Aged Essence

PLEASE VOTE FOR MY LITTLE LELA!

2010-01-09T07:42:00.000-08:00

Vote here before the end of the day, Sunday 1/10. Hurry....that's tomorrow... and the winner gets $1000. Y0u can log onto the site through facebook or your email, OR BOTH! And feel free to post this on your own site, blog, facebook, etc. The more, the merrier!!

Dear Baby Lela

2009-10-18T16:43:00.000-07:00

You are one month old. You have grown so much in a month. I really wanted to write you a letter every week for the first month, but time quickly escaped me and truth be told, I'm a little late with this one, too. I have been documenting everything on your baby calendar and that helps me to look back at the last few weeks and reminisce.
So much has happened in one month. Your Papa turned 50, but we didn't get to see him because he was away on a trip and when he came home he was sick:( Daddy had a birthday, too. We made him a really cool travel mug with your picture on it and got him a digital frame for his desk at work. Now he'll get to see you all day! Mommy and Daddy also celebrated their first anniversary. We went back to the museum where we were married and Nana stayed at home with you. You went to your first hockey game and loved listening to the guys yell and the sound of the puck being hit. You stayed awake and, although you couldn't see anything, you listened contently the entire time. We're thrilled you liked it, as there's sure to be many more in your future!

We took you for your newborn picture session, but you screamed the whole time so we had to leave early. Nana and I took you to Target for the first time, but you screamed, again, almost the whole time! You lost your umbilical cord after just 1 1/2 weeks. It hung on for about a day by just a tiny piece or two, but finally fell off without either of us knowing. Mommy found it on the rug in your room just a little while later. Ick!! We saved it though. How could I get rid of your little life line. It connected us for nine whole months.You had your first 'real' bath, which you thoroughly enjoyed, but were certainly a bit unsure of at first.

You are developing quite a personality, and sometimes what one might even call an attitude :)!! When you don't get what you want, when you want it, you are sure to let us know...along with everyone else on the street. You had your first fussy day, all day! My goodness girl!! Mommy is pretty sure that it corresponds with our attempts at giving you formula at night. You don't mind the formula and you don't mind a bottle, and you don't really even have any trouble going between the bottle and Mommy. But that formula makes your belly very upset! :( It breaks Mommy's heart to pieces to watch you clench your fists and grunt in agony. You tense up and turn red and it's so frustrating to not be able to help you. We've tried a few different formulas, but nothing seems help. The problem is Mommy will never sleep if we don't do this and unfortunately, as well as nursing is going...pumping isn't.

You love to sleep like this on your Boppy in the crib. We know it's not safe to leave you sleeping unattended on the Boppy, so Mommy just sits and watches you. And, of courses, takes pictures!

You also went to your first doctor's visit. He said we needed to come back in a week because he wanted to watch your weight gain. You were back to your birth weight, though. We went back a week later and you had gained 7 ounces, getting you up to 7 pounds, 5 ounces. Hooray!! You pooped twice while we were there, so Daddy got to change your diaper, which he loves to do ;)!

Mommy was able to get back into her own bed after having to sleep in the rocking chair for two weeks. Sitting up was still difficult at first, but has gotten much easier. This was not just difficult for me, but it was also an adjustment for you. After sleeping on me in the rocking chair for almost two weeks, you weren't so happy about being expected to sleep somewhere else. We tried the bassinet, the crib, the Snuggle Nest...but you weren't having any of it! We continued to try and try, and sometimes when you were REALLY tired you would give in and sleep in the crib. This transition made for a rough week for all three of us. And nobody got a wink of sleep! Thankfully Nana came to stay for the weekend and she got up with you through the night on Saturday and Sunday so that Daddy and I could sleep a bit. You had no problem going in the crib for her, it was just with us that you refused!!

As you can see here, you have very long legs and as you grow, it seems that it's mostly in length and your cheeks ;)!

We finally decided it was time that we got you a swing. We had been trying to decide which one to get for the longest time and still hadn't done so. At first you tried to put up a fight with that too, but eventually it was just too comfy and too soothing to refuse. You love it and you sleep in it every night and for naps, too. You're actually sleeping up to four hours at a time in there. We are so proud of you! And so thankful to God that everyone is sleeping around here! Although those two weeks of sleeping together in the rocking chair probably created this problem, Mommy wouldn't have done it any differently!! That was such a special time for both of us.

You finally had the chance to meet your Great Grandma Miller. Unfortunately you happened to be a bit grumpy while she was here. You have no idea how much it means to me for you to have been able to meet her and for her to have met you. When I was a little girl, from your age on, Grandma Miller was the most important person in my life aside from my own Mommy. She is very special to me and I hope she will be with us for many years to come so that you may have and share memories like those with her. You can see by the way she's looking at you here, she loves you already!

You are already such a big girl! You are growing way too fast, but it is amazing to watch! I cherish every day with you and am scared to death to go back to work in a few weeks and not be here with you each day to watch you learn and grow. Thank you Baby Girl for making the past month the most incredible month of my life. Our journey has begun...

I love you Peanut!

{Mommy}

Dear Baby Lela,

2009-09-25T15:16:00.000-07:00

You are a week old today. One week ago you entered the world and with your first breath, you took mine away. I will never forget the moment they lifted you up for Daddy and I to see your beautiful face and your tiny little body. You are the sweetest, most precious baby I've ever seen. Despite you arriving the "hard way", I wouldn't change a thing. We travelled a bumpy road to get you here, and we now have what we dreamed of for a very long time. A perfect baby girl. We've been blessed.

You have come a long way in one week. You arrived home late in the day Monday. They weren't sure you were ready to go because you had lost about 11% of your birth weight and refused to poop. But Dr. Foye said you were an over-achiever the first two days and you were eating well so he allowed us to bring you home anyway. The ride home was difficult for Mommy, but you slept peacefully in your seat. You didn't fit so well in there though. You sunk into the dip at the bottom and looked soo teeny tiny down there. We spent our first day at home with Daddy, snuggling and adjusting to our new life. I knew instantly that this was the way it was meant to be!!!! On Wednesday, you went on your first outing to Mommy's doctor and to the carwash (Daddy was driving! ;)). Mommy got her stitches out and again, you slept peacefully in your seat looking slightly bigger than last time you had been in there.

Your first week was a special week for so many other reasons. You met your Nana and Papa Schuld, your Auntie Lindsay and Uncle Brett, your Grandma Pam and Auntie Sarah and many, many more family members and friends of Mommy and Daddy. You even slept a couple of nights for four or five hours at a time, but mostly three. You eat like a champ and love to sleep on Mommy's chest every chance you get. You can lift your head, suck your thumb and you recognize Mama's voice when you hear it. You're very alert when you're awake and you appear to be able to see things around you, despite what we know about baby's near-sighted, blurry vision. We sit and stare at each other and you move your mouth as if you have something to say. I'm sure you do and I can't wait to hear it ALL! You had your first sponge bath and you hated it! You screamed the entire time and it broke Momma's heart. You are not a fan of being cold. That includes diaper changes, clothing changes, bathing, etc. We read our first book together, You Are My Wish Come True by Marianne Richmond....

and that you are Baby Girl, my wish come true! I love you Baby Lela.

SHE'S HERE.....

2009-09-23T06:14:00.000-07:00

Lela Evangeline Myers

6 pounds 13 ounces

19 inches

OF PURE PERFECTION!!

Entered the world on

Friday, September 18, 2009

10:20 a.m.

It wasn't easy. She came the "hard way", but she's healthy and beautiful and perfect and sweet and amazing and I'll stop now before I cry...again!!!
I vow to share her with you as much as possible.

It's Donnnnnne!

2009-08-04T18:01:00.001-07:00

The attic is finally completed. It looks awesome! I'm so proud of my guys for all their hard work. We couldn't be happier with the outcome. You can see that the two closets and storage area have been left unfinished for now. This is due to both the way we intend to use those spaces and the fact that time is really closing in on us before BG arrives, so the focus is on the priority projects around here.

Now that we have everything moved up to the new office space, not organized, but moved...; we have started on The Peanut's room. That project has already sent a few unexpected bumps our way. Last night, a bit shot off the router while it was running (or something like that!). Thank GOD it didn't hit Josh or my brother, but it certainly scared us half to death. Josh spent two days this weekend on a very high and not-so-sturdy ladder that I sat anxiously at the bottom of, praying to God for his safe decent. The poor guy! This hasn't exactly been a fun summer for him. All he's done is work, work and work. Oh yeah...and make daily, if not twice daily, trips to Home Depot. Yuck!

I will be sure that this little girl knows how hard her Daddy worked to make our home perfect for her. She will know how he poured his heart and soul into getting her nursery ready. How he spent his entire summer doing this out of love for the little girl he has yet to meet, but loves with all his heart. He's going to be the perfect Daddy! He already is the perfect Daddy!

So now we can only hope that the new windows in BG's room will be finished tonight. This will allow us to do some touch-up painting tomorrow night and clean the room thoroughly. Then the furniture may be moved in on Thursday.

**sigh** It's all coming together!

Showered

2009-08-03T14:30:00.000-07:00

We've been showered! With pink and cream and brown all over...
With delicious little chocolate birds and eggs...

With diaper cakes....

And guessing games....

And sweet little baby sayings....

With gorgeous cupcakes....

And gifts galore....

With napkins tied and pinned as diapers....

Stuffed with sweet little nest favors (photo to come)....

With signs of congratulations....

And the cutest miniature bird houses you've ever seen...

With gorgeous roses and delicate ribbons....

And even more bird houses....

And a perfect little spot for the Mommy-to-be to enjoy all of the guests and the amazing view, from the solarium of the most beautiful castle on Seneca Lake. What a perfect day! Thanks so much to everyone who was a part of it!

More Surprises for BGM

2009-07-24T09:49:00.000-07:00

This baby has such sweet, wonderfully thoughtful people in her life. We've been receiving all sorts of surprises lately. I can't keep up.

I went to a gathering at my friend Amy's house last week, for our friend Anglea, and Amy came out with a little bag containing these:

...for no reason at all.

Then we received this sweet gift in the mail from my friend Katie:

This was an extra special surprise considering all that she has on her plate right now. She and her family can use all the prayers they can get. Her daughter Olivia just had a second bone marrow transplant to help cure her of a rare disease. She is just a 18 mths. old. What Katie, her husband and their families are going through is unimaginable and truly heart-wrenching. I'd love to show you the little one's photo, but I'm not comfortable without Katie's consent. Just trust me when I say she's a beautiful little girl who deserves this second chance as much as anyone. So please pray that her body accepts this transplant and things begin to look up for them.

Katie is very busy taking care of her little one, so it's doubtful that she'd be stopping by my blog for a visit. However, one day this struggle will be a thing of the past and I'll want her to know that I thought of her daily and am eternally grateful for her friendship. Love ya Kate!

These last three photos are gifts from my BJB Nicky. There hasn't been much junking going on around here due to weddings and babies and tons of home repairs/remodeling. Despite that, she remains my good friend (for shopping, crafting and anything else we can get ourselves into) and is otherwise known as Auntie Nicky around here. She's a spoiler. She made those shoes for BGM. How super cute are they? She packaged them in the smaller of the two fabulous hat boxes above. She gave them to me on a random day, just because. Just a few weeks later, we headed out to do some errands and there she was with another, larger hat box. That box had that super cute dress and matching shoes in it. We love it. All of it. Thank you Auntie Nicky!

In addition to all of this thoughtfulness, my summer school principal came to my room today and dropped off baby coupons that she had printed out for me. Call me crazy, but I thought that was so sweet and thoughtful. Maybe because I'm not used to that sort of treatment from a principal.

Thanks so much to all of you for being so thoughtful and loving. As I say over and over....we are blessed!

Almost there...

2009-07-22T11:08:00.000-07:00

Josh and Brett suggested I come upstairs to take some photos of the last bit of unfinished attic before the the painter comes. I had no idea what I was getting myself into and I think they forgot that I probably shouldn't be up there breathing in drywall dust. Sooo...I snapped a few quick pictures and ran back downstairs. I'm amazed with how much they've accomplished in the past couple of weeks. And thrilled! I'm told we are moving the office up to that level within the next week and I'm overjoyed with the news. As it is just in time, with the baby's shower this weekend. We'll really be overcrowded around here. The amount of storage and square footage the attic is adding on for us is priceless. I don't know what we'd do without it.

Keep in mind when you see these pictures that I'm only showing you half of the entire space right now. The other half is already serving as storage for all of my teaching materials and a few other things. The half pictured here has two closets on either side of the media space for storage. Then there's a large open space for the craft table and all the craft storage. I can't tell you how bad we needed this space.

The dust was so thick that the photos came out looking as if it were snowing or raining up there. The good news is they clean up after themselves. It doesn't seem to matter much for the white dust spread throughout the rest of the house, but it's one less space I'll be cleaning like mad at the end of this project!

Our Sweet Baby Girl

2009-07-21T14:52:00.001-07:00

{This photo is difficult to see and I'm clueless about how the heck to write on it and label it for you. Wish I knew. If anyone reading this does, please share. You can see her little eyes closed there. She has one hand on her left cheek and the other one just below her nose, as she's sucking on it. It was soo cute. We could see her little lips going in a sucking motion. It melts my heart. Really. Too bad she's so naughty and refused to take her hands off her face for her 3D images. It would have been so nice to get a better look at her, but she's a stubborn one and does only what she wants to. She was kicking the ultrasound tech when the tech prodded her to move her hands from her face. Nice!}

I've been waiting to share the latest baby news with all of you in order to confirm the situation. Last week to add to the excitement (read: terror) about the little one coming early, the doctor announced the baby's fundal measures were small. She said that they have been small for a while now, and she had been hoping for a growth spurt. She decided that it was time for an ultrasound to further analyze the situation.

