Goodbye City Life

february kit sneaks!

2012-01-24T10:10:00.003-06:00

I think I shouldn't even comment about how bad a blogger I've been. I could blame it on the 1st-trimester nausea and fatigue....or the week-long trip to Disney that was accompanied by a trip to the hospital for food poisoning.....or last week, Claire's hospital stay to run all kinds of tests only to find out we don't know what was wrong, but that she's better now. But, I should at least take a photo of my (HUMONGOUS) belly and post it here at some point, right?

Instead, I'll post some sneak images. I've been VERY busy scrapping over the past week with lots of project samples that needed to be made for the SC booth at the Craft & Hobby convention next week. So, most of my time was allocated there, which is why I only have 3 sneaks to show you for the February kit. There are so many new CHA releases here as well. Not from SC, but from American Crafts, Pebbles, Dear Lizzy, and several more Etsy shops with just-for-us items. Yay!

I saved my favorite layout and sneak for last. I tend to save my favorite for last, just like I eat my green beans first and save my potatoes for last. Always have, always will. I realized after photographing the layout that it's not a pretty on the screen as it is on my desk, but I will cherish it anyway.

Oh my....can I tell you how much I love the alpha stamp set in the STEPPING STONE add-on? It's my new favorite by a mile. I never thought Noah could be topped....but he has. It has both the negative and positive images in the set and I've already used it on several projects and having to hold back using it on more for fear I will over-use. We ordered more of this add-on than any other, but I still suggest you have quick fingers and head straight there on reveal day if you want it. And, do you see a peek at that awesome handmade butterfly from a favorite Etsy shop of mine? LOVE IT!

Okay, that's it until I show some more CHA sneaks next week!

sneaks!

2011-12-23T11:10:00.003-06:00

I've been feeling so uninspired this month (AKA nauseous). I've fallen behind on putting my December Daily together, although I'm still taking photos and keeping mental notes that I'll try to remember when I look back at my calendar. Usually, I have all my layouts for the next month's kit completed by the 14th, but this month, I procrastinated BIG TIME. So, here are sneaks of 3 layouts. 3 VERY SIMPLE EASY layouts.

Oh, and I wanted to try my silhouette Cameo this month, but well, it just wasn't going to happen. Must take it out of the box as soon as I feel better.

December Daily - Day 3

2011-12-04T05:00:00.000-06:00

For today, I decided to download my first ever digi product. I can't believe I just typed that....wow!

Until today, my Photoshop Skills pretty much started and ended at novice-level editing of photos.

Anyway, I downloaded these flags by Ali Edwards and I really like them. After downloading, I had to google how to do a text-block and how to change the color of the flag. That was super easy and now I'm so proud of myself. This bedrest is helping me yet.

I took this photo this morning from my spot on the bed. You can see my fuzzy purple socks.

And, I couldn't stand that I hadn't edited that outlet out of the photo above, so I covered it with a doily flower from the December Daily kit. Actually, all the items on this layout are from the December Daily kit. I only added some alpha-stamps to stamp the word "three" on a tiny scrap of cardstock, which I slid inside the envelope.

Already thinking of tomorrow...

December Daily - Day 1 & 2

2011-12-03T11:28:00.002-06:00

I began my December Daily, my very first one, by journaling a bit on the calendar page. I really like the size and thickness because this will definitely not need a page protector and acts as a good front page. I'm really not a pro at this and am just trying to keep up. I think it's important to do this to document the everyday things this holiday season.

I stamped with my favorite mini-alpha by Hero Arts using gray ink for the numbers and red ink for the "merry christmas."

For the first official day, I outsourced the photo and journaling. Since I'm on bedrest, my good friend Ashley was watching Claire and I asked her to take a photo and tell me something about their day. For the first time ever, Claire visited a school, to see Ashley's oldest son Jackson for lunchtime. Apparently she was a hit and LOVED it. My first reaction was that Claire won't eat Chicken Noodle Soup at home, but clearly she would do anything at school :)

For day 2, I chose to do a 2-page spread. I printed this photo at Walgreen's and it turned out a tad dark. The journaling tells about Claire's very specific and standard morning routine. I fear the day when she won't eat the same breakfast she has for the past 3 months.

I'll be back tomorrow with Day 3. I've already taken my photo and journaled. Yay me!

Stamping and Scrapbooking

2011-11-28T13:09:00.003-06:00

A while ago, Nichol asked me to help with a project at 2peas.

It's been too long since I really focused on stamping on my scrapbook pages. Sure, I usually add stamps here and there, but to think of the stamp FIRST when I decide on the design, I haven't really done in years. Thanks to Nichol for the challenge and if you'd like to see the rest of the free class, click here.

My layout and supply list here.

Claire's Smash Book

2011-11-28T06:00:00.001-06:00

For Claire's birthday, I chose the pink Smash journal. The idea was to set up a photo-booth with props and take photos all night of the guests at her party. Then, I printed them with the Instax Pivi Printer (only available on ebay and Amy Tan has a MUCH better post about this that I do if you want more information). After printing the photos, the guests used washi tape (blue, orange, plus others from my stash), photo corners, post-its (Calico, Memoir, Autumn Press), and some old stamps I had to decorate their page and write a note to Claire. Since I didn't buy Claire anything memorable for her birthday, I wanted to be able to give her something she could look back on and appreciate.

I also thought this was a fun party activity since so many people were invited of all different ages. I was right! Lots of the 9-16 year olds wanted the Pivi printer or Instax camera and a smash book to make for their own. Also, I think this would be a great idea to do at a tween-teen birthday party. I'm telling you, they loved putting on the "costumes" and posing for a photo. Even the guys enjoyed decorating a page...I was shocked!

Below are just a sampling of some of the pages.

My cousin Joseph from Tennessee. He was about 6 months old when Greg and I were married. I was so happy he and his family could come to Claire's party!

The note says it all :)

You may not be able to read the chicken scratch, but her Papa says Claire's the most beautiful baby. He might have to amend that statement in a few months :)

Also in her book, I included these items:

Party Invitation
Thank You note
List of gifts

And, who knows, I may continue to add to it!

Sneaks!

2011-11-25T05:00:00.000-06:00

December's main kit has definitely been one of my favorite main kits to work with in a long time. I loved that there are so many different types of items and at least one supplier that's brand new to Studio Calico....Ormolu.

She mad the tags you see in the sneak below.

This layout was made with only the main kit (BROOKLYN FLEA) plus Mister Huey's White and the Tiny Attacher.

A quick layout that was easy to throw together using the main kit plus Snow Cone and Shiny Brite add-ons.

And this one was made primarily with the main kit and Shiny Brite. I threw in one paper from Snow Cone, but if you don't get that add-on, you could easily get Add-on Patterned Paper and be just fine.

I really hope you enjoy these kits as much as I did!

Double the thankfulness this year!

2011-11-24T12:07:00.002-06:00

The short story: I'm pregnant again. And it's twins!

The long story: In September, Greg and I began another round of IVF. This time my protocol was changed, probably because the doctors thought my eggs were getting old as they gave me a test for ovarian reserve. That test came back fine, but nevertheless, they decided for a ganirelic cycle, which meant a month of birth control and other oral medications, but no shots, followed by a month of a crazy amount of shots.

By retrieval day, my cycle didn't appear any different than the two previous ones. I had a modest amount of eggs at each of my monitoring appointments, and the surgeon predicted less than 19 eggs, which was how many we got in our second cycle (Claire). Boy was I surprised when I woke up and heard the number "31." I was so loopy and asked Greg the whole way home if they had really said "31." He confirmed probably about 15 times before telling me to quit asking.

On transfer day, 5 days later, we had a few embryos to choose from. Always you want to put the best one in so you don't risk freezing and thawing to your best shot at pregnancy. Of the embryos, we had two A's. We've never gotten A's before and after talking with 3 nurses, the embryologist and the doctor, we finally decided to throw both of them in and see what happened.

On the day of my first beta (blood draw for pregnancy) nine days after transfer, my number was 479. Whoa! With Claire my beta # was about 170, and the pregnancy before that was 90. (Anything over 50 is considered positive for pregnancy). So, at that point we were fairly certain both embryos had implanted. That was a Friday. With betas, it's important that the number doubles every 48 hours. That signifies the pregnancy is progressing like it should. So, when I went back on Monday, we expected the number to have tripled over the weekend. It did not. Just shy at 1182. Immediate worry and panic ensued even though I was told that I wasn't in the "danger" category. Two days later was my 3rd beta, and once the number is over 1000, it doesn't necessarily follow the doubling rule. We were hoping for about 2200, and ended up with 2532!! Instant relief....at least for a few days until the ultrasound.

Last Wednesday, we learned that we had two good heartbeats and both babies are measuring at 6weeks 2days, the exact same that Claire measured at this point.

On Saturday, I started spotting, so we went back to the doctor on Sunday. We learned that both babies are still doing well, but there's a place where the placenta attaches to the uterus that is bleeding. So, I'm on bedrest until the bleeding stops and modified bedrest until my next ultrasound on December 5. My doctor has jury duty next week, and I really think the greater civic duty would be to let him give me an ultrasound this Wednesday instead of waiting another torturous 5 days. But, that's not what the state of Tennessee thinks, so I have to wait. In the meantime, I wouldn't mind if a prayer (or two, or twenty) were said on behalf of our babies.

It's a ton of trouble for us to get pregnant, but that hasn't stopped us. Really, I can't imagine it any other way! Plus, I won't have to answer any embarrassing "How did you get pregnant?" questions from my kiddos later on..... We're just beyond excited and anxious to welcome these two precious souls into our home. I'm due July 7, but full-term for twins is June 9, so that's the day I'm counting down to.

1 year

2011-11-23T11:08:00.006-06:00

The birthday girl before her big party.
To decorate, I tried to go really simple, but it ended up taking longer than I thought.
Tissue Poms are MUCH more time-consuming than one would think.
Plus those paper lanterns take time, too.
Thanks to my dad and Greg for helping hang all these on Thursday before her party on Saturday.

I just got those cheap butterflies at Hobby Lobby. I guess they're used for floral decorations, but to adhere them to her decorations, I ripped out the wire and added a 3D foam dot to the back. Worked like a charm!

Everything was light enough to hang with fishing line onto the light fixture.

Her cake to dive into, which really just annoyed her because it made her hands messy.

Party favors (all pink), but some were for boys and some for girls.

The big cake, which BARELY fed everyone that came. Greg said I went overboard inviting everyone, but it was so hard not to. Plus only 2 families that we invited didn't come, so we ended up with over 60 people here. It was CRAZY. And wonderful.

My favorite part of her party was the photobooth. Mom and I hung crepe paper streamers to create a backdrop. Then I set out various props (easy to find around Halloween) and these are just some of the examples of what we ended up with.

Clockwise from top: Claire (of course), me, Mom, Greg

Clockwise from top: Ryan & Christine, Grayson & Deryck, Roan (boy with the biggest vocabulary and imagination you've ever heard!) & Jennifer (my IVF nurse, so it was WONDERFUL she could come celebrate with us!), Garrett, Jackson, Tim & Chantal, Beau (who I used to baby-sit), and Grayson (Claire's betrothed)

After taking the photos, I printed them on the pivi Instax printer (you can only buy this off ebay), then let everyone put their photo into Claire's birthday book and write her a message. LOVED how this turned out. Even the boys had fun...trust me!

In hindsight, I should have gotten the regular Instax camera, because the printer takes time to transfer data from the camera. But, using it to my advantage, it gave me a chance to visit with everyone while working on their photo and album page.

I'll be back later with photos of the smash book.

Orchard & Halloween

2011-11-17T22:04:00.003-06:00

Lots of photos to share this fall.

Our Little Red Riding Hood.

I chose this costume because:

I needed something that would be warm (we added tights and a long-sleeve onesie on Halloween night).
I wanted something feminine since she still doesn't have much hair.

I was so happy Maggie was here to take these photos. She was here for 2 days for a top-secret Studio Calico project and I took full advantage of her camera skills.

We also visited Jackson's Orchard a few times, where Claire immensely enjoyed the petting zoo.

And the pumpkins, before she fell on one and the stump gave her a bloody cheek :(

That's it for now. A lot of photos, not a lot of words tonight.

sneak peeks!

2011-10-20T14:11:00.004-05:00

I've been such a bad blogger and I plan to change that...although I say that every time and end up posting consistently for a few months, then dropping off the face of the planet for another few. Such is life.

