take heart

a love story: elizabeth ivie

2012-02-03T00:01:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone!

I'm Elizabeth. I write a little blog called E Tells Tales. I'm so glad Danielle asked me to share my love

story with her readers (you!), not only because it's my favorite story, but because it is (was, by the time

you read this) January, and January does lame things to my soul, what with all the cold and rain and

lack of sunshine and your husband forgetting to bring home milk again (come on!) and the walls

closing in on you...

You probably know that January feeling too.

So this was nice. Writing it out again gave me the butterflies. I highly recommend it, if you haven't

written your own love story down yet. Get yourself some hot chocolate, a good pen, a sweet

soundtrack (I like this one), and get to it!

I'll start with the most important thing: the love.

Every now and then Mike, my husband, will look at me and say, "You are my best friend," and I'll

think yes! as my heart sings. It's a real love. We've got some evidence--our precious little boy, but more

than that, we just choose to love each other each day, laugh at mistakes after we forgive them, tell each

other our worries and listen too, remember how the other one likes their mustard on both sides of the

sandwich, etc. Little things adding up to love.

But some people forget all that when I tell them the next part: he was my boss, I worked for him in

high school, he's 39 years older than me, I'm his third wife, and I have a stepson older than I am.

That's a lot of black marks.

Just the simple act of starting to tell our love story shuts a lot of hearts against us. I wrote the longer version

on my blog just before I gave birth, and then I suppose I've written a little more with each blog

post since then. I just share little pieces of our life, and the love comes out.

I've gotten lots of emails that start out, "I judged you, but..." But they saw what I see in him, but they

saw how much we love our son, but they saw how it works, how it's just good and right, and just love.

It's hard not to end this on a totally sappy note, so I'll just end it. Thanks for reading, everyone.

taking back valentine's day

2012-02-02T00:01:00.001-05:00

Modern Day Slavery is a 32 billion dollar industry. Americans will spend 16 billion dollars this year on Valentine's Day. Rebel against consumerism and take back Valentine's Day for love and hope. Swing to the sounds of the Franklin Micare Trio. Indulge in rich desserts and coffee. Imbibe fine wines and craft beers from Brown's Brewing. Enjoy a justice and mercy themed silent auction. Meet Love146 co-founder and artist Lamont Heibert. All to benefit the international human rights organization Love 146.

Join me on February 14th and make this your Valentine's Day event!

Tickets can be purchased right here.

More information about Love 146 can be found at love146.org.

a love story: mandi johnson

2012-02-01T00:01:00.001-05:00

I fear I'm turning into one of those cranky old ladies who turns up her nose at most crazy, carefree teenagers. For a split second, whenever I see some brace-faced giggly girl clinging on the cardigan of some skinny, pimply faced boy, I begin to roll my eyes. Until I stop. And think, how old are these kids? They must be about the same age I was when I first spotted Phil, with his bleached out hair and grinning tanned face appear over the stairs on the first morning of my 10th grade year of highschool. My friend and I immediately looked at each other. Fresh meat! We were both thinking it. But fortunately, she had her eyes on the other new boy. Phil was mine. Alll mine.

Of course, on that day over ten years ago, I had no idea we would be married and starting a family together in 2012. But here we are. A couple of young married folks who work hard every day to consider one another in love, to carve out time in our busy schedules for date nights, and to grow as individuals alongside each other. And it almost didn't turn out that way. I remember the advice my dad gave me when Phil and I considered going separate ways after high school. He said, finding your partner in life isn't about finding the best person for you. There will always be someone out there better than Phil in one way or another. You have to decide you are going to commit to him or not. That's what love it about. Pretty heavy stuff to tell an 18 year-old, right? But really, is anyone ever too young to understand love? That's what I try remember when I see puppy love walk into the coffee shop doors. They're just a couple of kids, but then again, so are we. And I hope we stay that way forever.

mandi blogs at here's looking at me kid.

birth songs

2012-01-31T00:01:00.001-05:00

lately i keep thinking of songs to add to my "labor playlist". i didn't have one of these with brody but decided to make one for foster's labor and delivery and i am so glad i did. the soothing, promising words of my favorite praise and worship songs calmed me and centered me. there are only a handful of moments that i have felt as close to my God as i did when i was in labor with my children. when your having the out of body experience of child labor you sort of twist into this surreal surrender. and i could surrender to Him. i could surrender to the pain, and i could pray the words that i was hearing softly ring out to me, for my babies. every time i hear how he loves us, i think of foster's birth and can feel the tears start to swell up in my eyes. i love that i will always have that tie to that song, that memory, that mother-son bond, all wrapped up into one. i keep jotting down notes all over the house when i hear a song, or think of one, that i want to add to the list. and then i keep losing the notes, so if you have any songs you think i should add - let me know them! i'm sure i'll need quite the list. i am also sure that baby girl will be full term and quite large. oh, i just can't wait to see her sweet self.

here's my list so far…

kristian stanfill - Jesus paid it all

joy williams - here with us
chris tomlin - holy is the Lord, God almighty

jeremy riddle - sweetly broken
hillsong - forever reign

phil wickham - nothing but the blood of Jesus
tyler james - stay humble
matt maher - Christ is risen
matt hammitt - all of me

the last couple weeks as a mom to just boys

2012-01-30T00:01:00.001-05:00

(a couple things…. i forgot to announce the winner of the ahoy graphics giveaway last week. congratulations to danielle! email me today! also, a while back i told you about my friend carolyn and her sweet twin girls. she updated us on how life has been since eden and henley entered the world, head on over and leave her some love and encouragement)

- - - - - -
a letter to my boys.
- - - - - -

brody & foster,

i want to be sure i don't forget these past few weeks that it's just the three of us all day long. i want you to know what you crazy boys have been up to.

it's cold now, and we don't get out nearly enough. i actually feel a little guilty about it. we are all going a little stir crazy. brody, have you become mildly obsessed with xbox, thanks to daddy and papa. we already have to limit it to when foster is napping that you get to play. it brings you so.much.joy. and i have no idea how you can play fish frenzy, dirt 2 & zuma so well at 3.5 years old. i can't even get the controller to point in right direction.

i'm working on not saying hang on a second all the time when either of you ask me to read, or play catch. i'm working on putting down the broom, dishes, and laundry. and i'm working on waiting to reply to that email. i'm working on being more present. forgive me for the times i'm not?

you would have me read to you all day if i could…and i guess i could. and your favorite books are so odd. i don't even know where they came from… garage sales, i think. brody, you can recite them better than i can after only a few times. you guys struggle at taking turns with turning the pages, but one day you will get there. i love that you love to read, i hope you always do.

brody, you ask me every day if your sister can come out yet. i wonder what you will do when i actually tell you it is time. i can see your eyes getting big and that grin spreading across your face already. you are going to be such a loving and sweet big brother to your baby sister. i am so thankful that she will have you and foster to watch out for her, protect her, and smack some sense into her. foster, maybe you really aren't all that excited that she's coming... or you may think you are but when she gets here, reality will set in, that's for sure.

foster, when i ask you what your name is you either reply with fozzy or moe moe. makes mama proud. you are infatuated with tissues, and request specific ones from the box… as if you are some sort of king. sometimes it makes me laugh really hard and sometimes it drives me insane. you think you need a tissue the second you start crying, or if you fall, or if you breathe. seriously, kid.

brody, you ask how to spell every single word that is spoken. you love letters and trying to write them, but get a bit frustrated when they aren't perfect. it's okay, mine are far from perfect too. and every time we are in the car, you ask what would happen if there were no tires on our car, or what is there were no windows, and what would happen if we didn't turn the key when we got into the car. i love your little inquisitive self.

i can't believe in just a couple weeks there will be four of us home every day. i can't believe that a girl will be joining us and evening things out a bit. please don't chuck toys at your sister's face. please don't ever wake up when she's hollering in the middle of the night. and please, please, please forgive me when i burst into tears for no reason at all… or for every reason in the world. postpartum mommy isn't the best but i promise you that i will try my best.

i love you boys. so very, very much.

love, mom

a little surprise: a love story

2012-01-26T00:01:00.000-05:00

last february i hosted a series here on take heart, called a love story. if you weren't here for it, you missed out on some amazing ladies and their sweet love stories, and you must catch up! if you were here for it, it's about time you go back and read those stories again, no? seriously. get your cup of coffee, a box of tissues, and enjoy my friends:

my very own love story

and my little surprise for you? i am hosting this series again this year and have some new beautiful love stories to share with you every week in february.

this means i will be taking a little blogging break, which is extremely convenient for me since i am just about 10 months pregnant…mmkay. but don't you worry, i'll pop in now and then. so stay tuned, my friends. you won't want to miss this.

it's a lovely month to sponsor

2012-01-25T00:01:00.000-05:00

thirty five weekz

2012-01-24T00:01:00.001-05:00

people think i'm already, like, past my due date or something.

i have no idea why.

featured sponsor giveaway: ahoy graphics

2012-01-23T00:01:00.003-05:00

Find Kristen & Ahoy Graphics here:

portfolio/blog | google plus | twitter | pinterest | blog lovin'

Recent Ahoy Graphics work

Custom logos and WordPress/Big Cartel sites:

Referral Discount:

Tweet: "I'm ready to get branded with Ahoy! http://ahoygraphics.com" to receive 10% off your order with Ahoy Graphics

To enter this giveaway leave a comment here.

Extra entries (one comment each):

Follow Kristen on twitter.

Tweet/Facebook about this giveaway.

Winner chosen by random.org and announced Thursday.

little things

2012-01-20T00:01:00.001-05:00

julia, you won the january sponsor's giveaway, you lucky duck, you! email me today.

farm fresh blue eggs.

thrifted finds:

three sweet vintage aprons.

vintage pillow cases and fabric.

deep pink, cream & brown crocheted blanket.

the blessing of passed down baby girl clothes.

my friend lesley wrote about this gooey butter cake and i knew i had to make it, and consume it, immediately. this is a paula dean recipe. in other words, don't be jealous of my caloric intake.

wrestling brothers.

hanging out in our jammies all day and reading our favorite books. thanks to their auntie meg the boys got panda bear, panda bear what do you see? a follow up to their favorite brown bear, brown bear. they already have it memorized and it's been an hour. and the Jesus story book bible… if you don't own this already for your kids (and yourself) go get it here.

have a lovely weekend, y'all.

love each other deeply: a valentine's day banner

2012-01-19T00:01:00.001-05:00

supplies: vintage sheets or fabric, bias tape, scissors, hot glue gun, scrap book paper.

vintage sheets are little bit harder to cut because they are so thin, but i love them too much to not use them. i used a pillowcase i bought at a garage sale over the summer. they will fray a bit, you will get a much cleaner cut with new fabric. i like to use bias tape because it gives a sewn look to your banner, but you can use twine, yarn, string, etc. i cut out flag shapes, at least that is what i think they are called. some other ideas are pennants, rectangles, circles, hearts, etc.

step 1: cut out the flag shaped pieces from your fabric or sheets. pile them up so you only have to cut a few times. if you are using the same part of this verse, love each other deeply, you will need 23 pieces cut. that will give you one for each letter, one for before and after the verse, and one in between each word.

mine were far from perfect, as you can tell:

step 2: cut out your letters from scrap book paper. i did mine free hand because i like that look better. you could also use stencils or a fancy machine if you have one.

step 3: glue your letters onto your fabric.

step 4: line up your words (as to make sure you glue them in the right order) and glue onto the back of your bias tape. you will simply make a line with hot glue across the top of the front of your piece, so the letter is facing you. then flip it over, and stick it onto the back of the bias tape. i waited to cut my bias tape until i was finished to make sure i had enough length.

step 5: hang up and enjoy.

i love this banner and verse enough to keep it up year round.

plus, i could use a reminder to love deeply all year long.

a day to celebrate

2012-01-18T00:01:00.003-05:00

some of you may remember that back in september we completed our home study. once it's complete, any and every thing that we filled out, answered, etc. during our adoption courses and home study is sent to new york state for approval, which is then sent back to our agency, and then the agency lets us know that it's officially official with a letter. basically, we finished our part in september, as much as we could do up to that point, we knew that it was complete in our heads but we were just waiting for that letter to be in our hands. that letter arrived today. and having a letter in your hands, that says what you have wanting to see in writing for so long, does something mighty to your hearts...

tears of joy.

our hearts are so full.

we love you little one, wherever you are.

january sponsor giveaway day

2012-01-17T00:01:00.002-05:00

spend some time today checking out my wonderful sponsors! they don't disappoint.

all of these items are going to one winner. and i am jealous of that person.

shop | blog | twitter | facebook

shop | blog | facebook

shop | facebook

shop | blog

shop | facebook | blog

to enter this giveaway leave a comment here.

extra entries (1 comment for each):

- head on over to sugar blossom boutique and let me know your favorite item.

- head on over to attic 17 and let me know your favorite item.

- head on over to squack doodle and let me know your favorite item.

- head on over to art by erin leigh and let me know your favorite item.

- head on over to sarah's pachyderm friends and let me know your favorite item.

- follow danielle's blog

- like sugar blossom boutique on facebook

- like squack doodle on facebook

- follow erin's blog

- like sarah's pachyderm friends on facebook

- like number 17 cherry tree lane on facebook

winner chosen by random.org and announced friday.

is it too soon to decorate for valentine's day?

