry. I've got ya covered. Think foot coverage - think socks. Fun, well made, conversation starting socks. My talented husband (and world's #1 Dad) has been working with the insanely hilarious guys over at Foot Cardigan. Recently, the hubs and I teamed up to show their subscribers the many ways their socks could be worn. 

Necktie. Mittens. Beer koozies. Yes, the socks are that cool and we are giving 6 lucky followers a chance to win 2 pair each! I know - awesomesauce!

Here are the RULES for our Father's Day Sock Giveaway:

1 - check out Foot Cardigan's site (subscribe if you like - wink wink)

2 - Tell me how you'd wear Foot Cardigan socks in the comment section below.

3 - Be sure to follow me on Instagram and BLAMO! You're entered to win.

Just three simple steps. Pretty easy for a sock-tastic Father's Day gift.

All the socks that are to be given away were used in the shoot only - none have actually been worn. That would be gross. Special shout out to our guys at Foot Cardigan for donating the socks. You guys are the bestest. Giveaway will be closed June 5th. Winners will be announced June 6th so that we can get addresses and socks shipped/delivered before Father's Day on June 15th.

Good luck! xo

The Sweet Smell of Summer

This stuff. It's gonna be on heavy rotation this summer. One of my favorite smells when I'm at the beach is suntan lotion; the coconut-y goodness gets me every time. This week I started using Trader Joe's Coconut Oil instead of lotion. As soon as I get out of the shower, I just scoop a bit onto my fingers and smooth over my legs and arms. The heat of my skin from the shower causes the oil to absorb pretty quickly and evenly without using a lot. And the smell... oh the smell is yummylicious. 

If the smell isn't enough to entice you, check this out... some studies show that coconut oil mixed with neem or other essential oils like peppermint or eucalyptus can deter the pesky mosquitos who kill the mood of every outdoor event. Bam! Take that blood suckers. Need further convincing? How about it's reduction of rashes after shaving? I could go on and on.

Ahhh, the sweet smell of summer has arrived and it is good. Happy Weekend Y'all! xo