it's just Laine

Happiness is a Choice

2012-02-13T10:47:00.002-05:00

The first time I saw this print I laughed until I cried. Literally. And then I showed it to my hubby and laughed until I cried again. (Pretty sure he thought I was nuts.) Well, my sweet friend Amy surprised me and bought it for me for Christmas! Makes me smile. =)

Even though this is just a funny print, I love the truth in it. Happiness is a choice.

So when you wake up on Monday morning and you're already behind in your day because of a busy weekend, and a church member had a stroke yesterday, and then the baby keeps you awake all night and to top it all off you have to make the tough decision to cancel all of your Valentine's plans because of ministry stuff that comes up......that's when you and I have to make a choice.

I love Psalm 118:24 which says, "This is the day which the Lord hath made: we will rejoice and be glad in it."

Life happens, things get tough and it's so easy to complain. But loosing a whole day to grumpiness is just not worth it!

Choose joy and happiness, friend....I know my day is already getting much better because of it!

Project 52--Week 6: Drink Up

2012-02-10T05:47:00.000-05:00

The big kids were doing school work.

Baby Lucy was taking a nap.

So me and my little man went out onto the porch and shared a cup of hot chocolate.

He even called me his "sugar-date." {swoon}

And gave me a pretend present.

He said it was a scarf. {smile}

Can we say, "heart breaker?"

Those eyelashes are gonna be the death of me!

Love this little guy to pieces!!

And we're definitely going to have a hot chocolate date again. =)

Part of Project 52 @ My3boybarians. Last week's pic: Shadows
Also Linking up to: Shoot.Edit.Submit

Valentine's Decor

2012-02-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

I almost didn't decorate for Valentines, but I'm so glad I did! I love Valentine's day...hope I never get over being romantic. =) As usual I tried to keep it simple and just used what I had!

See the Eiffel Tower on my fantle??

Okay, so I'm letting you in on a little secret here...I sort of have an obsession with the Eiffel Tower and France. Do you ever dream of going up on the Eiffel Tower with your Honey? Have any of you ever been to Paris? Well, I have been to Paris and been to the very top. With my hubby. Only it wasn't very romantic because he wasn't my hubby at the time. Boo. One day he's taking me back and I'm getting my smooch at the top of the Eiffel Tower!! {cough:cough...are you reading this, Honey?}

Anyways...Monsieur Eiffel usually resides in our room but I brought it out for Valentines. =) In the center is a printable I found on The Frugal Homemaker. It says, "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living my Valentine you'll be." Love this! I didn't have a frame the right size so I just matted it with some polka dot scrapbook paper. I also made a quick and easy "Love" banner with fabric scraps, a sharpie marker and some yarn. Easy-peasy. Although it's looking a little saggy in this picture...gotta fix that. =)

Yep, I've got the french thing going on over here too. I found this a few years ago on clearance at Hobby Lobby for about $2.00 I think.

My two year old is cracking me up. He keeps pointing at this and asking where the "L" is. No clue what he's talking about!

Made these "love letters" last year for my hubby. =) I kept it and put it out again this year!

In the kitchen on the open shelving above the coffee maker, I put some scrabble letters out and we've been making messages to each other. See the little creamer pitcher in the corner? The extra tiles are in there. We are loving this! Definitely have to be creative so the message will fit on the little holder!

My hubby is so funny, the other day I put "U R sweet." I went back out there a few minutes later and it said, "True." Crazy guy. But just another reason why I'm crazy about him. =)

Do you have any "lovey-dovey" decor around your house? Any big plans for Valentine's Day? And I've gotta know...do you dream of going to the Eiffel with your man?

My Weekend

2012-02-06T08:30:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday, Friends! Hope ya'll had a great weekend! How many of you watched the Super Bowl?? Wasn't that just an intense ending?? Can't believe the Patriots lost to the Giants...again!

Anyways...back to the weekend stuff. On Friday our family had the opportunity to go spend the day at the Biltmore Estate. ( A friend of ours was given some free tickets and invited us.) Wow! This place was SO amazing. {more to come later!}

On Saturday morning, we took our $5 off $5 coupons to Michaels and had fun! I printed one for each of my kids and let them pick something. They were so funny trying to make up their minds! Caleb ended up with these little knights which are pretty cool. There were battles taking place all day!

I got some yarn, a straw wreath and some felt for a whopping $0.79 after my coupon. Can you guess what I'm making?? Oh yeah, and at the register the cashier goes, "Are those all yours?" I started looking around like, "Is what all mine? I didn't get that much stuff??" And then I realized she was talking about my kids. Yes, all those kids are mine, all four of them, thank-you-very-much. People ask the craziest questions, cracks me up!

In the afternoon I purged a scary linen closet and washed up a stack of Miss Lucy's colorful (and cute!) cloth diapers.

Later I made a boatload of cinnamon rolls. Mmmmm....the house smelled SO good! It was really late when I got done though. Can you see the clock? 10:50. Yep. And see the pan that's half devoured?? I may or may not have contributed to that...I plead the 5th ammendment. =)

I had big plans to take a pan of these to Sunday School and package up the others to give to some people "just because." Well, my plans were foiled when our six year old decided to get sick in the middle of the night. Poor fella! =( He spent all day on the couch. Or running to the bathroom. Or not making it all the way there. {yuck} Let's just say that the hallway has now been scrubbed top to bottom! This was one of the few times he actually sat up yesterday and that was during the super bowl!

This little {big} gal was all alone at church with daddy yesterday. He told her she could sit with whoever she wanted and in each service she picked a widow. She told me they always looked lonely and she wanted to cheer them up. I was so proud of her. =)

Even though our plans to have friends over to watch the big game were ruined because of sickness, we still had some fun food! I made "Cheeseburger Soup" for the first time and it was delish! I took this crockpot recipe and Edie's recipe and made a hybrid. My family loved this!

For dessert I made dark chocolate brownies and topped them with ganache made from these dark chocolate mint chips. Wowsers....these were ah-mazing!

Guess what else I learned this weekend?? Eating dark chocolate M&M's means.....

....that this little peanut wants to party all. night. long. Ugggh. Sleep or dark chocolate, that's a tough decision!!! =P

So....how was your weekend???

Project 52-Week 5: Shadows

2012-02-03T05:50:00.001-05:00

Photographing shadows this week was SO much fun! (Way funner than that self-portrait last week!!) Usually in photography you're always fighting the shadows so I really enjoyed this.

This first photo is definitely my favorite...I love silhouettes!

{shortest to tallest}

{Me and sweet little Lucy-loo}

{Love this picture!}

My kids LOVED taking these next pictures. They kept coming to see how they looked after I shot them. Oh yeah, while we were taking these, Caleb goes, "Mom, this is WAY funner than doing school!" Made me laugh! And of course five minutes later I marched them in to begin their school work. But hey, they were pretty cheerful today. Hhhmm...maybe I should let them jump around outside every morning before school! =)

I thought this was funny so I had to share...this is the same picture as above, I just cropped the feet out and flipped it around. Reminds me of Dr. Seuss characters!

This was their favorite, Lydia liked her wild hair, HA!

Is it just me, or do all these shadow pics make you think of Peter Pan?? =)

Linking up to Project 52 @ My3boybarians. Last weeks pic: Self-portrait

Teaching Children to Write Thank You Notes

2012-02-01T10:43:00.001-05:00

"Gratitude is caught, not taught."

Every heard that phrase? It's so true! Gratitude is an attitude and can only come from within. It is our job as parents to model a "gratitude attitude" for our children, but we also have to teach them how to properly demonstrate that gratitude. And of course one of the best and easiest ways is through a simple "Thank You" note!

When our two oldest kiddos were really young, we always "wrote" the thank you note ourselves. Then we either traced their little handprint on the card or enclosed one of their ~~masterpieces~~ papers covered in scribble. (Grandparents LOVE these by the way!)

But now that they are older, we don't do that anymore! Lydia, who is eight, writes her notes all by herself, but Caleb, who is six, still needs some help. Instead of sitting right there helping him a long with every single word, I enlist the chalkboard!

I have Caleb tell me exactly what he wants the note to say and I write in on the chalkboard. Then he can just copy it, in his neatest handwriting of course! (Yes, I know my handwriting on the board wasn't the neatest and all...but I was in a hurry because was juggling a hungry, crying baby, thank-you-very-much.) =)

At this age I'm okay with their notes being short and sweet. This one says:

Dear Mrs. Sharon,
Thank you for the cars, the ornament and the frog bank. I like the frog bank because you put the money on the tongue and it falls down and I think it's pretty funny!

Love,
Caleb

After they write their note, I encourage them to draw a picture to go with it. Many times they will draw a picture of them playing with the gift or of the gift itself. They love this part and it always turns out so cute!

Thank you notes are SO important and mean so much to people...especially nowadays when most communication takes place through email or text messages! Take the time to teach your children. Encourage them in showing their gratitude to others. Remember, a thankful heart is a happy heart!

To whom do you need to send a note of thanks? Your spouse, parent, friend, child or even your pastor? I know I'll be writing some notes today!

What if......?

2012-01-30T07:27:00.001-05:00

Saw this on a church sign when we were driving home last night.

Wow.

I can't get it out of my mind.

Think about it.....what if??

The Toilet Paper Experiment

2012-01-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

You know you've reached an all time low when you start blogging about toilet paper. =P

But I couldn't stop myself from sharing! I know, I know, it's toilet paper, but keep reading. It's worth it....promise!

A few months ago I realized that the toilet paper usage in our house was way out of control. WAY. I try to be as frugal as possible so I would buy the bargain toilet paper at Walmart like this.....

{via}

....or the big packs like this that you can get for good deals at CVS.................

.....or whatever happened to be a good deal with coupons that week. We are not "toilet paper snobs" so any brand was fine with us.