2012-01-16T00:01:00.004-05:00

i didn't think so. perhaps my nesting instincts are kicking in at 34 weeks pregnant?

why yes, yes they are. and i haven't done a DIY on this here blog in forevah.

we don't have a fireplace, mantel, or wonderful central place in our little house to decorate for holidays so i like to use these little built in shelves. they are just off the kitchen and peek through into the playroom. i love them. i do.

so i'll tell you what we have here. for starters are the valentine's day mailboxes for the boys. emily's mailboxes inspired me to create these for the boys. and when i say create i mean i hot glued a letter onto the front. emily's are much cuter with the candlestick they are mounted on. but, i don't have enough height for that. so initials it is! it will be fun for the boys to open up their valentines and little treats on february 14th. it is not the best thing to let your kids know they are loved? and while we are on the topic of valentines for kids, you should probably get their valentine's day cards right here. there couldn't be anything cuter.

ps: the mailboxes are from target. dolla bins, people. what are you waiting for?

i also decorated little mason jars. i just hot glued a doily and heart cut out from scrap book paper onto them and then topped them off by tying some rick rack around the jar.

here is my mixed and matched valentine's day wreath:

i knew i wanted to create something with cupcake liners but also wanted to use up some other stuff i had lying around. i wanted the wreath to be whimsy and fun, and i'm pretty happy with how it came out.

here's the DIY:

supplies: straw wreath (leave the plastic on)… i always buy straw wreaths because they are a lot cheaper than foam. that's my only reason. cupcake liners, fabric, lace trim, chipboard letters, paper doily, button, yarn, felt, butons, and whatever other little embellishments your heart desires.

these directions are going to be very vague, because i really just put stuff wherever. have fun with it.

step 1: wrap yarn & fabric in places you would like it.

step 2: add buttons and paper doily.

step 3: add your cupcakes liners and fold like so:

- in half

- in half again

- then fold up the bottom, put some hot glue on right there, and stick 'em on.

i put mine in clusters, so they looked flower-ish. sort of. just go with it.

step 4: glue on chipboard letters.

step 5: add any other embellishments you would like.

step 6: hang up and love.

then i made a cupcake liner and paper doily garland. i had found this adorable little red pom pom wire on clearance at micheal's and had the awesome idea to use it for my garland. not thinking that i wouldn't even see it once they were stringed on or that it would be quite difficult to string the doilies and liners through. whatev.

my hole punch would not fit onto the middle of the cupcake liners and doilies so my husband drilled a hole through them. whatever work, folks. whatever works.

and i strung like so:

red cupcake liner, doily, red cupcake liner, white cupcake liner, doily, white cupcake liner. repeat a bajillion times.

have a lovely monday!

you won!

2012-01-12T00:01:00.000-05:00

kate & jessica gardner, you each won a copy of the no brainer wardrobe, email me today!

the thing about love

2012-01-11T00:01:00.001-05:00

matt hammitt wrote the song all of me after he and his wife found out their sweet baby boy, bowen, was diagnosed with a serious and rare congenital heart defect.

these are the lyrics:

"Afraid to love
Something that could break
Could I move on
If you were torn away?
And I'm so close to what I can't control
I can't give you half my heart
And pray He makes you whole

You're gonna have all of me
You're gonna have all of me
'Cause you're worth every falling tear
You're worth facing any fear
You're gonna know all my love
Even if it's not enough
Enough to mend our broken hearts
But giving you all of me is where I'll start

I won't let sadness steal you from my arms
I won't let pain keep you from my heart
I'll trade the fear of all that I could lose
For every moment I share with you

Heaven brought you to this moment, it's too wonderful to speak
You're worth all of me, you're worth all of me
So let me recklessly love you, even if I bleed
You're worth all of me, you're worth all of me"

i have heard this song a hundred times on klove, but the other day, when i needed it the most, i really listened. what struck me most was the audio clip of matt explaining why he wrote this song.

i grabbed paper to write down every word he said but i didn't get to the paper fast enough. i even got a little extreme and called the radio station a few times trying to get them to find the audio clip to replay for me… but, no avail.

so i am going to best summarize what he said.

he explained love and loving with our whole hearts. he asked if we were willing to give someone our heart, knowing that we might lose a piece of it. he knew he was going to have to give all of himself to loving bowen, with the risk that he might lose his son. but he loves him, and gave all of himself, because it is worth it.

and even though i am not writing this, or thinking on this, in the same way that matt and his wife were. i am writing it and thinking on it today.

because isn't that the thing, the bittersweet thing, about love. that love hurts when it's at it's best. when we are being true, and real, and loving hard, it isn't always beautiful. but it's raw, and emotional... and we say the things we don't want to say, but know we have to, because they are things that will grow our love for each other.

we can trade our pain in for a purpose.

you're gonna have all of me.

lately

2012-01-10T00:01:00.001-05:00

the no brainer wardrobe

2012-01-09T00:01:00.002-05:00

today, my friends, i get to tell you about something so very exciting.

hayley, from the tiny twig, just released her e-book, the no brainer wardrobe.

there are so many things i love about the no brainer wardrobe. for $7.99 you can read and learn about how to discern and dress your specific body type. hoping your body type changes with your new year's resolution? i am firm believer in still loving your shape and size, and dressing well even if you are not at your goal size or weight. embrace your body and express yourself. hayley will teach you how to better do so in the no brainer wardrobe. she walks us through our closets, purging them, growing them on a budget, discerning our own style, and so much more.

"It really is about realizing that looking perfect everyday isn't the aim. Looking good and put together, feeling proud and confident -- now that is what it's about." - The No Brainer Wardrobe

three of my favorite things about the no brainer wardrobe are: 1) that hayley teaches us how to build a look book. i LOVE this, i love her examples and i love the idea that i can look at a picture of myself and be like, "oh yeah! i can wear this with that and i already know that i love how it looks" so often i forget how much i already have and the combinations i can create with my clothes. 2) how to dress when you are pregnant. um yes please. and 3) how to shop a thrift store. this really is an art, and one i am just learning and starting to feel more confident in, thanks to the no brainer wardrobe.

and i grew to love hayley even more when she styled this modern maternity outfit just for me.

she says, "I know that in the last weeks of pregnancy, all I wanted to do was wear a knit t-shirt and comfy pants. These maternity skinnies are amazing and fit like forgiving leggings. And, the shirt is nothing more than a glorified t-shirt. Plus, it's extra long for when your sweet belly needs every bit of available coverage. Because the base of this outfit is so simple, when (if??) you leave the house you can gussy it up with a jacket that has a really fun and structured collar. The obvious Warby's, a graphic scarf, and some oxfords round out the look. These shoes from Gap fit are soft sided and fit (and give/stretch) like TOMS, so order a size very close to your real size. They are really darling on!"

let's be real, folks. most days i dress like this:

okay… make that every day. and what you can't see is that that maternity tank top barely even covers my belly and i am wearing h&m maternity leggings that i lit.er.ally sleep in and wear every.day. still be my friend?

so, clearly, i needed that inspiration and motivation to dress a little more fashion forward…even as an expectant mama. thank you, hayley!

* * * * * * * * * *

a little bit about hayley:

* * * * * * * * * *

Hayley has a house full of boys. It’s probably because of that very reason she likes to look cute and feminine. However, equally important, her routine must be simple and accommodating to her life as a mom of three little men.

Because of her desires and her constraints, she has developed a way of living that maximizes her time and energy for passion and ruthlessly eliminates unwanted fuss.

Follow along and engage at Tiny Twig Goes Out on a Limb, her blog which inspires women to create lives with more passion and less fuss. You can also catch her daily tweets, about creativity, life management, motherhood, and faith at @thetinytwig.

the no brainer wardrobe | the tiny twig blog | the tiny twig on twitter

today we are giving away 2 copies of the no brainer wardrobe!

to enter to win simply leave a comment here.

extra entries?

1.follow hayley on twitter

2. tweet about this giveaway

... and want to know something REALLY awesome? since i know all of you simply cannot wait to see if you won this giveaway or not… the first 15 people to to purchase and download the no brainer wardrobe can use coupon code: TAKEHEART for 50% off. that's 50% off folks. and that's the best four dollars you'll ever spend. guaranteed by me.

get your copy here.

happy monday!

4 dolla, 4 dolla, 4 dolla!

2012-01-06T00:01:00.001-05:00

so you want to enjoy every day of 2012 too?

and you want a lovely calendar that you can print yourself for only $4?

why didn't you say so sooner?

get yours here!

a look back

2012-01-05T00:01:00.001-05:00

enjoy!

2012-01-04T00:01:00.003-05:00

there are lots of things i want to do this year. lots of things i'd love to improve at, succeed at, and learn more about. i made a little list yesterday... and i closed it with the word enjoy.

last year it took me a while to think about what my word for the year would be. after praying, and thinking, and reading, i chose praise, and i am thankful i did. this year it was a no brainer for me. i asked myself what i wanted my word for the year to be and within two seconds i spoke the word enjoy back to myself.

i am life lover. but, sometimes life can get in the way of enjoying and loving life. which i realize makes entirely no sense at all but, at the same time, makes all the sense in the world to me.

the other night i couldn't sleep, it wasn't anything new as i battle with insomnia in these late stages of pregnancy. so i took a bath at 2 am. a bath. in our tiny, freezing, slightly rusted around the faucet bathtub. it's the only room in our house that we haven't been able to invest time and money into… and won't be able to for quite some time. i'm okay with it, really. i just never take a bath. i think i only have three other times while living here the past year and half. you get the point.

but for some reason i thought it was a good idea. 2 am will do that to a lady.

as i sat myself down into the hot water, i closed my eyes. i pretended that i could submerge my body farther down into the water than just covering my giant baby belly, that the water could be up to my chin and i could softly blow away the bubbles that were about to overflow out of my claw foot tub. that i could sink in, lay my head back, and soak it all in. i took a deep breath in and imagined this:

Source: citified.blogspot.com via Barbara on Pinterest

and i smiled.

it wasn't happening. but i was enjoying it as if it was. i was enjoying the bath tub that most often times makes me cringe.

the faucet began it's dripping.

drip.

enjoy.

this life? i have only got one and i want to enjoy it. i believe Christ wants us to enjoy our lives here on this earth, the beauty that surrounds us, and the blessings that He bestows upon us.

i want to soak up each moment with my kids. i want to get on the floor and play with them, and chase them, and play "cave" for the 100th time today. i want to laugh, and love, and grow, and change. and while all that is happening i want to enjoy it. i want to enjoy the ride. i want taste my food, not just eat it. taste it and enjoy it. every bite. i want to enjoy every minute that my hard working husband is home with us and not sulk when he's gone. i want to enjoy my girlfriends on a whole new level and invest into our relationships more, make them a priority and enjoy their company. i want to enjoy my baby girl when she arrives and not let the stresses and worries of having a newborn creep in. i want to enjoy prayer, and learning and growing in His word.

and instead of life getting in the way of enjoying life, i'm gonna do just the opposite.

drip.

enjoy.

the list

2012-01-03T00:01:00.000-05:00

i decided to title this post the list.

rather than goals, resolutions, or dreams.

just the list, my 2012 list.

well hey there, 2012.

2012-01-02T00:01:00.001-05:00

well, well, well. look what we have here! 2012… the year the world will come to an end through a giant tidal wave ...or something like that. just kidding. i don't believe that. and if i'm wrong? well, i read the back of the book and we win.

last new year's eve looked like this. and this new year's eve i was "asleep", which means tossing and tuning in bed, by 11. homegirl could not even make it one more hour. who do i think i am? a pregnant insomniac? oh wait, i am one.

we did manage a little movie time before i hit the sheets. we rented warrior and i, surprisingly, watched almost all of it, and only shielded my eyes or played on pinterest when they were actually fighting. but it was a really good movie! and, the night before i saw new years eve, my first time in a movie theatre since i was pregnant with foster, which was when i saw one of my favorite movies, julie and julia. food and blogging. blogging and food. what could be better?

2011 was such a sweet and exciting year for our family.

here's a look back on what i documented right here on this little blog. and if you don't have a blog… that should be your number one new year's resolution. write down the things you don't want to forget. cause we all forget.

i hosted a little headband swap, which would become the first of hopefully many swaparoos.

i told you all how i felt about breastfeeding. which i will be doing again in approximately 2 months. HELP ME.

i also told you all how i fell in love.

and how i do my hair and makeup.

in march i decided that i was going to get myself to blog sugar one way or another. so i started selling my yarn wreaths and headbands and bought my plane ticket from those sales. thanks for supporting a sista.

brody memorized his first bible verse. be still my heart.

i think this was my first WIWW… which is quite comical that i actually participate in this link up on occasion anyway, since most days i don't wear a bra.

we soaked up the sunshine in florida and i met my first batch of blogging friends in real life. love ya, ladies.

brody turned three.

i turned 25 and you all bought 199 books for the joyful life library!

my husband and i committed to teach our kids about sex.

i started the beauty book project.

we finished our laundry room.

i spent $15 to give myself ombre hair.

we shared our adoption news with all of you.

i wrote about what our kind of perfect looks like.

i got knocked up.

i told you how i got my boys to sleep well as babies…and how they still do because of it.

we spent a week at my favorite lake in the adirondacks.

we held our one sweet love adoption fundraiser and raised $2,000.. the exact amount needed for our first payment to our agency.

caleb and i celebrated five years married.

i went to blog sugar, and met some of my best friends in real life.

i told you that i would have been thrilled if this little baby growing inside of me was another boy.

