So very grateful...

...for a photo shoot that went well! 
Happy beautiful Monday everyone, it is time for The Pink Elephant's special post today: being Grateful for all wonderful things in our lives, especially for our friends over at TPE!
{Please note, it is not a challenge, just a time for us to pay homage to Thanksgiving and all that we have.}
I am grateful for my children: Isiah, Jay, Kalil, Lily, Maali and Nala who fill my days with laughter, my heart with warmth, and our home with love.  When hubby and I were dating, we talked about having a big family, both agreeing that 6 would be a wonderful size. I am usually an underachiever but I guess this was one that I succeeded. haha!
We recently did our photo shoot for the kiddos and, as you can see, having them all smile at the same time is a daunting task. 5 out of 6 ain't bad, right? After all Isiah is only 2, that suspicious age where compliance doesn't come easily.
Come by TPE's blog {here} to see the beautiful projects that the girls created for this special post. Have a great Monday everyone, may your day be full of successful planning and lots of YOU time! ♥

Jonas Brothers' concert

Hi everyone and happy Sunday! There were some requests to see pictures of our Jonas Brothers' concert experience a few weeks ago.I'm late in posting but thought I'd share these anyway.

Here's Nala and me, we were so excited to be so close to the stage! I ended up purchasing the tickets off of Craigslist (praying the entire time that it wasn't a scam) for half price. Apparently the lady bought 10 tickets and only needed 7, it was so close to the event that she decided to sell them at a great price:

Here's Jaylen, caught in the act of having fun! Nala was quick to point this out to me:

The cast of Camp Rock 2 (they were part of the opening act with Demi Lovato, and appeared throughout the show:

(Do you see Alyson Stoner in the blue pants? She used to dance for Missy Elliott when she was little!)

And here's Demi:

Intermission came right before the Jonas Brothers appeared. Nala was already exhausted from singing with the opening acts:

(She's also wearing a Camp Rock 1 tee that we found at Target for $3. Lol! She couldn't understand why people were buying $35 shirts at the concert! That's my girl...)

Nick on the big screen:

Nick singing "Introducing Me" in 2 minutes 14 seconds (record time, it was a challenge by Joe):

Here are the brothers being lowered on a platform. I have to tell you, this is a really talented family. I love that they showcased Nick on guitar, piano, and drums, and Kevin is amazing! Joe just liked flirting:

If they are ever in your area, it's a concert worth going to. It was 3+ hours of straight music and a nice mix of entertainment - this coming from a mom who prefers the 80s! heehee!
Thank you for coming by everyone, enjoy your Sunday. :)

Don't adjust your television sets...

Happy Wednesday everyone! I've been seeing the most amazing cards in b&w and wanted to try my hand at it. What better image than a classy Teen Anya? The card came together quickly, as long as you have W and C copics, the grays are really fun to play with. I decided to make mine look like a hanging photo, so I cut out a scalloped frame and found some DCWV papers that looked a little like wall paper. ;)
I am also going challenge happy with these wonderful sites:

One Stitch At A Time: Say It With Shapes (ovals and scallops, diamonds and circles)
Paper Cutz: Anything Goes
Tuesday Morning Sketches: Current layout
Stampin' Royalty: Monochromatic Neutrals
Scrap Creations: Ribbon, Pearls and flowers


Thank you so much for coming by today! Before I go, I just wanted to wish our sweet DS a Happy 15th Birthday! Kalil is the type of teenager that loves hanging out with his family, watches the cooking network with his Grammy when she visits, dreams of going home to Hawaii where he was born, and is always so compassionate and caring when one of his friends is having a hard day. {Unfortunately, that makes girls swoon...and call A LOT!}
Here he is practicing his form for the homemade carrot cake I'm baking for him today:

heehee! And showing off some biceps, obviously. ;)
Have a beautiful Wednesday everyone, may it be full of smiles and accomplishments! ♥

Happy Birthday Maali!

Happy Wednesday everyone! Today is indeed a very special one to us as Maali turns 6 years old today. :D She is officially 3 years cancer free and is just the sweetest and most patient little girl ever. You can read more about her HERE on this post, my blog candy giveaway in her honor will close at 6pm EST tonight. Maali and I will announce the winner shortly after that. Have a beautiful day everyone! We will see you later on this evening. ♥

Congratulations Jay Jay!!

