candice mclean

tate | sweet everyday life

tate. age eleven.

1. LOVES soccer 2. diligent worker 3. awesome student (straight A's) 4. fun loving 5. conscientious 6. competitive 7. amazingly neat 8. craves order 9. prompt 10. driven 11. favorite color right now - turquoise 12. favorite drink - water or gatorade 13. favorite snack item - granny smith apple or popcorn 14. loves to read

tate is our second child. she's so amazingly driven, fun loving and caring. i love her initiative especially for her age. she is brilliant with her academics. she studies hard and her hard work pays off with straight A's and the principal's honor roll. her teachers and coaches kindly compliment her work ethic and integrity.

she is growing into her own little fashionista. she loves skinny jeans, graphic tees and funky jewelry. she's a little tomboy with a little spicy fashionista rolled into one. i love that she will skin her knees up diving for the ball then... she'll ask me to take her thrifting or to the mall for some fashion shopping.

i know tate will succeed in life for she has this innate ability to grab life, to dream BIG and she just goes for it full throttle. watching her unfold her destiny will be a true gift.

she is growing up incredibly fast | roan

roan recently turned thirteen and i'm confronted with reality... she is growing up incredibly fast. this truth pulls at my heart. my little girl is no longer just my little girl. she has dreams. inspirations. and her own ideas. she is blossoming into a fine young lady. academically she is brilliant. she's an independent thinker. i love this the most though at times i'm finding it challenging. she is artsy and crafty - this makes my heart sing. she is kind. she is thoughtful. she loves God and her faith.

she loves fashion as much as me... no even more than me. lol. she is conscious of prices and being thrifty... something mama has passed down to her. she loves vintage.

she sings beautifully. loves music. we share a playlist and i love that her taste in music is eclectic. 

before heading to her school dance, i captured these photographs. the dress is from urban outfitters (a birthday gift from daddy and mama). the white denim jacket is from old navy (borrowed from her sister tate). shoes are from target. purse is chinese laundry (borrowed from me). horse pendant (purchased from etsy). bracelet and earrings (village house in okinawa, japan).

week 21 | weekly menu

sunday

supper - pan seared salmon, baked sweet potato with asparagus

dessert - grilled pound cake topped with fresh berries and whipped cream

we had a dinner guest so we served a yummy dessert!

monday

BBQ chicken sandwiches with slaw and sweet potato fries

trying a new recipe by the pioneer woman.

tuesday

grilled flank steak, roasted yukon golds with grilled corn

wednesday

chicken cacciatore over whole wheat linguini paired with spinach salad

i use emeril's recipe and alter it a bit.

thursday

pulled pork tacos, black beans with homemade salsa and guacamole

friday

homemade naan pizzas

create your own pizza with an array of toppings. a friday tradition that the kiddos so look forward too.

saturday

grilled chicken wrapped in prosciutto stuffed with feta served with summer squash and zucchini

 

week 20 through the lens | sweet everyday life

sunday 05.13.12

sunday. on mother's day, we headed to the countryside for roan's photography assignment.

roan capturing carys. love that roan is curious to learn photography.

monday 05.14.12

time for a cut and a few copper highlights. perfect timing. the day began crazy and i needed a little *me* time.

monday evening. riding lessons for my girls.

tuesday 05.15.12

tuesday... working and enjoying a snack. checking items off may's goal list. that's a great feeling.

waiting at school to pick-up the kiddos, i enjoy a pick-me-up from starbucks and inspiration from country living magazine.

one of roan's birthday gifts... teen vogue. i surprised her at school pickup with the may issue. *happy girl*

wednesday 05.16.12

30 day shred workout with jillian michaels continues with success. * i workout *

hubby pulls into driveway with this. someone backed into him at work. ouch.

thursday 05.17.12

breakfast and emails.

part of the afternoon routine. ice and water for soccer practice.

friday 05.18.12

enjoying our new deck with a cup of coffee. love.

workout done. shower done. self-portrait done. ready for errands.

rummaging through food network magazine for new recipes and fell in love with this sherwin williams ad. color inspiration.

painted my nails this amazing turquoise hue which ironically matches my shirt.

taking roan to her school dance. she's growing up so fast!

fresh flowers.

saturday. 05.19.12

old lucketts store *spring market*

thrifting with my daughter roan. love sharing my joys with her.

new find from marshalls... striped maxi skirt.

the finds. lovely yellow chair. milk crates. random drawers. turquoise-green metal chair. *happy girl*

Gardening | Sweet Everyday Life

since moving into our new home, we have lots of projects and honey to do lists. thus far, our attention has been focused on the inside of our home. with the warm weather enticing us to be outside and the new deck being built, we finally planted a few herbs and hostas. i'm anxious to add more shrubs and plants but i'm waiting until the deck is complete. hopefully by this weekend! here's a peek at what we're growing right now. 

basil. we love basil to cook with and to add to fresh green salads.

rosemary. love love love rosemary and it grows abundantly. the clay pot was a gift from elizabeth and jason for my 40th birthday last year in okinawa. so... i have a little of okinawa in my garden.

tate wanted to grow strawberries. for now, they are in a pot. we're planning to move them soon to the backyard so they'll have more room.

i love hostas. they also grow abundantly. yay. i need all the green thumb help i can get for gardening is not my strength.

lavender. i've had great luck with lavender in the past. it grows pretty easily and i love the fragrance.

my little pagoda from the marine gift shop in okinawa. i bought this for chip last year for father's day so it's actually his little pagoda.

are you gardening? what are you planting? any tips or suggestions? i'm looking at azaleas, boxwoods or hydrangeas for the front flowerbeds. i'd love to add a tree to our frontyard as well; and i'm thinking a dogwood would be pretty.

