My Everyday Featuring ... Brittni Laurie

[#1] Share with us a snippet of your story.
I was born and raised in sunny Southern California. I am married to Jonathan Laurie whom I met at age 12 but didn't fall in love with until till years later. We have 3 beautiful children, Rylie age 7, Allie age 2, and Christopher who is 6 months old. I love my church, Harvest Christian Fellowship and being involved in anyway possible with the Harvest Crusades ( 3 young children makes that hard right now but looking forward to us ALL being able to serve). My life has not been perfect and I have had a lot of failures but I am constantly amazed and humbled at Gods grace and provision in my life. 

[#2] What is your favorite part of the day with your little one[s]? 
My favorite part of the day with my little ones various with each. With Christopher it would be first thing in the morning, he is the sweetest little thing and he almost always has found his way into our bed at some point during the night. His bright smile and wide eyes each morning make my heart so happy. Allie is wild, adventurous and tough as can be so any afternoon I spend chasing her is my joy. Rylie is social thoughtful and loves to talk so car rides to And from school are our time. She loves to Share her life and I love listening to her stories.

[#3] Name three Instagram MOMS who inspire you.
@jenlusko / @cakesandcuties / @deerlovely  

[#4] What challenges have you faced in balancing motherhood and your passion for creativity?
Being organized and consistent. Those are pretty much are my two weakness across the board so it definitely applies to my creative life. I love trying new things, learning and expanding on ways to be creative. I get to participate and share recipes and crafts on the virtue.harvest.org website along with other ladies from our our church which has been a neat opportunity. I would say that over all becoming a mother has helped my creative life, it was given me the desire to be imaginative, clever, and has taken my do it yourself to a whole new world, and birthday parties are my favorite way to do that. These are tee pees we made for my daughters birthday party this year.

[#5] The chores are done, there's nothing expected of you & you've got 45 minutes of personal free time ... how would you spend it? 
Okay this one is hard... Because there so so many choices! I think they would either be go for a run, go to a coffee shop, order the coffee and SIT down, or take a nap.

[#6] What are your staple go-to pieces from your closet this month? 
My go to pieces with month would have to be any graphic tee with my cameo jacket black jeans ballet flats or on colder days  pallidum boots.

[#7] If you could give us a peek inside your home - what image would you share and why?
My kitchen in all it's little glory. I spend a lot of time here, cooking dinner, baking with my girls, making coffee, cleaning dishes but it's also where I sing, laugh, cry, ponder, give thanks and pray.

Share a photo you wouldn't typically post on Instagram but depicts real life happenings.  
Real Life Baby. This is a photo of my 3 littles on halloween. These are what most of my photos look like, everyone looking away, trying to escape, or crying. 

Be sure and follow @brittlaurie on Instagram! You can also keep up with the series by following @kelliandvanessa or #myeverydaymoms

My Everyday Featuring ... Kelli Murray

[#1] Share with us a snippet of your story.
I’m an illustrator, graphic designer, blogger, fashion enthusiast, and a lover of all things creative.  I married my husband Sam in November of 2009, and we welcomed our first baby girl, Rylee, to the world in August of 2011.  They are the loves of my life! We live in Encinitas, CA with our fat cat, Bam.  I love the beach, I own way too many shoes, and I have the biggest sweet tooth out of anyone…ever.

Before my daughter came along, I was the head designer for a clothing label.  Now, I work from home as a freelance artist and graphic designer. Life has changed so much over the last two years both personally and professionally....but I can't helped but look forward to what the future holds!

[#2] What is your favorite part of the day with your little one[s]?
Definitely that time just before bed when dad is home from work and we are all together in the living room playing.  Rylee gets a little bit slap happy when she starts to get tired.  You just look at her funny and she can't stop laughing.  She dances for us and talks to us in the most ridiculous language that I swear makes perfect sense in her mind.  It's times like this that my husband and I look at each other and just smile, both knowing how lucky we are to have her in our life.

[#3] Name Instagram MOMS who inspire you? 
@kristinrogers / @amerrymishap / @ascotfriday 

[#4] What challenges have you faced in balancing motherhood and your passion for creativity?
Balancing work and motherhood has been one of my biggest challenges to date.  While I've always dreamed of being a mom....I never imagined not working creatively at some capacity.  So when I had Rylee, I was determined to figure out what that meant for me and to discover that balance in my own life.  On one hand, I feel so blessed to have a job that allows me to work from home and to utilize my creativity.  But on the other hand, I find that sometimes my desire to work and be successful comes with the sacrifice of quality time with my daughter.  Work and creativity is important to me and will always be part of my identity, but she is what is MOST important. So I live knowing that...I continue to pursue my "work" dreams at the pace that I feel managable right now...and I try to be the best mom that I can be to my daughter.  I havn't figured out that perfect "formula" for balance, and I don't think it even exists, but I am learning how to juggle it all better every day.  This time in her life is so fleeting....and it's important to me that I am present and enjoying every stage!

