evangeline

leaving on a jet plane

2011-07-26T12:20:00.000-05:00

tomorrow is the big day. i leave for a ten day trip to Kampala, Uganda.
pray for me and my sweet children. my heart is heavy when i think about leaving them. but they will have a blast with friends and family and their sweet daddy.
we have been preparing for the past couple of weeks. reading books on africa. praying over my trip and for our friends i am going to visit. playing with african toys and animals. sara tells random people about my trip and how excited she is for me. {and that her birthday is the day after i come back :) }

i'm going to miss that cuddly girl.

lately

2011-07-26T12:08:00.001-05:00

i made this amazing cake for ryan's birthday. make it. it's ridiculous. ridiculously good.

wilson had his hair cut for the first time. finally. at 20 months.

sara joined in on the fun.

she asked if i could cut her hair short. i said no. ryan said her hair could never be cut short. :)

we found an awesome record player at an estate sale.

we LOVE it.

the man.

2011-06-17T09:43:00.000-05:00

happy birthday, love!

i am so blessed to be celebrating you. you are worth a whole ~~week~~ year of celebrating.

thank you for being the best best friend a girl could ask for.

and an amazing daddy!

we love you more!

happy birthday hunky man of mine!

thank you!

2011-06-14T22:26:00.000-05:00

thank you, thank you, thank you to all who came out to my mom's a couple weeks ago.

it was a success!

we are back from our trek across the lower states. :) what a long trip. but it is totally worth it! my kids LOVE my family. i wish we could see them more often.

i am working on posting pictures of the "leftovers" so other readers can have a chance to get a few things.

buying my ticket to Africa soon!!

mobile, it's your turn!

2011-05-26T12:01:00.000-05:00

hello to my southern friends down in alabama. your turn is next.

the handmade boutique is packing up and headed your way. i still need some more funds for that ticket to africa. so, Friday June 3rd i'll be at my mom's house in Mobile from 6-9 pm. come by and shop if you get a chance.

i'll be offering baby shoes, clutches, diaper cltuches, burp cloths, girly dress up, hair accessories, necklaces and a few fabric belts.

hope to see you!

if you need the address let me know.

handmade boutique recap

2011-05-26T11:10:00.000-05:00

what a fun night! it was a great success.

thank you to all the friends who braved the bad weather to come shop.

take a look at what we had to offer.

baby shoes and hair clips

fabric belts

clutches

felt flower art

dress up

sweetly yours

tiny fawn

didi did it

erin dobbins

thanks again to all the wonderful and talented ladies who made the night a success.

and a special thanks to christy ogden for supporting us and helping set up. you are amazing!

handmade boutique

2011-05-10T10:53:00.000-05:00

it's coming. my bedtime has been officially moved back. you can find me from 8-12 in my sewing room. usually i have my headphones in, listening to some sort of podcast or audio book.

actually, i'm looking for a new book. any suggestions?

ok on with the other ladies...

i am excited to have three other talented women joining me for the night.

dana carona, erin dobbins, lindsey garcez, and darrah gooden

dana is definitely a multi talented women. and we will get the pleasure of seeing what she and her sewing machine can come up with. i know she is bringing some cute twirl skirts, some rice packs (you know the ones you heat up and use when you are p.m.s.ing), and many other fun items made of new and vintage fabrics.

erin dobbins is an amazing artist. she is pretty darn legit. go look at her website and see for yourself. she will be bringing many of her famous prints and greeting cards. beauty on paper.

linsdey garcez has a great sense of style. and she is one crafty woman. you will def want to come see what she has to offer. she will be bringing some of the most adorable crocheted hair accessories and other goodies.

darrah gooden has recently created a line of children's illustrations you have to come check out. they are beautiful. darrah is a talented artist with a wide range of abilities. it will be worth checking out what goods she brings.

so if you get a moment, please stop by and take a look around. we would love to have you.

may 20th 6 to 9 at night. dallas, texas

my house (email for directions)

now back to that sewing machine and my headphones.

really, any audio book suggestions? fiction? anyone?

my silly boy

well, hello may

2011-05-04T23:46:00.001-05:00

may?! really?!

my friend dana pointed out that the majority of my last posts have all started with an apology for not blogging. so yeah. there's that.

let's move on... :)

i still have aprons. come and get them!

last november, after wilson's birthday and before thanksgiving, i hosted a handmade boutique in my home. it was such a fun night. women came to shop, have wine and be with friends. it was a totally success. thanks to all who came and supported us. here are a few pictures from the night.

so remember my friend in africa... apron girl... she is getting married! well she is technically a married woman in uganda. but she is having a traditional american wedding celebration in august and yours truly wants to go be a part of the celebration. that said, tickets to africa are expensive.

my last boutique helped raise half of the cost for a ticket. (thanks ladies!)

i'm gearing up to host another show in a couple weeks. i hope to raise the remainder of that ticket cost.

would you like to come be a part? i would love to have you stop by and say hello, grab some cheese and buy a little happy.

so mark your calendar May 20th. come stop by between 6 and 9. bring your friends.

would you send me an email if you need the address?

thanks friends.

stay tuned for more info on the other ladies who are joining me this time.

enjoy a little sneak peek.

see you soon!

aprons for africa

2011-02-27T22:32:00.002-06:00

ok it's time ladies. my sweet friend Alisha has given up her american life to serve children in uganda, africa. and what a good life she has now. she has dreams that need our support. dreams to change the school system. to give children hope. to show them love. she needs support. financially and through prayer. i don't have a lot of money but i can give my talent and time. so slowly i have been making some cute aprons with fabric from uganda. i have made enough to support her for almost two months. so i need your help. will you buy an apron? will you hear her story? i want to share her updates with you. so email me if you want to hear more specific details and needs that they have.

here are a few pictures that wouldn't fit on the apron website. go check it out. pray for alisha and africa.

www.aprons4africa.bigcartel.com

awful

2011-02-27T21:45:00.001-06:00

i'll tell you what... i've been awful at blogging. not surprising, huh?! well here we go again... my apology post or aka my token once a month post.
its tough to do all things well. and blogging just doesn't hold up when i feel like my plate is full. i have been working on a few things and have two kids so i've put it on the back burner. ok enough already.
some pictures....

we had some ice.

then we had some snow.

so we painted.

hope you get a chance to paint your hair.

dance class

2011-01-24T23:36:00.000-06:00

sara started a new dance class.

ballet and tap. my little girl owns tap shoes. what is happening?!

she is growing up so fast.

sara is taking with sweet felice and it has to be the cutest thing ever to watch two little leotard, pink tight wearing girls run up to each other and hug with such excitement. the cutest ever!

aunt sissy was able to share in the first day fun.

sara loves dance day!

the bay

2011-01-24T22:30:00.000-06:00

over christmas we were able to go visit my mom in mobile.

we had lunch with some dear friends and then walked to the bay. i miss the water. and my friends.

isn't the spanish moss beautiful?!

miss you girls!

christmas

2011-01-24T22:13:00.000-06:00

ok how cute are these kiddos?!

waiting to pass out gifts.

