we got headbands in the mail today

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

onwards and upwards

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

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

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!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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.