confetti by lexi

one more game!

after a little delayed soccer in the swamp, the rain got worse, and games were canceled. but president's cup regional champions must be determined by today. and wouldn't you know it, by the luck of a few coin tosses, our team is still in it - woohoo!! win or lose, this has been one wild and crazy ride. so, for my stamping readers, that means that i have no cards for day five yet since i posted the last of what i had with me yesterday, but i'll be home this afternoon and will create and post as soon as i can. i'm sure the rest of the team will keep us all busy with plenty of fabulous projects on this final group post day! scoop and links on nichole's blog as usual.

go team!
:) lexi

flashback friday: i need a portkey...

in new orleans, we have a week off for mardi gras break, and the majority of those who head out of town tend to fall into two main categories - ski people or park people. we stayed home this year because of work and dance, but when we go, we are definitely park people - mostly disney, but once harry potter moved into universal, that became part of our routine as well. it's magical! and i am a confirmed magic-loving muggle potterhead! if you've followed me here or on instagram for a while, you know that i love taking pictures of the sets as much as riding the rides. i was kicking myself on monday that i didn't block out the whole week from orders and work, so i'm flashing back to my favorite wizarding world post, wishing we were there. i don't know when yet, but we will go back soon. i just have to visit the new diagon alley, escape from gringott's, and ride the hogwart's express! and take pictures of it all, of course. so, where is that portkey?!

:) lexi

original post (with more pics!): april 13, 2011

'til next time...

sadly, i'm home again and there's only one more day of spring break left. the quick pic i took when we arrived the other day didn't truly capture the colors since it was late in the day, so here are a few from the rest of the trip, starting with the amazing view as you cross over the dunes on the watercolor boardwalk.

clear shades of blue and green - the emerald coast!

yolo boarding on western lake is a favorite for the kids.

i like sitting on the beach and watching the world float by.

jumping for joy in the ocean...

jumping for joy on the sand!

it was a whirlwind of sun, fun, food, and shopping in watercolor, rosemary, and seaside. right up until we finally got on the road yesterday, after one last grilled cheese from the meltdown and a shave ice from frost bites. on the up side, thanks to a late easter, summer is only a few short weeks away. i'm not sure when i can get back, but i'm always trying to figure it out!

sunburnt & refreshed,
:) lexi

happy earth day...

from our favorite beach! because it's pretty. and only one tank of gas away. spring break + bored without big sis + summeritis = working from watercolor for a few days. in between sunning...

#iwantabeachhouse
:) lexi

instagrammed :: watercolor 2013

last week was the second week of summer for us, our favorite time to hit the beach! watercolor and seaside were never better. the forecast on my phone when we got there (i don't like to check it before since you can't do anything about it!) was solid thunderstorms, but after one day of heavy rain, it changed and we had sunny blue skies for the rest of the week. the thunderstorm symbol did pop up again on friday, but it was only 30% and never actually came our way. i'm so glad i remembered to take my phone in to the apple store before we left. the camera had suddenly stopped focusing a couple of months ago and they had to swap it out. i take my big camera everywhere, but i love the convenience of my phone. and all the fun apps! i ended up spending most of my time planted comfortably in my beach chair, so most of my pics are from that perspective. but i added the #abeautifulmess app to my line up and had tons of fun with it. quick and easy frames, text, and doodles. love! the teen didn't appreciate me "blowing up her instagram feed" but that's just too bad. when i'm on vacation, taking pics is what i do!!

i wanna go back...
:) lexi

the wizarding world of harry potter

in keeping with the photography theme this week, i thought i'd share some pictures of the wizarding world of harry potter.  this was a small part of our orlando trip, but definitely a highlight!  from the streets of hogsmeade to the halls of hogwarts, it was perfect...

we spent a lot of time looking in the shop windows--so many details!!

the ollivander's experience was really cool.  one of our little group was picked for the wand selection, so that made it even more fun.

the line to the main ride, harry potter and the forbidden journey, takes you through hogwarts, including several recognizable rooms, and past lots of talking portraits.  we loved the line almost as much as the ride!  and the ride is completely awesome!!

the three broomsticks tavern in hogsmeade is the place to eat.  again, so many details to enjoy and the great feast was delicious.  don't forget the butterbeer!

of course, all the expected shops are there--dervish and banges, honeydukes, zonko's, and ollivanders--with fun wizarding wares for little muggles to buy with leftover christmas money!  and buy she did!!

:) lexi