Then one night when my hubby was on his way home from work, I asked if he could pick up some toilet paper. Well, he brought home a roll that looked very similar to this:

{via}

It was a 1-ply/1000 sheet roll for about $0.99. At first I was like, "What?? You paid $1.00 for one roll of toilet paper???" To me, it seemed outrageous. But, he's a smart guy and he was on to something.

At that time, our family was going through a roll of toilet paper about every 1.5 days. In BOTH bathrooms. Insane! That's a lot of toilet paper people! (Seriously, were my kids eating it or something??) If you run the math, that's 9.3 rolls of toilet paper a week!! And for instance, if I paid $4.00 for a 12-pack of double rolls (which is a pretty good price), I was still spending $3.10 a week on toilet paper. Yikes! I do realize that since we homeschool we are here all day every day, and kids are notorious for using excessive amounts of toilet paper, but still, that is way too much!

Okay, now back to that uber-expensive roll of toilet paper that my hubby bought. We put it in the hall bathroom, which gets the most traffic, and it lasted a full week. What in the world?? I was completely shocked!

Well, after that I decided to continue the experiment. I bought a pack of this toilet paper from Aldi for $2.49:

It's a no-frills package, just 4-1000 sheet/1-ply rolls of toilet paper. It lasted three weeks!!! For real. I bought this particular package two weeks ago and took this picture yesterday. There's still two rolls in it. Even if it only lasts three weeks, that's just $0.83 per week!

So, there you have it...our great toilet paper experiment that resulted in a savings of roughly $2.27 a week. Makes this momma super happy!

P.S...I promise never to blog about toilet paper again. =)
Have a great weekend, Friends!!

Are you brave enough to share how much TP your family goes through in a week? Was it just us, or do you wonder if your kids are eating it too??

Project52-Week 4: Self-Protrait

2012-01-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

hi.

This week was definitely a challenge...it's so different being on the other side of the camera!
I seriously didn't want to do it.
Thought about feigning some tragedy so that I could get out of it. {kidding!}
I don't mind being in a picture with my kids or my hubby, but alone is a different story!
Finally I just bit the bullet and took some pictures.

I lugged this big ole' antique mirror from a yard sale down to the woods.
Glad we don't really have neighbors because they would have thought I was a nut. Oh wait....=P
After experimenting with that I set up the tripod, set the timer and was running back and forth like a crazy chicken.
Just a bit of advice for you...buy a camera remote!!

After all that torture, I wanted my hubby to pick.
He liked this mirrored one best.

Hoping this isn't as painful for you as it is for me..... =)

Linking up with Project52 @ My 3 boybarians. Last week's pic: "I dreamed a dream"

"The Bigger the Bow the Better the Momma"

2012-01-25T07:46:00.000-05:00

A few days before Lucy was born, Steven surprised me and brought home this little pink onesie and this iron on decal from Hobby Lobby...totally cracked me up!!!

To make it even better, when Lucy was about two weeks old, we were given this ridiculously huge, albeit adorable headband. I am definitely a lover of hair bows for little girls, but this one was over the top....the flower was almost as big as her head! Check it out....and don't you love her facial expression?

I couldn't resist taking oodles of pictures of her like this. She looked so stinkin' cute with ~~helicopter blades~~ that flower on her head!

"Preparing for lift off in 5..4..3..2..1.....

.....over and out."

DIY Re-Fashion: Old Shirt to Ruffled Scarf

2012-01-23T07:15:00.001-05:00

I love getting texts from my friend Amy......it usually means something fun! (Remember when we did the dry erase message boards?) She was off work last Monday so she had the grand idea to get together for a fun afternoon of crafting. Woo-hoo!

She had been inspired by some projects on Pinterest (don't you just love Pinterest?) and brought with her some old shirts to re-fashion. As soon as I saw this shirt I knew exactly what we should make, a ruffled scarf! It was a perfect lightweight material and a beautiful print!

We used this tutorial from MADE as a guide and it was such an easy project! First we cut the arms off of the shirt and then cut the body of it into as many 6" wide strips as we could get, hoping to get a total of 124" for the length. I think we ended up with five 20" long strips and one 17" long strip. Close enough!

Next Amy pinned all the short pieces into one continuous strip with right sides facing each other.

Using a serger, I joined all of the short strips together and then serged down the long sides and around the bottom edges.

We didn't get a picture, but the next step was the ruffling! I just sewed two rows of elastic thread about 1/4 inch apart down the center. (See the tutorial I linked to for more detailed instructions) Using elastic thread is so easy, I'm seriously getting addicted to this stuff!

{Hi Amy!!}

And "Voila!", an easy, beautiful, ruffly scarf! Took less than 30 minutes to make and was free! Now that's my kind of project!

I LOVE this scarf and how it turned out. Now I'm going to be stalking goodwill for the perfect shirt to make into my own ruffly scarf! =0)

Do you have anything in your closet you think you could refashion?? What would you make?

Linking up to: Skip to My Lou, Between Naps on the Front Porch, DIY Show off, Craft-O-Maniac, Embellishing Life, Raising 4 Princesses

Project52—Week 3: I Dreamed a Dream

2012-01-20T07:58:00.001-05:00

Sisters.

I had always had that dream.

Growing up I wanted a sister so badly. As each new little brother joined my family (I have six in all!), and while I love them very much, I still prayed for a sister.

Well, God never answered that prayer. I never had a sister, although I had a best friend who was just like a sister to me. We were so close….we dressed alike and everything. (Love you Sarah!)

In 2003, my husband and I were blessed with our first child. I was ecstatic…we had a GIRL!! Although I had a rough pregnancy and she was born with complex heart defects (basically half of a heart) that required open heart surgery soon after birth and then two more as she grew older, I had held on to a hope for my little daughter. I hoped one day for a sister. God never willed it for me and I hoped it for her.

In 2005, we found out we were expecting a boy! But this pregnancy was extremely complicated and ended in the premature birth of our son at 28 weeks. After that I had many doctors, even a leading perinatologist at a well known hospital tell me we should never have any more children. They all agreed it was just too risky for me and for any future babies. Even though I was overjoyed at my two beautiful children, it seemed that with the birth of my son came the death of a dream…a dream for many children, to one day have a healthy baby, and perhaps a sister for my daughter.

Fast forward 3 1/2 years and were were seeing two lines on a stick! I was scared and had so much fear. But even after a rough start to the pregnancy, it ended with a healthy baby boy who never has seen a NICU and we brought home at 2 days old. It was amazing!

While my daughter absolutely loves her brothers and especially adores her baby brother, she was still holding out hope for a sister. After our youngest son’s birth, she continued to pray daily for one. When she would cry about it and wonder why God hadn’t answered her prayer yet, it broke my heart….I saw myself as a little girl, shedding the same tears many years before. I completely understood how she felt and her request for a sister became mine as well.

In early 2011 we were seeing those two lines again! Lydia was so emphatic that this was a girl. No doubt whatsoever. She just knew that this was her sister and I was suddenly scared to hope. I wondered how she would take it if the Lord decided that another little brother was best for her.

But you all know the end of this story. Just two months ago, my little girl got her baby sister. =)

I dreamed a dream once…..and it was sisters. Two girls. Wow.

God is so good, isn’t He?

Linking up to Project 52. You can see week 2 "Made with love" here.

Homemade Laundry Soap Recipe

2012-01-19T15:24:00.000-05:00

Back in 2007 I began making our laundry soap using a recipe from the Simple Dollar. This liquid version has worked great for us for years, but since we have moved I no longer have a practical place to store the 5 gallon bucket. So, I began to experiment with homemade laundry soap powder. I have always used Fels Naptha in the liquid detergent, but I found that since it is such a hard soap, when I used it in the powder recipe, it didn't seem to dissolve all the way in the wash.

A couple of months ago while I was at Walmart buying more Borax and Washing Soda, I came across a soap called "Zote." I had heard of it before and decided to give it a whirl! It looks like this:

{via Amazon.com}

There are oodles of laundry detergent recipes out there, but after much experimenting, this is what I have found works best for us. Also, the powder version is really easy for my kids to manage when they are doing their own laundry.

Homemade Laundry Soap Powder:

1 bar Zote Soap

1 cup Borax

2 cups Washing Soda

1. Mix borax and washing soda together.

2. Grate Zote bar with a cheese grater. Mix with borax and washing soda.

3. Process all ingredients in a food processor until mixture resembles a fine powder.

4. Store in an air tight container.

5. Use 1-2 tbsp. per load, depending on load size.

After washing, remove a piece of laundry from the washer, stick your nose in it, inhale deeply and enjoy the nice, fresh, clean smell of your clothes. Aaaaaaahhhhhh. =)

****************************************************

*Update!* Just wanted to address the great questions that I've received so far about this soap:

1) This will make approximately 80 tbsp. of powder. I use 1 tbsp. for a medium size load, and 2 for an extra large load. Or, if the extra large load isn't super dirty, I'll just use 1 tbsp.
2) The jar was a $0.25 yard sale find...wish I could help you out with where to find one!
3) I've been doing some comparing, and I believe this soap is very similar to Charlie's Soap Powder, just obviously at a fraction of the cost. I had been using it to wash the cloth diapers but now am using my homemade detergent and it is working awesome!

Have you ever tried making your laundry soap? If so, what's your favorite, liquid or powder?

Our New Laundry Schedule

2012-01-18T08:00:00.001-05:00

Last week in my list of personal goals for 2012, I shared how I wanted to teach our older children to do their own laundry from start to finish. Everybody now has their own day of the week for laundry, and I'm pretty sure this has changed my life!!! This is how the schedule goes:

Monday--Lucy

Tuesday--Caleb and Levi

Wednesday--towels & cloth diapers

Thursday--Lydia

Friday--Mine and Hubby's

Saturday--cloth diapers & towels

Of course Lucy is obviously excluded from doing her own since she's just turned 2 months old today (seriously...has it really been 2 months since her birth??) and Levi just "helps." =) But this schedule has been working out really well for the past two weeks and has kept Mt. Washmore at bay. Woo-hoo! No longer are we spending our whole Saturday doing laundry. Everything is getting washed, dried, folded and put away all in the same day. I don't know about you, but that makes this momma SUPER happy!

