Random Rantings of a Rambling Redhead

Mood Board for Crystal!

2013-08-20T16:52:00.000-04:00

What? Another mood board?? Yeah, I’m having a lot of fun with these. I like doing boards with colors and prints I don’t use in my house. Although, this one is not in that category. Crystal and I have similar tastes so it seems!

The total cost of this makeover is $550.65! Less if it's possible to make a few things on your own and get some great thrift store deals. The baskets, shelves, lamps, and mirror could be found in thrift stores. The blanket, shelves, and mason jar can all be hand made. But let's break it down shall we?

Color Scheme: Walls are Sherwin Williams “Soar.” A survey has shown people who sleep in blue rooms get the most restful night sleep. Not only do you get a calming, beautiful color, you get renewed. Talk about a win/win. White and coffee tones also make an appearance in this pallet, and accessorizing with yellow will add some color. Matte paint at Sherwin Williams is around $35 per gallon, but it's pretty easy to get it color matched somewhere else for less.
Paint an old dresser white and de-stress that sucker! This will give some old furniture a new life with that rustic edge you were looking for. Add some oil rubbed bronze, iron, or black drawer pulls to complete the look. If you’re feeling up to the challenge, try stenciling the front of the dresser. As shown with the blue dresser pictured. Just imagine that only flipped around: white dresser, blue stencil. You will need a primer and paint (or get a combination), I would estimate around $20 (I've gotten a gallon of white paint/primer before at Lowes for $18). Use leftover wall paint for the accent on the dresser.
Curtains $38 for the Premier Prints Paisley Chocolate fabric and pair with Eclipse blackoutcurtains in toffee for $9.87 per panel and have a custom set of blackout curtains for $57.05, that’s just $28.53 per panel. Wicked steal if you’re willing to put in the work cutting and sewing fabric! ;) I’m always up for that.
Next we’re going to replace a builder grade ceiling light with a Young House Love Large Wire GlobeLantern for $89. The metal fixture adds a hardness and industrial element to the room, making it more masculine for the man of the house.
Cable Knit Throw Blanket in mustard will add a pop of color and warmth to the room for $59. The one pictured is from Home Decorators Collection. But it’s just as practical to knit one yourself or buy one on Etsy! #buylocal
Put a Porthole Mirror above the bed $24.99 adds a focal point, depth, and light to the room.
For the hunter husband. A Framed DeerSilhouette for $5… Order it with a yellow background will help tie in other yellow accents. Find a cheap frame at a thrift store (or dollar store) to hang it in!
Comforter set with ruching for the feminine touch for $69.96.
Turn a shelf into a night stand. Use metal brackets like the light fixture, and the drawer pulls – see where I’m going with this? Cohesion! Supplies to build these (From Menard's) would be $5.17 for the board (48" cut in half for two shelves), and $4.49 for brackets (you'll need four). It comes to $23.13
Glass Based Lamp ($20) with Burlap Shade ($9.97) something light and pretty paired with a rougher texture for some country charm. You'll need two to put them on your night stands.
Mason Jar Sconce $22 from Etsy. Or you could try to make it yourself! You'll once again need two to use above the bed.
Basket $30.79 use under the nightstand shelf for extra storage (another item you'll need to double up on!).

I might also suggest getting some wood blinds to add to the rustic look. They also do a great job at blocking out the sun! Don’t forget to check out thrift stores, flea markets, farmers markets, and local shops for this stuff. A lot of local shops sell high quality items that are just as good as what the major retailers sell, if not better.

What do you think? Did I hit the modern/rustic/country look or did I miss? I know a lot of rooms going for a masculine don’t do light walls or ruched bedding, so I may have missed the mark there, but it would be super easy to man it up a bit with some less feminine bedding like this or this.

Romantic Bedroom Moodboard for Becca!

2013-08-15T16:49:00.000-04:00

Here's a room revamp for my friend Becca and her hubby!

Total cost of room makeover: $258.46 plus tax. Could be less with coupons or shopping around. If you include a mattress as listed it would bring the makeover to: $542! Not too shabby for a total redo!

Let’s break it down!

1: Room colors. Red for the walls, black and white accents, and of course zebra print everywhere! Red for walls: Olympic Gallon Interior Flat Enamel Red Paint and Primer In One $25. Black for dresser: Quart Rust-oleum flat black $9.48. Spray paint for accents: Rust-oleum Black satin spray paint $6.98.

2. Black lamp shade $7.88: I picked black because I like a long seamless look in lamps, but it would be just as nice in white (like the inspiration room).

3. Lamp base $5.88: Two for your side tables! Black and clear to bring everything together!

4. Chandelier $22.45: Create romance and whimsy! Could also look into thrift stores/craigslist to see if there is something similar out there. Spray paint it black to make it pop against the white ceiling. This is the one pictured (it's $82).

5. Zebra print tulle bed canopy $15: Create some romance and add some height to your room with a bed canopy! Super easy to make. The Better Nester has a simple tutorial for a hoop canopy. I've made them before using dollar store hula hoops as well. Whatever floats your boat!