In summation: I'm fine. Claire is great. Greg is up to his usual shenanigans. The cows are great except for the bull who now has a bum hip (which will obviously impair his...ahem...performance, if you know what I mean.

Just a couple sneaks to share with you for the November Studio Calico kit.

This layout, I really love. Be sure to pick up the chalk inks that were new to the shop last month. They work great at re-coloring chipboard. I used Old Road on the letters here.
This layout was made using the main kit only. You can see 3 of the exclusive SC items here. I used mist on the thickers and it turned out so well in person. The white graph pattern acted as a resist and well, it's just so pretty. I especially like them sprayed with clover.

I still have a couple more projects to do with this kit, maybe even a card (gasp!). I better get a move on.

One last thing, the winner of the Field Guide kit is:
brooke. said...

great layout!!

October 14, 2011 12:42 PM

Please email me ASAP at april@studiocalico.com with the following information:

Full Name
Address
Studio Calico kit subscriber? yes/no

Field Guide Blog Hop!

2011-10-13T23:00:00.001-05:00

I absolutely loved the FIELD GUIDE kit way more than I thought I would. The subtle colors with pops of kraft, charcoal and black worked so well together. Every layout just fell together so effortlessly (except for the fact that I misspelled a word in the layout below and had to readjust).

Each of the DT members made a layout with only the FIELD GUIDE kit plus a few staple supplies. It's the first layout pictured in each designers' gallery. I added the following items:

Precision Pen 03 - Black
Precision Pen 05 - Brown
Versamark Pad
Clear Zing Powder
Ink Blending Tool + Lemonade and Hot Dog Mister Huey's sprayed onto a craft mat

Several of the designers have created new layouts plus are blogging more about the layouts that appeared in the FIELD GUIDE gallery. Be sure to visit the SC blog for the complete list.

sneaks!

2011-08-15T12:07:00.003-05:00

In total love with the September Studio Calico kit....especially the exclusive Thickers in the main kit.

Can you see them?

Can you see them in all their woodgrain glory?

Another exclusive item here. Loving the fun new colors of the Amy Tangerine fabric brads...oh, and this exclusive blue paper by us (Studio Calico), I need about 100 sheets of!

Using the main kit plus add-on 3.

Hope you plan to have fast fingers on August 27th (noon for subscribers, midnight for everyone else). I have a feeling it's going to be a quick month!

8 & 9 months

2011-08-13T21:44:00.004-05:00

I've been a terrible blogger, and I admit it. Life sometimes gets in the way, you know.

To catch you up, I've been immersed in work since CHA and trying to squeeze every ounce of Claire-time in between her naps and my crazy schedule.

So, here she is at 8 months....

Love those gums!

At 8 months, I did take notes so I wouldn't forget, Claire is:

crawling EVERYWHERE! She's fast and scaring her mommy. It doesn't phase her daddy though....3 steps, no problem. He says "she's got it." uhhhh....sometimes you do, but sometimes you don't.
Pulling up on anything you can get your hands on. Knobs are your favorite.
completely toothless
gags on baby-food with a thick consistency, we've been working on this.
clicking her tongue. She's pretty much a one-trick-pony, but it's a cute trick and everyone loves it.
loving the rocking-horse her Grammy and Papa got her for Christmas. It gallops, which sounds like a clicking noise and that makes her happy (and bouncy).
wiggling her bottom when she hears music.
loving water. She went swimming at Christine's and I've never heard so much squealing or seen so much kicking. She'll be a natural, I'm sure of it.

Onto 9 month photos.

My favorite photo right now. And, my favorite outfit of hers despite the cleavage when crawling.

Crawling is no longer fun anymore, she's all about climbing. She probably goes up and over the shelf under the kitchen table about 25 times each day. We climb the stairs about 15 times. Then, she has foam blocks that are constantly being climbed on. Claire's life is about climbing (and dangerous situations) now.

Oh, and all about soft stuffed animals. We now have 5 favorites:

a tiny lamb that "baaaa's", which originally was white, but after Claire has mopped the floor with it, it's more of a gray, dingy shade.
a monkey, which she's holding here. Some friends of ours got this for her last week and she loves his long tail and big eyes. I specified they not get her anything white and they complied.
a black bear. From the same friends, after visiting the Smoky Mountains.
Minnie Mouse -the pookalooz version, which she's liked since she was born.
ugly doll - not sure the brand, but it's got long arms and legs with different fabrics on it.

Still climbing.

And still toothless.

Reading lots and lots.
She's loves looking at this book about Daniel. It's foam and has some puzzle pieces in it. One is a lion and sometimes mommy makes it jump out and get her, which causes her to fall into a fit of giggles.

Some more facts about 9 months:

Definitely knows what "no" means, but doesn't always comply. Working on that one.
Still gags with foods, but loves the Gerber puffy things.
Has her pincer grasp almost mastered.
Waves bye-bye most of the time.
Has pooped in the tub twice in the last week. It's a good thing daddy has been here to help with that.
Almost always sits quietly through worship service, either sleeping (Sunday morning) or looking at books (Sunday night & Wednesday night. I take 5 each time and rotate about once every other week).
Loves Bible class. LOVES it! She's learning about Daniel now, and next week will start Baby Jesus.
Going to restaurants is still a toss-up of whether mommy will get to enjoy her meal or not. But, now that mommy has learned about these Gerber puff thingies, I have an idea, we'll be on the upswing there.
Pushes anything and everything around to "walk" where she wants to go. Sometimes it's her basket of toys, a laundry basket, her drum, or her highchair.
Is getting brave at releasing while standing. Not often, but she'll stand for 3-5 seconds, but she definitely lets go and lunges.
Loves riding in the side-by-side with her Papa. It's her favorite end-of-day activity.

I promise to be a better blogger, now that I've caught up :)

CHA Summer 2011

2011-07-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

Back home from the CHA Summer Show and have barely had a second to catch my breath. By far, it's been our best CHA yet. The releases were well-received (personally, they're my favorite ever as well), the show floor was hopping, it's just been a crazy few weeks. Okay, it's been a crazy few months.

I had the chance to create lots of items for the booth, some of which are here and more will pop up later, didn't want to overwhelm anyone. I had my modest list of items to create, but I kept going and going with more projects that I hoped would showcase all our new items.

I will have a mini-tutorial on the SC blog soon to explain the confetti effect. It's super easy and I'm obsessed with confetti now, so I figured out a quick, easy way without hand-placing all those tiny dots.

(photo taken by Angela Crutcher)

The end result of this tag, I'm excited about. I created it for the Hero Arts booth & catalog and I had no idea what a talented stamper I was....kidding. This was really simple. I used the white Zing embossing powder with the cloud stamps, then used several ink colors with the ink-blending tool. That really made the clouds pop off the tag.

This layout uses the same stamp set as the tag above. Photo courtesy of Kelly Noel.

And, last but not least, my favorite layout. This one incorporates lots of techniques, but my favorite is the "&" mask in conjunction with the new Calico Shine Mister Huey. It's a really subtle effect, that you'd just have to see in person, which is why I'm giving away one to a commenter on this post. I'll post a winner on Sunday, so just make a comment here.

Be sure to stop by the Studio Calico blog for a list of other designers who will be participating in the blog blitz - you won't want to miss seeing some of the other fabulous projects that were in the CHA booth!

sneak peeks!

2011-07-14T13:55:00.002-05:00

I'm so excited about August's kit, I can't even tell you. At Studio Calico, we've been working diligently to give you the newest releases in your kits, and I think you'll agree, the August kit is PACKED with them! Also, there's several exclusive items in the August kit that you won't find anywhere else:

2 Studio Calico patterned papers
2 Crate Paper patterned papers
1 SC + Hero Arts stamp
1 Sassafras mini sticker alpha
1 SC Chipboard alpha

Hopefully you can spot some of those items in my sneaks below.

This is the Tide Pool add-on. LOVED it! that Sassafras paper is a must have and I highly recommend getting the Add-on Patterned Paper kit because you'll want duplicated for sure!

This is my favorite layout that I've made in a long time. The mistable trim is AWESOME, but the reason I like this so much is that I felt clever using the main kit stamp on the ribbon. And, if you think I planned the size to match so perfectly....think again. It was a happy coincidence. I used the main kit ENTIRELY on this layout.

And, last but not least, another layout using the main kit alone (plus a shipping tag of my own). Do you love those exclusive Sass alphas as much as I?

Here's my list of mist (I like that title....it rhymes):

Clover
Lemonade (sold out right now, but it is returning)
Piglet
Orchard

SC + Hero Arts Blog Hop

2011-07-11T04:00:00.000-05:00

I've been waiting for MONTHS to share with you this stamp release and I'm so glad that day is finally here. Studio Calico has collaborated with Hero Arts to bring you top-quality stamps that are perfect for cardmakers and scrapbookers alike. To our current customers, thanks for all the feedback on which stamps you've liked best and wanted to revisit. We've taken your advice and don't worry, if you don't see everything you wanted just yet, let us know! We may already have it in the works, and if not, we might put it in the works!

For this card, I used the new Autumn Press 6x6 paper pad along with the white Mister Huey's Mist and the new Calico Shine...obviously layered over the ampersand mask. Then, I stamped the phrase with staz-on. The cloud was made using white zing powder on white cardstock, then adding ink with my ink blending tool & punching with Fiskars Large Cloud punch.
This card was super simple. I used the Silhouettes set and the Alpha background. The Silhouette's pieces layer and are 3 different stamps so you can make the phrase, head, and patterned circle all different colors. LOVE THAT! After it was all said and done, I wish I would have thought to use Pink Glitter Zing for my girl there. (the buttons are chipboard and are from the new Memoir collection.)
This is my favorite stamped item...I was so proud of myself for this. Again, I used White Zing Embossing Powder, this time on a shipping tag. After that, I used 2 different color inks and my ink blending tool to create the orange look. Then, I stamped "hooray" and added the little bits and pieces. Wouldn't this look awesome on a birthday gift?

Be sure to return to the StudioCalico blog to enter your response there for a chance to win a fabulous prize. Also, be sure to come back tomorrow...begin at the SC blog...for another chance to win plus lots more fabulous designs using the SC + HA stamps!

sneaks!

2011-06-17T23:36:00.002-05:00

I've been without my computer 2 whole days and I didn't like it one bit. I felt like my right arm had been chopped off.

I wasn't prepared for 2 days or else I probably could have dealt with it better. I'm on a brand new computer that was desperately needed, but also desperately put-off (my "n" key was worn away, and the mouse pad didn't work, plus I got blue-screen almost daily). I knew it would be such a hassle to transfer everything, but the "guru" told me it would only be 2 hours. Even at 2 hours, I scheduled it in on the least inconvenient day and planned to be away.

As soon as the guru started transferring all my pictures, he told me it would be overnight. I about panicked....we're leading in to CHA and emails are flooding my inbox constantly. Just to give you an idea, in 10 days, I had 1828 emails (of course 300 were sales at Gap, Banana, and zulily updates), but I still have to filter through them, you know.

So, here I am on my new computer, having survived the separation. Now, it's learning and getting the feel for everything all over again. Can't say that I'm enjoying it, but it was time.

Below are my last 2 sneaks that I was able to successfully transfer from my camera to this computer.

pulling up

2011-06-15T10:29:00.004-05:00

It's officially time to lower the crib.

Then, I'll be able to sleep at night instead of worrying that Claire has somehow figured out a way to climb her bumper and propel herself over the edge.

She's very attached to this blankie. I believe one of our Studio Calico members gave it to her. A very generous gift that Claire absolutely adores. And, if she takes this to college, I'll be hunting you down! :)

Still, the tongue....ahhhhhhh.

Is it just me, or does she look Asian here?
Okay, maybe it's just me.

Does every kid in the world chew on their crib? I think so.

Here you can really tell she just woke up.

If you scrolled through all my massive photos, congratulations.

7 months

2011-06-14T23:34:00.003-05:00

I almost forgot it was Claire's 7 month birthday earlier this week. It seems that this month has gone by faster than any other. She's so active and I really love this age.

She's almost at a crawl. She can scoot wherever she wants to go. She can sit and pull up, actually she pulled to standing at 7 months 1 day. I'd say she's pretty mobile, but I'm still quicker!

She is definitely preferring her mommy and has started crying when others try to take her from me. Of course her Grammy & Aunt Lorie are the exception to that rule. I secretly love that she does that. Makes me feel like an official mommy.

