A response to my mommy friends- in the phase they're in.

This post was written by one my very best friends Shar in response to my last post. I am so grateful for our beautiful friendship and thank you for this letter! See the previous post here if you missed it. 

A response to my mommy friends- in the phase they're in. 

Don't be sorry. 

Don't you ever apologize for prioritizing your family and spending time being the best mommy you can be. 

When you cancel plans, I know it's not because our friendship means less to you now than it did before. 

I understand that days are long and difficult and happy and frustrating and that you can't always do it all. 

You are important. 
Raising children who can help to make this world a better place is important.
I see you. And I value the work that you're doing. 

I don't mind having conversations with you while your toddler tugs at your sleeve, asking for attention. I can't think of anything more precious than seeing you become a mother. 

It brings me happiness to see you blossoming into motherhood and contributing to the world on a level I am not yet familiar with. 

When you prioritize a girls night over a night with your children or partner, I understand the sacrifice you are making. 

I also understand that adult time is important for you. To remind you who you are and keep your sanity. Even if rarely, I relish in being a part of this reminder of your past-self, but I never expect to be your number one. 

I will never forget you- or the memories we have. I will always have a seat open for you at the table- when you have time to re-engage. 

Thank you for setting an example for me. For showing me that motherhood is a daily struggle, one of the hardest jobs in the world - but one of the most beautiful things a woman can do. 

Whether I decide to have children or not- we will always find a way to connect. 

I love you, I know you're trying your best to find balance and that your love is simply being divided in more pieces now. 

Thank you for not feeling guilty about prioritizing those precious humans and for letting me be a part of your journey. 

Xoxox
Your childless friend.

To The Sisters, Brothers & Friends Who Don't Have Kids Yet

To the sisters, brothers and friends who don't have kids yet but still want to hang, THANK YOU! You are important, a life line and while we may not say it as often as we should, we could not do parenthood without you.

Thank you for:

the visits even though our conversations are broken

loving my children even though their noses are running and my baby cries when you hold her

bringing me coffee and food

meeting me at the park so my child can play while we try to catch up

not judging my messy house

holding my baby while I throw in a load of laundry

being patient with me when I need to cancel because someone is sick

just being an extra set of hands and eyes

for caring enough to ask me questions about my kids

I love you so much and if you decide to have children of your own one day, I will be the first one to bring you food and clean your house, when you bring your babies home.

xoxo
Audrey

My Text Buddy

After I shared a hard motherhood moment on Facebook when Luke was a new baby, I had a friend from my past private message me to simply say "if you need someone to talk to, I am here". Our Facebook private messages turned into text messages and we have even chatted on the phone and sent snail mail since reconnecting. She lives far away now and we hope to visit in person in the future but don't have any plans to do so at the moment, we just text a few times a week.

I believe that as long as we have one amazing friend we have enough, but I also believe we can never have too many friends.

Our text conversations span everything from beauty, to motherhood and everything in between.

How was your weekend? 

What do you have planned for your day? 

What's your favourite bronzer? (we both love beauty) 

This is how our conversations often begin and then they sometimes lead into the daily trials we are facing in our lives. When my friend first messaged me she said that sometimes it is easier to share honestly about our struggles with someone outside our everyday circle of friends. I feel very grateful for this friendship and know that she is only a text away if I need someone to chat with while I sit on the floor and play Lego for the 20th time that week. I have said it before but I will say it again, motherhood is a sport best played as a team and I am so glad to have many different women on my team in various relationship forms. 

I am sharing this little story for two reasons; 1) I am really grateful for this rekindled friendship and 2) If you have ever seen a Facebook post and wondered if you should send someone a private message to say your thinking of them or to find out if they need to talk, just do it, one more caring friend is never a bad thing.

Those are my thoughts for today, but what do you think, I would love to know your thoughts too.
xoxo
Audrey

I Can Only Control Myself

You know what's challenging for me, controlling my emotions when I can't control the people around me. We are human and eventually we will do something to let someone else down and someone will probably not live up to our expectations and let us down.

So what do I do when this happens? I wish I could say that I don't let it effect me but I often allow it to wreak turmoil on my emotions and get in the way of my choices for a day or so. 

The actions of others are out of my hands, the only person I can control is myself, this means I am responsible for my choices and my emotions, why are those darn emotions so hard to control? When someone lets me down, if I let their actions, which were never within my control, ruin my day, then I am relinquishing control of my life to those who surround me. 

I am writing this for anyone who is struggling through a situation like this but mostly to myself as a pep talk to remind myself that I can only control me and love others for who they are, not for who I wish they were. Wish me luck as I battle to take control of my emotions. 

Have you experienced something similar and how do you deal with it? 

Xoxo

Audrey 

Girl Date

What do you like to do on a girl date? My best friend and I love to eat! Meg and I have a lot of things in common but I would say one thing we have most in common, is our appetite and desire to try new foods. Meg has a slightly more adventurous palette than I do but for the most part I can keep up. 

We have lived in different cities for years now and really have to schedule time together to keep our friendship strong. I believe all relationships require effort to keep on the right path. With where we are both currently at, London works great for a meeting place to grab a meal and do a little exploring. During our last date we had lunch at Garlics of London and then strolled the Covent Market, both were an awesome food experience and gave us lots of time to chat and catch up. 