Fast forward to today and imagine a $hitload of googling + a whole bunch worrying in between + a Mommy who has been sick to her stomach for days and a Daddy who was very seriously concerned that his daughter was going to come out a "little person", to put it politely. I've walked around here for days saying aloud to nobody and to anybody who would listen, "Our baby is fine. It's just the way I'm carrying her." Or, "She's little because I'm little. My Dad is short. We're short people." And, "Petite is good. Cute for sure." If you've ever walked in these shoes, you know that telling yourself these things only goes so far. {For no reason at all I'm tears right now, as I write this. Maybe it's the release of the build-up I have yet to succomb to??) It's hard to worry about your child and his or her well-being, no matter what the age (gestation in my case). The road we've travelled down to get here has not come close to what some women have been through and I know that. Nonetheless, it has been a long and winding one. This pregnancy alone has kept us on our toes, non-stop. All of this can make a girl sick.

And maybe it has..... Today the nurse told me that I've lost weight since I was there on Friday. Huh?!

The news we received today was good, better than I expected for sure. Shocking news but, for the most part, good. The ultrasound shows the baby as anything but small. She's actually 4.2 lbs. From what I read this is at least a week ahead of where they say she is. She's in the 75th percentile for dates. This takes me back to the idea that they're damned dates are just plain wrong. I truly believe she's almost two weeks ahead of where they say she is. That's based on my calculations, but what do I know...I'm just her creator!!!! The doctor tells me she has no idea where I'm carrying the baby. I do...in my lower back. The pain there is unbearable 25 hours a day! While I don't really need to have a 10 lb. baby, I'm ok with her being a quarter of the weight I've gained so far!!

The other news, good but not that good, is that the hard head pressed against my cervix for the past three weeks turns out to be a butt. The doctor has been saying how she's right down there in position for a while now. In actuality, she's breech. That's the part that's no good. Don't get me wrong - a healthy baby is a perfect baby, but I'll do anything I can to avoid a c-section. The doctor plans to monitor me for the next four weeks to see if she changes. She's hopeful since the Peanut is very active and statistics show 2 out of every 3 babies in a breech position at this point will shift by 36 weeks. If she doesn't decide to be a good little girl herself, we will probably take matters into our own hands. The doctor talked to us about a manual shift which we know all about and are prepared to attempt, despite the pain, so long as it does not stress Baby Girl. She WILL be monitored before and during and the process will be stopped at the slightest sign of stress. Now, I know that it seems cruel but you can't say what you'd do unless you've been in my shoes. If you have been here, and you opted not to do this procedure, I respect your decision. Please respect mine. With that said, the doctor also discussed acupuncture with us. I'm looking into it and hoping to pursue that route if she hasn't moved her trouble-making butt out of her pretty little head's way by the next appointment. We'll see. I do prefer the natural route over the torturous one....for the record!

Shoe Girls

2009-07-19T15:04:00.000-07:00

I'm a shoe lover. Always have been, always will be. It's an obsession really! I can't get over the shoes they have for babies either. Before I ever was pregnant I knew that there were two kinds of shoes I wanted my little one to have: UGG boots and Converse All-Stars. Isn't that ridiculous!! (That's rhetorical....;)

Funny thing is she has tons of shoes, none of which are either of those listed above. Nearly all of them are hand-me-downs except a few that were gifts. Now I've really practiced some restraint with this, but the urge is beginning to take over for me. I'm afraid I'm setting my daughter up for the same sick obsession.... I just bought her these from Babies R Us (but with a gift card, so they're as good as a gift and I don't feel guilty!). They have them at Puma.com, as well.

and these:

Which are ten times as cute in person...let me tell you!

Now I'm oohing and ahhing over these:

and these:
Can the baby shoes out there get any sweeter? I mean peep-toes? For an infant? OMG!!

My Sweet, Selfless Brother

2009-07-17T17:55:00.000-07:00

I have so many things I could say right now, but this would end up being the longest blog post known to man, as I'd back waaaay up to when we were kids. I'd tell you how mean and terrible of a big sister I was. How I feel guilty for this every time I think about it. {Honestly.} My little brother has always been a sensitive kind of guy who does wonderful things for others. He has continued this as he has grown into a man. He's genuine, kind and loving. He puts others before himself and aims to please; the adjectives could go on and on. He has spent countless hours here helping Josh work on the attic, just so BGM can have her room ready before she arrives. He does so without complaint. Without requiring much more than a jug of water while he works. Taking time away from his wife and dog to be here. He joins me for lunch when I need a date, then generously picks up the tab despite the invitation being mine. All of this for a sister who has done little to deserve it and may never be able to repay it.

Then.....

Last week he announced that he had bought this:

for BGM. (Remember I talked about it here and here.)

He explained to us that he just wanted her to have it!!

This is what I mean about him. There are so many reasons he should not have done this. But he did.

This Baby Girl is loved beyond what she knows.

Thank you, Uncle Brett. We all love you very much and can't wait for BGM to meet you.....

Another Giveaway....

2009-07-16T16:47:00.001-07:00

at Lola B's. Check it out!!

Grosgrain: Musette Bracelet GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-07-14T19:05:00.000-07:00

Grosgrain: Musette Bracelet GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

More 'Things' for Baby and Her Nursery

2009-07-13T18:15:00.000-07:00

Just a few things I'm really loving for baby and her room these days...

I love this bag from Gap.

Then there's this loveseat from Ikea. Our girl has a sunporch off of her room and I'd love to have this out there for family cuddles (aka - a place for me to crash when Daddy throws us both out of our bedroom!). The wicker chairs I have out there now just aren't cutting it. I have to find a softer, comfier look.

Office Inspiration

2009-07-11T18:39:00.000-07:00

As you know our office is moving to the attic.

My mind has been reeling with ideas as to what I'd like to do.

These photographs are the closest I can come to sharing some of my thoughts with you. They're from Better Homes and Gardens.com.

I'm not necessarily using them for inspiration, so this title is slightly misleading. I'm already inspired by random things I've come up with in my head. I just struggle to explain them to others.

This is simply an attempt to share the general idea. Now where can I find those amazing file cabinets up there????? Love those and desperately need them. Anybody know??

A table, for a desk is a must. I could kick myself because I spotted the perfect table on craigslist one day. I came home and pondered it. Then I went back on there for it and it was nowhere to be found. Ugghhh!

gDiapers

2009-07-10T13:53:00.000-07:00

This is an AWESOME concept. Now don't go thinking I given up on these, because I haven't! I still have every intention of using them. I just couldn't wrap my brain around how to schedule getting the starter kit immediately after birth (you may remember the trial run goes for week long segments, so having them delivered ahead of time is not an option). I feel like it would be the last thing I'll have on my mind and since who knows when The Peanut plans to arrive, it's best that we have a back up plan. You know how I feel about the environmental effects of diapers, but I also know that when we travel the Luvaboos may not be our best option. My friend Terra gave me an article from a magazine on gDiapers. She thought I may be interested and all I can say is I LOVE THESE THINGS! I had heard of them before, but I didn't really know anything about them then. They are Flushable, Compostable, Plastic-Free, have Chlorine-Free Absorbent Materials, No Oil-Based Plastics, Eco-Friendly, and are Latex-Free. I added some to our registry already. This way I can bring them with us to the hospital and not have to stress out about how to get the Luvaboos starter kit until we're settled back at home.

My one complaint is that they have sizes small-large and the small accomodates 8-14 lbs. So I'm thinking it will be a tad big on BGM. Oh well.

These photos are of the outer liners. They're called gPants and they are CUTE! I put up my favorites here, but they have some solid browns and blacks and one called Vanilla Bean that I also hope to buy eventually.

Negative For Now

2009-07-09T13:49:00.000-07:00

The doctor called and told us that the test came back negative for fetal fibronectin. That is good news. Apparently this will now be closely monitored and tested again in a week or two to stay on top of things. I'm hoping she's decided to be a good girl and enjoy the last ten weeks in her current home. The healthier she is when she moves into ours, the better off we'll all be! Thanks for your thoughts and comments.

A mind of her own...

2009-07-08T16:28:00.000-07:00

(BGM's newest outfit. From her Mommy, because I wish they sold it in my size!! Don't you love the matching shades!!)

So it's no secret that I've had more than your "normal" amount of contractions for a loong while now. Today we went to the doctor and she decided that they've simply escalated to too many, too often. It's an all day, everyday sort of occurance with as many as five or six in an hour. She felt it necessary to do some testing to see what might be on BGM's mind. She is checking to see if there is any trace of a certain something that I can't pronounce (my SIL will tell you what it is when she comments!!) and apparently if that test is positive this baby may very well be planning her escape within the next two weeks. We won't know much until tomorrow and probably more on Friday.

Is she kidding me? This is NOT an option! She is not done cooking by any means. Why would she be wanting to escape? Isn't it cozy enough for her in there? She should understand right now that if she's trying to get out of there to sport some of these cute little outfits, none of them - and I MEAN NONE of them - are going to fit. We don't have preemie clothes, because we are not having a preemie.

So listen up BGM - STAY PUT! Stop acting like your Daddy and trying to make your own rules around here. Be a good little girl and sit tight until September. We love you and can't wait to see you. It's just that we want you delivered to us as healthy and safely as possible.

Can you believe she already has two bathing suits in her closet. She had a brand new one piece from Baby Gap that was handed down to us with the tags still attached. Then I got her this a while ago because it was on clearance at Old Navy. Her Auntie Nicky bought her one for St. Thomas since both of the ones she has are for next summer and I put the sweetest one piece with ruffles on the butt on our Buy Buy Baby registry long ago just because I simply could not resist. Every little girl needs a swimsuit with butt ruffles. Don't you think?! We are going to need to register for a pool now, in order to get use out of all of these suits!

**Make that three bathing suits in her closet. I just remembered the leopard print one that I shared with you here. My gosh! What was I thinking with so many of these?!

Check it out....

2009-07-07T18:10:00.000-07:00

Yet another great giveaway at Babes and Kids!

A Giveaway That I'd Love To Win...

2009-07-04T16:43:00.000-07:00

There's another giveaway going on at Grosgrain. Fun stuff people. It's a gift certificate from Rock Paper Scissors Invitations (I cannot get this link to work right now, so I hope to add it later). I haven't won anything in a loong time, and aside from a million dollars this would be wonderful.

Then there's the Crane Humidifier giveaway at Babies and Kids. I've been looking at these for BGM's room. Unsure of which one to get, but it would be a real blessing to win one rather than buy it.

They have some other fun giveaways there actually. Like this one: Aden + Anais Sleeping Bag and this one: The Ear Doc.

Hope everyone is enjoying their 4th of July!

Not Your Average Bouncey Seat

2009-07-03T15:42:00.000-07:00

Our girl is a 'kicker', there's no doubt about it. She has strong legs already, but this little device can make them even stronger. As I said before, she's destined to have a case of the thunder-thighs based on her parents and what we've seen in the ultrasounds. We figure we might as well capitalize on them.

I received an email to check out this bouncey seat. This is definitely not your every day bouncer. This bad boy glides. It's called the Kickin' Coaster and the seat literally moves up and down as your child pushes off the bottom. Don't fret, it still has your usual lights, sound, visuals and vibration. It's just that I've never seen one that glides like this. You can also lock it into place when you don't want the gliding to go on. It has multiple positions, as well. Like 8 of them. That's definitely not a feature all bouncers have.

It is the same price as the one we registered for; maybe I should reconsider. I don't care for the color/look of the thing, but I think our girl will LOVE it! The one I'm registered for now is the Graco Sooth and Swaddle. I liked the idea of the built in blanket to swaddle her early on when she may need more soothing. Then again, if I want to swaddle her I could just use one of her swaddle blankets and then put her in it.

These are the things I spend hours figuring out these days!!!!!!!!

Hmmm....to switch or not to switch?! What are your thoughts?

Daddy's Day

2009-07-02T17:45:00.000-07:00

So Father's Day came and went without me posting it on here. My excuse is really just that we were away all weekend on a camping trip, then we went down to have dinner with my father and didn't get back until late on Sunday.

That doesn't mean that we didn't celebrate or do anything special. We treated my Dad to a GC from Gander Mountain and a Play Nine game. This is a FUN game. We take ours down there when we visit and he loves it.

As for the Daddy-to-be, he wasn't short on gifts either. I didn't spend a ton of money, but I did put some thought into them. I got him Ladderball, which he spotted in my car before I could wrap it. I had planned to give it to him a few days early anyway so he could bring it camping. Danny and BGM got him some tshirts, as well.

This one is fitting because when we decided to tell my parents, we made dinner for them one night while visiting. We baked buns and stuck tiny flags in each one announcing there was a 'bun in the oven'!

This one is just to remind him, just in case he forgets, I didn't get to this point alone!!

And this is a little joke between us. The photo is different because it was a special request order and she was sending me some design options to choose from. I ordered him the one in the middle. All of these shirts came from Jellybean Apparel on Etsy. I highly recommend her work. She's very flexible to work with and does a really nice job. She also made me a tank top and him another tshirt a while back that both say, "What Happens in Vegas Does not ALWAYS Stay in Vegas". I'll have to get a pic of us in those. They're very cute if you understand them at all!

And I also bought him a new wallet, which he's been wanting/needing for a while. He seemed happy with his gifts and gets good use out of his tshirts. He's not one to become exxtremely excited over too much but I think he was content. Hope so!

Now we have a few more surprises in store for Daddy. Father's Day is behind us, but he's been working very hard on the attic and he deserves something extra special. Sooo....I made some super cute onesies in his honor.