6. Zebra Curtain Rod $19: Not necessary, but a playful addition if you so choose! Or go with a white rod from a thrift store (or already owned) and paint some stripes. The one pictured is at Walmart from $14-$19.

7. Red 1200 thread count sheets $24.50: California King sheets in red! Pictured:

Egyptian Cotton 400 Thread Count Stripe Sheet Set by Luxor Treasures. Currently listed at $56.16

8. Zebra theme curtains $35.07: Found on amazon.com and they look beautiful!

9: Zebra theme bedding $65.26: Also found on amazon.com and a stunning match to the curtains! How gorgeous this set??

10. California king mattress $283.54: Memory foam extra big mattress for extra tall people! Not everyone likes memory foam, but I love it and this price is amazing!

11. Clear crystal drawer pulls $8.20: To tie in the chandelier and lamp bases. It would look amazing on a distressed black dresser. Or any dresser really. I'm a sucker for the glass knob look.

12. Paint an existing dresser black to tie into the theme. Could also distress it to create a vintage look as shown. The dresser pictured has been sold, but it's so beautiful. Check out Vintage Farm Furniture's blog.

What do you all think? Any changes or additions you’d make? I think the red allows it to me romantic but not to feminine for the male in the room. To see the room that inspired this board, check out Delightful Order. Such an amazing and fun room!

Photobomb

2013-06-20T01:26:00.002-04:00

What I've been up to while I've been away. In pictures...

These are all projects my friends have had me do. And family issues that have kept me away. I hope I can find a way to blog again, but it won't be in the next week or so. Nicolas is going to be one year old in FIVE days. Where has the time gone???

Hello Again

2013-01-23T09:59:00.000-05:00

Wow, it's been waaaaaaaay too long since I made a real post in this blog. My shop has been keeping me very busy, as well as a few side jobs. Don't worry Grandma Clisso, I'm working on your scarf!

We had a wonderful holiday season, too much snow, a few colds, and lots of milestones.

Nicolas started crawling in the middle of December and pulling himself up after Christmas. He can stand on his own for a few seconds which makes me almost sure he'll be walking by the time he's ten months old.

Hopefully I'll be back with a real post soon. #busybusy #yesitalkinhashtags #sorrynotsorry ;)

Love is Louder

2012-12-06T12:51:00.001-05:00

Keith has been getting teased at school for being twitchy and fidgety. And while I will agree, it does get annoying sometimes (like when he's picking at his fingernails when I am giving him an instruction), it's nothing he should get teased for. So, Avalyn and I took a picture for him while he was in school, and he took one after school.

Please, if you have time, look at this website. Love is Louder. Remember that everyone. Please.

Poncho Giveaway!

2012-11-09T00:00:00.000-05:00

It's November which means it's cold! Time to keep the wee ones warm in their car seat. So, I'm giving away a poncho from my shop! It will be custom made for your little guy or gal.

How to wear it in a carseat.

Animals? Sports teams? Characters? Just a pretty pattern? You choose!

My newest poncho, for the fan of princesses.

Just a sample of the fabric available.

The winner will be randomly chosen by Rafflecopter. Good luck everyone! I'm so excited for this. In the meantime, check out my Etsy shop. Tell your friends!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thankful

2012-11-08T00:30:00.001-05:00

Last week was a Pinterest Challenge. This month has a "Thankful Challenge." I'm sure you've all seen it on Facebook or Google + or Twitter... or whatever social media you use, people are posting daily the things they are thankful for. I love this idea, but I'm not one for going with the herd.

A while ago I was reading a photography blog about challenging yourself as a photographer and taking pictures of the ABC's, so I'm mixing the Thankful and Photography Challenge together, I love a good mash-up (oh Glee... you are my favorite). I will be taking a picture every day during the month of November of a different letter of the alphabet and stating something I'm thankful for that begins with that letter.

I'm also bringing Keith in on this challenge. For the past few years he's been pretty ungrateful about the things he has, and it's getting worse. He's starting to think that he is owed certain things, rather than being happy with and glad for what he has (it might be the age, it might be his situation and the anger he's holding onto, who knows). The kid's got it pretty darn good as far as I'm concerned. I'm hoping this challenge really makes him stop and realize how lucky he is.

We've already done photo's for A,B,C, D, E, F, and G. I don't have them all ready to post yet. Something about having a shop to run, a two year old to wrangle, and a four month old to keep happy makes things difficult. Add in the ten year old who has been hiding his homework and not eating his lunch and the difficulty multiplies.

Anyway, Keith was having a hard time with A-E, he would take pictures of things starting with those letters but not know why he was thankful for them. Example: He took a picture of the carpet, so I asked him why he was thankful for that. And he got a little upset and said because it started with "C." I thought maybe he liked the warmth or softness on his feet, or he was thankful his grandparents bought him new carpet for his room so he wouldn't be teased for having pink carpet. Nope, he just took a picture of the nearest thing starting with the letter C. He's starting to get it more, but he's kind of lost on why he's thankful for things. Example: I'm thankful for Nicolas because he's my brother. Sounds nice, but I want him to dig a bit deeper, so I asked him why he's glad to have a brother. Enter the blank expression, followed by a heap of whining.