[#5] What are your staple go-to pieces from your closet this month? 
My Sam Edelman ankle boots, black skinny jeans, slouchy Free People sweater, and a beanie 

[#6] If you could give us a peek inside your home - what image would you share and why? 
I'd probably share a pic of Rylee's nursery because I just love it so much.  It's the room I've put the most work into and it just feels really cozy and inviting. 

[#7] Share a photo you wouldn't typically post on Instagram but depicts real life happenings.
This one is kind of blurry and Rylee is mostly naked.....but I just love this photo.  Typical Friday night rough housing with dad :) 

Be sure and follow @kelli_murray on Instagram! You can also keep up with the series by following @kelliandvanessa or #myeverydaymoms

My Everyday Featuring ... Anita Means

[#1] Share with us a snippet of your story.
Originally from Alaska, currently living in Arizona. I am a stay at home mother to 3 year old Lola Birdie and 2 pups. My husband, Sam, is a professional musician and owns a merchandise company called Hello. I co-own and co-run, along with Sam, an apparel company for kids and adults called Hello Apparel.

[#2] What is your favorite part of the day with your little one[s]?
In the morning where she wakes up and runs into my room to wake me up. Her hair is all messed up, her eyes are squinty and she says the silliest things.

[#3] Name Three Instagram MOMS who inspire you.
I can only pick 3? @linzyszechenyi / @allieroyall / @katyannev 

[#4] The chores are done, there's nothing expected of you & you've got 45 minutes of personal free time ... how would you spend it?
I would spend it online shopping! I love looking for a good deal!

[#5] What are your staple go-to pieces from your closet this month? 
Sweatshirt, skinny jeans and converse.

[#6] If you could give us a peek inside your home - what image would you share and why?
I would share my front door. I decorate for every holiday and it drives my husband nuts. My parents love decorating and I guess I am carrying the torch.

[#7] Share a photo you wouldn't typically post on Instagram but depicts real life happenings.

Be sure and follow @helloapparel on Instagram! You can also keep up with the series by following @kelliandvanessa or #myeverydaymoms

My everyday Featuring ... Tristian Skidmore

[#1] Share with us a snippet of your story.
Hmm...where to begin! I've been married to Clay for 8 years now and we have three beautiful babies...Harrison, Gracylu, and Atticus! I started a small hair and other accessory business about four years ago and that exploded over night!  With the business I was able to make lots of wonderful friends all over. And I was able to witness and reach women that I would have never had the opportunity to meet/reach before. I'm so very thankful for the time I had with the business but I felt the Lord closing that door. I now homeschool Harrison and Gracylu while chasing Atticus around! I'm more focused on my relationship with the Lord along with my marriage and family. I finally feel I'm where God wants me to be {for this moment in life}.

[#2] What is your favorite part of the day with your little one[s]?
Definitely our mornings!

They are usually quiet and somewhat "peaceful". We don't have the same routine every single morning but we always wake up together happy and ready to start the day! 

[#3] Name Instagram MOMS who inspire you.
This is hard because there are so many who inspire me!!! 
@angiewarren / @amandalucero / @betharmsheimer 

[4] What challenges have you faced in balancing motherhood and your passion for creativity? 
Now that I no longer run my business, I'm finding a shift in my "creativity". Before it was very hard for me to find a balance and to be honest with you, I never did...that's probably part of the reason I let it go. Now I LOVE to get creative in the kitchen and usually the skiddies are at my side helping and tasting but finding my own time to do something creative just for me is always a challenge. I always have chores, our lessons, dinners and so on going on that I forget to stop and get creative for me. I have told myself this year I would like to do that more often...we'll see.

[#5] What are your staple go-to pieces from your closet this month? 
My mustard scarf and black leggings! I wear one or the other every day it seems! 

[#6] If you could give us a peek inside your home - what image would you share and why? 
I think it would be my kitchen sink. It's always full of dishes {dirty of course} but I'm always reminded how much we have to be thankful for and how much I love my family! 