She eats just about anything, but peas are still a "no" in her book.

She loves reading and turning pages.

When she's crying, I sing almost anything and it makes her happy. Usually "The Green Grass" song wins out because I know all the words. Her daddy on the other hand usually goes with U2.

She got her ears pierced last week at the doctor's office. She was cute before and is still cute after.

She went swimming for the first time and LOVED it. That word is capitalized for a reason. She kicked and splashed and cackled. Then she came home and slept for 3.5 hours.

She is learning to wave "bye" and her personality has totally taken over my heart.

We certainly got our money's worth with her.

And, just a small peek at the July main kit MIND THE GAP and the PETROL add-on.
This is my favorite layout I've made in a while. Can't wait to share the full version on the 28th!

Natalee the Entertainer

2011-06-03T17:00:00.001-05:00

I dare you to watch this video and not crack a smile. Double Dog Dare You. Let me know if you accomplish it.

A few things to note about this video that make me laugh even harder:

Natalee asks Claire, "Do I look cool to you?" Definitely, Natalee, definitely. How cute is that?
My mom noticed 50 seconds in to the video that the record light was blinking and thought something was wrong because a button was blinking. Love you, Mom. ;)
It's 95 degrees outside and Claire is wearing socks.
Notice my dark tan. I got sprayed the other day. And it reminded me about the HUGE bruise I had on my thigh from falling down the stairs. As I was being sprayed, I forgot to warn the girl spraying me and she said, "Whoa, that's some bruise." (It seriously is about 8x7"), to which I replied, "I fell down the stairs." Cool, April, cool. And, unlike Natalee, I didn't have to ask.

she falls at the end

2011-06-02T22:02:00.002-05:00

(for those of you reading in your email, there's a video here, but you have to come to my blog to see it. This is mainly directed at my mom and my aunt, one of whom said, "you sent me a blank email today." That person shall remain nameless, but you have a fifty-fifty chance of guessing who it was. Love you, Mom.)

This is the table in Claire's room and she loves, with a passion, looking at it. And since her space heater is off-limits, she really likes the table. Yes, we have a heater in her room in June and it was 95 degrees outside today. It seems to be the only solution to keeping her from freezing at night no matter what we have the AC set on.

Anyway, she falls at the end of the video, but I my reflexes made me shut off the video in order to catch her. I'm telling you, I have cat-like reflexes lately....flinging centipedes & catching falling babies.

sitter & a crazy night

2011-05-31T12:12:00.005-05:00

Overnight Claire learned to sit-up.

Seriously it was like a light bulb switched on in her brain and it all made sense. In a matter of minutes she went from sitting for 3 seconds to sitting for 3 minutes. And later that day she sat for 15 minutes straight!

I love this stage because she's so happy. She can scoot on her belly and sit up and look at things and still not move too quickly for me to be worried about her getting into something if I'm not looking for a milli-second.

Oh, and this tongue thing is new, too.
This I don't like so much, but oh well.

And as for the crazy night, I don't have a photo of it, thankfully.

Last night, Greg awoke to me saying, "Ah!!!! Something was on my neck and I flicked it onto you!" (accidentally of course, but it was my reflex none-the-less)

(we both scurry to get our glasses because we're blind as bats without them)

"I think it was a spider, it was definitely not a tick (which is the insect which usually finds it's way into our bed....). It stuck to my fingers and I had to flick it."

(Greg is loving this explanation)

We finally spot it on the quilt and it was not a spider.....what was it, you ask?

a CENTIPEDE (which at first I called a caterpillar, but it was 1:15am). It was 4 inches long, black, with tiny little legs.

It was dead still, so Greg left to get a paper to pick it up with. As soon as he left, that thing took off like a lightning bolt. I had no idea it could move so quickly, but Greg was nimble and caught him and threw him in the toilet, where all nasty little insects go.

Immediately, Greg went back to sleep and started sawing logs. Meanwhile, I was on my iPhone googling "centipedes" and learning all about them. At that point, I got nervous because they live in colonies, and I thought our bed might have become such. So, I wake Greg back up and make him get up so we can strip the bed and look everywhere for a colony. Poor guy, but if I hadn't done it, I would've been awake all night with the heebee jeebies, thinking bugs were crawling on me.

No colony and not a house centipede after my extensive research and investigation, so it looks like we're in the clear. Whew!

we got headbands in the mail today

2011-05-26T21:24:00.003-05:00

And this isn't the half of them. I estimate they'll last her well into first grade.

onwards and upwards

2011-05-17T20:02:00.000-05:00

Today, I watch those busy hands scaling the side of the coffee table.

Today, I'm fascinated watching Claire discover the world around her.

Today, I love that my baby looks over her shoulder to gain my approval.

Today, I see her smile at the sound of my voice.

Today, I'm amazed by how quickly a child can learn.

Most of my day is spent with daily and necessary activities: folding clothes, washing diapers, unloading the dishwasher, working on the computer, answering emails, conference calls, washing diapers, making the bed (sometimes), feeding Claire, did I mention washing diapers?

But, for a brief moment each day, I try to soak in the moment Claire is in knowing that it is so temporary. Whatever she's accomplishing today is old news tomorrow.

I try to take in all her smiles, coos, activities, all while teaching her about the world in which she lives. Teaching her there is a time to play, there's a time to sit, a time to eat, a time to read, a time to sleep. Boy, is there at time to sleep!

There's no shining trophy or certificate to tell you, you're doing a good job as a mom. But, there is the happiness you see in your child's eyes, the obedience they begin to show, and willingness to please you that's so priceless.

Yep, that's my girl.

And, seeing these photos makes me want to go wake her up from her nap so I can give her a squeeze. almost.

sneak peeks - june kit

2011-05-16T23:00:00.000-05:00

Again this month, none of my June kit layouts will have stitching on them because my scrapbook room is completely dismantled. We are making progress, though and soon all the king's horses and all the king's men will put my shelves back together again.

Meanwhile, I'm making layouts in record time and with record amounts of adhesive. One advantage to stitching is that I used to barely apply any adhesive.

This sneak uses the main kit only. That naked chipboard alpha is my favorite in a long time. At first I thought the font was too cutesy for me, but I've really enjoyed using it because it's the perfect size and there are lots of letters.

Here's that same alphabet only I added leaf zing. You can get a peek at one of the exclusive items you'll only find in Studio Calico kits here as well (and I'm not talking about that chicken wire stamp).
And this is my favorite layout made with this kit. I love the colors, love the photo, love how I laid it out, and I'm not ashamed to admit it :)

6 months + a winner

2011-05-15T15:34:00.004-05:00

Claire, how did you get to be 6 months old so quickly?

You've changed so much in the last month.

You've just barely figured out forward motion.
(I know this photo is out of focus, but I love it anyway....well, I suppose it's in focus if you want to see her neckline.)

You can get your hiney up a tad bit and pull yourself forward. So fun to watch!
To do it, sometimes it requires sticking your tongue out.

Lots of talking going on here.And feeling her 1st tooth with her tongue.
Mostly, this is the face I see: the classic sucking on your bottom lip.

And this one I just threw in for the cuteness factor.
This for the humor.

You're such a good baby. You occupy yourself playing with just about anything I put in front of you. I've been careful not to over-do it with toys, not to give you too much to play with that you don't know how to play.

Here, you are looking at your great-uncle Jody's old shape-sorter. Anyone remember these?

And this swimming motion gets the most comments from your friends.

You're a joy to be with, we couldn't love you any more than we do at this very moment.

Happy half-Birthday Claire!

And SURPRISE!

Vanessa, you're the winner of the Creative Spaces book. Please email me at april@studiocalico.com to claim your prize.
Vanessa said...

Oh yay! I'll have to pick up a copy! Can't wait to see your space :)

May 9, 2011 3:31 PM

Creative Spaces!!!

2011-05-09T09:10:00.003-05:00

I was so flattered to be chosen to be a part of this Creating Keepsakes special issue. It's all about making a place to create in your home. I love that it's not just about scrapbooking because I use my creative space for so much more: gift-wrapping, quilting (okay, so I've only made one quilt), cardmaking, hiding from Claire....you get the idea.

Even if you don't have a space to make an entire room, there's plenty of ideas in here for small cubbies and other neat storage ideas. The folks at CK really pulled out all the stops on this issue, the art inside is gorgeous and the rooms they chose are so different. I was left thinking "I wish I had thought of that!" even though my room was featured.

So, hop on over and get your copy now. There's no time like the present because CK is offering FREE SHIPPING (enter code: SPACESBB at checkout) until May 27. I will remember that because it's the day before my 10th wedding anniversary (insert wink to Greg here).

If you're still not convinced, there's a sneak peek that will surely push you over the edge.

As if that wasn't enough, CK is letting me give a copy away to one of my blog readers. Just leave a comment here for a chance to win. I'll leave this post open until Friday. Good luck!

eater

2011-05-05T09:47:00.001-05:00

She's really a neat eater, we just messed her up for the photo.

FYI: Sweet Potatoes MUST be paired with prunes. 2 starches are not an option at our house.

Cowlick Title Tutorial

2011-04-20T23:00:00.000-05:00

I've received several questions on how I created this title for a layout I made for the Studio Calico booth.

It was so easy and simple, you'll be kicking yourself once you see how I made it.

First, I cut each letter with my Slice die-cut machine.

On the white cardstock, I discarded the "C" you would normally keep and used the negative image.

I cut around that, leaving about 1/8".

Then, I used my favorite glue pen to adhere the cardstock to the patterned paper (in my actual layout it was the reverse: patterned paper onto cardstock, but you get the idea).

And, I cut around that, leaving no excess.

Once I had all my letters, I spaced them appropriately on my layout and adhered them together, then used foam dots to give some dimension.

See, like I said, simple and easy and you can do it with any shape!

sticky feet

2011-04-19T23:00:00.002-05:00

As long as I can remember, I've commented on how sweaty Claire's feet are.

At first, I thought it was just a newborn thing, but now I'm getting a tad concerned we may have to buy stock in Gold Bond Powder.

Yes, these feet (including that oddly-shaped big toe...I don't know how on earth can a toe have a bad "angle", but your's does), are long and sticky. Claire's toes are more like fingers and add some stickiness to them and she can grab anything.
They've picked up rags and they attract dust and especially my hair, even when it's connected to my head! ouch.

But, I love these feet. I kiss them and smooch them and give them zerbers.

And Claire loves them too. She's obsessed actually and I think it's the cutest thing ever.

Blog Hop winner + questions answered

2011-04-18T23:00:00.000-05:00

Thanks for all the wonderful comments on the SC blog hop! I loved reading about your grandmas. The winner of the wood veneer hearts is:

sarah said...: sadly i lost them in my early 20s...but i called both lovely women, grandma.

thanks for the chance + the fun 'hop'!

Now for your questions:

Was your house featured in BHG?
There's been several comments about my house being in Better Homes & Gardens and I wanted to clarify. My house hasn't been and isn't on any agenda that I'm aware of to appear in BHG. I love BHG and Country Living and lots of other house magazines and that's where I've gotten lots of my decorating ideas, but they haven't asked to feature our house. That would be awesome, though! If you want to see all of my house posts, here they are.

Why did I choose Fuzzi Bunz diapers as opposed to other cloth diapers?
Honestly, I didn't do any extensive research on cloth diapers. Greg and I are both the type of people to ask for recommendations and borrow from others' expertise. When we go to restaurants, Greg ALWAYS asks the server, "What's your favorite thing on the menu?" then orders that dish. The same was true for me with Fuzzi Bunz, except I asked my IVF nurse which brand she used. She had originally purchased bumgenius for her son, but the velcro broke down within the first year even when she washed it according to the specifications. Also, she informed me she liked the concept of the snaps better because as kids gain dexterity, it's easier for them to pull off the velcro and run wild and naked than it is with the snaps. I concur, and since this is Greg's child we're talking about, I wanted to offset my risk.

I did neglect to mention that we chose the one-size diaper so it is adjustable. They're a couple dollars more than the others, but I think it's worth it considering she started wearing them at 2 months and will continue wearing them until she potty trains.

Is it difficult to stick with cloth diapers?
Absolutely not! But, you're asking someone who doesn't mind laundry. I'm the type of person that once I set my mind on something (and this was a $450 investment, so money was riding on this deal, too), I'm going to do it. I like her diapers and they fit our lifestyle well, but like I said, they're not for everyone. I certainly wouldn't advise anyone to spend money on them unless they are 100% sure of the commitment.