Sometimes it can be a bit of challenge to make these get togethers happen and I am sure this wont change as we get older and our schedules continue to fill but their value to me is priceless. There are certain things that can only be discussed between the girls and womanhood is a team sport that requires lots of support. 

We ate, we talked, we laughed and we made some great memories. Next time we visit London where should we eat? And what do you like to do on a girl date?

xoxo

Audrey 

Answered Prayers

Recently I have been praying for more friends of faith "God I need some strong women of faith in my life please, who will help me to get to know You better".

Sometimes it takes me a little while to catch on to how God works, He definitely has a sense of humour. This morning as I wrote about the new friendship I formed via social media with Brittney Andreesen , it hit me square in the face, God formed this relationship. Brittney lives on the other side of Canada and we just randomly connected online through similar interests like, God, blogging and the need to create. No we didn't meet randomly, that awesome act is one only the hand of God could curate. He used all the modern technology I love like a hashtag to lead me to a new friend.

God you are awesome, help me not to forget so quickly just how awesome you are.

Brittney kindly interviewed me and featured me on her blog, I am honoured! Please check it out and take a wander around her website to see the other cool work this Creative Producer and Blogger is doing!

Thanks be to God!
Heather

Weekend Wishes - Meg's Bachelorette

A few weekends ago I was lucky enough to go on a little girls weekend. This was my first time being away from Luke for two nights alone. Leading up to my weekend away, I was a little anxious about leaving home because I knew I would miss all my boys, (Tyler, Luke and Charlie). I knew they would have a blast without me but I was going to miss home.

I did have moments where I felt homesick, but for the most I just enjoyed some time with my girlfriends celebrating Meg as she gets ready to marry Jim. The weekend was a perfect blend of relaxation, girl talk,  adventure, good eats and laughs and some awesome memories were made. The highlight of the trip was of course TreeTop Trekking, I would recommend this activity for anyone who likes a little adventure, I would do it again!

If you have girlfriends who live out of town, you know what it feels like when you are together, extra special. When you can't see someone whenever you want, you really appreciate the time you have with them.

I captured some moments from our trip in the video below as well as some pictures of us getting ready for Saturday night dinner. Does anyone else agree that getting ready to go out at night, is the best part of the night?

What did you do for your last girls weekend adventure?

Free Spirit Makeup by H.A.L. Makeup Artistry

In the summer I feel like more of a free spirit and my makeup and clothing reflects that. I got together with my friends Meg & Cass, to shoot some makeup looks, inspired by summer music festivals. I always say, there are no rules when it comes to makeup, just techniques and trends. Below I have listed some of the trends I have featured in these looks. I hope these images inspire you to try something new with your look, for your next summer event.

Featured Trends

Matte Lip Colour
Matte lips are super on trend. Turn your favourite glossy colours into matte, by dusting them with translucent powder.

False Lashes
There are so many false lashes to choose from, for these looks I chose very dramatic lashes. These are a fun way to add drama to your look and bring more attention to your eyes.

Smokey Eyes
A smokey eye is fashionable all year round. This time of year, it can be dark or it can be more subtle, by creating the look with flesh tones as I did in the image below. The key is, to apply the colour all the way around the eye using a smudging technique.

Exaggerated Lip Lines
I think we need to thank the Kardashians for bringing this trend back from the 90's. The modern take on this look, has the lip liner and lip colour blended beautifully, leaving you with full lips that make people wonder, if you had some work done. (Nope, your just super skilled with that pencil:)

Decorative Makeup
This is especially fun for events. I smeared coloured shadow powder, in different places on these ladies faces, to add whimsy to their makeup. To enhance the colour, I placed gems along the smear lines. This look is playful and free.

Let your spirit run free

Try something new

Fill your heart with love 

And seek joy in all you do

Peace 

xoxo Audrey

You can view my makeup artistry portfolio here.

If you would like to book me for your special event, you can send me an email heatherlapier@gmail.com.

Adventure Day - London Children's Museum

For me, being a mom is sometimes easier when your busy, out and about doing fun things. Karli and I decided to take our little people on an adventure day, to the London Children's Museum. We weren't sure how the day would go but we did our best to time our departure with morning naps, packed lots of snacks and were prepared to laugh off anything crazy that might happen.

On the drive there, we laughed about a road trip we had taken together just the two of us, to go shopping, a few years ago. Oh how things have changed, but in the best way. After remising about the past, we dreamed a little about the future, when our kids are a little bigger and we can all be super silly together in the car. 

I hadn't been to this museum since I was a kid, and I didn't even really remember it. I was excited to check everything out and experience something new with Luke. 

All the exhibits were cool. Luke was a little young for some of them but he was still entertained by all the action of the other kids and his pal V. I am excited to take him back when he gets older, I think this is a place where there will always be something new to discover. 

I am also excited about the friendship that is forming between Luke and Violet. It is so cool that she recognizes him when we get together and that she always wants to give him a kiss. I have said this before but I will say it again, I am so grateful that I have amazing friends to share motherhood with. Karli and I being on leave together, well thats just icing on this big fluffy cake called life. 

I love experiencing things through Luke's eyes for the first time, its like rediscovering everything I knew and learning tons more along the way. I have a question for you moms with a few kids, is it like this with all your children, or just the first? 

One thing I am certain of, children are always changing and evolving, so I am sure family life will always have an element of adventure. 

We made it home without anything crazy happening and everyone even napped together on the ride back to Corunna. 

If your looking for a fun family activity I would definitely recommend the London Children's Museum.