what I did today....

while Avery was at preschool and Emmy was napping, which is a treat in this house!

Wood scraps....sanded, painted, decorated and decoupaged.

rainy days...

The last few days have been rainy and yucky, and because it was the weekend, Chris was happy to play with the kids so I could catch up on some of my neglected craft projects.

Fabric key chains (teacher's gifts).....

used this tutorial

Hair bow holder for Avery......

its made of things that we had around the house, it keeps all of her clips together!

Fabric hair flower clips for me and Avery......

to make these:

cut fabric into (any size) circles

fold circles in half

layer folded pieces to be shaped like a flower

stitch through middle to secure

fluff fabric petals

sew button in center

hot glue clip onto back

Now to get prepared for Monday!

because I have nothing better to do.....

not true, I am in laundry hell.
Seriously, what is worse.... slaving through too many loads of laundry or the daunting task of putting it all away???

During the downtime from the laundry hell, I came across this cute crown tutorial.....I am thinking that would be really cute for Avery's birthday......

checking in....

We are finally finding our groove now that school and activities are in full swing and I am feeling pretty good....things are good.
DJ thrives on a very structured schedule, he really needs to know what is happening and feel in control of things. I noticed that the summer months are much more flexible and that tends to be challenging for DJ. Don't get me wrong, he had a great summer, I just see the slight differences in his behavior when he has a tight schedule to follow. He is doing great in school and being positive all around.

Avery is so in love with preschool, she really enjoys her friends and her teacher. I am thrilled that the transition went so well for her and that she is getting so much out of it. She was upset that there was no school on Wednesday....where did this kid from from?!

And the best thing for me is that I have 3 afternoons to hang out with Emmy, who is such a funny little thing! We have so much fun together and I am lucky to have this time because she is growing up so fast!

Next year at this time, DJ will be in HIGH SCHOOL, Avery will be in Kindergarten and Emmy will be in preschool 3 days a week.....so I will actually have time for me......what will I do??!!
I think I can figure out something......: )

loss

I am feeling tired, sluggish and just plain bad today. I am emotionally exhausted and left thinking about why things happen the way that they do. I do believe that everything happens for a reason, so I am having a great deal of difficulty trying to come to terms with Cara and Rob losing their much loved baby, Jayden.
Why, at 26 weeks along and perfectly healthy, did his heart stop? How does this happen? How is it, that a mother and a father with hopes, dreams and love for their child, have to be told that there is no heartbeat and the baby has passed? Why do they have to deliver their tiny lifeless baby who was full of life and movement the day before? How do they stay in a hospital surrounded by joyful families bringing their babies into this world as they grieve the loss of their beautiful baby Jayden?
I do not understand and will not be able to fully understand what they are truly going through, but I do know that my heart aches deeply for them.
They are a strong and loving couple that will take this journey together and will support each other through the long process of grieving as well as honoring their baby Jayden.

If tears could build a stairway
And memories a lane
I'd walk right up to Heaven
And bring you home today
No farewell words were spoken
No time to say good bye
You were gone before we knew it
And only God knows why
My heart still aches of sadness
And secret tears still flow
What it meant to lose you
No one will ever know

~Author Unknown


I just can't wrap my head around any of this....I am so completely devestated for them.

my pint sized artist

This is some of Avery's latest work....she is getting pretty good!

The girl is very creative and imaginative.
She will disappear for a while and reemerge proudly with some sort of creation to show me. Be it a drawing, colored pages in her coloring book, her (and her sister's) latest fashion ensemble, an intricate Lego structure, her beautifully (sticker) embellished bookshelf or the ever changing, abstract arrangements of small toys all over the living room surfaces.
We do a lot of arts and crafts around here, but she does initiate her creations on her own. She is extremely passionate about her vision, leaving little room for her sister to be part of the "creative process".....but she will allow Emmy to bring her the materials needed for the project.....sort of like a miniature personal assistant. It is a known fact that the girl is a diva....and a creative one at that!

I will let you know when her fist showing is.....: )

self portrait....

