le petit society giveaway for boys

happy thursday to you
i am so excited to be working once again with the darling children's shop

we received such incredible reader response from you when we gave away two beautiful le petit society girl's outfits here

that we knew we needed to do a giveaway to introduce you to their amazing boys line as well

if you missed my intro of them from our past giveaway, well here it is

i found this gem of a children’s shop... where else, but Instagram

i was drawn to the bright colors and playful, comfortable feel of their girls and boys clothes

i love their darling brand icon that is made up of ‘x’ and ‘o’ s signifying hugs and kisses, gestures of love
check out this darling video of le petit society in action

le petit society is a budding business, with its beginning only last April and their first collection launching this past January

it was founded by the ambitious pair, the lovely Robyn & her fiance Dylan, both from Singapore but now living in Hong Kong

yes, Hong Kong, they are in Hong Kong

another reason i was drawn to them

my hubby lived in Hong Kong for two years while serving a mission for our church

to him it is the greatest city in the world and feels like home

we have a chant, a song really, in our family that goes a little something like

‘hong kong is the best place, hong kooonng’

you can watch my silly boys sing and dance to it here

today you have a chance to win
the light taupe party shirt and the aqua blue skinny pants

both worn below by my Tate

i was so impressed by the quality of fabrics used in the construction of these pieces

as well as how soft and comfortable they were on my active boy
you may have seen Tate wearing these removable suspenders in my photo shoot for my guest post on MINe Style Blog 'Ten Tips for Styling the Whole Boy'

here are two of my other favorite boy items from their shop:

Happy Days Tee set

Forest Green Rocket Print Shorts

LE PETIT SOCIETY GIVEAWAY

one lucky Sweet Dreams are Made of These reader will win

the LIGHT TAUPE PARTY SHIRT& 

AQUA BLUE SKINNY PANTS

this giveaway will close at midnight on Monday May 27th PST

this giveaway will be open to blog readers worldwide

the winner will be chosen using Rafflecopter 

both will have 48 hours to respond to the winner notification email. after 48 hours another winner will be chosen
sizes 2 - 7 available for the light taupe party shirt
sizes 3 - 7 available for the aqua blue skinny pants

ENTER HERE:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

LEAVE YOUR COMMENT BELOW:

one word wednesday: pink

pink

this one really made me stretch

over time i have grown to embrace the softness of pink

or even the occasional wowsers hot pink like this chair

but as a young girl and into my adulthood i took a stand against pink

embracing all the other colors of the rainbow

pink symbolized mediocrity and conformity to me

though i wouldn't have used those words as a young girl

liking pink meant being the same as all the other girls who liked pink 

because that is what little girls were supposed to do

{and boy does my little girl}

i always prided myself on being a little different

wanting to stand out a little

not too much, just enough to be noted as different but accepted

maybe it began with being named briana

a name which at the time was very unique, which i loved

but had one downfall, i could never find it on a bike license plate or a pencil

upon finding out i was having a girl after three boys, i was thrilled

and did my best to avoid pink

but it was destined to come

because for whatever reason it is ingrained to be loved by most normal little girls

{ones who aren't worrying about individuality at the age of 5}

so it has been embraced in our home

because it is Felicity's favorite color

tutus, princess wands, pajamas, blankets...pink abounds

i have now grown up

and can enjoy the femininity that accompanies pink without feeling like i am jeopardizing my individuality

i am cracking myself up at how absurd this all is

pure absurdity: ridiculously unreasonable

Felicity's frills of pink were not what my non-pink-conformist eye was drawn to for this week

my eye was captured by the beautifully subtle pink of my boys' lips 

my handsome boys

don't forget to link up your blog and/or tag #onewordwednesday and @briana6 in instagram

can't wait to see your expressions of pink

next week's word: project

if you are new to one word wednesday be sure to click over here for a little introduction

top: Me - sweet dreams are made of these | Jessica - living the swell life
middle: Jenna - jenna lou designs | Amanda - oh my little dears
bottom: Bethany - rinse repeat | Leslie - my happily ever after

