Simple Girl

{shop}

Little life things make me the happiest.

Especially little life things tucked inside my mailbox.

Letters. Postcards. Magazines. Gifts.

Pretty much anything.

Except bills, junk mail and that one time I reached in and grabbed a spider.

A recent ho-hum day turned into a huge hooray when I discovered these pretties that I had won, waiting for me via Lindsay from {Scenic Glory}

A heart-full print for Baby Bean and a charming bracelet for Mama Bon Bon.

Poor Daniel was feeling left out while I did my celebratory.mail.dance, so I let him open the envelope with our new car insurance papers.

I know. I'm such a giver.

xoxo

{Bon Bon}

City Mice For Life

{via}

We're back from camping/pioneer life.

Seriously. Pioneers.

Remember computer class in the 90s?

"The Oregon Trail"

Yep. Sometimes my family likes to camp on that famous stretch of land.

{here}

It's a simple life.

Eat bacon everyday.

Wear flannel.

Shoot guns.

We even waded through the icy Barlow Creek.

No one got dysentery.

And

Our team of oxen survived.

Thank you very much.

xoxo

{Bon Bon}

Off the Grid

{via}

We're packing up our camping gear and escaping the city for a few days.

It's so needed for the soul.

Fresh mountain air.

hamburgers, campfire, s'mores.

{Nothing beats the great outdoors}

P.S. Bathing in the river is optional, but always a good choice.

Be back soon!

xoxo

{Bon Bon}

Whim Wham Weekend #16

FYI

Friday: Lunch date {here} with Daniel and an evening of softball/BBQ {here}

Saturday: Breakfast double date #1 {here}, afternoon spent in one of our favorite cities {here}, evening watching friends get married {here}, late late night double date #2 eating {here} and walking around our old stomping grounds {here}

Sunday: One Year Anniversary dinner {here}

This weekend was all about the food and the love.

Actually.

Most of my weekends are.

What can I say. I'm an emotional, pregnant lady.

Food and love are about all I need these days.

And stretchy pants.

And Tums.

xoxo

{Bon Bon}

Our Paper Anniversary

One year ago today, we said "I do."

And off we ran, hand in hand.

Marriage. I really like you.

Daniel. I really really like you.

I could go on and on with the mushy stuff, but we're a little busy canoodling today. yep.

xoxo

{Bon Bon}

Confessions of a Nanny

Don't know if you knew this.

But I already have two kids in my life, Monday-Thursday

They've been prepping me for motherhood since 2009.

325 PB&J sandwiches and 4500 pushes on the swing later,

I almost feel ready.

Yesterday, they were trying to brainstorm suitable names for Baby Bean.

My only requirement..."a good boy name."

The top contenders were:

*Alex

*Chompy

*Trucker

*Tree Climber Junior

They are my little munchkins.

Until November.

Then it's time for me to have my very own munchkin, Monday-forever.

xoxo

{Bon Bon}

Secret Diary Excerpt & Giveaway Winner

{my 1st diary. One out of many}

A few weekends ago, I uncovered this treasure while cleaning out boxes full of stuffed animals, books, and school projects in my parents' storage shed.

"Garbage" pile? "Goodwill" pile? "Keep" pile?

or the "Read Out Loud and Once Again Wonder How my Parents Survived Raising Me" pile?

yeah. I thought so too.

{I love you James. didn't mean to single you out.}

One of the highlights of my 5th grade manifesto...

A letter written to my future children.

Friday, June 29th

Dear Diary,

I have been thinking.

Maybe when I grow up, have kids, and pass away, wouldn't it be fun for them to read my diary? So, I am going to write them something.

Dear Daughter/Son(s),

Hello! I am your mother, at age 11.

As you have read in the previous pages, I am a silly, hopeful, normal girl, living in an ever-changing world. I have had many many crushes, tormenting experiences, and triumphs.

Maybe a little dramatic.

But I am writing this to let you know how much I love you. Heck. I don't even know you. So let me tell you a little about me.

I am 5'3", 96 lbs, and have brown hair.

I like to wear the latest fashions, and I like rock and pop music.

Hey, I wonder who your dad is?

Is it my love, Mark?*

Did I become a famous singer? Or model?

Let's see. By the time you read this, the year will be hmmm, maybe 2070? I don't know.

Did I raise you well?

I hope you like this letter!

Love ya!

-Bonnie M.

*No. no it is not. thank you Jesus.

Dear Baby Bean,

I think I will write you a revised and updated letter soon. Many things have changed.

Except the whole being dramatic thing.

That's about the same.

P.S. The WINNER of the Glass Cocoon Jewelry Giveaway is...

One of my absolute favoritest ladies of all...

for real for real...

Mary [The Edge of Blue}

You are so going to rock those earrings, my dear!

xoxo

{Bon Bon}

Just a Reminder

{via}

Don't forget!

Today is the last day to enter the fabulous Glass Cocoon Jewelry giveaway {here}

I may or may not be wearing my pair of earrings/favorite things ever, right about now.

Heavy on the may.

xoxo

{Bon Bon}

Old Photos and New Posts

{my summer as a boy. bam}

Last night, Daniel and I skedaddled over to my Grandparent's house for dinner.

You know.

The place to be spoiled, in true Southern hospitality-style.