And last, I want to leave you with this. I was thinking about that moment while riding home from church this week and started laughing out loud. It's been awhile since Greg's done anything like that, so I had to dig in my brain archives to get a laugh this week.

5 months

2011-04-17T20:50:00.002-05:00

At 5 months, you still have those gorgeous blue eyes. The doctor says they can change up until 9 months, but I'm betting they'll stay.

You are so much more expressive and talkative. You were gabbing about something in the photo above. I love hearing your sweet voice, even when it's high and shrill and incessant.
Your push-up is so high. Even Angela, our photographer, commented on it. She was happy you made it easy to take photos. I can't wait to see the photos she took!

Did I mention you are such a happy baby at this point? It's like you've figured life out now. You understand your schedule and like to stick to it. You've started on some solid foods. After having rice mess up your digestive system (read: lots of green poo round the clock), we're now stable on oatmeal and you love squash, although your first solid was avocado.

The week you've changed more than any other 7 day period. After learning to roll from tummy to back, it took you a month to go the other direction. But, once you learned that this week, you connected the dots and now have a form of transportation. You roll and scoot and can get to almost anything you want.
You're so much more aware of your surroundings. You love petting your dogs and they love playing with you, too. Addy nestled up beside you and pretended you were taking her bone and you thought it was the funniest thing ever. Already you're understanding games more than Jett! But, both of you understand kisses as witnessed above.

This is such a fun age and I'm enjoying it immensely. Just when I think it can't get any better, the next stage is just as fun if not more so as the previous.

fuzzi bunz

2011-04-15T23:00:00.000-05:00

One decision we made even before I got pregnant was that we would use cloth diapers. At the time, these were the factors that played into our decision:

Over time, they are less expensive than disposables. I'm not going to lie, this is the MAIN reason we chose cloth.
Supposedly children with cloth diapers potty train earlier than those with disposables because they feel the wetness.
I could get a plain white diaper without Elmo on it. I kid you not, this did actually help me make the decision. What 3-month-old is even aware of a muppet on their diaper? I continue my campaign for plain, solid infant wear.

After choosing cloth and using them, here's the reasons I would continue:

Convenience: I never worry about having to run to the store for diapers or order them online. I keep her size of disposables on hand in case we need them, but usually we end up the last week that they will possibly fit her, running through them.
Comfort: After feeling how soft the fabric is on her fuzzi bunz, I know they have to feel better on her skin than disposable.
The don't leak. When she has worn disposables, lots of times, she's blown out the top of them. That's never happened with the cloth diapers. Once she blew through a leg, however.

I'm not hard-core about cloth. Everyone should make the decision that's right for their family, but I'm happy this option was available to us.

Doesn't this look like a satisfied baby?

Lawn Party sneaks!

2011-04-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

Lots going on here, scrapwise. I've been cutting & pasting up a storm here this weekend.

I can honestly say it's been longer than I can remember that I've scrapped 5 layouts in 2 days. As in, I haven't set aside any time in particular, but just grabbing a few minutes here and there, so I'm proud I've been able to do that.

What I'm not so proud of is that my scraproom is in SHAMBLES.
I can't show you the photos because my pre-devastation room is going to be in a special edition of Creating Keepsakes, but I can describe it.

Picture 8-foot open shelving on the back wall. 3 rows of that with baskets, vintage lockers, suitcases, and glass jars all stacked up above a unit that held my sewing machine, typewriter and mists.

Now picture the top shelf pulling out from the wall and landing on the 2nd shelf, then that one pulling out and landing on the 3rd, which pulled out as well and landed on my sewing machine, typewriter and mists.

yeah.

not pretty.

That event took place in about a half-second and made such a loud noise. Claire was down for the night and shockingly did not wake up so I had two full hours to clean up glass and the rest of the mess.

I know you're all jealous you didn't spend your Saturday night like I did.

So, that explains why one of my sneaks doesn't have a single stitch on it since my whole room is dismantled right now.

The following 2 sneaks were made using the main kit (LAWN PARTY), PINK LEMONADE, & PAPER LANTERNS.

This layout was one I scraplifted from Amy Tan, and it's my favorite layout this month. Actually, it's my favorite layout in a long time. She is so clever and I can envision using this idea for lots of other layouts and themes. I was proud of myself for making it entirely with the main kit + a couple shop items (white gel pen & white zing)

You'll definitely want to get the main kit this month because there's some exclusive alphas by Basic Grey in the best color ever. The design team has already been emailing me asking for extras...so you better hurry!

The add-ons will go on sale to subscribers at 12:00noon EST 4/27, and all kits to everyone else at 12:00midnight EST. Don't forget, if you haven't subscribed yet, you can do so now, just email waitinglist@studiocalico.com for more information.

Studio Calico Blog Hop

2011-04-13T23:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the Studio Calico blog hop.

We're celebrating State Fair and Countryside being added to the online shop. Most of you have had the opportunity now to purchase it from your local scrapbook store or favorite online retailer, and now we're happy to provide some additional inspiration.

A fun layout I made using an old photo from my trip to Texas before Claire was born. This was the trip my feet swelled so big and never went down....well, they went down about a week after her birth, but it seemed like forEVER.

And, just a quick tutorial for creating those open scalloped circles.

Choose 2 circle punches, one slightly larger than the other.

Punch the smaller first.

Then, turn the larger upside down and center over the window.

To glue, I used the Martha Stewart glue pen and one of the punched circles as a guide.

Circle punches are some of my favorite tools, but one of my favorite items on this layout is the Heart Veneer, which I will give to one of my blog readers. To win, simply leave a comment here letting me know what you call your grandma. Winner will be posted on April 18.

Your next stop....the amazing Celine Navarro.

And if you lose your way, you can always use the designer links to the left on my blog or on the SC blog (to the right).

Claire's newborn photos

2011-04-11T23:00:00.000-05:00

Before I became pregnant with Claire, I knew I wanted to find a spectacular photographer to document her growth during her first year. Since my life is spent on the internet and I believe anything worth having should be bought online and shipped to my door, I turned to my trusty friend, Google.

I also looked at some of my favorite photographers' blogs. Knowing I couldn't afford travel for them to come, I looked at photographers they had linked.

The name, Angela Crutcher kept popping up and I would visit her site each time. The more I saw it, the more I fell in love. She has a way of posing newborns that make them look so precious. She has a way of catching the sparkle in their eyes and the emotion of their parents. Her photos are so crisp, clear, and timeless.

Because of that, she was an obvious choice. If you're in the Nashville area and think you can't afford her, think again. Like her on facebook and sign up for her newsletter. She'll send a deal you can't refuse, then you'll be hooked. After that, I promise you'll pawn anything to have her come take photos of your kids because they are precious moments she'll document that only come once.

You can see more from Claire's newborn session here.

Thanks Angela for a fantastic session and here's to another on Tuesday!

Our House

2011-04-11T14:22:00.002-05:00

Several of my readers have asked me to link my house posts all in one place. I thought that was a great idea, so here goes.

thank you's & birth announcements

2011-04-10T21:35:00.002-05:00

After choosing Claire's thank you notes and birth announcements, I think my love affair with gray is official.

I'm sure lots of boy-mommas out there are cringing at me choosing gray for a girl when I could have chosen pink, but with a middle name like "thomas" it'll be hard for Claire to be a pink gal. So, I started her off right:

by Vermillion Star Press

by Minted

master bedroom & bath

2011-04-09T21:10:00.000-05:00

I realized I haven't posted photos of the master bedroom and bath at our remodeled farmhouse. We didn't make and structural change to the bedroom, but the bathroom was a different story.

This is the area to the right you see when you enter the bathroom. It used to be the closet.
My sink above.
Greg's sink below.

And to the front. There's a door to the right that goes into the new master closet.
You see the door in the mirror, and that's the bedroom door.

Now to the bedroom.

I kept this fixture from our last house because they were going to replace it with a ceiling fan.

I still owe you a few things on my blog that I have planned in the upcoming weeks:

A post with links to all the house posts
Tutorial on using paperback books as decoration
Tutorial on jumping photos (this one will be fun!)
Tutorial on my Cowlick title
Claire's birth announcements & thank-you notes
Claire's newborn photos
Claire's 5-month photos
A couple cute Claire videos

I'll be working on these, but if I've left anything off, let me know.

we had to do it

2011-04-08T21:28:00.000-05:00

What's a visit with Kelly like without a jumping photo?

Look at our hops :)

It's all about the camera angle.

turkey parade

2011-04-07T21:16:00.002-05:00

Twas the day before KP came and what did I see?
Lots of creatures were stirring, yes even turkeys!

The feeder was full and the turkeys they made,
Lots of gobbles and noise while all on parade.

KP was nestled all snug on her flight
While visions of farm life danced in my sight.

KP in jCrew and they in the dew
spread their feathers while our cows went "moomoo"

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window, I flew like a flash
Picked up my camera, and took pictures of these silly turkeys trying to mate in my backyard, so when Kelly came I could show her what she is missing with her big city life.

Hope you enjoyed my take at classic poetry. You can all see now why I was not an English major.

morning daddy time

2011-03-30T19:58:00.002-05:00

One trait Claire got from her daddy is that she's grumpy when she wakes up, and it takes her a little bit of lounging around before she's ready to start her day. Food helps, too.

Notice the one leg out of the sleeper. I only have 2 that zip up and have resorted to alternating nights with those because the snaps are too easy for her to get a leg out.

chew chew chew gnaw and chew some more

2011-03-28T17:00:00.000-05:00

If it's not her fingers....

It's one of her favorite teethers.

Sophie the Giraffe. Yes, she's pricey, but it's less expensive if you add up all the $3-5 teethers that you're not going to buy because your baby doesn't care a thing about them and only wants this one.

Marina the Mermaid. This is her favorite toy OF.ALL.TIME. If you have a girl, you need this toy. It has seriously kept her occupied for about 90% of her awake time since she was about 2 weeks old. Now, she loves chewing on her tail and the green piece is a seahorse shape that doubles as a teether.

And, now just some random photos that make me happy.

This is Claire's best angle.
Yes, even at a young age, you need to know your angle and how to catch the light. Just ask Tyra.

awww...a cute chubby hand.

Something to remember: Messy hair that hasn't been washed in about 3 days photographs just fine.

Headband by littletownboutique. I love this shop and the owner is so nice. Proud to say I found it before seeing her on the front page of etsy the other day.

new happenings.

2011-03-27T20:44:00.002-05:00

Why didn't someone warn me that she'd grow up too fast?

Wait...they did. Lots of people did. And you know what, they were right.

It seems like just yesterday she was a tiny baby and today she's practically asking for her driver's license.

Not quite, but she has started doing this:

In massive amounts.

It's epic the amount of drool she produces.

SUPERBABYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!

This was a move I used to do in Pilates class, but I usually didn't have a smile on my face when it was me strengthening my core.

She's a master at tummy time now. Lots of times when she's fussy, all I have to do is lay her on her belly and she's perfectly content.

Almost a wardrobe malfunction there.

We're just enjoying life and hanging on to every coo, gargle and shreek that comes out of her cute mouth. Who knew having a kid would be this fantastic?

(Thanks to Aunt KP for teaching me how to batch resize on PSE. My life is much simpler and you all will be seeing many more photos on my blog because of it!)

1000 times

2011-03-25T17:36:00.000-05:00

If you kiss Claire's neck 1000 times, she wouldn't get bored with it.

It's a good thing because I could literally kiss it 1000 times.

And I could watch her daddy kiss her 1000 times as well. Just melts my heart.

Sketchbook 3 Winner

2011-03-24T17:55:00.001-05:00

And the winner of the Sketchbook 3 class is..............

Rebecca said...: I have taken classes through Jessica Sprague and Big Picture Classes. I am taking "Finding Your Way" right now, and I am really enjoying it.

Kelly's class looks awesome! I would love to win a spot!; March 21, 2011 9:33 PM

Please send an email to april@studiocalico.com to claim your prize.

sneak peeks

2011-03-24T14:26:00.002-05:00

Wow, I'm late this month posting my sneaks and I've only got 3 for you. I wanted to do sooooooooo much more with this kit because it's one of my favorites in a long time, but I just didn't have the bandwidth this month.

