#3... and 4 & 5???

After having so much fun quilting again (Baby J's Gig 'Em Quilt)... and after Katelyn carried Baby J's quilt around all day while I was trying to quilt it (she REALLY liked that quilt, hee hee), I decided to make Katelyn a quilt she could actually keep for herself - my third quilt of the year!  Look at these yummy fabrics - don't they just scream PRETTY LITTLE GIRL???  Most of these I had left over from previous projects, so I spent little to no money on her quilt.  That said, this was the project of never-ending messes...

Quilting: an Apologetic

I have been quilting again. In the last two weeks I have made two toddler quilts, one for a dear friend who is expecting her first child (a boy) in January and one for my DD (pics and progress to come soon).  I have also spent a good deal of time researching and learning online. I have come across several blogs of quilters who have been amazed and inspired me!

All of this has me thinking: I LOVE quilting! For a lot of reasons, really. But largely I love the taking of something utilitarian (a blanket, to keep us warm, to cuddle and snuggle with, to provide comfort to my little girl) and making it beautiful. I love that I am leaving a piece of myself in this world for as long as thread and fabric hold together... and not just anything, but something meaningful and beautiful. Hopefully, at least. Haha.

To take the ordinary and make it beautiful.

What is this search for beauty? Why do I have this desire in me to make the things (and people) around me beautiful?

100th & 2nd

It's time to celebrate - I have hit my 100th post on this blog!  Yay!

Baby J's Gig 'Em Quilt

Our dear friends, J & T, are expecting their first child in January.  I almost had a heart attack when, after 3 consecutive weeks of missing church for one reason or another, I found out her shower was in one week!

I Dropped Him!

 Meet Snuggle Monster.  I found the pattern for this little guy here a few months ago and have made several, mostly as gifts for friends who are expecting.  I think he is too cute!

I made this little guy last - but I dropped him at the Nac Public Library last week.  Oh, no!

My Black Apple Doll - I Think We Will Call Her...

...Minnie! I made her to look like a mini-Katelyn, so I think we will call her Minnie until Katelyn's old enough to make up her own name. This was my first attempt at making such an intricate toy and I am relatively pleased with the outcome. The hardest part: Turning those oh-so-skinny arms and legs!

Our Little Pumpkin

Last year we were propping her up in her Boppy to take Halloween pictures of Katelyn in her little pumpkin and kitty cat costumes.  Our favorite was a sleeper with jack-o-lanterns all over that said, "Our Little Pumpkin" across the top.  Well, our little pumpkin is not so little anymore.  Today we took her to see her first pumpkin patch - she had a great time and we got some cute pictures!

A Party Fit for a Princess

I am long overdue for posting pics and details on Katelyn's first bday party, but better late than never! I was super pre-prepared for her party, so that makes up for my tardiness in blogging about it, right???

First Steps!

I am testing a new format for loading photos in my blogs... and I thought I'd test it out with a pics of Katelyn's first steps about a month ago! There she goes...

I Want to Do This!!!

Who's with me???

The Toy Society

To My Daughter: 2.5 Hours that Changed My Life

The Story of Your Birthday:

Caution:  Graphic details included - read at your own risk.  :)

There I was asleep on my couch, enjoying a much needed afternoon nap on my birthday when everything changed. It was my 29th birthday; not really a big deal, except it was my last without children. But I hadn't been feeling well courtesy of a head and flailing arms in my right rib cage, so we skipped any festivities and I opted for a quiet day in front of the TV. As usual I fell asleep during the movie. I had just started to rouse towards the end of the movie (I can't remember which one it was) when I felt the strangest sensation. I was half a second from telling Derrick about it when I realized with a violent shock that my water was breaking!

I DO Love Soy Sauce, But...

I think this is a bit much even for me!  But since this is my first real Halloween with a kid, I'm obsessed with costumes - I've picked up 3 in the store in the last week... and we've already got a costume for Katelyn!!!

