Dirt and Lace

Fail

dirtandlace@gmail.com (Stephanie) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:30:00 +0000

We have had some really great weather the past few days. Sunny, mild temperatures in the 60's (and 70's today!). It's been wonderful.

One of the best things about great weather is that the kids don't have to stay cooped up in the house. We have had some horrible cases of cabin fever here for the past month.

Yesterday, I let Summer and Camryn go out back to play while I cleaned up the kitchen. After a few minutes, I looked out the back door to check on them. They were over to the side of the yard, bent down digging in mud. My first reaction was to yell for them to stop.

"Girls! Get out of that mud!"

Okay, now, imagine the saddest, most dejected, yet adorable, faces you have ever seen, staring back at you.

"But Mommy..." Summer said sadly. "We love mud."

The way she said it melted my heart. Mud is some pretty cool stuff. I totally got it.

"Eh. Um. Yea. It's fun, isn't it? Okay well, um. Don't get it in your hair, okay?"

Parenting fail.

But they had a good time :)

What do you do...

dirtandlace@gmail.com (Stephanie) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:55:00 +0000

...when you are in a hospital waiting room for hours with two small children?

Build a fort!

*Joe's dad was released on Monday afternoon. He is doing great. Thanks for all the kind words and prayers!*

Watermarks

dirtandlace@gmail.com (Stephanie) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:55:00 +0000

*The first half of this post has been deleted.*

I am still wanting to do free watermarks so that you all can protect your own family photos, but am so busy I haven't gotten around to doing them for those of you that asked. I have a list somewhere of who requested a watermark, but do me a big favor and e-mail me today with the text that you want on the watermark and any font style preferences. I can also add a small graphic such as a shape to it if you want.

Example:

I will make them as I get the e-mails and get them to you immediately.

When You Least Expect It

dirtandlace@gmail.com (Stephanie) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:39:00 +0000

This is Joe's dad (also named Joe) with his three grand-kids.

Joe's dad had a heart attack on Saturday morning. At first they thought it was pretty mild, but after further testing, they found that one artery had a 100% blockage. He was rushed into surgery and had a stint inserted into the blocked artery. A second artery was 50% blocked, but they won't operate on it unless it gets worse.

He was taken into ICU and remained there until yesterday afternoon. He's in a regular room now, and should be getting discharged today or tomorrow.

We have been there most of the weekend, waiting to hear news and wanting to be there for him.

When we saw him last yesterday, he was alert and feeling alright. Besides a little nausea, he seems like he's doing pretty well.

Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers!

Olivia

dirtandlace@gmail.com (Stephanie) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:57:00 +0000

February 24th was my 23rd birthday. So old, I know. All the pictures of me blowing out my cake full of candles are on my mom's camera, but I do have some pictures of one of the guests.

My friends Audrey's daughter, aka my god-daughter, Olivia Paige...

So Wrong

dirtandlace@gmail.com (Stephanie) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 18:12:00 +0000

Place: My bathroom.

Setting: I am helping the girls get ready for bed, and Joe is sitting on the bed waiting for them to finish brushing their teeth so we can get their pajamas on.

Summer: "Mommy, I need more toothpaste!"

Me: "You have plenty. Brush your teeth, please."

Summer: "There is NOT enough toothpaste on my toothbrush!"

Me: "Yes there is. That is how much toothpaste you need to brush your teeth."

Summer: "No it's not! I need moooore!"

Me: "Summer, it is time for bed. If you want me to read you a story, then you need to hurry up. If you aren't brushing by the time I count to three, I'm going to do it for you. 1......2......"

Summer: "This is SO WRONG!"

Joe and I started laughing because we couldn't believe our 3-year-old just spoke to me like a 10-year-old drama queen, and Summer burst into tears.

"DON'T LAUGH AT ME!"

Oh my. We sure are going to have our hands full in a few years!

What you have all been waiting for...

dirtandlace@gmail.com (Stephanie) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 04:57:00 +0000

Camryn's new 'do, courtesy of her big sister.

This is kind of a bad angle, and she had her hair up in a ponytail right before I took this so it's sticking up a bit more than normal, but you can get the idea. There is definitely a party going on back there, wouldn't you say?