Chalk Art | Sweet Everyday Life

chalk art by connor and carys. chip was away on business to okinawa for the last week and a half. the kiddos missed him so much. we have been spoiled. we have not endured a deployment for some time but chip is traveling a lot lately and the kiddos miss him ever so much. on sunday afternoon, connor and carys decided to create some welcome home daddy artwork on the driveway. fun.

construction. i'm anxious to be rid of the construction that surrounds us right now. large equipment. empty lots. nasty dumpster. hoping for a quick buildout.

good news. our neighborhood is growing. we'll have new neighbors beside us in a few weeks. they have three kiddos themselves... more playmates so the kiddos are super excited. three more homes opposite of us are ready to move in as well. and new homes are in the process of being built. excitement everywhere.

adding on. we're adding another living space by building a deck off the back of the house. i cannot wait until it's complete. the new deck overlooks a conservation area. we've spotted a bald eagle, deer, a fox, a few groundhogs and unfortunately a few snakes. for those who do not know me well... very scared of snakes. we have these lovely wood chip trails throughout the community great for nature walks and runs; but after running into two snakes back to back, i'm done with the trails for now. i'm hoping that once the digging and moving of earth is complete then the snakes will settle down. one can only hope.

the positive. i'm looking forward to enjoying our new living space. coffee in the morning. dinner with the family in the evenings. happy hours with friends. basking in the sun (with sunscreen!). creating art. happy times lie ahead.

what's going on in your neck of the woods?

Occoquan Virginia | photography

last week, i met shannon for tea in occoquan. shannon and i were introduced to one another in okinawa through a mutual friend pamela. shannon and pam joined efforts to form a photography group in oki which i miss so much. i miss our gatherings. our walkabouts. our conversations. our coffee time. it's fun and inspiring to meet with fellow photographers and artists and create a synergy.

so the other day we met up again... shannon and i. she's not too far me! we chatted photography, had a yummy muffin and cup of tea at the coffee house and then walked about taking a few snapshots. the town of occoquan is quaint and reminds me of a little european town tucked away from the city and busy interstate. there are some adorable shops and a few galleries with some exciting artwork. i left inspired and happy. i love sharing and learning with other artists. thanks shannon! xo

eleven years young | sweet everyday life

tate's birthday celebration with a few friends. april was busy for us. we had many birthday celebrations and easter. we finally had a chance to celebrate tate's birthday this past weekend with a few of her friends. she wanted to see mirror, mirror with a few gals. before the movie, we celebrated with some cupcakes, a surprise visit from the ice cream truck (how convenient!) and of course what party isn't complete without some silly string. btw... mirror, mirror was super cute! happy birthday tee. xoxoxoxo

our life through the lens | sweet everyday life

all images were captured with my iphone 4 and instagram. my goal is to capture our sweet everyday life. which may or may not include... horseback riding lessons. soccer practice. soccer games. food. routine. shopping. wardrobe. thrifting. being silly.

our life through the lens.

i have a few new and old crushes | inspiration

there are a few blogs that i stop by to read on a regular basis. i thought it would be fun to share those here with you. through reading blogs i've developed a few crushes. these women are intuitive and full of imagination and stories. i yearn to be as dedicated with my art. my words. and my own blog. *enjoy*

1. newest blog that i've discovered. meredith winn photography. totally in love with her photography. life captured.

2. lisa leonard designs. lisa shares her life and her jewelry designs on her blog. i love her jewelry. she also does a tremendously beautiful job of sharing photographs and telling her story. for example, one of her posts resonated with me. left me in tears and so reminded me of my own little brother. wonderfully made by lisa leonard.

3. ali edwards. gosh. i think i've been reading ali's blog since 2005. she is a dedicated blogger. i love that she has kept true to herself and telling her story. i'm a fan of her projects like project life and week in the life.

4. rockstar diaries. newly discovered. love the photographs. 

5. dispatch from la. i've been perusing mary ann's blog for two years now. she is a constant blogger and i love that. i always find new and inspirational posts on her blog. she takes brilliant, colorful photographs and i adore her art and journaling. she offers great online workshops. i took one myself. remains of the day. loved it.

6. newly discovered. the wiegand's. written by casey leigh. she writes with honesty and i adore that.

7. bleubird vintage. another newly discovered blog. 

8. cakies. love her images. started following her on instagram then found her blog.

9. alisa burke. lovely images. full of color and inspiration. love her monthly post about lucy. so cute and what a great idea.

10. enjoy it. written by elise. another newly discovered blog. found through ali's blog. a military wife (common thread there) and crafter. definitely dedicated and consistent. new posts on a regular basis with fun inspiration. love her approach to project life. which i finally started for 2012.

11. under the sycamore. by ashley ann. she captures everday life. mother of four and in the process of adopting a little girl. love her contribution to giving back to the community. check this out... the incubator project.