Last week, Kristina and I threw our cousin Monica a 30th birthday party. She is the last of us to turn 30 so we had to make it extra special. We went with a rich theme, like chocolate. Browns, gold, white and black and anything glittery we could find. It was fun shopping and putting together this party.

Monica loves all things chocolate, so what better way to celebrate than with a chocolate fountain, death by chocolate cake and tons off goodies for dipping. We also ordered a 3 foot long sub sandwich that was quite the hit!I think it's safe to say no one walked away hungry that day.

She really enjoyed her special day. And a big thank you for all the family and friends who attended, you made it even more special. Monica's mom and dad just built a house and we broke it in for them with this party. Their humongous island was perfect for all the food and desserts. Thank you for hosting Teena!

Death by chocolate cake...

Chocolate fountain. Thank you Tami for bringing this, it was the hit of the party!

Some of the food and dessert, oh and a giant Blimpie sandwich!

Someone's excited lol!

The birthday girl!

We have been best friends since the day we were born. I know not everyone is lucky enough to have their best friends be their cousins, and I definitely don;t want to take them for granted.

Table decorations

She got a couple pretty rings as gifts. I got her the hand-stamped stackable mothers ring that she had been eyeing forever <3

It was such a nice day and I think everyone definitely got their fill of chocolate :)

Thank you so much for stopping by. Have a sweet & happy day!

SUMMER GIVEAWAY It's My Blogger-versary!!!

*CLOSED* Update: Congratulations Kayla Meade!
I can hardly believe that I have been blogging for an entire year! Home Sweetly Home, has been such a fun journey and I can't wait to see how much this blog will transform in the future. I have learned a lot and have enjoyed pushing myself to do new things. Really it just seems like yesterday that my friend Amy, over at Brightly Done, was helping me start this thing up, and now I'm addicted and I love it!

I decided that I'm celebrating this month, it's my blogger-versary! (I actually googled that word after I wrote it to see if it's a real thing...it is...lol) and since it's a celebration, I decided to do something for you all. As a BIG THANK YOU, I'd like to do a fun little giveaway for my readers and followers! Most of these item are featured in my previous blog posts about my make up must haves and hair must haves. Just a few of my favorite things that I use everyday.

My favorite foundation brush ~ Sigma F80
My favorite blending brush ~ Sigma E40
My favorite angled brush ~ Sigma E65
My favorite setting powder ~ Revlon PhotoReady Translucent Powder
My favorite lip gloss ~ NYX Butter Gloss in Eclair
My favorite perfume ~ Marc Jacobs Daisy Perfume
My favorite hair brush ~ The Body Shop Paddle Hair Brush
Make Up Bag ~ ipsy

The rules are simple...

1. Please follow me on my social media, Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest :) (1 entry)
2. Like and tag friends in my Summer Giveaway Instagram post. (1 entry)
3. Like and share my Summer Giveaway Facebook post. (1 entry)

For each of these that you do you will get one entry into the drawing. (Max. 3 entries per person)

Contest ends Tuesday, August 30th, 2016 at 5pm MST. I will draw the winner randomly. I will announce, tag, and Direct Message the winner on Instagram for an address. Goodies will be shipped out on Thursday, September 1st :)

If you haven't noticed yet, (haha!) photography is my favorite hobby and I love doing it. Of course, traveling is my other favorite hobby, but as of lately, this blog seems to mostly be photography sneak peeks, and everything else had kind of been on the back burner. Life always seems to get so busy in the summer, and all of those sweet families and babies need their pictures taken :) I am looking forward to cooler weather, and having the chance to be able to sit down and create a little more, because DIY, recipes, organization, and life's ups and downs, are still a big part of my journey.

Thank you again for all of your support and kind words. You all make my day and keep me going! Good luck and have a amazingly sweet day!

*I am not sponsored or being compensated by these brands or companies. These are my own opinions and everything was bought with my own money. All items are brand new and come from a smoke and pet free home. $115 value.

Photography Sneak Peek ~ Newborn Bo

I had a super fun afternoon playing with this sweet little muffin. I just love his full head of hair and big blue eyes <3

Bo is 3 days old, and is such a beautiful baby boy. He is the perfect mix of his big brothers and he has such a sweet little personality. Ross and Amber seriously have the most beautiful children <3 Bo is another one of my sweet cousins. Seriously I am so blessed to be surrounded by such angels.

I had the best of both worlds while photographing him today. He was wide awake, showing off those baby blues, and then fast asleep, and easily pose-able :)

I was lucky enough to be there to document his arrival into this world and I'm pretty sure I will always have an extra special place in my heart for this sweetheart. Click here to see his birth photos.

Here are a few of my favorites...

Thank you so much for stopping by, have a sweet and happy day :)

Photography Sneak Peek ~ Birth of Baby Bo

The birth of a baby is such a intimate and sacred time in parents lives, and for me to be included in that, is not something I take lightly.  I feel very fortunate to have been a part of something so life-changing. Every time I witness a baby being born I am reminded of what an incredible miracle they really are. And to witness the strength and power of a mother, is something indescribable.

My cousin Ross and his gorgeous wife Amber just welcomed their fourth beautiful child into this world. Monday, August 22, 2016 at 4:20am, Bo Ridge Sevy made his appearance. He weighed in at 8lbs 9oz and measured 21 inches long. With strong lungs, squishy cheeks, and a head full of black hair, he stole our hearts in an instant.

Here is a peek inside our morning...

Photo Credit: Ross Sevy

Thank you Amber, for inviting me to document something so miraculous. I am beyond grateful that you trusted me to capture these precious moments. I love you guys!

To you birth photographers that do this all the time, my hats off to you. The low lighting and constant movement is so challenging. It takes a whole different set of skills to do this and I hope someday I can perfect my technique and take breathtaking images like you.

Thank you all so much for stopping by. I hope you have a sweet and wonderful day :)