glue sticks and kleenex

i did it today... i finished my first day of student teaching. walking to school this morning i wanted to barf up the banana i was nervously eating. i felt like a giddy school girl... so ready to meet my cooperating teacher, worried if she would like me, and if we would get along. needless to say, she didn't bite me or stare at the big red zit that decided today was a good day to make a visit. i really liked her. she was energetic and funny and really had compassion for the kids in our class. she really appreciated all the quirks that each kiddo had. and oh, they had them... it was such a great bunch of eager second graders who were not afraid to show their personalities!

i remembered what i love about the classroom... the smells (come on- you know the glue sticks, the crayons, new school shoes, the muggy closets that are painted shut... all of it), the colored paper just ready to be cut up, pencil sharpeners, all of the ready minds waiting to learn more and find out all of the simple things about you... where do you live? how many brothers and sisters do you have? do you like to read?...

but it was a bittersweet day... the beginning of a new adventure full of learning and teaching ... but also one of separation and sadness... i left my baby for the longest time ever... honestly, the day was so packed full that i hardly thought about her... knowing she was with my sister and right down the street was quite helpful... but it was when i came home i realized my heart was quietly hurting to see her face and hold her little body... what a treasure it has been to be able to spend so much time with her...to flip through books and bang on drums... to clean up a box of dominoes fifty times a day.... mind you i haven't always been the mom i dreamed i would be....but today helped me appreciate even more the opportunity i have to stay at home with her....

the year is young (well the school year) and many dreams have been dreamt for what it will bring and i hope i get to play a part in helping some of them come to pass or at least, help someone discover their dreams....

swings, stairs and sweet tea

just a few things we've been up to these days...

so i've seen this invitation floating around the blog world lately... i saw it a few months back here and when the opportunity arose to use it my friend and i jumped all over it... i love the way they turned out... simple yet special.

also we have our new friend here (my little sister)... we are having lots of fun getting into the groove of having her here... we love you amy

sweet tea on the front porch

lots and lots of going up and down stairs

aren't her chubby thighs the greatest?!

more birthday party fun

here are a few more pictures from last saturday....enjoy!

think she liked her cake?!

i have a one year old

so i still feel like i'm in a fog of birthday mist.... i couldn't have done it without my family.. i am sad that they are leaving in the morning but happy they are leaving my little sister here for a while. i feel so blessed to have her come live with us this semester and spend time with sara. it's comforting to know that sara will be spending time with someone who will always be in her life and love her... anyway we are going to go through a bit of transition ... (new person in our house, new baby routines, schooling after a year and a mommy who hasn't left her baby for a whole day...) but i am very excited and happy with the new adventure that is unfolding... ok back to party stuff
i focused on yellow and white as our color scheme (can you tell?) with a bit of cupcake touches. i always debate when planning things like this as to how far i should take the whole theme/color scheme... but i decided that i hadn't done much for sara (no baby book, no big announcements...etc.) so i thought it would be nice to actually do all the things i think about. which in reality i still had to turn off my brain and the ideas that kept coming but i am so happy with the way it turned out and how fun it was to spent time with our friends and family.

the food table minus the burgers

first birthday bib

dessert and party favor table

more dessert/candy table

i wish i had taken a better before picture of sara's cake but i didn't... oh well... you can see it here in the middle- the huge cupcake... i found the mold here and at michael's ... it really wasn't that hard to make and sara loved it...

more pictures to come!

ps. i got placed for my student teaching at the school two blocks away! SO excited to get to walk to school and be close to home!

happy anniversary! (a day late)

happy anniversary Ryan!

it's crazy to think that it was four years ago that i was getting married... sometimes it seems just like yesterday and on others it seems like a century ago... make sense? anyway, it's been fun. and i would do it over all again... ryan is always able to make me laugh, put things into perspective and always willing to love over all else. thanks for loving me well ryan!

this was me last year on our anniversary... about to pop (i had sara 3 days later!)

and this was us four years ago! what a great day... cool (in august!...miracle) and filled with friends and family.

hope you have a good weekend... family is coming tomorrow and we are going to be celebrating a one year old!

forgive me?

so i didn't realize to has been over twenty days since i last posted... please forgive me? i could give you a list of excuses but that's no fun ... i was busy with life.... sorry

the big news around here is that a certain little one i know is turing ONE! can you believe it? these were sent out a while ago and yellow has taken over my mind and crafting world.

more pictures to come after the big day... i promise.

also my sweet parents are coming to join the celebration. and my sister is coming to be a huge help while i'm in school! can't believe the summer is coming to a close.... it happened so quickly.

ok i'll be back before the end of next month.... i hope! :)

we're back and last day for orders

swimming time

lots of daddy time!

house full of kiddos!