You may need to click to enlarge. The photos are awful due to the low/bad lighting our house provides. This is a problem 24/7, but even more so at 9 pm! You get the idea though!

I made this one, as well. It's not so much for Daddy, but when we don't refer to her as Baby Girl we call her our Peanut. I saw this design and the one above about Daddy being TAKEN on etsy. Unfortunately, I didn't love the colors they chose, nor was I willing to pay those prices for something I could make myself. These won't get enough use to make it worth the $ the seller wanted, but they cost nearly nothing for me to make since I had brand new onesies and iron-on transfers already. The other two transfers are from the same clearance bin at Joanns that I bought the 'Baby On Board' decal at. I have one more of those I want to get to. I just need to find another shirt. I also have three more onesie decals I need to use, but will have to get some more onesies and one more idea for a maternity shirt that I also saw on etsy. I can't get enough of that darn website! I promise though, when I'm done with those few that really will be the end of decal-mania around here!

In addition to the onesies, we have another, more serious announcement for Daddy. We've been back and forth about names for months trying to make up our minds. Lately there hasn't been much discussion about it because 1) he is too busy with the attic and 2) he has given his input and is just waiting for me to make a decision based on the choices we've agreed upon. I've put a ton of thought into this. Every.Single.Day I think about it and I've finally made my mind up. This means we are finally ready to share the decision with Daddy. I've planned a sweet little surprise for him that I may or may not share with you later.

I can't decide whether we let the rest of the world in on this or not.........hmmm!

My New Favorite Cleaning Products...Love Them!

2009-07-01T03:00:00.000-07:00

I've always been one who appreciates the look and smell of something really clean. I'm not saying there is anything really clean at my house right now, but I still appreciate those attributes, nonetheless. In the past the more abrasive a cleaner, the happier I was - those cleaners were going to get me cleanest clean there is.

Right?

WRONG.

Being pregnant and planning to bring a baby into this home soon, have made me consider what I'm breathing in and what I'm touching a lot more. I don't care to have a toxic home for the little one or any of us. So I've been considering all-natural cleaning products based on different factors. I finally gave up on researching them, as it wasn't doing me any good because everyone had opposing opinions. So I decided to start trying them out myself.

I think I'm in love!! {Settle down honey, I'm talking about a cleaning product here.}

I'm already using the Le Scrub Bath Cleaner and it works wonders. I love it! I also have the Lilac All-Surface Cleaner which seems to work well. I may try a different scent down the road though. My next purchase is going to be the Smarty Dish Dishwasher Detergent. Now I'm very loyal to Finish (previously known as Electrasol) Dishwasher Detergent, but I'm pretty impressed with Method so it's definitely worth a try. If any of you use this already, I'd love to hear what you think.

More Random Tidbits...

2009-06-30T16:19:00.000-07:00

There is a fun giveaway at Cherry Blossoms and it is for YoBaby. This is my favorite yogurt! Yes it is for babies, but so yummy for any age. Although they are all delicious, I highly recommend vanilla and banana. Soo good!

In other ramblings, I believe I've fallen in love with this sling/wrap. It is from Moby Wrap.

I do not have a sling/wrap, nor did I register for one. This is because all of the ones in the stores are stiff and uncomfortable. I have yet to find a sling that feels or looks right. Now granted I haven't exactly felt this sling on, but it just looks comfy and is very much ME. Great colors, too. The sand and sky blue are gorgeous. I love that they sell them for little girls and their dolls.
How sweet!

PROGRESS!

2009-06-29T17:23:00.000-07:00

Apparently I made comment to my husband regarding the progress being made in attic, that he did not appreciate. I don't recall it, but I'm pretty forgetful these days.

(The view facing the front of our attic/the street. I hope to have my desk in the middle of this area to face directly out that window.)

Anyway, I want to be clear. He and my brother have been working their tails off up there in the blazing heat and there is progress being made. I can't imagine how much it has sucked having to go up there and work constantly and I really do appreciate all of their hard work. (The right storage closet.)

So here are some pics of the PROGRESS. (Craft space)

(The landing of the stairs.)

(The left storage space.)

I am so anxious for the day the dry wall is prepped and ready for the painter. But for now I'll continue to appreciate the PROGRESS being made!

This is a shout out to Alexandra Hancock from Mommy's Got Green. You left a comment on an old post about the mason jar mugs. I just noticed and would love for you to have them. I've sent you a couple of emails, but I'm not sure you're getting them because I have a weird address. If you are still interested let me know in the comments of this post or email at my address on the sidebar. I'd love to know that another blogger ends up with them and gives them a good home!

Finally, my good friend Siobhan brought this adorable dress today for BGM. She had little Gianna in September and Gianna was never able to wear this one. I'm so glad she thought of us. I just love it! Hopefully it will work out during the holidays. It looks so tiny to me, but then again everything does! Thanks Siobhan.

Cousins

2009-06-28T19:03:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo from our doggy date a few weeks ago at the park. My brother and his wife got a puppy not that long ago and Danny had yet to meet him. As had Lucy (Danny's girl). We had a camping trip planned for last weekend and we thought it best to get all of the dogs together before hand...just in case. The play date turned out to go very well as far as the dogs getting along, but very stressful in other ways.

Calix, my bro and sil's pup (in the photo above), doesn't think much of listening at the park so he needed several reminders not to go home with others. Danny ran off a cliff into the water (fairly normal for him) but was then caught in a current and couldn't get back out. Josh had to lay down and hang over the cliff to rescue him while my brother provided back-up. Danny was so upset, he refused to get back into the water. Then another dog tried to fight him. He was a real bully. Danny was just minding his business when this dog, George, came up and started slamming his chest against Dan's. The owner thought it was funny or cool and just watched and smiled. It was turning out to be the worst trip to the park we've ever had. Lucy refused to stop barking as she begged for Nicky to throw the ball again and again, despite her bad back legs. Ahhh!

We headed home earlier than we normally would have, but the good news is that all three dogs got along and Danny loves his new cousin.

Two great giveaways you may be interested in...

This one from Grosgrain and this one from My Little Life. Go check them out!

Test Run

2009-06-27T16:05:00.000-07:00

Today I added my signature and opened the etsy shop back up. Just trying things out here!

Spoiled or Blessed?

2009-06-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

A lot of both I'd say!

I have some really sweet friends.... and students.

My friend Carmen, a para from work, bought BGM all of these outfits.

How cute are they?

And how sweet is Carmen?

And how spoiled is BGM? Already! I've been meaning to show you her closet. It is officially full and there is room for no more clothes. It is for this reason that we must buy that armoire I've been dreaming of from the start. It's so costly though. But I just know the people who love her already, are not nearly done buying her clothes. Too bad clothes are all that we have with only a little time left. Well, that's not true. We also have a crib and a dresser and hutch but they are in storage at the store until we're ready for them. I'm hoping one of these days we WILL be ready for them!! But that really is ALL we have! The clothes and a place to put them! She'll surely look cute, but her mama will be in jail for neglect when she has no car seat!

This coat has to be my favorite - also from Carmen.

And I really love this outfit. She was smart too and bought sizes for later on. Although, I cannot complain. This girl is set until age two. So we have plenty of cuteness in all sizes here!

One of my students knitted her this sweet little skirt.

Another student knitted her this hat. And a third student worked on a blanket that she'd show me everyday, but was not able to finish before school let out. They are such kind, giving children. It's so cute to receive things from them. It makes their day as much as it makes mine!

My friend Leslie from work shares my love of old things but is down-sizing her collections and gave me this fun vintage baby bottle with a verse from Mary Had a Little Lamb on it. Isn't it great?! I think it will stay in the guest room for now though. I want to put fresh flowers in it and there happens to be much more red in that room than there ever will be in the baby's.

Another friend from work, Vanessa, brought me a brand new nursing gown and robe. Pink with cream lace. Very cute. It should come in handy in just a few short months.

I can't wait to put all of these gifts to use. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of my sweet friends! Baby Girl and I are both blessed and spoiled!

You asked for it....

2009-06-26T04:32:00.001-07:00

...and you got it!

Seven months pregnant in all it's glory!! She's a peanut! Or she's 18 pounds and I haven't really gained an ounce?! Ha!! I think my only complaints {size-wise} may be the thickening of my already gigundous thighs and the same gross thickening on my upper arms. What's with that?! These are two areas that make me insane on my body, or any body I'm ashamed to say...

A white tshirt is as close to a bare belly as we're going to get right now. I didn't realize how see-through this shirt was until I looked at these pics. I'm beginning to wonder if my "friends" from work are really that??? I would have told them!

I made this shirt yesterday morning before going in for the last day of work. You'll have to click on it to enlarge, but then don't say I didn't warn you!! The decals were on clearance at Joanns and i couldn't resist them, even though it's not normally my style - bling, decals, cutesie-cutesie, any of it. I grabbed a tshirt at Walmart on Monday and threw it all together. Not bad for about $7.

Edited: My belly is not so cute and round as most pregnant women are. Instead it's square and seems to have a huge dimple around my naval. I was just noticing that it almost looks like her butt cheeks are pressed against there. Ha! I'm told that the most likely reason is that she is in a posterior position. Yikes! Oh well, I may just stick with the butt theory instead!

Third Trimester...94 Days To Go...And My Heroes!

2009-06-17T16:50:00.000-07:00

Welcome third trimester. {Sorry my pictures do not apply!}

This week is the 27th week of pregnancy for me. I am grateful to the good lord for getting me here and pray that he continues to bless me this way. Things have been going so well, that the doctor has not required an ultrasound since month 5. Prior to that we were having one every visit to monitor for any concerns. Yesterday I had my glucose test and anemia blood work. Yuck, yuck, yuck! I'm pretty sure I'm anemic...again. That will be the 2nd time this pregnancy. I mean how much spinach and beans can one girl eat?! The exhaustion is beyond words, but if it is the only problem I'll take it. While the doc was listening to BGM's heartbeat, Baby Girl kept kicking the monitor. She must have done it five or six times. The doctor was going crazy! She commented, as they do every visit, on how wild she is. Her Daddy swears this comes from me. I need more convincing! I put the remote on my belly last night and just stared at it as she made it move. It's amazing to me that she's really in there. I was reading that in the last month of pregnancy it will feel like I have David Beckham in my belly. I told Josh it already feels that way, so I can only imagine what kind of damage she'll be doing by then!

Things have been busy here. Less than 100 days to go before Baby Girl gets here. Nobody told me that my emotions would go from crazy to institutional at the end of the second/beginning of the third trimester. I know now though, after going ballistic several times in the past two weeks over various things - some very significant and warranted and others notsomuch!

Work is stressful. Our school is relocating to a building that is said to be contaminated. My job share partner no longer wants to share the position next year, due to this. I am high and dry, praying for things to change. I really don't want to work in a place that has toxins in the soil and air which are said to cause reproductive problems among a zillion other issues! Can you imagine why I'd prefer not to be there?!

Now we have an outbreak of the swine flu at our school and in our district. I flipped out when I found out and refused to stay at work. I've calmed down since and I'm back now, but wish all day everyday that I wasn't. The place is miserable.

Packing boxes is not fun. I seem to be unable to escape it though. Not only are we moving at work, but Baby Girl's room has got to get going. It is currently the office/craft room - aka: the disaster. So bad, I'm embarrassed to be sharing a picture of it. It's not purposely fuzzy, but I'm glad it is! I've known for a long time that we would be moving the office to the attic, so I began tossing anything and everything in there and figured "I'll deal with it all later." Problem is, later has been on my doorstep for weeks. I have tons of things to pack and move upstairs, but in order to do that we must first finish the attic.

This is where my heroes come in. Josh and Brett (my favorite brother!!) have been working very hard on the attic. Josh goes up there several nights a week. Brett comes on weekends and he came over tonight to help. My Dad comes up often to help with it, as well. I am grateful to all them for their work and am thankful to have family that helps us out when we need it. I went up tonight to take pictures of the progress. Slow but steady. We have some problems in our 102 year old home with levelness (is that a word?), which doesn't help and we first had to replace the ancient windows that were up there. All seven of them. Costly. When it's done, it's going to be beautiful (if you had seen it before, you'd think it already is) as will BGM's room. I just can't wait until we get there. Soon. Very soon. I hope!

In addition to the big things going on around here, we went to Wisconsin for the first baby shower a few weeks ago. I have no pictures, but am hoping my SIL, Jonelle, will share some with me. This past weekend we had a garage sale to make some room around here. It went well, felt cleansing and the weather was gorgeous. I did get a bit of a sunburn, but at least now I can't be mistaken for Casper - The Knocked Up Ghost as I walk down the street. This weekend we're heading camping in Letchworth. I love camping!!!!!!!!!!! I'd spend every summer weekend pitching a tent and sitting around a campfire if I could. I'm just not sure how I'll like camping 7 months pregnant! We are about to find out! I'm heading in there with a positive attitude and high hopes for beautiful weather and no rabid raccoons. I am also hopeful that our new bed-like air mattress will keep me comfy. I may just bring my Snoogle for extra support.

I'll be back to show you pics of our doggy play date {STRESSFUL} and the Baby Bump I've grown. My husband needs to learn to take a picture that doesn't make me look like a whale first, though! He seriously finds the worst angle and quick snaps the pic. I refuse to share...

If Our Daughter Has Anything It Will Be Manners!

2009-05-31T14:27:00.000-07:00

I mean how could she not when even her big brother has learned to be proper?!

Finally Something Creative Around Here!!