thank you to all our readers who participated in our first week of one word wednesday

looking forward to more joining us on the challenge this week

One Word Wednesday is a simple photo challenge intended to tie friends together and inspire anyone and everyone to document the everyday beauty in the world around them. Please join us every Wednesday, sharing a photo that celebrates a scene from your life on your blog and/or instagram. Each word will be announced one week in advance to give you time to think on and capture an image that celebrates that particular word. Be sure to leave a link or add hashtag #onewordwednesday and @briana6 to your photos, so that we can all share in the joy! Next week's word: PROJECT!

one word wednesday: a new weekly photo collaboration & challenge: morning

i consider myself extremely lucky to have come in contact with some of the most amazing women through blogging and social media
women who are living their lives with purpose and filling it with words, images, and products of true beauty and deeper meaning
and the best byproducts
real life friendship
creative collaboration
ongoing inspiration

each week i will be teaming up with an incredible group of women to bring you a little photo inspiration and challenge
one word wednesday
we are calling it

one word
six bloggers
six photos
one huge chance for you to join in on the fun

every wednesday we will share with you six photos inspired by our word for the week
as well as next week's word so you can join in on the photo challenge
via your blog or instagram

jessica from living the swell life says it best,

One Word Wednesday is a simple photo challenge intended to tie friends together and inspire anyone and everyone to document the everyday beauty in the world around them. Please join us every Wednesday, sharing a photo that celebrates a scene from your life on your blog and/or instagram. Each word will be announced one week in advance to give you time to think on and capture an image that celebrates that particular word. Be sure to leave a link or add hashtag #onewordwednesday to your photos, so that we can all share in the joy! Next week's word: PINK! 

so join us
start today with MORNING
next week's word: PINK
make sure to leave your blog link in the comments below
and/or tag my instagram username @briana6 along with the hashtag #onewordwednesday
i will be featuring my favorites from my readers here on the blog each week

be sure to visit all these fabulous women's blogs and let them know you came by
from Sweet Dreams are Made of These

cereal backwash

tate never ceases to be in the delivery of some story, some joke, some laugh

and some laugh it is

no exaggeration here when i tell you that my tate has the loudest laugh of any child

it is quite infectious though

and you can't help but smile when you here it...from across the neighborhood

the kids have been on a cereal kick lately

they seem to go in spurts with their breakfast food choices

smoothies

bagels & cream cheese

frozen waffles

mutmeal {oatmeal}

life, special k, and honey nut cheerios adorn our pantry right now

what are your favorite breakfast foods over at your house?

so happy to introduce to you the other ladies joining me on the photo collaboration and their MORNING photos

top: Amanda from oh my little dears

middle: Bethany from rinse repeat   |   Leslie from my happily ever after

bottom: Jessica from living the swell life   |   Jenna from jenna lou designs

can't wait to see your photos as you join us in this challenge

doesn't need to be anything fancy

just capture a moment you feel depicts the word of the week

join in the fun

don't forget to leave a link in the comments

and/or tag your instagram photos with @briana6 and #onewordwednesday

and check back to see my favorites from your submissions

watching them closely

this morning was rather calm

the misty rain and foggy clouds creating that feeling of wanting to stay right where you are and curl up in a blanket

my heart was still heavy from seeing the faces of those lives lost in that senseless act

and reading about their love for life

their dance recitals, baseball games, and passion for their professions

as i drove up to the the younger boys' school today my stomach had a twinge of fear

i followed them closely in my car after i dropped them off

i watched them closely, appreciating them each at this age

tate, 5, a ball of fire.  a spring in every step. you always know he's around.  everyone is his friend.  and he really likes to have fun...you can see the strain in his little body when he's trying really hard to refrain from something that he knows he shouldn't do but looks really, really fun

eyan, 7, a sensitive soul.  a easy-going, content boy.  his eyes are open to who needs help and how he can do it.  he is a protector and a watcher.  everyone loves him and is his bud.  he is naturally drawn to do what is right and loves to feel that warm and fuzzy feeling that accompanies it.