My baby has a mullet.

dirtandlace@gmail.com (Stephanie) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:09:00 +0000

When I got a comment asking what happened to me, I thought I should maybe write a post. Or three. Or four.

I haven't been able to blog about this yet, because I am still so upset about it, but I don't have a choice... it happened, it is a part of our history. (Don't worry, I am being slightly dramatic.)

I was folding clothes on my bed. Summer and Camryn were playing in the living room.

I went in to check on them and get ready to make dinner. Summer was sitting at the table playing with a toy and Camryn was running around. Summer pointed to a spot on the carpet and said, "Look!" I glanced over and saw a small pile of something soft and yellow. Looked a bit like a piece of a toy they had. I said, "Oh, yep," and went back to clearing off the counter. They rip things apart a lot, it wasn't anything new.

As I loaded some dishes in the dishwasher, I saw my scissors in the sink. I picked them up, and saw a bunch of hair sticking out from between the blades.

Suddenly, I realized what that pile of soft stuff had been. I ran over, and began picking up clumps of Camryn's hair off of the floor. Then, I ran over and picked Camryn up. As I examined her head, I saw lots of hair missing. Lots. She had a mullet!

Summer quickly fessed up to giving her little sister a trim. She seemed proud of herself.

I am so glad that it wasn't as bad as it could have been, and neither one of them hurt themselves with the scissors. But I am so upset that my beautiful baby girl is missing half of her hair. She was practically bald up until her 2nd birthday, and her hair had finally started to fill out. Now we're back at square one.

Luckily, most of it is still long enough to go up into a tiny ponytail, so the destruction can be hidden when we go out in public.

I guess I knew something like this was bound to happen. Who doesn't have a tale of getting their hair cut by a sibling when they were little?

Scissors are now on top of the fridge, and kids have been lectured about unauthorized hair cutting. From now on, I think we will leave it up to the professionals.

I will get a picture of her new 'do up soon, so you can get the full effect. The girls just left to spend a few hours with Grandmom so I can take a nap and fight off this cold, so I'll have to take it later. I'll just add it to this post, so check back for an update.

To All My Readers:

dirtandlace@gmail.com (Stephanie) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 05:14:00 +0000

Black and White

dirtandlace@gmail.com (Stephanie) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:56:00 +0000

Today is Black and White Wednesday, hosted by Lisa at The Long Road to China.

For the record, I am NOT skilled at making photos black and white.

But... I needed something to post today, and these pictures of Camryn playing in a box that one of our closet doors came in were perfect candidates for my black and white ~~butchery~~ transformation.

Finding a Balance

dirtandlace@gmail.com (Stephanie) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:02:00 +0000

Hey everyone :) Sorry my posts have been a bit lacking. It's a mix of not having much to post about and being busy with Dirt and Lace Designs.

I have put so much into this little business, not knowing what will happen and having pretty low expectations. I (and Joe, and my family) have been pleasantly surprised how things are turning out. It seems as though this is something I am meant to be doing at this point in my life.

I really enjoy what I do. I love the process and being able to get creative. I also love my customers! I have met so many wonderful people doing blog designs, it is the best part of the job.

Here are some of the recent designs I have completed recently Go check out their blogs and follow if you want. They are all great!

And what do you all think of the new look in here? I am SO ready for Spring, can you tell?

So... you work at home moms... please tell me you have the secret to balancing work and your mommy duties. I'm still trying to figure all of that out. Help!

*** Do me a HUGE FAVOR and vote in that poll at the top of my sidebar. I find myself questioning what I want to post about, wondering if you all would even like to read about it. So, this will help me out a lot! Thanks! ***

Cup of Toys Coffee

dirtandlace@gmail.com (Stephanie) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:38:00 +0000

There is nothing like

a warm cup of coffee

on a snowy, Winter day.

Life Lesson?

dirtandlace@gmail.com (Stephanie) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 08:19:00 +0000

Have you ever been in a public place and had a conversation in your head with yourself that goes something like this:

"Hmmm... should I pick up that National Enquirer? Maybe they have some celebrity cellulite pictures in there that will make me feel better... Ugh, why do the kids always have to grab everything off of these-"

"ACH-OOO!!"