2009-05-29T18:53:00.000-07:00

I printed a tutorial on homemade hair clips for little ones a while back. I figured why should I be spending so much on them, when surely I could make them myself. I was right! I didn't bother with the tutorial though. I just played around with some ribbon and clips. Now I want to m0ve on to bigger and better things. I already bought the materials for the next one. Just need to find a minute to put it together. I can't wait for this next one!!! So much fun.... I may put some in the etsy shop, so let me know if you're interested. I have tons of ribbon and would love an excuse to get more if you have a special color request.

Oh, in case you're wondering, I am indeed obsessed with the widgets/tickers on the sidebar. That's why new ones seem to be popping up left and right!

Take Me Home Outfits...

2009-05-20T18:49:00.001-07:00

More decisions...

I've been stuck on the whole concept of a 'take me home' outfit. I didn't, and still don't really, understand why people choose the ones they do. After looking at hundreds of them, most didn't seem any different than something I would put on her any day of the week. I think if we're going to make a fuss about it, then the outfit should be special and not-so-ordinary. I found a website that has lots of cute options, so now I have another decision to make. This one is not nearly as difficult as choosing a name, but still a tough one. Most are from La Bella Flora Children's Boutique, which is the sweetest website. The first one, however, is from Grammies Attic, where the old-school charm is right up my alley. Here are my favorites... THO #1

THO #2

THO #3

THO #4

THO #5

THO #6

THO #7THO #8

THO #9

THO #10

I numbered them (the corresponding numbers are below each picture) so you can share your thoughts. I already have favorites out of the bunch, but I'll wait to share those.

In other news: I seem to have popped. Maybe I'll share pics of this weekend's shower in Wisconsin. Next week marks six months. Woohoooo!

Important Message.......

2009-05-16T14:33:00.000-07:00

Please Note: Josh would like it to be known that between Lela and Evangeline in the Baby Name Vote, it should read "Lily" for the nickname we would call her. Please take that into consideration when voting. He is getting very upset because his favorite name is not gettting votes and he believes that if I had added the nickname, Lela would be winning.

Look Familiar?

2009-05-09T16:16:00.000-07:00

Well you can't continue to bring things in without taking something out. We have sooo many leftovers from the wedding it's ridiculous. It was time for them to start making their way out of here or Baby Girl will be sharing her room with boxes of wedding stuff and that's no good! I put the flip flops on ETSY and EBAY. The candleholders are only ebay at this point. If you know anyone who needs 36 pairs of flip flops, let me know! Or any of these other goodies for that matter!

I'm also selling the lovely orange dresses... I'll probably try EBAY and ETSY for those, as well. I somehow lost the photos I took of those...IMAGINE THAT!! So now I have to go through the dreadful process of photographing them again. YUCK!

The last thing that we have got to get rid of is the mason jar mugs that we bought for the drinking glasses at our wedding. They are similar to these:

They come in sets of 12 and I have yet to list them anywhere yet.

Out with the old. In with the new!! Speaking of which, here are some super cute pictures of the peanut. Some of you may have already seen these on facebook or at work, but for my blog friends from afar....aren't they adorable!?

By the way, I did get a rhododendron last night. I can't wait to see it bloom. The bad news is that I've added a holly bush, lavendar and an azalea to the wish list! I love flowers!

Wanting Color....

2009-05-07T17:38:00.000-07:00

My flower gardens have no color at the moment. I haven't planted any annuals yet and the bulbs seem to rising to the occasion a little late this year. They should be open by Mother's Day, which will be nice. If they took any longer than that I'd be getting worried about them.

I think I may treat myself to these garden additions this weekend. I have one rhododendron, but she doesn't seem very happy in the spot I've given her. We used to have a peony, but it lost it's life in a battle with yard work. I must get a replacement. They're too beautiful not to have around. My only complaint is the ants hiding deep in the petals - not exactly what you want to put in a vase and bring into your home!

Taking The Plunge

2009-05-06T11:30:00.000-07:00

I am seriously going to give cloth diapers a whirl! I know you are probably thinking I'm nuts along with taking the little one so far away 2 mths. after birth, but I think once I get into the habit it should be fine and soo much better for her (I've been reading some scary things about disposable diapers) and the earth!

The best part is the service I'm thinking of using allows you a trial run for a VERY small fee...just in case! I figure I'll try them for a month and try to set the habit. The service is called Luvaboos. You have to see all that they let you sample for $15/week. The investment in all the supplies seriously outweighs the $6000 one is said to spend on a single baby by the age of 2.

So I'm signing up..... Check back in September/October to see how it goes!

Wanting, Wishing, Waiting!

2009-05-05T18:54:00.000-07:00

I bought this Nursing Poncho from Modest Momz on etsy. It's beautiful and I cannot wait to use this! I may have the perfect opportunity, as we're planning to take the little one to St. Thomas in November. I know what all you critics are thinking, but she'll have had all her shots by then and I'M her Mommy!

I hit five months last week and I still don't have a belly. I'm not complaining, but the in-between stage is hard. Neither regular (including my fat pants, so don't even suggest them!) bottoms nor maternity bottoms really work at this point. Shirts aren't so bad. When I do get a belly....I think I'll want to spend my time in these:

I love them all!! They're from Flaunt It Maternity, another fabulous etsy shop.

I really want this Custom Hospital Gown from My Pinky Toes for the peanut's birth. Josh keeps reminding me that they're free at the hospital!! Uhh, yep, got it babe! But this one is so much more....ME! How can you not feel happy and comfy in this? Even if you are pushing a....well, never mind!

When she does arrive, I desperately want newborn photos of her in this tutu from Forget Me Not Kids:

Tell me it's not the cutest thing ever!!!

Wheww! That's a lot of wishes!!!!!!! Who needs registries when we have the web...and etsy?! I could shop all day........

Baby Clothes and Sister In Laws

2009-05-04T18:36:00.000-07:00

If you don't have a sister-in-law (SIL), run out and get yourself one quick.... Who else will you get you gifts like this?!?!Cute, huh!? I personally love this....(her Daddy picked it out!)

And, as promised, how cute are this bikini and cover-up? Quite a deal at Babies R Us! I know the bottom looks huge compared to the top, or at least it does in person; but I'm pretty sure that is because it has to fit a big poofy diaper in there.

She won't be able to wear these until 2010, obviously. Until then, they'll hang in the closet and bring a smile to my face. I could definitely fill enough posts for a year with her clothes. They're soo fun!

What's In A Name?

2009-04-29T16:52:00.000-07:00

The American Heritage Dictionary says that the definition of 'name' is:

A word or words by which an entity is designated and distinguished from others.

{I couldn't resist this sweet beanie from Warm and Fuzzy Baby. It now awaits the peanut's arrival in a basket full of hand-me-down hats from friends.}

{I also bought her first set of hair bows. I saw Annies Bananies on Tip Junkie's Blog and had to get some. This set comes with a headband customized with a loop for the bows to clip into. That way Baby Girl can wear them right from the start, whether she has hair or not. Yayyyy!}

Some people don't think naming a child is a big deal, others disagree. I know this...my baby will have to carry whatever name we choose for her, with her for the rest of her life. So far the process has not been easy. Sometimes fun, but not real easy!

Let me share with you the exhaustive list of choices I've come up with....

Averly/Avery - Ava

Everly - Evvy

Brinley - Brin

Liliana - Lily

Emmalyn - Emma

Skylar-Sky

Raegan

Kennedy

Sedona

Sedonia

Ashlyn

Ryelynn

Camille

Camilla

Lela

Aniyah

Melia

Michaela

Vera

Leyla

Evangeline
Marina/Marena
Addison
Audrina
Macey
McKinley
Isabella
Juliet
Evangeline

**I would love to hear suggestions and feedback. Positive, that is. Some people are soo rude when it comes to naming a baby!! After some of the comments I've heard so far, I'm not sure I'll share the name until after BGM is born......

She's Healthy! Thank GOD!

2009-04-20T06:05:00.000-07:00

We went to the doctor and they confirmed the girl parts - again. We got the news that everything with the little peanut is perfect! Yes, perfect!! Woohoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She is not only a blessing, but a miracle. It wasn't until last year that I was able to realize what a miracle a baby is. Now I know for sure that they are not to be taken for granted. SHE is NOT to be taken for granted. I thank God for HER every day.

I was a bit nervous about this appointment because I've been having what I now know as contractions. I know you are probably thinking that's impossible, but it's true. I wake every morning to a knot in my belly immediately below my belly button. I pee, it relaxes. I climb back into bed and somedays it comes back again. Some days it doesn't. When I was told that these were contractions, I thought the doctor was crazy. I didn't realize you could have them this early. She did say that many people get them VERY early, but can't feel them or recognize them. She thinks that mine are due to an irritable uterus (aka nothing to worry about if I just pee and move on). My bladder being the irritant. I may be drinking too much water before crawling into bed at night and this is filling the bladder to the point of irritating the uterus. The last thing I want is to irritate my uterus, or anything in that region, so I've got to work on this. In the mean time, the doc thinks they are harmless because there are less than four an hour. Pheww!Don't get worried...it's an old pic. I had to show you how tiny she was three months ago compared to now. Above is her ultrasound from January. Crazy, huh?!

Here she is now.

After showing you these photos, I feel the need to apologize to her though. Josh and I both have big legs. Thick legs. Those who know us, know that well. You can tell already that this poor girl is also going to be blessed with big, thick legs. Another generation of thunder thighs....{sigh}. I think she's going to make up for it everywhere else, though. Good thing we've got her a cover-up for her bikini for next summer! (I'll have to show you that later.) I've completely lost my mind buying this girl clothes. She's got a closet full already and meanwhile her mama is dressing like a bum, recycling through the few things I own that actually fit. She will be much better dressed than me or her father. I have to admit, I did break down and order a few dresses from Gap Maternity this past weekend. I also ordered some tanks to add to the ones we bought yesterday after the appt. It's getting hot in our building (at work) already and I'm not sure my tiny summer shirts from the years passed will cut it.

Hopefully Josh gets bored with this post and never makes it down to this picture. He will not be happy to see it on here. He feels that she needs to be more lady-like and not so...shall we say..."open"! Trust me when I say she made it even more obvious that she was a little lady (*or at least working on it) during the last ultrasound! So I'm sure he wouldn't appreciate this exploitation before he has the chance to mold her into the perfect little lady he's looking for. Maybe I should have left this one out, but I love it because it shows those big, healthy thighs and I can't resist imagining what they'll look like in person. I call her "cute" already - even though she seems to look more like a gummy bear than anything else. Josh just laughs and probably secretly thinks I'm insane! Or, at times, not-so-secretly!!!

Beside the fact that she is so free, our little one also seems to be a bit on the hyperactive side. During the past three ultrasounds and the past three heart monitorings, the techs and doctors have all commented to us on how "very active" our little one is. SHE IS WILD! She started off about six weeks ago, with kicking and waving. And lets not forget holding her head with one hand in a very dramatic fashion. Josh says she gets that from me, but I have no idea what he means by that. Then she began to run (or swim sort of) from the doppler when they would try to get a heart rate on her. She went from that to moving all over and kicking like crazy when I play classical music and put headphones on my belly. I could feel her at 16 wks. She will do this for an hour. She either loves this or can't stand it - not sure yet so check back in about 4 1/2 months! Now she has proceeded to do flips and place her hands in and out of her mouth, repeatedly, at a very fast pace. She's opening her mouth and curling her body up then stretching it out abruptly. She's very animated - that is my side of the family and does whatever she feels like despite what we want her to do - that's Josh! We are predicting an athlete. I'm hoping for an Abby Wambach myself!

I hope to be back tomorrow with some narrowed down name choices, finally!!!!!!!!

The Nerve!

2009-04-17T12:42:00.000-07:00

First of all, so much for being back two days in a row. But twice in one week should be worth something...don't ya think?!

We've spent a good part of this week fussing over nursery furniture. See, I've known that I was pregnant for a loong time. Since December really. And a while back a new baby store opened in our city. It's called Buy Buy Baby. It just so happens that Josh's company built the store. Soo...he encouraged me to go in one day and check it out. We did and I LOVE IT! With that said, I saw a furniture set there (for a girl) that I fell in love with. I told him immediately that if we were having a girl we'd have to come back for it. Well, fast forward to a couple of weeks ago when we found out we were having a girl and that furniture has been on my mind ever since.

Fast forward again to last weekend when my mother, SIL and I went back to the store to take a look at it. I was informed that the set has been discontinued and they only have one left in the store. They could hold it for 24 hours, but then after that it's up for grabs. No discount off the floor model either, which I cannot understand for the life of me. I loved their service up until the point they told me this. Well, this and also that they won't ship the furniture from another store if they have it elsewhere. What they have is for sale and then it's gone. SERIOUSLY?! Anyway, I wasn't planning on dropping that much cash that day so I had them put the hold on it and said we'd come back for it. I needed to discuss it with Josh, who sweetly informed me the baby just didn't have to have that set. There are plenty of perfectly wonderful sets out there. WRONG!

After some convincing, he realized she did have to have it. So we bought the crib. My mom and dad bought the hutch and his mom and stepdad bought the changing dresser. This was the plan to begin with. It just ended up being a very hurried version of the plan. This baby has wonderful grandparents in case you haven't noticed!! Now all we need to get is the armoire. I told Josh to leave it for last because not only is it the most expensive piece, but it is also the least necessary because she already has a closet in her room. Half full already...might I add! Josh, the same guy who started off telling me she did NOT HAVE to have this set, informed me after going back for the other pieces that she ABSOLUTELY HAS to have the armoire. He said it's the best part! Soo...we are hoping to head back next weekend and praying that the armoire will still be there.

The nerve of these folks to discontinue a set that our family "has to have". I know that sounds so selfish and materialistic, and it is. But before you judge too much, please....understand that this baby is a blessing to us beyond belief and she will be our first born child. So we want everything to be perfect!