…and then we found out that she's a girl!

i planned and had our LOVE146 task force's first event: craft 4 love. and it was a huge success.

i was featured in a magazine for the first time.

i wrote about how to talk to a pregnant woman.

i read the best book i've read in a long time.

and a lot of other things in between all of that..

y'all have a lot of links to click on and it will be a miracle if all of them link to the correct thing. and i still have to come up with a word for this year. ...and a list of goals, resolutions, or things i won't even think about after january 15th. ya know the deal.

happy 2012! i love this year already.

i got a deal for you

2011-12-30T00:01:00.003-05:00

15% off applies to the custom blog design package only.
pricing and polices here | portfolio here

christmas

2011-12-29T00:01:00.002-05:00

jane, mrs. ried, and dana - you won the for the love of designs giveaway! email me today.

girlfriend can bust a move

2011-12-28T00:01:00.000-05:00

i promise i have shorts on.

what? i'm a sweating pregnant woman.

a letter to shauna niequist

2011-12-27T00:01:00.002-05:00

shauna,

i picked up your book cold tangerines a few days ago. i was trying to stay engaged with another book, one some friends of mine were reading at the same time. the book was about the gospel and doctrine, learning it again, and living it, as a Christian rather than a new believer. it was about the gospel being a living, breathing part of every day. i want that. i do. the gospel of Jesus Christ defines me. it is my heart. i don't think it always shows, and i don't think i pray over it, think on it, and live it enough. but His story is mine through salvation. and this book was beginning to walk me through that. but, if i'm being honest, i could hardly keep my eyes open reading it. i couldn't get into it. it was the kind of book that every time i picked it up, i sort of winced because i knew what was coming. it wasn't getting to me, He wasn't getting to me through it, as much as i wanted it to. as much as I wanted Him to. and i'm sure it was me, not Him, after all. and maybe if i prayed more over it, it would have. i don't know. but i do know that i picked up your book at the exact moment i was meant to. and in those first moments of reading it, i knew i had to write down my thoughts as i read, as to not forget anything in my letter to you. so here they are, my thoughts, questions, realizations and more … cold tangerines.

i read this and was changed:

"I'm not a doctrinarian, mostly because for me, doctrine is not the thing that God has used to change my life. I'm a reader and a storyteller, and God chose literature and story and poetry as the languages of my spiritual text. To me, the Bible is a manifesto, a guide, a love letter, a story. To me, life with God is prismatic, shocking, demanding, freeing. It's the deepest stream, the blood in my veins, the stories and words of my dreams and my middle-of-the-night prayers. I am still surprised on a regular basis at the love I feel for the spirit of God, the deep respect and emotion that I experience when I see an expanse of water or a new baby or the kindness of strangers." - shauna niequist, cold tangerines

this is me. not every little detail of it. but a lot of it; me.

i have tried to fit that mold, like so many i love fit well into, and this may have been one of the first times that i realized that the way i feel His love, learn His love, and experience His love doesn't need to fit that mold. just like the book i was reading before yours didn't. just like it.

i'm sure you've been asked many times before but, tell me more about the island. tell me it's name, so i, too, can go there. do you still go every year? and are you celebrating the new year there in just a few short days?

part of me aches for the freedom, travels, and stories you have from your young adult years. the relationships you have, the ones you talk about so freely, i wonder if i would have more of those, or built more of those, had i not taken the path that i took. then the Lord quietly reminds me of His plans for me. and what they were then, and what they are now. your book has made me want to go back and write my stories. this blog is my stories, but i want to go back to the older stories. i want to revisit the places, people, and lessons learned. i want to see them from my eyes now.

and right now, i don't want to stop reading, but part of me is craving to pick up my Bible, flip to exodus, and read it all. right now. while eating sharp cheddar on multigrain bread. in fact, there isn't much i would rather do than that right this very minute.

i have never practiced lent before, and never really had the desire to until now. i want to say that i will this year but i am awfully scared to commit to it, which is all the more reason for me to do so. and do you know what? i know exactly what you should do with all those pennies. this. i can already envision it in your old house.

i want to be like grandpa niequist, who left the new toys and baseball mitts floating in the creek. he's the kind of person i'd like to be, indeed.

and what you said about prayer, about being prayer-ish... i feel that, and struggle with that, all the time. my conversations and mumbles to Christ throughout the day are constant. my pleas to Him in the midst of tragedy are real. but my every day looks something more like this: the boys remind me to pray before their macaroni and cheese at noon… and they are three and two. and, at night, when i fully intend on praying and letting Him hear all about my day, my mind wanders right after I say hello to my Savior. and instead of thanking Him, and telling Him, i start to drift into a deep sleep, or get up to pee one more time, or think about the exact shade of yellow that i want to paint the crib. i am prayer-ish. and trying to be, working towards being, prayer filled.

this cold tangerine way of living, i can taste it, but so often times it feels like the life i live: the little house, little bank account, stay at home mom, stuck inside all winter with my kids life i live doesn't get the opportunity. but you changed that for me. you reminded me that choosing joy isn't always the easy option but it's always the one i want to choose.

with love and thanks,

danielle

my favorite things: for the love designs

2011-12-26T00:01:00.000-05:00

shop | blog | facebook

to enter this giveaway leave a comment here.

extra entries:
1. head on over to for the love and let me know what your favorite item is.
2. follow lu's blog.
3. like for the love on facebook

winners chosen by random.org and announced thursday.

happy my favorite things monday!

merry christmas, my friends

2011-12-23T00:01:00.004-05:00

it's december 18th and i already miss the christmas tree.

it's still up, you know. i am looking at it right now. it's a bright, cold day. tonight we will celebrate my sweet husband's 27th birthday. foster is napping in what will be his baby sister's room in just a couple months. brody isn't napping, but having rest time, of course. i can hear him singing from where i lay right here.

the small electric heater is humming and i love it's warmth. i love to close my eyes and pretend it's a crackling fire place. that's the one thing our little house is missing, a fire place. the giants game is on low, as to not disrupt nap time. and as caleb watches them lose another game, all i can do is think about how i will miss the decorations and tree, so soon. too soon. christmas is just six days away you know.

last year i was excited to get everything taken down and put away. i was excited to not have to sweep up the endless amount of little needles that fell onto the living room floor. to get things back to rights, tidy up, box up, and put it in the basement. why is that? how is it i felt like that just 365 days ago and now, this year, i am aching for it last a little bit longer, when it's not even over yet.

it's the happy medium that i desire and am working towards.

the constant, reoccurring theme of this past year, for me, has been to be present in this very day. to have a savoring of each day, each moment. no rushing, no wishing. just living. it's a heart thing for me. where was my heart last year? and where is it this year? i remember last year, blinking back tears in the christmas eve service, while standing there with my children, husband, and parents. we were singing my favorite christmas song of all. "mild He lays His glory by, born that man no more may die, born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth, hark the herald angels sing, glory to the newborn king!" and i will be doing that same thing tomorrow night, and i wouldn't have it any other way.

last year i had no idea i would be carrying this child, and that i would be two short months away from meeting my daughter. i didn't know where we would be at in the adoption process, if in it at all. i didn't know many things that i know now. and isn't that the beauty of this life, that it unfolds in His perfect timing. that he looks at my messy, far from perfect life and calls it beautiful, and calls me His child.

so, this christmas, instead of waiting for the little things, like that package to arrive, or the big things, like still waiting to know when our family will grow through adoption, i will be content in the place that the Lord has me. for He can teach me so many things in this place of inbetween. and instead of thinking of every little thing that needs to be done, like wiping off the bathroom sink, or every big thing that needs to be done, like giving birth to this baby, i will treasure the moment and not let it slip away.

source

and, this christmas, that is what i wish for you, too.

merry christmas to you and yours, my friends.

thirty weeks

2011-12-22T00:01:00.000-05:00

advertise in 2012

2011-12-21T00:01:00.000-05:00

//jamie g, you won the katie's wish & the true vine giveaway!
//paige, you won the for the love of joy giveaway!
email me to claim your goodies!

christmas cookies

2011-12-20T00:01:00.001-05:00

on saturday my mom, sister, the boys and i baked our socks off. our socks actually did come off because they were so covered in sprinkles, that when i walked, all i felt were the white nonpareils sticking into my heels. it's a lovely feeling, really. do you know it too?

my mom, the baker extrodinare, has some signature christmas cookies she makes every year. two of my favorites are pecan tarts and russian tea cakes. i'd give you the recipes but then i'd have to kill you. we make these every year, but this saturday was a little different. we reserved it for trying some new recipes out, some cookie recipes that had been calling my name, loud and clear, from pinterest.

two of these newbies (#1&2) are staying forever... in my heart and in mah belly cause i eat a few every day.

prepare yourselves to fall.in.love. and to taste.christmas.

the period was needed between both of those phrases. thankyouverymuch.

number one: favorite-new-recipe-that-is-now-a-staple-in-our-christmas-baking-extravaganza... white chocolate cherry shortbread cookies. i searched "best christmas cookies" on pinterest and these babies kept coming up. now i know why. they are so good and unique i don't know how to describe them. they have a hint of almond from the extract, which is really convenient for me because my husband is allergic almonds. #moreforme. the cherries! the white chocolate! seriously this combination is heavenly. heavenly, i tell you. i actually like the cookie so much that i just want the tiniest bit of the edge to be dipped in the white chocolate…as to not take away from the goodness. make these now, thank me later.

number two, which is only number two by, like, a .5 deduction from number one, are eggnog cookies. these are the softest cookies that will ever melt in your mouth. ahmazing. we used cinnamon eggnog cause we love cinnamon that much. don't forget to sprinkle with nutmeg before you bake and never, ever forget the eggnog glaze with a sprinkling of cinnamon. feed me.

number three: chocolate crinkle cookies, best served with a cold glass of milk. i don't have the exact link for the recipe i followed, but just google it and you will find 5,609 similar recipes. these are for the chocolate lover, rich and cocoa-y.

number four: peppermint sugar cookies. mmhmm… bursting with peppermint, and chewy, like every good sugar cookie should be. i want to dip these in hot chocolate. i don't know why i haven't done that already. we also made traditional sugar cookies that the boys decorated. their dentist hates me already.

and i made barefoot contessa salted caramels, like the good candy maker that i am. but it was entirely too sweet, and too salty, to eat. sad day, my friends, sad day.

in keeping with becoming betty crocker herself, i made these with good intentions of bringing them to mops last friday, and then my husband and i ate one, and we decided against that idea. they are delicious, so rich, and so huge. we will be enjoying them slowly over this next week.

now you have got yourselves some baking to do! get to it.

ps: happy 27th birthday to my honeylover. i have got a surprise for you tonight, mister. but don't get too excited… i am 7 months pregnant.

my favorite things: for the love of joy

2011-12-19T00:01:00.003-05:00

blog | for the love of joy | striped feather company | anna joy designs

to enter this giveaway leave a comment here.

extra entries:

1. head on over to for the love of joy and let me know what your favorite item is.