[#7] Share a photo you wouldn't typically post on Instagram but depicts real life happenings. 
I usually post just about anything on IG which isn't always good maybe, but I found this picture either Harrison or Gracylu took and I almost deleted it because at first I thought that's an awful picture!!! But as I looked at the picture more, I realized that's real life for me. Most days I do have my hair up because it gets in the way and I like to stay comfy if I don't have to leave the house and I'm always changing diapers or wiping little booties. Some would say that's not for them but I enjoy it. Days are long and hard sometimes but the rewards are greater than I could ever imagine! I love my babies and will gladly clean up after their messes and spills because one day they won't need me to. 

Be sure and follow @gracyluoriginals on Instagram! You can also keep up with the series by following @kelliandvanessa or #myeverydaymoms

My Everyday ... FEATURED ON JEREMYCOWART.COM

We are honored to be guest bloggers over on Jeremy Cowarts blog today!

Jeremy is a friend from Nashville....a photographer to the stars, founder of Help-Portrait and most of all....a hands on dad and husband to his adorable family. His family of four will soon be a family of six, as they are adopting two children from Haiti. We love this story!

Be sure and view Jeremy's inspiring portfolio and also find him on Twitter and Instagram.

Thanks for the feature, Jeremy!

My Everyday ... Nominate An Inspiring Mom

Our goal with the My Everyday series is to highlight inspiring moms who do their job well. Some may not be as well known as others, so we’d love to highlight someone you feel deserves a little spotlight. Nominate a mom that inspires YOU!

Post your nomination on instagram.com/kelliandvanessa by leaving a comment with the mom’s IG name OR by leaving a comment on this post with a link to the mom you’re nominating.

All nominations should be submitted by Friday, February 1st & we will select three moms to feature on the My Everyday series in the month of February.

Thank you ahead of time for your nominations! We look forward to hearing about all these amazing moms!

Kelli + Vanessa

My Everyday Featuring ... Brooke Schwab

[#1] Share with us a snippet of your story. Born and raised Texan who married a southern boy from Tennessee.  Happy to call Texas home with my husband and two kids.

My jobs include but are not limited to the following : mother to two, wife, Lifestyle photographer, smilebooth owner with my husband  (a photo booth company).  I love having jobs that put our family first and encourage travel.

[#2] What is your favorite part of the day with your little one[s]?
Any time of day that we get to play together. Especially when it involves traveling with them.   This summer we took them on a road trip and I loved documenting them along the way. And if we are not traveling. I love after school time with them.

[#3] Name Instagram MOMS who inspire you.

@houseinhabit /  @thelittlest /   @tarawhitney

[#4] What challenges have you faced in balancing motherhood and your passion for creativity? 

The biggest challenge is saying no. It's hard when you find something you love and that gets in the way with the people you love most.  It was hard because my creativity required me to take time away from my family and I used that creativity to make a living.  I found that I was happiest when I said no to things that would spread me thin. It's brought me much more joy and success by limiting myself and not taking it all on.

[#5] What are your staple go-to pieces from your closet this month? 

My new Morrison Sweater from Josh.  It's nice and warm.

[#6] If you could give us a peek inside your home - what image would you share and why? 

My bedroom. It's where the light pours in and where we spend most of our time as a family. Love cuddling with the kids in the morning and night.

[#7] Share a photo you wouldn't typically post on Instagram but depicts real life happenings.

Be sure and follow @brookeschwab on Instagram! You can also keep up with the series by following @kelliandvanessa or #myeverydaymoms

My Everyday featuring ... Laura Wiertzema

[#1] Share with us a snippet of your story. 
Born and raised in Southern California, with a passion for style at an early age. (I had a Dorthy Hamill haircut in the 3rd grade, where I consequently had my husbands mother as my 3rd grade teacher. Crazy right?)  I studied fashion design in college, got married at 22, started my career with Anthropologie that same year,  5 years later we had our first son Hudson, and then added Lincoln 3 years after that. Being parents has strengthened us in ways we never thought possible. The love I have for those two boys is unexplainable. 

[#2] What is your favorite part of the day with your little one[s]?
What is your favorite part of the day with your little one[s]?  I have to be at work super early, so I don't see my boys until the afternoon each day. Seeing their faces when I pick them up each day melts my heart. We make the most of our afternoon/evenings! From impromptu visits to Disneyland, photo shoots, trips to Target, and long walks in the park,  I try and pack as much fun into each afternoon as possible. It's my time each day to spend with my boys

[#3] Name Instagram MOMS who inspire you.
@jenlovescove @kassibacquet and the ladies at @smallfryblog

[4] What challenges have you faced in balancing motherhood and your passion for creativity?
Being a working mom is the hardest thing I have yet to encounter in motherhood. Having to miss out on a good portion of their lives is a hard pill to swallow. Not being able to be that mom who gets to take her son to school. or volunteer in the class, or even have a relationship with other moms is challenging at times. I have to work, so being able to go to a job that inspires me daily helps me stay focused on the things that really matter, my Family.  This means that my house might not always be clean, dinners for the week are rarely planned out, and I am that mom who leaves everything to the last possible moment. But our family is full of love, and we try and live each day to the fullest by making the most out of the time that we have together. 