"That lady behind me just sneezed. I should say, 'Bless you'... but what if she is satanic and doesn't appreciate being blessed?... Is it normal to bless strangers? I would appreciate it if a stranger said 'bless you' to me, but I'm not satanic.... Maybe if she is satanic and I say 'bless you', she would cry and fall down, like on those shows where the preacher walks around hitting people in the head, and they collapse on the ground. That might be kind of weird, though, in the grocery store... I guess I could just say it and hope it all goes well. She really doesn't look satanic anyway. Satanists don't generally wear flowery shirts and pretty earrings. At least not the satanists that I've seen.... I guess maybe I should just take the chance and say it, and maybe.... well darn, it's been 2 minutes since she sneezed. It wouldn't really be appropriate to say, 'Bless you!' to someone 2 minutes after they sneeze. I don't think the "better late than never" rule would apply to this situation. Oh well... next time."

Either you have this happen in your head, too, or you think I'm insane.

And for the record, because people on the net are sometimes overly sensitive, I do know the difference between Atheists and Satanists, and I'm not implying that un-religious people are evil. This was an officially recorded conversation in my head, and as much as I'd like to, I cannot control what runs through it most of the time.

So anyway... on to my point...

The previous situation happens all too often to me, and I assume to others as well. We over-think, we assume, and we don't follow our instincts. I am a polite person, so what the heck is my problem? Obviously the sneezing example could be applied elsewhere... such as when someone drops something and you pretend you don't notice because you can't decide whether to help them or not.

Like I said... WHAT IS MY PROBLEM?

I am here to say that I am on the road to recovery for my lack of decisive politeness.

Last night while we were checking out at the grocery store, there was an older lady standing behind us.

She sneezed.

I hesitated. Then I mentally smacked myself in the face, and said,

"Bless you!"

She did not cry, fall over, or throw food at me.

She smiled, and said, "Thank you!"

Whew. Lesson learned.

And this doesn't include the things we caught before they went all the way in...

dirtandlace@gmail.com (Stephanie) — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 04:01:00 +0000

Things that we have found in Camryn's nose since her birth:

carpet fibers

sweater fuzz

beans

beads

dryer lint

Play-Dough

toilet paper

rubber hair band

Surprise!

dirtandlace@gmail.com (Stephanie) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:53:00 +0000

Last night, I plugged my camera into the computer to upload the pictures I had taken over the last few days. The first pictures that popped up were some that I had never seen before.

*Sigh* What would I do without them?

p.s. - Those words on the pictures are watermarks, for those of you that asked. I have a list of the people who want them, but haven't gotten started yet. I will e-mail you all some choices soon! If you want one but haven't let me know, feel free to request one!

p.p.s. - See that graphic on my sidebar? The one with the homeless Haitians? It's the one thing I have the power to do as a broke American who feels helpless about a tragic situation. PLEASE take the code and share it!

More of our potty-training adventures.

dirtandlace@gmail.com (Stephanie) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:25:00 +0000

Twice in the last week, I have woken up with a wet leg and a naked child sleeping on top of me.

Today, I walked over to the trash can to throw something away and almost did the splits when my foot landed in a puddle. When I asked what the heck was on the floor, the response was, "pee".

They were supposed to be potty trained already. They go days at a time without an accident. Yet, I still feel like my life is being run by bodily fluids.

When will this madness end?!

So Simple a Busy Mommy Can Do It

dirtandlace@gmail.com (Stephanie) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 01:24:00 +0000

Here is another lesson in a healthy diet brought to you by moi.

A normal adult requires 500 mg of sodium per day. Sodium, in small amounts, regulates our blood pressure, helps our muscles contract, and helps balance our bodily fluids and pH levels.

You can get 500mg of sodium in 1/4 teaspoon of table salt!

Most people do not realize how much salt they consume on a daily basis. It is reported that the average American eats 4000-6000 mg of sodium per day.

Too much sodium leads to high blood pressure, which can cause heart attack, stroke, and heart failure, among other things.

In my family...

We read labels.

We try to stay away from pre-packaged foods. (You would be amazed and disgusted at how much sodium is in some of those frozen meals you are buying!)

We use sea salt instead of table salt.

We always buy the "no salt added" choice. Most canned goods have a no salt added option, as do a lot of other things these days.

