summer lovin happened so fast

and with the the ring of a bell

summer is over for at least one of us

tate started school today

the lone Johnson man on campus

as both eyan and owen will be attending the charter school this year

to say he was ecstatic to start school would be putting it mildly

last night he slept with magic confetti under his pillow

given by his teacher beforehand to calm those 'back to school' jitters

and help him sleep through the night

and awake in the morning fresh and bright 

circumstances allowed for a beach trip to say goodbye to summer

for me the beach is always a good decision

outside of places of worship, the beach tops my list of favorite places to be

and places that feed my soul

i think the kids like the beach for different reasons

but its a consensus

we love the beach

i am honored to associate with such incredible teens

that are such a large part of of my children's lives

in this one moment 

felicity is jumping waves with her favorite person, 'kenna'

tate is getting a piggyback ride from the forever-a-big-kid joe

and owen is out there in the waves with cool jacob getting boogie board lessons

i love that they care

teens looking outside themselves to find joy in the little moments of fun and laughter with young children is simply amazing

they are making such an impact on my family

i am so grateful to be a part of a church family

truly another example of a village

we would have stayed all day at the beach if we could have
but alas we had to come home
straight to the tub for this crew
while i turned my head, eyan poured half a bottle of bubble bath into the tub
they were in heaven

here is my little man tate

ready to electrify first grade

how i am grateful for children who love learning and enjoy being at school

to see my favorite back to school photo shoot, click here

the older boys now wearing uniforms to school, makes back to school photos, well, quite...boring

i'll need to find a way to spice things up a bit

how did you spend your final days of summer?

did you fit in most of your summer bucket list?

were you are the kids more ready for school to begin?

whispering meadows bridal fair

fresh air can do wonders for any soul

and breathing it in at a dreamy location magnifies the effect by an hundredfold

i was privileged to attend the coming out party for San Diego's newest wedding venue 

the whispering meadows bridal fair

Whispering Meadows is the wedding venue located at the Lazy H Ranch

in its prime in the 1950s Lazy H Ranch was one of san diego's most popular gathering place for locals and celebrities with its airstrip, clubhouse, swimming pool, croquet courts and stables

the grounds and rooms have recently been renovated to restore and refresh its charm

one of the women behind this grand undertaking is my aunt, Kelly Fiorito,

owner of Petals and Lace Floral and Event Design

{look for an interview with her soon with her top tips for brides in selecting flowers as well as this summer's bridal trends here in Southern California}

along with her partner Sandra Buczek of Sandra Nicole Designs

located in north san diego county

Whispering Meadows carries a peaceful feeling which Kelly says brings her back in time with every visit she makes

you lose the reality of the hustle and bustle but are only 20 minutes away from the neighboring town

it is an all outdoor venue

which allows the bride to transform it to whatever style she envisions

be it rustic, bohemian, modern, or vintage chic

and petals and lace event design can help you carry out your vision with their rentals

from chandeliers to candlesticks to table settings to furniture

you can rent it all from petals and lace

onsite there is a bride's quarter allowing the bride and maid of honor to stay over the night before in preparation for the big event

rooms for the wedding party to stay at lazy h ranch are also being remodeled and decorated

seeing the personalization and creativity that goes into today's weddings is astounding 

chatting with the vendors it was easy to see that the modern bride can expect more because her options to transform her lifelong vision of that perfect day are nearly limitless

i was delighted by the scallop gold leafing on the cake 

and the scrumptious tasting cupcakes of 

hey there cupcake

meeting melissa and corbin of pow wow vintage rentals was a sort of celebrity siting for me
i had heard of their incredible event design and vintage rental business and had been wanting to meet them, witness their style in person, and find out more about how they got started in the business
read more about melissa's journey as an artist and designer here
their company provides the opportunity for a one of a kind wedding through their customized design to meet your vision and have your guests feel your intended unique vibe
see some examples of their dreamy events here and here
i covet their jobs

being outside and amongst all this beauty
was the perfect recipe for rejuvenation for me that day
sometimes life gets a little heavy and we just need a change of scenery to lighten things up
scenery changed
life lightened
sometimes its just something that simple