"bandwidth" - that's a Greg-term. Doesn't it sound so corporate?

This sneak uses 100% the main kit: SINGIN' IN THE RAIN. If you're not signed up to get this, we again expect it to sell out. Hopefully not as fast as the main kits have in the last couple months, but you never know. Trust me, you don't want to miss out and as it has papers that are exclusive from Studio Calico AND Cosmo Cricket. Isn't that exciting?

So, email waitinglist@studiocalico.com if you want to start your subscription with this kit. Christine will set you up right, I'm sure. Then, on the 27th, you'll get to order add-ons early, which you can see in the sneaks below.

This sneak uses the main kit + Make 'em Laugh + Tap Dance.

And, this one uses Moses Supposes + the main kit. I think this is my favorite layout this month, although it's kind of a toss up between this one and the first sneak I showed. Both have Claire pictures, so they're obviously cute!

Best wishes and fast fingers on getting the add-ons you want this month!

sketchbook 3

2011-03-21T12:07:00.002-05:00

I'm incredibly excited to participate with Kelly's new Sketchbook 3 class. I've already gotten my sketch to work on and am itching to create. There's so many amazingly talented scrapbookers and cardmakers in this bunch that it'll be well worth your money to sign up. I'm sure of it.

You can find all the information you need here, but in the meantime, Kelly is letting me give away a spot to one of my blog readers. Just leave me a comment here letting me know if you've ever taken an online class and if so, which was your favorite.

Some additional info:

Join Kelly Purkey and friends for Sketchbook 3! This is a self-paced four week class filled with fresh sketches, easy instructions, beautiful examples, and lots of fun. From April 4th to April 29th a PDF will be delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. By the end of the class, you'll have a complete sketchbook of 12 original sketches, 38 layouts, and an additional 38 sketches based on those creative pages. All of the examples are brand new layouts, exclusive to this class... you won't see them anywhere else. The best part is that you will be receiving an example layout from Kelly for each of the sketches, along with two (or more) example layouts from a very talented contributor. Each PDF for Sketchbook 3 will also include a card designed by the amazing Jennifer McGuire based on the daily sketch.

The class will also include a private message board for questions and sharing ideas on the Studio Calico website. Visit Kelly's blog (http://www.kellypurkey.typepad.com) for more information and to see the full list of contributors.

determined

2011-03-16T23:59:00.002-05:00

This is probably another one of those don't-judge-me posts, but hey, why not? I'm on a roll.

I'm determined that Claire will like animals. Specifically dogs. Next cows. But, I don't want her to get too attached to them in case we need to eat one.

Addy: Yes mommy. Please tell me exactly what you would like me to do and I will pose for you.
Claire: These round things...could they be EYEBALLS???? I like eyeballs. Hmm...no, definitely not eyeballs.
Jett: Doh. I'll do every trick in the book and hope I get something right and end up at the treat jar.

From the time we brought Claire home from the hospital, we've allowed the dogs almost 100% (supervised) access to her. They can sniff her, nuzzle her, lay next to her, as much as they want.

Sometimes that means an occasional lick takes place, which causes Claire to bat her eyes and open her mouth wider, which incites more licking, to which I have to step in.

Already, I can tell they love her so much. All my worries about them being jealous of her have flown out the window. They care for her and protect her. When she cries, it bothers them (probably more than it does me...).

I love that I can measure her growth next to them. I just wish I could get all 3 of them to stay still long enough for the shutter to close. Any tips there?

4 months

2011-03-14T10:00:00.000-05:00

I said "good morning" to my 4-month-old precious girl and thought about how I want to press the pause button and make this wonderful experience as a mommy slow down.

I mean, look at THAT face!

Why can't she stay this way forever?

And while I was talking to her, she rolled over and I thought, "hmmmm did she hit puberty already?"

This photo makes me laugh so hard.

At 4 months, Claire enjoys chewing on her fingers, and occasionally gagging herself.

She's started sleeping with a little blanket and loves wadding it up and burying her head in it while going to sleep at night. I'm trying to keep her from getting attached to just one, so we have 3 we rotate.

She's been consistently sleeping through the night, but this past week has stretched that to 12 hours. And, before you comment on how lucky I am, let me say, I've worked HARD for that. And, I'm sure there's some luck in there, too.

She's mastered the push-up and is rolling over occasionally.

She loves to "fly" and do anything that involves motion.

And, she's loved more than ever.

is she breathing under there?

2011-03-13T19:56:00.005-05:00

This is the photo I received via text from Greg.

p
a
n
i
c
!
!
!

Let's just say it's a good thing we have a video monitor. It paid off.

ETA: We're good parents and she was being supervised. Just thought I'd add that.
After reading (and deleting) some of the comments, I think some must think we allow Claire to sleep this way. We don't. I repeat, she was being supervised. She wasn't in danger and I know the guidelines for what to put in a baby's bed.

one year ago, today

2011-03-11T22:29:00.003-06:00

I found out I was pregnant with this cute baby.

I remember clearly, but read my earlier post anyway, just for the fun of it. I didn't want to wait until Greg's birthday (3/12) to find out, which is when our beta test was scheduled. I was terrified it would be bad news and ruin his birthday, so I tested myself a day early and thankfully it was good news.

It's strange how I can still remember how scared I was taking that pregnancy test. I remember sitting there shaking in fear.

What a difference a year makes, though. Today I got to hold and kiss and wipe slobber off our cute baby.

And tomorrow? Well, Greg gets to celebrate his first birthday as a daddy. What a precious gift that is...and totally makes up for the fact that I haven't bought him a thing.

march sneaks

2011-02-23T18:12:00.002-06:00

At this point, I'm so happy to have completed 3 layouts for the March gallery. I like having deadlines and goals each much, yet there's so much I want to document for Claire. But so little time to do it in. Such is life.

I love this layout mainly because of the title. Claire was born on November 12, 2010. Love that. I made the layout above with the main kit plus Mossy Knoll.

Another Claire layout, this one made entirely with the main kit.

Lastly, another Claire layout made with the Wildflower add-on, worn lipstick ink, and Mister Huey White.

Kits go on sale for subscribers at noon on Sunday. Be quick!

has it really been 3 months already?

2011-02-12T21:51:00.005-06:00

You have changed sooooooooooo much since you were born.

Mainly in the cheek area.

I love how you've filled out and have such squishy cheeks and have kept those gorgeous blue eyes. Today, you weighed in at 12 lbs and measured 23.75". I had asked the doctor at your last appointment if you were gaining weight too fast. He said you were at a good weight, you just needed to double your birth weigh by 6 months.

Gulp.

I said, "Well she's almost there now!"

He assuaged my worries by telling me you were small at birth so it's just fine that you've gained what you have. Whew!

You have your daddy's long eyelashes and your mommy's funky eyebrows.

I'm sorry. Didn't mean to pass that along, but I'm afraid I have.
I'll purchase a good pair of tweezers for you tomorrow.

We still can't find socks that fit your feet AND stay on.

Attention Entrepreneurs: There is a market for cute socks that stay on infants' wiggly feet.

You are obsessed with your hands. They stay near your mouth most of the time (so hand-kissers, stay away from Claire please!). You study them and lick them.

You are obsessed with your mermaid toy and have become so much more verbal towards toys and people. When you're awake, you can be heard cooing and gooing almost constantly. I love hearing your sweet voice.

I can't believe how quickly these 3 months have passed and like Stephanie, I'm trying to enjoy "it" and soak everything in.

Also, I'm trying not to buy every cute hairband I find. THAT's the difficult part of having a girl for sure!

1st stop

2011-01-24T09:00:00.004-06:00

eta: And the winner of the new label stickers is.................

Robin said...: love the cowlick title and those little cows all over--cute!; January 24, 2011 11:56 AM

Robin, please send me an email april@studiocalico.com to claim your prize.

Welcome to the first stop along the Studio Calico CHA Winter 2011 Blog Hop. We're going in alphabetical order from one designer to the next and I happen to be first. In school, I was April Alexander and was always second behind my sister, Amber until Neely Abell came along and bumped me to third place. That name always put me in the front of the class in assigned seating, the front of the line to the bathroom, and first to the cafeteria. Served me well for lots of years.

Too long of a story for this blog hop. One of my favorite products in our release is these label stickers. Yes, they're simple, but versatile and I get to give away a set of all 3 colors to one lucky winner. Just read through this post and comment at the end and go to the next person on the hop for a chance to win another product. Fun, huh?

I used the cream and blue version of these stickers on the Cowlick layout below.

I also used several papers from the Countryside release, a border punch (which is back in stock!) a white gel pen, black pen, and some of the More Color from January's kit. The colors just worked so well with this release.

On my next layout, I used one of my favorite papers from Countryside (that red gingham) along with the State Fair papers.

I was so happy with the way this SUPER CLAIRE layout turned out. Don't you love it when an idea in your head works out on paper?

The journaling reads:
Fighting frowns and general crankiness one grin at a time. Super Claire comes equipped with goos, coos, and winks to combat the worst of scenarios. Warning: spit-up has been known to accompany some crime-fighting situations and poo occurs almost hourly so a change in super-suit is almost always needed. No batteries necessary. Stays charged all night.
Now on to the next stop, my friend in France: Celine Navarro.

If you lose your place along the way, you can always go back to the Studio Calico blog and click on the designers' links in the side bar.

Don't forget to leave a comment here. Say anything you'd like for a chance to win those label stickers. Comments will be closed on Wednesday 12:00am EST and a winner announced shortly thereafter.

who's toy is it anyway?

2011-01-20T10:53:00.002-06:00

We're in the midst of CHA-hecticness. For my non-scrapbooking friends, CHA is the trade show where we exhibit to other retailers. We attend this show as both buyers (for the kit division) and exhibitors (for the wholesale division). This show was hectic enough when we were buyers only, now adding a dual role last year, plus the bundle of joy you see above this year, it's going to be a crazy trip. Then add a 2-day stop in Texas on the way back for Claire to meet her great-grandmothers and well, you can see why I haven't been blogging lately.

Once things return to normal, I promise to return with more amazing videos like the one above. I know you're waiting with baited breath.

2 months

2011-01-14T21:04:00.003-06:00

I can hardly believe how much our little girl has changed in just a month. She's making eye contact so much better and there's lots of coos and goos exchanged throughout the day. She interacts with her toys now and pulls on them, moves them, talks to them. She REALLY likes a mermaid toy and even chose it after I held 4 different ones up for her...very drawn to that one.

She does that cute laugh where she's smiling then sucks in air from the room making a sort of hiccup sound. LOVE that!

She almost has a daily routine and is working hard to space her daytime feedings to 4 hours. It's tough and we usually don't make it the full 4 hours, but we try anyway! Best of all, she's consistent at sleeping at least 8 hours straight at night. At 2 months exactly, she slept 9 hours and the next night, 9:45. That made her mommy VERY happy.

She still has gorgeous blue eyes, but not nearly as much hair as she used to. All that routine-business is stressing her out!

Just when I thought being Claire's mommy couldn't get any better than it was at one month, she proved me wrong. The more I get to know her, the more I love her.

february sneaks

2011-01-13T23:00:00.000-06:00

I was thrilled with Crate's designs this month. So fun and easy to use. I just loved that they reinvented some of their classic designs to match our color palette this month. I hope you love them, too.

This month, my layouts just fell together. Really. I did 3 layouts in under 3 hours, and I'm itching to do more, if I can find the time before CHA. Those Sassafras alphas made it on all 3 of my layouts and are definitely a staple in my scraproom.

This layout used the Pulled Taffy & More Color as well as the XL and L Cloud punches. Those punches are a must this month. Can you see why in the sneak below?

I asked Lorie which layout was her favorite this month and she loved this one (above). This one was made with a combination of the main kit CANDY SHOPPE and PULLED TAFFY.

And my favorite is this pink one. And, I'm not even a "pink" kind of gal. Made with the LOLLIPOP add-on and the main kit, CANDY SHOPPE. I also added some foam dots in there as well.

I can't wait to share the full versions this time. Lots of Claire photos here, I promise!

attack of the farm animals

2011-01-13T06:00:00.001-06:00

Claire is really trying to figure out what makes her toys move on her play gym. She usually starts to fuss when they don't move, and fussing involves flailing arms, which usually inadvertently smack a cow or chicken, hence making them move. So, I really think she thinks they move when she fusses. But in this instance, no fussing was involved and boy did they take action!

