Coming up on 8 yrs together

My husband and I are getting ready to celebrate 8 yrs of marriage this October 19th. My goodness so much as happened in this time. I look at this picture of a 24 yr old girl and think, "who is this?"
I certainly don't identify with her frivolous spending habits on herself or her ability to sleep in past 11 am on a weekend. This is a girl long gone by now and instead has been replaced with a fretful mother that hovers over her two small sons to keep them from harms way. A mother like most mothers that does everything first for her children and then herself. I sometimes miss the freedom this girl had but in between the chaos of life from picking up my son's trains and changing dirty diapers there is happiness. A crazy happiness that only a mother knows.

a journal entry

I found a journal entry that I particularly like from a while back. It reminds me of how far I have come in my grief. Never did I think it was possible for me to live without my mother. What is so amazing, is that I have, and I am doing so well.
Before I leave you with the entry I would like to share something. My mother kept telling me that I would trip over her when she was gone. She would be everywhere. She is. The other day I was walking into Church with my boys when crazy gusts of wind came out of the middle of nowhere! At least two people near me remarked about it and how it would be such a great kite flying day. Kites are something related to my mother. That's a story for another time. Then, as fast as the wind came, it was gone. While in Church, I was alone with a 4 month old and a 4 yr old. It was rough and I was handling it pretty well. Colin was screaming and Christian was fine so I had to keep walking around a bit. Near the end, this woman behind me, an older woman, tapped on my shoulder. I thought, "Oh great, she is going to tell me what a pain, we are, or that Christian needs to stop looking through all of his books, etc..."
She instead leans into my ear and says, "You are SUCH a good mother." I was blown away. For me, that is the best compliment in the world. Ever since my mother passed away, I have strived even harder than before to be an incredible mother. It wasn't until I got home that I put it all together. Magic isn't necessary. Signs can be subtle. This was my sign, from my mother, telling me somehow, inspiring this woman to tell me that I am doing a good job. That was all I needed.

Feb. 6, 2010

Every day I wake with a lump in my throat which is the ache from my heart. I look out and see the sun and his swing set and think of spring. Then, the lump gets bigger because I know she most likely won't be here.

a picture of my mother a week or so before she died...

1st Day of Preschool

So, today was his first day as a greendbird at preschool and I was super excited. I even had my husband paint the trim and wash the front door for our pictures this morning. Of course, his outfit was already last night and he could give a hoot what he wears so at least that is easy. His favorite part of the day? Saving the creams? as a superhero with the other boys.






This was meet the teacher on Friday, before school, and she is so sweet! I love her already...



And last, among other firsts, Colin tried baby food over the past week or so but today, he actually seemed to like it. Sweet Potatoes!

Cupcake

I just made this cute little cupcake for my cousin's daughter, Jillian, who is turning one. She had a cupcake themed party that I cannot wait to see! I also bought a little princess puzzle and sparkly knit hair bands, not pictured to go with. Then, I dazzled up a pete pot, (bought a ton of them on ebay awhile back), and tried my hardest to make it look like a cupcake inside the pot. I hope she loved it. I also handsewed the little fringe on the end of her sleeves. I do hope it fit and that Kari, her mommy, loved it.

A Little Sweetness Blog giveaway

I was so lucky to stumble upon this blog a month or so ago and I check in on it often. A Little Sweetness is this wonderfully adorable and inspirational blog hosted by Tasha. She too has an Etsy shop full of wonderful things. Hurry over because she is hosting a blog giveway with some of her new paper items...

Brothers

When I think of the word brothers, I smile, and a song comes to mind from my FAVORITE childhood Christmas movie, Emmett Otter's Jugband Christmas, "Brothers." Below is a picture of my little otters that I took recently in Colin's nursery. Christian is so fond of his little brother and so gentle with him. Again, the lighting is not so great because I can't keep my shutter speed up with these fast moving otters without a total blur.





Ofcourse, the proud mother that I am, I just had to share these pics of Stink Bone since he was so good. Well, I did promise him a new toy from the Tractor Supply store. He just has that look in one of these pics like hmmmmm.... I think I might be good so I can get a new tractor toy.

Colin's Nursery

I am finally getting around to finishing up this vintage nursery for Colin. Pictures aren't great but I am so super busy trying to get other things done right now. I still am finishing a bookshelf and need to bring it in along with hanging a shelf up above the bookshelf. Bought a chenille rug today at Target, didn't really want a vintage rug.

Here is the armoire from my mother's house when she was a little girl. My wonderful husband painted it white, afixed a new piece of wood to the top, and adorned it with glass knobs. I just love it. It is the perfect size for children's clothing.



Here are the birdies and the banner I bought from Etsy. See older posts for links to Etsy shops. They hang above my early maternity pics when my mother was still alive. My friend Kristie took pictures of her hands on my stomach with Christian's hands too. They are so beautiful and so simple. She was asleep through most of the pictures and didn't even remember we had taken them a few hours later.