Here is BGM's new furniture. Be sure to picture it in a very creamy color. It is NOT white. The last photo is a picture of how the crib converts to a full big girl bed. There is an in between stage for toddlers, but I didn't see a photo of it. I'm sure you'll get to see that transition one day! Also, this is not my house and those weird masks on the wall in the big girl room are definitely NOT my masks!

YES!

2009-04-09T17:20:00.000-07:00

YES - I'm alive!
YES - I've been the world's worst blogger for at least 6 months.
YES - I have an excuse (several really).
YES - I am aware that most of you have given up on me AND this blog.
YES - Some of you have left comments that I didn't notice until now.
YES - I've avoided this blog like the plague for a long time.
YES - I'm going to make every effort to get back on the blogging wagon.
YES - I refuse to promise that my efforts will do any good.
And.....YES...that ticker up there is for real!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let me start with an apology for no photos in my return debut post. I've got nothing and it was a last minute decision.

Moving on to my excuses....all of which are extremely valid as I'm sure you'll agree.
*first of all, our computer got very sick with a virus and had to spend some time at the doctors so rather than uploading pictures to Josh's laptop everyday, that he would eventually force me to remove, I just said to heck with it!
*While away at the doctor, my computer's memory was cleared and restored and I've lost every single blog address I had in my favorites because of that (and because I had been too lazy to add them to my blog or put them on delicious or one of those other handy things that I have no idea about.) So if you're reading this and I've ever visited or commented on your blog, please leave your blog address in a comment so that I can add it back to my blog list. Please!
*The holidays were very busy, too. Let's not forget that! I was feeling down. Didn't decorate and things around here were too boring to talk about on a blog.
*About half way through January to halfway through February, I was not feeling so hot. Thank God I wasn't in as rough of shape as the computer, but I was bed bound for a few weeks!
*Since then I've been exhausted and sleeping a lot. (It's a low iron situation and we're working on it.)
*Since beginning to feel better toward the end of February/beginning of March, I've been paranoid that if I blogged I'd leak the secret and jinx us.
*In March, we started remodeling the attic to make room for Baby Girl Myers and things have pretty much been non-stop since then. I think the iron is beginning to take effect, but who would know when we are going, going, going?

So I figured that since we found out this week that Baby Myers is a girl and we also took the plunge with a registry, I might as well get back on here and share the news. I do hope that if you read this you'll pray for us. I never feel safe as I'm sure many of you can understand. We are SUPER excited though and trying to just be happy and worry-free as best we can, as we know that's best for the little one.

I think this should cover it for shocking news and elaborate excuses. I'm going to do my best to be back tomorrow....with something!!! Maybe you can help out with names??!!

A Weekend Away!

2008-12-14T16:26:00.000-08:00

This weekend we took a quick trip to Lake Placid to spend some time with Josh's father and step-mother. They were in town for the National Figure Skating Competition. We have been to the Adirondacks many times, but never to Lake Placid. It's wonderful there! Cold; but wonderful!!!

Josh and his father warming up next to the fire, after dinner...

We did lots of shopping. It seems his father was making fun of some of the hats this little shop had!!!

Not a bad Christmas card, if only Danny Boy were with us...

This slay was on the main street, begging for shoppers to hop aboard and have a photo taken, so that's just what we did!

Denise, Josh's step-mother, is a figure skating instructor. We went to the rink where the skaters were competing. This rink is the same one that the 1980 Olympics~Miracle On Ice~took place on. Pretty exciting to see. They have a museum there, too. It was closed by the time we got there, but Josh believes missing out on it this time is the perfect excuse for another visit. I agree!

Next weekend: Vegas!!!! Now if I can only get EVERYTHING done that I need to before we leave!

Over The River and Through the Woods..

2008-12-06T17:37:00.000-08:00

..to the Pillar and Post we go!!!

Nicky and I finally made our little trip across the border to see where she and McAllister will be married in February. My goodness is this place gorgeous!!!! I'll say first that the decor is just my style. The building itself is perfect. An old canning mill, so we were told. I cannot wait to get my room key, so I can drop my bags and run VERY quickly to their spa. It has an amazing hot spring, a gorgeous salt water pool and maybe we can take advantage of those cozy pedicure chairs while we're there, too. There are fireplaces in nearly every room in the building and I love it. Can it be more perfect for a February wedding? Everything will take place here, so we'll never have to leave. Yeahhh!

We are full of ideas after our visit, now we just need to pin down some colors and get things moving!

This is the foyer/check-in area. You may have found no need to go further...this looks plenty cozy, no? But this was a tour, so we continued...Below may possibly the happiest hallway in all of Canada. With a giant liquor wheel, old washboards, wood stoves from who knows how long ago, giant church pews (in case you need a break as you sip/chug your wine and walk the hall) and oodles of other exciting old finds. I mean, really, who wouldn't want to have a wedding here?

I think Nicky may have been a tad thirsty. Our tour guide and I pretended not to notice that she was lingering over there by the bar. Poor thing never got served, though I'm sure it's because this bar is only for special events. This is where we will all be ordering our water and kool-aid on 2/28/09!!

Josh thinks that a salt water pool is ridiculous. I think it's lovely. Very exotic!

So...it's official! In just about 83 days we will be watching Ms. Nicky Cunha become Mrs. McAllister King. How exciting?! Another wedding... *sigh*

A Great Giveaway

2008-12-02T20:20:00.000-08:00

I know that this button is supposed to be on my sidebar for this contest, but it's late and I'm clueless, so just go here and do it FAST!! Times almost up!!!

I Am Thankful for....

2008-11-30T20:11:00.000-08:00

Family:

I shared Thanksgiving day with my family and we feasted together! It's comforting to be home for the holidays!!

Friends:

I got together with some friends that I haven't seen in years over the Thanksgiving break. It was wonderful to catch up with everyone!

Health:

As I spent time with both friends and family, I realized that how thankful I was to have everyone around me in good health, and prayers to my Grandma Schuld who is not. I hope for her to have peace very soon!

Massages:

I went for a massage on Saturday and it was just what I needed!

Vacations:

I loved having five days off from work and I don't want to go back!

A Job:

As much as I don't want to go back to work, I thank God I have a job during the difficult times our country is facing.

My friend Siobhan will return to work tomorrow from her maternity leave. I haven't been able to visit her and the baby at home yet, but I hope to surprise her with this little gift for Baby Gianna!

I Miss Paradise!

2008-11-24T17:57:00.000-08:00

As the holidays sneak up on us and we are surrounded with snow and cold, I realize how carefree things were just one month ago. All of the wedding stress was behind us and we were laying on the beach in St. Thomas. What I wouldn't do to be back there!!! I remembered that I still haven't shared any photos, so I thought I would. Most of them are of the scenery and not us, but we are just not the type to walk up to others and ask them to take our photo. Thank God for self-timers or there may not be any of us!

A pool shot....we LOVE this pool!

In front of one of the fountains after dinner our first night...

There is a waterfall behind him, but you'd never know it!
Enjoy the 'other' pool post-hurricane...anxiously awaiting tha swim up bar to re-open....and enjoying a fabulous margarita!

A look at the home of David Letterman - or at least one of them! (white building on the cliff to the right)The view from my lounge chair at the pool...

The view from the balcony of our villa....

The sign for the building that our villa was part of....

Our villa....

I'll try to share more tomorrow.

This Week I....

2008-11-19T10:44:00.000-08:00

...read this AWESOME book. You HAVE to read it! It's a sequel to The Christmas Shoes. Although it is $14.95 at Barnes & Noble, I'll let you in on a little secret. I got it at the Christmas Tree Shops for $3/2 for $5!! It's an easy read, it's heartwarming and very inspirational!!!

Updates

2008-11-13T15:37:00.000-08:00

My friend, for whom I requested your prayers, did not have the surgery yesterday. She is not feeling well and in order to remove her bone marrow for her daughter she must be in tip-top shape. They will try again on Saturday. Please remember her, her baby girl and her family...

***Edited: I found out today (11/14), that my friend was doing well enough for them to go ahead with her surgery yesterday morning. The removal was successful, as well as the transplant to her daughter. We must now continue to pray that the baby's body accepts the transplant. This will prove to be a great deal of waiting and praying... The little one is just like her Mommy and the strength of the two of them combined is a force to be wreckoned with!

In happier news, Lucy will get her birthday treats tomorrow morning~hopefully! We had a minor set back with a flooded basement today, so things are moving slowly around here.Danny tasted them and gave his approval, so we tied them up tight and got them ready to be delivered to the birthday girl! We just need to make the drop now.

While Josh and the plumber were working away, I decided to get started on my parent's long overdue anniversary gift. I figured I should at least give it to them within the the same year they celebrated it! We'll see how this goes.

The first one already frustrated me and I planned on doing about eight more. You may remember the photos I took around my parents home last year at this time. I decided we would all appreciate them more if they weren't stuck in my computer, but hanging somewhere in their home instead. I am using some of those wonderful frame/shadowboxes that my father-in-law and his wife sent to me. Josh will be glad to see them out of the basement, and out of our house altogether for that matter!

Two down, too many to go!

Happy Birthday Lucy and A Request For Your Prayers

2008-11-12T06:11:00.000-08:00

Lucy, Nicky's baby girl (dog), is five years old today. Danny and I are making her something special!!! We'll share later!

One of my best friends will have surgery today to try to save her daughter's life. I have not put a picture up, nor will I share their story, until the recovery period has passed. This is out of respect for her and her family. Just please know that there is a story and pray for a miracle!

It's Only Been a Month?!

2008-11-11T17:50:00.000-08:00

Today we celebrate one month of wedded bliss!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well, one month of marriage anyway...

I thought I would share the link to our wedding photo gallery in celebration. It should only take you...forever....to look through all of the photos Paul took. He did a wonderful job and I highly recommend him if you live in the area.

I've learned two things in one month of marriage:

1) I am incredibly lucky to have found a man who loves me the way he does....

2) It's not going to be easy!

For example, look what almost caused a divorce within the first month:
The lovely Mr. strolled in the door with this zillion inch flat screen one night after work. The day after we returned from our honeymoon, no less. Shouldn't we have agreed on that one before hand? Worse yet, he put it in our bedroom! Mwwwaaaaaa!! (That's just me kissing romance goodbye!) Hmmm....if that isn't the epitomy of the phrase "the honeymoon is over", I don't know what is!

New Cabinet and Blogger Tea

2008-11-10T08:29:00.000-08:00

Just over a week ago, Nicky and I hit the road for this little place. We had planned to attend a Blogger Tea that Vicki had organized. We were able to meet a few other upstate bloggers and share conversation and a wonderful lunch with them. Along with Nicky and Vicki, Mary Ellen and Barbara were there. It was a quaint little group. My photos did not turn out; however, click on any of their names to see their photos and posts. After 3 1/2 hours of chatting and eating, oh and drinking the most delicious tea called "monkey picked tea", we headed out into the cold for some shopping. Nicky and I nearly made it through the entire barn without giving into our unnecessary wants and desires. Don't act like you don't know what I mean. Anyway, the second to last booth found us both as weak as ever. Nicky came home with some gorgeous theatre seating, which not only am I jealous of, but the fact that she already owns a set of four of these makes me just plain envious! I imagine she will post on them soon, as I struggled to find a good photo to share.I ended up purchasing this old talking machine, which I need to do a bit more research on. My apologies for the bad photo, as it is gloomy here today. (I probably should have removed all that wood on the floor next to it and behind it, as well. The kitchen floor awaits it completion....still.) The cabinet was somewhat affordable, but I now know why. First off, it doesn't talk because it's been gutted. But I knew that before buying it. Secondly, if you refer to the photo above, you will notice that the two doors are missing on the bottom of the cabinet. That is because they are too small and have about a one inch space between them when you go to close them. For this reason, I plan to run to Walmart this evening and get a small tension rod to hang a piece of fabric in there and hide all my dining junk....or umm, liquor. Uggghhhhh, I get so mad when I come home with things and find out that the seller misrepresented them in his or her booth. It seems to be quite common though.

I still plan to enjoy the cabinet just the same. It is becoming a wine/liquor cabinet, slowly but surely. Yes, I do already have one of those; however, one does not seem to be enough for some reason. I put one of my new PB napkins, from Lindsey, up there and some dried stems from a bouquet that my friend Meghan sent me just before the wedding. I think it looks really nice, despite those damned doors.

What do you think? I'll try to share another photo - post curtain makeover.Here is the top of the other wine/liquor cabinet....very full!

Lastly, the goodies that each of the wonderful ladies from the Blogger Tea gave out. Such wonderful little gifts, from really talented women! This first one is from Susan, who was not able to be there. Don't you just love that little mirror made with vintage wallpaper?! I will add it to the other vintage mirror in our guest room and start a collection, I think! An acorn needle sharpener from Vicki, who does it all with the sweetest little twins on her hips!! *And I should note, those hips have all but disappeared desite the twins birth being only a couple of months ago. Vicki, you look great!!

Pin cushion from the Mary Ellen...too cute!
Cute little glass jar from Nicky, filled with pink M&M's in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness, I believe! And a crown tag, for all of us queens!!!
Another wonderful pin cushion, this time from Barbara...fun, fun, fun!!

I really MUST learn to sew!

I gave out ornaments to help all the ladies get into the holiday spirit...

Edited: I hope I didn't offend anybody by sharing those over-the-top costumes in the last post. If so, I apologize!

GrosgrainStore.com Grand Opening & Giftcard Giveaway!!!!!!!!

2008-11-10T04:00:00.000-08:00

GrosgrainStore.com Grand Opening & Giftcard Giveaway!!!!!!!! Go check it out!!!

Stop by the store, too! - Grosgrainstore.com

It's Clean....Mostly!