my 'mother heart' aches with those grieving mothers

losing my father was the most difficult thing i have experienced in my entire life

the void, the need, the longing

that accompany such a loss is sometimes too excruciating to bear

losing a child...

no words

what i do know is what i have experienced for myself throughout my recent journey of separation

that better than any earthly blanket

i have been wrapped up in the warm and secure embrace of my Savior Jesus Christ 

it is almost too reverent to speak of

but it has been real oh so real

that relationship has been my anchor

and when i have raised it up to tread that sea alone, i have felt it, i have felt the drifting, the confusion, the doubt, the anger

only when i am firmly planted with my anchor can i face the ever-changing, unpredictable waves that make up everyday life

as i greeted each of my boys after school today, i wrapped my arms around them and held them extra long

so grateful they were safe and home

so grateful to hold them

and watch them grow

feeling blessed today

very blessed

Piano and the Wolf

owen and eyan began taking piano lessons this past summer.

they loved it right from the start.

it was something they could see the results of their work right away.

dots on paper, matching keys on a piano, turning into a recognizable tune.

i can't lie, it has been a lot of work, for all of us...

an extreme exercise in patience and persistence,

but i have to say that the fruits of it have been delicious.

confidence, concentration, perseverance,

to hear music played in our home is gratifying...even if its 'twinkle, twinkle little star'.

they performed in their first recital this past week at the home of their ever-so patient and accommodating  teacher Janine Williams.

it was a delightful occasion, hearing so many young children demonstrate their love of music through their piano pieces.

eyan played "up on the rooftop" as a duet with his teacher

owen..."you're a mean one, mr. grinch" {one of grandpa's favorites}

neither of them glanced up at their music

both of them expressed being nervous, but played calmly

i was a proud mother

i pray music will continue to take a starring role in our home as my boys get older

and not just from our dance parties.

music played a significant role in my childhood: with piano lessons starting in elementary school {not that you would know now}, a mother who played Vivaldi, Beethoven, Rachmaninov often, and our own family dance parties.

tonight i turned off all the lights and gathered my boys in the family room.  i had found the narrated version of 'Peter and the Wolf' on Spotify, narrated by what must be the same accent bearing englishman that i can remember as a little girl.  

there was a short period of 'moooommm, can't they talk more?'  but as they began to become involved in the story, dancing and giggles commenced, especially when mom skipped around the room.  hearing the familiar dance of the strings depicting Peter and the ominous horns of the approaching wolf quickly whisked me back in time.  

i soaked up every moment, every note, every giggle, and particularly the wide-eyed glare from Tate when the wolf 'appeared'. {he's a little cautious of coyotes and the like as of late - read his Tate-ism in the sidebar}.  i even caught Owen singing the tune later on this evening.  

love it, just love it.

Mom, can we stop and kick the leaves?

Sometimes all you need is a crisp pile of leaves...

Thank you to my sweet little boy who simply asked on our jog...

"Mom, can we stop and kick the leaves?"

I hadn't even seen them there...over in the corner of the street.

It was such a quintessential fall moment watching the jubilation of my two youngest as they launched handfuls of leaves into the air.

I was grateful to Tate in inviting me to take a moment to slow down.

It reminded me of this video that I shared in a previous post, "Moments that Matter Most"

It makes me teary-eyed each time... seeing the Mom in the rain with her kids, the college son running home to the outstretched arms of his mother, the expression on the doctor's face...

I can watch it over and over.

I pray I will remember its message as I begin this hectic holiday season.

The message can be summed up by these 3 quotes from the video:

moments are the molecules that make up eternity.

Elder Neal A Maxwell

its not so much the major events, as the small day to day decisions that map the course of our living.  