The kiddos are required to bring their laundry when they are doing their morning chores. The first time I had to do a lot of teaching, but their second time around I barely had to show them anything. Caleb thought it was so much fun too!

Just a tip.....These Shout color catchers are pretty awesome and well worth it if you just have a few white things in the wash. My kids rarely wear white, like NEVER if I can help it. But I can't control what is given to them by others so white does sneak it's way into their wardrobe...it just doesn't last very long! (I've even quit buying white socks for all the males in this household...with "Carolina red clay", they just don't stay white!)

After washing, they are also responsible for getting their clothes dried. We always put socks and underwear in the dryer and hang everything else on the clothesline. The boys aren't tall enough to hang yet, but they have to help by handing me clothespins, etc.

Once the clothes are dry, they fold them and put them away! They've been helping me fold clothes for a long time and are actually really good at it! Well, all except for Daddy's white t-shirts. Those still need some practice! =)

So, SO happy that we've done this new laundry schedule. I was not enjoying the "Moooooommmm....I don't have any more clean underwear!!" drama that would happen around here. Plus, they are learning responsibility and I'm working myself out of a job! Definitely a "win-win" situation!

Since we do ALOT of laundry around here, we need to keep the process as frugal as possible. Tomorrow I'll be sharing my recipe for my Homemade Laundry Detergent...it's cheap, simple to store and best of all, easy to make!

How do you keep Mt. Washmore from turning into, well, a mountain? Do you have a laundry schedule or do you just do it as needed?

Monday Morning “Buzz”

2012-01-16T07:50:00.000-05:00

It’s Monday.

And I’m thinkin’ Buzz has the right idea.

{photo credit: my hubby}

P.S.….Is this how Buzz got his name?

Happy Monday Friends! =)

Project 52-Week 2: Made with Love

2012-01-13T07:49:00.000-05:00

Everything in this picture was Made with Love..........

About the doll bed.....When the Christmas season of 2005 rolled around, we were pretty broke. My hubby was unemployed except for the small side jobs he could pick up and in January he was about to begin his last semester of Bible College. Our daughter was 2 and our son was 6 months old and if we wanted to give them any gifts for Christmas, we were going to have to be creative! I remember my husband working late at night, outside under our carport, using scraps from his side jobs to make this adorable little bed for her special baby doll. I used an extra pillow-sham and scrap fabric to make a tiny quilt and bedding. Rough times but sweet, sweet memories. =)

The dress she's wearing was actually my dress! My mother made every stitch of this smocked dress by hand, even down to the button holes. It is absolutely gorgeous and is something I treasure! During my mom's pregnancy with me, she spent 52 days on bedrest in the hospital because of placenta previa. To keep herself busy, she hand-sewed many, many beautiful things, one of which was this dress. (She also made this quilt!) What's even more amazing is that she was on medication that made her hands continuously shake! Both of my daughters have worn it, and who knows, maybe one day I'll have granddaughters to wear it. {sniffle:sniffle}

And of course, our little Lucy....our sweet blessing made by a loving God. Psalm 139:14 says, "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." We are loving every moment with this little cutie-pie! =)

What comes to your mind when you think of the phrase, "Made with Love?" What would you photograph?

I'm participating in Project 52 at Life with My 3 Boybarians. Last week's photo: "Resolution"

Making our Home "Us": My Home Goals for 2012

2012-01-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

In March of 2010 we bought a foreclosed "fixer-upper" in the country that was in desperate need of remodeling..as in the WHOLE place. Not just "upgrading," no, no. As in ripping some rooms down to the studs and even replacing subflooring! It's been a big job, and one that we are still not finished with! But our little house in the country has come a long way and we are hoping to get the inside completed this year. Then we can work on the outside!

1. First on the agenda is finishing the kitchen! I absolutely love our kitchen and will be thrilled to show you all of it (not just this one wall!) when it's finally done. Funny thing.....I never noticed until after I had uploaded these pictures that my little two year old was crashing the pics. In his lil' tighty-whitey's. Nice. He's evidently enthralled with finding something in our designated "junk drawer!"

But just for fun and to give you a taste of how far it has come, here's what it looked like before! And see that wall to the right?? It's gone! This place certainly has come a loooong way!

2. Also, this year I'd like to take you on a "Before and After" Tour of our home. No, that's not some scary picture I found, that really is the hall bath when we bought this place. SCARY! Don't worry, it doesn't look that way anymore. =)

3. I know you've seen this red chandelier that lives in the mud room/laundry room. While the entry part is almost completed, the "laundry" side needs help. We want to put in cabinets above the washer and dryer, second coat the walls and put the base molding down.

4. This is a smaller project, but I want to either repaint and recover these bar stools or find some for cheap. And we really need more than just two! (As a side note...cannot wait for yard sale season to begin again!!)

5. Rearranging and adding to this gallery wall is high on the "to do" list. You can see in the picture below this one that since I finally found lamps for this entryway desk, they block several of the pictures. I want to move the whole arrangement higher up, and of course add some pics of our new little Lucy-loo!

6. Making new pillow covers for our drop-cloth slipcovered couch will be a fun project! I bought new curtains for in here as well but they aren't up in this picture...those are just $1.99 flat sheets from Ikea.

7. I'm just going to confess and tell you that I want completely repaint the living room, dining room and kitchen. I know, I know, I only painted it less than 2 years ago...but I'm a little crazy like that. I've been swooning over Silver Sage by Restoration Hardware for a long time. It would be a BIG change but I think I would love it. Any thoughts??...I'm all ears!

8. My husband came home one day a few months ago, walked into our bedroom and said something to the effect of, "We HAVE to do something with this room!" Now ladies, if your hubby is talking about decorating a room....you know that it really needs something done to it! Seems like our room is always on the bottom of the priority list and we know it shouldn't be. As you can see below, there's so much that needs to be done here! I've been slowly gathering inspiration for our room (gotta love Pinterest!) but still have not quite settled on the "look" we want.

9. I really want do something with this nook in my daughter's room. The desk is a "hand me down" that desperately needs to be refinished and I'm thinking shallow shelves above the desk for books, artwork, etc would be nice. (If any of you have any inspiration, please let me know!) Since she loves to read and draw, I hope to make this a special space for her.

10. I don't have a picture for you, but our office needs some help! It's cramped and we need some solutions for desk space and wall storage. We'll keep you posted!

So...this is definitely not an exhaustive list, but these are the main things I have on my mind. ( And who know's what will come up during the year.) Making our fixer-upper house a "home", one that fits our family and is geared toward serving others is a big, but super fun job...and one that I absolutely LOVE. Can't wait to knock out some of these projects and share them with you!

Linking up to Nester's Home Goals Party!

My goals for 2012

2012-01-10T14:00:00.000-05:00

Can I just send out a great big hug to all of you?? I felt like I went out on a limb yesterday sharing my struggle with comparison...I was so nervous about posting it and I almost didn't. Thank you for the kind comments and emails....gave me the encouragement I needed to let the things in my heart flow out here more often instead of keeping it to myself. You gals are awesome. =)

Well, after a lot of thought, I finally have narrowed down and am ready to share what I believe are the right goals for me this year. There's nothing very big or exciting, but I think they are appropriate and attainable for this season of life. Currently I'm homeschooling my 8 and 6 year olds, along with keeping up with an active two year old and our sweet little newborn. Life at home is busy, not including all of our church responsibilities.

Funny thing with "goals" though are that many times we have these grand plans and but don't think about how to make them happen. It's like going on a trip to a new place with no GPS. Not good! Goals are really just "ideas" or "objectives" until we actually sit down, think them through and break them down into baby-steps. Those baby-steps, are the directions...the "how" you are going to "do" or "accomplish" whatever it is you desire. As I share my goals, I'll share a few of the steps I plan on taking to achieve them.

My goals for 2012:

Read through the Bible chronologically. I began this last year and never finished. I now have the Bible on my Kindle and it has made being faithful in my Bible reading SO much easier. It's easy to take with me and I never lose my place! (The plan I'm using can be found here.)

Be a Happier Helper for my Hubby. This not an exhaustive list, but the biggest things I know I need to do is pray for him daily and purposefully organize my days to better meet his needs and schedule. I have a lot of other ideas too but if I share them here it will completely thwart my plans. =)

Get back to my pre-baby weight by healthy eating and exercising. We recently purchased a nice, used Elliptical (gotta love Craigslist!) and have really enjoyed using it. (Well, as much as one can enjoy that sort of thing, HA!) When the weather gets a bit warmer I hope to break out the jogging stroller and put it to good use again as well. As for the healthier eating....I'm seriously considering giving up sugar for a while. {gulp} I'll keep you posted!

Teach my 8 year old daughter to sew. My hope is to have one "sewing lesson" a week to work on a monthly project. While she already knows the basics of hand-sewing, she really wants to learn to sew on the machine.

Delegate. Yep, I'm one of those mean mothers that makes my ~~minions~~ children work. {smile} (Just a tip...if you train them very young, they will be very happy and capable helpers when they are a bit older!) Teaching them to do their own laundry from start to finish, master their dish washing skills, and prepare basic meals are some of the things on my agenda. BWAHAHA!! =)

Snap often. No, not as in my mental state....with my camera! (That got your attention though, didn't it?) This year I hope to really work on honing my photography skills. I'll be taking part in Project52 which I know will stretch me in new ways. Also, learning my way around Photoshop is something I'm going to attempt as well.

Be more hospitable. For quite a while we had people into our home almost every Sunday, but in the last few months we have really slacked off. Our goal is to have two church families over per month to start with. Hopefully as things slow down a bit we can do more!

Practice the piano 15 minutes every week day. You can read more about this one here. =)

Like I said, this is not a huge list, but I know it's right and will keep me focused. Also this week I'll be sharing the goals we have for our home and the projects we hope to accomplish this year. Stay tuned!