Still, these are so cute and creative, I had to share.  Enjoy!

The Last 2.5 Months...

Wow!  I've been on quite a blogging break!  Let's see... in the last 2.5 months...

1.  We bought a new house!  Praise the Lord!  We have been wanting to buy a house for the last 4 years and it was never possible.  But we are now the proud owners (or will be in 29 years and 9 months) of this little house.  It's actually not so little - she measures right at 2000 square feet and has a nice sized, fenced back yard for the baby to play in.  We spent a week cleaning the inside and out before finally moving all our stuff.  We have been living here the last two months and are loving every minute in our new home!

2.  Our little girl turned ONE!  I cannot believe that it has already been a year since Katelyn was born.  And almost two years since I found out I was pregnant.  Insane how fast time flies!  Because we are fortunate enough to have lots of family, friends, and students who love us and our little girl, Katelyn got to have two parties - one with family and one with Chi Alpha.  She really enjoyed both, but I think her favorite part was the cake!  It took her about 5 minutes to figure out how to eat it, but once she did, she tunneled out a huge hole in her smash cake!  It's on video somewhere and when I find it, I will post the video so everyone can see how cute she was!  Luckily, it doesn't seem that sugar affects her too much because she slept great that night.

3.  I finally went to see an orthopedist about my left knee.  It's gotten progressively worse over the last 3 years to the point that I cannot make a trip to the grocery store without ending in pain.  Now that I've done the doctor's visit, I am kicking myself for not going sooner!  He is fairly confident we can fix it without surgery, which was a huge relief to me.  I have "Patella Alta," which means that my kneecap sits about an inch or so higher than normal and it slips out of place with every step I take.  It's done this my whole life, but something somewhere along the way has made it start hurting.  I am on a dose of anti-inflammatories, wearing a flexible knee brace when I'm active, and starting a new exercise routine to help strengthen my legs.  He wanted me to start biking, so I convinced Derrick to buy a recumbent bike for the house!!!  He set it up today and I get to start working with it soon.

I haven't done much sewing or crafting, other than for Katelyn's party, for which I went all out!  Again, pics to follow at some point.  We left all my craft supplies at the old house for a month or so while we got everything else settled and finally moved it all about two weeks ago.  I'm glad to have it back and have finally gotten caught up on back orders for Soft Straps.  I have missed my sewing machine!

Well, that's about it for now - better get up and ready to do my "bike ride" for today.  Peace out!

From Watermelon to Christmas

I have been super busy the last few days with getting ready for an upcoming trip and crazy details with the house we are under contract to buy.  Needless to say, it's been insane and now, so am I!  Most of these pages were done before said insanity set in and I'm just now getting around to posting them.  I'm happier with some than others.  Click "Read More" to see all the pages, the good, the bad, and the at least not-so-cute!

3 Pages

I've stolen a few moments admid the craziness of this house purchase to work on three new pages for Katelyn's 1st Year Scrapbook.  Add to the completed list:

Katelyn's Hospital Stay @ 2 Months
First Swing
Miss Blue Eyes

For 2 more pages and FREE digital scrapbooking resources, click "Read More."

Katelyn's 1st Year Scrapbook (WIP)

I started this project a few months back (aka, Christmas) and finished one page and part of another.  I had a little time to kill today so I worked on a few more.  It is my goal to have a book of her entire first year!

WHAT EVENTS/MILESTONES/MOMENTS DO YOU THINK I SHOULD SCRAPBOOK?

Click "Read More" for more pictures and a list of the pages still to come!

Pot O' Pretty Flowers - Quiet Book

I have been looking at other bloggers' posts about making Quiet Books for their children and have been really inspired to work on one for Katelyn.  She is so loud in church now!  I started the first page about 2 weeks ago and have worked on it a little here and there.  I finally got it finished this week!  Check out all the pics under "Read More."

#1 Dad!