2. follow anna's blog and let me know you did so.

winner chosen by random.org and announced wednesday.

happy my favorite things monday!

christmas in our house

2011-12-16T00:01:00.003-05:00

in my few years blogging i have come across, and read, many posts this time of year on how Christmas is celebrated. all of them have wonderful points, ideas, traditions, and ways of celebrating Christ's birth. i don't think that there is an exact or right way to celebrate Christmas as a christian. but i do think that there is a right way, for my husband and i, to teach our children about christmas.

because the boys are so little, and home with me full time, they have no idea who santa is. not because we are specifically trying to avoid talking about him, but because it's just never come up and they have never been exposed to it. the dvd we have about christmas is Boz the Bear: A WowieBozowee Christmas (buy this for your kids - awesome christmas movie) and it teaches about Jesus' birth. their friend's are my friend's children...who are being taught similar to what my children are being taught, and the only other place they are is church - where they, of course, are taught of Christ's coming into this world.

what i desire for my children to know about christmas is this: the story of Christ's birth. the beauty and the messiness of it all. about mary and joseph, and the star that guided shepherds and wise men by night. that this was the greatest gift the world could ever recieve. that He was born so we no longer have to die. that we can go on to live eternally with Him. that this perfect, little baby came and changed the world.

i don't teach my children things that aren't true or real in every day life, and i don't change it for christmas. would i stomp my foot down and tell them that santa wasn't real if they heard about him and were questioning me? no. i would probably put the question back to them, and ask if they truly believed santa was real. and i would ask them what christmas is... which i already ask and talk about with them. but, i'm not going to go out of my way to teach them something false, something that may take away their true understanding for what this season is all about. don't get me wrong, i love imagination and i love seeing life through the eyes of my sweet boys. they imagine and pretend every day and it is truly wonderful. i don't think that i am taking away anything from their childhood, or ability to imagine, by not teaching santa claus.

i do think many are scared of robbing their children of the wonder of christmas by not going along with the santa stuff. and that by only teaching Christ's birth, their children would be missing out on so much. however, i don't agree with this. where was there more wonder than on that first christmas morning? where is there a story more beautiful and more amazing than the birth of our Savior by a virgin? a story that has become my own through accepting Christ as my savior. and, prayerfully, this will be my children's story one day as well.

we bought each of the boys two simple gifts for christmas, and we will fill their stockings with little treats and goodies. i am so excited to see them on christmas morning, i am so excited for them to get something new to play with and enjoy. hopefully it will entertain them long enough for me to have an hour or two myself… say what. they don't get new things often so this is a special day for them. i love the "something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read" gift giving idea. that, or three gifts like the wise men brought, may be what we do with our children as they get older. i don't think by them getting a couple gifts, rather than thirty, it will make them sad. hopefully it make them more appreciative. also - both of our families buy presents for our children. they are blessed with more than they need. quite frankly, compared to others, we don't have much.

but we have SO much.

i am excited for when the boys are a little older and we can better serve others at christmas time. right now we are able to do things like operation christmas child, or support world vision and similar organizations. but at their young ages, they don't fully understand. when they are older i would like to take ourselves out of our comfort zone and serve, hands-on, during the holidays. that is something i want to instill in their minds for christmas time, and something i am so looking forward to for them, for our family, and for myself.

we love the lights, the music, the decorations, and buying gifts for our loved ones. these things are all wonderful and special in their own ways. most of all, we love Jesus Christ. and this day, this season, our lives here on this earth, are all about Him.

december giveaway day

2011-12-15T00:01:00.001-05:00

i've got two lovely giveaway items for one lovely winner today…

but before i tell you about them, EShanley, you won the sew beastly giveaway! email me today.

shop | blog

coupon code: 30% off with code 30DBHEART
giveaway item: $30 store credit

...and a little something extra for you, a free set of two little gift boxes with rolled flower embellishments and tags. who doesn't need a little gift box at the last minute while wrapping christmas gifts? get your printable right here.

shop | blog

coupon code: 25% off with code TAKEHEARTDEC2011

giveaway item: Names of Jesus Christmas Ornament Felt Embroidery Kit

to enter this giveaway leave a comment here.

extra entries (1 comment each):

head on over to katie's wish and let me know your favorite item

head on over to the true vine and let me know your favorite item

winner chosen by random.org and announced next week.

have a beautiful day, my friends.

wednesday

2011-12-14T00:01:00.002-05:00

i re-designed my blog... again. i can't help myself. it's a disorder.

i wore sequins to church on sunday. sparkle, sparkle.

i finally watched the help. i read the book, in just over a day, when we were in the adirondack mountains for a week in september. i love the book and was so excited to see the movie… and it didn't let me down. i surprised myself by not crying through the whole thing…until it got to the end. i cried at the end when abeline had to say goodbye to mae molby. you is kind. you is smart, you is important. i cried hard. i love abilene, i love minnie, i love mae mobly. and i even love miss celia foote.

this past weekend we ventured off to the freezing cold christmas light walk through/train ride/free cocoa and popcorn night of fun and here are my pictures to prove it…not many.

this is the car ride on the way there… the car ride on the way home the boys could hardly stay awake, 7 pm bedtime folks.

i can't wait til i have no kids in carseats, which i realize is like 29 years from now, but seriously. they drive me insane. especially with big, warm, puffy, winter jackets.

i started reading because he loves me… i can't wait to share about it when i'm done. remind me to write down my thoughts as i go.

and little gingerbread house makers…or candy eaters who don't decorate their houses at all...one of the two.

happy wednesday!

happy appys

2011-12-13T00:01:00.005-05:00

every christmas eve, after church, we have all my family over to our place for appetizers, opening jammies, a little christmas movie, and a whole lot of love. it's simply wonderful and one of my favorite nights of the year. we have been making some of our signature appetizer favorites for years now and this year i am looking to broaden my horizions. these are some of our current favorites:

southwest eggrolls with cool avocado dip

spinach artichoke dip

pizza crescent rolls

and these are some of my pinterest-make-me-drool possibilities:

Source: chichoskitchen.blogspot.com via Danielle on Pinterest

Source: smells-like-home.com via Danielle on Pinterest

Source: plainchicken.com via Danielle on Pinterest

Source: blogs.babble.com via Danielle on Pinterest

Source: mycrazybusylife.com via Danielle on Pinterest

Source: jensownroad.blogspot.com via Danielle on Pinterest

Source: howsweeteats.com via Danielle on Pinterest

as you can see, i am mildly obsessed with cheese.

but, i have to ask you, do you have a favorite appetizer that you can share? i mean your knock-em-dead-i-will-not-survive-unless-i-make-it-this-christmas-eve recipes. send me the links, or leave me the recipes here in the comments. i'll love you forever.

my favorite things: sew beastly

2011-12-12T00:01:00.000-05:00

shop | blog

coupon code: TAKEHEART for 15% off your order

giveaway item: $35 shop credit

to enter this giveaway leave a comment here.

extra entry: head on over to sew beastly and let me know your favorite item.

winner chosen by random.org and announced on thursday.

happy my favorite things monday!

the scarfament

2011-12-09T00:01:00.001-05:00

first up: allison, you won the blossom & vine giveaway! email me today!

back on november 1st i shared about the scarfament swap, a scarf and ornament exchange where you would be paired up with a partner here in blog land, a new friendship would be formed, and your would bless them with a new scarf and ornament…two of my favorite things. that was a long run-on sentence.

the budget for the scarfament was $20 dolla bills and just about 90 of you ladies signed up. i can't wait to read each of your posts about how the swap was for you, hear about your newly found friend, and see your goodies!

i was paired up with sweet ruth. she is such a lovely lady and mama but, most of all, her heart for Christ shines through. i am so thankful to have been partners with her.

for ruth, who loves jewel tones, i purchased this infinity scarf from tomie harlene. her little owl ornaments are handmade by my friend april, from i sew lucky.

ruth made my day when my pretty new scarf and ornament came in the mail. i told her i loved mustard and she shopped so well for me. she got me this lovely circle scarf from H&M. it can be worn long, wrapped once, or short, wrapped twice around my neck. i love the soft purple and mustard and couldn't have been more giddy when i saw what she picked out! i am also wearing it in this post, and basically every day of my life.

her handmade ornament was perfection as well. i love this little scalloped guy. and the colors are some of my favorites, too. anything kraft paper makes my heart happy. thank you so much, ruth!

so swappers, link up & tell me all about it!

a thursday list

2011-12-08T00:01:00.000-05:00

here's a thursday list for you. i love lists, you know.

1) i am so happy to hear that many of you want to say something similar to what i said to the woman at michael's. i encourage you to do so. you will feel like superwoman for a hot second, and then you remember who you really are, and what you really just said, and almost wet yourself. does anything sound better? do it!

2) thanks for lovin' on my new do. my aunt (happy birthday to the best aunt in the entire world!) said this when she saw it… "oh, okay. so it's just lighter from there down?" and points to the middle of my head. yep, that would ombre. for some reason i love this. some strange, strange reason.

3) my christmas cards are usually delivered to family and friends house by today's date. pretty sure i just ordered them last night and no clue when they are arriving. #awesome

4) brody is mildly obsessed with taking photos on photo booth of himself. he finds it quite fun. no biggie. the creepy and hysterical part? when i check on him and see that there are 70, s-e-v-e-n-t-y, pictures of him DOING THIS EXACT THING:

in all different photo effects, mind you. straight faced, looking drugged even, snowman pajamas, fist to the camera, sticking it to the man. i can hardly even look at this picture without crying from laughing so hard.

5) my children have no idea who santa claus is. kinda cracks me up. brody saw a GIANT santa claus outside of lowe's the other day and he's all, "what is THAT, mom?" "oh that's a big balloon man, honey." he smiles and nods.

6) if you are still pondering over what to buy me for christmas, i will take a gift certificate for the signature facial here. thankyouverymuch. i've never had a facial and homegirl needs it. they clean your pores out. do i need to say more?

7) i will also take this and this. okay, i'm done.

8) the boys each get one gift from us for christmas. but this year, i splurged and bought two gifts each. only because i saw a peppa pig and george beanie baby on amazon. peppa pig... please tell me you know this show? brody watches it almost every day after his rest time while foster is still napping. it is only on a half hour each day and apparently none of their paraphenelia is sold anywhere in the united states. what in the world? so, i ordered these two little beanie babies, one for each of the boys, around thanksgiving. there was no tracking and they weren't scheduled to arrive until january, cause they were coming from england or somewhere around there. well, my friends, they arrived, and the boys are gonna go cra-zay for these things. brody has talked in a full blown english accent since the day he first watched peppa and her piggy goodness.

9) so excited make some little gingerbread houses with the boys this morning. and then saturday we are going to see a christmas light spectacular. i actually just made that name up but, we are going to put ourselves and kids on a bus and drive around looking at a whole bunch of lights. i love seeing the boys experience all things christmas. it's magical.

10) tomorrow i will be blogging about the scarfament swap. yeehaw! get your posts ready, y'all, cause you know there will be a link up.

11) these four books are on my to read list: cold tangerines, bittersweet, because He loves me & give them grace. so excited about each of them.

12) my vintage story book garland from cotton + wood was just the finishing touch that our little house needed for christmas.

isn't she darling? i love the vintage images and words on each page, the perfect cut stars, and that the whole bunting is sewn together. i am already thinking about where i am going to place this beauty after the holidays. around the map that will be soon hanging our living room wall? in our baby girl's room? over the window in the kitchen? the possibilities are endless! get yours here.

have a happy day!

i missed it too much

2011-12-07T00:01:00.001-05:00

ombre.

it's baaaaaaaack.

only this time it's better than evah cause my sweet best hair stylist ever did it and i didn't do it myself.

HOLLER.

and that's all for today, folks.

(i wear my hair)

hey ladies...

2011-12-06T00:01:00.003-05:00

if you really wanna get buck wild...

oh, i'm sorry. i don't know why that comes to my head when i type hey ladies. who sings that anyway? lil' kim? that's lil, not little. ok? i'm sure that is not even close to who really sings it but it brings me back to 12th grade. ooh, 12th grade.

…

ok, back to my post.

HEY LADIES… here are some things that i would suggest you do not say or do to a pregnant woman. especially cause you're a lady, too. right? right.

while meandering through michael's with my girlfriend the other night, a woman, about my mom's age, stares at me, and by me i clearly mean my stomach, and begins to foam at the mouth. she didn't really foam at the mouth but she might as well have. her eyes bulge out of her head and she exclaims, "WHEN ARE YOU DUUUUUE?!?!??!" as if she is so convinced that i am going to give birth that very second and can see this child's head coming out of me. i smile and say "oh, not til february." her response is, "OH MY GAWD. i'm so sorry." hmmm… i ponder to myself for a second. what are you sorry for? saying that? or that i'm not due for another couple months? both, perhaps?

well, instead of offering up my usually shrug, smile, and it's okay, something came over me. maybe it was my friend who was starring at me, so lovingly, wondering if it hurt my feelings. which, by the way, it didn't. i love being pregnant, i feel great, and it actually doesn't bother me personally at all. this is my third time walking the i'm-pregnant-and-going-to-give-birth-to-an-extremly-large-baby road. i've heard it all, my friends. i am asked if i'm having multiples on a weekly basis. no biggie. to me, there is really nothing more beautiful than a pregnant woman, nothing more beautiful than seeing a little life grow. now, hear me out, when i look at myself in the mirror naked and pregnant (or naked and not pregnant... let's be honest) i don't say to myself, wow look at that beauty. sagging boobs and a stretch marked stomach don't usually ooze those thoughts out of me. but when i see another woman carrying a baby, i beam. it is beauty. is it not?

so, anyways. i had just recently had a conversation with another friend, who is also with child, and these comments really do get to her, and really do hurt her feelings. she takes them to heart and genuinely gets upset and offended when people make comments or ask questions like this. and i get it. oh, do i get it. we are carrying babies. we are not sitting around gaining weight in our stomach for fun. there is life inside us.

so, i look at the woman and say something along the lines of, "excuse me ma'am? can i tell you something quick? i have to tell you that some women are really offended by comments and questions like this. i'm carrying a baby, and i feel good thankfully, but many, many woman do not feel good. they feel heavy, and uncomfortable, and not themselves. they don't want to be reminded that they have a long time left to go in their pregnancy while someone thinks they look like they are going to give birth this very minute. and, especially as another woman, it is really important to respect that and be sensitive to a mother's feelings."

she starred at me.

and then i did this:

just kidding. i didn't do that.

but i should have.

because it felt like, at that very moment, in the scrapbook paper aisle at michael's, that i said what i have wanted to say for quite some time.

she apologized. and i? i was a little proud of myself and a little taken aback at my own response.

so… hear me out, ladies…

if you are saying and asking these things to pregnant women, i still love you and i shall forgive you. but, let's change it for the future, mmkay? starting now. and spread the word.

also… if you are on getting on the no rude comments to a pregnant woman train, you are also getting on the following two trains as well: the do not ask a woman when she is due if you don't know if she is pregnant or not train and the i will not rub any pregnant stranger's stomach…no matter how tempted i am train.

on behalf of gestating women everywhere…. thank you. thank you very much.

