18 Months

Liam turned 1 1/2. (close mouth.)

A Toast to Alisa

Happy Birthday to a best friend. The life of the party. A genuine friend. Beautiful inside and out.

Homerun

Cold beer, peanuts, the wave, cracker jacks, cotton candy, icecream out of a hat, seventh inning stretch, "take me out to the ballgame." You guessed it... baseball!

Wednesday Wink 001 and Winner!

Wednesday Wink 001

If you are new to "winks," you can check out more information here or check out our 'about the blog' page. Be sure to 'like' us on facebook to keep updated on new posts!

Going on a vacation? Roadtrip in your future? Last week our family took a ten hour journey to Destin, FL for a much needed vacation. Now, for some of you ten hours doesn't seem that long, but when traveling with an 18 month old and others with an additional three hours travel... I can promise ten hours is about our max! To prepare each traveler for the drive and to kick off the vacation with a proper Bon Voyage!... I assembled travel packs! (Any excuse to gather prizes, do I have to remind you that stockings are my favorite?)

I had been collecting each passenger's favorites for weeks. The monograms, believe it or not, were done in under 5 hours by taking them to Lids, a popular place for hats. They do monogramming on hats, so why not bags? Okay, so I cannot take credit for this little tidbit... my father-in-law actually let me in on this secret. Thanks Bruce! Each colorful, drawstring backpack from oriental trading cost $2.08 ($25 per dozen) and could later be used for sunscreen, water, and beach reading material!

Star Swimmers

One of the best parts of summer is spending time in the water, but at what age do you begin swim lessons? Would you believe that there is an infant class for 6 month olds? And what possibly could 15-18 month olds learn in a mommy and me swim lesson? The results are shocking!

Kathryn's Camera and Giveaway

You may have noticed things have changed. Leslie, the creative designer behind Lilly and Louise, has given us a facelift. Her team has managed to transform dozens of 'paper napkin' ideas into an incredible design that I am proud to call Kathryn's Camera. I have been in awe of Leslie's talent since living across the hall from her at the University of Texas. She is truly an inspiring artist and with each new project, I become more amazed at her accomplishments.

When my husband and I closed the door to our lives as individuals, got married and moved to Houston; we opened a window. A window allowing friends and family into our new world. A way to connect with the Robinson III Family and for us to connect with them. It has become an incredible way to share in the joy of our first son, and document precious memories to last a lifetime.

Growing up with an artist for a mother and a banker for a father, I consider myself "structurally creative." I am pretty sure there was always an art project in progress at our house and my father always had a new mind puzzle to solve. These days I struggle to find the balance between career, wife, and mommy; and the blog has provided me with a creative outlet. Kathryn's Camera is life through my lens.

I have a passion for photography, a love for party planning, and find happiness in the art of gift giving. Kathryn's Camera combines everyone and everything I love into a central location:

• Livin - family life
• Laughin - playdates and friendships
• Lovin - the fairytale
• Learnin - lessons learned as a mom and a woman
• Lookin - always looking out for new products, projects, and activities
• Liam - watch him grow

Wednesday Winks

These weekly winks are meant to highlight creativity or advice wherever I find it. From my favorite gift finds, to fun party theme ideas, to toddler tips, to weighing in on all your questions and beyond, I hope that you will find as much value behind the posts as I have excitement in creating them. And who knows, you might even win something. wink!

Thank you for embarking on this journey with me and for all of your support. As always, I appreciate all feedback and love reading all your comments.

Wednesday Winks, early edition.

It is no secret that I have a love for photography. I carry my DSLR with me wherever I go, freezing memories to take home. But let's be honest, a black camera strap doesn't really go with the outfit and mostly labels you a tourist. Function, meet Fashion.  Capturing Couture has created "one of the finest ‘ultra chic, totally couture accessory’ for anyone with a camera!" "Using only the finest materials, custom made trims and highly functional hardware," the creative masterminds behind these straps have given cameras a voice. Finally, a way to express your personality and personal photographic style through fashion. I have one for every season!

These straps come perfectly packaged making them the ultimate gift for anyone with a love for photography and style. To help us launch the new face of Kathryn's Camera, the ladies of Capturing Couture have graciously provided me with one of their top sellers and a personal favorite of mine to giveaway, the Harmony. Its vibrant colors and eclectic style are sure to turn heads!

How to Enter...

Simply comment on this post to be entered to win this fabulous camera strap! Want to increase your chances? For additional entries, you may do one or all of the following and then post here that you did:
1. Become a fan of Kathryn's Camera on Facebook
2. Become a fan of Capturing Couture on Facebook
3. Become of fan of Lilly and Louise on Facebook
4. Share this link on your Facebook wall

You MUST comment on this post to be eligible for the camera strap.

It is that easy! The Winner will be selected using random.org announced in next Wednesday's Wink. Good Luck!

Star Spangled Celebration

I don't know why, but the Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. I am not sure if it is the time spent with families and friends eating some of my favorite foods or the overwhelming sense of pride you feel when you see a row of American Flags flying high on your neighbors' houses. July 4th brings back so many wonderful childhood memories at the Corsicana Country Club. My papaw almost always grilled out on the 4th and we all dressed in our best red, white and blue. We would load up and go down to the pond to enjoy the firework display with all of our closest friends. Blankets and blankets of families, staying up past their bedtime!. My mom would allow sparklers and the occasional Roman candle which was the very best part of the night, of course. There is nothing quite like celebrating the Fourth in a small town.

Ways to Get Wet

It is Hot. Houston Hot. This means we are in the water alot. And we are always looking for ways to cool off and get wet! Luckily there is a close by splash pad and we tagged along with Ashley and M'Lee to check it out! The kids had so much fun running through the shooting water.