A couple of hours before Paxton's soccer practice yesterday, the head coach emailed and asked for me to bring my camera to help another parent snap some shots of the cutie-pie "mini" soccer academy, whose players range in age from about 5-6 years old. "Absolutely!" was my immediate reply. I haven't pulled out my digital SLR in quite awhile (thanks iPhone...) and it was super fun to do so. 

I had the pleasure of shooting alongside Meredith Santucci, a fellow soccer mom who shines so brightly when it comes to anything creative + beautiful. I swear - anything she touches is simply to.die.for. Truly. Check out more of her incredible talents here.  We sort of took a "divide & conquer" approach, so my photos feature only half of the players in the Academy while she has photos of many other kiddos.

It was hot, fun, sticky, sweaty & quite honestly - a hilarious adventure filled with smiles and lots of water breaks! Take a peek below!

For years now...I have wanted a vintage gallery wall in my home...and it finally happened. I knew I wanted to feature old photos of both mine and my husband's family and then incorporate some other artwork. 

A few months ago, I painted our dining room and added some picture frame molding below the chair rail. The walls are Galveston Gray (AC-27) and our trim is Ancient Ivory, both by Benjamin Moore.  I wanted to combine typography, some recent silhouettes I had designed of my kiddos and old family photos, while creating a nostalgic wall of with plenty of texture to keep it warm and interesting. 

I did not arrange anything out on the floor beforehand. Instead, I first selected old family photos from bins in my basement and albums at my in-laws. This was my favorite part! I found some sassy, young photos of my parents, my in-laws dancing in their younger years, my dad upside down kissing the Blarney Stone in Ireland, my mom, sisters and me going downhill on a log ride at Six Flags in the early 80's, my dad is his Notre Dame marching band uniform - it was hilarious! Next, I went out and started hunting down cool frames in various shapes, sizes and textures. I found some at garage sales, thrift shops, TJ Maxx, Homegoods, Hobby Lobby and then also painted a couple of oldies, but goodies that I had sitting in my basement.

After searching through family quotes on Pinterest, I came across one that I thought fit my theme beautifully: "There are two gifts we should give our children. One is roots, and the other is wings."  LOVED it. I typed this up using Photoshop, printed it out, and hung it in a frame I had leftover from an old piece of artwork that we were no longer using. This was going to be the center of my wall and then I worked out from there, just spacing the photos and wall art as I thought necessary. Clearly, I am not afraid to mix + match and I love that it wasn't an expensive project! Every time I walk through my dining room now, I smile. 

Wall Art starting from the left:
Today I am thankful | Lou la Belle Designs
Silhouettes | Lou la Belle Designs
Gold scroll | Hobby Lobby
2 Mirrors | Thrift shops
Rustic Arrow | Lou la Belle Designs
Dates Our Lives Were Changed | Lou la Belle Designs

If you're local and are looking to create a gallery wall in your home, but aren't sure exactly where to begin - shoot me a line + I'll help you get started on yours today!

It's been quite a busy September over at the Utz house! Dad turned the big 4-0 on Friday, September 19. Since the 40-10-40 party at our house that night was only for "grown-ups," we are still celebrating daddy throughout the weekend.

We made a little last-minute "birthday video" in honor of dad. Enjoy! 

Baby gift time! Sweet baby Georgia was born about 10 weeks ago and is the sweetest thing you ever did see! 

This is a hand-painted wood piece featuring a first name initial as well as the first + middle names of the baby girl with a rustic gray-washed frame added to the perimeter of the design to add some more color and texture. 

The design measures about 18x11".

{FREE} Sign Give Away! The Fighting Irish are off to a great start this season and Lou la Belle Designs is giving away a “Here Come the IRISH of Notre Dame” hand-painted wood sign ($35 value) for FREE! Who wants it? Simply SHARE and LIKE to enter and I’ll choose a lucky winner at random this evening. Measures approximately 18”x11” + delivery and/or shipping is included!