2008-11-09T19:42:00.001-08:00

I have been working on the dining room/wedding clean-up since Friday evening. Wow! It wasn't necessarily more work than I had imagined, but it definitely took more time than I had imagined! Maybe I'm just moving slower these days??? (Yes, those are shoes on the table! Sorry! They look so pretty next to my dried bouquet and Josh's boutinierre...I wish I had a place to display them. Hmmm??)As you can see, I tried to get some use out of all of the leftover gourds and wheat jars from the wedding. I ended up with more than I knew what to do with, though I'm not proud to admit it. I'm sure if there was one more inch of space left in our house for decorating I could have come up with something, but we are really crowded here.... Though I did manage to put together, well really throw together, some sort of arrangement in the front yard with some of the hay from the wedding along with gourds, mums and one of the wagon wheels we used at the church. My mums are dead already. How does that happen? I thought they were hardy???? But I always seem to kill them!I was able to dust and get things put away - hopefully to sell on ebay or the knot. I have to make that a priority this week, along with those hideous dresses I want to sell.

I also salvaged these leaves from some of the centerpieces that the florist put together. The flowers were beyond dead, but the leaves still have some life left and they go great with the beeswax candle Josh's stepmother and father gave us. I will do my best to be back tomorrow with some other views of the dining room clean-up and my new liquor cabinet!!!!!! I leave you with these half finished place settings. I say half finished because I only have two leaf plates from Walmart's clearance last year. I saw them there again this year, so I need to go back and get two more. I added napkins today and our wine flutes from the wedding. I also want to put on the silverware pockets my mom made for the wedding. The pumpkins were our cake toppers! Nicky decoupaged those letters on them for me. Aren't they cute?!?!?

Halloween and A Mess....

2008-11-04T17:28:00.000-08:00

I have so many things I want to post about and not enough time, so I seem to be avoiding it altogether. One of the reasons for this is that I sat down and spent about 45 minutes last Thursday producing a post and when I pressed publish post this damned blogger ate the entire thing. It vanished into thin air and was nowhere to be found, regardless of the periodic saving that took place as I typed. I was so disheartened that this is the first time I have been able to log back on. I am going to try to keep each post semi short while addressing at least a couple topics in each.

First up: my brother and sil's Halloween party last Friday...Josh had this costume, from about five years ago, that he bought to attend another party we never made it to. I hope none of you are wondering what he is there, as I'm not willing to repeat it!!

I thought I'd follow in his dirty footsteps, but in a cute, low key way and be "hung like a horse"!!!!!

McAllister - Geek Squad and Nicky - poodle skirt wearing, hop attending girl were our dates.

And the evening would not have been complete without Martha. I made these Lady's Fingers from her Halloween Book. They truly look like fingers, but taste like a pretzel or dough-y breadstick. I usually bring them to Halloween parties that we attend. They always seem to be a hit!
We got into a little trouble with these eyeballs. They are made of some sort of glubbery, snotty material. We decided we'd race them by throwing them against the wall and seeing whose slid down the fastest. Sommmmebody accidentally got one stuck to the ceiling aaaannnd it didn't come off. Needless to say, we'll need to bringing my brother some flat white paint to patch that spot up.

Next up is the reason I'm too busy to post:

This is STILL the leftovers from our wedding...

It looks as though our wedding threw up on our dining room...

Some parts of the mess actually look pretty....
...others not so much!

It's all very overwhelming!

I am trying to work on it a little at a time. I give a few things away here, throw a few things out there. It's just not cutting it! I need to take a day off and just knock it out....

There's always the three days we have off for Thanksgiving, right?!

It Came and Went???

2008-10-22T16:32:00.000-07:00

Mr. and Mrs. Myers exiting church...

....riding off in our horse drawn carriage

.....feeding our faces
....being held at gunpoint and made to dance on a table at the reception...or else!!! Can't you see how badly I want down?!
Best buddies, Paula and Terra

Part of the work crew....

The wedding has come and gone! We survived it!! I never thought I'd say this but that makes me sad. I wanted it to last forever. It was so much fun!! I have almost no photos to share with you because, well.....the bride doesn't take photos! I stole these ones from friends!! I will share more as they come in and will probably begin the retelling with the honeymoon and work backword.

I've been away from blogging for so long that I still have important events dating back to August that I wanted to share with you!!! And I just know there will be more fun and excitement to report before I can ever get all of this out!!! Not to mention.....I'm exhausted!

Reclaiming My Kitchen

2008-09-21T18:38:00.001-07:00

As I've continued working on all the "do it myself" (d.i.m.) projects for this wedding, I've begun to run out of space for them. You saw how the favors took over the guest room (along with the hideous mistake dresses and the bridesmaid's thank you gifts). I have stacks of paper on the bedside table in our bedroom along with all my "bride necessities" stashed away in there. The office, well lets just never mind the office...what a joke that is! The sunporch is jammed with the Guest Jars, candles, mason jars and some other odds n' ends. Our dining room is full of more mason jars, bathroom baskets, fabric, children's favors and other decorating needs. Our attic is housing the drinking glasses and lighted topiaries along with the water that is to be placed in the welcome bags for the hotels. And, then there is the kitchen. My goodness....there's been a whole lot of hot gluing going on in there lately! What a mess!! Now I don't want to confuse you and make you think I'd normally be cooking in there, either; as I'm not much of a cook! Nor do I want you to think that it is normally clean, because that's not true either. Though it's the price I pay for Josh cooking!! But it gets old after a while having no counter space to butter your toast or slice your cheese. So today, FINALLY, I finished these stinkin' candleholders and began attempting to take back my kitchen. It should be comletely back to normal sometime in late October. For now, I will appreciate the progress I've made and make us a pie!

Oh, and believe it or not, I'll be taking a break from hot glue and burlap for a while....after the wedding, of course! I'm sure many of you welcome this, as you're probably sick of coming by here and seeing another post with burlap!!!!!!!

Something Old...

2008-09-16T20:19:00.000-07:00

You all know the saying -

Something Old,

Something New,

Something Borrowed,

Something Blue

Well the 'old' part shouldn't be difficult to come by, as there is plenty of that in this wedding!

But we want to bring it into our day whenever and wherever possible! This is why the Mr. built a couple of pairs of stilts. (I know what you're thinking..."if he just built them, how are they old?", right! But that's just a minor detail. Trust me....they're vintage inspired and we have stained them a dark walnut color to make them appear aged.)
(Big thanks to our friend McAllister who was willing to give these bad boys a test drive!)

From the beginning I have said that I would like to have some games and activities for the little ones, to keep them preoccupied. I have several ideas for these activities, which will be set up on the patio at the country club. I searched ebay for some 'old school' games that would fit into our day. They had little to offer and what I did find were quite pricey. So I took matters into my own hands (and then immediately put them into Josh's!!) and printed out instructions on how to make stilts. He made a child size set and an adult set. In afterthought, the adult set was probably a huge mistake. It could turn out to be an awful liability with the whole open bar thing and all!!

Now, if I could just find that stick and hoop game. Any suggestions on where I can get my hands on one of those?????

Where Have I Been????

2008-09-15T19:52:00.000-07:00

Seriously?? I have been up to my eyeballs in wedding "stuff" and I feel like I'm getting nowhere fast!

We spent this past weekend putting together favors. Stop reading here if you're coming to the wedding and you don't want to know what your little gift is!!!

What a mess this wood excelsior stuff makes! My goodness!!! When we're done i'll need to spend another week cleaning this place! Josh's last name is Myers, so we figured a little Myers rum and vintage Coke would be the perfect combination for a favor! However, we had no idea how time consuming or literally back-aching this little project would turn out to be.So much so that I still haven't even gotten around to putting the tags on the boxes. Ugghhhh...it's exhausting! And it's just one tiny to-do on the ginormous list!! God (and I) love Nicky for creating these super cute photo cards to encourage guests to share their photos with us later. She was soooo sweet, she even cut them up for me and saved me the hassle of doing that! Aren't they cute?!I am so looking forward to having all of this OUT of our house and getting back to normal!!!
In the mean time, I think I'll have a drink!!

More Wedding Pics...

2008-09-14T14:49:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd share a few of the photos from my camera that did come out...

I swear I have eyeballs!!!

I'll show more/better photos later!

The Mr. and Mrs.

2008-09-13T14:32:00.000-07:00

On August 30th my brother and his sweetheart were wed...Sadly, few of my own photos came out. And especially not the ones of the two of them together. But here they are individually. It....was....a....beautiful....day!!!
Congrats and Best Wishes BRO and SIL!

Sleepytime Bear Nightgown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

2008-09-08T18:46:00.000-07:00

Toooo cute....Sleepytime Bear Nightgown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Table Cloth Skirt and Dinner Party Top GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

2008-09-08T18:44:00.000-07:00

I really, really want this...Table Cloth Skirt and Dinner Party Top GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Maybe she can make one in my size!

Garden Party Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

2008-08-19T10:59:00.000-07:00

Garden Party Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

OMG....I LOOOOOOOOOOOVE this one!!!!! I'm due to win, aren't I?

Happy Birthday Uncle Randy

2008-08-18T08:17:00.000-07:00

We celebrated my Uncle Randy's 50th birthday over the weekend at my parent's house. Randy is my mom's brother and he is a farmer. My mom made him this cow cake. It is difficult to see it in this photo, but there is a large circle on the bottom which is the cow's body. On top is a smaller circle, which is its head. You can see his two front feet there. It is basically a frontal view of the cow, but I'm too short to stand over the dining room table and get a decent pic!

I made these candy bar favors that we passed out to thank the guests for coming. Cute, huh! It was a fun night and a great stress reliever with all that is going on in our lives.

Today's Project

2008-08-14T12:40:00.001-07:00

I am getting together with my good pal Paula tonight to celebrate her very, VERY belated birthday! I do admit that I was very late coming up with something fun and Paula-esque to give her. I finally did about three weeks after her birthday. So I've had this window box for some time and the flowers to put in it. We just haven't had the opportunity to get together all summer. So now, FINALLY, we are and I had to get moving today to put it all together.

These boxes are something that Nicky and I were selling for our Dirty Birdies collection. I painted this one a mixture of colors that I thought Paula would enjoy and gave it a big ol' "G" monogram for her last name. I am sooo into monograms lately. I don't know if it is the whole wedding thing or just another obsession, I mean phase, of mine!!

Of course, the window would be quite plain without the monogram anyway. So I think it turned out very nicely. What do you think?

We have several of these left, so if you're interested in purchasing one just let me know. We will paint it your choice of color/s and monogram or personalize it just for you! I have only sold these locally. However, I'm sure there is some way to ship them if you really want one! And for an additional fee, we will add the potted plants and flowers if you choose.

The New Dresses and Where Have You Guys Been?

2008-08-13T08:35:00.000-07:00

First off, I am assuming that you've all been very distracted by those hideous dresses, because I haven't heard from a single one of you about the Wedding Party Invites. Booo to that! I still need your help/input. So scroll on down and gets to commenting! Even if you think they're terrible...just say so!

I couldn't show you the dresses until now because that darn Davids Bridal wouldn't allow me to use their photo. So all you see here is a snippet of the dress which shows the gold ribbon, brocade pattern and bling. To view the entire dress click here. It wouldn't photograph well in my house. It's so stinkin' dark in there I can't stand it!

Anyway, I think they're gorgeous and everything is falling into place; so I am not going to let it get me down.

Another Grosgrain Attempt...

2008-08-13T08:12:00.000-07:00

I'm giving it another try. This time for the Nantucket Weekend Shirt and Short. Fun stuff!!

Uhhh...It's A Wedding - Not a Construction Site!

2008-08-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Bliss...NOT DANGER! Right?? Is this some sort of sign? Oh dear!!Warning: Put on your darkest shades you own to view the following!
That's right! These are the dresses. The HORRIBLE, DISASTEROUS dresses. Needless to say the bitter S.O.B that sold them to me will not take them back, nor will he refund ANY of the money! He went as far as saying that he himself, didn't want them back due to their hideous nature! So, out of my pocket comes the cash to buy all of these girls new dresses. Every wedding deserves one tragedy don't you think??!!And I will just be thankful that I have my loved ones here to share this with me. It can ALWAYS be worse!Tune in tomorrow to see the new dresses. They're lovely!!

Wedding Weekend Invites

2008-08-07T07:48:00.001-07:00

There are several important people who need to be part of both pre and post-game festivities for this wedding. I want to make them some special invites that will include the information they need for the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner and for the Sunday Brunch/Birthday Party for Josh we will be having. I played around with a few ideas last night and now I think I'm ready to get moving. Problem is, Josh and I disagree on formats. So I'd love to hear what you think. We have to decide between this or.......this for the front cover. I can add a small label to the bottom of this one so that it is not sooo plain. I would have it read the same as the front of the one above reads.

I decided to use a kraft colored folder. I thought that this way those who will be involved with all of these festivities can house any other paper invites and notes in the folder throughout the weekend. It has a cute little label on the tab that says "Schuld~Myers Wedding 10.11.08". You may be able to see it better if you click on the photo.

The inside houses the details for the pre-game and post-game festivities.

I want to send these out soon, so please share your opinions and ideas!

Go On...Cut A Rug!

2008-08-06T07:40:00.000-07:00

There will be no worries about achy dancing feet at this wedding thanks to Old Navy's $1 sale a few weeks back. Well, at least not for the ladies! I enlisted Josh, Nicky and my mom to join me in collecting many, many pairs of flip-flops for all you dancing queens! They had a five pair limit per customer, but that did not deter us. Nicky and I each made three trips. Josh made two. My mom's friend, Jen, made a few herself! Now we can all cut a rug in comfort! I'm thinking of displaying the flip-flops in a large green market wagon near the dance floor. Guests can help themselves when they're ready. Now I just need to re-enlist Nicky to bust out her big 'ol number stamps and make size tags for them.

