Candy Stripes, Flannel and Sequins!

Another Christmas dress mama and mini look for you today, the 3rd installment featuring all the little miss' Christmas dresses (here are #2 & #1). Boy this has been fun! 

This candy striped dress is so adorable and the best part, Scarlet and her cousin Adorlee were matching for this occasion. I'm wearing a dress from Boden's teen line, a really pretty and very warm flannel dress, with a full skirt and tiny navy velvet waist and straps. It's the ultimate holiday dress in fact. ;) Now okay, there's quite a story here. This dress is one my sister purchased and after trying it on, we decided that she needed to size down. So she bought the next size and had both hanging in her bedroom, tempting me with "bright" ideas. Heehee. So of course, OF COURSE, I said well why don't we match too? I mean, it's a perfectly wonderful idea for not only the littles to match for church but for the sisters to match too. (I don't take fashion as seriously as you might think … it's supposed to be fun!)

Daena did not need much convincing there and we were off to the races. Mine was big, so I added this sparkly vest and a belt to hide all the extra fabric and I think it worked. I'll add the pics we took together at the end of this post. 

{me: dress Boden, vest - thrifted (originally a huge blouse that I cut up), heels - Target

Scarlet: dress - Luulla, tights - Old Navy, moccs - My Beautiful Shop}

And here we are all together and match-matchy. Thank you Daena for letting me steal your dress like that! Love you. Mwa. 

And my sweet peeps in a not-too-happy shot but looking very handsome.

Flower Crowns {sisters and babes}

I had such a busy and fun weekend of photo shoots, one after the other. But this one was really special to me and though there is a white blanket of snow on the ground again today, we had a spectacularly lit, golden afternoon on Friday. You may remember us taking maternity pictures together last year, also featuring some lovely crowns but those that I had made from silk flowers. Well we thought we'd replicate those in a new way, with the most stunning fresh crowns this time (made by Sunny at Ebb and Flow Flowers in GB) and with our close to one year olds on our hips! (Here's the maternity shoot). 

Dresses:

Me: Sammy Dress (new sponsor!)

Daena: Forever 21

Cara: Hey Daisy! (GB)

Scarlet: Sweet Peas (GB)

Aletta: Zara 

Jude: pants - Sweet Peas (GB)

Flower Crowns: 

Ebb and Flow Flowers 

Daen goes in for her 4th round of chemo today. She is doing very well still and continues to see little miracles happening in her life all the time. I think her greatest struggle in these last few weeks has been a lack of energy, or at least the get-everything-done-no-big-deal energy she was used to having pre cancer. But being a mom of 4 requires so much and in a normal circumstance is exhausting in itself. Though it's definitely not as difficult as it was in the beginning stages of these treatments and perhaps it's due to the fact that the cancer is now gone. Or it's your prayers for her being answered every day. Whatever the case, she is well, keeping up with life and family and doing an amazing job at it. Please keep her in your prayers, friends, and ask for the last half of these treatments to just get easier and easier if you would. And for her to find a renewed energy with a sense of calm and peace. There's lots happening in these next few months and I want her to feel up for all of it. We're realizing now, as her lashes start to fall out, that lashes are perhaps the hardest of all to lose. We've been looking into falsies from the drugstore and the fancier NovaLash, which are eyelash extensions. Those seem like a really great option in this case but are quite expensive. Do you wear falsies and if so, any recommendations?

Aletta Reese {6 month portraits}

This is Aletta, our sweet little baby cousin, the most precious thing you'll ever meet. She goes by an assortment of nicknames (as any baby should), Letta Lula, Lettie Lulu, and Princess Jasmine ( I think she has that gorgeous exotic beauty about her, lucky girl ;) … just to name a few. We think she's better than watermelon bubblegum and salted caramel dark chocolate. Oh yeah, that good! She loves being anywhere and with whomever, unless it's in a car of course. She has an assortment of delicious smiles to choose from. Let's see, there's the turtle and that stretchy eyed grin (she's got a little South African, American, Mexican and Chinese blood swishing through her veins - heehee!). And even at 6 months she's clapping her hands and about to wave bye bye, not to mention very nearly able to crawl. Her daddy says she's in AP classes. We love you Letta and miss you already! Come back soon (and often!). 

She's yummy isn't she? I'll be back soon with several more portraits but this time with Scarlet, the two of them as tiny cherubs. It's crazy good!

Presenting ... Aletta Reese Bomar

Here she is ... the little lovely and newest baby to join our family. Three weeks old and all soft and cuddly. Sooo long just like her daddy (the same length as Scarlet for sure) and so content to be anywhere, anytime. She is without doubt the happiest baby on the block. Lucky mama! We love you Lettie!