Mason's Roost

spring garland

2012-02-24T07:57:00.001-10:00

I’m sure most of you mainland folk can’t wait until it’s Spring.
Hawaii doesn’t have much of seasons, except for Summer so I like to
pretend.

Spring is next!

I bought this vase filler from Target and decided to string it up.

Some of the things in the box don’t have holes so I had to make my own
which was pretty easy.
I used a nail, hammer, and cutting board.

I used embroidery thread to string through the pieces.

I think it may be staying up way past Spring.

exploring selfishness

2012-02-22T00:00:00.000-10:00

Last week was a rough week as a mom, a person, a follower of Christ.
Last week Mason and I were sick.
Last week Mason did not sleep through the night on any night.
Last week Mason woke up at least two times in the middle of the night.
Last week Mason did not take his normally scheduled naps. Nor did he sleep as
long as he normally does.
Last week I was tired, I wanted to sleep. I had a headache; a cold.
Last week I really just wanted to browse Pinterest, create new prints, get orders
ready, sleep, eat in peace, watch Real Housewives, drink coffee without having to
reheat it.
Last week I was frustrated. After about day 5 of being frustrated with Mason not
going along with my plans and pushing the limits, I realized why I was so frustrated.

Selfishness.

I wanted this, I wanted that and when I didn’t get it, I was mad.
Sometimes I look at Mason and just can’t believe how he’s behaving but at least
he’s acting his age… unlike me.
Once I was honest with myself, I let go of the things I wanted to do and my plans.
What happened? I started enjoying Mason again, and Mason suddenly became a lot
less needy.
He didn’t need to whine to get my attention away from packing orders.
He didn’t need to touch the sewing machine to get my attention away from where
ever it was at the moment.

Once I did away with my selfishness, we both started feeling better.
We both snuggled more.
We both laughed more.
We both were less frustrated.
We were both happy again.

giveaway

2012-02-21T07:31:00.001-10:00

It’s that time again! Life Made Lovely’s monthly sponsor giveaways.
{Click the image}

fourteens

2012-02-19T23:59:00.002-10:00

{mostly} small shops

{crochet boot cuffs}

{grecian headband}

{cupcake bath fizzie}

{coffee mug & bean stamp}

{blue & mint dangle earrings}

{leather & brass bracelet}

{notebook}

{heart & arrow bracelet set}

{very berry cloth napkin}

{heart full of hope print}

{liberty of london washi tape}

{peacock feather pillow}

{paper straws with flags}

{boat pillow}

*click on text for sources.

words

2012-02-16T15:00:00.001-10:00

It has been a while since I last posted any sort of milestones for Mason.
After he turned one, I just got lazy. I know I don’t want to forget this time
in his life. I want to look back when he’s older and remember the little things.
Mason is 19 months old now. No, I don’t normally tell people he’s 19 months. I say
he’s 1 1/2 because after that keeping track of months gets a little ridiculous. I’ve
decided to document words this time around seeing how height and weight isn’t as
exciting as it use to be. I’m pretty sure there are a few I forgot.
This boy loves to talk!

chalkboard paint mug

2012-02-12T23:59:00.000-10:00

Need a last minute Valentine’s Day gift?

Paint a boring mug with chalkboard paint.

Then make coffee, fill up the mug, and deliver in bed with a sweet message.

I love coffee. I get excited at night that I’ll be drinking coffee in the morning.
I may have a major addiction.
But it’s so so good.

it’s the little things

2012-02-10T20:54:00.001-10:00

-Not running out of gas. Hello! Who does that? Me!
-Getting prints out and donating books
-Who doesn’t love a sleeping baby?
-New wreath. The fabric is actually a coral color, LOVE it!
-Finding this sweet picture of Mason on my husband’s phone (that I’ve never seen)
-Iced coffee makes any day better
-Treasures from walks on the beach
-A happy adventurist
-Beautiful weather! Warm sun, crisp air
-Growing fond of my mom’s pyrex collection that I once loathed.
There’s more where that came from.
Like 2 more cabinets full.

Linking up with Lindsay at Hello Hue.

“bless his heart”

2012-02-08T08:58:00.001-10:00

It’s that time again.
Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week. February 7-14.
Congenital heart defects are the number one birth defect.
Think about that for a second.