my favorite things: blossom & vine (a giveaway)

2011-12-05T00:01:00.001-05:00

last year i hosted this little series called my favorite things. kinda like oprah's favorite things, only better... obviously. handmade items, gifts, and treasures that i am extremely fond of and highly recommend you to purchase. this year i am bringing it back, every monday in december you will hear about one of my favorite shops - whose products i own and love. and they are giving something away for you. yes, that's right. you.

let's kick things off with my beautiful friend aly, and her lovely shop, blossom and vine.

hi! i'm aly. i'm a work-from-home mom of a 2.5 year old daughter and i've got another baby girl making her debut in 9 short weeks. my husband and i are high school sweethearts and have been married 6 years. we live in southern california where he's a football coach and i do my best to try to keep the house clean. i love Jesus, writing , target, singing... and i might be addicted to starbucks coffee. i also love to get my craft on and sell some of the pretty things i make.

my handmade business venture actually started in 2009 a few months after my daughter was born. i started making headbands for her and after a thousand different friends recommended i open an etsy shop and start selling them, i did! i have to admit, i'm a little embarrassed to look back at some of my first "designs", but my product line evolved quickly as my creativity grew.

that first year was such a blessing for our family. while living with my inlaws for nine months, in the process of buying our house, i was able to pay off our car, pay for some of the upgrades in our home and do a few other fun things. the night before we moved into our new house, i closed up the etsy shop knowing that i wouldn't be able to manage a home and the 8pm-2am "workdays".

the break was so necessary, but i couldn't stay away for long. so i started selling DIY tutorials of some of the designs i had sold in my first shop. eventually i began to make things again, so i opened a new shop: Blossom & Vine , which is where you can find me now. it's stocked with ready-to-ship items: headbands, clips/brooches, and scripture prints of some of my favorite verses. i've also recently ventured into the world of hoop art and have lots of cute designs for sale.

my new "business model" works perfectly for me: when i have some time to make things, i do, but i don't have to neglect my family and home to keep a business afloat. it's perfect for this season of our lives. i absolutely love sending beautiful things off to their new homes and love that i get to stay sane while doing so! [oh, and i still sell those DIY tutorials in case you're the crafty type. check out "Blossom & Vine DIY".

shop | blog

coupon code: TAKEHEART15 for 15% off during december [in either shop]

giveaway item: $35 shop credit

to enter this giveaway leave a comment here.

extra entry: head on over to blossom and vine and let me know your favorite item.

winner chosen by random.org and announced on thursday.

happy my favorite things monday!

friday

2011-12-02T00:01:00.001-05:00

i got me my new glasses.

choice one from this post. they arrived less than 48 hours after i ordered them. my kinda service. love ya, bonlook.

and…

i made my christmas wreath and had it hanging up by noon on december 1st.

just call me accomplished.

it's a good day.

happy weekend!

it's beginning to look a lot like…

2011-12-01T00:01:00.000-05:00

her quilt

2011-11-30T00:01:00.001-05:00

little bits and pieces of our baby girl's room are slowly coming together.

the best piece?

her quilt.

lu, from for the love designs, made this quilt for our sweet girl and i couldn't love it any more than i already do. my love for this design and quilt all started a long while ago when i saw this quilt on etsy. i wanted it SO badly…and still do, maybe even more so now that i've seen our girl's. well, when i found out the bean growing inside me was indeed a female, i knew who would be making her bedding right then and there. i asked lu to create a quilt just like the one i love so much, only crib size, and changing the colors a bit to suit her room. she used my pinterest board, we're having a girl, for color inspiration. the colors! oh, the colors. be still my beating heart.

our girl's quilt is made so beautifully and with so much love. i almost cried when i opened it. i can already imagine her sweet baby self sleeping covered with it, and then when she's a little older, cuddled under her quilt on the couch with her brothers. oh, i think she will treasure this beauty for years and years.

i love it so much that i sometimes wish it was queen size and our own bed.

thank you so much, lovely lu, for all the time, work, and love you put into making her quilt!

...here are some other sneak peeks of what's going on her room:

it's hard to tell in the pictures but her room is now painted, a fresh and light peach. it makes me want to lick the walls.

the "butler" mirror, that i got for $3 at a garage sale, has been spray painted one of my favorite colors and is holding some of baby girl's headbands.

some of sweet piper's big girl shoes passed down for our girl. and target clearance rack clothes… just need to be washed and put in her dresser.

debating whether or not this is the exact shade of yellow i want for her jenny lind craigslist crib.

my very wreath that was featured in stitch craft create will be hanging in her room as well.

and, guess what? my friend anna joy is working on her name pillow. which means we have decided! about time, right? there's no going back now. i would tell you her name now but then i'd have to kill you.

i'm kidding!

but, i mean, seriously. i ain't telling.

blog design

2011-11-29T00:01:00.003-05:00

did you see that new little button on my sidebar over there? i've created a page for all my blog and business design info, pricing, and policies. you can fill out your custom order form right there and you can also click to see my portfolio. here it all is for you right here:

wanna get your blog lookin' all pretty for the new year? i thought so! email me today.

catch up

2011-11-28T00:01:00.002-05:00

last week i, like, didn't blog at all. i am a firm believer that everyone should not blog at all sometimes. i did however have a post every day, i just didn't write much. ya heard?

so here's what's been a happening...

i read the baby name wizard more than anyone should. baby girl's name has been narrowed down to TWO options. neither of which are in the book... but, that is progress, y'all. progress.

foz had his second birthday party, and had his goodnight moon cake. i probably could have made this cake better myself but i didn't want to. so there's your fluffy icing moon, little dude. your grammy was extremely awesome and got you goodnight moon jammies for your birthday. your life is now complete.

my in-laws came from oregon and spent a week with us. my mother in law and i had some fun little adventures: shopping for baby girl clothes on target sale racks, hobby lobby trips to pick out cotton yarn for baby girl's little blanket, and starbucks for frappachinos and treats. it was a blessing to have the with us for foster's birthday and thanksgiving.

we all ate entirely too much on thanksgiving and pondered how food could be SO good.

our "thanksgiving pictures":

we got our christmas tree!

she is a lovely little thing, our tree.

my sweet hubby and father-in-law installed these new lights over our "dining room" table, now we can see each other when we eat dinner.

i took some family pictures..can i take yours?

and i need new glasses… so i am trying to decide between these two pairs:

one & two

whatcha think?

benandmeg, you won the november sponsors giveaway! email me today.

happy monday!

hey y'all.

2011-11-25T00:01:00.000-05:00

happy thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T00:01:00.000-05:00

shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
worship the LORD with gladness;
come before Him with joyful songs.
know that the LORD is God.
it is He who made us, and we are His;
we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
enter His gates with thanksgiving
and His courts with praise;
give thanks to Him and praise His name.
for the LORD is good and His love endures forever;
His faithfulness continues through all generations.
psalm 100

a pretty awesome november sponsors giveaway day

2011-11-23T00:01:00.002-05:00

…if i do say so myself.

my sponsors are da bomb. did i just say that? you all have to finish your christmas shopping right about now and i have got just the places for you to do that, mmkay? check 'em!

all these items are going to one winner:

shop | facebook | twitter

coupon code: 15% off with code takeheart15

giveaway item: $20 shop credit

small bird studios

facebook | blog

coupon code:

giveaway item: $20 credit towards a custom blog design

shop | blog

coupon code: 20% with code lovely20

giveaway item: $20 shop credit

race towards joy

blog | twitter | facebook

shop

giveaway item: advent calendar pennant banner kit

shop | blog

coupon code: 20% off with code takeheart20

giveaway item: custom ruffle clutch & sponsor ad space for the month of december

shop | blog | twitter | facebook

coupon code: 25% off with code merrychristmas

blog | shop

giveaway item: $30 worth of winner's choice digital kits

coupon code: 50% off with code 50TKV21A until november 30th.

for all of december use code 30dbheart for 30% off

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

to enter this giveaway leave a comment here.

extra entries?

head on over to each of these lovely shops and let me know your favorite item.

(1 entry/comment per shop)

giveaway open until sunday at midnight,

winner chosen by random.org and announced monday.

pursuing her passion

2011-11-22T11:00:00.000-05:00

i am guest posting again today... which is extremly convienent for me because my in-laws are here from the west coast all week. holler.

go check out my guest post over on moriah makes. moriah is adorable, so is her shop. love her as much as i do. you will.

also, sarah b. you won yourself a $40 shop credit to see kate sew! email me today.

happy tuesday!

made with love

2011-11-21T05:56:00.003-05:00

i'm over on my friend emily's blog, the anderson crew, today.

come check it out!

featured sponsor giveaway: see kate sew

2011-11-18T00:01:00.001-05:00

today's giveaway is from the lovely kate, from see kate sew. she made my chevron clutch, remember? well her shop is also filled with some other of my favorite things: bows, hedgehogs!, and headbands. baby girl has a headgehog waiting for her in her room. la la love.

Hi! I'm Kate and I blog at see kate sew, a sewing and crafty blog about making clothes and sewing toys! I love posting DIY tutorials, outfits, and vintage finds! Some of my recent projects are this Sweatshirt Refashion and this free plush fox pattern.

I also love making patterns and have a few for sale in my etsy shop. I also sell finished clutches, samples from my blog, and extra fabric!

coupon code: TAKEHEART15 for 15% off

giveaway item: $40 shop credit

see kate sew:

shop | blog | twitter | facebook

to enter this giveaway leave a comment here.

extra entries (one entry/comment each):

1) head on over to see kate sew and let me know your favorite item.

2) follow kate's blog

3) follow kate on twitter

winner chosen by random.org and announced next week.

happy weekend!

two

2011-11-17T00:01:00.000-05:00

my baby turns TWO on saturday. what in the world?

sweet foster: i love your rough and tumble, waddling self. i love when you count like so: "two, four, ten!" you love your books, dora, and hanny manny. don't tell daddy but your birthday present from us is a dora cell phone. it's pink. that's okay, i got brody a pink teapot for his second birthday. your favorite song of all is away in a manger. you love to cuddle and you also are known for doing quite the opposite. stop hitting your big brother, would ya? you still laugh like a baby lamb and it makes me melt. you are mildly obsessed with moon, and every night you say "night night moon! love you!" your birthday cake is going to be a goodnight moon cake. i'm excited to see your face when you figure out that you can eat your favorite book. you make everyone laugh at the new words you are saying. you make me smile every day. i am so thankful for you, you'll always be my baby. love, mom.

and now for a picture overload…. foster, the past two years:

click here to see foster's first year video (and me in labor).

happy birthday fostie bubbs!

what i wore: baby bump style

2011-11-16T00:01:00.004-05:00

so here i am. baby girl is getting bigger, and thus so am i. i was still working out 3 days a week at this point in my pregnancy with foster. it's safe to say i am not doing that this time around. reaaaalllly safe to say. i am, however, eating chocolate chip banana bread by the loaf.

this is my attempt at photographing myself before church… which, by the way, is the only day of the week that i get dressed. hence why i only have one outfit on any what i wore post. every other day of the week i am wearing my maternity H&M leggings which are heavenly, i tell you, heavenly. oh wait.. i am wearing them here too.

when my self timer photography attempts fail, i have to force my sweet husband out to take some pictures of me. meanwhile i make some really great faces and get blown away by the wind. sigh. tis the life of a fashion blogger.

THAT IS A JOKE.

please laugh.

thankfully for me, when my baby bump is taking over everyone's life, i have a cute accessory that distracts them. like that clutch right thur. chevron? yes, puhlease. black and white? mmhmm. kate, from sew kate sew sent this pretty baby my way and i am loving her for it. this darling thing is perfect for date night. toss in my keys, cell phone, lip stick, and wallet, and i am out the door. and the other great thing? she had the mama's in mind when she created this clutch. it's the perfect size for a couple diapers and a travel pack of wipes. you should probably include this clutch with every pack of diapers you buy for a pregnant mama.

again, please enjoy my faces due to wind gusts.

i am rockin', and i use the term rockin' very loosely, H&M leggings (duh), maternity sweater dress from express… this was passed down from a friend, i only shop target clearance and salvation army... obvi. the black jacket is from target in like the year 2000. seriously. and my pretty see kate sew clutch to tie this little ensemble all together.

go get yourself a clutch, i'm gonna go romp around in my leggings and a t-shirt, and scare people.

where is my banana bread?

tuesday

2011-11-15T04:00:00.002-05:00

the winner of the i sew lucky giveaway is: emily, email me today!

thank you all so, so much for your prayers for carolyn, jordan, and their sweet daughters.

jeremiah 32:27 “I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. is anything too hard for me?"

this verse is something that i need to be reminded of daily. and it also fitting for what i want to share with you today.

amy blogs at one day at a time. she is a mama of four, but only three of her children are home with her. she is fundraising to bring her precious son davis home from russia... and today you can help.

heather, my main squeeze and designer extrodinare behind life made lovely designs, created these three delightful christmas cards with the help of meg & ashley ann. i really cannot decide which is my favorite. i could stare at them for a long time. you need a christmas card right? and you need to help bring sweet davis home… so here is the best of both worlds for you.

the designs for davis cards are available to purchase, for $15, right here, here, and here.

here's how it works: "each of these 5x7 designs will be customized with your high resolution photo & name, and then emailed to you so that you can print it out to your heart's content. we do not offer printing services at this time, but we're happy to refer you to some of our fave printers. just ask."