Yes, this is humor in my house.

bath time = daddy time

2011-01-12T06:00:00.001-06:00

We're settling into a nice routine around here which includes a night-time bath ritual.

Claire loves it.

"Love" may not adequately describe her passion for the bath. She could be screaming and we walk into the laundry room and she knows. The laundry-room sink is her perfect tub. Her little seat fits perfectly (this is the seat I referred to with the ugly motif in my FB post earlier this week, hence the reason these photos are in B&W).

Greg has taken over this duty to give me a 30 minute break and give him a fun activity to do with Claire. It's their daddy-daughter bonding time and it's hilarious most nights. Yes, they've had bubbles in the tub (you know which end), pee in the tub, LOTS of poo in the tub.

But most importantly, there's been fun in the tub. She loves splashing and relaxing and having water poured on her. Greg likes letting her float and spraying her with the faucet.

They have a big time, while I have a break...which usually entails folding clothes and stuffing diapers. But hey, I like getting my work done.

She's officially 2 months old today, so I'll have more photos to share later.

Claire's a big sister now!

2011-01-11T20:52:00.002-06:00

It's official, Claire's not the baby in the family any more.

lately

2010-12-26T20:07:00.003-06:00

Lately, Claire has been spending some time in her play gym.

The cow is a particular favorite.

Probably because of the black and white contrast, but we'll let her daddy think she's already contemplating farming as a career.

monkey arms

2010-12-15T04:43:00.000-06:00

One comment we're constantly hearing about Claire is how long her arms and fingers are. And truly they are a little out of proportion because her clothing fits everywhere but the sleeves are a tad short. Just a tad but it's enough to warrant a comment or two. And usually I'll retort, "yeah, we hope she grows into them one day."

I'm sure they'd make a comment about her feet too if they weren't all bundled up. But we don't mind. She is so perfect to us and her lengthened extremities just make her who she is. Plus it's fun to watch how she moves them and folds them. No trouble reaching things; that's for sure!

one month

2010-12-13T16:47:00.003-06:00

Sunday, I was officially one month old. I celebrated by:

Making funny faces while mommy was taking my pictures.

Wrinkling my forehead and exercising my facial muscles.

There was lots of arm-waving too. I have long arms, you know.

I laid around and looked at my cousins, Joseph and Joshua who came to visit me.

I looked out the window at my first snow. It was slick outside and cold, but I didn't know because I was snug as a bug inside my carseat cocoon as Daddy calls it.
I made more funny faces.

And, I melted Mommy's heart. She can't believe I'm such a big girl already.

adjusting

2010-12-13T01:42:00.001-06:00

On a positive note, the dogs don't hate Claire. They just want to be wherever she is 100% of the time.

If I'm in claire's room, they are too. Jett even followed me in the middle of the night last week.

If Claire is under a blanket, there must be room for two dogs there too.

And most definitely when she's nursing. Claire and two dogs are easy to balance on a boppy (side note: the best invention ever).

But, I'm being patient because thus far they've done nothing mean or spiteful. They've been quite cute actually. I'm pleased to say I love them more now that Claire is here than I did before. She loves looking at them and studying them if they'd stay still long enough... I just know they'll grow to be great friends one day.

tummy time

2010-12-09T20:52:00.001-06:00

Basically looks like a chicken pecking the ground. Seems so cruel yet Claire doesn't seem to mind.

Just look at those wrinkles and at only 4 weeks old.

claire's room

2010-12-09T20:44:00.003-06:00

Normally, I'm a very very organized and timely person, but with Claire's room, I just couldn't pull myself together. I had a vision for what I wanted it to be like, but it wasn't coming together.

First, her room was painted the light tan color that was the same through0ut color in our house. I actually liked the way that looked, but was wanting something a bit different. So, we changed it to yellow, which in theory sounded nice, but really it just looked very yellow once it was painted. Didn't like that at all. So, there her room sat for weeks. Complete, but yellow. I tried to talk myself into liking it, but I just wasn't.

Finally, I worked up the courage to tell Greg that I wanted it repainted. And, that I wanted it to be blue. I think he really thought I had lost my mind since it was supposed to be a room for a girl. But, he obliged and painted 3 samples of paint on the wall for me, and we finally settled on this color.

(I'll have a complete listing of my paint colors in a separate post.)

I call it "aqua" because that sounds less masculine.

The quilt was made by yours truly after following an online tutorial recommended to me by Susan Weinroth. Unfortunately, the tutorial isn't available online anymore, but I'm sure you could find one similar. I've only made 2 quilts in my lifetime and both were self-taught by following youtube videos or tutorials. The binding tutorial that I used was by Heather Bailey, but if you're like me and have never seen the concept, watch a youtube video on it first and then her instructions will make more sense.

The picture frames in the above photo are by Pottery Barn Kids and they're on sale now. I purchased all 3 sizes, and plenty of them. Then, I filled them with old dictionary pages and diecuts from the Nursery Rhyme Slice Cartridge by Making Memories.

This armoire is actually an old TV cabinet that Greg and I bought for our first apartment. We had it repainted gray and the VCR (yes, that's right) box taken out and replaced with a rod for hanging clothes. I keep her current clothes in here and the ones she'll wear later in the closet.

The dress is one of mine that my grandmother made for me when I was 3. I can't wait for Claire to be able to wear it.

This rocker is a hand-me-down from my dad's side of the family. If you could only have seen the nasty torn vinyl on it. We had it reupholstered and new cushioning added too. The fabric is a nice thick waffle-type weave and the pillow is a clearance from Pier1.

You might notice the Sassafras poster. I don't think anyone believed me 2 years ago (or was it 3?) when I saw the Life is Beautiful line at CHA and stated that I would hang this poster in my baby's room. I don't even know if I believed it myself, but the colors really did work, so we went with it!

This window overlooks the east, so there is bright sun in the morning.

The bunting was made with my leftover quilt fabric, plus a few additions. I can't say enough about the etsy seller who made it. She was wonderful to work with and did a fantastic job. She even made me a cute bib with some of the fabric. She was wonderful.

The sheers are from Restoration Hardware Kids and the rod is just a dowel painted white and Greg added an old doorknob to the end. I don't know how he did it, but he made the comment, "I could do projects like these all day long" after he was finished. So, if anyone wants a door-knob curtain rod, he's your man!

And, the most used (and abused) piece in her room...It's been peed on more than once. And just today, Greg announced that this wall was a casualty as well.

I'm officially tired so that's all I can think of posting about her room, but if you have any questions feel free to ask.

Giddy up, Claire!

2010-11-27T14:01:00.002-06:00

We're figuring out Claire's likes and dislikes while thoroughly enjoying getting to know her. We think we may have a future equestrian in the family.

blur

2010-11-24T07:33:00.004-06:00

Last week was basically a blur.

Albeit one of the best blurs of my life, it was still a blur.

Just a warning that this post contains Claire's birth story, so if you're not into that sort of thing, don't read on.

All day Thursday, November 11, I was convinced my water was breaking....a slow leak kind of thing. Finally, at 4:30 I went to the OB because I certainly didn't want to show up at the hospital and not know if it was the real deal or not. The doctor's office was a much better place to make a fool of myself. So, in I went and they did a little swab and told me I had progressed a little from my last appointment, but that my water had not broken.

From there, Greg met me in town and we went to TJMaxx to burn some time before my pedicure appointment at 6:30. After my pedi (in which I told her to definitely rub my ankles...anything to help speed labor), I picked up dinner and headed back to the farm.

Greg and I watched an episode of Big Bang Theory, then got halfway through The Mentalist when we decided it was time to get some ice cream. Greg headed downstairs with the dogs to dip it. That's when the gush happened..........

Thankfully, I was neat about the whole thing and not a drop got on anything but the pajamas I was wearing. G had to put the dipped ice cream back in the fridge to bring me some towels, but other than that, I was neat and tidy during the whole thing. So, at 10:30, we headed to the hospital, calling only my parents to make sure the dogs were taken care of that night and next morning.

So, there I was at the hospital, having contractions every 2 minutes, but nothing was too terrible and I wasn't progressing at all. I worked on the computer, read my Bible lesson, Greg snoozed....anything to pass the time.

Because my water had broken, I had to deliver Claire within 18-24 hours (hospital policy) to avoid infection. After talking to the nurse, she was convinced my water had broken much earlier with a high leak, but there wasn't enough of a sample to turn the swab at the doctor's office.

So, at 6:00 that morning, my OB wanted to start me on the dreaded pitocin. I didn't want to do it, but more than that, I didn't want a C-section, so I had to do something to make progress.

They began at 8mg and worked their way up to 22mg before the pain was so excruciating that G and I started discussing an epidural. Originally, I hadn't wanted to do it, but at 22mg, I still wasn't progressing so we went for it. Our rationale was this:

I needed to relax in order to progress, and the pitocin contractions didn't allow me a break in between to recover from the previous one. And, I really needed to make progress anyway otherwise the C-section talk would commence.
If I ended up needing a C-section, I would rather already have the epidural to avoid general anesthesia.

Almost as soon as I got the epidural, I passed out. That's one thing they didn't say in the birthing class. That thing will KNOCK. YOU. OUT. It did me anyway, so I slept for 2 hours. When I woke up, I was at 7cm and 100% effaced, which was a far cry from the "maybe 2cm" the nurse was generously giving me just before the epidural. My contractions had taken a regular pattern and I was well on my way.

Greg woke up, too and went to the cafeteria and brought his lunch back up to L&D. About that time, my mom came and we chatted for a few minutes then I asked for the nurse to check me again because I thought I needed to push. At that point, I had gone from 7cm to 10cm in 30 minutes. Greg was still calmly fixing his plate and commenting on how good his salad was.

Mom left the room and the nurse got everything ready, Greg was still munching the whole time and I was increasingly saying, "I think I need to push....Greg, tell the nurse I need to push."

When the nurse finally told me I could push, I asked where my doctor was. She told me not to worry, they don't call him until the baby crowns and there is plenty of time for him to get there. I tried to protest, but she said, "Don't worry, I've done this before."

I felt a little silly, but after one push, she was the one scrambling: "Okay, stop pushing!" She hurried to the nurses station to ask if my doctor had been called. The next 10 minutes or so was spent trying to see where he was and if he would make it to catch the baby. He arrived in a hurry and I just had to give one more push. At that point, he calmly said the cord was wrapped around her neck a couple of times, so instead of Greg cutting the cord, he did. That was fine by us as we were more than thrilled with her safe arrival.

Just to prove I'm human, I did have a couple of tears (one from each eye) when they plopped her up on my belly. There's not a word that can adequately describe that moment. We had waited so long to experience it and by far, it was worth all the pain, time, and expense to get to that moment.

This is one of my favorite photos Greg took right after birth. Claire has such long fingers and this photo looks like she's saying "Why is this happening to me?"

She was born on Friday, 11/12 and we were sent home on Sunday.

No one tell Claire her mommy put her outfit on backwards.

Meeting her siblings for the first time. (More on that later).

Then, on Tuesday, we went back for a checkup at the pediatrician. At that point, she was readmitted to the hospital because of jaundice and weight loss. I only took a few photos of this hospital stay because it was heart-wrenching...and I was busy the whole time. We had to weigh her before and after every feeding and I was pumping and adding about an ounce to her regular feedings. Luckily, I had good friends (and my husband of course) to watch Claire around the clock, though. She kept knocking those goggles off her face, so their job was to wash bottles and keep her eyes protected. She's going to write them a massive thank you note after her first eye doctor appointment, I'm sure of it.

We were dismissed the next day, but (whew!) that was a tiring event.

We're now home and happy and doing well. More updates to come.

living room

2010-11-14T23:00:00.000-06:00

This is the one room in the house that I'm still not satisfied with. There are elements that I like and elements that I don't like, but mostly I think it's just because it's a TOUGH room to decorate. The problem is that it's a long/skinny room and 3 of the 4 walls have doorways, which means basically all the furniture has to float. You'll see what I'm talking about, but first the before photos:

Trust me that the white chair here wasn't actually white. And, the leather sofas were horrendously stained. You can't see it here, so you'll just have to believe me.

Yes, they actually left that TV and VCR! Craziness. Where the TV was, we knocked out that wall to add another entrance into the kitchen.

We kept the barnwood ceiling through both the kitchen and living room. You'll notice the room is much more open and conducive for entertaining with the wall knocked out.