The leading birth defect.

The leading cause of infant death.

Nearing 40,000 babies are born with a heart defect each year.

It wasn’t until I was 30 weeks pregnant with Mason that I thought of heart defects.
I had thought about down syndrome.
If he would have all his fingers and toes.
If he would have his father’s cheeks (obviously, he does).
If he would be cute.
Never gave a thought to heart defects.

I don’t know if there is a way to prevent a heart defect. If there is, we don’t know
what it is yet.
However, there is a way to help prevent infant deaths.

Pulse oximetry screening.

Say what? A little band-aid like wrap around your infant’s hand or toe can help detect
a heart defect. Sadly, this is not part of the mandatory newborn screening.
Tragically, far too many infants go home and do not show signs of distress until it is
too late.

I wanted to know if Mason would have his father’s cheeks. So I asked my OB for a referral to do a 3d/4d ultrasound. Well, insurance won’t cover wanting to know if a
baby has big cheeks so my OB said we were concerned about weight/due date.

I was so excited.
We saw his face. His father’s cheeks.
I couldn’t wait to get out of there and text a picture to my closest friends.
Oh my gosh, I can’t believe he has the cheeks. This poor kid.

But the doctor seemed to be taking his time. Didn’t he know I had texts to send?
After a while I sarcastically said “Everything okay?” in hopes that he’d get the clue
that I was itching to get out of there.

”Well… I’m looking at the blood flow to the heart…”

And that’s how our journey with a congenital heart defect started.
Instead of sending a photo, I sent a text that read
“There’s something wrong with the baby.”

Luckily, we found out about Mason’s heart defect before he was born.
We may not have found out until he was born and we took him home. Which could
have ended very badly considering Hawaii does not have a pediatric cardio surgeon.

Thank you cheeks. I love you. You saved my baby’s life.

If you are having a baby, please request that your baby’s oxygen levels are read.
It’s totally not invasive and it could save your baby from being a statistic of the leading
cause of infant deaths.

For more info check out 1in100. If you’d like to know what states do and do not have
pulse oximetry screening as part of their newborn screen, go here. You’ll be shocked.

paper pinwheels

2012-02-06T00:00:00.000-10:00

Along with hot air balloons, I’m also currently fond of pinwheels. They’re adorable.
Another reason to have a daughter. Not that I get to pick, but I can wish.

These were very easy to make. All you need is paper, scissors, brads & a pushpin. Here we go…

Cut your paper into any size, just make sure it is square. I made 6, 4, and 2 inch squares but this
one I’m showing you is 6 inches.
Cut toward the center of your paper starting from each corner like you see below.

I used a push pin to make holes so it was easier to get the brad through the paper.

Make a hole at each corner and in the center of your paper as you see below.

Fold the corners that have the hole in them over and push the brad through. Once you have the brad through the four corners, push it through the center of your paper.

I am using these pinwheels on a wreath so I’m not going to attach them to a stick but it would be
easy to do.

joyful over books

2012-02-05T21:28:00.001-10:00

For the past four days, I have been so excited.

I didn’t want to share why until Heather at Life Made Lovely shared first.
Heather started The Joyful Life Library Project in honor of her sweet baby.

I know I’ve posted about this before but incase you’re new here, the project donates new
books to pediatric intensive care units in multiple hospitals across the country.

A few weeks ago, as I was about to purchase books for the Project, I thought

“What about Kapiolani?”

Kapiolani is the children’s hospital in Hawaii. Kapiolani serves the entire state and other
pacific islands. Mason’s second heart surgery was at Kapiolani and he spent a lot of time
recovering in the PICU there. I asked Heather how to go about getting a Library at our hospital
and after a few phone calls and some emails…

The Joyful Life Project is now sponsoring Kapiolani Children’s Hospital!!!

I couldn’t speak any more highly of Heather and the Library. What she is doing is awesome.
I think her having the strength to turn tragedy into something that blesses others is to be
admired. In order to get books on their way to the hospital as soon as possible I will be
donating one book for every print sold in the Little Light Prints shop this week (Feb 6- 13).