Thanks, guys, for all of your help!

More Grosgrain Goodies...

2008-08-06T06:36:00.000-07:00

More goodies to be won over at Grosgrain:

The Fields of Gold Frock and the The Paperdoll Frock. Both beauties, though I am just loving the Fields of Gold!!!

Happy Birthday

2008-07-30T19:30:00.000-07:00

Today is July Thirty...my favorite (ok, only) brother's birthday. When he was little he would tell anyone who asked that his birFday was July Thirty!! Not thirtieth, because ordinals are far too difficult for little people to understand. Cute, huh?!

We will all be together at my parents this weekend to celebrate his 25th birthday. Hopefully he enjoys himself equally as much as he did the night before I took this photo of him packing his truck in his underwear and boots!

Happy BirFday, Little Brother! I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great Sale-ing and Affordable Prices...My Lucky Day

2008-07-26T13:12:00.000-07:00

Today I picked Nicky up and we headed off to a few neighborhood sales. Unfortunately, the only thing we found worth while were two large boxes of canning jars for $5 with a few zinc lids and a very small pedestal stand for Nicky.

We decided we would head on over to Garage Sale Sunday at the Public Market and we were so glad we did!! We not only found some really great finds, but the prices were right, too!! Don't you just love it when that happens?

Here are today's goodies and their very affordable prices (you'll have to visit Nicky to see what she picked up):

A ceramic Xmas tree - .25

Seven small rolls of silk thread in the most perfect fall colors (more to come on this later!) - .50

A deck of Saturday Evening Post cards (too cute to pass up) - .50

A liquor tag....fuuuunnnnn!!!! And an instant need to find many, many more...- .50

A set of opera lenses with a built-in case - $1
Very cute, vintage square tablecloth - $1

A super fun journal - $1A huuuuge metal shovel with a wooden handle - $3 A very cool, old, wooden clipboard with an extra clip - $1

A just-as-cool-as-the-clipboard, wooden scooter - $4

Edit: Thank you Robin!!!!!!! It IS INDEED a skateboard. That is what happens when you think you're the queen of multi-tasking! I do have a scooter, from about two years ago, that happens to be sitting right near my desk. Unfortunately, I still haven't done a darn thing with it....we need a bigger house!

The Sequence of Sadness

2008-07-24T19:16:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when Danny realizes it is NOT a weekend. First, he gets edgy when both Mommy AND Daddy are up early (because everyone knows Daddy doesn't do early on the weekends!). Then he watches as I lay clothes out on the bed after ironing, definitely not part of the weekend routine. At this point, he knows what the lies ahead but is still in denial!! He looks at Josh, still waking up over there, and prays (sees his paws together there??) that he will stay put for just a little longer. He does everything he can to keep me from putting those clothes on. But once he sees me make my way with lotion and deodorant to the bedside, he pulls out all the stops, as he becomes all too aware of his fate....another four hour nap-alone-on the couch-in silence!

"Mommy, look at this face! Are you really going to leave me again???"

The Fruits of Friendship

2008-07-23T19:06:00.000-07:00

I found Nicky on my porch last week with this. Yummy!! She had picked them fresh from her future in-laws cherry orchard. Check out her pictures, as mine don't do these babies any justice.She delivered these smack dab in the middle of a very busy week for her. She had been working tirelessly, with the other ladies in our bridal party, to plan both a shower and a bachelorette party for Saturday, for myself. We had a blast!!! I can't wait to share some pics with you!!

Early Evening Gown GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!

2008-07-10T10:39:00.000-07:00

Early Evening Gown GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!
Just another FYI!

I'm still recovery from my sadness...I really wanted that Ice Cream Social Dress...you know, for someday!

****Edited: I never had a chance for that damned Ice Cream Social Dress....I just realized I never linked to it! Uggghhhhhhhh!!!!! Maybe she'll sell me one...you know, for someday!! I wish I could wear some of this stuff - ha!

The Grass Is Always Greener...

2008-07-09T14:49:00.000-07:00

It has been so hot here that I assure the grass inside our house is much greener than the grass outside, which is nearly D.E.A.D! We just don't have the time to be out there watering every night. This little terrarium vignette seems to make up for it, for the time being anyway. Today was the first day of summer school. This may sound crazy, but I love summer school! It is so much more relaxed. With half days and one month's worth of learning and fun. I have the sweetest little four year olds this summer. Nine of them, to be exact. I wish I could show you all their sweet faces. They are so smart and so sweet!! I think I'm really going to love teaching them! Thank goodness for summer...

Another drawing...too sweet!

2008-07-05T14:58:00.000-07:00

Grosgrain is having another drawing for this sweet thing:

Just thought I'd share. Love it!!!!

A Bunch of Stuff

2008-07-01T05:54:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd share a few onesies that I recently made. Pretty cute; though I am never happy with my own work. I apologize for the wrinkles as they've been folded in a bag for a week. I am interested in any tips on where to find patterns and templates for appliques. What I have is quite limited and I'd like to make more. I have several friends who are either pregnant or have just had babies. These are the perfect little surprise for them...I think!?

I can only wish that I made this sweet dress. Unfortunately that is not the case! It was made by Grosgrain. Check it out here: Roosters-N-Rickrack Pinafore GIVEAWAY!!!!

She has another giveaway going on, as well. This one is EVEN SWEETER!!!! It is for this Strawberry Quart Caplet and Simple Sailing Frock.

I am still trying to figure out how to blur out the details of the wedding so that I can share the invites with you. I haven't forgotten that I said I would.

I am off to have LASIK now. No four eyes for this bride. Keep me in your thoughts if you don't mind. I'm VERY nervous~!!!!!! You may not hear from me for a couple of days due to this. But I'm sure you all are getting used to that!

A Quick Project

2008-06-27T15:21:00.000-07:00

Today's project, beside cleaning our office (yuck!), was this letter holder. I got it at the VOA for practically nothing. Now that it has had a makeover, I know I can sell it for something!

Here is the before picture:Here is the after:

Who doesn't love a little robin's egg blue in their life? Perfect to keep that mail off the entry way table or the kitchen counter. Don't ya think! The picture does not do it justice...too bright, but it is super sweet in person. I promise!

I am hoping to open a booth at the Craft & Antique Co-op soon and I need to get on some of my junk to fill it up. This was quick and easy. And best of all, I really needed to get it out of our office. What a mess that place was! I'm half way there!!

Which Do You Prefer?

2008-06-24T13:05:00.001-07:00

We are still enjoying a Garden Tour intermission, so I would look for your guidance on something else. The invitation sets that I purchased didn't come with a reception card, so I have to make one. I normally am a bit anal about these things, but I refuse to be when creating a 120 reception cards. I'll go insane and it's not worth it. So if you're on the invite list and your homemade card is cut a bit unevenly or mis-centered on it's background...turn a blind eye or deal with it!

I want to know if you think I should make them with or without the leaves? Maybe I'll share the whole invitation with you tomorrow. I'm trying to figure out how to cover certain details within the invite before I do it. Does anyone know how to do that? And don't say photoshop...because I only have the knock-off versions!

A Summer Garden Tour Intermission:

2008-06-18T15:22:00.000-07:00

We are taking a quick break from the tour to wash my patio furniture and give it a fresh coat of paint. I hope you don't mind. In the mean time, I need your help...

It's no secret that I can't keep my own secrets. I can keep other people's secrets like it's my job, but not my own!! Fortunately, this isn't really a secret. We plan to give cd's as thank you's for the bridal shower. And I guess the surprise/secret can still be the songs that are on the cd. I'd love for your opinion on the cover. It's a simple vote: black & white or color. Place your official vote in the poll on the right-hand sidebar.

I'm not going to tell you which I prefer, though I'm sure you all can guess!
Our favorite song is Better Together by Jack Johnson, so we decided that we would title the cd Better Together.

I can't wait to hear what you think!

Summer Garden Tour 2008: Day 2

2008-06-17T17:33:00.000-07:00

Welcome back for day two of the tour everyone! I wish I could offer you all a snack, but I haven't even gotten around to having dinner myself, so that just is not happenin'!! Therefore, it will be b.y.o.s (bring your own snack) day. Hope you don't mind!

We are still in the back, side yard. And....we are still looking at planters. But don't worry, we will soon move to the other side!

Here you have Mr. B. He is pleasant - not the stinging kind. I assure you! He watches over the grill to be sure Josh is not undercooking my meat - yuck! Poor thing, I haven't decided whether that is a weed in his bucket (most likely) or a returning bloom from last year. We'll let it go a while longer just for fun. And don't any of you "smarty pants gardeners" ruin it for us, either. This is one of the several picket fence projects Josh worked on for me last year. It is missing a bottle or two thanks to Old Man Winter, which I will soon replace. For now I don't mind its imperfections. Hopefully you don't either. I love to watch pinwheels go round and round in the wind; but when they're made of metal they don't go round and round much at all. Just a tip...super cute, but BORRRING!

Another super cute planter, this time from the Christmas Tree Shop. You've got to love ceramic rain boots!

Ok...we will now scoot across the lawn to the other side. Maybe tomorrow you can lie down in the hammock, but for now stay focused. There's plenty more to see. Today you can peak at the hammock you'll be lying in tomorrow - up in the header (courtesy of last year's garden photos).One of two barrels and another Joanns clearance planter. This one is HEAVY!!! It had a ficus in it that I was keeping inside. What a pain! Then I killed the ficus (no, of course not on purpose sillies - wink wink) and brought the planter to the garden.

Here is where I may lose you, so try your best to stay with me. In our house, the dining room hangs over the foundation a few feet. This means there is an overhang with no support underneath. Can you picture this? The first floor of the house hanging out further than the basement walls go??? Are you with me folks? Anyway, it was gross under there when we moved in, so we filled it with stones and made it another container garden. If we planned on being here for a long time I'd most likely plant a rock garden under there. But for now....
...we have a huge rock that looks like an alligator's mouth that we dug out of the creek by my parents. It is hard to see here, but the rock has an indentation that appears to be a reptile's mouth opening up to eat you!! The planter is from Big Lots.

There is also a $1 children's chair from a garage sale under there, with a little burlap, of course! It rests atop a landscape block.

Then there is this old heater as a stand with a great metal planter that has been left out to rust and perfect its patina. It has a pot of lamb's ears in it from my friend Nicky. You almost want to jump in there and snuggle up with them they're so soft!!

In addition to these things, I have a rocking chair planted with climbing seeds that have not fully grown yet, as I was late planting them. I also have a large sleigh seat (the type horses pull) from forever ago, that has been planted with the same climbing seeds. I will show you both of these when they are in bloom.

Well..that is where we must stop for today. You are all welcome back tomorrow for Part 3 of our tour and if you're lucky we may just make it to the hammock!

Summer Garden Tour 2008

2008-06-16T14:42:00.000-07:00

Tracey is hosting this very fun garden tour. I thought I ought to get on board after all the time I've (we've) spent lately in our garden and on our patio, rather than blogging!

I am beginning with side of our back yard, where we have many random, vintage/junk-inspired goodies. Though, there will be more to see each day this week. I know what you're thinking, but I promise not to disappoint!

A half-crock with freshly planted flowers from Joanns ....

(end of summer clearance two years ago)
An old bike from my Grandmother's barn....
A discounted planter from Tuesday Morning....

(this is on our patio, so my apologies for digressing from the side of our yard)

Another planter from Joanns....

(also bought at the end of summer clearance two years ago)

An old, $2 milk can from an estate sale and yet another planter from that same Joanns sale....

Two things I should note:
*I never, well almost never, buy planters in the spring or summer because you can get them so extremely cheap in the off seasons! This is with the exception of some "must-have-now" items. I can assure you I try my best to use unusual/recycled/free/vintage items to do my planting in, so I don't often find the need to purchase "must-have-now" planters. I like to use what I've got!!

*The cute little borders and adjustments on my photos were put on with Professor Franklin's Instant Photo Effects, which I won in an EBAY auction. This software was recommended by Tracey herself and I've had it quite some time. I've been too lazy to bust it out and use it up until now, but I'm soo glad I did. Fun, huh!!

Stop back tomorrow for more garden pics. I'm here all week...for the Garden Tour!

The Moment You've All Been Waiting For...

2008-06-02T18:27:00.000-07:00

...you know, all two of you! No, really, several readers have asked me to share the dress picks after the little poll we had back in, hmmm...January, I think. Little did you know just how many things have evolved since then with these dresses. Let me just say - "Uggghh"! We'll leave it at that. Without further ado, here are the picks. Now I know they are tiny. I think if you click on them they will enlarge and probably conveniently open up the page where you can purchase one for yourself if your heart so desires. Yes, they are all quite different. I let the girl's choose what they wanted to wear. Hoping that they'd be more comfortable spending an entire day in such a thing, if they were to choose it themselves, there could be absolutely no complaining, right?! RIGHT, LADIES!!!! Think of it as a mini fashion show. Are you all thinking I'm crazy yet? It will be easier to picture on October 12th, when I actually show you a picture!! Envision each of them in a very dark, burnt orange color with ivory trim. And the opposite for the flower girls and myself (Oh, I wish I could show you mine!!). I know it's difficult, but JUST TRY!

Dress 1: Will be worn by future SIL - Lindsay
Dress 2: Will be worn by Maid of Honor - Meghan
Dress 3: Will be worn by Matron of Honor - Katie
Dress 4: Will be worn by BJB - Nicky
Dress 5: Will be worn by future SIL - Sarah

Dress 6: Will be worn by Junior Bridesmaid and Cousin - AlexisDress 7: Will be worn by older of two Flower Girls and future niece - Jada And, now, dresses 8 and 9: One or the other to be worn by the peanut of the two Flower Girls - Olivia. Help me decide which one. I thought 9 because it's floor length - same as everyone else's. But I just think 8 is too darn cute! Help!!!