Pres. Gordon B Hinckley

we would do well to slow down a little, focus on the significant, lift up our eyes and truly see the things that matter most.  strength comes not from frantic activity but from being settled on a firm foundation of truth and light.  it comes from paying attention to the divine things that matter most. diligently doing the things that matter most will lead us to the Savior of the World 

Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Tate-isms

I am grateful that some of my children inherited the quick wit of their father.  I am always the one that knows exactly what she would have said in a conversation a mere hour or two after it actually occurred.    I do have to say that after 13 years of marriage to the most hilarious man, a few funny comments slip out every once in awhile, to which I am always surprised and quite proud.  {I'm that girl that laughs at her own jokes:) only because I'm just as caught off guard to hear them as anyone else, just ask my siblings}.

Well our four year old Tate definitely was born a character, just look at that grin above and at those sideways glancing eyes in this photo from my "Back to School" photo shoot.   He continually surprises me with the funny remarks that fly out of his mouth on a regular basis.  He is quite happy to be a 'funny man'!

If you have noticed I began a note in my sidebar entitled, "Tate-isms".  It mainly serves as insurance that I will write down some of those moments that I don't want to forget.

Here are a couple of my favorites:

Today in the car as the boys were enthusiastically talking about a show {think high decibel levels!}, “I love that part!  It makes me laugh my tears out.” -Tate

August 2, 2011 

Tate giving his answer to our family spotlight we are doing this week in devotionals.
Question: What makes you mad? Why?
Answer: Closing the door when I am in the garage and turning off the light, like when Eyan shut the door on us and Owen was really, really mad... I think he was going to pull his skin off.  Mom, why are you doing that ...Why are you pulling up and down your shoulders? {I was trying so hard not to laugh out loud but I guess he still saw my shoulders shaking as I was doing all I could to control my laughter}

 August 7, 2011

Yesterday on our way to preschool Tate asked, "Mom, how does that nest balance on the small branches?"  I was puzzled as to where this was coming from so I looked out our window to see this:

the logo for our community on a flag.  That he would ask that question, that his little 4 year old brain would wonder about balance really blew me away.  I have to say that I didn't quite know how to respond so I replied, "I don't know." - Good one:)  To which he promptly replied, "I'll ask one bird if he knows."

I love having Tate in my life.  He keeps me laughing and in a day full of running around like mad from one thing to the next, he sometimes is my best medicine.

December 2010: Pickles Gets a Haircut

So its the first official morning of the kids' 3-week (yes, you heard that right, 3 weeks!) Christmas vacation and I was grateful for the lack of the mad morning rush.  Apparently my brain went on a vacation as well.  After I gave up on exercising since 10 minutes of my workout became 40 due to interruptions, I made myself a bowl of granola for breakfast.   I proceeded to put the almond milk in the cupboard not even realizing I had already put the granola in the fridge.  Wwow!  This was a continuation of my brain's vacation last night when I played a game with my family and managed to add up die to get from 28 to 22.  Great addition skills. Mike loved that one.

So, back to this morning... After making a phone call to the appliance repair man since my heavily used and abused dryer sparked and blew the breaker on Saturday, I looked over to see a very giddy Tate smiling up at me.  My eyes were drawn to his smile framed by his chocolate breakfast-shake mustache and beard. He stayed looking at me for awhile but then scampered away returning to what the boys were supposed to be doing, cleaning out their school supply/junk drawer.  What a great and responsible motherly thing to ask of my children I had thought!  Well not 2 minutes after I had received Mike's text response to my grocery location mix-up who thought that was funny and to "Enjoy these days with the kids at home!"  I heard some snipping and my kids response to my inquiries to what they were doing as "cutting hair".  Once again my brain was on vacation because it took me 2 long seconds before that computed and I exploded out of my chair.