we're back! had such a great time...it's so relaxing to be on the lake with nothing to do for a few days... thanks Rob and Christy for setting up yet another great time to hang out... Sara had a fun time swimming in a big pool for the first time! and enjoyed watching the older kids walk around... she's thinking about the idea of walking... we'll see. also she clapped for the first time... SO cute!

ok a little bit of business.... i only have one semester of school left to get my bachelors degree and i have this great opportunity to have my little sis come out and watch sara for me while i finish -so i really feel like i need to take the opportunity and go back to school... but i can't have custom orders during that time and keep my sanity... so july 18th is the last day i am going to take any orders... in a perfect world i would have a bunch of shoes already made and ready to be sold ...but i don't... as i find time i plan on sewing and posting the things i have to sell... i hope you understand and will still check my blog often to see what i have been up to... and see when i plan on returning to the great big world of custom orders. thanks for listening!

hello

the ever-popular Larrah set

the Larrah with blue

Diaper Clutch with matching pad

lots and lots of this going on around here.... a future reader maybe?

it's been a while... there have been many new happenings in our home and i have been a little consumed. but i wanted to say hello and show a few of the orders that i've worked on lately. and what the little one has been up to....
we are going out of town this week to spend time with some dear friends. will return with pictures!

teethers

they are in!

well kinda... there's one little straggler that's peeking his little head out but is not fully in... but my baby officially has eight teeth! can you believe it?! eight? i feel like getting teeth is the mark of pre-toddlerhood- that and cruising around the room.... she has been quite the cutie lately.

lots and lots of sewing going on around here! thanks for the orders!

i'm thinking of taking a break soon... need to enjoy the husband and his summer break... so if you are needing anything soon- email me with an order!

have a great week!

teething...

enough said. when i think about our life this past week, this picture pops up in my mind. we have gone though a lot of tears and tylenol over the past week. for four days straight sara ran a low temperature and has not wanted me out of her sight. it was kinda nice to have a little one who just wanted to be held all day and lay her head on my chest. but i'm over it now... ready to get back to normal (but what is normal with a baby?)

so needless to say, blogging was pushed to the back burner :) sorry

but i have been sewing. thank God for morning and afternoon naps!

thanks to all who have placed orders over the past couple of weeks! it has been fun creating some new things and making some oldies but goodies.

want to see what has been created in my dining room?

look what's blooming at my house...

yo-yo flowers! i can't tell you how satisfying it is to make these little flowers. they are the perfect embellishment for anything girly. my friend lauren inspired me to make these little cuties. i hope you like them lauren, ava, and sophia! i am selling them for $4 a pair. the flower design comes in blue (shown) pink and white. the possibilities are endless and my mind is already full of ideas. if you have any hair clip
needs let me know and i can see what i can come up with.

$4 a pair + $1 for shipping or free shipping with any other purchases

happy wednesday!

will work for order

i want to stand on the corner with a sign announcing that i will sew anything for anyone who wants to come organize my sewing/guest room. it has become a disaster. at this moment the bed is nonexistent and the floor is being taken
over with piles of "oh these fabrics look good together."
anyone up for a challenge?

there is a bed under there... i promise!

this is the reason i have invaded my dining room. both machines don't fit.

and just for kicks....
thought i would share the newest pictures of the little one.
these were taken this past weekend at the arboretum. she is wearing one of my old dresses. i love that my grandma's hand work has survived all these years and is still being enjoyed. isn't it a great dress?

home again, home again, jiggity-jog

i'm back... reading from this post's title i'm sure you can guess from where... i am home again from going back home again. ha that's confusing. it was so good to be with my family for the past week. i love watching my brothers and sister interact with sara. from peek-a-boo sessions to backyard pool time, my family never stopped playing with her. i love the way my mom sees every little quirk in sara's personality and appreciates it. i love how she never stops telling what she loves about her (toes, head, thighs, personality) it was nice to be around people that know me. But it was hard to be away from the one i love. i had to go through a big growing up process when we moved this past year to dallas. i had to remember and love that i chose ryan over my family. it doesn't void my family's importance or need to be with them but i am in love with and ultimately want to be where ryan is. so it was so nice to come home (to a clean one-thanks ryan) and reconnect with ryan. now that he is done with school i don't know what to do with myself. any bit of routine we had from before is out the window. we are soaking up all the free time. we have plans to organize the scary parts of this house and have many movies we need to catch up on. so all that to say- it is good to be home.
enjoy these moments from last week...
Sara went to the beach for the first time. She loved it! She spent most of her time crawling around in the sand and water.... watching the sand fall through her fingers... so cute

thanks kath for getting some good pictures!

Aunt Sissy with Sara... thanks for hanging out with us Amy!

my dad reading to Sara... one of the few things she will sit still for these days

my sweet family! it's good to be home and enjoying time with Ryan.

have a good weekend!