$10 from each $15 card will be donated to davis' adoption fund.

read more about amy's journey to davis, and donate, here.

happy tuesday!

more than the sparrows

2011-11-14T00:01:00.002-05:00

today i am going to tell you a little bit about my dear friend, carolyn. cair and i met back in middle school and our friendship has grown ever since. she is so precious to me, and i am blessed to call her friend.

here we are in seventh grade:

she is ultra fashionable and adorable, as always, and me? well, just revel in my hotness for a minute. revel in it...revel in it...revel in it. okay..stop. and don't be jealous.

cair and i loved nsync christmas and being goofy. two things that we still love a lot.

this summer we got to tell each other that we were pregnant at the same time. and then we found out that we were both having girls. except she is having two... twin girls! a sweet, sweet blessing for carolyn and her husband, jordan... who are the world's most attractive couple, as you can see for yourselves:

last week cair and jordan had to head out to philadelphia to see a specialist for their girls. it was believed that the babies had twin to twin transfusion syndrome, and they found out, at this appointment, that the girls don't have this after all.

they found out that their precious daughter's have something called selective intrauterine growth restriction.

carolyn has made the decision to share her story, to share her daughters' stories, to share her faith, and let others follow along with her new blog, more than the sparrows. she said this to me about starting to document this journey, through a blog: if our story can be used to glorify Him and bring others to Him, then why not do it? and i said amen, my sweet friend.

the blogging community has blessed me personally in ways that i'm not sure i could even put into words. i have seen you all come together and do amazing and wonderful things, and today i'm asking you to bless carolyn and jordan. to show her what this blogging thing is all about, and even more than that, to be the body of Christ. to be His hands and feet. to meet her needs, to show her love, to pray for her, her husband, and their precious daughters.

would you take a couple minutes out of your day to read their story? and just a minute more to leave her your thoughts, words, prayers, passages of scripture, and encouragement? i would love every single one of you to comment on her blog, and for her to come home, check her email, and be totally overwhelmed by the outpouring of love, support, and prayers. i am asking that of you today. she needs that, and i want that for her.

as much as my heart aches, and i cry out to God for jordan, carolyn and their baby girls every day, i also find great comfort in trusting the Lord's plans for their family. these babies are His, and He has chosen carolyn and jordan for them. their steadfast faith and unwavering trust in our Savior is constantly an inspiration to me. carolyn is already the best mama is the world to her girls. i believe in the power of prayer and that our God is a God of miracles. His plan for their daughters is already set, and their faith in watching it unfold is a true testament of their walk with Christ.

pray fervently for carolyn, jordan, and their baby girls. pray for healing. lift these babies up to our great God, and share their story with others. get everyone you know praying. please, head over here today, follow along with their journey, and bless her the best way you know how.

thank you so much, my friends.

the ramblin' friday

2011-11-11T00:01:00.003-05:00

here is a list of sorts for you on this fine friday.

1. i love listening to this song. it makes me feel christmas magic. which is a real thing you know. i also wish there was a real music video for this song rather than this bogus thing.

2. a nightly treat of hot cocoa, a splash of this italian sweet cream creamer, and handfuls of marshmallows makes my life complete.

3. if you are a stranger and ask me when i am due, i will tell you december. i don't normally condone lying but in the case that i can avoid the bulging eyes and lovely remarks, i choose to say december. myduedateisreallymarchfirst. mmkay?

4. the quilt for our baby girl's bed, from for the love designs, is on it's way. to say i am excited is the understatement of the year. i can't wait to show you all.

5. the boys and i took a trip to lowes this morning and picked out some different paint chips for her room. light peach, cool blue, & a golden yellow. sort of like sunsetting goodness. mmmmmmm. here's some of my color inspiration:

Source: design-seeds.com via Danielle on Pinterest

6. i shared a little bit about adoption yesterday on my friend 's allison's blog. check it out here.

7. today, my friend carina is sharing a post i wrote last week on her blog for bakin' it to the streets. check it out here.

8. here are some photos i took this past weekend:

9. i am now the proud owner of photoshop elements. i am having so much fun playing around with it, and here is some proof.

our sweet girl:

10. and a printable for you (click image to view it full size … and print away)

11. have a happy weekend!

featured sponsor giveaway: i sew lucky

2011-11-10T00:01:00.001-05:00

i am excited today to introduce you to my friend and sponsor, april, from i sew lucky. our little owl and fox just arrived for our baby girl the other day and i couldn't be more excited. i can't wait to get her sweet crib all set up and sit these two sweet things in there. april's products are beautifully made, safe for children, and just plain adorable.

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

Hi everyone!! So happy to be posting on Danielle's blog today! I have a fun giveaway, but first I will tell you a little about me:)

I am April Foss from I Sew Lucky. I have 5 really great kids and a husband I could not do it without. My oldest is 14 and youngest is 4. Most of my days are spent driving kids here and there, homework, making food for the kids (man, they eat a lot), picking up after EVERYONE and snuggling my youngest, Jonathan. When do I work on the biz? Little moments here and there through out the day and at night while my awesome husband puts all the little kiddies to bed. Time for my husband you ask? Around 10:30 I try and shut down the shop, which is attached to our bedroom, and relax with the Mister. Now that it is getting to be busy, he might have to be more patient ;)

I started I Sew Lucky about 3 years ago and it has been growing every year! My shop is filled with super cute owls and foxes made out of so many fabrics, you are sure to find one that you love. Not only will you find plush owls in a range of sizes and fabrics, but I also carry owl bookends, owl garlands/banners, owl ornaments, and a few foxes. If you happen to not find an item in the fabric you want make sure to ask for a custom order!

shop | blog | facebook | twitter

coupon code: 15% off with code 15%blog

giveaway items: three ornaments of your choice (a $39 value)

to enter this giveaway leave a comment here.

extra entry?

head on over to i sew lucky and let me know your favorite item.

winner chosen by random.org and announced monday!

my heart (in photos)

2011-11-09T00:01:00.001-05:00

Source: sweetpeachblog.com via Danielle on Pinterest

happy wednesday, dear friends.

craft 4 love

2011-11-08T00:01:00.000-05:00

i had been planning this little event called craft 4 love for quite some time. my dad called it craft 4 life because every waking moment my mom and i were working on preparing the projects for it… craft 4 love, craft 4 life… whatever you may call it… it was all so worth it.

i've told you all a little bit about LOVE146 before, an organization to prevent and abolish child sex trafficking. well, my husband and i started up a local task force for LOVE146. a task force is a group of 4-20 people who meet monthly and educate themselves on child sex trafficking, plan events to benefit LOVE146 and work on slave proofing our own communities. since our task force just kicked off in october i had to begin planning craft 4 love over the summer.

name tags created with love by my sweet, sweet friend chelsea.

the day was like so: 9:30-4:00, delicious breakfast when you arrive, lunch catered by carrabba's italian grill (ahmazing), 50 women of all ages, 10 projects, me demonstrating and explaining each one, my friend and mentor pastor matt miller sharing about LOVE146 during lunch time, a whole bunch of fellowship, food, educating ourselves and also, three wonderful raffle bundles.

display table of projects we were making, along with some of the supplies set out for the ladies.

i couldn't have pulled this event off with out the help of my mom and my girlfriends who helped prepare all these projects, and without the handmade and blogging community. so many of you stepped up and donated supplies for our event. so many of you stepped up and donated beautiful items for our raffle. on behalf of temple baptist church and LOVE146, thank you!

i am so happy to tell you that in one day we raised $1,740 for LOVE146.

the projects we made were:

pom pom necklace

fabric flower pins

yarn wreath with felt flowers

bias tape rosette earrings

book page and scrapbook paper bunting (our our creation)

book page bird ornament

book page christmas tree

paper accordion ornaments from stitch craft create magazine

raffle-y goodness:

items from the raffle were donated by:

elizabeth williams jewelry

handmade jewelry by liz eaton

maddynbella collections

katie lloyd photography

project supplies donated by:

please check out these shops. these women with hearts to support LOVE146 have totally blessed me out.

in our favor bags were chocolate and truffles from park avenue confectionary, gluten free & vegan cookies from sugar mama bakeshop & chap stick from alabu soap. along with information on LOVE146 and how you can get involved, the business cards of all the women who donated to this event, stitched cards from oh write, and an individual photograph from katie lloyd photography for each woman.

my friend maryanne blogged about craft 4 love right here.

‎"thou shalt not be a victim, thou shalt not be a perpetrator, but, above all, thou shalt not be a bystander." - Yehuda Bauer

are you a bystander? want to know how to change it? want to be a voice in the effort to abolish child sex trafficking? contact me, contact LOVE146, start a task force, share their story.

martin luther king jr. said that, "justice at it's best is LOVE correcting everything that stands against LOVE".

check it!

2011-11-07T00:01:00.001-05:00

i've got just the places for you!

shop i sew lucky

shop soleil selene

shop the vanilla tulip

shop the true vine

shop sugar mama bakeshop

shop see kate sew

shop for the love designs

shop sugar blossom boutique

shop lovely little whimsy

shop made by morey girl

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

Also, my sweet friend Ashley is hosting a fabulous Christmas Bazaar!

I asked her to share a little bit about it with you all…

Hi there! I'm Ashley, the wifey, mama and baker behind Sugar Mama Bakeshop. This Christmas I set a goal to either make or buy handmade for every single gift on my list. And I'm encouraging my friends and fam to do the same!!

Starting Novemeber 2nd and running through December 24 you can do tons of holiday shopping on my blog! I will showcase my favorite shops so that they are just a click away. Easy as that :) So fun huh!?

So far I have everything from gorgeous home decor to upcycled pretties to beautiful scripture prints and so much more. I can't wait to start shopping! Throughout the next 2 months I'll be hosting giveaways for these darling shops and I even have a little Black Friday party you won't want to miss.

Please stop by and support these awesome friends and their amazing talents.

{PS: If you have a handmade shop or know of an awesome one that might be interested in joining the fun please email me: sugarmamabakeshop@gmail.com. It's not too late & I would love to have you... especially if you make gifts for boys. Those seem to be a little trickier to find.}

adoption update & a sweet print

2011-11-04T00:01:00.001-04:00

we get many questions about where we are at with our adoption process. truth be told we are in the same place that we were in when we finished our home study. we will probably be in this place for quite some time, and that is okay with us. we never went into adoption thinking that our child would be placed with us immediately. although we started the process in june (and praying over it long before that) our home study wasn't complete until the end of september. and after that we are approved by the state and then we are a waiting family. so all in all, we've been "waiting" for just a month.

a waiting family has no real timeline. we aren't told the number of days, months, or years that we are expected to wait. it is so case specific that it would misleading for our agency to give us a timeline. there will be no true "update" in our process until we are contacted with a prospective birth mother.

it's a test of our faith, it's a test of trust, it's a test of our patience.

although our heart longs for our child, to know more about them, their birth family, and all the other details we crave to know, our heart also has peace in knowing that the Lord has got this. He is all over it. we will wait on Him and His perfect timing to grow our family. that makes the waiting not as hard. and all in all, our waiting has just begun. families wait years and years to bring their children home through adoption. we feel blessed to be at the place we are… knowing our name is on that list. knowing our story is written and our profile is there to show.

financially we have about $4,000 left to raise. sometimes that seems like a huge mountain to climb. sometimes it seems like it will be easily reached… and then again not. we have faith that He will provide and we will continue to get creative in fundraising.

so many have blessed us with the donations we have already received and we have been overwhelmed by the amount of women in the blogging world who are trying to help out.

every little bit helps.

today i am excited to introduce you to my sweet friend mandy, from mandipidy. she keeps a blog filled with snapshots of her sweet baby girl, DIYS, recipes, devotionals, and much more. her shop is one of my favorites with hand illustrated prints that are on textured cardstock that gives them a canvas feel. there are so many sweet prints to choose from, so many i love.

one holds a special place in my heart though. "my life is complete because of you." if that isn't what every mama feels when their sweet baby is brought into their life, i don't know what is. we long to meet our child, and long to feel complete in our hearts when they are finally with us. mandy created this beautiful print and is donating 100% of the profits to our adoption fund.

i do believe you need this in your child's room, or that baby on the way's nursery. christmas present for your pregnant sister? check.

the print is available in pink and blue as well.

thank you to each of you who have stepped out in faith and are playing a part in bringing our baby home. thank you mandy, for your heart to support us.

"but the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. from everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." - luke 12:48

happy weekend and happy shopping my friends!

her.

2011-11-03T00:01:00.005-04:00

last week i was leaving walmart in a rush. i don't particulary love shopping at walmart, anyone with me on this? i could be there at 2 am and i would still wait in line for at least 25 minutes. i could go on and on of the crazy stories that have happened to me while at wally world, but today i will just state that their toilet paper, paper towels, toothbrushes, and things of that nature, are a whole lot cheaper than at the grocery store... and we were in need of all those things and more. caleb was working in late. my mom was watching the boys for me, foster had an awful diaper rash and was waiting on the desitin that i just bought. they were all ready to eat dinner. it was 5:30 and i was running late.

