In the middle of bubble wrap, packing paper, stacked cardboard boxes and empty walls...
Ella and I managed to sneak away for a bit from all of the moving preparations in order for her to do some modeling for our favorite local fashion boutique...The Secret Garden.

A new shipment of beautiful dresses in Ella's size have arrived and they needed a model!
As you may remember, Ella and I have a favorite tradition of going to The Secret Garden and picking out an extra special dress for the Daddy Daughter Dance held at her school every year. (see this post and this post). psst....I still need to post the photos from this year's dance. *covering eyes*

So, it didn't take much convincing for Ella to agree to an afternoon of trying on dresses and striking some poses. Here are some of my favorites...

Ella was thrilled to be a model for the afternoon...

and I was happy to get out of packing for a few hours.

Hope you all are doing fantastic!!

I've missed you and I'm really looking forward to getting back to some consistent blogging once we have moved and get settled a bit.

Stay tuned and keep up with me on Instagram in between blog posts.

xoxo,
Jess

KEEPiNG iT REAL

My entire world is about to change with our move less than 7 days away! Eeks!!

I am seriously a tossed salad of emotions. 

On one hand I'm super excited about what this adventure has in store for me personally, as well as

the magic and growth that is sure to come for my family...especially my two older daughters who are staying behind. *tears*

On the other hand...a mother is not supposed to leave her children, right?
The children are supposed to leave the nest and move away from the mother.
Although Clara turns 21 on Sunday and Ema is 18, this "moving away from them" thing feels so incredibly awkward.

And of course, there's apprehension and uncertainly as it's going to be quite an adjustment living a couple of hours away in an unfamiliar town without the comfort of having family and friends close by.

A new chapter for all of us that's for sure. *more tears* 

I really am putting my faith + trust in He who knows best and who's plans are far greater than my own.

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LIFE | Daddy Daughter Dance 2016

Well let me just tell you, Miss Ella had some very specific requests this year for the Daddy Daughter Dance...gloves, tiara and shoes with a heel. *wink*

I guess with this being her third year attending, (1st dance and 2nd dance) she had a vision of exactly how she wanted to look. I wasn't sold on any of the extras but I'm really glad I listened to her on the tiara request because the week after we purchased one, I received the "official" invitation from the school stating it was a "Tiaras and Ties" themed dance this year. Perfect.

We kept the tradition of finding her dress at a long-time favorite shoppe in our charming little town of Mt. Dora called The Secret Garden. In fact, the dress, sweater, purse, barrette and tiara were all from there. (links to every little detail of her outfit are at the end of this post).

Ella chose a beautiful white, sleeveless dress after having tried on at least 20 different dresses while also rounding up a crowd of onlookers in the store who had become mesmerized each time she stepped out of the dressing room in something different. Although she was a bit embarrassed from all of the attention, she most certainly got a lot of helpful feedback in the form of "ooooh's and ahhhhh's" to help her make her final decision.  Since the white dress looked a little "wedding-ish" and I knew there was potential for the temperatures to be a little cool on the night of the dance, I took the opportunity to mix in some creamy white accents by adding the darling sweater and a purse she fell in love with. The sweater really added some vintage charm and is something she can now wear with jeans for a more casual look too. (I want one in my size). *wink*

Ella was exceptionally excited this year...not only requesting a dress rehearsal prior to the dance but also asking for a night of "practicing twirls and dancing" and most importantly, "walking" in her new little heels.  She really looks forward to this special night with her dad every year and it was even more fun this time around when she met up with her bestie to take photos together before they were whisked away by their handsome daddies for a night of fun.

  (one of the last photos taken right after Ella brushed the inside of her foot up against "stingin' nettle - 

we gave her a small ice pack for the car ride over to the dance and by the time she got there it wasn't hurting anymore). 

And these two...how cute are they?
Ella and Elise have been BEST FRIENDS since they were two years old and their friendship is just so adorable. Not only do they live in the same neighborhood, they've been lucky enough to have had the same teacher for both Kindergarten and 1st grade.
I look forward to continuing to watch them grow up together.

If you are in love with Ella's Vintage French Princess look, I've linked to the sources below.
And if you love her bestie's pink dress...you're out of luck...it's a one-of-a-kind made by her grandmother. *wink*

Sources: 
Dress, Tiara, Sweater, Purse - The Secret Garden
Rhinestone Barrette - used to help hold up Ella's bun in the back.
Satin Gloves - (ivory) - Amazon
Pearl Hosiery - (ivory) - Amazon
Shoes - (white) - Amazon

See THIS POST for a close-up of the accessories.

Love you guys! See you back here tomorrow for LTT!!

KEEPiNG iT REAL
I actually love the way Ella's hair looked in the messy bun for her "rehearsal" one afternoon (first two pics), compared to how I fixed it on the night of the dance. On the night of the dance, Ella had a gymnastics competition earlier in the day and by the time we got back from that and I finished making the corsage and boutonnière, I really just ran out of time. *blushing*

Tutorial coming on the boutonnière and corsage...promise.