My Thoughts on Goals and Comparison

2012-01-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

What exactly are "goals?"

If I were Websters Dictionary, I would define them very simply: "Something I want to do or accomplish." (I like things short and sweet don't you?)

I've been pretty slow in sharing my goals for 2012 and there's a reason for that. It's so easy to look around me and say "Ooo...I want to do that...and that....oh and this would be a great idea too!!" I get ahead of myself when I plop down and make an arbitrary list on a whim. It lacks focus and I just set myself up for failure.

What I've learned over the years is that before setting your goals in stone, evaluation is an absolute necessity! Write down all those great ideas and then go through them one by one and evaluate them.

But how do we evaluate them? Here's a few simple filters to run your goals through:

Gods Word and Prayer. Are my goals lining up with scripture? Are they self-centered? Worldly? What is my motivation for this certain goal? Have I actually prayed about this?

Family Values. As in, what is important to your family? Forget about the "Jones's!" Will this thing I want to accomplish benefit my family as a whole?

Season. You need to consider your current life situation. Where are you at? Single? Newlyweds? Married but with no kids? Homeschooling Momma of many? Empty nesters? Does what I desire really fit with the season of life I'm currently in?

{:Clearing throat:}

Attention: I am now going to step up on my soapbox. I can do that since I'm a pastor's wife, right?? =)

Lately, many people have been publishing what their goals are for this year. I read two lists and I wanted to curl up in the fetal position in the corner of my bedroom and weep over my apparent failure. I started thinking, "Why can't I do all those things? What is wrong with me??? I am such a LOSER!"

I'm always continually amazed at how true Scripture is! The Bible says comparing ourselves among ourselves is not wise. (2 Corinthians 10:12) And I am one gal that is great at comparing! (Raise your hand if you are one of those!) I can be like that first grader who says, "Oh yeah, well my dad is stronger than your dad!!" Except it's the other way around. It's more like, "Wow, her blog header is so much prettier than mine." ....."Her photography makes mine look like a first graders." Or, "Look at her outfit...I look so frumpy!", or "Why can't my home look like a magazine cover like hers does??"

Sound familiar?

Comparison is a slippery slope. Comparison leads to discontentment. Discontentment leads to discouragement. Discouragement leads to depression. We operate as joyless, depressed women because we are so busy taking of note of how different we are from everybody else!

And that's just it. I'm not you. You are not me. (Yes, I'm stating the obvious, but I'm trying to get you to see something.) Nothing about you is the same as anybody else. God created you as a unique individual and gave you a set of life circumstances that is different from the rest of the world. Therefore, your expectations and goals should be different from others!

Your personal goals are just that: your goals. If you make your goals based on what everybody else does, it's foolish and you may just fall flat on your face. It is entirely possible that you will accomplish some of them, but you will be joyless and defeated all because you want to be like "so and so!"

Friends, don't get caught up in the hype. Stop the "comparison" game. Be yourself. Set goals relevant for you and your family. Enjoy the year, accomplishing all that God has for YOU.

{:Stepping off soapbox:} =)

Are you like me? Do you struggle with goal setting because of the "comparison game?"

Linking up to Serenity Now

p52: Resolution

2012-01-06T10:47:00.000-05:00

In my effort to improve my photography, I've decided to join Darcy at Life with My 3 Boybarians for her project 52. Every week she'll be posting a new theme to interpret and photograph. Really looking forward to this!

Now for the story behind my picture............

Last week my daughter said to me, "Mommy, when I get as good at the piano as you, do I still have to practice? Because you never have to practice."

Ouch.

My kids think I'm Beethoven, and I am so NOT. But I saw in that moment the message I am sending. By not practicing, I'm saying to them, "When you get as 'good' as me, you can quit trying to improve." (And again, I wouldn't even qualify myself as "good!") Definitely NOT what I want to teach them!

So, one of my resolutions this year is to practice every week day, just for 15 minutes. If I have more time, awesome! But I'm starting small in an effort to not quit!

Real quick...what's one of your "Resolutions" for this year?

Priorities

2012-01-05T15:13:00.002-05:00

We started this new year with a bang...homeschooling resumed Monday, I had my 6 week post-partum checkup on Tuesday, Wednesday was an eye appointment for Caleb, along with a trip to the grocery store (with all four little people in tow) and church.

Seems as if I blinked and it's Thursday. (I haven't even opened blogger in 6 days!) Life just gets in the way. But you know what? That's okay. Let's me know that for once, my priorities are lined up just as they should be.

That said, my mind and heart are full. You know that ADD brain I have? Yeah, well, these past days that I haven't had time to blog, doesn't mean my mind wasn't in overdrive writing all kinds of things. Really happy to have a little time to write before my head explodes! (That wouldn't be very pretty now would it?)

Soon I'll be sharing my personal goals for this year, how I feel about "goals" in general, and the great "comparison" problem that comes along with it.

P.S...No hard feelings or anything, but as much as I like blogging, I love snuggling with my little Lucy-loo way better. WAY.

Party at My Crib

2011-12-30T14:32:00.000-05:00

Crib = House.

You didn't know I grew up right outside of D.C. did you? Yep, yep, I did. I've been away for over 10 years and the amount of slang that still runs through my brain is crazy. Fortunately it doesn't come out my mouth. Instead of greeting church members with my usual sweet, southern, "Hello...how are you?", can you imagine if I just let fly, "Wuz up Homey??" HA! =D

ANYWAYS. Moving on....

We are hosting a New Years party tomorrow night. And we are going to one tonight. I'm not sure I'll want to step on that scale at my 6 week check-up on Tuesday after all the food I'm going to undoubtedly consume this weekend. Yikes.

For the party at our ~~crib~~ house, I told everybody to bring their favorite junk food and a drink. Makes it easy-peasy. Wanna know what I'm making?

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Mozzarella Pepperoni Bread

Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pulls/a.k.a. "Crack Bread"

Dark Chocolate Brownies

Peppermint Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats

Chewy Sugar Cookies

Also going to make a veggie tray, spiced apple cider ( I make it in the crock pot), and any other yummy food that tickles my fancy, er..uh, tastebuds. I am SO looking forward to everyone coming over, staying up late, stuffing my face and playing games. Hospitality at it's finest! =)

It's gonna be a busy weekend, so you probably won't hear from me until NEXT YEAR!! (Whoa. Cannot believe this year ends on Saturday. Craziness.) Hope you have a fabulous time celebrating with your family and friends!!

AND, just want to say a great big Thank You for reading, commenting and putting up with me...ya'll are the best! Hope you'll keep sticking around. =)

Happy New Year! See you in 2012....................

Favorite Projects of 2011

2011-12-27T08:36:00.002-05:00

Can 2012 really be almost upon us?? Really?? I want to just stay in denial. 2012 is gonna be big year...it will be our 10th wedding anniversary, and my children will turn 9, 7, 3 and 1. Craziness. I'm feeling a bit old here people!

This year, I returned to blogging after pretty much leaving it for over a year. Life had been crazy and blogging had ceased to be fun. It was just one more thing to do, so I quit. After receiving some encouragement to revisit blogging, on January 5 I started a 365 project. I wanted to take a picture and blog about it every day. I made it 70 days in a row!! I was proud of myself! Yeah, I know, I didn't exactly finish, but ever since I've been blogging consistently and have loved it so much!

And now, since we are soon embarking on a new year, I thought it would be fun to look back on my return to blog-land and share my favorite projects from 2011!

First up, my amazing red coffee table! What's so amazing about it? Well, there's a ~~little,~~ okay, big secret hiding under that lid and I think you'll be pretty surprised!

This Vintage Toolbox redo for organizing our supplies for homeschooling is definitely one of my favorites. It gets used every day around here!

My dining room before and afters were so much fun to share. It's amazing what a little DIY will do, isn't it?

I'm still loving our DIY version of the IKEA Trofast storage system that my hubby built for homeschooling. This workbox system has made my life so much easier! (Since we love it so much, we wrote a tutorial and printable plans which you can find here. )

My daughter is still loving the shirred dresses that I made for her and her favorite doll for her birthday. These are so easy and fun to make!

And how could I possibly leave out these Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling?? Oh my. LOVE.

This sassy, red chandelier has really brightened up my laundry room and is still making me smile! Why did I put it in there? Well, we all need a happy reason to visit our laundry rooms now don't we? =) And see the missing numbers? They are missing no more...maybe I can show you this room soon!

Our $4 DIY Family Rules Subway Art is still by far my favorite piece of decor. So glad that we did this!

Making my very first quilt for my baby girl was a big accomplishment! Wanted to pull my hair out at times, but the end result was SO worth it.

And speaking of my baby girl...that 9 month project was most definitely my absolute favorite and the highlight of 2011! Less than 6 weeks ago we were so blessed with an amazing birth and a healthy baby girl! (And I'm having so much fun taking oodles of pictures of her!) So in love with this little sweetie pie. =)

{Lucy Joy-8 days old}

Hope you enjoyed this little "DIY" trip down memory lane! What was your favorite project of 2011?

Linking up to: Southern Hospitality, It's Overflowing

Newborn Pics

2011-12-27T07:49:00.000-05:00

I took some pictures of our little Lucy-loo that I've been dying to share!! They were going to be gifts for the grandparents for Christmas, but since they all are so sweet and read this little ole' blog, I couldn't show you before! These two are my absolute favorites.......

{8 days old}

{4 weeks old}

We were doing some things to our computer a few weeks ago and realized that in less than two years I've taken over 15,000 pictures. (Not including the other 1,500 I've added in the last month.) Oops. But I'm thinking my photography fetish is not going to get any better with this little cutie pie around!

I know I've said it before, but I'm quite sure newborns are the greatest things in the whole wide world. =)

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T23:00:00.000-05:00

Hope you all had a wonderful day with your families celebrating the birth of our Saviour, the true reason for Christmas! Jesus came....born to die, so we might live with Him. It's an amazing and humbling thought, isn't it?