Happy FIRST Father's Day, Daddy!
Father's Day was lots of fun last year when I was pregnant - even better now that she's finally here!  Check out the card Katelyn and I made for Derrick.  She really did help - picked out the paper and "signed" her name!  More pictures under "Read More." 

Yes, Please - I'll Take Two!

Saw these today and they provided some much-needed inspiration for organization!  Thought I'd pass it along to everyone! Click an image to see the original post!

FOR SALE - Soft Straps!

Soft Straps

Car Seat Strap

Cover & Toy Keeper

Handmade by yours truly!

On Sale Now:  $10 / set 

Email me if you'd like to order!

Custom Product Labels Tutorial

I am officially in the "make it to sell it" business and I found myself in need of some custom product labels.  My degree is in Graphic Design so I decided to make some on my own rather than purchase them.  Got something I liked on my second try!  Pretty simple method, but in case you would like to know:

Old Notes from My Phone

The best wine comes from grapes that have to fight to grow - Biodome experiment: the trees would shatter because there was no wind, no resistance

Books recommended by Anita Koeshall: 

Car Seat Toy Keeper

Since Katelyn moved up in the world to the "big girl" car seat, I have been trying to come up with a way to keep a couple of her toys connected to her.  That was a major convenience of the carrier seat handle and I had gotten used to not having to give her toys constantly during our many road trips.  I need a solution quick!

Crawl Buddy

When Katelyn started crawling yesterday I immediately started thinking of toys that would help her develop her new-found skill.  So I started sewing...

"The Call" by Os Guinness

In the opening chapter (all I've read thus far) of The Call, Os Guinness says, "...transition challenges our sense of personal meaning."  I understand this statement full well at this time of my life.  Following closely on the heels of a major life shift, I had a major health crisis and ended up in surgery and an 8 week recovery process... followed immediately by a 3-month treatment for said health issues... followed immediately by 9 months of trying to conceive... followed (seriously, thank God) by 9 months of pregnancy.  Well, really only about 8 months because the baby was 3 weeks early.  Not exactly what we planned for, but luckily she was perfectly healthy... for the next 8 weeks at least.  That's when she got RSV, a long and drawn out 4 week battle that included 5 trips to the ER and a 3-night stay in the Pediatric Wing of the hospital.  My life has been one giant transition the last 3 years or so, and now that my beautiful daughter is here with us, growing and (finally) healthy (again, thank God)... I feel like the transition has just begun.

For Kristen & Nathan

We were recently asked, separately by two different friends for good books to read.  So, just for Kristen and Nathan, here is our list of "must-read" Christian books:

Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton
Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis
The Practice of the Presence of God, Brother Lawrence
The Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster
Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Can Man Live Without God?, Ravi Zacharias
The Unshakable Kingdom & The
Unchanging Person, E. Stanley Jones
Humility, Andrew Murray
True Spirituality, Francis Schaeffer

I Can Make This

Saw this really cute pull-toy at WalMart today with Mimi and Poppy... and I thought, "I could definitely make that!"  Checked at Hobby Lobby and they totally have the wheels for like $3.  As long as I can find a pattern for an animal head... it's on!  Thank you, Garanimals, for a bit of inspiration!

Soothie Paci Clips/Keepers

My sis-in-law has a little boy 4 months younger than Katelyn and he uses Soothie paci's.  If you've ever used them, you know there are no paci clips/keepers sold in the stores, unless you really want your child's face to look like a giant sunflower!  So I decided to make her a couple as a surprise.  :)  Hope they work for her!

Ivy Shoes

Katelyn's in an in-between size of shoes and, since new shoes are so expensive, I decided to make her another pair of shoes. I went with white so they will match everything but then they looked too plain. So I decided to try my hand at some embroidery. Hopefully they will stay clean enough to last her a while!

My Child Will Have This!

I get several emails about crafting/sewing/etc each week, and this was featured in one... Katelyn has to have this when she gets a little older!  Can't you just see it???

