Mavens With Moustaches

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Our 3 month old blueberry


Lil sidebar here...I am a bit of a LOCA here in this video..I just got really excited and HAPPY to see him laugh and smile to one of my favorite beings on the planet..my cousin (more like brother) Uncle PEP..I love you PEP!

As I sit here in bed...the house still quite...all my babies fast asleep..Cruz right beside me in his bassinet...I can hear his every breath...I am overwhelmed with happiness.
I'm not tired
I'm not overwhelmed
I'm not scared
I am just so very grateful that we prayed for the fourth baby 
I am so honored that I get to raise and watch their journeys
I CANNOT imagine my life or my family without our Lil Blueberry Cruz
He is the most delicious and FLUFFY icing on the cake!


This Month:
He laughs..a lot
He smiles..a TON
He talks...NON STOP
He eats like a champ..and burps even better.

xoxo
Me




Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Instagram Addict

My name is Maria Bryan....and YES...I am an Instagram addict!
And I will tell you why...it is so darn cool!!!
I love documenting a snippet of our lives through a simple lil square.
It brings me great joy to look at all the pictures and reminisce.

I recently put my obsession in good use and made a great lil artsy addition to our living room...an interactive kinda of piece.  So here we go:

Let me start by saying that I am really horrible at capturing enough pictures that document my projects or recipes...and I always kick myself about that because I am CONSTANTLY working on a project or trying out a new recipe and when they turn out good...and I wanna share...I got nothing but words for you all...SORRY.  But here we go...fill in the visual blanks with your imagination....

It started off with my increasing hatred for these swirly mirrors that welcomed you as you walked into our home...I remember when we bought the house a couple years ago..I thought to myself...THOSE HAVE TO GO...but I never got a round to it....and I was afraid of messing up the wall behind it while attempting something.  So when I came across this idea I thought it was a perfect option for a temporary and fun look to the space.

As I suspected when I took the mirrors down some of the wall came down with it...oops!  But I measured out the sheet metal exactly and filled the entire space.


 BE VERY CAREFUL when working with sheet metal it is super sharp and you will need tin snips to cut...CAREFUL!!!
 Once you cut that all out...hang up simply with some small nails....around the entire piece.
 mosey on over to prinstagram.com....easy peasy website that take your instagram pictures and print them up in the adorable square and filtered image!
 Cut magnet strips and adhere to the back of each pic...
 ADORABLE!
Place them as you wish and enjoy your family everyday!

Hope you enjoy it...so much more you can also do to this...framing it...etc....but I think I might keep it simple like this....the bottom half is bare right now because a CERTAIN SOMEONE NAMED MATEO would ravage the pics he could reach if I gave him the chance....so I kept it bare and threw up some BEAUTIFUL Melissa and Doug wooden animal puzzle magnets up for him to play with....and he looooovvvveddddd it!!!!  

xoxo
Me

Thursday, November 15, 2012

80 fingers and toes

Since I was 19...and for the rest of my life...I am a mommy.
I will always worry...because it is what we do as moms..we worry, nurture, clean, change diapers, cook meals, drive around, check homework..the list is endless.

I recently read a beautiful story in a blog I follow
Memories on Clover Lane
It is written by a mother of 6 (recently gave birth to her 6th same time as Cruz's arrival)
she writes about her good and challenging days...and she writes on why she chose to be a SAHM...why it means so much to her and her entire family...
she explains that it's not because of the cliche assumptions that it is for her to capture her children's first steps..or words.
She explains that it is to be there for the bad days...she wants to be there for the runny noses, and the scuffed up knees...she wants to be the one who gives them the medicine and then snuggles up to watch Finding Nemo with them.
I found myself reading this entry and nodding along...my heart filling with happiness to read words of exactly the way I feel and am passionate about this.  I quickly found myself crying as I read along..because as much as we as mothers try to articulate what this feels like..and how we can be having a perfect day which quickly can turn to a horrible day..and end up as a blissful day...there is nothing greater than knowing that we are understood and appreciated. 
Now...don't get me wrong...I am human..and I have those mornings where things go wrong left and right..and MAYBE I let a curse word or two slip out in front of all four kids...but what can I say..sometimes the "s" word can set you free.  

I am fully aware that I am blessed to have this opportunity..and to have an amazing husband who supports this and makes it happen with all his hard work.  We as a family all sacrifice to make this happen...and we wouldn't have it any other way. 

Simply said..they are my world...I wouldn't want any other life than the one I have today..I will gladly take the stinky diapers, occasional whines, sleepless nights, long drives to a fro, helping with homework (and having to secretly google the answer), sporting chipped fingernails because I never have the 5 min it takes for the polish to properly dry....I WILL TAKE IT ALL...just so that at night I can kiss all four of my babies goodnight...and turn to my husband and thank HIM for my happily ever after!







Don't let this face fool you...10 min prior to this...he dumped an entire can of Clover Spice all over my kitchen floor!

He often drives me CRAZY..but mostly makes me laugh

I proudly NOW drive a mini van...it fill it to the brim with my 80 fingers and toes

Lil Mama

Lil Papa


My Life



xoxo
ME













Monday, November 12, 2012

La Ultima Calabaza

Hello out there...it's me...been busy mourning the passing of October...and these are the last images of this years October I can share.  

Bella's Witches Tea Party turned out so darn cute...I think I can file it under my favorite..Ever!  I have a lot more pictures in my camera...but I cant seem to find that silly thing...oops.  But I can share my phone pics...and I wish they were better...but you'll get the jist!

The table was covered in thick black butcher paper and with white crayon I set the seating..I also left some crayons on the table for the kids to doodle with.
 Our sweet lil witch welcomed all her friends with a snack in these cute popcorn boxes...
 A candlelit table covered in spiders and snakes..and accented with cute lil pumpkins.
 A simple centerpiece wrapped in white crepe paper with two big googly eyes poking out finished the pretty table scape up.

The kids had a blast..we served bloody eyeballs (turkey meatballs with olives on a bed of marinara sauce) and cute lil tomato soup glasses with a wedge of grilled cheese...super cute...super easy..and super yummy.  I was so happy that Bella proclaimed it (like she does every year ;)) As her favorite party so far!

 Halloween was also great...we went out just for a lil walk around the neighborhood with this lil peanut..his elephant...the ringmaster...and our Teenager wanted to be the ghost from snoopy...yup...that's my boy!





 I was pretty pleased because I actually made 3 out of the 4 costumes...and can you see the booties Cruz is wearing...they were lil elephant booties...MY FAVORITE!!!



xoxo
Boo
Bye
Me

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Eleven Years of Bella Bliss


It was eleven years ago when I was laying in a hospital bed waiting for my new lil cherub to be delivered to me.  The delivery was successful in the sense that my darling Bella was born healthy...but I had a spinal fluid leak and it caused me pain like I have never thought existed...so they had to drug the heck out of me on the operating table..and by the time they pulled Bella out via c section...I could barely remember hearing them say ITS A GIRL...let alone her sweet lil face.  So by the time they finally placed her in my arms...I was DYING with anticipation...and she was DYING of hunger...so there she was a perfect lil rosy cheeked darling baby girl that captured my heart so deeply that it is all I remember from that moment....I just remember crying and repeating to her HOW MUCH I LOVED HER!

Bella truly enriches my life....she astonishes me with her kind and caring soul everyday...and she just simply makes me smile.

I have the greatest job in the world...I am PROUDLY the stay at home mommy to four amazing kids...and Bella is the Lil Mama of my Brood.

I love you Bella
Feliz Cumpleanos







xoxo
Me