Merry Christmas!

Simple Chewy Sugar Cookies

2011-12-22T20:37:00.000-05:00

After I showed you the other day what I was baking for Christmas, I received this comment from Christina (The Frugal Homemaker):

Christina said...
mmmm.... chewy sugar cookies! :) I despise crunchy cookies so would love to see your chewy sugar cookies :)
December 21, 2011 11:11 AM

So glad there's another "crunchy sugar cookie hater" out there! =D Seriously though, those super crunchy sugar cookies that are coated in colored, sparkly sprinkles from the grocery store make me want to gag! ICK! (And don't you think they lave the weirdest taste in your mouth?? Bleh.)

I can't tell you how many different sugar cookie recipes I've tried. Some have called for mayo, sour cream, cream cheese, cream of tartar...you name it, I've probably tried it, all in an effort to make the "perfect" chewy sugar cookie. And I was always, always disappointed. Some failed miserably, while others were just, "okay."

Last Christmas I was mixing up the dough for my chocolate chip cookies (which are so chewy and wonderful!) when it finally hit me, "Why not just alter the recipe to make sugar cookies??" Wish this thought had occurred to me sooner...could have saved my family from being sugar cookie guinea pigs!!

Well, I tried my idea and it actually worked! They were chewy and delicious...Woo-hoo! Plus they are simple with no weird ingredients required! =) Here's how you make them:

Chewy Sugar Cookies:

1 cup of butter (melted)

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 cups all purpose flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

sugar (optional for rolling)

1. Melt butter and pour over sugar. Mix well.

2. Add vanilla and eggs and mix.

3. Add flour, baking soda and salt. (I don't mix them up in a separate bowl...guess I'm a slacker!) Mix well.

4. Shape dough into balls and roll in sugar. (Or sprinkles, or even cinnamon sugar!)

5. Bake @ 375 for about 7-8 minutes. Don't over bake, I repeat DO NOT OVER BAKE!

6. Cool for about a minute on the baking sheet before removing.

After they are cool you can devour them immediately, ice them, dip them in chocolate or whatever your little heart desires! (I made some the other day with peppermint icing and sprinkles...delish!)

Are you done with all your baking? And I must know...are you a crunchy or chewy sugar cookie lover?

Christmas Baking

2011-12-21T10:16:00.000-05:00

Today is all rainy and gloomy...perfect day for baking! We are going to make....

Coconut Banana Bread with Walnuts and Lime Glaze.....

and Chewy Ginger Cookies.....

....and some of my special chewy sugar cookies. (No picture yet..sorry!)

What are you baking up this week in preparation for Christmas? Any fabulous recipes to share??

Monday Drive-by

2011-12-19T10:54:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday, Friends!

We had a busy, but wonderful weekend. Last night our church did a Christmas cantata entitled, "The Journey of Christmas." We had many visitors and lost people who heard the Gospel, praise the Lord! The cantata went really well...all the musicians did a great job as well as the drama cast.

And guess what?? I didn't even forget my lines! Although for a split second I went blank after my first two lines. Aahh! I was Mary, who in the play had already given birth. Pretty appropriate since I just had Lucy!

Speaking of the little peanut, she turned 1 month old yesterday! Wowsers. Seriously can't believe it's already been a month since her birth. And look...she smiled for the camera this morning....awww! And she slept for almost 5 hours straight last night!! Woo-hoo! I feel like a new woman!! =)

Saturday night I put Lydia's hair in sponge curlers and did it up all fancy-schmancy yesterday. She looked like a little princess. =) So fun!

But this is how it looked when we took it down last night and brushed it out! She's gonna love me for this when she's a teenager, HA! Can we say, "black-mail???" (Bwahahaha!!)

You know, I'm pretty sure there's a picture like this of me somewhere with my hair all curly and poofy and looking like a poodle for the Valentine's Banquet in 8th grade. Except it was before it was brushed out. Scaaary!!

Hope ya'll have a great Monday...and that you don't feel like my daughter's hair looks. =)

Our Wonky Christmas Tree

2011-12-14T23:00:00.000-05:00

I have a confession. I've always been little OCD about the Christmas tree. I stare and stare at it and rearrange those crazy ornaments a bazillion times. It always has had to be "just right." Every year our kids help us put up the ornaments and every year I rearrange it all as soon as they are in bed. (Terrible, I know!)

Well, call me a slacker if you want, but this year I let them decorate the whole thing (I only helped with lights and ribbon) and I haven't touched it! Not one thing. Well, okay, I did move a few breakable items higher, but that's it.

And you know what's funny? I've enjoyed this tree so much more. (It really doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful!)

We bought this ornament on our honeymoon in Gatlinburg, TN. {smile} Hard to believe this is it's 10th Christmas on the tree!

I love this snowman family...it's my very favorite ornament now! Some sweet friends in our church went on vacation and brought this back for us a few days after Lucy was born. Call me silly, but it's a treat for me to actually have my name on something! I was always so jealous of all the kids in 2nd grade who had those special pencils with their name on it. I mean really, didn't the pencil people know a "Laine" existed??? But nooo....they never made one with my name! {sniffle:sniffle} It's okay. Really. I'm not bitter or anything. =)

See that silver bell? I've been hanging on to it ever since our church gave us a wedding shower after we were married. They had bells on all the tables and would ring them when they wanted us, the new bride and groom, to smooch. {blush}

Steven's grandmother made this ornament to replicate one we had seen years ago in Germany. She made us many different ones with other colors of glitter and beads. They are so beautiful and unique!

See that?? These are hanging on the very bottom of one side of the tree. Cracks me up every time I look at it. (Told you my tree was wonky!)

Yep, not gonna win any "prettiest tree of the year" awards, but hey, I like my wonky tree. Just pretend you can't see down the hall into the boys room and see that it's a mess, okay? (Next time maybe I'll try to preserve the "perfect housewife" image and shut the door.)

Lucy loves to look at the tree...and doesn't mind that it's a little crazy. =)

One of my favorite things in the whole, wide world is to plug in the tree, turn all the lights off and snuggle on the couch with my hubby. Add some hot chocolate and you have a perfect evening! =)

What's your favorite ornament? And are you a perfectionist when it comes to your tree, or do you just let it go and enjoy?

Linking to: Thrifty Decor Chick

Homemade Ornaments and Yummy Treat

2011-12-14T14:08:00.000-05:00

We've haven't done much kiddie crafting lately, so when I saw these homemade ornaments on my friend Sarah's blog yesterday, I knew we had to make them!

{via}

They are so easy...the only ingredients are cinnamon and applesauce! And wow, do they smell delicious! My house smells so good! Go visit her and check out the recipe. (You'll have fun looking around her blog, her photography is incredible!)

Aren't they cute? My little people are so proud of them and cannot wait until they dry!!

Now, on to the treat....(my favorite part!)

Have you seen the new peppermint marshmallows??? Maybe I live under a rock (or maybe it's because I haven't really been shopping since Lucy was born), but these are new to me! A sweet family at church brought us some on Sunday (3 bags...yippee!!) and some rice krispies. Bet you can't guess what I made with them?!

Mmmm...peppermint rice krispy treats drizzled with chocolate!! (Oh yeah, when I melted the chocolate chips (about 1/2 c.) I added 1/4 tsp. of peppermint extract. Wowsers!)

These are amazing! You need to get your shoes on and go to the store. Like right. now. I don't think you should have to live another minute without eating these. =)

An easy-peasy, yummy-smelling craft and a pepperminty-chocolatey treat....that's definitely something to smile about!

Do you have any easy favorite Christmas crafts or recipes to make with kiddos? I would love to hear!

Linking to Raising 4 Princesses

Bowties with Sausage and Tomato Cream Sauce

2011-12-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

How was your weekend friends? It was a CRAZY weekend here. (Insane is more like it!) Hoping this week is a bit calmer!

So, today I'm reposting a guest post...hope you don't mind! A few weeks ago I shared this recipe over @ Brown Sugar Toast, and since I've barely touched the computer these last few days, and since it's going to be on our menu this week, I thought I'd share it again. It's easy and delicious, perfect for these busy days leading up to Christmas!

Here we go....

Today I want to share with you one of our family's favorite recipes, "Bowties with Sausage and Tomato Cream Sauce." But before I do, here's a quick question...

How many of you get ~~extremely~~ a little nervous about having company over for dinner? {raising hand!}

During our early years of marriage I was petrified of having company, simply because I had no idea what to feed them! So many "company-worthy" recipes that I had were time consuming, complicated and required me to be fussing around in the kitchen right up until meal time. Um, no thank you. Stressing out about the meal can suck the joy right out of hosting!

Several years ago I developed this recipe and it has been a consistent crowd-pleaser. This delicious Italian pasta dish is simple, quick, and won't break your budget. It is also an awesome crock-pot meal...perfect for Sunday!

Bowties with Sausage and Tomato Cream Sauce
1 package of bow tie pasta, cooked according to package directions.
2 tsp. olive oil
1 lb mild Italian Sausage
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 small onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28oz.) can of diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (or half and half to save on calories!)
1/2 tsp. salt
1-2 tsp. dried basil (according to taste)
Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Remove sausage from casing and add to skillet along with onion and garlic.
3. When sausage is done and onion is clear, stir in tomatoes, red pepper, cream, salt and basil.
4. Simmer until mixture thickens, about 8-10 minutes.
5. Stir cooked pasta into cream sauce and heat thoroughly.
6. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Crock-pot directions:
Prepare sauce through step 3 and then add to crockpot. Cook on low for 3-4 hours. Add cooked pasta and allow to heat thoroughly.

We love this dish paired with garlicky french bread, a fresh green salad and an ice cold glass of sweet tea. Finish it off with some cheesecake or dark chocolate brownies and you have a dinner to rival Olive Garden!

Now go ahead, invite some friends over, make this pasta and enjoy a no-stress night of entertaining!