to receive more information regarding having your wedding at Whispering Meadows, be sure to contact Kelly or Sandra here
you will be overwhelming pleased to be working with these talented women
and breathtaking venue

one word wednesday: love

LOVE

i was privileged to attend my cousin Natasha's wedding at the top of the world

elevation 9000' at snow basin ski resort

how often do you get to take a gondola to a wedding

this place held special significance to Natasha and her gentleman of a groom Noah

these snowbirds were engaged right on the slopes

the mountain air was crisp and the view so breathtaking

but paled in comparison to the classic beauty of my cousin

my favorite part of her exquisite wedding ensemble was the headpiece of our late grandmother toni

such a unique and gorgeous piece

the lodge was airy and grand

decorated with personal touches such as these custom drawn place cards

i roamed around the grounds

a twinge of longing to be back with my own groom

of course i had to stick my toes in the snow

something mike would definitely have passed on

the reception was unlike anything i had experienced before

a scene straight out of a movie

with the traditional jewish horah dance

mazel tov

to natasha and noah as they were hoisted high above our heads 

we circled around, clapped, and danced

it was an absolute delight

i definitely felt like i wanted a redo on my reception and be lifted up in a chair and circled about by my friends and family

maybe for our 20th

natasha has been such an important part of my life growing up

it warmed my heart to see her so happy

and to see her wearing something of our grandma's whom we both cherish so much

to be a part of a family is to know love

what have been important sources of love in your life?

be sure to capture love as you see it and share it with us by leaving a link in the comments below or tagging me @briana6 and #onewordwednesday on instagram

thank you to all of you participating

reader's favorites will be featured next week so be sure and check back

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: BABY!

i'm sailing

learning how to sail has been a dream of mine since i was a teen
being on the water and feeling that breeze on your face
feeling the power of the rushing wind propelling you forward
as well as the lull of tranquility produced by the bobbing of the boat and sounds of the breaking water
there is nothing quite like it
alas i have not yet learned to sail
not having my own boat may place a damper on such dreams
but i jumped at the chance to experience sailing after a 

one of the many perks of homeschooling is that you are in charge of the particulars of the lessons as well as the field trips to enhance such subjects
during the planning period for early exploration for social studies
i wondered if san diego had a program for young explorers
indeed they did,
aboard the Californian
a replica of a gold rush era revenue cutter and the official tall ship of the state of california
i was going to make my owen's dream a reality
the date was set for our sailing adventure

we boarded this breathtaking schooner

setting off for a four hour adventure sail

put on by the Maritime Museum of San Diego

owen and i were happily to have my mom accompany us for our field trip

class size of 3

once aboard the crew gave our instructions and we were off into the harbor

being an interactive experience i was able to help haul a line

to help raise the majestic sails

owen opted out and i was happy to take his place

watching the ship's glory unfold was perhaps one of my favorite parts of our sail
what an exhilarating experience for those fearless crew members to climb high on the rigging above the sea below to set and furl her final sails
oh how i wished i could have been alongside us just for a moment to have witnessed her in all of her full splendor
it was in a way torturous to imagine what we must have looked like in full sail to the neighboring vessels, not to have seen it myself
but being aboard and experiencing the beauty of the experience surpassed my need to observe from afar

one of owen's favorite portions of our sailing adventure

was learning about the early explorations in san diego and the history of sailing

particularly about the gunnery

and that if you used the word 'cannon' to describe the guns, the crew would throw you overboard

he enjoyed the gun salute towards the end of our adventure

boy was it loud

being out on the open water brings a peace that i crave

one that transforms me into a state of relaxation

an extreme challenge for this mind and body that is constantly in motion

being able to experience this with my son and my mother will be one of those moments you strive to lock into the vault of your memory to never forget

at the conclusion of our incredible sailing adventure

owen asked me to go from experiencing one of my dreams

to suffering through one of my greatest nightmares

going on a submarine

lets just say i would die from hysteria and hyperventilation if i ever had to be on there for an extended period of time

this highly claustrophobic mama has refused to go on the finding nemo ride at disneyland

after being traumatized as a child when it was the plain old submarine ride

i can still remember the anxiety i felt being enclosed in that thing

i even go into sudden attacks when i get my arm stuck between furniture and the wall when i have to plug something in

mike thinks its hilarious and curiously seems to need my perfect sized arms to plug in his computer often

above water carried by the wind = dreamy perfection

below water encapsulated in a small space = absolute terror

well i toughed it out and ventured through its tight quarters

i think i held my breath the entire time

owen was in heaven with all of the equipment creating swirling imaginings in his mind of their purpose