If you’d like to just purchase books, you can select them off the wishlist here.

diy- chalkboard table

2012-02-02T08:46:00.001-10:00

Mason loves chalk.

I mean, truly has an affection for chalk.
The first thing he does when he goes outside is grab two pieces of chalk, one for each hand.
He colors the dogs with it, he rides in his cars with it, he walks around the yard marking things,
he goes down the slide with it.

He really loves chalk.

If the chalk falls or slips down the slide he dramatically yells “gaaaaaaaawk!”
So now that you understand the role that chalk plays in Mason’s life, you’ll see why this project
was a no brainer.

My mom gave Mason this table with chairs after someone gave it to her. Eh, the table and chairs
are okay but nothing too exciting. I decided to cover it with chalkboard paint. Seriously, so easy.

I was only planning on painting the top but it looked ridiculous so I went ahead and sprayed the
whole thing. Stella had to check it out.

And leave behind some slobber.

Mason was quite excited. He loves it.
And I think the black and blue looks way better than the red and blue.

So go find an old table and paint it. Your kid will thank you.

been doing- in pictures

2012-02-01T07:28:00.001-10:00

*Fyi- the bottom left picture was taken at the eye center.
Eye exam people, eye exam!
Speaking of eye exam.. had to get one because twice I’ve lost vision in one eye.
Apparently that is not normal my friends.

I just looked at the calendar and noticed the husband is off today.
Yessss! Craft time.

diy no sew bunting

2012-01-30T22:20:00.001-10:00

Here’s a quick and easy project. Felt bunting with no sewing involved.
It doesn’t get much easier than this.

You’ll need:
Felt or fabric of your choice
1/2” double fold bias tape
glue
scissors
thumbtacks or something to hang the bunting with

Once you’ve decided on the colors you want, cut out the shape you want.
It could be square, triangle, pennant (which I chose), etc.

How many to cut out is up to you. It depends on if you want the pennants close together
or further apart, like I have. It also depends on how long the bunting is going to be.

Get out your bias tape and glue.

Put glue along the top of both sides of your pennant.

Open the fold on the bias tape, slide the pennant in

and close.

Then repeat with the next pennant. Seriously, how easy was that?

I used a few thumbtacks and hung up the banner in Mason’s room.

He points at it and says “Mama.” He appreciates it:)

new obsession, new print

2012-01-24T12:10:00.001-10:00

Lately, I’ve had a bit of an obsession with hot air balloons. I don’t think I’ll
ever go in one, but I think they are pretty and the decor I’ve been seeing is adorable. Basically I want a little girl now just so I can decorate a room
with hot air balloons.

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And so, I started working on a print over the weekend.
I finished it last night and I pretty much love it.

It’s so sweet and happy and girly.
Okay, I seriously need a girl!

Check out this print and all the others here.

giveaway over here

2012-01-18T08:02:00.001-10:00

Hello hello. Just popping in to say I’m giving away a print over at Life Made Lovely.

There’s also a coupon code for the shop, as well as other awesome giveaways.
And remember, for every This Little Light of Mine print that is sold, I will purchase a book for the
Joyful Life Library Project.

So check out the giveaways at Life Made Lovely and these prints and more at Little Light Prints.

photo a day week 2

2012-01-14T11:21:00.001-10:00

First I want to thank you for the kind comments on my last post. Blogger put up a reply option
but um… it’s not working for me. Is it working for you? Anyway, thank you!

I’m back with week two of the Photo a Day Challenge. If you missed the first week, go here.

As for #11, where I sleep… yes, I have fallen asleep many times in that chair. Maybe just as
many times as Mason.

This weekend I’m looking forward to…

-the game today. I’ve never liked football.
That was until Tim Tebow came along. And beat the Steelers.
-working on new prints.
-church
-husband having a day off which also means
-having some “me time”
-beach time with my little family

Have a great weekend!

some heavy stuff

2012-01-12T17:22:00.001-10:00

I didn’t want to write about this.
Even as I was finishing that sentence, I didn’t want to write about it.
And I still don’t. But I’m going to.
Why? Because I know I’m not the only one who has dealt with some pretty heavy things.
What am I talking about? Weight. Yes, that kind of heavy thing.

