tea collection (review + giveaway)

these kiddos are sporting some sweet new threads.
 the friendly folks at tea collection offered us the chance to try out their gorgeous clothes.  um, yes!

luca chose the ernesto stripe tee in moss.
gia is wearing the delightful dolman dress in maple paired with the skinny pointelle leggings in ochre. 

 tea travels to destinations all over the world for inspiration.  what a neat concept!  the current collection is called modern mexico - it is so colorful & fun.  i love the wide variety of prints, as well as the cut of the pieces.

one of my favorite things about tea collection clothing?  it is so soft.  seriously.

luca wore the shirt for days when it arrived.  after mentioning this to the rep at tea, i was told parents of children with sensory issues tend to love tea clothes because they are so comfortable yet also stylish.  as one of those parents, i agree on all counts.

the girls clothes easily pull double duty in keeping those little ones dressed adorably but ready to play.  since miss gia insists on daily dresses or skirts, but also wants to keep up with her brothers, this is a huge plus.

pouty face.

maybe a blanket will help.

there we go.

(now to decide where to frame this photo.)

little brother joins in.  yes, the boys have matching shirts.
luca was adamant about it. :)
 BUT, if that opinion hadn't been so strong, i would have loved to mix and match their tops from the great boys clothes available.  the happy hoodies are a particular favorite.  what great layering pieces for both boys and girls.

and this is why taking a photo of these three is so difficult.  he just wants to run, run, run.  last week i sat him on the table. . .hmmm. . . i think i need to plan ahead better.  the bag of mini marshmallows i had in my left hand just wasn't cutting it.

this face says, "we're about to go inside and have hot cocoa."

this was actually photoshoot attempt number two.  here are a few outtakes from our first try on thanksgiving.  it was just too cold and they were too eager to see family, so it kinda bombed.  not the best idea on my part, but i did capture this gia sweetness.  seriously now.

tea collection also offers a lovely range of baby girl and baby boy clothing.
and their women's line is just beautiful.

thank you tea collection for offering us this opportunity!

and guess what?

wahoo!  i love sharing the fun!

you have the chance to win a $75 gift certificate to tea by simply leaving a comment on this post.
to enter you must be a follower of this blog (google, bloglovin, rss feed, etc.)

for extra entries:
like tea collection on facebook
like annalea hart on facebook
(leave a separate comment for each)

the giveaway will close sunday, 12/4.
one winner will be announced monday, 12/5.

my (not so) storybook life :: a book review

liz wrote a book!  and it is just as smart and funny as her blog mabel's house.  i mean, have you been over there?  she just has a gift with words.  the kind of gal who makes a story ten times more interesting than i ever could.  a gift, i tell you.

Fresh, funny, and poignant, My (not so) Storybook Life is old-fashioned humor mashed with literary spoofery. Elizabeth thinks of herself and her husband, Matt, as a modern day Lucy and Ricky Ricardo. Together they’ve endured paint-color mishaps, sewage disasters, pest infestations, and a schnauzer that poops at tornado sirens. It was hardly the domestic perfection a young Liz imagined while reading Anne of Green Gables and Pride and Prejudice. Could it be that these literary stalwarts had led her astray?

Liz tells the story of her own path to happiness, along the way seeking revenge on her literary heroes: Jo March has to cope with a soul-sucking job, Elizabeth Bennett shepherds a Duggar-size brood of kids, and Anne Shirley deals with a penny-pinching husband. But every comedy is balanced by tragedy. Angela was one of Liz’s closest friends, a kindred spirit who at age of 33 was diagnosed with cancer. Before Angela, Liz was discontent. But it was the journey she took with this friend that made her realize that her house and its decorations and plumbing and dirty-clothes-covered Man Cave were not burdens to be tweaked and perfected, but blessings to be thankful for.

i was honored to receive a copy of my (not so) storybook life and spent a lovely afternoon absorbed in this tale of friendship and faith.  each chapter had me chuckling over the modern spin on some of our favorite heroines - gilbert moves anne to a ranch subdivision!!!  as a classic book junkie, these were terribly amusing.

there were so many gems in these pages. . .