Source: Uploaded by user via Ange on Pinterest

as i pulled up to the light to turn out of walmart and go pick up our pizza for dinner i saw this girl. a woman, really. she looked about my age, maybe a little younger. she had short, frizzy hair, a big puffy jacket on, a sign in her hands, and nothing else. her sign said something along the lines of "traveling. have no food. anything will help."

i was three cars away from her in the turning lane, and the light was changing to green, as i starred at her. even from that far away i could see the sadness in her eyes. it was cold and it was getting dark. she was hungry. was anyone going to give her food? where was she going? where was she from? what was her story? what was her truth? i couldn't stop thinking about her. i said a quick prayer for her as i was driving, and called my mom and told her i'd be a couple more minutes.

it's easy to put myself first. it's easy to put my excuses of running late, the hungry kids with diaper rashes waiting at home, and relieving my mom of watching them, first. those are not bad things. i need to care for my family and care for them well. but, she needed a little love and little food tonight. i have those two things. and i have 15 minutes. most of us have 15 minutes.

i went back home the long way, pulled over on the side of the busy intersection and handed her some hot new york pizza and garlic knots. and if you haven't had garlic knots, you haven't lived.

Source: instantshift.com via JaR on Pinterest

she was so thankful. she said it, but even more so, i could see it in her eyes. thankful for something hot, thankful for something to fill her belly. thankful for a smiling face. i was so thankful that the Lord reminded me that i need to be more intentional about serving those in need. i was so thankful for the blessing of blessing others. i need to do this because He commands it of me. there is many a scripture that i can write off as not applying to me. well, you know, this was written a long time ago.... well, that was back then.... well, i'm a busy mom of young kids. i have my family to take care of. but, wait my friends! He is talking to us. He is talking to me.

"sell your possessions and give to the poor. provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys."- luke 12:33

james 1:27 “religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

i share her story not to boast of what i did. because, quite frankly, i could have done a lot more. i didn't give her all our groceries, i didn't invite her to our house for a warm, homemade meal. i didn't invite her to church and say Jesus loves you! i just handed her a slice of pizza and a couple garlic knots, smiled, and said i was praying for her.

i share her story to remind myself to do more. to take the extra minute to smile at the stranger, to thank someone, to help someone who needs it, to give to those in need.

i share her story to bring you, and mostly me, back to the place of what thanksgiving, christmas, and this whole holiday season is all about.

Source: behance.net via Periain on Pinterest

“remember this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. and God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. as it is written: ‘He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.’" 2 Corinthians 9:6-9

snowtober

2011-11-02T00:01:00.001-04:00

(kristin, you won the for the love giveaway! email me today)

last week looked a little something like this.

and then this weekend happened which looked a little something like this:

the weathermen continuously referred to this as snowtober, which i loved, naturally, because i love made up nicknames. especially when they combine two words.

fostie the snowman ROCKED this one piece snowsuit, which was either bought at a garage sale or passed down from someone. seriously whoever gave this to me, find me, because i want to kiss you on the mouth. it makes his waist twice as wide and forces him to waddle. could anything be better? i called him the lumpy blue marshmallow which brody thought it was hysterical. foster had no clue and just kept saying "mallow, mallow."

can't find a single pair of gloves in the entire house? no problem! socks it is.

i love watching my kids eat snow. it's the one food they like. can i call it a food? at their next checkup with the pediatrician, she will ask "are they eating so many servings of this food group? and how about this food group?" um no. food group? whatchu talkin' about? just snow, lady, s-n-o-w. count it.

after i tucked the boys into bed i sipped hot cocoa, watched the snow fall some more, and desperately wished there was a disney channel christmas movie on. 'twas a good snowtober. 'twas, 'twas.

scarfament swap

2011-11-01T00:01:00.001-04:00

happy november! let's kick this month off the right way with the first annual (?) scarfament swap. you read that right, ladies. scarf-a-ment. that's a scarf and an ornament, for those who are unfamiliar with the term.

the idea behind the scarfament swap is that we all get to make a new friend in the blogging community, and we bless them with a scarf and an ornament right in time for the holidays. these are two of my favorite things, you know, scarves and ornaments, and combining them into a gift swap is all kinds of lovely.

the details: $20 budget. this means that you everyone should spend right around $20 for the total of your scarf and ornament's cost together. if you are making your scarf and/or your ornament, please take into consideration the cost of materials you purchased to make your items and how much you might have sold them for. get creative! if you can sew, knit, crochet, and all that good stuff, make a scarf for your new friend. can't do that (like me)?

here are some suggestions for scarves under $20:

H&M has a wide selection of beautiful scarves at really great prices, so does Target... and here are some shops on etsy that i found that sell scarves for $15 and under:

pinterest is filled with ideas for handmade ornaments. check 'em out! i love handmade.

so you want in?

the scafament swap is open to US residents only. if you would like to participate please email me by this friday, november 4th at midnight to be put on the list. by monday, november 7th, you will get an email with your scarfament swap partner's name and information. all partners will be randomly assigned. i will probably put all your names in a hat and have my husband pick them out two by two, like i did with the headband swap.

please include in your email:

your name

your blog address

your mailing address

and your favorite colors

once your partners are assigned it's up to you how much you want to share with each other about specifics of what you like, i personally like to be surprised. all scarfament swap packages should arrive at your partner's house on or before december 1st…one month from today.

let's get swapping!

email me today!

takeheartblog at hotmail dot com

a halloween chock full o' gnomes

2011-10-31T00:01:00.000-04:00

happy halloweenie from the cutest little gnomes i ever did see!

brody had no idea what a gnome was when i told him that was what he was being for halloween, but i googled it, showed him the strange picture, and he was on board. how couldn't he be? i realize my years of choosing what they are being for halloween will quickly disappear so i am taking advantage of it for as long as humanly possible.

so let me tell you a little bit about these gnome children of mine.

they both are wearing shorts, button up shirts, socks, leggies, and shoes that we already owned.

i purchased the suspenders from suspended recreation and fully intend on having them wear these on many occasions.

and the hats and beards that make this lovely ensemble complete?

jess from ragamuffin design made these custom for my gnome children.

aren't they darling? she crochets like nobody's business and also added white furry beards on for the ~~boys~~ gnomes. the beards are buttoned on the inside of the hat for easy removal, if needed.

i'm mildy obsessed.

i would also like to say that, even though my children have no idea who santy claus is, i will have them wear these at christmas time to pretend that they are him, or one of his elves, as well. santa seriously needs a mustard yellow hat. someone help the guy out.

wanna gnome-ify your child? or make them a sweet little elf for christmas?

jess is your go to girl.

use coupon code: TakeHeart for 10% off your order!

find jess & ragamuffin design here:

shop

blog

twitter

email: ragamuffin.design@gmail.com

we are off to trunk or treat at our church tonight, that is if my gnomes can stay awake past 6:45.

boo to you!

featured sponsor giveaway: for the love

2011-10-28T00:01:00.003-04:00

the winner of the october sponsors giveaway is: tela, email me today!

i am so excited to introduce you all to my sweet friend lu today! before you learn a little bit more about her and her shop i would like to make these three points: a) i am obsessed with her name b) she quilts things that make me weak in the knees and maybe, just maybe she is making my baby girl's bedding c) have you ever seen a more attractive family? k, didn't think so.

"Hi my name is Lulu and sewing is my therapy! I learned how to sew when I was 10 but I became very passionate about it during my first pregnancy when I had a very specific vision for my son's nursery. For a long time I sewed mostly drapes, pillows and bedding. When I had my 3rd baby my sister in law gave me the most gorgeous quilt. I just knew I had to try my hand at quilting. And I have been hooked ever since! Whether you make a quilt yourself or you are simply snuggling up underneath one, quilts are the best way to say I love you!"

find for the love here:

shop * blog * facebook

coupon code: takeheart20 for 20% off all patterns

giveaway items: all six patterns seen here (a $51 value!):

to enter this giveaway head on over to for the love

and let me know what your favorite item is.

extra entries:

1.) like for the love on facebook

2.) follow lu's blog

winner chosen by random.org and announced next week.

have a beautiful weekend, my friends!

embracing the camera

2011-10-27T00:01:00.000-04:00

… for the second week in a row. i'm on a roll here, people.

i realize this is the same picture, heads tilted at slightly differnt angles, 25 times.

but i always make caleb take the picture at least 25 times to make sure we get a semi decent one.

we choose to take these in front of the trash cans that get raided by raccoons every night.

romantic, no?

embrace the camera, my friends!

22

2011-10-26T00:01:00.001-04:00

on why home birth is not for me

2011-10-24T00:01:00.004-04:00

i have been known to talk about my love for natural childbirth a bit. the business of being born? one of my favorite flicks, for sure. i am excited to go into labor, i am excited for the opportunity to labor naturally again. some people think i'm crazy. and some people wonder why i'm not doing, what they may call, the even more naturally way? at home.

first things first, i wouldn't say i'm an advocate for a natural, unmedicated birth. i would say i'm an advocate for what you feel is best for you and your baby. i felt this way was best with both the boys. if all goes as i would love it to, i would love to take that journey on the out-of-body-experience-of-wonder road again, but it's not really up to me. i could need an emergency c-section. my baby could be breech. you never know, really. there are many women who long for the opportunity to have a vaginal birth and aren't able to. i don't take my two birthing experiences for granted. i think they have changed me, and made me stronger.

baby brody and his sweet daddy

it's hard for me to describe what labor and delivery is truly like. i love talking with women who have gone drug-free as well. we can laugh about it now, but we weren't laughing then, were we? it is sort of this spiraling into a complete surrender to the pain that brings me to a place i have only visited twice. a place i am praying to go to again. has there ever been such a gripping (and ripping…ahem.), changing, becoming, surreal, twisting, turning experience other than childbirth? i crave to do it again, i crave the natural-ness of it, the wholeness of it, the empowerment of it, the thrill of it.

so why not at home? isn't that the most natural way to go? i am asked by many in the midwife lovin', natural birth having, medicine free paths i cross. i think home birth is such an awesome option and opportunity for birth, it's just not for me.

here's my reasons.

first up, let me tell you about my amazing, wonderful, heavenly, friend when i am in labor. the birthing tub. this massive pool of warm water that is jetting out at me and bringing relief to those radiating contractions. i do not have a bath tub of this nature in my home, or one even close. i realize you can buy or rent these, but i also don't have $350 laying around to go to a birthing tub. nor the space for it. i am pretty sure most people in america have a standard size bathtub…except the burkleos. i don't even get in my tub to take a bath, let alone to labor in. the thought of me laboring in it actually makes me mildly nauseas, along with providing me a hysterical mental image. and to not labor in the water is seriously not even an option.

foster's first moments

my husband just ain't as good as the midwife and nurses at pushing on that pressure point above my butt. you do know about that pressure point, don't you? your life will be changed, my friends. changed, i tell you. when the nurse was pushing on that pressure point my contraction was literally taken away. is there a better gift for a woman in labor? i think not. then she has caleb try, i peer over my shoulder and look at him like the frazzled naked woman that i am and tell him to move on over, he's not even close. fact of the matter is, my husband isn't trained to do that. mmmkay?

next up, i need help from various individuals. help walking to the bathroom, help getting in and out of the shower, help from the nurses if i have a question, help from the lactation consultant, who is the only one who can get the babe to latch at that time. help, help, help. you name it, i need it.

the large cups filled with crushed ice and cranberry juice cocktail. i'm addicted.

space! our house is little, just over 1000 square feet and two kiddos already in it. it's their happy place, our home. where they sleep and play the best. transporting them somewhere else would have to happen. some people like their children them watch them give birth, i however do not. gimme my own space, puhlease.

the nasty, bloody truth is that i don't want to clean up after i give birth. i don't want to have our house become a hot mess when i could come home to a clean and orderly place. i don't want to be bleeding the next 48 hours in my own bed. i just don't. i don't want to provide and prepare the hose, the tub, the clean up, the tucks pads, and the granny mesh underwear. i want it all handed to me. and i want to swipe as many pampers swaddles diapers from the hospital as i can. not to mention, it's the big bucks to buy all the supplies we need for birthing at home.

can i tell you a ~~gross~~ funny story? okay, good.

after i had foster i was so frightened to get up and go the bathroom because of how awful it was the first time around. when i first stood up after giving birth to brody i just about collapsed and it's a darn good thing two nurses and my husband were there to catch me and give me smelling salts. i had to pee so bad but couldn't figure out how to. that is a true story. so, after i gave birth to foster i kept exclaiming, i have to pee! to which the nurses said, we can help you to the bathroom and i said, standing up is not an option in my life right now. so they told me to just pee. just pee right there, danielle. we'll clean it up, it's totally fine. i'm all, for realz!? i love you and i love that you just said that. so, after a little work to get things going, i did just that. peed all over the bed, and then the nurses cleaned me and my bed up, got me some nice clean, fresh sheets and i relaxed with my baby boy. that right there? that's why i love my birthing center so much.

all this being said, if i didn't have the midwife services, support, and amazing childbirth center that i have, i might think differently about home birth for me.

but, because i have that…bring on the labor…. in 18 weeks that is.

for sale

2011-10-21T00:01:00.001-04:00

at the beginning of 2011 i opened up my shop, sugar money, to pay for me to get to california and back for blog sugar. sugar money was a success, holla.

now i'm getting crafty again…for a different reason. we have about $4,000 left to raise for our adoption costs. and every little bit helps. so today, these are for sale. right here on this little blog. email me with which one you want and it's all yours!