I am going to mount all of her drawings on card stock and make a book for her.

festive

The last few rainy days have inspired me to do some cleaning, organizing and purging around the house in order to put out the fall decorations. I love to decorate for fall, which incorporates Halloween followed by Thanksgiving elements in the mix.
As soon as Thanksgiving passes (usually that night), I clean it all up and get out my Christmas decor. I love Christmas and winter decorations, the tree twinkling with lights, beautiful wreaths hanging on windows and doors, cinnamon potpourri scented rooms, quaint little, lighted villages that the kids love to play with and the deep jewel tones that I am so attracted to....I love the warmth I feel when my house is filled with Christmas! But as soon as Christmas passes, I have to pack it all up and give the house a deep clean....and it feels like a new house again.
I don't do any seasonal decorating indoors for spring and summer because I am too busy outdoors with my yard and gardens...I do lots of outdoor decorating during the warm seasons.
Anyway, as I was saying, I have started to decorate the house for fall and Halloween and it makes me feel happy! It is still a work in progress and I have to get outside and clean up the yard (when things dry up) so I can get the yard and porch decked out!


counter....

table centerpiece....


a little corner....

computer center....



bathroom....

under the TV......


top of shelves....

Emmy's new style

Before:




After:

blissful

My aunt, Linda and her partner Linda are getting married next weekend. They have been planning their wedding for the past year and they are excited that the day is almost here!
It will be an outdoor, morning ceremony in the gazebo at Lake Pearl where they will recite their written vows and incorporate crystal singing bowls, which I haven't heard before.
The ceremony will follow with a formal reception at the Tree Top Room which looks out, over Lake Pearl and I chose stuffed chicken as my entree.
My date for the event will be the very handsome, DJ Young, as Chris will be home with the girls....it is an adult only event, per the couple's request. DJ is 14, but he is taller and bigger than me, so I am hoping that the couple will not be upset.....I needed a date!
My brother will be in town for the wedding and I just found out that we will be celebrating my Grandmother's 80th birthday following the reception....Chris and the girls will be there.....hopefully, my Grandmother is up for a long day of partying!

I am looking forward to sharing this special day with my aunt, her fiance and my family.....and I am honored to witness such a devoted and deserving couple finally, be able to do what many of us take for granted.

gender neutral

Finished onsies.....

I found some great templates online, sized them, used up some of my fabric scraps and sewed them onto the plain onsies....I love how they turned out!

first day

Today was Avery's first day of preschool. She is part of an afternoon session, so all morning she waited anxiously, asking me when we could leave for school and requesting a super early lunch because she knew that we would leave after lunch....smart kid.
So, after lunch, Avery, dressed in her school clothes, name tag pinned into her shirt, pulled her backpack over her shoulders and headed out the door super excited for school......when did my baby grow into this independent little girl??

I took pictures at home, in the yard, in the car and at school.....I wasn't alone, as all of the parents at school had cameras in hand to capture the moment.
As we were waiting for the OK to bring the kids to their classrooms, there was a lot of excitement, I could see that Avery was taking it all in and I know that she was a little nervous but she was ready. A little boy was crying and I wondered if it would make her apprehensive, but she just looked at me and told me that he missed his mom, but that she would be back to pick him up, so he will be happy soon. I agreed with her, I think that she was reassuring herself.

When it was time, she headed straight for her locker and we put her things away, then we met her teacher at the door, said goodbye with a kiss, her teacher took her hand and off she went into the classroom without even a glance back at me!
I guess it surprised me how well she made the transition, she is not my baby anymore. It took me a second, then it was OK......
Emmy, on the hand was very sad to leave her sister and cried all the way out to the car....she got over it when she realized that she had Mommy all to herself!







And, although it is a little late, I have pictures from DJ's first day of 8th grade....he wasn't quite thrilled to partake in a photo session at 7 am....but he was a good sport! There is a picture of his lunchbox that he chose, which is full with his lunch and drinks....he is a big, growing guy!!

bunnies beware!

We have a rather large hawk who hangs out in the backyard. We also have lots of bunnies, squirrels and chipmunks who need to watch their back....as well as a tiny 6 pound Shih Tzu named Annabelle!

oh baby!

I am so excited that so many people around me are pregnant!

My cousin Jennifer is pregnant with her first baby, due this February.

I like to be ahead of the game, so I have started working on her baby gifts.....and because I am totally finished with Cara's gifts, which I had so much fun creating (I will post about Cara's gifts and fabulous shower, after it takes place).....onto the next new baby to sew things for!

I want to share some of the things that I have put together for Jen and Pete's baby.....which, they are not finding out the gender of until the birth day......so I had to stay neutral.

I am in love with the fabrics!!

• a banner for the baby's room
• monkey towel (flannel and terrycloth) and flannel washcloths
• burp cloths
• fleece blanket
• baby bath product bag
  

burp cloths....
fleece blanket....

I have a plain white onesies that I will add appliques to and some other fun things up my sleeve!