What's your favorite "company" meal?

Linking up to Serenity Now

Holiday Fantle

2011-12-08T10:48:00.000-05:00

I finally, finally finished my fantle!! Had hoped to have it done yesterday in time for all the awesome bloggy parties, but right now, just having anything up on my "fantle" seems like an amazing feat when I have a newborn! So yeah, late or not, I'm happy with it. =)

My dearly beloved, giant of a piano is my "fantle" that I decorate for all seasons. (Remember faux + mantle = "fantle?") Christmas is my absolute favorite though!

This year, I bought zero, zilch, nada for decorating. I dug through all my boxes and just used what I already had. Have to say, it was so nice to get those creative juices flowing again! Haven't done anything with crafts or decorating since Lucy was born so I really enjoyed myself!

I'm loving my monogram wreath! It seriously took all of 3 minutes to make. I just took one of those gold monograms (from Hobby Lobby) and wrapped it in some cheapo-plasticky garland and pinned it in place with straight pins. Then I looped a strip of burlap around it and pinned it behind the mirror with an upholstery tack. Voila!

These lanterns from Ikea are one of my very favorite things to decorate with. I use them for just about every season. (You can see them used here and here.) Lanterns are so cozy!

Several years ago I made these glass hurricanes with vases from the Dollar Tree. For the taller ones, I used wooden candlesticks that I spray painted black and then glued on with E-600 glue. The base for the shorter one is just a glass candlestick from the dollar store.

To make them "Christmas-y", I put a glass candle (also from the Dollar Tree) in the center and then poured Epsom Salt around it. Then I scavenged some berries from off some sprigs that I had and dropped them down in the hurricane. They really look lovely at night with the candles glowing and the epsom salt glittering like snow. Gorgeous!

The pinecones are from our yard, my boys are always bringing them to me. Such sweet little fellas...they know how to make their momma happy. =) These particular ones are so big and full, I think they look like Christmas trees!

{Seriously want to paint this piano!}

My two year old, Levi, asked as soon as he woke up this morning to light the candles for him. I promised to at dinnertime. But I'm thinking we should just light these every evening...won't it be so special and cozy?

Do you have a "fantle" or a "mantle?" Do you dress it up for the holidays?

Linking up to: Southern Hospitality, Ten June, Stories from A to Z, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Serenity Now

DIY: Dry-Erase Message Board

2011-12-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

Remember about 2+ weeks ago when I told you that I would be back that Friday to share a quick and easy project with you? Yeah, well, that didn't happen. I had more important things to do. You know, like have a baby. (I think that's a pretty good excuse, don't you?) =)

So anyways, back to that quick and easy project.....

The Saturday before Lucy was born, I received this text message from my friend Amy:

"Are you up for helping me with a project tonight?"

Me: What sort of project?

Amy: I'm making a dry erase board out of a picture frame. I have everything, I just want some help putting it together."

Me: Sure!

So she and her hubby came over, we put our little people to bed, ate a fabulous "grown-ups only" dinner...steak, baked sweet potatoes, salad and homemade apple pie. So yummy!!! Once we were sufficiently stuffed we set to work! =)

We started with this awesome frame that she bought at Goodwill for $2.99.

After removing the picture and matting, we covered the cardboard backing with scrapbook paper, adhering it with good ole' scotch tape. Using other pieces of scrapbook paper, a printed calendar and some monogram stickers (these were actually named "thickers"), she divided the board into different sections.

It's not the best picture, but you can see that she has a calendar, a bulleted list for notes and a place for her weekly menu. (She used black and white chalk markers for writing.)

Love her shout out to Gary and Elaine! HA! (check out Catalog Living if you don't know who they are....it's hilarious!)

And do you see the Cruise marked off on her calendar?? That's not just up there for fun, she went for real! And now she's probably all tan and looking amazing while I sit here all white and pasty. No, I'm not jealous or anything.....=)

So there you have it, a picture frame turned Custom Dry-Erase Message Board. The best part? This project was under $10 and took less than an hour! Hooray for organization that is frugal and pretty!

I've already got my own in the works for our office....if only it would get warm enough to break out the spray paint!

How do you keep up with your "lists" and appointments? Do you like keeping your "to-do's" where you can see them?

Linking up to Raising 4 Princesses, Serenity Now

A Few Of My Favorite Things

2011-12-01T21:40:00.001-05:00

Nester is having a "Favorite Things Under $30 Party", so I thought I'd share a few of mine!

Dunkin' Donuts Blueberry Iced Coffee with no sugar and extra cream. Perfection!

Almay Intense Eye Color Trio for Brown Eyes...love this stuff. Mostly because it has a diagram and directions on the back for dummies like me. =)

This Burt"s Beeswax lip balm (pomengranate flavored!) is hands down the BEST chapstick ever. Can't be having any dry, chapped lips for kissing my hubby! =)

I LOVE Yankee Candles! Autumn Wreath, Harvest, Pumpkin Spice, Red Apple Wreath...I have so many favorites. These candles can be pricey, but are definitely the BEST!

Hershey's Bliss Dark Chocolate, need I say more?

I am loving these glass jars that are sitting on my counter. Makes storing boring things like flour and oatmeal exiting!

This list could go on and on...but alas, it's late and there's a new little person around here who wants to be fed. She doesn't quite understand about dark chocolate and telling the world how much you love it. Gotta give her a few years. =)

So what about you? What are your favorite things under $30??

Little Piggies

2011-12-01T13:37:00.000-05:00

Just couldn't keep these curly little newborn legs and teeny-tiny toes to myself......=)

Lucy’s Birth Story

2011-11-30T07:00:00.000-05:00

Birth is incredible, don’t you think?

So much is involved in that one little world…the final culmination of all the miracles involved in a new life entering the world. And Lucy’s birth?…Well, it was amazing. Nothing dramatic or scary, but the hand of God was evident as the circumstances unfolded to bless us with such a wonderful birthing experience.

Where shall I begin?

I have to back up a little so it all makes sense, so let’s start at my 28 week appointment. During that visit it was brought to my attention that I was measuring “small”, as in my uterine size was only measuring about 21-22 weeks. I seriously had to stifle my laughter. Small?? For real? Do you want me to stand up so you can see my profile? Oh well, off we went for an ultrasound! The results were fine, showing a healthy baby girl, but size-wise she was a bit small, roughly in the 28th percentile for growth. Not a concern though since I’ve never had what would be considered “big” babies.

About a month later at my 33 week visit, the midwife wanted to do another scan since I was barely measuring 26 weeks. Again our little gal looked just as happy, but was now in the 40th percentile. Woo-hoo! Measurements showed she was already 4lb. 9oz….perhaps I wasn’t in for such a small baby after all!

Fast forward to last Thursday, November 17th. Like Proverbs says, we never know what a day will bring!

That day was my 38 week appointment and I was feeling great, we had a babysitter for the kids so Steven could be with me (I love when he can be with me! I hate going alone.) and I was scheduled to see my favorite midwife. Everything seemed great and I was 3cm and 80% effaced! (Glad all those contractions were accomplishing something!) After measuring me though, she said I now showed barely 30 weeks, however it could be just the fact that the baby was soooo low (yeah, that was NOT news to me!!). The only thing that concerned them, since baby’s growth had been great all along, was that my amniotic fluid may be low. Just to be on the safe side, we were sent for another ultrasound.

While Steven and I waited and talked, I didn’t even consider that something could be wrong. The ultrasound was just a precaution, past scans were fine and this one would be too. Besides, I wasn’t going to waste my time worrying….I was so hungry and just wanted to go home.

Long story short, the ultrasound results were not what we hoped. I had plenty of amniotic fluid, baby looked healthy and happy but there was just one problem. Her growth had all but stopped. In five weeks, she had dropped from the 40th to the 7th percentile! The numbers were scary. She was now labeled as an IUGR baby, meaning “Intra-Uterine Growth Restriction.”

I was pretty shook up. Mommy guilt flooded in like a tidal wave and along with it came the tears. Only the 7th percentile??? How did that happen? What had I done wrong? I felt like such a failure. Words can’t express how thankful I was that Steven was with me. He was so comforting and reminded me that this was just another thing out of my control that we had to trust the Lord about.

After my midwife saw the results, she decided that delivery needed to be induced very soon. Our baby was obviously not receiving the nutrition she needed and since I was already term, there was not need to put it off. Lucy was now safer on the outside than on the inside.

This is where I just have to tell you how awesome this midwife is. The doctors, once told what was going on, pretty much demanded that I go from the office to the hospital to be induced. But she pleaded with them on my behalf, telling them that I needed to eat and get some rest, plus we had three kids at home to take care of. Oh yes, and that she wanted to deliver my baby. =) Because the u/s showed that Lucy was perfectly content and in no distress, the doctors consented to me coming in the following morning. My midwife sent me home with orders to snuggle with my babies, get my ducks in a row, eat my “last supper”, sleep, eat a huge breakfast, and then see her at the hospital at 7:30AM. I had prayed many, many times that whenever I went into labor that this midwife would be the one on call since she was my favorite!

I spent the afternoon making chocolate covered pretzels with my kiddos and snuggling up and watching a movie. I truly cherished this time with them and we had so much fun. When my mother-in-law arrived around 5:00 to take our little people to her house, we snapped some quick family photos. Even though it was a last minute kinda’ thing and was freezing outside, I’m so glad we did it!

After supper we sent our little people off with hugs and kisses to grandma and grandpa’s house and then left ourselves to run some errands. Our last stop was Barnes and Noble for some coffee (I actually had apple cider!) and cheesecake. SO much fun! Once home we finished cleaning the house, checked off all the last minute “to do’s” and headed to bed.