Since I don’t even want to be talking about this, and I am, what I’m not going to do is share
with you my starting weight. Which also means, I’m not sharing my current weight. A major
reason is embarrassment. How in the world did I allow myself to gain so much weight? I could
blame it on pregnancy but I’m not going to because I had gained 20lbs before I even found
out I was pregnant. So for that, I’ll blame marriage.

After having Mason, I refused to be in pictures unless they were from the shoulders up.
Hello big arms! I did a pretty good job of not having to look at myself until I saw this.

This was the very first Sunday our new church held (Sept 2010), it was also the first time
we went out with Mason since bringing him home. Imagine my horror when I was tagged
in this photo by the church’s Facebook page. For every one to see. I didn’t realize I was
that big. I didn’t feel that big. Or maybe it was denial. I was bigger than my husband,
and he is not a small guy. I was so… disgusted is a harsh word, but that’s truly how I felt.

I’m pretty sure I cried.

And then ate ice cream.

I wanted to die.
Okay, it wasn’t that dramatic, but it was bad.

So for the next 5 months I was depressed. I hated going out in public. I felt like I was never
going to lose weight. I even had my wedding ring resized (bigger) because I was so certain
I’d be heavy for forever.

In January of last year, I was watching Dr. Phil and it was on the 17 Day Diet. They did such
a good job at convincing me it was the best way to lose weight, that I ordered the book.
February 2011, I posted that I was starting the 17 Day Diet. I’m most definitely not here
promoting the book, I’m just sharing the resource and path I took.

I did not lose 10 pounds in 17 days or however many they say you could lose. I did lose
weight though, so I kept with it. I strictly followed the book for about 3-4 months. I
exercised everyday. Whether that meant walking to our post office to check the mail or
doing squats while picking up toys or getting on my hands and knees to scrub the kitchen
floor. Whatever I did, I made sure to do it good! Let’s just say my house was pretty
spotless for those months.

After I lost a majority of the weight, I stopped following the book so strictly but continued
to eat much healthier. Never in the process of losing, did I ever gain. I did stall, for a few
weeks after losing 30 pounds.

Since starting until now I have lost a total of about 45 pounds, give or take a couple
depending on what I ate the night before. I would still like to lose another 10-15 pounds
but I have no motivation to get to it. Maybe posting this will help; or my upcoming trip
to Vegas.

I’m not going to say it was easy, but I’m not going to say it was hard. Finding motivation
was hard, but losing the weight was not. It most definitely was not as hard as trying to get
dressed to go out in public.

So here are the “then” and “now” pictures. The before pictures were taken probably the
same week I started the diet. I may have lost 2-3 pounds at that point. It was the morning we
were dedicating Mason at church and a few days before his second heart surgery. I almost
didn’t go. That’s how embarrassed I was and how frustrated I was that morning trying to find something to wear. Not even something that looked good, just something that fit.
The picture of the right was taken today.

So it’s been almost a year since I started this lovely weight loss process. I’m much more
comfortable in my clothes, in my own skin, out in public. It’s not a pretty sight under the
clothes. I’m not totally happy with my body, my muffin top which is there even when I’m
not wearing pants (love that), my arms, my stretch marked, giggly stomach… but those
are things I’m learning to, not love, but accept because of why I have this body now.
Which is my most prized gift, the amazing blessing of a child.

There’s been something going around on Pinterest (which of course I can’t find now) saying
it takes this long for you to notice a change, this long for your friends, and this long for
others… it’s totally true. So if you’re hoping people will notice and you’re getting
discouraged, don’t give up. I’ve been the same size for about 3-4 months and just now
people are commenting. Yes, people that I have seen every week at church for the last
3-4 months. My favorite was one of my husband’s groom’s men saying
“Dude, look at your wife! You, look amazing Carly!”
Then we high-fived, because that’s what two married people do when they compliment
each other… ?

It’s been a long year. I spent a lot of time on the scale, pushing a jogger, rebuilding confidence.
It was worth it. Now on to that last 10 pounds!

