indian summer

longwood-gardens-green-wall

babies-at-longwood

marieatlongwood

childrens-garden-longwood

childrens-garden-at-longwood

 

Well folks…I would say we’re having an indian summer, wouldn’t you?! These freakish 80+ degree temperatures in October have me a bit sad, I’ll be honest. We decided to cheer ourselves up with some sunshine and splashing around at Longwood Gardens. The kids couldn’t have been happier-we arrived early in the morning to avoid the crowds (and get home in time for naps), and let them roam free. Mommy was giddy to have an excuse for a photo shoot with the linen white dress Marie hadn’t worn yet (yay)! Fashion rules don’t apply to children, haven’t you heard?! We made our way through the kid-friendly areas…secret gardens, fountains, pumpkin patches, ending with an extra special Thomas the Train sighting! We left wet + tired, but with smiles and a sense of accomplishment…a great way to spend a Sunday.

alt for everyone

alt-for-everyone

 

Last week I had the pleasure of attending Alt For Everyone, the online version of the hugely successful Alt Summit conference. I’ve had plans to attend in person for a few years, but cost, timing, and twins have kept me from making that a reality. As a busy WAHM now, Alt For Everyone is the perfect solution for me, as I can attend classes from home, and still experience the social aspect via online chat rooms and social media. You see the teacher live, as well as the slides that accompany the class, and you can chat with other students publicly or privately in the online forum. Twitter is always lit up afterwards, and it’s a great way to meet new bloggers, designers, and moms! I thoroughly enjoyed all of my classes, but my favorite was Photo Styling with the Brinsons…those two are so incredibly talented + inspiring. That class has me itching to do more styling, pronto. I hope to attend the next east coast conference in person (NYC 2014?)…will I see you there?!

(that’s the goody bag + box that arrived before classes started, so fun!)

thirty-four

thirty-four

 

Today is my birthday! Just like that-another year, another number. I’ll be honest, my birthday grows less important to me as the years pass, but that seems par for the course. My focus now is my children-and I’m finding that all I want to do for my birthday is something for them! Ok, ok…I do have a little something planned for myself this evening, and of course mr. fleurishing will be accompanying me. If you’re curious you can check out my instagram feed to find out what it is!!

 thanks to all of you for being here…you make me feel special every day.

winter water factory – a giveaway!

winter-water-factory-fall-2013-giveaway

 

I first learned of Winter Water Factory when I was gifted outfits for my baby shower, and I’ve been a fan ever since. Their designs are classic, yet modern, with fun + vibrant prints and colors. Every item is crafted from 100% organic cotton and made in the USA, which is such a bonus when the design is so awesome. I personally love the story of artist Stefanie Lynen’s transition from medical school to crafting and fabric design…it’s inspiring! The Fall 2013 collection was just released-Marie is wearing the rocking horse baby dress + Henry is in the long sleeve romper, both in the fun winter forest print! I don’t often dress them in matching outfits, but I fell in love with the whimsical print and bold color and couldn’t help myself. I’m so excited to team up with them to offer one lucky reader a $100 gift card! Good luck + happy shopping!

 WIN A $100 GIFT CARD…FOUR WAYS TO ENTER:

#1  comment with your favorite item from winter water factory

#2 “like” winter water factory on facebook

#3  follow winter water factory on pinterest

#4  tweet a link to this post + reference @fleurishing + @WWFactory

You will receive one entry for each action (please leave a comment per action). Entries must be posted by Tuesday, October 1st to qualify. The winner will be drawn randomly and announced here on Wednesday October 2nd! Please do not leave your email in the body of the comment, only in the allotted boxes. $100 USD total value.

 *winter water factory provided these products for review, but this post and opinions are my own*

UPDATE-THE WINNER IS…LINDSAY HOFMANN!

THANK YOU ALL FOR PARTICIPATING!