It was hard to go to sleep. Knowing it was my last night to feel her squirming around inside me…no more kicks or contractions to wake me from my sleep…the last night before a newborn graced us with her presence. And I was nervous, okay really nervous. Mentally, I think all pregnant women are ready for labor to take us by surprise. But I was going to give birth the next day and see my baby! I was elated at this thought, but I knew the pain that awaited me. Oh the pain…could I handle it again this time? Sleep alluded me for a while, but finally it came and I slept for 4 hours before waking and watching the clock, wondering how this day would unfold.

Since I was allowed to eat my heart out that morning, we decided to have a breakfast date and headed to Cracker Barrel at 6:00AM! Here we are awaiting our breakfast!

It was so cozy…our table was right in front of the fire and for quite a while we were the only people there. I ordered the Momma’s Sourdough French Toast Breakfast (I think that’s what it’s called!) and ate every last bite. Mmmm….amazing!

Before, if you would have asked me if I would ever choose to have my labor induced, my answer would have been a definite “No.” But now, looking back, it’s like the Lord was giving us just another of His good gifts. The time Steven and I had together Thursday evening and Friday morning, were so wonderful. It completely refreshed us and was just what we needed to face the craziness ahead.

After our scrumptious breakfast, we checked in at the hospital. The next hour was filled with all of the paperwork, questions, bloodwork, etc. The “Induction Plan” was to break my water in hopes that labor would start on it’s own within a few hours. So, at 8:23AM, my midwife broke my water. It was so painful….I shudder to think about it. Let’s just say that baby’s head was very, very low and my cervix was pretty much hiding behind it. OUCH.

The morning dragged on without a single contraction. I wanted to get up and move around to help things along, but because I was a VBAC delivery, protocol demands that I have to monitored continuously. It was extremely frustrating because if I changed positions, the monitor would cease picking up. It was constant adjusting, etc. and the nurse wanted me to just stay in bed so it wouldn’t mess up. I knew that the baby needed to be monitored during contractions, but if I wasn’t contracting, what was the point?? Why couldn’t I get up and move around and then be monitored once contractions began?

Finally they decided to try the new wireless monitors on me, which would allow me freedom to move around as I pleased. The nurse claimed that it didn’t ever work right so she doubted it would work on me. It worked like a dream!! It picked up way better than the other one and now I was no longer bound to the bed.

So, what did we do all morning?? Well, since nothing much was happening, we just enjoyed talking, snacking on trail mix and Gatorade, and watching YouTube segments of Tim Hawkins and Father of the Bride 2. Good times. =) We also had a few visitors which was really nice…we needed the distraction!

Around lunch time my nurse was called away to attend another delivery, and another nurse came and took over for her. She was a God-send, I tell you! Her name was Sara and not only was she the best nurse I’ve ever had, she was SO stinkin’ hilarious. We had a blast with her. She about had me in tears laughing so hard with her tales of late night wheelchair ballet, among other things. And then she tried to convince me to name our baby Sara. I must say, she had some pretty convincing arguments. =)

Well, since we were now past lunchtime with only a few contractions, the decision to start a small dose of Pitocin was made. The bag was finally hung at 1:45PM and the second attempt at induction had begun. The plan was to increase the dose of Pitocin a little every 30 minutes until labor began.

Between 4:00 and 4:30 contractions finally began coming regularly. While they had started out small and not very painful, but that was quickly changing. From 4:30 until 5:00 I had to really start concentrating to get through them. Sometimes I sat on the birthing ball and sometimes I just stood swaying side to side or holding onto my hubby.

By 5:00 I was in pain. Okay, so a lot of pain. The contractions were 2-3 minutes apart and really intense. My midwife checked me and I was only 4 cm. Only 4 cm!! I wanted to scream. That was NOT what I wanted to hear. I was so discouraged!

While all of this was going on, my nurse Sarah had been perusing the handbook for the monitors and found what she was looking for: these new fancy-schmancy wireless monitors could be immersed in water! So she suggested that I go in the shower to help with the pain.

I was doubtful the shower would help, but it did. During a contraction the warm water seemed to take the edge off and allowed me to relax a little more. I changed positions often, sometimes leaning on the wall, or sitting in the chair, whatever would make it more bearable. Verses from Psalm 121 came flooding to my memory and I kept reciting them over and over in my mind, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord which made heaven and earth.” I knew it was only with His help that I would make it!

Suddenly, around 5:40, the streams of warm water on my stomach were no longer soothing. It was actually painful! Amidst my panting and blowing through a contraction I managed to whisper to Steven to just turn the water off. I began to tremble all over and just wanted to get in the bed ASAP.

Once in the bed my legs began shaking uncontrollably and mentally I was nearing the end of my rope. The contractions were so strong and they were coming right on top of each other with little to no break in between. I asked if the midwife could check my progress and right after I told Steven that if things weren’t very far along (like 5cm or so) that I needed something, anything to take the edge off. I seriously couldn’t take it for much longer. Thankfully I didn't have to!

At 5:50 she checked and I was 8cm! As I laughed and cried with relief, a new burst of energy washed over me. No medicine needed now, the end was in sight!

With the very next contraction came the overwhelming feeling that this baby was on her way out! I groaned something to that affect and I heard my midwife say, “If it feels good, push…just give me time to get my gloves on!” (This made me laugh later!) Then there was no putting down the end of the bed or any of those awful stirrup thingys, she just let me stay where I was and climbed right up on the bed with me.

The next contraction came and with one push the head began to emerge and I heard the midwife say, “Hey Mommy, look at your baby!” I had never fully witnessed any of my babies being born and it was amazing to see! One more push and the rest of her body was out and they laid our beautiful baby on my chest. Time of birth: 5:58pm.

She barely even cried, her little eyes wide with wonder at the new world surrounding her. She began to nurse within minutes after birth, and for almost two hours before she was weighed or anything we just got to cuddle and love on her. What a sweet time!

My heart was, and still is exploding with thanksgiving for such a healthy baby, the strength the Lord gave during the labor process in order to have a drug-free labor and delivery, and for the incredible support of my husband. He was amazing…constantly by my side doing everything possible to comfort, help or encourage. I am so, so blessed. Thank you also to all of you who have prayed for and encouraged me during this pregnancy, it has meant so much.

Lucy Joy. It fits her perfectly. Our sweet blessing...truly our little joy!

Monday Drive-By

2011-11-28T12:34:00.001-05:00

Today's my first day flying solo with all four munchkins, and our first day back homeschooling. {eek!}

Lucy is such a peach. So very sweet and pleasant.

She's nursing like a champ, every three hours around the clock. Consequently, I ~~sleep~~ nap in 1 1/2-2 hour spurts through the night.

So thankful I cooked like a crazy lady and stashed so much food in our freezer. I don't think I could handle a newborn, homeschooling and cooking dinner right now.

My little Levi is back to his happy little self. (Hallelujah!)

Tonight is date night with my hubby, yay!!

I think to cope with all the huzza of today I need to make these muffins. Not a want, a need. There's a difference. =) Maybe I'll add some coconut to them. Mmmmm.

Thanks for reading the most boring blog post ever. Ya'll are awesome.

Happy Monday Friends!

Black Friday

2011-11-24T21:26:00.001-05:00

It's tradition around here...the day after Thanksgiving means pumpkin pie and coffee for breakfast, little people included. (They get decaf, of course!) Our kiddos seriously look forward to this all year long. That one time a year that they get to partake in the "adult-ish" bliss of their very own cup of coffee!!

I flavored it with pumpkin pie spice creamer, added some whipped cream and sprinkled it with cinnamon. Hey, if you only get to partake once a year, you mine as well have "the works." (And wouldn't it be great if the whipped cream lasted more than 30 seconds before melting....I'll keep dreaming!) I did harass them a good bit yesterday that I was going to make them drink it black. You can guess how well that went over. =)

Ahhhh....the first sip....after a whole year of waiting!

Levi wasn't too big on the coffee. He said it was yuck. And then proceeded to accidentally knock it over, spilling it everywhere. Which of course was followed by cries for more of the coffee that he didn't even like. Go figure!

While our "Black Friday" tradition may be dessert for breakfast, I know loads and loads of people are out shopping. NO THANK YOU!! I don't like traffic. I don't like crowds. And I don't want to stand in line for hours. (My bladder just can't handle that anymore....but not that you wanted to know that. Ahem.)

While I can sort of understand the madness of Black Friday since I'm a bargain lover, I was shocked this year that the shopping frenzy was starting on Thursday!! On the day when we are supposed to be celebrating what we are thankful for, people are consumed with buying more stuff! A little crazy if you ask me.

I have to confess though, my hubby did make a quick trip out last night around 8:00pm. We found out last week that our local Once Upon A Child was having their entire stock of FuzziBunz cloth diapers for 40% off. Wowsers! Since we use cloth diapers and I've been eyeing these for Miss Lucy, this was just one deal we couldn't pass up. These FuzziBunz diapers are usually 19.95 and we got them for $12 a piece. Woo-hoo!! This pic that we snapped with my hubby's phone doesn't do these diapers justice, the colors are so cute!

Having never shopped on Black Friday (and now Thursday!), I had NO idea how crazy it could be. My husband took out his phone and shot this video as he was leaving Once Upon a Child. The entrance to Toys R Us was about 50 yards to the right of where the video begins. I seriously couldn't believe how many people would be out there waiting for it to open! It's kind of dark and a bit bumpy (he was holding it at waist level trying to be discreet), but wow, I was shocked at all the people!

Alright now, 'fess up!....how many of you LOVE the madness of Black Friday and are thrilled to participate, or are you like me and would rather sit at home feasting on pumpkin pie?? =) For those of you who braved the insanity, what deals did you find?

Lucy-loo-hoo

2011-11-23T12:17:00.000-05:00

{wee-licious}

Aren't newborns the greatest thing ever??

Look who's here!

2011-11-21T11:44:00.001-05:00

Little Miss Lucy arrived Friday evening at 5:58pm, weighing in at 5lb. 14oz. and was 21 1/4" (!!) long.

We are completely smitten with this adorable little peanut....she is just so precious.