And I’m already regretting clicking “publish.”

photo a day

2012-01-07T10:54:00.001-10:00

Happy weekend! I had good intentions with this post but our computer crashed this morning so I'm posting from my phone which is not enjoyable. Who's doing Fat Mum Slim's photo challenge? I decided to post a weeks worth of pictures at a time. Here are the first 7 days...

as a mother…

2012-01-04T09:13:00.001-10:00

I’ve started the Project 345 Plus reading plan on my handy dandy phone with the YouVersion app.
I’m loving it. This morning I was reading John 2 and something caught my attention that I didn’t
given much thought to before.

John 2:1-5
“ On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there,
and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.
When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
“Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.”
His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

What stands out? Jesus’ mother. “They have no more wine.” I imagine her saying this to her son
with a look of encouragement. With a look of
“I know you are. I know you are special. I know this is why you’re here.”
What I especially love about her approach is that she leaves the decision completely up to Jesus.
She doesn’t put Him in situation where his response is forced. She leaves Him to respond as he wills.

“Dear woman, why do you involve me? My time has not yet come.”
Some may think this is a harsh rebuke. I’m not so sure.
I read it as Jesus reminding her that He is under the Lord’s will, not man’s.

Then she said to the servants,
“Do whatever he tells you.”
Again, she knew something about Jesus that not many knew. They had yet to see the “signs” they
had been asking for. His mother knew Jesus was not to be disregarded. I read it as her saying
“This is the One to watch. Don’t miss this opportunity if he decides to move.”

Jesus did decide to move. He turned water into wine.

John 2: 11
”This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee.
He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.”

I began to think of how a little encouragement from his mother put into motion the beginning
of an incredible ministry. Don’t be confused. Jesus’ mother had absolutely no control over his ministry
(as He was quick to point out in verse 4), she didn’t even understand how grand it would be and what
it would ultimately lead do. She is not to be given glory for the start of his ministry.

What I am acknowledging her for is her faith and support.
She knows Jesus was created for something more.
She is saying “Jesus, I believe in You.”

What if we were to apply that to our children? What if we said to them-
“I know your friends/peers may mock you but I also know that God has a plan for you and I support
you in this ministry.”
“I know others may think serving the homeless is not to be desired but I see your heart for these people.”
“I am terrified that you may be harmed, but I support you in world missions.”
“I know you’re scared to take this step but trust in God.”

What if we encouraged our children in Christ?
What would their ministry look like?
I think it would be greatly enriched.
What an amazingly massive role we have in these little people’s lives!

2011 in review

2011-12-30T15:03:00.001-10:00

JANUARY
Mason’s first trip to the beach
I learned about “pickling”
Redid the cutest little desk I bought off Craigslist
A DIY knock-off necklace

FEBRUARY
Mason went in to the cath lab and we received great news
I started a diet. And although I haven’t really kept you updated, I did stick with it.
I’m down 47lbs. Um, 15 more to go.
Sewed some pillows

MARCH
I was humbled by my weakness
Mason had his second heart surgery

We had a little tsunami and Mason remained in the hospital
Three weeks post op

APRIL
I put up "book shelves"

Celebrated Easter
Gave the kitchen wall a makeover

MAY
Received one the most thoughtful gift I’ve ever received
Had my first Mother’s Day & turned 27
Guest posted my ruler height chart at Tatertots & Jell-O

JUNE
Made a racecar track monogram

Cried for many families
Took on painting the kitchen cabinets… which I’ve never shown the final product.
Maybe I should do that.

JULY
Mason' turned one & we celebrated carnival style
My sister and brother in-law visited
One college roommate visited with her baby
I made a jersey tee headband

AUGUST
Made a painted chain necklace

Went to Sea Life Park

SEPTEMBER
Finished paying all of Mason’s medical bills, with the kindness of one surgeon
Celebrated our 3 year anniversary.
Resisted the urge to squish my child

OCTOBER
Baked delicious pumpkin french toast
Spent a few days baby free for the first time
Dressed up for Halloween

NOVEMBER
Remembered to be thankful and spent some time at the beach
Opened the Little Light Prints shop
Was given great news about Mason’s heart

DECEMBER
Picked out a tree and did our best to take Christmas photos
Put up decorations
Wished you a Merry Christmas
Family visited and we went to the zoo

And that was a review of our year. What did I learn during this little review?
That I need to make more things! I’m totally slacking in the creativity department right now.
Well, I’m lacking in the energy department which obviously affects getting things done.