This is the view taken from the foyer entry into the living room. Those doors lead to the back porch.

Not sure if you can tell or not, but there's actually a double set of doors that span the back wall.

My favorite aspect of the room is the fireplace. I love that we removed the drywall (and mold that we found underneath!)

These chairs were some that Greg's parents were storing in our garage and we asked if we could have them recovered.

Books wrapped in linen along the back wall that sit on the console.

The chalkboard on the back wall was made with a leftover piece of plywood (it's smooth, so it's different than the kind you're probably thinking of) and some barnwood pieces from the barn originally on our property.

Sources:

Chairs - Found and recovered
Stool - Pottery Barn
Potted Plant - Lowes
Milk Crate - Found
Basket for logs - Can't remember, but it was a recent purchase.
Mirror - Kirkland's a long time ago. It used to be in our master bedroom.
Art on mantel - Oliver Jeffers original
Vases - Storehouse (no longer in business). These used to be in my bedroom.
Fireplace Screen - unknown, but it was a recent purchase.
Coffee Table - Found
Sofa - Pottery Barn
Pillows - Target (leather), Pottery Barn (green and yellow from a while ago), Anthropologie (varmint from a longer while ago)
Console - Restoration Hardware
Lighting - Restoration Hardware
Curtains - Anthropologie
Rug - unknown, but cheap
Wall Art Frames - Pottery Barn
Side Table - Pottery Barn from a while ago (wanting to replace it)
Hourglasses - unknown
Phone - found
Dog - not for sale

I've gotten more and more vague in my house posts as time has gone on. Sorry about that, but I figure if you have any questions, you can email or post here in the comments and I promise I'll do my best to answer.

sneak time!

2010-11-13T23:00:00.000-06:00

I'm still plugging away with this kit, so I'm hoping to have more than 3 sneaks, but Claire's arrival (or lack thereof) may influence that one way or the other.

Let's suffice it to say that my joy of creating with this kit is unlike any December kit ever. Until this year, December's kit has been so difficult to assemble and for me, difficult to create with. I felt like I was always walking a tightrope between getting the right mixture of holiday/seasonal items and non-holiday items. But, this year, it just all fell into place and came together so beautifully. There are 2 contributing factors, I believe:

Lisa and Nik helped immensely with finding fun products, especially for the add-ons, but they definitely helped steer the direction of the main kit.
Sassafras being willing to take a gamble with us for this collaboration. We love the folks there, and the designs for this kit are simply amazing. When we picked them up from the printer, they took my breath away.

So, here goes.

This layout was made entirely with the main kit, Metropolitan.
It's my favorite of the bunch.

Another layout made entirely from the main kit, Metropolitan. I was able to fit a lot of journaling on this one, which is unusual for me.

And, last but not least, a layout created with Metropolitan + Holiday Lights. This was a surprise add-on for me. I wasn't as fond of it, but then I started creating with it, and the magic happened. It coordinates so well with the main and I don't think you'll regret getting it considering the stamp in it is phenomenal.

A couple items to remember:

More Color has my favorite cardstock in it: Cinder by Bazzill. You won't want to miss out on this one, the colors in it are sooooooooo pretty.
The only way to get the special Sassafras paper is to purchase the main kit, More Patterned Paper, or SC Patterned Paper. We did run a tad extra, but I expect them to go quick.

39 weeks

2010-11-12T19:47:00.001-06:00

Claire Thomas Foster

11/12/10

1:37pm

6 lbs 11 oz

20.75” long

Everything went very smoothly, and both Claire and I are doing very well. Greg said everything went great for him, too, and we know that was of utmost importance J

Claire’s coloring is great and she has brown hair and blue eyes (for the moment). We’ve already been visited by both sets of her grandparents and her “cousin” Natalee, who said she would teach her “big girl stuff,” which I assume is all about princesses and fairies.

If all goes as planned, we’ll be home Sunday afternoon.

Thanks so much for all the prayers offered on our behalf. Now the real job begins!

mmmmmmm

2010-11-12T11:00:00.000-06:00

I made these for our Halloween party last week. One batch didn't last 10 minutes with 100 college students (even though there were 2 pans of brownies, 1 pan of homemade cookie-type brownies, and about 300 cookies).

Hands-down, this was the best dessert.

And, just so you know, it was perfect for getting cream cheese at Sam's. (Splurge and get Philadelphia since it is the main ingredient!) At Sam's you get 6 in a pack and this recipe calls for 3.

Since the first batch will be eaten so fast, you definitely want the other 3 blocks of cream cheese to make another batch just for you. This is especially true if you're 38 weeks pregnant. I mean, you don't want all that expensive cream cheese to go bad, do you? After all it is dairy and that's good for the baby.

I'm personally vouching for this recipe and I don't waste my calories on anything not worthy. Promise.

(One last thing, graham crackers or any other cookie work just fine as the crust.)

kitchen

2010-11-11T23:00:00.000-06:00

You've been asking to see the kitchen for a little while and truly it's my favorite room in the house, so I'm happy to share it with you.

But, what would the tour be without a few before photos????

Before, this was the only doorway to enter/exit the living room and kitchen. Very narrow and certainly not conducive to entertaining guests.

Also, the glass door you see on the left led out to the porch, where you had to walk outside to go inside the garage.

Remember those two things....

Another nice wall-color and window treatment. If only you could have seen all the dust/mice droppings/cobwebs, but those just don't show up in photos.

The oven and stove were original. I don't even think Habitat for Humanity wanted to take them....

That refridgerator is now at the barn, but before it could be moved, it had to be emptied. Yes, it was FULL of food....and mold. And a frozen/popped can of coke in the freezer.

Now, for the after photos which make me so happy.

The beautiful hutch/cabinet that was made for this spot. Painted "clover" by Porter Paints (I think). This sits to the right of the long wall of cabinets.

You'll notice here that we removed the upper cabinets and added more windows. This looks over the east field and it's so beautiful in the morning.

The old ovens and stovetop are gone (YAY!) making way for my best friend that would be the first item for me to carry out in case of fire. Yes, it now ranks above my wedding photos. I can't say enough about it. 6 burners + a griddle. I didn't think I'd use the smaller left oven very often, but boy was I wrong. It's wonderful. Fits a 9x13" pan and is perfect for making desserts while the other oven is cooking the main course. Plus, it's great not to have to heat up a large space for toast/bagels/waffles/you-name-it. I also love the fact that it's gas, so when it's on, it's on and when it's off, it's off.

I really could go on and on.

The harvest table is an antique.

That's the pantry door you see in the background. To the right of that is a chalkboard for grocery lists.

The chimney was always there, just under drywall, so we exposed it.

Remember the doorway that led to the living room. Well that was on the left side of the chimney and we opened it up on the right side as well.

The ceilings are reclaimed barnwood that have been white-washed. The planks came from Cumberland County, KY and the beams from a barn in Michigan.

I'm still in love with the choice of concrete for the countertops, especially now that my cute cow creamer is sitting on top of them.

This is the area that was the back porch. We enclosed it to make a breakfast area. You'll remember that door leads to the mudroom. The frames to the left hold various maps I've ripped from atlases.

Chairs from Crate & Barrel
Table from my mom (seriously we switched kitchen tables since the size of ours worked better in her house and vice versa). Originally from Storehouse furniture (now out of business)
All Lighting from Schoolhouse Electric in Oregon
Appliances by Thermador (I hate to admit it because you'll think we paid through the nose for them, but we didn't. Got about a 75% discount plus a free dishwasher that is so quiet it has a red light that shines on the floor to let you know it's running. After using the apartment dishwasher for over a year that really didn't even clean plates but sounded like a freight train, I'm even more grateful for this one.)
Faucet by Kohler
Mixer by Kitchen Aid (my other love...sigh)

Anything else you want sourcing on, let me know in the comments.

showered with words

2010-11-10T23:00:00.000-06:00

My baby shower was a dream come true.

Truly.
My hostesses (Susan, Lorie, Ashley) agreed to my hair-brained idea of having a book shower. Again, the practicality in me won out and I couldn't bear the thought of having a thousand blankets and no books. Or getting all 0-3 month clothes and nothing for 6-12 months. My mind couldn't bear the insanity of that.

Plus, I was hoping all my friends who work with children or have children of their own would choose some of their favorite books and I (oops, Claire) could benefit.

See, I'm practical.

And, I was right.

(And, please don't look too closely at the photo above. I can't stand the way I look, but I wanted my hostesses to know how much I appreciate them.)

I should also mention the invitations were beyond perfect. Not only were they cute, but the wording was so special.

They used an old cradle and some items from Claire's room for decoration at the shower.

Lorie and Ashley made all the cupcake toppers. They did raid my punch collection though :)

And, they included photos of Greg and I (thankfully they chose a photo of me pre-lazy-eye and I am eternally grateful for that act of kindness).

Lorie made a little book to write all my gifts in and some friends even wrote some advice in the back. Definitely something I'll be holding on to.

I ended the day with a car-load (no kidding!) of wonderful books and only one duplicate. They filled the shelf outside Claire's room and I'm so happy to have a collection of books ready for her before her arrival. I'll be sharing some of our favorites as we read them to her, but until then, I must tear Greg away from the Princess Book that plays "Bibbity-Bobbity-Boo."

one thing i love about our home

2010-11-09T23:00:00.000-06:00

We have LOTS of nooks and crannies to display special items to us.

This is the only photo we have of Greg's dad as a toddler. Ain't he a cutie?

And right next to a special photo, is Greg's to-do list. I'm pretty sure he's finished most of this, but has yet to erase these items, so there they remain.

Our Halloween

2010-11-08T23:00:00.000-06:00

In the afternoon on Halloween, we were visited by the Yellow Fairy.
This is a very particular type of fairy as she makes rainbows, apparently and differs GREATLY from the Purple Fairy that visited us last year.

Check out those gold shoes!

And, some wand action.

Later that night, we were visited by 100+ college students for a bonfire and hayride. I know the count only because I had 96 spoons and ran out. I also have no photos of the event as I barely survived. All our guests were very gracious and wonderful and we plan to do it again next year, but hopefully I won't be walking around with a 37 week belly and swollen feet. That would be much more enjoyable I'm sure.

38 weeks

2010-11-07T23:00:00.001-06:00

At 38 weeks + 3 days (I suppose I'm a little late on this post)

I'm more swollen than ever. I even wake up swollen. These shoes b.a.r.e.l.y made it on my feet and it took two people to get them on.
Greg was nice enough to take some photos on our way out the door to worship this morning. So grateful for that because any day now, Claire will be here and I don't want to regret not having photos of this time with her.
I finally decided I do NOT like the color of her room and it needs to be repainted. I know lots of people have been requesting photos, but you'll just have to wait now :)
Greg helped me finish some artwork for Claire's room and all her clothes and linens have been washed and put away. My part is complete.
I still haven't packed my bag for the hospital. Am I testing fate? Probably, but I really think I'll have time to get everything together. I have a mental list anyway.
Studio Calico is plugging along and I have worked through as much as I can before her due date so the business runs smoothly for at least a few days for me to take a break with Claire. I can't say enough about the wonderful people who work for SC and their willingness to pitch in and do extra work during this time.
I'm down to weekly visits at the OB, but my appointment on Friday was rescheduled because of an emergency at the hospital. I'm kind of glad because last week I reported no weight gain, and this week, I'm sure all the cheesecake squares I've been eating have caught up with me.
I've continued to maintain my luck in the stretch-mark and heartburn categories, but in the burping category, I'm a complete failure. It's terrible.
I finished all my Thank-You notes thus far and am feeling great about that. I think I'll let Greg help by taking them to the Post Office since that's my least favorite chore. He keeps asking what he can do to help, so..............
I'm hoping that I don't have a 39 week post. VERY ready for her to arrive this week.

Oh, and thanks for all the doggie-baby advice. Definitely have some plans in place now.
Kirsty, Jett is a min-pin (miniature pinscher) and very much like the breed you already have.

this fella

2010-11-01T23:00:00.000-05:00

I don't even care that this photo is out of focus.

No judging.

This little fella is going to have a tough time when Claire gets here. I'm getting a bit worried about it. You see, *he's* the baby. He would like to be held 23 hours of every day and spend the other hour chasing turkeys or eating from Greg's plate. And, the last few weeks, he's really become needy of my attention, wanting to be with me all day. Every day. Right next to me. On my lap (what's left of it that is).