(My grandparents are from Tennessee: Like, 11+ children in the family-sweet tea-grits-divinity-and molasses-Tennessee)

The place where the stud hubs can talk about football and basketball to his heart's content, and I can eat pot roast, biscuits, and lemon pie to mine.

It's also the place where photos of every single stage of your life is celebrated smack dab on the fridge.

The adorable years. The awkward phase.

I think my Grandma Bess summed it up best, "Every caterpillar transforms into a beautiful swan."

It makes sense, really.

Of course, Daniel can't get enough of those darn photos during my caterpillar years.

Especially that one up there.

Of the little boy making pizza at a Jazz festival.

P.S. Speaking of the South and people I love, check out my guest post today over at {Mackey Madness}. Sweet-as-molasses- Megan, (from the south and whom I love) asked me to share the Three Things that describe me best!

Take a peek y'all!

xoxo

{Bon Bon}

Giveaway: Glass Cocoon Jewelry

You see those golden feather earrings I'm wearing up there? Those babies have pretty much been in my ears 24-7 since I did this photo shoot for {Glass Cocoon Jewelry}.

And whadayaknow,

My sweet friend, Lindsi, wants to give one of you luckies a pair of your own!

Now we can be earrings-twins and sit around in open dandelion fields, gazing wistfully into the summer sky.

Tempting, right?

How to Enter

Must...

* Be a follower of The Whim Wham Life

* "Like" Glass Cocoon on Facebook {here}

*Comment below stating which picture is your favorite, 1-2-3-or-4

Optional...

*Wish upon a shooting star.

One winner will be selected via the almighty, random.org, on Wednesday August 17th.

Ready, Set, Go!

xoxo

{Bon Bon}

Whim Wham Weekend #15

{documented by the ever so lively instagram}

I'd normally write about everything we did this weekend in colorful detail and script,

But

after spending the past 3 days eating steak, marionberry cobbler, pad thai, massaman curry, more steak, cupcakes, ribs, and even more marionberry cobbler...

Food Coma: 1

Bon Bon: 0

Enough said.

xoxo

{Bon Bon}

Fruits of our Labor

{Albeke Farms}

I spent yesterday morning picking berries in the hot sunshine, with my best and also pregnant friend, Em.

She locked her keys in her house.

I left my picking bowls/cash at my house.

We forgot the difference between blackberries and marionberries.

I left Em's bowl at the farm.

It's hard work, this being pregnant stuff.

{Oregon berries win}

I'm thinking pies, muffins, and smoothies for these bad boys.

Any secret family recipes you want to share?

I like secrets. and families. and recipes.

annnnd sharing.

so. yeah. do tell!

xoxo

{Bon Bon}

Blast from the Past

Yesterday I re-discovered these gems while organizing a few misc. boxes in the closet.

Snapshots of a 14-year old me, during my very first test shoot after I signed with {Mode Models}

Almost 10 years ago.

Bah.

Excuse me while I huddle in the corner and eat a pint of Ben&Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie, reminiscing over my lost childhood.

I make joke.

The Facts

*I was scouted at the mall by one of the agency owners. Inside the Candy Factory on a Saturday afternoon with my friends, as we scouted for boys. Ironic.

*I'd post more pictures from this particular shoot, but

A). the rest are teeny tiny tear sheets/negatives

B). super awkward bikini shots that should never see the light of day on the internets.

*My grandparents were my chaperones at this super awkward bikini shoot. of course.

*Whirlwind. I was being sent to live in Asia...by age 15.

*Or was I?

*I'll leave the rest of the story for another day.

ooooh. the suspense.

xoxo

{Bon Bon}

IDK, Just Felt Like Talking

*For anyone and everyone that was asking about the lip color I was wearing last week: {Sephora} Ultra Vinyl Lip Pencil in Strawberry Delish.

*Free tip of the day: these are very comparable to Urban Decay's lip pencils AND you save $7! That's SEVEN ice cream cones from McDonalds. Shopping and food is the only motivation to ever do math.

*Baby Bean now does tap dance routines on my bladder at 12AM and 5AM. I don't know whether to laugh, cry, or pee my pants.

*I deleted 500 "friends" off of facebook the other day. It was quite liberating actually. In a moment of insanity(sanity), I almost deleted the whole thing. But then I thought, how else could I possibly get my Farmville updates? And Grandma Bess does like to know what I'm up to. So, keep it I did. Curse you Mark Zuckerburg and your iron-clad grip on my life.

*Farmville was a joke. I promise.

*Grandma Bess was not. Hi Grandma!

*I am now on Blogger/Twitter/Instagram/Words with Friends: Bon Bon/whimwhamlife/bonifous/BonBonVoyage...this is getting out of control. Play with me?

P.S. Check out the updated "about me" section {here}

xoxo

{Bon Bon}

People, Places, Things

A girl and her guitar are about to hit the open road.

this takes some major lady balls.

metaphorically speaking.

and truthfully speaking,

I'm gosh darn proud to call her friend.

Perhaps she'll be popping into your city to say hello!

or sing hello.

she does like to sing. obviously.

Official Website {here}

xoxo

{Bon Bon}

This is Married Life

1 Husband running around in his underwear+5 months pregnant Wife+1 ShopVac+372 towels+0.0 hours of sleep=

extra hangers for tshirts

Tshirts that I need to re-wash, because all of them were used to soak up water.

totally worth it.

xoxo

{Bon Bon}