2 months

2011-01-21T15:13:00.000-06:00

so it's officially been two months since i left you blog world. really, two months, really? it felt like a month. but i'm posting today thanks to the sweet reminding texts sent by my sister who wants to see my kids and my life, right amy? i feel like i need to introduce myself or something...

hi. my name is magen and i'm a mom.
nice to meet you... again.

there you have it. i'm back.

wilson's first birthday party

2010-11-20T23:32:00.001-06:00

i love parties. i love planning for them. hosting them. watching all of the details come together. yes i'm a dork and i love parties.

i was super excited about wilson's first birthday party. over the past year i had been mentally filing away ideas for his carnival themed party. and everything from the weather to the health of the sweet boy came together to make a success! i really felt like wilson was celebrated well!

so here are a few pictures of the party. thanks to mary beth sudan! thanks mb!

we had hot dogs and nachos. caramel apples and apple spice cupcakes. peanuts and popcorn. it was a junk food extravaganza!

thank you to all of dear friends who came to celebrate our little man!

ps. i found my peanut and pickle bags and vending machine balls here

i've been busy...

2010-11-15T15:19:00.001-06:00

feeding my son cake.

i am just coming up for some air. we had wilson's first birthday party last night. and my mom and sis in law came to celebrate! it was the perfect night!

but i'll be holding my breath this week, as i sew like a crazy woman. i'm hosting a handmade holiday boutique this friday night at my house. mary beth sudan, erin dobbins, meg quinius robinson and i will be selling our stuff while sipping on wine and munching on cheese. email me if you are in the dallas area and are interested in the details. love to see you there!

ok, the sewing machine is calling my name.

i will be back with more party pictures later.

my sweet wilson

2010-11-10T08:00:00.002-06:00

dear wilson,

how can it be that you are one today?

it seems like yesterday we were anticipating your arrival and anxious to see your sweet little face. you came a week late with quite the arrival. 9 pounds 3 ounces of all boy!

you, little boy, are so special.

yes, your sister made me a mommy

but you have made me a better mommy.

you have won my heart. i love your sweet open mouth kisses. the way you throw your head back when i'm holding you. your clapping. your smile and giggle. your little body. and your sweet tender heart.

and today, the way you pulled my face towards yours to kiss my cheek, about broke my heart. you are a lovey little guy. please don't stop. never. ever. always kiss on your momma!

i am so blessed to be able to watch you grow up. i can't wait to hear your sweet voice. to tell secrets with you. to watch you make friends. to hear your thoughts.

wilson, i am filled with so much hope and excitement when i think of who you are becoming.

remember, i love you. and will always love you, my sweet boy.

happy first birthday little man!

love,

your momma

token state fair post

2010-11-09T12:05:00.001-06:00

i feel like each year i should post at least one post about the great state fair of texas.

and i'm behind this year.

i was browsing my pictures and realized i never posted.

so here it goes...

our dear friends came in town and went with us to the fair. we were so thankful they were able to come visit, even if their trip did involve getting sick. thanks deborah and phillip for hanging out!

we miss you guys!

so there you have it, my token state fair post! :)

oh yeah...

2010-11-09T11:07:00.000-06:00

my baby is turning ONE tomorrow!!

WHAT?!

how did that happen?

and we're back...

2010-11-09T11:05:00.000-06:00

so yeah, have you made the wreath? are you disappointed? i am.
mine droops.
the weight of the burlap pushes the ruffles down into one big mess. so the glue gun is coming out again. i think i'm going to have a glue party on the back of the wreath. and try to keep the burlap in place. we'll see. i'll keep you updated.

we had a great weekend at ryan's reunion. and a great time catching up with old friends and my sweet sister. thanks amy for all of your help!
i didn't get any good pictures. so you'll just have to trust me.

the 15% sale is over. there will be more i promise. thanks to all who ordered and have said kind things about the new shoes! i love them too!

and because it's strange to post without a picture... here's an order i am in love with.

fall wreath

2010-10-23T12:29:00.004-05:00

ladies (and gentlemen, i guess), you too can make this wreath.

just cut a long piece (or several long pieces) of burlap, unwind a coat hanger (growing up i called them coke hangers. funny, huh?!), have your husband shape it into a circle, and just "sew" down the middle of the burlap piece with the wire. then let your husband use his handy leatherman to twist the wire closed. next use fabric (or felt flowers would be darling!) and hot glue to make some fabulous twisted flower. hot glue those bad boys on and you have a new fall wreath. crafting with the husband is fun.

he really is a handy man, who isn't afraid to craft with his wife. he actually helped me make wilson's b-day invites. (that's a whole other story in it's self... let's just say the date changed. after i made 30 of them. and then changed again after i fixed 30 of them. so much for being on top of things.) anyway, do it ladies. buy some burlap and other assorted fallish items and make a wreath.

i'll take pictures of the process next time.

don't forget about the 15% off discount this weekend!

listed

2010-10-21T00:16:00.001-05:00

ok i did it. the shoes are in the SHOP. i'm i plan on working to add a few more soon.

(just as a little shop hint... choose the "shoe" category on the right to see all the new shoes)

my dear friend christy wrote a sweet post about the shoes HERE at her blog. i haven't listed those because i forgot to snap a picture of them before they went to their new owners. so hold out if you want those. the campbell shoe will debut soon.

also as a bonus for you guys... we are headed to ryan's ten year college reunion. in honor of my old hubby, i am offering a 15% off code if you order this weekend. just type REUNION in the discount code field during the checkout process.

the catch is... i won't be around until next week to finish and ship the shoes. so the turn around would be 7-10 days.

enjoy shoe shopping! :)

new shoes

2010-10-18T08:00:00.001-05:00

i had a day. i made these.
i heart them.
i love making them. i want to make more.
what some?
i'm going to add them to the shop soon. i'll let you know when.

wow. it's a short sentence kinda night.

s says ssssss....