She loves to snuggle and we are more than happy to oblige. =)

Right now we are just hanging out, trying to adjust to life with 4 kids. {gulp}

Lydia and Caleb are just fine, thrilled to death with their baby sister. They want to hold her 24/7.

Levi on the other hand is just not himself. He's weepy and clingy and well, acting like the typical two year old!

Oh yeah, he asked if we got Lucy from a yard sale....and said she sounds like a kitten. Hilarious! (I'm thinkin' that my love of yard sales has now warped my child! HA!)

{soaking in some sunshine}

Hopefully I'll have her birth story for you in the next couple of days.

It was amazing and crazy and wonderful. I can't wait to tell it....God is just so good.

Time to go feed the little princess. Again.

Life sure is sweet!

Guest Posting Today....

2011-11-15T14:34:00.001-05:00

Guess what?

Today I've been invited to do a guest post over at Brown Sugar Toast! (Hey, that rhymed!) Christa is such a sweetheart and I love reading her blog. She just had an adorable baby boy and had me laughing and crying reading her birth story. Aren't her children precious?

Here's a peak at what I'm sharing today....you don't want to miss it!

While you're visiting Christa, check out her 31 days series on marriage, it's well worth the time it takes to read through it. You will be encouraged and challenged!

I'll be back on Friday (unless our little lady arrives!) with a fun, yet quick and easy project to help you stay organized. Stay tuned!

Two

2011-11-15T08:30:00.000-05:00

This little guy just kills me.

His silly grins...his belly laughs....

The way he barrels into me at full speed, wraps his arms around my leg and says,

"Wuv u, Momma."

And don't even get me started on those eyelashes.

He's so determined to grow up and be a big boy. {sigh.}

Two.

It's such a great age, don't you think?

Simple Baby Girl Headband Tutorial

2011-11-13T21:55:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday friends....hope ya'll had a great weekend! I woke up Saturday bursting with energy and was thrilled to get a bunch done! (Like canning 16 quarts of applesauce and 9 pints of pumpkin butter, making an apple pie, etc., etc.)

But enough of that. Can you tell that I'm beyond ecstatic to be having a baby girl again? Yes, yes I am. It's SO much fun to make things for girls. I love my boys, they are awesome, but it's not like you can really dress them up, you know? (And you certainly can't make them dresses, or cutesy-flowery burp cloths!) Coming from a family of ALL boys (did you know I have 6 brothers???), I appreciate all things girly!

This last week I had some fun making hair accessories for our newest princess. Even though my babies have all had heads full of hair, it's still not quite enough to keep a hair bow completely secure. Simple solution: stretchy headbands! With some soft, stretchy, lace elastic and my sewing machine, I was able to whip up some little headbands in a matter of minutes.

Here's how you can do it:
1. Buy some knit lace elastic. (I think this package was $1.29 @ Hobby Lobby.)
2. Cut your elastic to the desired size. (A "normal" sized newborn head is around 13-14" so I cut mine at 14".)
3. Pin right sides together and sew a seam ( I did a 3/8" seam allowance)...be sure to backstitch!
4. Trim the ends and voila!, you have a simple, stretchy, lacy headband for your sweetie-pie!

Now that you have your headbands, it's time to accessorize! Below are some links to tutorials of the different flowers I've made for our baby girl. (Just a note: I decided to attach all of my flowers to alligator clips and just clip them on the headbands over the seam.)

{Box Fold Felt Flower}

{Wool Hair Accessories}

{Rolled Fabric Flowers}

{Satin Flowers}

{Won't she look darling in this?}

Go whip out your materials and have some fun! Make some for your girls, some larger ones for you....just be creative, you never know what you could come up with. But I warn you, these flowers are all so cute. And addictive. It's hard to make just one!! =)

Do you love making hair accessories for your girls or yourself? Any favorite links you'd like to share?

Pumpkin Patch 2011

2011-11-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

Ever since my children were itty-bitty, we've been taking them to this same family owned farm. It's tradition! In the summer we pick strawberries, buy buckets of peaches, and when fall rolls around we always go back for our pumpkins. (Seems like we always go on Halloween too!) This year we just made a day of it...pumpkin patch, picnic at the farm, Ikea {squeal}, Bass Pro shop (for my hubby, of course), Dunkin' Donuts (pumpkin spice latte, anyone?) and home again. We had SO much fun...family time is the best!

{kisses for their baby sister}

{our little fall pumpkin}

Lydia took the pictures of Steven and I....not too bad!

{cheesy grins}

{love little boys in cowboy boots}

{my handsome men...swoon}

What are your fall traditions? Do you make a yearly trek to the pumpkin patch?

Fancy-Schmancy Baby Burp Cloth Tutorial

2011-11-07T16:37:00.000-05:00

Did any of you guess "Burp Cloths" when I gave you a sneak peak yesterday?? That's what I LOVE about these burp cloths...they don't look like your typical burp cloth. {Yes, I know my baby will spit all over these, but hey, sure is nice to have a cute rag on my shoulder!}

I made these with scraps of fabric (from the quilt and other projects) and white terry cloth. They are extremely simple to make using only the most basic of sewing skills. Also, making one from start to finish took me less than 10 minutes. I love quick projects!

Here's how you can make one!

1. Cut 1-11"x17" piece of terry cloth and 1-11"x17" piece of cotton fabric. (You can make these any size....just the size that worked out for the fabric scraps I had.)

2. Place right sides together and pin.

3. Sew with a 3/8" seam allowance all the way around, but leaving a place to turn inside out.

4. Turn inside out and press. When ironing, fold under the open place and pin.

5. Top stitch with a 1/4" seam allowance. Gives it such a nice, "finished" look! (Tip: I changed my top thread to coordinate with my fabric while leaving my bobbin white so it didn't show on the top-stitching.)

6. Roll it up, tie it with a bow and give it as a gift! {That momma will be so happy!} Or just enjoy using it on your own wee spitter. =)

You can get really creative when making these too! With this one, my piece of umbrella fabric wasn't wide enough so I pieced it with the polka dot scraps. {Don't you think umbrellas are so appropriate for a burp cloth??} This is my favorite one!

Hope you enjoy making these "Fancy-Schmancy" burp cloths as much as I did...they can be a little addictive! =)

Linking up to Raising 4 Princesses, Today's Creative Blog, Between Naps on the Front Porch, Creative Itch, Handmade Tuesdays

Monday Update

2011-11-07T15:09:00.001-05:00

Today I've got nothing for you.

My oldest has been puking since 9:00AM.

I am not feeling so good myself.

And my inbox is overflowing.

But here's a sneak peak for tomorrow.....

Happy Monday Friends!

My Adventures in Quilting: {Part 3--The Big Reveal!}

2011-11-04T15:10:00.000-04:00

It's DONE!!! Did you hear me jumping up and down and squealing when I made the last stitch??? Okay, okay, so I wasn't exactly jumping with joy because of my sprained ankle, but I was most definitely squealing!

Not sure that any project of mine has ever been as gratifying as finishing this quilt! It was a fun and exciting process, (you can read more about it here and here) yet also incredibly frustrating and tedious. I can't tell you how many times I wanted to just throw it out the window and quit! But I learned so much, and I really love to learn. Trying new things is always an adventure!

I will be the first to tell you that this quilt is not even close to perfect, even though I did my very best. Yet, I love it for all it's quirkiness and imperfection...somehow it's still everything I hoped it would be. (And can I just say how in awe I am of all you "real" quilters out there?? Um, wow, I don't know how you do it...you are amazing!)

{quilt back}

My first quilt, made just for this little miracle within.

So happy that it's ready for her.

Now onto my next project....dreaming of sweet newborn snuggles. {smile}

Was there a special "something" you made for your babies? And for you quilters out there....how did your first quilt turn out?

Linking up to Made by You Monday, Creative Itch, Ladybug Blessings

Don't Try This When You're 9 Months Pregnant

2011-11-02T14:42:00.001-04:00

"Honey, I've fallen and I can't get up!"

That's what came out of my mouth yesterday afternoon when I was trying through my tears to tell my husband what happened. If I had had one ounce of humor in me at the time, I would have said it in my best "Steve Urkel" voice. =)

My little people and I were headed to the van to make a trip to the grocery store, and as I stepped off the bottom step my foot landed "just right" if you know what I mean. I went tumbling over on my side and my foot stayed in the same place. Not good.

After I called my hubby I managed to crawl and sit on the bottom step. My ankle and foot hurt so much that I was shaking all over! Lydia and Caleb were so sweet and brought me ice and a stool to prop it up on while we waited for Steven to get home. Oh yeah, and Levi got the water hose and sprayed me with it. Nice, huh?

Just so you know, my husband earned some major brownie points. He didn't just help me up the steps, he carried me up the back steps, (I think there's 10 or so) into the house, and to the couch. That is no small feat when your wife is 9 months pregnant!

Well, there it is, my sprained, stinky, ugly foot for you to see. (My toes are in serious need of some polish!) I should have had the other foot up there as a comparison, but it's really swollen, my ankle has disappeared, and it's a nice greenish color. Lovely.

Last night I couldn't put any pressure on it at all, but today it is a bit better. I had a midwife appointment bright and early this morning and thankfully with the help of my husband and an ACE bandage, I was able to hobble around a little.

Oh yeah, did I mention Steven helped me straighten my hair this morning since I had to do it sitting and can't reach the back without standing? Yes, yes he did. He's awesome. And I'm thinking that deserves triple brownie points. And his favorite chocolate chip cookies. I'm a lucky gal.

Once we got home, I taught school from the couch and then finished working on the baby's quilt. (Hand stitching the binding takes FOREVER!)

Since I'm pretty much rendered useless right now, I plan on tackling all the little projects for the baby that require sitting! While I don't particularly enjoy just sitting around, the extra rest must have been just what I needed. (Hey, God does everything for reason you know!)

And just a little shout out to all those preggo mamas out there....be careful on that bottom step, okay?! =)

Ever had a sprain? Any helpful advice for quick healing?