LIFE | Happy Birthday Ella Pie

Happy 6th Birthday to this sweet girl of mine!!
I tell my Ella Scarlet ALL the time to stop growing up…she just doesn't seem to listen very well! *wink*

We call her "Ella Pie" most of the time but over the last week or two she's thinking we should change it to "Ella Angel" - because I'm always telling her I believe she is an angel sent to me (and our family) from God. I even pretend sometimes like I can feel angel wings on her back - which is kind of weird, I know…but it makes her smile…and me too. And I honestly believe with all of my heart that she really IS an angel…which I guess is kind of weird too. Ha!

This birthday girl woke up to our annual tradition of breakfast in bed.
She had Chocolate Chip Hello Kitty Waffles with homemade syrup, oranges and a bit of apple juice.

I thought I would share some of the things that define Ella at this point in her life.
This is a fun way to document the little details that are sure to get lost as the years go by.
I'll love coming back to read through this…and her too one day.

ELLA'S CURRENT FAVORITES:
Song: Shake It Off - Taylor Swift
Color: Pink (and purple when mom's not looking)
T.V. Show: Wild Kratts
Toys: My Little Pony, Hello Kitty, Barbie, Disney Princesses
Collections: Palace Pets, Baby Dolls + Stuffed Animals
Food: Spaghetti, Hawaiian Pizza + Spaghettios - NOT happy about that last one...thanks to Dad!! 
Dessert: Chocolate Madness or Chocolate Mousse cupcake from Cupcake Delights
Restaurants: Five Guys + Cracker Barrel

ELLA LOVES:
Running - she did NOT get this from me
Frozen - in particular Princess Elsa
4 Wheelers
Horses
Bell Peppers + Heart of Palm + Olives
Saturdays with Dad
Doing Cartwheels
Taking Hamilton (our dog) for walks
Sidewalk Chalk
Saying Prayers
Crafting
Coloring + Drawing
Gymnastics
Stickers
Temporary Tattoos
Manicures & Pedicures
Bounce Houses
Books
Being tucked in by mom and dad
Her BFF Elise
Playing Dress Up
Putting her head out the sunroof
Foxes
Wearing Skirts and Dresses
Her Swing Set
Monkey Bars
Riding her bike
Hugs and Snuggles
XOXO Before You Go
Playing "Spidery" - a game her and I made up with a friendly, pretend spider (my hand) that lives under my bed sheets and typically only comes out on Saturday mornings to play with Ella. Ha!!

ELLA STRONGLY DISLIKES
Yellow Squash
Spiders or Bugs
Wearing Pants
Lettuce
Loud Noises
Dogs (aside from her own)
Olaf - from Frozen - aside from Ana - he's actually my favorite?
When Mom doesn't want to play "Spidery". (see above)

I keep an ongoing list of Ellaisms on my phone and just add to it whenever Ella comes up with or says something new. I thought it would be fun to share a few today - in honor of her birthday:

1. Chuck-E-Cheez-Itz (for Chuck E. Cheese) - I don't want to correct her - so I just pronounce it that way too! *wink*
2. "I love you 100 and 50 60" - when she's trying to express the tremendous amount of love she has for you
3. "I'm not going to fall into THAT joke" - instead of "fall for that joke"
4. Do you believe in me - instead of just "believe me"?
5. Chalk-O-Latte - for chocolate
6. "Dear Jesus...Thank You For a Wonderful Day…I hope we have a wonderful day tomorrow..." - this is how she starts her prayers nearly every night.

ELLA'S BIRTHDAY PICKS THIS YEAR

Birthday Presents
GoGo My Walkin' Pup + anything Hello Kitty, Frozen or Littlest Pet Shop


Dinner
Five Guys

Dessert
Still waiting on her verdict

Party
Ella also chose to go to FunSpot this year with a few of her friends instead of actually having a party at the house. Had she had a party she would've chosen a Frozen themed birthday so I decided to get some Frozen-themed cupcakes from Cupcake Delights.

I have to say my heart sank when Ella didn't choose a home-cooked meal by mom - but hey! I DO love that she knows what she wants and is excited about it! And that means no cooking for me! *wink*

I sooo love this girl….one hundred and fifty sixty…(see Ellaisms above)
And I'm so happy to have had these photos from our recent "Field of Dreams" photo shoot to share on her birthday. These are some of my favorites of Ella from the photos I used for our Shuttefly Holiday Card this year.

For those who might be wondering:
Ella's Dress came from my favorite little 1920's Parisian Boutique in downtown Mt. Dora called The Secret Garden. I think you can actually place orders online now, if you are interested.

KEEPiNG iT REAL
I never even noticed the old chippy fingernail polish that was left on a few of Ella's fingers until I was editing the photos for this post.
I could've easily gotten rid of it in Photoshop but I couldn't bring myself to do it.
Nor could I cover up the scar over her left eye.
That just wouldn't be "keeping things real"…now would it?! Ha!!