2010-10-17T23:11:00.000-05:00

over the past few weeks sara and i have casually started to spend time learning the sounds of letters and working on other preschool skills (don't be impressed... things like cutting on a line and folding paper different ways. easy stuff.). she loves anything that i call "school". she is such a girl.

we've only made it through a and s. taking it slow people.

we made apple cake. used this recipe. it was yummy!

sara made apple people.

we sewed an "s".

i am so proud of my little seamstress. i think she's been paying attention.

see? pretty good, huh?!

so yeah, there's a little glimpse into our "school".

hope you had a relaxing weekend.

one month left

2010-10-10T23:53:00.001-05:00

where did a year go? this time last year wilson was in my tummy. weird.

i had to throw in some cute naked baby pictures. i don't want to forget his little body.

and i think this is just the cutest picture ever. what a great pair!

ramblings

2010-09-29T20:44:00.000-05:00

i feel chatty this morning.

ryan went kayaking with a friend. wilson is napping. and sara is deep into cooking up something tasty in her kitchen (probably birthday soup).

so i will now take out my "chattiness" on you, sweet blog friends.

random thoughts for the morning:

my sweet friend cindy gave me a shout-out on her blog yesterday. thanks cindy for the sweet encouraging words.

this is new favorite necklace. i got it for mothers day. you can find here. i like lisa.

i want to make this bread. i love beth.

i wish i could make cupcakes like these. better yet, i wish kelly was my neighbor.

i made these cute flowers last night while watching a movie with ryan.

i sewed one on sara's shirt this morning.

wilson is walking more than he is crawling. ten months people, ten months!!

i'm working on a new shoe design. can't wait to be finished and ready to sell them. just in time for fall.

(it's now wednesday... this post was written saturday. i forgot to publish it. go figure!)

enjoy the rest of your week!

winner, winner...

2010-09-20T22:47:00.001-05:00

ok ladies (and my husband) i know you have been waiting all day to find out who won the hair clip, right?!

we had a vomit filled night and morning. complete with fever and moaning.

sweet sara came down with something yuck as we were putting her down for bed.

but she is doing MUCH better now. so much so, that she wore her princess slippers to bed. crazy girl.

so that's why i didn't post earlier. i'm sure you were worried, huh?! :)

moving on.

the winner.

sweet linnae, you are the lucky winner! yay!

we knew she wasn't feeling well when she laid still enough to fall asleep on the couch.

sweet girl.

birthday. 10 months. giveaway.

2010-09-11T22:16:00.002-05:00

yesterday was my birthday. and my mom's. she is so kind to share her day with me. happy birthday mom.

i felt so celebrated.

my sweet friends from play group organized a little party with balloons and cupcakes.

thanks girls! you made my morning.

sweet ryan took care of every meal. that would have been a perfect celebration in itself.

not planning meals=good day.

but he also set up a babysitter in the afternoon (thanks stacy!) so he could take me shopping.

and then another babysitter (thanks amy and bob!) in the evening so we could go out to eat. perfect.

shopping and eating.

i felt loved!

also my sweet little man turned 10 months old.

he took his first step about three weeks ago. with more practice, he will be walking in no time.

s.l.o.w. d.o.w.n. sweet boy!

so in honor of all the milestones... birthdays and steps. i'm going to have a little giveaway.

want one of these?

comment on this post by September 19th and you'll have a chance to win a little treat.

good luck.

2010-09-09T21:23:00.000-05:00

chalk people

2010-09-03T12:12:00.001-05:00

we have been spending more time outside lately.

90 degrees feels so much better than 100.

so one afternoon last week we got the idea to trace our bodies and make chalk people.

sara just started to make silly faces. great, huh?!

she drew a cat.

see it's ears? so cute!

how are you enjoying the cooler (well, kinda) weather?

2010-09-02T10:29:00.003-05:00

bubble skirt. peasant top. feminine rose trim.

pretty cute, huh?

it's a custom order a friend ordered.

email me if you have to have one. i can make more.

dear banana,

2010-09-01T23:26:00.004-05:00

I am...

crazy for...

YOU!

yum.

thank you cards

2010-09-01T22:29:00.001-05:00

sara and i had fun making some birthday thank you cards.

the sweet girl made them "all by herself" (a favorite phrase around here these days). she did have a little momma help but by the end she became a card making machine. kids are such quick learners.

she LOVED the hole punch and brads.

the first one is a favorite!

thanks to all of family and friends who celebrated my little girl!

uh, where did august go?

sewed some stuff...

2010-08-11T23:43:00.000-05:00

and i have a few pictures to prove it.

birthday celebration

2010-08-11T23:00:00.001-05:00

ready for some pictures?

here is a picture story of how we celebrated sara's birthday.

we rode the dart train to the zoo.

we had a simple picnic (as we bathed in our sweat) and enjoyed our family and friends.

my sweet mom made the long trek to dallas to spend time with sara this weekend.

happy birthday my sweet three year old! i'm so proud of you.

9 months and such

2010-08-10T22:01:00.002-05:00

you are such a sweet baby boy.

you love your bat.

you love your sister (and whatever she is playing with).

you love to bounce and drum with your daddy.

we love you and are so glad you are a part of our family!

happy birthday sara girl.

2010-08-09T08:35:00.004-05:00

sweet sara,
i can't believe three years have passed since you made me a mommy. it has been such a joy to watch you grow up. i've been thinking about you lately and how much you have accomplished this past year. i am so proud of you. you endured some of the biggest changes in your short little life and you have faced them well.

you became a big sister (to a boy who just keeps growing and requiring more of your attention, love and patience),

you learned to sleep in a big girl bed (and now its hard to think of you in a crib),

you learned how to control your body fluids and use a potty (it took some time and tears but you did a GREAT job, sweet girl),

you watched your first world cup and cheered for the USA so well (although you often jumbled the letters and cheered for SUA or AUS),

you had your first experience with dance class (you can't hit a ball to save your life but you sure can dance!),

and you continue being such a blessing to your mommy and daddy.

we are so proud of you and are so excited to walk out many many more years beside you.

i love you!

love,

your mommy

happy 3rd birthday sweet girl of mine!!

8 months... better late than never

2010-08-08T23:35:00.000-05:00

i'm here. i just blinked and a whole month passed without a proper post. i had several thoughts of good posts but they never happened... you understand, right?!

so pretend that it is really JULY 10th.
look at my sweet boy.

2010-06-21T23:09:00.000-05:00

i LOVE my kids.

i HATE dishes and laundry.

it stinks that motherhood includes all of it.

it was one of those days, when i swear i have washed the same stinking dishes three times and i can't quite catch up on all of the folding before another load is started. and i snapped at sara. she forgave me and then told me she loved me. i cried. i was humbled.

i guess it's good in some strange way that motherhood isn't "easy". it helps me see that i am not complete. that my strength is not enough to make it through the day. i will snap. i will get bogged down in the stuff that needs to get done.

i need His love and grace and patience. i need His eyes to see what i am really depending on... me or Him. i depended too much on myself today. and then was reminded by my sweet girl that i need Him and His grace.

glad tomorrow is a new day.

happy birthday sweet man.

2010-06-17T08:38:00.001-05:00

you are the best.

sara moments

2010-06-16T21:34:00.002-05:00

here are a few moments from the past weeks i don't want to forget...

sara started her first dance class... really it's called "creative movement" and they run around with scarves in their hands and pretend to be flowers and butterflies. today she told me they were trees. i asked her to show me what they did, she pointed her toe and tapped it on the floor. i totally remember being trees in my dance class as a little girl. weird.

we went on a date. our neighbor's dance recital. it was too cute. and sara LOVED it.

not the best picture. but, sara and wilson have had the sweetest moments playing together.

watching tv.

playing in the rain.

finding a little cave in the bathroom.

painting our nails for a wedding.