...i wonder what this does...how does this work...why is this here...

the mind of my little engineer

we concluded with a tour of the vast star of india

this was by far the best field trip i had ever been on

how often are dreams fulfilled through a field trip

what are your dreams?

what has been the most exciting field trip you've been on?

be crafty workshop: california style

i am delighted to share with you today our

be crafty workshop here in sunny california

what a dream it has been to become real friends with creatives i have first met virtually through blogging and instagramming

amanda of oh my little dears, the queen of eye candy and happy mail packages, has become such a close friend in such a small amount of time

she is magic i tell you, anything she touches turns pinterest worthy

she was just featured here as a 'site for sore eyes' on creature comforts

this girl is going places

working with her to put on this workshop was such a blast

there was no work about it

just play

the magic is in the details

down to the last cabochon flower and washi tape flag

i loved watching my home fill with arrangements of pretty things

earlier that morning we had a few minutes to go thrifting and a hit a flea market

she scored this divine 1950's mint table

a perfect show piece for our supplies and projects

each of our guests were spoiled by our four incredible Etsy sponsors

some of my favorite moments came even before the workshop began

opening up my mailbox to find pretty packages filled with all of the sponsor's gifts

be sure to check out all of their shops and send them a shout-out from Sweet Dreams are Made of These and Be Crafty Workshops

thank you, thank you to all of our generous sponsors

emoorestore: adding a little curiosity to everyday goods

whimsically playful mugs and darling accessories for you and your little

i picked the mint earrings for me, aren't they clever and perfect for the summer?!

emoorestore is offering all of our be crafty friends a 20% off your entire order through July 31st

just enter the code becrafty

olive + birch printables

fun, bright prints with so many of them inspired by beloved classic children's books

goodbye moon, where the wild things are, oh the places you'll go, i'll love you forever

i also adore the custom silhouette print of your child or pet

ohhdearlover: creating heart warming art for you and yours

colorful prints in all of the latest home decor trends

love me so me arrow, mason jar, hot air balloon, and chalkboard prints

a delightful variety

lanae's bakery
sending your taste buds straight to heaven
i don't think anyone at the workshop could stop talking about the goodies
little pieces of electrifying bliss you never knew existed
banana split marshmallows, what?!
all the delectable treats shown were brought by lanae and her sweet mom

we also were blessed by one of our guests
betsy, who brought some amazing taquitos from her shop rock it tacos

we are so grateful to our amazing guests who came to spend the afternoon with us
some i knew well, others i had the chance to get to know
i loved seeing the variety of styles and colors chosen by everyone
differences make the world go 'round
our six projects kept us busy, busy
decisions about what color of glitter take time you know
it all sure made a pretty mess

the people are what make workshops a success

thank you, thank you to all of our friends, old and new, who came to our crafting marathon

i was so happy to have my baby sister in town

she and her doting fiancé were so adorable to watch

a crafting date is good for any relationship, right mike?!

amanda and her heart of gold mom paulette tended to all of our guests needs

happily assisting and helping them to feel welcome

we had such a jazzed group of crafters, building friendships, helping to wipe paint and glue off each other's hands, and of course comparing favorites from lanae's bakery

i think the campfire s'mores won

i was also so happy to spend more time with amy from our daily obsessions 

{the scissor passer seen above}

amy and i met in the most unusual way

she was one my daddy's nurses who took care of him so sweetly

i love how Heavenly Father places people in your path who create such a lasting impact

speaking of impact

this polkadot pant clad gal is my go-to girl for impact

leslie of my happily ever after 

this trip was the first time amanda and leslie were able to meet

loving bringing friends together

here we are, the three crafteteers

i couldn't resist the bad play on words

how about

the photographer, the diy-er, and the chaos maker

i can't wait til we are all back together again

would you like a be crafty workshop to come to your area

drop us a line and maybe i can convince amanda to let me tag along