'K' is for #QUILT!

Well, now that she is almost 8 months old, Katelyn's nursery is finally complete!  I set out to make my baby girl a quilt for hanging above her crib before she was even born; one thing or another came up and I inched along at a snail's pace on that project.  But in the last week I have finally been able to set aside some time to start and finish it!  It's my first totally machine-quilted quilt and I am quite pleased with how it turned out. 

Walk Away the Pounds? Yes, I Think I Will!

I have been in need of a good 30-minute cardio routine for my new weight-loss adventure.  It's tough to find something I can do, that I enjoy, and that won't kill my bad knee.  My mom suggested Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds. 

Bandana Dress for my Baby

Derrick, Katelyn, and I are having family photos taken in like a week.  You know what that means!  The search is on for matching outfits - or at least coordinating!  Living in a small town, our options are somewhat limited - I have searched Target and Walmart.  I bought a dress for Katelyn at Target, but spent $13.00 on it and don't like it THAT much.  I mean it's cute, but she'll wear it like twice at most.

Then I remembered a tutorial a ran across online for making a really cute (and supposedly simple) dress for little girls out of bandanas that cost $1 each.

Marinated Baked Pork Chops

This recipe deserves an entire blog post dedicated to it - simple, delicious, and healthy! The perfect combination!  Take two pork chops, mix up the quick and easy marinade from things you always have on hand, pour on top, bake for 1 hour (or until done) and you have some of the tastiest (tangy) pork chops I've ever eaten!  Get the recipe here.

Portable High Chair?

I have never heard of such a thing, but i immediately thought it could be quite useful!  Derrick and I seem to always find ourselves in places that don't have high chairs during mealtimes and Katelyn just can't be trusted in a chair on her own.  So, you know what that means:  Daddy is holding baby (and getting covered in baby food) while Mommy feeds the kiddo.  Tough luck for Daddy!

I stumbled across this idea for a fabric portable "high chair" yesterday and knew instantly I wanted to try it out.  There wasn't really a pattern so I just sortof winged it, helped along by a few measurements from the original blogger.  I didn't realize until after mine was cut and the first piece sewn that she had given finished dimensions so mine is about .5" smaller in all directions than hers but my baby's younger, so hopefully it won't matter.

Something I Never Thought I'd Blog About...

I have had several conversations recently with friends who are pregnant or thinking about starting a family:  To Breastfeed or Not to Breastfeed, that is their question.  And it's a question I faced, too.  I have been on every conceivable side of that fence in the last 15+ years.  As a teenager, I thought, "NEVER!  THAT'S SO WEIRD!"  And yes, it is a little weird.  As a young adult, I thought, "I guess it's OK for some people, but I don't want to do it."  And when I saw a woman in England breastfeeding her son in church I was secretly mortified that she would do something like that in public.  (Granted, there was no cover involved... she just hung herself out there for the world to see... in church... during the sermon.  Greg Pampell, you remember that???  You were preaching!)  And as a married woman, I thought, "I guess I can see the benefits of it, but it's SO weird... I don't think I could ever do that."  Then I got pregnant.

Sucker for Organization

Found this group of CUTE and easy storage solution ideas in a weekly email I get - thought I'd share.  I'm a sucker for organization - especially when it's cute and cheap!

Mini Storage Solutions for Scrapbooking Supplies

Gather your tiny embellishments and put them in stylish, functional mini storage containers that perfectly fit the style of your scrapbooking room.

The First Game!

We finally finished the mock-up of Sand Castle Blast and played our first test game last night  (Derrick v. Ashley)!  Despite being difficult to play with only two people, it was very helpful and we realized several major things that we need to tweek for the game to really be playable, including printing our version of the "Longest Road" and "Largest Army" cards which we quickly realized we didn't have.

So...Who won?

Depends on who you ask... I thought we were NOT playing with the missing cards but Derrick thought we were.  So he says he won with the invisible cards and I won without them!