7 months

2010-06-14T09:46:00.002-05:00

little boy started crawling about two weeks before he turned seven months old. first off, i can't believe he's seven months. and secondly, i'm not ready to baby proof or have a son who isn't content with a blanket full of toys. this past week he started to pull up on anything he can reach. seeing him pull up on the crib and cry as i put him down for a nap about breaks my heart. and this morning (as ryan was watching a world cup game) wilson pulled up on the coffee table and began walking around it.

SLOW down, sweet boy!

you only get to be a baby once... live it up!

the beach

2010-05-28T14:57:00.000-05:00

i could totally live at the beach.... if we didn't have to work... and we had several extra family members ready and willing to entertain my kids... and we had our own pool... and we had dinner cooked for us each night..... so yeah, not moving to the beach any time soon. too bad.

last week we spent the week in florida with ryan's family. it was so nice. i really felt relaxed and "vacationed" when we came back. so much so that i can't get my butt in gear. but you would be proud...i have done the laundry... AND folded it. (it's just sitting beside me as i type... in neat little piles... just crying out to be put away... i'm giving it the silent treatment)

back to vacation details... the weather was perfect. we never got rained out. no one got sunburned. sara and wilson did great and enjoyed both the beach and pool.

sara liked to start out in the pool and then make her way to the beach. wilson napped on the beach several times. they slept in the same room! (the first time in six months ryan and i haven't had a kid in our room! thanks stacy and rick!)

we had our pictures taken on the beach.

my favorite ever.

we visited seaside. sara pooped in her swimsuit. a couple times. thanks mom for potty training me. i appreciate it.

we saw crabs. lots. of. crabs.

we saw several fevers of stingrays. awesome.

sara and ryan built a "house" on the sand. they jumped from bed to bed.

wilson fell in love with balls.

we met the sweetest little boy! elias. sara was in love! she couldn't stop rubbing his head and calling him "sweet boy."

now we are back. ryan started a bar review course. everyday. 4 hours. they ask you to prepare an extra 7 hours a day. who do they think ~~we are~~ ryan is?!

we are putting together puzzles, taking walks and snacking on strawberries.

baby bedding

2010-05-27T11:50:00.000-05:00

just wanted to show some pictures of a couple cute cribs.

(say that ten times fast... couple cute crib... couple cute cribs... you get the idea)

it was fun working on both of these sets. it is always so rewarding to see the finished product.

finished...

2010-05-26T22:02:00.000-05:00

law school.

for the past three years we ryan has been in law school.

these three years will definitely be marked as one of the hardest times of my life. i moved (for the first time) away from my family with a 2 week old. my husband became engulfed in a world that i couldn't really be a part of. he had to learn how to schedule and study again. i had to learn how to be more gracious and loving. i had to make friends and learn a new city. and to top it off, we both lost some pretty important people in our lives and then added another last year. so. many. changes.

it has been a time of finding out what i am really made of ... and then finding God's grace to help me become who He wants me to be right now. i am leaving this season with a deeper understanding of life being one big process. there were definite times when i was disappointed in how i responded or handled situations and then times of rejoicing when i knew God had changed me and helped me.

i am so truly, without a doubt supposed to be married to this man. i have enjoyed walking through new seasons with him. i have loved being able to talk to him, share my heart and gain new/better perspectives. i have loved and been blessed watching him choose our children over his grades or reputation. and i have been honored to stand by him as he fought through this season.

ryan, i am SO proud of you.

you truly are a man after the things of God.

congratulations sweet man!

half of a year

2010-05-10T20:49:00.001-05:00

wilson, you are such a big boy.

i am so proud of you!

my mom

2010-05-09T17:59:00.000-05:00

what a great example of a good mother.

you trained me in the way i should go and i am forever blessed.

thanks mom!

our adbenture

2010-05-08T09:37:00.002-05:00

the other day we went on an "adbenture" (sara-speak for adventure)

sara wore her tutu... while we hiked... that silly girl.

she picked up every rock in her path.

we saw a bobcat.

i carried this sweet boy.

ryan thinks he looks like the son of Gilligan... right, huh?

while i've been away...

2010-05-07T22:21:00.003-05:00

wilson grew two teeth...

he learned how to sit up like a big boy...

he eats "solids"...

sara fell in love with dancing...

and wears her dancing skirts everywhere...

i sewed some baby bedding...

a matching pillow...

some birthday bibs...

a dress for sara...

one for her baby doll...

lots of orders...

and ryan FINISHED law school!!

so now we are soaking up daddy time...

going on family "adbentures" and just enjoying our time together

little girl...

2010-04-15T08:28:00.001-05:00

i love your sweet heart.

i love watching you grow-up and try new things.

i love the way you have patience and love for your brother.

i love the way you imagine.

little girl, i love you.

little boy...

2010-04-14T15:33:00.000-05:00

loves eating his toes and rolling over!

loves to melt my heart

and apparently loves to take only 45 minute naps!

(drives me crazy...until i see his sweet, sleepy, grin)

little boy, i love you.

5 months ago...

2010-04-10T09:05:00.001-05:00

we welcomed this little guy into our family.

2010-04-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

i miss this sweet man.

sara's easter dress

2010-04-07T16:13:00.011-05:00

i found a dress about a month ago that was so inspiring... simple a-line with a great gathered, ruffley piece down the front.

i couldn't get it out of my head.

until i finally made this fun dress.

i never found the "perfect" pattern so i winged it.

and so happy i did!

in the spirit of "winging it" i had to make a matching bunny for a certain little girl.

and one for a sweet little boy.

who preferred to eat his instead of making it talk to the other bunnies.

happy (two days late) Easter

2010-04-06T17:57:00.000-05:00

from our slightly cheesy, matchy family!

wilson milestones and "monkey put hay on him back"

2010-03-27T22:52:00.000-05:00

wilson hit the four month mark with a few milestones.

sweet boy (sara regularly refers to him as her "sweet boy") has successfully

mastered rolling over...

tasted "real food" (he is big into trying to pull whatever is in my hands to his mouth)...

sitting in the excersaucer and keeping himself entertained long enough for me to shower...

and talking (or screeching) for extended periods of time... just letting us know he is here and has a voice...

this little boy has brought such joy to our family. what a blessing.

now to explain the "monkey put hay on him back" part to the post... if you have held any sort of conversation with sara over the past couple of weeks i am almost positive she has told you about how she saw a "monkey put hay on him back" at the zoo. so, for all of those who have graciously tried to piece together this random story, here are some pictures to give you a visual.

here's the big guy himself... the "monkey"