Hello friends and happy Thursday!

It has been a busy one here at the Wilson home, with end of the school year activities and parties. But the big event was last night, with my 12 year old officially ending his elementary years and entering Middle School. Here he is right before leaving the house:

 And here we are right after graduation {in such a rush I had zero makeup on - teehee!}. Considering I'm in heels, he's awfully tall. ;)

The kids were soooo good during the entire graduation! It was super hot out but I had to get a family photo:

Here are the 4 boys of our extended Samoan ohana, I LOVE this family! We met a few years ago during football season, and quickly became good friends. Their mom and I wanted a picture of all the Islander boys:

DH and I joke that someone from this picture will be in the NFL. heehee! I'm so proud of Jaylen, he's such a sweetheart, a gentle giant, and has already been placed in Honors classes next year. :D
Have a WONDERFUL day everyone! Thank you for coming by and letting me share a part of my personal life. ;)
♥

Celebrate Dad with a layout!

Hello friends and happy Thursday! The weekend is almost here, I can hardly wait - our soccer team has their championship game on Saturday. Exciting!!
For the moment, I have something else exciting for you all to participate in: a scrapbook challenge at A Crafty Little Place! The contest runs for 2 whole weeks, how can you NOT join in?
This challenge is to create a page paying homage to a dad:

Here is a recent picture of my hubby and youngest son blowing bubbles in the backyard. We love the hot weather (he's from San Antonio) and spend tons of time outside with the kiddos. Isiah is infatuated with bubbles and giggled every time his dad made one appear. I added 6 buttons to represent all of our kiddos, DH usually avoids the camera so I had to sneak this picture in. ;) Here are all the wonderful products I've used from the DCRU store:

Recipe:

Grasshopper Cookie Designer Paper, 
Basic Grey Kraft Paper Pad

Buttons : Spring Green and Wee One

DeLovely Collection Elements Sheet

May Arts Ribbon - Brown

I LOVE shopping there! {And right now, TGF sets are 25% off - woohoo!) See what the DT created HERE on the ACLP blog, this is also where you'll link up your work. Have a beautifulllll Thursday everyone! There's something exciting coming your way soon so be sure to check back in. ;) ♥

My "Son"-shine and Giggle day ;)

Happppyyyy Monday everyone!

Well it is soooo f-f-f-freezing cold here. It rained all weekend and was quite breezy too. I am totally not ready for this weather! But today is Sunshine and Giggles day, so I thought I would get a jumpstart on our winter gifts for the teachers:

Isn't this a sweet image? Janice's new line is so fun and captures wonderful childhood experiences. Every year the kids meet out back and spend hours going down the snowy hill. I love their shrieks and laughter echoing through the backyards. I printed out the image and colored it in with copics, punched them out with my Marvys, then ran the entire thing through the Cuttlebug with the swiss dots folder.

For the teachers' gifts I included a packet of hot chocolate as well as that yummy wintry tea, and if they're in the middle of their school day, tic tacs are always fun. ;) You can see more of Janice's line HERE on her Sunshine and Giggles site. For the entire month of October, Janice is donating $2 of each stamp sold to a little girl named Paige. All the details can be found on her blog so hurry on over to read about it! Here are the other DT girls showing their Monday smiles:

☼ Nicole ☼ Melissa ☼ Jennifer ☼ Janice (owner)

So what's up with that post title? Well, my 14 yo son went to his first Homecoming dance on Saturday. First, I have to share a little bit about Kalil - he loves to be different, so we knew he would ask to wear pink (his fave color) for the dance. No problem, as it matched his date's dress perfectly.

But when he asked me if I could find him pink shoes too?

No problem. You see, his mommy was quite an original back in the day so I totally understand his style. ;) I am also a bargain hunter/yard sale junkie, so when I stopped in at a thrift store in another town and saw these men's Italian shoes in his size (<---serendipity) I couldn't resist. This is pretty much what he based the rest of his outfit on, which indeed, helped my 'son shine' at the dance. heehee! Even his Michael Jackson inspired fedora hat (gray with pink pinstripes) tied in well. :D
Thank you all for coming by today, I love when you visit! This week is full of really great announcements, I am also working on another freebie day where you can find wonderful links to free digital images. Have a beautiful Monday everyone!
*Love and Aloha*