2012
I am going to do my best to base the next year off of “peace.”
Peace in our home and marriage.
Peace with myself and where I am in life.
Peace in past and present relationships.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

christmas and the zoo

2011-12-28T23:01:00.001-10:00

Christmas is over. I took the tree down the day after Christmas. I’ve never taken it down that
early before. Usually it’s up past New Years. Mason received quite a few new toys and I was
beginning to feel a bit anxious about the chaos. The tree had to go to make room for Thomas the
Train and mega blocks.

We had some family visiting last week. My grandma, aunt, and cousin came from
Missouri/Kansas. They had never met Mason before, and actually my aunt hadn’t even met the
husband yet. Earlier this year the family noticed my grandma’s memory beginning to be a little off.
Then when a couple came home to find her in their home thinking it was hers, it was apparent what
was going on. She wanted to meet Mason before she couldn’t remember him at all. Luckily she has
a great sense of humor about it. She went to the swap meet and bought a wind chime the second day
she was here. For the next 4 days she repeatedly asked who’s wind chime it was. “It’s yours, you
bought it at the swap meet” “Well, I just don’t believe that. Why would I buy that?” The last day of
their trip she gave the wind chime to my parents because she “hates” wind chimes and said she’s not
sure she believes that she even went to the swap meet in the first place. She definitely kept us on our toes! Mason loved her. He loved my aunt. He did not love my cousin. The one who desperately wanted
him to like her. He wasn’t having it. Have you noticed there are no pictures? I didn’t take any. I’m
waiting for them to send some.

Today Mason and I went to the zoo with our friends.
I am loving this age. I’m sure I’ll love the age where he actually walks in the same direction as
me a little more, but this age is still great.

I love his expression when he sees something new.

Mason saw the sheep lying down and started doing some stretching…

Then just stayed there…

Then laid flat on his belly and said “Ny-ny.” Sorry, no pictures of this.
I was trying to get my child off the nasty petting zoo ground.
People were laughing at him. He loved that.

merry christmas

2011-12-20T13:52:00.001-10:00

A few weeks ago a shared some out takes of our Christmas photos.
Out takes as in Mason being rotten. Well here are some of the rest.

Let the naughtiness begin!

Yes, he’s still making that face as he runs away.

Merry Christmas!!!

it makes- the beach

2011-12-15T08:46:00.001-10:00

It’s been rainy and windy here in Hawaii. Cold too.
You know, like 68 degrees in the morning when we get up.
We had a very short break from the rain the other day so we jumped in the car
and headed to the beach.

It makes me thankful to sit with this beauty in front of me.

It makes me smile when Mason explores on his own and uses his imagination.

It makes my heart feel like its going to burst when I see baby tracks in the sand.

It makes me feel loved when Mason is the first to offer his hand.

It makes me laugh when Mason smiles and waves at strangers.

It makes me content when I have these little moments in the day.
Even if they abruptly end due to a rain squall.

the harbor- Mason’s ‘little things’

2011-12-09T00:00:00.000-10:00

I know I’ve mentioned Mason’s love of boats before.
“Boat” is the first thing he says when he wakes up. Even if he wakes up at 4am.
If you ask him what he wants to do for the day, he responds with “boat.”
The other morning, while Mason was standing at the front door screaming to go
“out!” “bye!” “key!”, I decided it was a good time to go to the harbor.

Mason also likes to clean the parking lot by picking up leaves and rocks.

He’s starting to get to that age where he doesn’t want to hold hands.
That means no more walking on the docks.

I wonder if he’ll have a houseboat.
If he’ll sail around the world.
If he’ll smell like fish even after a shower.
If he’ll ever come onto land again once he turns 18.

It’s the little things that make him happy- being outside, boats, rocks, leaves, water,
fish, walking without holding someone’s hand.

Just about everyday I’m reminded to pay attention to the small things in life.
It’s so amazing to see the world through a little one’s eyes.

merry and bright

2011-12-06T22:23:00.002-10:00

I’m loving the coziness of our house right now.
I do my best to pretend that it’s not 80 some degrees outside.

Does anyone know what tomorrow is? December 7th.
“A date which will live in infamy.”

(source)