"the monkey put hay on him back"

i love her

all aboard

2010-03-09T23:02:00.000-06:00

i've been missing lately. a little explaining.... i went to mobile to spend time with my mom... with two kids by myself. (not sure what i was thinking! but it was great and we all survived... not sure if the people in the hotel room next to ours did but hey, we win some and loose some, right?!) while there, i helped host a baby shower for one of my dearest friends... and now i'm in the process of sewing her baby bedding. i can't wait to meet baby eli!

after a week of traveling with two kiddos, it was nice to see the daddy! sara has clung to him since we have been back, constantly asking him to play with her.

the most recent activity of choice is building a "dinosaur train" with blocks. sara has fallen in love with the new pbs show dinosaur train. it's a cute show about this family of dinosaurs who travel on a train to meet other dinos... complete with a cheesy song that is always stuck in my head!!!

on sara's dinosaur train there is a special section for my little ponies and cinderella.

maybe one day there will be a little brother section.

he actually rolled over for the first time tonight... right after i left the house to go to a meeting. great. with the kid all day and he chose to have a "first" right after i left. good timing sweet boy.

oh well, at least his daddy was there to cheer him on!

bubble skirt and buffalo chicken dip

2010-02-15T18:46:00.003-06:00

i managed to make this bubble skirt for sara a couple weeks ago. works perfect with leggings now and will be great with chubby bare legs in the spring.

i also made this yummy stuff last week.

buffalo. chicken. dip.... yummy!

it was the perfect addition to a snowy day. find the recipe HERE.

look who's growing up... sweet boy.

snow day

2010-02-15T18:17:00.004-06:00

last thursday we experienced our first big snow.

did you notice the baby doll? goes with us everywhere!

three things i learned:

-always have kid gloves on hand (no pun intended)

-buy the rain boots that have been in the cart and returned to the shelf multiple times

-i don't think i could live in the snow :)

winner

2010-02-09T14:42:00.005-06:00

sara was able to take a break from decorating cookies to help me choose a winner from last week's giveaway...

notice the cookie crumbs?

our lucky winner....

robin!

we had quite the busy weekend...so please forgive my absence. (i was able to let robin know the good news a bit early!)

it was my nephew's first birthday. he had the cutest sock monkey themed party. i was able to get a few moments to make him a first birthday bib.... i love the way it turned it.

look at what happens when sara has wilson over for a tea party.

ps- thanks for all of the sweet comments about the shop!

it's open and a giveaway

2010-01-31T23:38:00.001-06:00

want one of these?

go visit my shop

then come back and tell me what you think or what's your favorite item.

your comment will put your name in the drawing for a new felt hydrangea hair clip.

the giveaway will end thursday (feb. 4th)

dallas friends... i'm not sure how to not charge some orders for shipping. so, if you want to order something without paying for shipping, email me your order and you can pick it up instead. email is on the right sidebar. hope to figure this one out soon.

the shop

2010-01-28T17:09:00.002-06:00

so i have toyed around with idea for some time and am ready to take the leap... i am opening a little shop. i want to have a place where i can sell things as i find time to sew. so go take a peek.

(click on the picture in the sidebar)

i'm still working on it and need to add a few more details. i plan on "opening" by the end of the weekend.

i haven't had a REAL shower since saturday

2010-01-27T15:57:00.051-06:00

and by "real" shower i mean the one you take sans kid, the one you shave your legs in, the one you use the good shampoo in, the one that you actually wash your whole body in (not just the restaurant you have been toting around on your chest), the one that takes long enough to actually steam up the bathroom. i had one of those glorious showers today...wednesday.

it has been quite the week. we started potty training on monday. potty training a two year old with a two month old on your hip (or boob) is kinda difficult. we have had many accidents and many half-accidents. but i am pleased to say after a heart to heart during lunch, she has been accident free.

we started the process by "training" her teddy bear (really it's wilson's but at this point, he doesn't know he has toys). the nice thing about training teddy bear was "giving" him his treats.

we had a birthday tea party for teddy bear.

i read the book potty training 1-2-3. my friend christy suggested it and after reading it, so would i. it really helped me prepare and have a good game plan.

sara and i went on a special trip to the store so she could pick out her potty training snacks and treats. i talked her into the oreos and sour cream and onion pringles. :) she also got to pick out her very own chap stick. it was a good day in that girl's life.

she picked "memo" (Nemo) fruit snacks for her big "i went in the potty" treat.

anyway, we have been "stuck" at home... enjoying the growing up process.

translated: i haven't needed to shower.

here's a freebie... enjoy this cute face!

two months = band-aids

2010-01-13T00:01:00.004-06:00

my sweet boy was initiated into the world of immunization this morning.

i can't believe how quickly these two months have flown by... which has caused this sad but sweet feeling in my heart... you know, the one that makes you want to cry anytime you look at your child in the eyes and the one that causes the waterworks to start the second they get giddy and want to snuggle in bed.

(side story (just made that phrase up :)... does it work?): sara said the CUTEST thing when i got in bed with her tonight... after ryan put her to bed, we heard her in the monitor singing, so i gave into the temptation to cuddle and i went in. i asked her what she was singing and she replied in a sweet quiet voice "i sing not, my hands singing"... love that girl... i asked what her hands were singing and she said "away in a manger" and preceded to sing the song for me... using her hands! cute, huh?!)

anyway, back to the whole i have a 2 month old, where did the time go, rant.
just look for yourselves and be amazed at how quickly he is growing.

he has started that sweet smiley, cooing, can't get enough of it, stage.
my sweet boy.
as i was mentally writing this post (i tend to mentally write more then actually write these days) i was reminded of a post i wrote over a year ago about sara's band-aids. it was fun to scroll down and read through past posts. but i realized my blog has been neglected lately and it went from a "sewing/crafty, look what i am making/selling" blog to a "hey, look at my kids" blog REAL fast. i am glad it's a mix of both because, let's face it, this mama isn't filling out any baby books.
so i love the idea of documenting sweet moments with my kids but, i do want to make more time to sew and sell stuff. so yeah, all that to say, i want to do all things well. and mothering two kids is more important and taking more time than i thought. but the new year inspires me to schedule and organize which will hopefully mean more consistent sewing/blogging time.

oh yeah, merry christmas.

2009-12-24T10:43:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas Eve!

handmade Christmas gifts

2009-12-24T09:24:00.008-06:00

i finished the gifts i made for wilson and sara just in time! i thought i would finish them up sooner but forgot how the definition of being "productive" has changed. instead of seeing how many things i can finish sewing in a morning, i'm counting how many diapers i can change between feedings! i'm being productive in other ways! but it feels good to be forced to sit and rest for 15-20 minutes every 3ish hours.

so for wilson, i made a color book. it was my first time to sew a cloth book and i really enjoyed it. i think i would have added more details if i had the time...next time.
(inspiration came from here and another blog i cant find now! sorry!)

for sara i made this...

i used this tutoria l.

it was such a fun project.
it would have taken less time if i had read the whole tutorial first. it took some thinking and tweaking but it worked out. and i LOVE the finished project!

and look who is moving in...

a miniature version of our family.

i also painted these girls for some sweet friends of ours.

can't wait to give sara her gifts!
and i'm sure she'll be more then willing to help wilson open his.

christmas?