Last week I accidentally bought a regular carton of chicken broth instead of the sodium-free broth. When I compared the two, I was amazed at the difference:

Making conscious choices about what foods you choose to purchase is the simplest way to a healthy diet. Anyone can easily make these choices and your body will thank you for years!

Remembering a Great Man

dirtandlace@gmail.com (Stephanie) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 17:31:00 +0000

Haiti, Watermarks, Designs, Wine, & Basketball

dirtandlace@gmail.com (Stephanie) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 06:30:00 +0000

I made a graphic for my sidebar that links to the Red Cross donation page. You can donate there, or if you want to designate your donation specifically to the Haiti earthquake, you can mail it to the address provided. Whether you donate or not, please feel free to use the code below the graphic on my sidebar to add the graphic to your blog. I just wanted to make it as easy as possible for people to make a difference, and to show their support.

I was thinking earlier about internet safety and my concerns for putting my life out there for the world. As a proud mom, it's so hard not to share my precious girls with you all. I want to continue to do so, but there's always that voice in the back of my head that wonders if it is a good idea.

One thing I have considered is watermarking all of my photos that I post. My biggest concern is that my images will be stolen and used for purposes that I do not want to think about. With a watermark or logo over part of them, it would be a lot harder for that to happen.

Because I want all of you to feel safe sharing your kids' pictures, I want to offer to do free watermarks for anyone who requests them, between now and next weekend. Use it on every picture, or only use it for certain ones. At least you will have it! Just comment here or send me an e-mail via that contact link up there if you want one.

Dirt and Lace Designs got a makeover for the new year last week. I can't decide if I like it or not... but the set-up with the drop-down menu I am liking quite a bit! I am taking orders for next week, so if you are wanting a makeover for your blog, or just a new header, e-mail me! I do quality work. And I'm nice. And I don't charge a ridiculous amount. Here are a few blogs I did recently... and I'm not sharing them to show off, I actually want you guys to go visit them because the bloggers are awesome:

I suppose while I'm here I may as well update you on my little life. I feel like I've been kind of MIA this week.

Today Joe got off work early and we went to the grocery store. Then we came home and I made black bean soup, which was delicious. Girls got baths. I drank a glass of wine.

I had to add that. I hate wine. But this wine... it was good. It made me feel like a real woman when I drank it. Because all women drink wine. Or at least all the women I know. Haha.

Tomorrow at 4pm, my Kentucky Wildcats are playing a basketball game against Auburn. My UNDEFEATED Kentucky Wildcats. Oh, how they bring me joy. You have no idea how big of a deal this is to us UK fans. We breathe college basketball here in Kentucky. Hopefully tomorrow we will continue our winning streak! Joe and I and the girls will be watching the game at my parents' house, amongst lots of good food!

Our other weekend plans consist of getting receipts together from all the improvements we have made on our house this past year, because we are going to be doing our taxes on Monday. I can't wait.... something about knowing we are going to be getting a bunch of money soon makes me really happy.

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend!

Why?

dirtandlace@gmail.com (Stephanie) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 04:55:00 +0000

As I watch the news coverage of the horrible earthquake in Haiti, "Why?" is all that I can say.

I think Haiti is the last place on earth that was prepared for this type of disaster.

The people, unsure of their future, sit among bodies and those that are severely injured and waiting on medical help that may never come.

It really makes you feel helpless, doesn't it?

I was sitting here watching the news and saw this story about a family who has an adopted daughter waiting for them in Haiti. They don't have the video up on ABC's website yet, but please read it here.

I'd like to spread the word on how to help. This is from the Red Cross website:

"Countless requests have come from people wanting to help. The best way to do that is to make a donation to the American Red Cross International Response Fund at redcross.org or by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS. Donors can designate their gifts to Haiti relief. Donations to the International Response Fund allows the American Red Cross to respond to global emergencies and disasters.

In addition, several hundred thousand people have chosen to make a mobile donation. Donors can text "Haiti" to 90999 on their cell phone to send a $10 donation to support Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti. The mobile giving effort raised more than $3 million by Thursday morning, and all money raised goes to support Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti."

