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** ** ** ** ** Edited :: Maybe you'll be able to see them now? I hope so! ** ** **
I'm headed in to a very busy weekend.
But I wanted to leave you with something to smile about ::
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This just never worked . . . another time . . . I'll get all those pictures on here for you to smile about . . . another time. :)
If you have a great pattern to follow! Like this one from Nicole Mallalieu Designs. I won a pattern during the Sew Mama Sew giveaway on the Little Munchkins blog. And I tried it out ::
I also learned how to do box corners!
Oh! And it's lined with red. (I forgot to take a pic of that.)
So, I'm making some more for my shop. I've got a pink velvet one cut out ::
And I'll be doing a few more of them in lots of fun fabrics!
I also bought some fun mini business cards from moo.com ::
I'll be tucking one in with each order!
Want your own? I have a coupon for 15% off a complete order for a new moo customer. Would you use it? I'd love to give it to someone who will use it. First person to let me know in the comments gets the coupon. If you are going to place an order with moo, I also have a free shipping code I can email to you! This free shipping works whether you have the 15% off coupon or not. How cool is that?
Things keep coming together!
I'll have another fun sneak-peek tomorrow!
And the whole reveal happens on August 7! We're getting close!
Happy Thursday!
How many of you were thinking that I am pregnant?
I'm not.
In fact, I was so tired out yesterday afternoon when I realized that's what I made some of you think, I almost started to cry. Because it is a miracle that my two kiddos and I are all here.
Because of the way things went during my two pregnancies, my doctor strongly recommended that Ben and I be content with the family that we have and not try any subsequent pregnancies. Ben and I talked it through. And prayed a lot. And decided that what we have is really good. And that we didn't want to chance a lot of hard things happening with another baby. So, we decided to be done. And most of the time I am really happy and content with our decision.
But there are days when I think that maybe we could have done it. Maybe my uterus wouldn't stop growing this time. Maybe the baby would want to stay inside until full term. Maybe I wouldn't have to be on bed-rest . . . And then I think realistically and know that if a uterus stops growing in a first pregnancy, and stops growing even earlier in a second pregnancy, it will stop growing even earlier in a third pregnancy. And I know that my doctor told me that if we were to try again, he would put me on at least partial bed-rest at 20 weeks. And then what would my other kiddos do. And who would I rely on for everything (laundry, groceries, cooking, cleaning) for 20 weeks? And would it be fair to assume that my mom or my friends would just help me. For 20 weeks. And chances are, I still wouldn't go full term. So chances are, there would be an NICU stay. Probably earlier and longer than Isaac's. So, how to care for Maddie and Isaac and spend time in an NICU (which is at least 45 minutes away from here) with a new baby?
And then I have to just let it go. And rest in the fact that Ben and I made our decision together. That we both have great peace about it. That Ben, Elizabeth, Maddie and Isaac make up a wonderful little family. That we have so much fun together. That I wouldn't change our little life for the world.
So, if you were guessing that I am pregnant, please don't feel bad. I've been thinking about sharing a bit about this here sometime. I just haven't known when I would. This was the perfect opportunity.
I love babies. Very much. I am so excited for all of you who are pregnant or who have new little ones. One of my favorite things is to kiss a baby right where their tiny eat meets their tiny cheek . . . you should kiss a baby there sometime. Such sweet softness.
So, all this baby stuff that I am showing you. Well. I have a little Etsy shop. It has been empty since just after Christmas. Part of what I am working on is filling it up. And some of what will be in there is Vintage Baby Items. Including the little planters I showed you yesterday. Also there will be some baby blankets and other bits - some vintage and some hand made by me with vintage or repurposed fabrics. It has been very fun gathering up all these baby things. And it will be even more fun to share them!
Over the next few days, I will be blogging about some of the other items that will be appearing in my shop (not all for baby. Some things for grown-ups, too!) and about when my shop will be open. Also, my appearance on another lovely blog is fast approaching . . . dun-da-da-dun! So, more bits of sunshine coming your way over the next week or so!
Ben and some guys went to practice softball the other night.
The softball field is close to a lake.
A Minnesota lake, with lots of good cat-tails all along the edge.
Maddie came running, "Mom! Come see what we found!"
I followed her.
One of the boys had a stick and was keeping
this critter from heading back into the lake.
So, I bent next to it.
The other mom who was with us sort of shreiked,
"You aren't going to pick that thing up?!?"
I did. And gave it to her boy.
He was half afraid of it, but pretty proud of himself, too.
"Is it a crab?" he asked.
"No," I told him. "It's a crayfish. But it is a crustacean.
Just like a crab. They both have shells, and pincers and live in the water."
The kids showed the crustacean to the dads.
They freaked the other mom out with it a few more times.
And had fun saying "crustacean."
Then they let it go home.
they decided they needed beards, like dad's
and they thought they were pretty funny . . .
and, since the markers were washable,
i thought so, too.
(here's the look they were going for ::
)
Did you notice that I've been doing some rearranging here on my blog? It's not quite done yet. But I am enjoying tinkering with it.
And I'm getting ready for something kinda big
It involves fabric and sewing and embroidery and vintage goodness
It involves me making an appearance on another lovely blog
And I'll be telling you more about it over the next two weeks! I'm pretty excited to see where this all goes!
Here's hoping that you all have something to smile about this morning!
while going through a box,
i found this little blue flower i had painted
and made a frame for
way back
when i was 14 or 15.
maddie really liked it
and wanted to make her own
so one day,
when we had ellie over to play,
the girls each made one.
ellie used lots of yellow in hers,
maddie used a rainbow of color
they also colored up
their popsicle sticks
and we glued them all together
what fun!
one funny july day
i moved a shelf into my living room
next to the table
for school supplies
and other pretty things
we were planning to move
ben's and my bedroom to the basement
and use our very sunny and bright bedroom
for the school / craft room
but, after the lake down there the other day
(the next day there was more water.
and the following day the sewer backed up
while my washing machine was draining.)
we decided not to move downstairs
so, we are making our very small living room
work for lots of, well, living
of course, i had to put some fun things on my shelf
:: the top picture is a dictionary i found at a rummage sale, a green glass dish from ben's oldest sister, shells my kiddos found, a bird egg i found, a bird egg maddie found, and a dragonfly isaac found
:: the second picture is an amazing piece of hardanger, made by my great grandmother (my dad's mother's mother), a green glass vase from my elderly neighbor, and a rose from my mom's garden
Rock-a-by, rock-a-by lollipop moon
the sun's gone away, and none too soon
for dreamy time flowers are waiting to bloom
so rock-a-by, rock-a-by lullaby moon
~from Carin Berger's book on my sidebar
I made up a tune, so I can sing this to my kiddos
Now he thinks he'll go to sleep
I can see the shadows creep
Over his eyes in soft eclipse,
Over his brow and over his lips,
Out to his little finger-tips
Softly sinking, down he goes
Down he goes, down he goes
See, he's hushed in sweet repose
~JGH, Cradle Song
I will lie down and sleep in peace
for You alone, O Lord,
make me to dwell in safety.
~Psalm 4:8
both my kiddos know this verse,
and we say it together if they ever wake
from a bad dream
it seems to really calm them