2009-12-12T15:27:00.004-06:00

i love this picture. can you see where she is putting that light? up her nose!
what did i do? like any good mother, i grabbed my camera! :)
what a crazy girl!
i can't believe Christmas is in two weeks. i have been working on a couple handmade gifts for sara and wilson. hopefully i will finish them up this weekend and share with you.
enjoy the weekend!

new baby smell...

2009-12-04T22:44:00.015-06:00

i can't get enough of it. it's been 3 weeks of snuggling, nursing, being late everywhere, staying at home more, changing outfits multiple times a day, kissing a sweet boy's neck, juggling two kid's needs and remembering to rest.

this little boy has been perfect. he snuggles quite well. and have i mentioned he smells like a dream!? he is so mild mannered... i think i've heard him cry a total of 10 minutes. and he seems to like his sister saying "hi" repeatedly in his ear multiple times a day. he's a trooper!

i feel so favored and blessed to have such a beautiful family.

wilson's entry into the world was quick but a bit rough. i started contracting around 2:30 monday morning. but, i didn't want it to be false labor again so i tried to ignore them... i even took a tylenol. crazy, huh?! after a couple hours they were getting stronger and quicker. so, i woke ryan up and we started the whole "call everyone and get in the car" routine. we were at the hospital by 5:30 and i was ready to push by 7. my doctor came in the room at 7 and 4 pushes and 14 minutes later, wilson made his debut. but the poor guy had the cord wrapped around his neck twice, lots of bruising on his face from being pushed on my pelvis and a broken collar bone. apparently, broken collar bones during labor are pretty common. and there isn't much you can do for them. he had his arm in his onesie (like a sling) for many days, but now it is healed and he moves his arm freely. we are grateful that he is healthy and doing well!

my sweet mom came to help us for a week. i was on top of the world... LONG hot showers, clean clothes and dishes, happy toddler, flowers planted in my garden (yes, my mom... super woman... brought some pansies to plant with sara!), several quick outings with my husband and good conversations. it was hard to watch her leave and can't wait to see her again.

ok, back to nursing.

wilson isaiah

2009-11-15T10:07:00.004-06:00

look who's here!

Wilson Isaiah Quiroz
November 10, 2009
7:14 am
9lbs 3oz
21 1/4"

"due date" date

2009-11-06T14:52:00.007-06:00

my sweet sister in law offered to watch sara this morning. so, ryan and i jumped on the opportunity to go hang out ... aka walk briskly... downtown.

we found this great barbecue place, dr. bells. maybe this doctor can help me along with the labor process...

this was all mine.

but, i left room for this beauty.

when we drove up to our home, sara was out playing... she looked so old to me today. sad.

i french braided her hair for the first time and surprisingly, she didn't pull it out. it's so fun having a girl.

so, today is my due date. 40 weeks. this kid has been cooking for quite awhile, huh? 40 weeks seems like an eternity until the end and then it seems like it went by so quickly.
if you asked me earlier this week i would have told you that i would be holding my little kicker by today. i have been contracting ever since tuesday. they got pretty consistent and hard so we went into the hospital, only to find out that i was still 4cm dilated and making no progress. they died down and we went home. it was so defeating. so as a result, my days have been filled with walking and trying any other old wive's tale in hopes that this baby will come before he's 9 pounds.
i've been enjoying the past few days, though. they have been gorgeous and filled with lots of sara and ryan time. so, i guess it was nice to have a false alarm...
now our bags are packed.

married?

2009-11-06T14:40:00.000-06:00

a conversation we had the other night while cuddling in bed...

sara: "mommy, you get married?"

me: "yes, i married daddy"

sara: quietly thinking..."i marry j."

hands

2009-11-02T22:54:00.002-06:00

i love these hands. they are changing so quickly. it's bittersweet.

i remember when she didn't know what to do with them and how they were such a source of frustration.

now, they are being mastered and helping her actually do the things she thinks of... they are helping show us who she is and what is going on in that brain of hers.

it reminds me of motherhood... something that you fumble around with at the beginning... you see other great women/mothers and want to be like them... but you can't quite do it as well. you have to practice and master the skills... learn how your "fingers" work together and how to handle all that is required. but then it begins to click and you forget those first days or months of struggle and you begin to thrive....

i'm afraid i'll be re-visiting those days again soon. days filled with learning how to balance it all and being in survival mode. having two children seems so daunting somedays, but i'm hopeful and excited about the time when i look back and realize how far i've come, how much i've learned, and how much i can do with my "hands".

2009-10-22T15:03:00.003-05:00

i'm so thankful for this man.

things sewn for the room

2009-10-18T20:13:00.001-05:00

so here they are, room pictures... well, kinda... as i am uploading these pictures of sara and baby boy's new room, i realized i didn't take any good full room pictures. so maybe, (if you're lucky and i don't go into labor before i get around to it) i'll post better room pictures later. but for now, you can enjoy some pictures of the things i made.
and as an added note i'm not sure why my pictures are looking really grainy... so forgive the picture quality. any ideas?

this is over sara's bed. she is really into tea parties these days, so a tea pot and cup were perfect for her. since they have been hung, they have been taken off and "used" several times.
the print is from Sarah Jane. love her stuff... so cute and simple

this next picture is what is hanging over the crib. forgive the lack of artwork in the frame. this picture is ordered and on its way. and in the other frame there are ultrasound pictures (hung upside down) waiting to be replaced with new baby pictures.

and here is the little kicker's bedding. i fell in live with this brown polka dot. it is such a perfect color of brown... not too dark but not khaki
i took off the brown sheet and replaced it with a green one... it was too dark.
if you look close enough you can see the curtains... the same green that is on the bed skirt.

and this is sara's quilt top. it is somewhere in north carolina being quilted as i type (i hope). i didn't have the guts or the machine to quilt a twin size quilt... i decided to leave that to the professionals... but hey, i made the top and the back so i can say i half-way made it... right?
can't wait to see it finished!

so there you have it... some things i've been making for my kids. wow, i can add an "s" to kid. weird.

almost done

2009-10-17T08:01:00.003-05:00

this little guy is almost done cooking!
he is measuring quite large... 40 weeks actually... the doctor says he should be 8lbs. right now (we'll see if she is right!)
so, it could be any day....
i'll be cleaning and sewing until that day comes :)

state fair...again

2009-10-16T15:18:00.006-05:00

i had to post a few more pictures from the state fair.
enjoy!

sara and jayden's first fair ride...
look who's missing in the next picture.

sweet sara had a major meltdown and had to be taken out of the boat... so sad. but thankfully we got our tickets back.

howdy folks!