I think every little bit helps in these situations. We all have to come together to help those in need. I would hope that everyone around the world would do that for me if something similar happened here.

I just texted a donation. Still feeling helpless, though.

We Have A Winner

dirtandlace@gmail.com (Stephanie) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 21:29:00 +0000

Last Monday, I did a review of a children's backpack for AllChildrensFurniture.com. Read it here.

The rep that I spoke to graciously allowed me to give away one backpack similar to the one I had received for Summer and Camryn.

I am a day late in announcing the winner, but really, with my scattered brain these days, that's not bad, right?

I had 8 entries. (8? Come on people. Do you not like free stuff?)

I listed everyone's name in the order that they commented, and got a random number from random.org.

And the winner is...

Amanda from "Popp"ing Out One Letter at a Time! Congratulations!

Thanks to all who participated :)

Supernanny, Come Visit Me!

dirtandlace@gmail.com (Stephanie) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:18:00 +0000

I had just turned off my light and fallen asleep when I was awakened by a thump on my bed. I put my hand down to see if it was the dog, the cat, or a child. Sure enough... I felt a human head. With soft, straight hair.

Camryn.

This was the third night in a row she had gotten up as soon as my light had gone off. And, just like the other two nights, when I carried her back to her room and put her in bed, she did a half whine, half cry type thing, saying she didn't want to go to sleep or stay in her room.

I told her it was bedtime, it was late and everyone else was sleeping, and that she needed to try to fall back asleep. I told her not to get up again unless she had to pee.

I go back in my room, half-asleep, and she starts to cry. Whine. Yell. Joe woke up. We had a very sluggish conversation about what we should do.

"I don't know how to handle this situation. It's not a good idea to let her get in our bed. It's not a good idea to get in her bed with her. It's not a good idea to ignore her cries either."

"Mhhhmmm."

"You know, Supernanny would just keep putting her back in bed. That's what we need to do."

"Yeahmmmm."

Meanwhile, Camryn is still whining and crying.

"Joe, You should go in there and tell her to go to sleep."

*Grumble*Yawn*

Joe got up, went in to their room for 30 seconds, and when he came out there was silence.

He got back in bed, and we both laid down and turned the light off.

Not so bad, I told myself. We can deal with whatever phase she is going through, and it won't last long if we handle it this way every time.

I fall asleep.

Joe woke me up this morning around 7am when he got up to go to work, to ask me why this was next to me:

I don't know when she got in our bed, or how she got in our bed without waking us up, but she did.

While I LOVE cuddling with my little girls and it is a wonderful feeling to have them asleep next to me, I do not want to start a habit of her sleeping in our bed every night, because that is so hard to break. A queen size bed is not big enough for two tall adults and a child.

You know those parents who you are really jealous of because their kids have slept through the night without hardly a fuss between the hours of 8pm and 8am every night since they were 7 weeks old?

That was us.

Advice?

And now, for your viewing pleasure...

dirtandlace@gmail.com (Stephanie) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:04:00 +0000

I was only going to post one video, but they are each so cute I couldn't choose which one, so here are three videos I took last night before bedtime. Enjoy.

I'm sure you've noticed, "butthead" is their new favorite word. Ugh.

My camera died at the end of that one, sorry to leave you in suspense.

My Hairiest Child

dirtandlace@gmail.com (Stephanie) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 05:25:00 +0000

Harley joined our family at 10 months old in October 2008.

I don't remember life without her.

I know my kids don't.

In our family, pets are loved and cherished.

She is always by our sides. Literally.

I forget she's around sometimes, because she is always there. Like right now... two feet away, beside my bed, snoring.

I feel lucky to have gotten such an extraordinary animal as part of our family.

Joe and I both grew up with wonderful dogs as our families' pets. We wanted that for our kids, and I think we've gotten it.

Playing in a Winter Wonderland

dirtandlace@gmail.com (Stephanie) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 04:02:00 +0000

It finally really snowed this past week. I think we got 3 inches or so. The girls wanted to go out to play in it so badly, so my mom came over and we took them outside.

We had a lot of fun, despite the wind blowing snow in our faces. We threw snowballs, and the girls made snow angels.

Harley LOVED it. She ran around as fast as she could, playing with her ball and shoving her face into the snow.