• the little bit on english majors, their job prospects and bruised (and beaten) egos?  my newly graduated brother is living that in full force while he works as a local barrista.  yes, i called my mom and read her that paragraph.
• the descriptions of falsely named paint colors?  good to know i am not the only one.
• the sleeping with the enemy scenes?  laugh out loud funny.  yes.  and a little painful to imagine. :)

but liz also had me all weepy as she struggled through her end of watching a dear friend battle cancer.  it is real and raw.  it is obvious that her life was changed by angela.

the best part of the book has to be the final pages.  she gets it.  contentment and joy have nothing to do with perfection.  they are found in Him alone.

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this would make an excellent friend-sister-self gift this upcoming holiday season.   
click here to purchase my (not so) storybook life.

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harts + hearts photo canvas

recently, the folks at easy canvas prints offered me the opportunity to try out their photos to canvas process.  how fun to finally have one of these!  i used this occasion to freshen up a little wall in our bedroom, a room that has been somewhat neglected over the past three years.

i am guessing that many of us can get overwhelmed with the idea of revamping an entire room with the limited and precious time available.  baby steps is the way to go.  like the quick project highlighted yesterday, i am slowly finding small corners of my home to make lovely.  my bedroom might not be "complete" anytime soon, one little change at a time makes a difference.

 my sister gifted me this pretty hook.

it is so handy right outside the closet.

this photo was taken while celebrating our ten year anniversary last summer.  sandy feet . . .  lake michigan shore . . . sunset . . . sewn paper heart garland . . . sweet memories.

and here you get a view of the not so attractive but oh-so-convenient light switches and fan/light remote control, as well as a few of my favorite scarves. i heart scarves and scarf weather. i heart that remote.

and i mega heart my new photo canvas.

this process was so simple.  EASY canvas prints, for sure.

the hardest part was choosing a photo.

once you have one picked out, follow the easy to understand instructions and you will be ready to order a canvas in just 4 quick steps.

i received an 8x10 standard wrap canvas print for free in exchange for my review, but all of the opinions expressed are my own.   

clarks wave cruise

i am super glad planetshoes.com decided to send us the clarks wave cruise as the second pair in this promotion* with chambanamoms.com.  free shoes are nice and all, but free, comfortable and cute shoes are great.

and these are seriously so great. these are my new go-to shoes for running errands, taking walks with the kiddos, and even long stretches standing on the hard tile floors during kitchen clean-up.  i must say it often, because my 5 year old calls them my “walking on pillows” shoes.  any of my friends who wear a size 9/9.5 have been forced asked to try them on and marvel at their comfort (which is readily given after a test run). they are soft, flexible, lightweight, roomy, and cushion-y - which are key factors when it comes to my fibromyalgia foot pain.  better yet, i prefer to wear mary janes without socks and have had no blisters from my clarks. bonus!

aren't these fun and sporty?  these are definitely too casual for dressing up, but really, how often is that my concern?  i dig the pewter color. it is really versatile.  oh and these wipe up nicely (which i wouldn't at all know because my 6 month old spit up all over them).

i give these a big two thumbs up. so if you are looking to walk on pillows, go get yourself a pair!

*as part of a special promotion, i will be writing a series of shoe reviews with other local bloggers and mamas.

earth simplista mary janes

ever heard of negative heel technology? neither had i until a free pair of these earth simplista mary janes arrived on my doorstep from planetshoes.com a sponsor of the lovely ladies at chambanamoms.com.  as part of a special promotion, i will be writing a series of shoe reviews with other local bloggers and mamas.

when i first opened the box, i was worried about the clunk factor. they are not the daintiest of shoes, but the design is still sleek - lovin' the pleated toe - and they look less clunky when paired with a cute pair of jeans.

now back to that negative heel technology. basically, the toes are raised higher than the heels to help strengthen and tone your body. this took a few days for my feet to get used to. it was just weird to have my feet angled like that. but i gradually have come to love the way these feel. my ankles, knees and back hurt less after wearing. and who doesn't like a little extra toning?

my biggest complaint about this shoe is the heel rubbing. man, I hate blisters. i was sporting one on each heel after the first wearing. granted i wore these without socks, because i prefer the look and feel with the warmer temps. there were no problems when i wore socks, however, so these will be more of a cool weather choice.

with fibromyalgia, i have to super careful of what I put on my feet. i will continue to wear these shoes with hopes of less pain. (i even have my eye on some earth sandals. i think they would be great for summer - thinkin' of long days at the zoo or in museums.