I love him so much and I know that won't change post-baby, but I don't know how I can hold both he and she at the same time and get anything done throughout the day.

Now, I don't think he'll rebel and pee all over the house, or bite her or anything like that. I just think he'll act pitiful and like he's being neglected which will just tear my heart to pieces. He's got a way of doing that, that will melt a heart of stone.

Any suggestions that don't involve carrying a baby doll around? He's too smart for that.

Studio Calico - Napa Valley

2010-10-30T22:21:00.000-05:00

Again this month for my kit layouts, I was all about keeping my feet up as much as possible. I'm typically a night-scrapper, which can pose problems when you're feet are HUMONGOUS by 5:00. So, for most of these layouts, I planned them ahead in my head, then ran to my scrapbook room and scrapped each one in about 30-45 minutes.

I've been waiting to scrap this photo for a little while and when I saw the months paper whimsies in the main kit, I knew this would be the perfect layout to use them on. I wish I had taken more photos as G was putting the crib together that night, but the ones I do have, I will treasure. I just love watching him prepare for our first baby.

Another layout about G preparing for the baby. He's been reading this book about child-training for almost the entire 37 weeks I've been pregnant. It's 90 pages, so he's on pace with about 1/3 page per day, so he should finish while I'm in labor. Let's just hope that his slow pace is helping him absorb the message.

This was my favorite layout this month and was made entirely with my favorite add-on: Mendocino. I added the Circle Punch (which is sold out but being restocked) and some Antique Linen Distress ink.

This layout was made with the Sonoma add-on. I wasn't too sure I'd like this add-on when I first saw it all in one place, but I ended up liking all the elements because they're so neutral. They blended so well with the other kits, including the main, so that was helpful in putting layouts together. I've almost used all of those gems in the tape roll by Making Memories.

Last, another of my favorite layouts. This is a photo of me at about 3 years old painting our fence in Texas. My favorite part about the layout is the paintbrush stamp that's included in the Mendocino add-on. I used Stampin Up! inks on kraft cardstock, but the new Jenni Bowlin colors would work very well with this stamp. If I had them at the time I made this layout, I would have used them for sure. Oh, and don't forget to add glossy accents to your cart if you don't have any. Sometimes I forget it's a supply that I have on hand, but with this layout, it really made simple hole-punched circles stand out.

Hope you enjoyed the reveal this month at SC. Kits start shipping on the 3rd!

37 weeks

2010-10-29T23:45:00.003-05:00

At 37 weeks:

I just noticed the my belly looks pointy from above at times. Like in the photo here. I guess it depends on Claire's position and if she's sticking her hiney out. Greg says it looks like a square from the side and is taking photos of my side-view while I'm typing this, threatening to facebook it.
I haven't had a day of heartburn, but I've had about a million burps in the last hour. That seems to be the thing for me.
I still don't have stretch marks (knocking vigorously on wood here).
I didn't gain a pound this past week at the doctor and I was so happy mainly because I predicted it before I stepped onto the scale. The nurse was quite surprised (not sure if she was surprised I hadn't gained since I look enormous, or surprised that I predicted it, but I'm going with the latter).
It was time for my baby shower. More on that later, but it was FAB-U-LOUS. Swollen ankles and all.
I ordered my Thank-You cards and have lots to write. Can't wait to get them in and see them. They're super-cool if I do say so myself.
I tried to put on my wedding ring for the first time in 5 months and couldn't even get it on my pinky. I think I've swollen even more than I thought I had.
There are two more loads of laundry to do before Claire comes, plus I have to finish some artwork for her room. I plan to do that this weekend along with a Halloween party for the college kids from church. We'll see how that goes, though.
One more thing I'm proud of. Despite my insatiable thirst, my bladder is still holding on strong. I haven't once had to get up in the middle of the night for that reason. Usually, I just wake up and lay here wishing I could sleep.
And, if I must admit it, I'm a little sad that Claire will be the first grandchild on both sides, mainly because she won't have cousins. She'll just have to adopt some, I suppose.
Greg has completely cleaned out the car and says it's because I'm nesting. I don't know why he thinks that because I've always liked to organize things, but whatever the case, I didn't argue. I have a clean car!

sunday sketch at SC!

2010-10-24T23:00:00.000-05:00

If you haven't already, head over to the Studio Calico blog for a fun new sketch this week based on a layout by the hilariously funny and stunningly sentimental Laura Kurz. I loved the layout featured and am hosting the blog today. Above is a sneak of my layout based on the sketch.

happenstance

2010-10-23T23:00:00.001-05:00

We're headed to a Halloween/Fall party tonight sans bonfire. I feel so sad about the lack of fire, but we've had no rain here for so long and there's a no-burn ordinance in effect. But, we'll bundle up, head out and take a dessert to the party and have a wonderful time with lots of friends.

I decided to make Pecan Pumpkin Butter Dessert Squares after having it saved in my RSS folder for a little while. I don't really care for pumpkin, but when I saw these stacked up on Bakerella's blog, they did look scrumptious.

So, today when I realized I needed to make a dessert pronto, I went to my RSS feed and started browsing. This one popped out at me because it's so fallish, but the main ingredient is Pecan Pumpkin Butter from Williams-Sonoma (over an hour away). Thinking the jar looked familiar, I headed to my pantry and what-do-you-know, I had a jar of it! I know it's not something I would buy. Actually, I think one of my former pharma reps gifted it to me a couple years ago, either that or Greg bought it. In either case, it was still in date so the baking commenced.

And, to make up for any out-datedness, I decided to use my primo Watkins Cinnamon instead of Kroger brand.

Just to enable you, they taste as good as they look and I don't even like pumpkin.

clever

2010-10-22T23:00:00.000-05:00

Seriously?

How cool is this? I'm trying to justify getting this and hanging it by my front door. I really need to be buying baby items now....or post-pregnancy clothes but isn't this just so fun?

36 weeks

2010-10-21T23:00:00.001-05:00

Claire is moving around so much, I actually video-taped my belly this morning. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but oh well. It was less than a minute, because any more than that I felt was self-indulgent.
I'm still swelling like crazy. When I wear boots, I have to put them on right after I get out of the shower, otherwise they won't ever go on my feet. Then after wearing them a few hours, my toes are numb.
I still don't have a single stretch mark, although I almost freaked out when I woke up one morning and there was a crease on my belly. Without my contacts in, it looked like 3 humongous stretch marks on my left side.
Jett is now using my belly as a prop for his front legs so he can kiss my face.
I'm officially an insomniac. I usually wake up at 3:00am and can't go back to sleep.
I've worked ahead at Studio Calico so I won't have to worry about so much after Claire arrives. That's been my main focus lately.
I've decided drinking caffeine is okay at this point in my pregnancy. I need my Diet Dr. Pepper with Vanilla from Sonic during Happy Hour to calm my nerves. :)
Greg's getting anxious to meet Claire. He keeps saying things like, "We're having a baby!" and "Can you believe it, she'll be here in a month!"

laundry room

2010-10-20T23:00:00.000-05:00

Originally the laundry room was quite small, so this was one area we changed to give us more countertop and cabinet space.

The door you see on the left goes to the water heater. and the door on the right leads to the front porch. Already we had 6 doors leading out of the house, so we decided to get rid of that door and add a window instead. Where the door was, it was offset on the front porch, so we were able to bump out that wall and make the front of the house look completely symmetrical and give us twice the space in the laundry than was originally there.

It's difficult to see how crammed this space really was, but if the washer or dryer door was open, there was about 2-3 inches to spare before hitting the opposite wall/doorway. You might also notice that this washer/dryer is too deep for this space, meaning that this outside door is unusable.

Oh, and did I mention the house came with a bunch of stuff in it?

Even the washer and dryer were full of clothing. Yes, even the washer....ever smelled soured clothing? Well after sitting for a year, multiply the smell you know by 365. We ran several loads of ammonia through it just to get rid of the smell.

First, we removed the upper cabinets on the back wall and added open shelving.

This is a view from the base of the stairs. The dining room is on the left and the doorway past the pew on the right goes into the kitchen.

The cabinets are alder and are only poly-ed. No stain was used on these. The countertops are a stained concrete with a rounded edge. The entire wall is covered with white tile, which apparently was a chore to put up.

Globes: Various Etsy shops and flea market finds.
Milk Crate: Found
Milk Bottles: Ebay, found
Green Ampersand: Pottery Barn from a long time ago (no longer available)
Lunch Box: found
Wooden Spools: found (a good price for these is about $2 apiece at a flea market, but for more interesting ones, expect to pay $5-10)
Locker Baskets: Ebay, Etsy, found
Chalkboard: Found (ThreePotatoFour had this exact one on sale for $110. I paid $5 for mine!)
Brown Baskets: Basket Lady (If you're looking for nice baskets, really this site is awesome. I can't speak enough of the quality.)

Greg made the shelves from thick-cut barnwood. The underside and front were left rough and the top was planed. Then, about 5 coats of poly was applied so there would be a smooth finish to set all the knick knacks on. Also, dusting the shelves would have been impossible with how rough they were before.

We relocated the washer and dryer to the left side of the room, nestled next to the door that holds the hot-water heater. To the right of the washer and dryer, is some open space, perfect for holding the dog food and an extra laundry basket.

The ironing board pulls out from one of the top drawers there on the right.

We added a sink in here as well, which is perfect for rinsing clothing, but mostly gets used when the dogs need a bath. And, Addy needed baths quite frequently there for awhile after her run in with Pepe-la-Peu.

I seriously love my laundry room and I've never been able to say that at any house I've lived in except this one.

before you

2010-10-19T23:00:00.000-05:00

One of the prompts in Claire's baby book begins "Before me....."

I really liked the idea of this prompt, but for a long time, I was stumped as to what to say or when to write it. I didn't know the approach to take. Should I write it before she is born to have the 100% accurate viewpoint of what life was like? Or, should I write if after she is born so that I could compare one stage in life to another?

I decided to go ahead and tackle it because I really don't know how much time I'll have to write after she's born, plus there's plenty of other pages to fill at that time.

Before you, your dad and I were married for 9.5 years. That's much longer than we thought we'd be married before you came along, but it's given us more time to wait, prepare, and anticipate your arrival.

Before you, your dad worked for Grainger for 10 years and has received several promotions during that time, but always chose to keep a job that brings him home at night so he would always be home to play with you in the evenings, eat dinner, and tuck you in to bed. I worked for 5 years with a pharmaceutical company, taking one promotion that kept me away 4 nights a week. During that time, we learned we would have to have fertility treatment in order to become pregnant. Since that was most important to us, I left that job to work full-time for Studio Calico. I wanted to be home every day to play with you, eat every meal with you, and tuck you into bed at night.

Before you, your dad and I traveled to many places: Egypt, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Bahamas, St. Croix, Mexico, Germany, Switzerland, France, Austria, and many cities and states in our great country. Seeing all those places is such a blessing, but it doesn't compare to the blessing you will bring to us. We can't wait for you to grow up and travel with us so you can have fun memories of times on the road as well.

Before you, we made the decision to move from the city to the country. We like the idea of you having lots of space to run and play. There's so much to do in the country, we're sure you'll have great adventures here.

Before you, we only had Addy and Jett as part of our family. They keep us entertained with all their antics. Addy loves to chase frisbee and rocks. Jett loves to be held and cuddled. Both love to chase turkeys and any wild animal....Addy even got sprayed by a skunk!

Before you, we've had a lot of experiences and learned so much. We've worked on our relationship with one another and grown closer to God. We've prepared for you to be a part of our family and are excited to meet you!

from awhile ago

2010-10-18T23:00:00.000-05:00

I recently came across this layout that I made a year or so ago. It's been awhile.

2 things surprised me.

Greg had long hair and it looks so dark!
This is a 2-page layout...a rarity for me.

I used the contents from the Playground kit (sold out long ago). That orange scalloped paper is what inspired the re-creation of the Dollhouse paper from the Home Front line, which is now on sale at SC.

paintin' the town

2010-10-17T23:00:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post to say that you really need the Mendocino add-on when it goes live at 12:00 EST (pm on the 27th for subscribers; am on the 28th for regular folks). You might also want these inks:

Chili Powder
Lemon Drops
Chicken Feed
Stick Candy
Spice Tin
Brown Sugar

Oh and a little glossy accents for good measure.....

I also used Mister Huey's Warm Calico on this sneak, which is available at LSS's and other online retailers now. It's the most perfect gray ever.