Owen, out of all three of them, yes the 8 year old, was the one that had cut his littlest brother, Tate, the giddy one's, hair.  Surprisingly this is our first encounter with sibling haircuts.  Tate has thrilled with his haircut.  Me... not so much.  Not my greatest mothering moment.  After there were some distribution of boys into corners, I quickly sent Mike a text of how I was enjoying the kids until Owen cut Tate's hair.  He responded with something that made me laugh.  Oh how I needed that.  Mike has a way of making me laugh, wording things just right, and putting things into perspective, mainly because he has a grand perspective of life, and maybe a small part of it comes from the fact that he's there at work and I'm here in the trenches:-)  "Find the fun.  Find the humor.  Things that can't be changed!!! (Don't you mean Pickles got his haircut!)"

I tend to be too serious minded as a mom and I'm working on it.  Owen told me in the car last week when I responded seriously to something he meant not to be taken seriously, "that most people joke around Mom".   I told him that he was right.  Oh how I wish I could be more silly and laugh more at the "inconveniences" that come my way at a constant pace.  I pray, literally, for a better sense of humor with my children.

"Pickles" is the nickname that Tate has given himself.  Hilarious, that kid!  He also calls Felicity "Bobo" for some reason.  Mike has started coming up with various little stories of the Adventures of Pickles and Bobo and this was just one more adventure for the lot.

Mike asked me to send him a photo of Tate's new do from my phone and I couldn't help but laugh.  Thankfully!  laugh at the gomer haircut and then at the still giddy and proud smile plastered on Tate's face.

 I decided that I had seen this haircut before.  At first I thought it was from the creepy guy on Charlie's Angels, you know, George McFly, but no that's not exactly right.

Then it came to me, its from the bad guy on The Fifth Element (who is also the same guy that plays Sirius Black, never would have guessed).  A nearly perfect resemblance!

I think we'll give Owen one to match!

November 2010: My Little Av8r

Love this photo of Tate putting on a little aviator hat and goggles (yes, those are swim goggles painted black at one time).  I threw a little shower for my new darling nephew Lincoln Charles with an airplane theme in honor of my grandfather Charles who passed away this year.  Gramps was a true av8r!  Tate was trying on some of the shower decorations and having a blast flying the paper airplanes.

I am having fun with some new actions and textures I recently purchased from Florabella. So fun!  Would love to hear if any of you use actions & textures and where you get them from.  I am so new to this.  Seems addicting already.

April 2010: Faves from Felicity's First Month

4 Kids...Wow!!! That should be all I need to say to explain why I haven't posted more photos of Felicity. So sorry. I know that I've received lots of requests, so here I am staying up later than I should so that you all can see how adorable she is and learn more about her and our new family life. :-)

I'm sure you can imagine that there are quite a few photos of her in her first month, so it was very difficult to pick just a few. Here are some of my favorites:

March 18, 2010 My sweet baby sister holding her new little niece just days before she would have to say good-bye to leave on her mission to Switzerland for our church. Such a bittersweet departure.

March 27, 2010 Here are all my adorable children ready to head out on our first walk. We have all really looked forward to our walks/bike rides. This one lasted the distance of about 2 cul-de-sacs with the boys taking a few extra spins around the circle. It was a good start:-)

April 1, 2010 Such a Johnson trait, sticking that little tongue out. So adorable. This is on my mother-in-law Gail's birthday, from whom the 'Gail' in Felicity Gail comes from.

April 4, 2010 Here she is in her first Easter dress- accessorized with tights, a beaded bracelet, an itty bitty Alice bow, and joined by Hello Kitty in her bunny costume brought by the Easter bunny.

April 8, 2010 Baby sister is absolutely adored by all of her brothers. They want to be near her ALL the time. Here is sweet Eyan being able to hold Felicity for the first time after being sick since the day she was born. (Love my 'made over' glider-thanks Wendy and Melissa for painting it.)

April 11, 2010 Sleeping in her carseat wrapped up in a blanket that Auntie Lizzie made her. Don't let this appearance of sleep fool you:-) She doesn't sleep for longer than 10 minutes outside of my arms during the day. Thank goodness she is sleeping well at night. (I love love love how my carseat cover turned out!)

She continues to change so quickly. I've already spent an hour past what I allotted to myself so I'll have to post more recent ones soon:-) Come visit me.