2009-10-15T14:46:00.001-05:00

we went to the state fair a couple of weekends ago with ryan's family... and last week... and this past wednesday! it was fun to be able to go several times with sara. she loved it!

she has not stopped talking about the animals, the dancing dogs (yes, we saw a canine freestyle dancing show...and it was as hilarious as it sounds!) and big tex (she calls him big texas or texas). here are a few pictures from our trip with ryan's family...

don't you love the way sara is pretending to "feed" the bunny?!

rewind

2009-09-30T14:10:00.007-05:00

due to my lack of blogging over the past months, i felt the need to share a few pictures of our summer adventures. bear with me as i catch up...

did i tell you that we were switching rooms around here? or better put... my sweet husband switched the rooms? and now i am trying, in my 34th week of pregnancy, to put them back in order. hopefully by next week... right?!

oh yeah, following up on new bed news...
many good naps taken... few missed and one that is being avoided by the little toes that are sticking out from under the door as i type

big day

2009-09-23T14:19:00.003-05:00

look at what was delivered (and assembled...thanks to land of nod and their great delivery service!) yesterday. sara got her very own big girl bed. isn't it the cutest little girl bed?!

she was quite happy to see this in her new room.

i think she is more excited about playing under the covers then the actual sleeping idea.

can you tell how sleepy her eyes are... she never napped because the guys came during her nap time... she fell right to sleep!

after a little of "holding" daddy time!

but naps are a different story...as i type away, i can hear a little one trying to open a door. we'll see how this goes. good thing the crib is vacant.

soon i'll show you what i have been making for the new room.

thanks pawpaw for the great birthday present! she LOVES it!

giveaway... finally!

2009-09-18T17:21:00.003-05:00

i took a last minute weekend trip to see my sweet family before the little kicker comes. so, it has taken me a few days to get to the giveaway. but this afternoon i had a little helper who picked two lucky ladies to get a new fall flower broach!

isn't my mom's new bedding beautiful and dreamy!

my little helper hands!

yay for kath and amy!

have a great weekend!

Happy Birthday Mom! ... and a giveaway!

2009-09-10T15:39:00.007-05:00

Happy Birthday to the best mom and Gigi in the WORLD!

mom, it has been amazing to walk through these past years with you. you have always been an encouragement and a blessing to me and my family. especially in those first days/months of being a new mom. you were always so willing to listen to my complaining! and then encourage me to be who i am created to be. you are, by far, the bravest and strongest woman of God I know. this year has given me a new appreciation for your strength and your beauty. you have always been honest, vulnerable and willing to let me be apart of your process. thanks! we love you and miss being able to hug you everyday! hope you feel loved and cared for today!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

in honor of all the birthdays (my sweet mom and i share the same birthday...fun, huh?), i'm going to have a little giveaway. leave a comment by next wednesday september 16 to get your name in the hat and you might be the lucky winner of a fun, fall-ish flower broach.
good luck!

a top for sara

2009-09-08T16:17:00.007-05:00

i have been eying this top tutorial and never found the energy or time to make it. not that i had the time the other night, it was 10:30ish when i pulled all my stuff out. but, i knew that if i didn't make this top now, i never would... i was pretty happy with they way it turned out ...although, i think next time i will move the sleeves in a little closer towards her neck.

hope you are enjoying the week!

sara and jayden... they love each other! don't they look so grown-up?

starting our "school"

2009-09-07T15:03:00.000-05:00

did you feel the change in the air over the past few weeks? school starting. i was able to spend a few days down at the school helping my sweet friend Renee. this time reminded me of this post and how nervous i was this time last year. (i can't believe it has been a year!)

being the nerd i am and missing the school environment, i have decided to start a little school of our own. really it's no school by any means but just an excuse to buy supplies and spend scheduled one-on-one time with sara. i know with baby boy coming i will be home in the mornings and wanted to find something that sara and i could work on and kinda "force" me (you know, keep me accountable) to spend a little time focused on her.

so, i looked around and was VERY inspired by many blogs... but kind of overwhelmed. there are endless resources available, endless ideas for toddler-ish activities and endless amount of "stuff" you can buy! so after realizing that i would have a hard time starting and staying organized, i bought the first month of the itty-bitty bookworm curriculum to try out.
all this to say that we are on a very loose 2 year old schedule. i dont think it is important for her to "learn" much by the end of this time. i just wanted something fun and easy with some sense of direction.

basically, we are focusing on a color and a shape each month. the itty-bitty stuff uses 2 books per month and have several suggested art-ish projects to go along with them. I don't know if i will buy more months... not sure if i'm ready for that much of an investment. maybe when sara is three or four. i hope to get in a groove and just use the books we have and the wonderful world of the internet... who knows.
i wanted to share with you guys some pictures of our "school times"...

for this project we sorted and crushed up fruit loops, then we "painted" with glue and a Q-tip and added the colorful "sand"

the end product...
for this project we colored "circles" (coffee filters) with markers, then used pipettes to drip water on them. it made a kind of tie-dyed effect...

i'm learning that it is all about the process for a two year old... not so much about the product.

also, we have this chart hanging on our fridge reminding us of the color and shape of the month. she has enjoyed seeing them and moving them from row to row.
the cards are from this great website... montessori for everyone and the chart was a dollar bin find from target

nine weeks

2009-09-04T14:11:00.005-05:00

have you ever had one of those weeks when you blink and it's over? this has been one of them for me. "where did the day go?" was asked multiple times by bed time on many days. i don't know if it's trying to hold on to this time before it changes that makes it feel like it is going by too quickly or an unrealistic idea of what i should be getting done in one day. but anyway, it's going by too fast!

nine weeks...
that's all that is left of my sweet time with only sara.
nine weeks...
of having only one child to plan a day around.
nine weeks...
to prepare for a sweet new boy.
nine weeks...
left to dream about what this little kicker looks and feels like!
only nine weeks...

sara turned two

2009-08-25T16:31:00.005-05:00

it is hard to believe, but my sweet little girl turned two. and with turning another year old has come countless requests to watch "cind-ray" (Cinderella) and play in her "krutchen" and many emotional break downs (for both us- remember pregnancy hormones going on in this body!)

here are a few pictures from the party...

the sweet birthday girl... since her party, she has asked ryan to sing "happy birthday" as part of the bedtime routine... think she loved being celebrated!

This sweet gift was delivered right during the party by the mail man... perfect timing. my talented friend Kath made it. you should go check out her stuff... wiggles and giggles
it's too cute! thanks kath!