(the prices listed do not include shipping.)

maybe one day i will open an actual shop on etsy, but that is debatable.

start your holiday shopping early!

takeheartblog AT hotmail DOT com

embrace it

2011-10-20T00:01:00.000-04:00

i like to think i get in front of the camera from time to time…but when i look back on the past couple months of pictures i am lucky if i am in one shot. my dear friend emily's challenge to embrace the camera makes me more intentional about getting in the picture with my kids.

i wish i had more pictures of my mama and i from when i was little.

hopefully my kids will never have to wish that.

they will be like…shoot, why do i have so many pictures with my mom? she crazy.

and that will be a goal accomplished. thankyouverymuch.

these are from sunday. playing outside, raking, and leaf jumpin'.

i love my boys.

brody wanted to make a funny face for these pictures. his funny face looks like he's about to upchuck. and that makes me chuckle. so i guess he achieved it.

have you embraced the camera lately?

do it!

a splendid sponsor giveaway day!

2011-10-19T08:00:00.006-04:00

today's giveaway day! and have i got some lovely ladies to tell you about. as the holidays are fast approaching i would encourage you to clickity click down that sidebar of mine over there. that is where all of your shopping needs to take place, ya heard?

all of these items are going to ONE winner!

Hello there, lovelies!

I'm Emily, and I'm the blogger over at The Anderson Crew. I am a wifey to Mr. Anderson and mama to 5 little people, with 1 on the way (due in December!)

My days are spent laughing at what my kids do, embracing the camera, trying to manage the chaos in my life, loving each of my kids individual quirks, striving to love Mr. Anderson better, and making memories with the littles.

I am so glad to be sponsoring Danielle this month, as I hold a special place for adoption in my heart. Our middle daughter was recently adopted from Ethiopia. Our journey has been a hard one, but rewarding as well. We are so grateful that she is part of our family now.

--------------

I am giving away an AD space on my blog, for the month of November (a $40 value).

If you have a shop or a blog, I'd love to help you promote it!

hi, i'm carina! i am a happily married mama of three, lover of Jesus, an artsy craftsy girl to a fault, coffee/chocolate enthusiast, and adore all things vintage. my blog - a punk, a pumpkin and a peanut - is my little space to write about all of the above and hopefully share just how grateful i am for God's goodness. i have been super blessed by this blogging community! my shop - lovely little whimsy - is something i started to give my creativity an official outlet and raise money for our second adoption, which is well on its way! i love making pretty little things that will make your day a little bit brighter.

Blog

Shop

Giveaway item: $20 shop credit

Coupon Code: 20% off with code TAKEHEART20

I'm a creative lady living in beautiful Seattle with my husband and crazy puppy. During the day I work in a corporate office, all while dreaming up new things to make for the shop and new things to blog about! I love thrifting & vintage, not to mention sewing, writing, fashion and nearly all things creative. I hope that my blog and shop are a place of refreshing inspiration and an example of God's love to all those who stop by.

giveaway items: sleeping beauty eye mask & matching pair of fabric covered button earrings.

coupon code: TAKEHEART for free shipping

blog shop twitter

HI! I'm Ashley aka Sugar Mama :) I loooove baking and when I found out over 3 years ago that I'm gluten/dairy intolerant I started creating my own yummy recipes. Now that I'm staying home with my sweet Lily Belle I've started selling gluten free & vegan cupcake mixes in my etsy shop Sugar Mama Bakeshop. I also blog about life, love, crafts, and cupcakes at gogreeno.

Giveaway item: Sugar Mama Sampler $22 value

Coupon code: 20% off with TAKEHEART

MarigoldRoad on Etsy specializes not only in handmade hippie headbands, hoop art, and wreaths, but in mid-century decor & housewares. The shop is an extension of my blog, which I started 4 years ago to chronicle the pregnancy and birth of my son Wilder. These years later I am fully entrenched in the blogging community, grateful for the friendships and creativity gleaned. Visit my blog for captivating photos, dessert recipes, and inspiring entries about marriage, faith, and family.

Giveaway item: $30 shop credit

Coupon code: HOLIDAY25 for 25% off

I'm a Navy wife and hopefully by the time you're reading this, a new mom to a sweet baby boy named Jack! We live in beautiful Charleston, SC right now until the Navy takes us away again in December. I blog because I feel so thankful for how God has lead us down this path over the last few years and I want to share that with anyone who will listen. It's been difficult and confusing and scary, but we've never doubted that it's what He wants us to be doing. And we've never doubted that He's still walking right along with us. He's awesome like that. I opened my shop over the last year when I found myself with a lot of time to myself and a desire to do something with it. To me, there's nothing sweeter than a handwritten note and I love being able to give someone something pretty to pass on a kind word.

Giveaway items: One set of the Glittered Kite notecards and one set of the Fruity recipe cards

Coupon code: TAKEHEART15 for 15% off

Blog Shop

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

to enter this giveaway leave a comment here.

extra entries:

1. head on over to these lovely shops and tell me your favorite items (1 comment/entry each)

2. follow my blog

winner chosen by random.org and monday

happy wednesday, y'all.

the beauty book project: an update

2011-10-18T00:01:00.001-04:00

back in june, i started a little project called the beauty book. the beauty book is well under way and i wanted to give you all an update. a local friend of mine had the book so i had her pass it on to me so i could share with all of you it's progress so far.

i think i gasped when i started to flip through the pages that have been written on. the creativity and the words shared amazed me.

i love the way each woman expressed herself. i love all the ways that Christ reveals beauty to us, differently yet consistently.

the beauty book is continuing on it's journey again now. if you are waiting for the book, please keep in mind that over 100 women ended up signing up to participate, and it will probably be quite some time until it reaches every single one of you. but it is on it's way, rest assured. i pray that it blesses you immensely when you receive it, that the stories shared open your eyes to the beautiful woman that Christ made you.

when i originally blogged about the beauty book, i asked all who wanted to participate to send me their name and address, and along with that, a picture of themselves.

this is what i made with all the pictures that i received:

here's to you, my beautiful friends.

the beauty book was created with love, by aubrey, from aubrey plays.

a lovely monday

2011-10-17T00:01:00.002-04:00

bits of lovely on a pretty monday:

the boys dressed up in their papa's clothes.

our new old table. my grandpa made this table and now, through a lot of "passer-downs", it's our very own. what could be more lovely than that?

a white jenny lind crib for our baby girl. gonna paint this beauty… i'm thinking yellow.

i am excited to tell you that i am now a part of life made lovely designs! you can check out all the designers here. and look at all your different options here. there are premade one of a kind designs, premade headers and navigation bars for a lower cost, invitations, christmas cards, and more!

stitch craft create comes out tomorrow! are you gearing up for your early run to michael's? i thought so.

pumpkins perched on our porch.

say that seven times fast.

boys who love those pumpkins.

leaf jumpin'.

wheelbarrow rides from daddy.

* * * * * * * * * * *

and here's three ladies who's day just got even more lovely:

meg and mare, you won yourselves some beautiful wool blend felt and a copy of stitch craft create!

cindy, you won the marine parents giveaway!

email me today, ladies.

featured sponsor giveaway: marine parents

2011-10-14T00:01:00.000-04:00

marine parents

{blog} {shop}

giveaway item: $30 shop credit

coupon code: takeheart20 for 20% off

to enter this giveaway leave a comment here.

winner chosen by random.org and announced next week.

extra entry?

head on over to marine parents {the shop} and let me know what your favorite item is!

designs

2011-10-13T00:01:00.000-04:00

some new blog designs, and etsy banners, too! can i design for you? email me today!

proud moments

2011-10-12T00:01:00.001-04:00

this weekend we went to one of our favorite farms, filled with fun activities for the kids. brody's eyes went right to the tunnel slide when we got there. he wanted to do it so bad. i wasn't so sure. of course, i wanted him to. but, my little guy has some fears that are hard for him to overcome. there were lots of big kids in line and that was one long, dark, steep slide.

he climbed right up those stairs and stood there pondering for a couple minutes. i sent my sister's boyfriend up there with him to have them go down together. as i waited at the bottom of the slide, all the sudden, a child comes shooting out. my child. all by himself. my big three and half year old boy.

he beamed. i did it, mom! i did, it!

i beamed.

he stood in line, he waited his turn, and even let a few kids ahead of him. he wasn't intimidated by the other children. he did it all. the tall, dark, fast, tunnel slide. with no coaxing, without talking about it.

and then did it thirty more times.

he's growing, he's changing, he's learning. he's overcoming some fears.

and i am so proud.

being a mama is the most rewarding job. but, a lot of times it doesn't feel like it. my boys aren't telling me great job today, mom! at the end of each day. i'm not getting paid. and i'm not always getting thanked. but the moments, oh the moments, when you feel like all you are doing, and saying, and saying again for the 100th time that day, those moments that you feel the work and the effort is paying off? priceless.

i know my babies need me. i know they love me. but to hear it? it's the sweetest thing. brody is three and half and is at the stage when i am starting to see, not only his love for others, but his care for others, shine.

so often i want to be as gentle as him and his sweet little spirit are. with long days, just the three of us, as a stay at home mama, those feelings aren't always prominent. a lot of times i am counting down til nap time and then the countdown begins for bedtime as soon as they get out of bed. fighting over toys, messes, and runny noses can creep in and steal some of those emotions so easily.

a couple weeks ago, just when i got lost in the mindset of i need a minute for myself, brody showed me his care for me. a few hours earlier he had been flipping over the back of couch (yes, i let him do this). i was sitting on one end and as he jumped over his foot went right into my face. i shouted ...without much thought. it didn't really hurt but it was sort of an automatic response. you could see the sadness in his eyes that he hurt me. he said sorry over and over again. i told him it was okay, it was a mistake. perhaps we should find a different activity to do? this was, really, my fault for letting him do it.

and then, there we were, getting the boys ready for bed that night, and he came and grabbed my face. mom, is your cheeks okay? he said as he rubbed my face with this hand. what do you mean bud? from when my foot hit it. oh yes! i am okay! i'm not hurt at all, i said. thank you for checking on mommy. he said he was sorry and that he was sad that i was hurt before.

he cares for me.

he cares for me.

it's those moments.

and yesterday, brody? you wrote A's, H's, and N's over and over again all over grammy's driveway. your perfect little letters, like you have been writing them for years. you told me some of the A's were dancing.

and my heart was dancing for you.

remember that time i was in a magazine?

2011-10-11T00:01:00.004-04:00

you probably don't... because it's not out yet and it's my first time ever. and just incase it's my last time ever, i am going to do an extra long happy dance.

one day, in late springtime 2011, i got an email that almost made me wet myself. unlike when i really do pee a little every time i sneeze.

the editor of a new magazine, stitch craft create, wanted to feature little old me in their premier holiday issue. and i said no.

KIDDING.

i, of course, said ummmyessignmeuprightnowpuhlease.

i had the amazing opportunity to create some of my favorite things and share the tutorials with all who will read. i made yarn wreaths with felt flowers and a few pairs of bias tape rosette earrings. i was quite pleased with how they came out if i do say so myself. i thought i might sell the wreaths but quickly realized that i couldn't part with these babies. they are my most favorite ones i've ever made. it's true.

when my preview issue arrived last week i called my mom and she rushed over. she even brought me a celebratory pumpkin spice candle. you shouldn't have, mom!

i kid you not when i say that we flipped through the pages drooling. i've had the magazine just about a week now and i still can't put it down. the amount of projects, DIYS, gift giving ideas, and eye candy is out of control. every time i open it i put a sticky note on another idea i love or project to add to my list.

stitch craft create is so on target for everything i want the holidays to look like this year... for the way i think most creative minds would imagine it. i fell in love with every detail, not just the projects, but the photography, the layout, the fonts. oh me oh my, it's all perfection.

stitch craft create will be for sale in craft, hobby, sewing, and book stores nationwide on october 18th.

(you can order your copy here, too!)

since i know you cannot wait that long here is a sneak peek:

and just when you thought it couldn't get any better…lookie here. i have a little something for two of you lovely ladies. two copies of stitch craft create are up for grabs. and with each of them comes a bundle of the best wool blend felt i ever did see. all you have to do is leave a comment here and you will be entered to win.

you can read more about stitch craft create here:

website

blog

shop (buy your wool blend felt here! amazing!)

my contributor spotlight

thank you to all at stitch craft create for letting me be a little part of this wonderful magazine. especially you, shannon!

mark it on your calendar, girls!

october 18th… christmas just got a whole lot lovelier.

attack of the yellow jacket

2011-10-10T00:01:00.001-04:00

i had big plans of blogging today. then yesterday afternoon i got stung by a devilish yellow jacket and the plans changed, folks. i know you all are quite sad to have missed the pregnant woman, holding a 30 pound 2 year old, and three tote bags full of stuff, doing the i'm gettin' stung dance. i'm sure it was quite comical. there is currently still a swollen, hot, painful, and throbbing hand up in here. which may mean i'm heading to the docs. this typing with my left hand only is getting really old really fast. mmkay.

…until next time.