I bought this dresser from a local thrift consignment type shop. She painted the blue birds on and distressed it a bit. I really love how it turned out.






I just found this bench and shelf at another local vintage type repurposed shop. The bench functions as a toy chest and will do great for photo ops. Christian keeps filling the bench with all brother's baby toys that he isn't old enough to play with yet.

I bought the frame from a garage sale and took out an old pic of flowers to put in another old page from Goldilocks and the 3 bears. I just bought the bibs from sweetlittlepeach.etsy.com and someone gave me the very old crocheted sweater.





About a year ago, my mother and I would go the Salvation Army and Humane Society Thrift Store at least once a week. I loved this Humpty Dumpty lamp and thought for sure it would be gone since I haven't been in way before her illness started last Christmas. I went in a few months ago and as I was just about to check out I asked a 2nd sales lady about the lamp and this one pointed to the corner of the children's section and there it was! I couldn't belive it! The frame is from a local boutique and I registered for it for my shower.




These frames were sitting in my closet. They were gold and I was going to sand them and hang them over my bed but instead I spray painted them blue and hung them over his crib. My friend Kristie took the maternity pics and I took the others of Colin. I really love the display. My friend Beth made the bebe sign for my French Country baby shower. We got the idea from an old Martha Stewart Kids magazine.




The bedding is Amy Coe alphabet soup with a vintage look. I bought it off of Ebay...



I bought this cute little boy cradle from that vintage store that had the shelf and bench. I really need to hurry and take his pic in this before he grows out of it. When he does, I will fill it with books for him.




I painted this frame from Hobby Lobby. It was one of those plain wood ones and I decided to add some damask. I will hang over the book shelf I have not yet finished. These letters are chipboard and when the N gets in and I glitter it too, I will hang them over his closet. I will share that too when I finish. I used Antique Silver to glitter his name.

Thinner

So is it wrong to make myself thinner? I think not! I even expanded my bust line. Before is on the left, and after, and at least 30 pounds thinner, is on the right. My dear from Kristie Griggs took these pictures. She has her own site

Big Boy Bike and 8 Weeks

Well, Stink Bone has long outgrown his tike bike so today Grandpap took him to Toys R' Us for a big boy bike. Complete with training wheels and all the cool pictures of Spider Man a 4 yr old can handle, he took it for a spin in our driveway. He wasn't too sure of things at first but Daddy was there to help him out. He had to turn around and come back in because with the heat index here we are around 104 degrees each day. Poor stinker, he had to wait until 7:30 tonight to take it for a real spin.








Chubbers is 8 weeks now and these are some recent pics of him in bath and hanging out. I'm so excited to have a blue eyed boy and of course my hazeled eye one too!

New Goodies

Look what arrived in the mail today for Colin! I love sweet little peach. Ellen is so talented & sews vintage things for bebe. I got an extra bib because I was part of her 1st ten sales.

birdies

I bought these new birdies today on Etsy. Completely an impluse type purchase from this neat Etsy shop but my goodness are they going to go so perfect in Colin's nursery. I am going to hang these circa 1950's beauties on both sides of my adorable little pennant flag from another Etsy shop . Kristen was so sweet and my little package was just wrapped so sweetly. I have not taken any pictures of anything in the nursery yet because I want it all done before I do. Then, I will take you on a tour of the vintage collection of things and furniture that make up his room.

bebe wreath

It's so crazy to me that I have this gorgeous pink wreath that won't sell and I do not have a single friend that is having a new girl that would want this wreath. Ironically, I have a ton of friends with girls but for some reason this wreath does not strike their fancy. When Colin came along I secretly hoped I would get to hang this wreath in my own home but that's ok, I'll take my future football player anyday. So, it hangs downtown in a local children's boutique and it is still for sale in my Etsy shop just waiting to go home to the perfect home.




Next are pictures I've found to inspire my bedroom makeover. I am copying the picture frame idea in this picture. I have a few gold ones that I am sanding to give a more distressed, less shiny look. I just bought an awesome shutter door for my headboard from an antique store. Instead of the garland in the picture, I'm going to use the one in this link, well not exactly, but I'm following Pam Garrison's idea since I loved what she did so much and instead of coffee filters I will use little pastel cupcake papers, along with ledger paper, and sheet music. I promise pictures will follow when it is all completed.

Wips, but most people call them lips. His big brother just happens to call them wips and I find that too cute. He also thinks little brother's wips look like a tire. Not sure where he gets that correlation from but I do know that big brother ADORES anything with tires. I've been so creative lately and promise to post a ton of things soon. I made a new onesie for little Colin and I bought some cool things for his room and mine. Can't wait to get them up with pictures too. Have a big order to start on that is way over due for a local children's boutique and a 4th birthday album to get started on. Then, after all of that, I must get busy trying to figure out the darn applique setting on my sewing machine. Before my mom passed we would sit and try to make the applique stitch work on our the machine we shared, and we never figured out. Then, she got sick and the rest went from there. I know she would smile down on me if I figure this thing out so I will! I'm quite determined!