She has spent endless hours cooking her babies food at her new kitchen. Thanks Gigi!

not sure why the pictures are so grainy... sorry
is anyone interested in buying any pink birthday decorations?

i'm here

2009-08-25T16:16:00.003-05:00

it has been awhile, huh? I have wanted to and thought about it often, but when it can down to it, i never got around to writing a new post. but here i am.... ready to get back into the world of blogging, ready to share about my sweet family and ready to show you what i have been sewing.

a lot has happened in the months i have "been away" ... so here it goes... it won't be too long, i promise...

my sweet daddy passed away on April 9th, after battling cancer for several months. it was a difficult time but i know he was ready to rest.

during that time we found out we were expecting! it was exciting and bittersweet all at the same time. we have recently found out that it is a boy and due November 6th.

my sweet sister-in-law gave birth to the cutest little boy, Samuel Joseph, in February. and Sara and I have had the pleasure of hanging out with him three days a week. it has been such great practice for all of us!

Sara turned two! can't believe it! we had a small celebration with bubbles and burgers.

And Ryan started his last year of law school last week!

So a lot has been going on.
We enjoyed the summer... sad to see it go. but i am ready to start this new season of baby preparation and new projects.

sorry for taking forever to post and update this space... but i'm back and ready to share some pictures... so stick around.

backyard baby

2009-03-10T21:29:00.001-05:00

hello and cross stitching

2009-03-09T20:53:00.006-05:00

we are back in mobile for ryan's spring break. just stopping by to say hello.

i've been thinking about cross stitching lately...take a look at these...

hanging in my mom's foyer

a table cloth from canton

the quilt i just bought from canton... only $9 (can you believe it!)

the pillowcases i made for sara's big girl bed (not needed yet but soon, i'm sure)

my little big girl...

the new car

2009-02-23T00:35:00.004-06:00

look at what the mailman brought us last friday. sara was so excited! every time she sees it it's like christmas morning! thanks caden for letting us try yours out first.

just wanted to show you what sara has been practicing... that's right ... climbing out of her bed! she has not quite mastered throwing her other leg over... yet!

have a good week!

can you say,...

2009-02-20T23:52:00.003-06:00

cat... dog... momma... milk... lily... sissy...you get the idea.

this phrase has been said a lot lately. sometimes it just takes asking her to find out the new words she knows.

on our way to mobile i was repeating my family names... uncle asher... Gigi... uncle mike... aunt amy... grandpa. so, at one break we were hanging out in the car, playing our little game and i asked "can you say grandpa?" her response -"paw paw"- in the most sweet little country accent. there we were, sitting in the sonic parking lot laughing and repeating paw paw, paw paw, paw paw. i was so happy she said his name... it was so sweet. it melted my heart. i would say something about grandpa and she would say "paw paw" and walk back to my dad. and my sweet dad would say "i heard that" so proudly!

we are back from our visit. back to cleaning up dishes, avoiding laundry piles (clean clothes of course) and back to our home.

it was such a sweet time spent with my parents. it was nice just to be there... just being. i had a good talk with my dad that i will never forget. and spent some good time just being with my mom.

here's my little cutie... sporting pig tails...

my dad

2009-01-20T22:33:00.011-06:00

i love that man. this picture is one of my favorites... not sure why... maybe it's the look of playfulness that's between us, like i was trying to take something from him or trying to tickle him...or maybe it's the awesome clothes we were sporting... i'm not sure what was actually happening in the picture or why it was taken, but i'm glad it was.

my dad's health has been declining over the past months. it started out being his liver that needed to be replaced and being put on the transplant list was the solution. then, as the doctors looked further it was cancer... a very rare kind that the hospital had only seen one slightly similar case of. so off to another doctor, who finally said last week that, even if they had a million dollars, there is nothing they can do.

so this is where i am ... in the midst of telling my dad goodbye, as he is in hospice care for pain management...i was telling sara today as we walked out of the store while she was crying and reaching for the ladies she was leaving, "goodbyes are ok... we will see them again." i got in the car and lost it... realizing this is what God has been telling my heart for the past week. goodbyes are ok and i will see him again. i don't understand this part of the journey, why things like this hurt so deeply... but i trust Him.

thanks for listening.
i am going to spend time with my family... to soak up my dad and love on my mom. just wanted to update you on my life and let you know i am pushing back taking orders for awhile...

i'm back...

2009-01-19T23:03:00.008-06:00

from my self imposed blogging break (sorry for the absence) and a fun weekend with a dear friend. (my first away from my baby... big weekend!)

a few months ago my friend, Alisha, sent me a huge box of African fabric. the plan was to turn it into cute aprons to sell and help raise money for her work with Christopher House Ministries.

after the holidays, i finally had some time to finish a batch of aprons and flower broaches (with the help of some sweet friends- thanks Dana and Christy!)

so i hopped on a plane with a dozen aprons and headed to Alisha's this weekend to kick off this idea (and spend much needed time with a friend). her roommate, Erin, (who has the sweetest collection of tea cups) hosted a great tea party in honor of her new home and the Aprons for Africa trunk show! it was a fun time of meeting wonderful women and sharing a bit of my talent to raise money for someone i love.

here are the pictures of the finished project...

go take a look at my friend's blog.... Alisha on Location ... you won't be disappointed

p.s.- it was a huge success... thanks!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T22:50:00.006-06:00

hope you had a relaxing and enjoyable day.

we drove to Mobile to spend time with my family... it has been so fun just hanging out and watching sara interact with everyone.

wanted to share this sweet picture of a christmas tea party...

enjoy the holidays!

p.s. i'm really enjoying the collage function on picasa...can you tell?

2008-12-16T15:56:00.003-06:00

look what fun we had this morning! we invited some sweet friends over to have a Christmas pajama breakfast party. thanks to them for braving the cold weather to have a such a memorable morning!

missing aunt sissy

2008-12-15T01:21:00.005-06:00

isn't she pretty? i miss her face and her help and her movie quoting self! it has been quite sad to not have her around... it was such a treat to have my little sis live with us over the past 3 months. (not only for child care but also for our relationship)

she had the crazy idea of going to breakfast in our pajamas on thursday.. so we got up and threw on our slippers and went around the corner to have a great breakfast...

i'm so glad sara got to spend so much time with her!

we will miss her... but i am so proud of her and can't wait to see what happens next!

i sewed a few Christmasy things this week... take a peek...

and you know there is a toddler in your house when you find this...

oh, Jesus in a tea cup!

my new toy

2008-12-09T23:44:00.004-06:00

i know you all have been wondering what i am doing with all of my new found free time (yeah right, huh?) .... well yesterday i accomplished so much... i worked on a couple sewing projects for myself and sara (will post later), had coffee and lunch with my sis, washed and put back on my sheets (the whole making the bed after washing the sheets thing gets me every time!), helped my hubby study for an exam (ask me anything about the Model Rules and a lawyer's professional responsibility and i might be able to answer), ordered Christmas cards, and began taking apart the mile high pile of laundry sitting in my bedroom...
and i have been spending time learning how to work this thing....

yes, my sweet and thoughtful husband gave me this for graduation.. along with some flowers and a cheesy yard sign! i have been taking way too many pictures of nothing...

my sweet model... sara was in bed... and i had to practice!

love, love, love this little girl!

i will take some pictures of my sewing and post soon...
hope you are doing well