Do You Smell What I Smell?

2008-05-28T18:46:00.001-07:00

For all you locals....lilacs don't just bloom during the Lilac Festival!! Our lilac tree just began blooming over the weekend. Now if that wasn't something to celebrate, I don't know what is.

I wish I could share the smell of them with all of you. It's intoxicating! Josh says, "Those lilacs are stinkin' up the place!" See what I have to deal with ;) But it hasn't stopped me from putting them all over our house and sending them off to friends, as well.

They're only around for such a short period. I want as many people to enjoy them as possible. Don't they make you smile?!

When The Junque Gods Shine Down...

2008-05-20T17:14:00.000-07:00

they really shine!!

On Saturday my BJB (Nicky's new term=best junk buddy!!) and I went wedding shopping. First we went to TJMaxx to buy extra large apothecary jars for the wedding. These will be used as the following: a wish jar, a wisdom jar and a memory jar. In lieu of a guest book (which isn't much my style), these jars will be out at the reception and guests will be asked to contribute to them on some cute little paper scrolls that have yet to be created. But no worries -that's on Nicky's to-do list!! Just picture them filled to the brim with sweet little scrolls tied up with twine or ribbon...

After taking care of that, we swung by Steinmart for a quick return and then we were off to Juliana's for a wedding dress. Nope, not for me, because I already ordered mine. This was for Nicky's wedding. And...........................SHE FOUND ONE! Hooray, Nicky!!! I only wish I could have taken pictures to share with you. It's a gorgeous, gorgeous dress! And perfect for her garden wedding. Vera Wang, nonetheless! We were told that if we forked over the payment in full, we could come back and try it on and take pics. So Nicky did just that and I can't wait to get back in there with the camera!! When I do, I'll be sure to share. With her consent, of course! She has gotten some grief from her FH (that's future, not the other f word you were thinking of - come on!!) and other family, so lets all send our blessing her way, shall we?! Rock on, Nick!!!!!

We went to lunch at Camilles (I like that name. I think I'll add it to the baby names list - for someday....!), after the dress shopping, because frankly it takes a lot out of you and we needed some time to complain about wedding stuff. You know: money, wedding crashers (before it has even happened, mind you!), money, ignorant people, money and a few more ignorant people. Whew!! Glad I got it all off my chest Saturday or I could go on and on right here, right now. Or am I? Oh well!!

On the way home we drove by this!! Wooooohooooo!!! For $free.99 on the curb. I nearly screamed for Nicky to pull over the car. You see, it can be difficult with the two of us having almost the same style. But we almost always operate under the first come, first serve policy. Or rather, whoever spots that bad boy first gets it. That is, unless it is something the spotter has little or no interest in and then we naturally pass it on to the OJB (other junk buddy) (Hah! That's my new term!). I was the lucky one who spotted this lovely metal sewing cabinet, with a faux wood grain. How sweet it is!!

Nicky, as any good jb would do, pulled into the poor man's driveway and remained there with me until Josh could come and haul it away. I at one point, I actually took to holding onto it, as another man pulled up and wanted to take it away. He was a nice fella, though. And he even offered to help us get it into Nicky's Jeep, but it was too wet, grungy and heavy for that! My knight in shining armor arrived not too long after that and helped load it up and bring it home. No complaints, just a few dirty looks and a "where in hell are we putting this?". God, I love that man!!

Amidst the storm, the junque Gods were shining on down!! And did I mention, for FREE?! It made my week!!

Jewels And Tags

2008-05-13T16:22:00.001-07:00

My ETSY Shop has been closed down for a bit, due to all the other things happening in my life. However, as I was preparing swap and giveaway packages I managed to make some new things to list. I thought I'd share them with you now since I probably won't get a chance to list them until late next week. Don't forget...custom orders are welcome!!

This is the bracelet I made for Becky from Beyond the Picket Fence, because she was the winner of my 100th Post contest.

And this is the necklace, or pendant I should say, that I made for Lindsey upon her request.

And this is a necklace I made while just playing around.

Above are some tag sets and note card sets... I'm suddenly addicted to tags?!

Things You Should Know About...

2008-05-12T15:05:00.000-07:00

The Vintage Apron Swap has ended and here is my sweet apron from the lovely Ms. Whitney at Kindred Joy. I adore it's frilly-froofiness!

And she sent me the cutest bookmark that I forgot to take a picture of. If I remember, I'll show it to you later. Thanks Whitney!

Here is the apron that I sent to Whitney. We were instructed to send NOTHING BUT the apron. However, I couldn't resist some leftover W's (from Lindsey's necklace - which I still need to share with you), made into tags. So I put together just a few for her. Sorry Sarah!! Isn't it ironic that we both chose purple?!

Sarah at The Misadventures of Mama and Jack is hosting a vintage tablecloth giveaway for her birthday. Check it out!
Also, The Chronicles of Windy Ridge is having a May Giveaway that gives me butterflies. I love this blog, her photography, and Eden's Bouquet. I dream of being the winner here!

Happy Mother's Day...

2008-05-11T14:29:00.000-07:00

...to all the mothers who stop by for a visit. And especially to...

my Mom,

my Grandma, my other Grandma (I will try to edit later. I did not have a photo of my other Gma on my computer.)

and my future Mother-in-law.

Hope you ALL have a great day and we love you!!

Oh How I Love Thy Nicky...

2008-05-10T14:15:00.000-07:00

Let me just say...Nicky is GREAT!! I came home on Friday afternoon from work and found this little package waiting for me on the counter. I love surprises!! And burlap! She knows me sooo well!!!!!

I have been saving some random things for the wedding that I plan to use in decorating, etc. One of the things that I've been collecting is chop sticks. So that I can make these:

Nicky, being the great friend that she is, talked to her people and they talked to their people and...well you know how the story goes. So the next thing I know, I've got 400 chopsticks anxiously awaiting a use. I love it!! Thanks soooo much Nick! And Mc!!

And don't worry, I kept myself busy assembling the first 50 flags for the recessional. That means 50 down, 200 to go!! Oh, enough of the moans and sighs, progress is progress people!!

Next collection: tin cans approximately 7 inches or shorter!

Yummy Food and Long Lost Friends

2008-05-07T14:35:00.000-07:00

I went home this past weekend to visit with family and a long lost friend. Lindsey, my best friend growing up, and I have grown apart and lost touch since high school. We finally had the opportunity to get together - just the two of us - to catch up and put the past behind us. It was wonderful to see her, gossip about all that I've missed and reunite. She treated me to dinner at a yummy place called L'Italia near our home town. Great atmosphere and delicious food. Thanks, Linds!! Good times were had by all, I think and it just felt good to get back a bit of what used to be! We have a lot of memories together and many things that only the other "gets". I am sorry I let so many years slip away, but I think this is the beginning of a whole new friendship. For that, I am thankful!

The Biggest Loser!!

2008-05-05T17:23:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was the official start of our Biggest Loser competition. Josh and I both dream of being in tip top wedding shape by September. We're both VERY competitive, as well. So he has developed his own little friendly version of the BL. We are going to weigh in every Sunday evening. The winner, he or she with the greatest weight loss percentage, will receive his or her chosen prize for the week. We are planning to sit down and hash out prize choices tonight. I think I'm doomed in this competition considering he's almost two of me and has much more to lose. But there is nothing like a little comptetition to motivate a girl, so I've decided to go along with it and reward myself for good behavior, either way!

The 100th Post Comment Winner Is.....

2008-05-01T20:14:00.000-07:00

Bec4. Congratulations Bec4! If you're sad you didn't win, you can blame it on Josh - you know, the one you all think is sooo wonderful!! I made him choose the winner out of my little red bird house box.

You can all go and check out Bec4 and her projects she is working on. She is having project week at her house/blog and she has been creating some great things. I personally love her painted suitcase. Too cute!!

Bec4, please do send me an email with your mailing address and give me about a week or so to get something together and sent out to you.

Changing The World...One Yard Of Burlap At A Time!

2008-04-30T19:15:00.000-07:00

Attentions ALL packrats, family, friends and those who just want to be part of our day!!! I am collecting coffee sleeves. You know, the ones that you get with your to-go coffees. If you'd like to donate to a good cause please save yours for me. I need 150 of them!

When I heard how much it was to rent candle holders for our reception, I flat out refused it! I won't tell you how much that is because I don't care to be the source of massive strokes and severe heart attacks all across blogland, but it's RIDICULOUS!! And you have NOTHING to show for your money in the end, as the key word here is "RENT"! Forget it!

As I mentioned yesterday, my Mom is always looking out for me. Last summer she picked up six bushel baskets of telephone insulators for me at a yard sale for $20. (You all know how I love my junk!) I was very excited about it, but had no idea what I was going to do with so many insulators. There were literally hundreds of them sitting in our driveway waiting to be used in a project. Until now I was fresh out insulator ideas. But then my candle holder problem appeared and I remembered a project I had seen via Ki and Sue from Junk Market. It is just the thing for my candle holders. And I can do it all for hundreds of dollars less than what I would have paid to rent the cheesey ones at the country club! Oh yeah, and what would a wedding project be without a little burlap? Check it out...

I started out with an insulator and a coffee sleeve. I can't forget to send a big shout out to Nicky, my junquin buddy, for my first stack of sleeves. Thanks, Nicky! You're the best!!

I simply opened a sleeve and placed the insulator upside down inside the sleeve. It's a perfectly snug fit. I love when things can be perfect, don't you?

As you can see, the insulators are hollow on the inside. This makes for a cozy little spot to put, what else, a candle of course!

Then there was the decision of whether to fill them with a votive...

...or a tea light. This has yet to be determined, though I am open to your thoughts!!

Next, I got out my trusty "22 calibur, double barreled, sawed off, glue gun". Armed and dangerous, I went to town gluing my burlap to the sleeve and trimming it off as I went. What would I do without burlap and a glue gun??

I tied on a ribbon and, of course, a button and ta-dahhh!!! We've got instant candle holders for about $50. This here folks, works out to be, approximately 33 cents per candle holder. That is several dollars less than those crazy country clubbers were trying to get out of me! Let me know what you think of them.

I LOVE MY MOM!!

2008-04-29T17:58:00.000-07:00

My Mom has been enlisted to make these silverware pockets for the wedding. I stole the idea from Country Living, so I won't even begin to try and take credit. Though, I wish I had thought of it first!

We are having a buffet at the wedding and I can't stand the way the silverware sits in a basket at the beginning of a buffet line. All those hands dipping in, touching everyone else's silverware on the way to their own (Yes...I'm just a teeny-tiny bit of a germaphobe!). Not to mention the fumbling and bobbling of the silver while you try to balance it with your dinner plate and your salad plate all at the same time. I just won't have that!! Sooo....it is for these reasons that each place setting at the wedding will have one of these cute little burlap pockets holding the silver tight while it waits to meet it's match. All courtesy of my Mom. Isn't she the best!!

I will not, however, allow her to take any responsibility for that button in the picture that was sewn on totally off center and too far to the right on the flap of the pocket. That was ALL me!!! I'm great with the ideas just not so much with the execution! Trying counts for something, doesn't it?!

This probably seems like an odd choice of project to begin with, but I think it's going to take some serious time to make hundreds of these, soo....a head start is necessary. Then again, is there such a thing as a head start, when the big day is only 167 days away? That number is courtesy of Sue. Thanks Sue!!!

100th Post and A Bunch Of Other Things

2008-04-28T17:21:00.000-07:00

Let me first say that this is my 100th Post. So anyone leaving a comment is automatically eligible to win a prize or prizes. I will choose one person at random on Thursday from all the comments on this post. The goodies will be announced later. Share this on your own blog if you'd like...the more, the merrier!!

Secondly, I'd like to warn you ladies who left comments on the last post to be careful. Especially you Connie and you Dona. Josh thinks you're all in love with him and hot on his trail!! He now believes HE CAN HAVE ANY BLOGGER HE WANTS!! He says, "they all love me"!!! Be warned...he's not ALL peaches and cream! I mostly only blog about the good things, just so you know!

Now for the fun stuff.... My great friend Nicky surprised me with this wonderful save the date card for our wedding and some hilarious (inside joke, really) place cards. You must go to her blog and check them out. She did a great job. Too bad we already planned on using pumpkins as placecards or I'd hire her to make them (for $free.99 of course)! I'm hoping she will be willing to make table numbers for us, though! (Nicky???? Don't you love how I slip these things into my blog and put you on the spot?! Now if you turn me down, I've got the world as my witness!)

Here is the kicker... We ended up having to change the date of the wedding due to some conflicts (which has only lead to more conflicts, but that's another post altogether!). Our new date is October 11th, 2008. We are going to have the ceremony at the Genesee Country Village and Museum and we are VERY excited about it. We both love it there!! And the best part is our wedding package includes admission for the day, for all of the guests. So while we're off doing photos before and after, everyone else will have something fun to do! Yeahhh. Sorry Nick!

Tomorrow stop by to see the first real wedding project we've embarked on!!

Josh! The Man Of My Dreams!!

2008-04-23T19:00:00.001-07:00

How can you not love a man who does this...

In an attempt to organize my life last week while I was on vacation, I made a list of posts that I wanted to accomplish. The fact that some of them never happened is only a minor detail. The fact that Josh came in and added to my list with this, I guess, is major. For some reason, it made my day!! When I finally noticed that he had written it, I couldn't stop smiling! I love you "man of my dreams"!!