[#5] What are your staple go-to pieces from your closet this month?
Sam Edelman petty boot (surprise surprise), black skinny jeans, vintage T, army jacket

[#6] If you could give us a peek inside your home - what image would you share and why?
this is our dining area, we just added the wood paneling (covering some wallpaper we had put up when we first moved in) I love this corner of the house because of the light that comes in. (note: this is an extremely rare sight, this table usually has piles of stuff on it, and we rarely eat at it), but it makes me happy.

Share a photo you wouldn't typically post on Instagram but depicts real life happenings.
Goofballs

Be sure and follow @ascotfriday on Instagram! You can also keep up with the series by following @kelliandvanessa or #myeverydaymoms

My Everyday featuring ... Amber Vander Vliet

[#1] Share with us a snippet of your story.
My husband (Kevin) I are parents to a spunky little girl, named Opal, & a mellow baby boy, named Foster.  We own and run a cupcake business in the sleepy, tiny town of Los Olivos, California and a corporate teambuilding business that services all of California.  Kevin and I have been smitten with each other, best friends, & business partners for over a decade. Our lives are completely woven together in all that we do and I can’t imagine it any other way. 

photo by Jose Villa

[#2] What is your favorite part of the day with your little one[s]?
My favorite time of day with Opal is her bedtime.  It’s time to cuddle and pray.  I love hearing her talk to God.  Her prayers are simple, yet profound and teach me so much.

My favorite time of day with Foster are the days I’m not at work and get to be with him right when he wakes up.  He wakes up bursting with joy & affection every morning.

[#3] Name Instagram MOMS who inspire you.

@paperandthread / @jackiewonders / @mindyricedesign

[4] What challenges have you faced in balancing motherhood and your passion for creativity? 

My everyday work forces me to continually be creative, since we change our flavors and the “look” of our cupcakes weekly.  I’m constantly creating new recipes and techniques.  And most of our customers give us creative reign with cake orders and dessert displays so I’m always trying to come up with new designs & approaches.  I’ve had to try to learn to be creative on demand and integrate my kids into that process.  

Opal is 5, with a big imagination, so I try to include her, get her opinions & ideas.  I’m also able to get a lot of my work done while she’s still at home sleeping or while she’s at school. My son is another story!  Foster was born 7 months ago at the exact start of our busy season.  He was born on a Tuesday and in the bakery with me on Saturday.  I would get very frustrated while reading baby / parenting books (I had to refresh my memory since it had been so long since Opal was that tiny!) because so much of the advice didn’t jive with our wacky & demanding schedules (especially when it came to sleeping).  I had to embrace our craziness and quickly realize that I didn’t need to follow convention and rigid schedules, but rather make sure my kid’s needs are being met and that they are loved madly.  

I also had to stop comparing my life with a new baby with other mom’s with new babies since I didn’t have the opportunity to take a maternity leave.  Foster fit in with our lives and business right away.  He came to work with me at 3:30 am (which is obviously not “normal”), went on deliveries and to photo shoots with me, and instead of being bummed that I didn’t have lots of chances to be still with him, I chose to feel blessed that I was able to include him and bring him along.

[#5] What are your staple go-to pieces from your closet this month? 

Hue jean leggings, my favorite hat (growing my hair out a bit and my bed head is uncontrollable), textured knee-high socks that peek out over my boots (keep me warm and add a little flare).

[#6] If you could give us a peek inside your home - what image would you share and why? 

I love this pic of Opal & Foster at home on Christmas morning. Opal got a new camera from her aunt and, of course, wanted her baby brother to be her subject matter. Their interactions are so sweet.

Bonus!
Share a photo you wouldn't typically post on Instagram but depicts real life happenings. 

My husband snapped this pic from his spot on the sofa one morning after I returned home from work.  The bulk of my work was done for the day and both kids were still in their jammies.  I was able to simply snuggle with my little loves.I don’t put on make-up, do my hair or put on nice clothes before going to bake and I had just returned home from the bakery…it’s definitely not a glamorous snapshot of me.  Opal was also very sick.

Be sure and follow @enjoycupcakes on Instagram! You can also keep up with the series by following @kelliandvanessa or #myeverydaymoms