I'll make a new tab, and will add our photos there as we go, along with captions. I am super excited about this. Pray Keith starts to understand and enjoy himself, too!

Here are Keith's photos (he took them on his own), the captions are in his own words. We used the camerabag2 software to spruce up the pictures, and photoshop to make them square and add the wording - he picked everything.

Avalyn: I am thankful for Ava because I like to have a lot of fun with her.

Brother: I'm thankful for my brother because now I'm not the only boy in the family.

Car: I'm thankful for a car because it helps me get to far places like Nana's and Papa's house.

Dinner: I'm thankful for dinner because it makes me healthy.

Earth: I'm thankful for the Earth because if it was not made I would not be alive.

And here are mine. Everything so far has been done in photoshop. And yes, the first picture was taken on November 1st when we got our first snow. *Shudder*

I'm thankful that every day is a new adventure for my children. Even though we have a daily routine, they always have a way of keeping it interesting and never allowing me to be bored.

This one is self explanatory. I'm thankful for my babies. They are my everything. I love them more than words or pictures could possibly express.

I'm thankful for creativity. It's amazing how pieces of chalk, wax, and charcoal can make amazing drawings. But creativity shows in other ways, too. Turning fabric into clothing, ingredients into meals, clay into sculptures... the possibilities are endless. The world would be a colorless, dull place without creativity.

I'm thankful for the downstairs playroom. If this room didn't exist I would be wading through a sea of toys and I would slowly (but surely) go insane. This room allows me to have kids, and play with my kids, but still have a house where I can be an adult.

I'm thankful for having a good education. I'm grateful that I was able to go to a great public school as a kid, and for being able to go to college as an adult. I'm also thankful my kids are in a great school district, and Matt has the opportunity to go to school again this spring.

Nothing too spectacular happening here, but I'm enjoying it. What are you all thankful for? Are you doing the day to day challenge, too?

Fall Pinterest Challenge Fleece Fun!

2012-10-30T23:43:00.000-04:00

Pinterest Challenge Time! Woot! Somehow I found time in between my Etsy orders to whip something up. I had scrap fleece just hanging out in a tote begging for some attention. So, I went to Pinterest and searched "fleece." Wow! My "Thread the Needle" board just got a lot bigger. There's so much out there you can do with fleece. I also searched "felt" because I had some leftover from making an owl costume for a friend. I pinned a bunch of felt things, but nothing really struck my fancy as something I had to do RIGHT NOW! Know what I mean?

I had to choose between a lot of neat stuff to make, and most of my fleece was "girly" which meant it had to be something for Avalyn. She's running low on warm weather wear, and being that today's high was 37 degrees, she's going to need some. I settled on a pleated fleece skirt from fleecefun.com.

I didn't take pictures of the whole process, because let's face it when you have a two year old and four month old those precious ten seconds usually used to take a picture can be better spent finishing the job. Hmmm... can we say run on sentence?

I already sewed the pieces of the skirt together at this point. Look at my shiny new scissors, though! And they have a sheath like a sword!

Sewing the box pleats.

Oh, so pretty.

Yes, I was watching Nicolas sleep while working.

Oh, no! He woke up before I finished. Drat!

Sorry for the wonky photo. Night time and bad overhead lighting made me have to resort to *gasp* the on camera flash! Oh nos!

Look her hair is long enough for a pony tail! And yes, her boots are on the wrong feet. Crazy kid.

Now you're thinking, "She needed warmer clothes and you made her a skirt? You are beyond crazy." It's true. I am. To make up for the crazy I added my own flare to the outfit. Notice her shirt doesn't match either? The horror!

Long story (I'm lying, there's no story, but this is what people say) short, I made her some pants and a top to go with it.

She's so happy about it, too! Aw. The pony tail has vanished as well. Apparently, half a day is enough before the mess has to reappear. Where the hair tie vanished to, I'll never know.

Also, I moved my sewing room from the laundry/utility room into the office/guest room. The furnace was too loud. Seriously, with the door closed it was like, "Oh, I hear a gentle hum... it means glorious fall has returned and the house will be toasty and smell of baked apples and cinnamon." Not so much, people. In the laundry room it's more like this: "It's so peaceful sewing in here, the kids are playing just outside the open door... it's truly magica- *THUM BANG* OMG IT'S A FREIGHT TRAIN THAT'S BARRELING DOWN ON MY HOUSE! Oh... oh, it's just the furnace. What's that kids? You need me? I'm sorry I've gone deaf!" Which reminds me, I need to bone up on my sign language.

Where was I? Oh, yes, here are the additions to the outfit.

Pink shirt with patterned cuffs and collar. And a pair of pants with ruffled, patterned bottoms.

She could wear it without the pants, too, of course.

I also made her a headband, but she was done with the photo-op, enough to tell me she didn't love me anymore. Ouch. Don't worry she calmed down and came back later and said, "I'm so sorry, Mommy, I love you, too." Collective, "Aw..." Wait... this isn't a Full House rerun?

A few weeks back, I also made her a Rainbow Dash sweat suit. Complete with cutie marks. I need to fix the "hair" on the hood. Yuck. Otherwise I like it.

My next project: Avalyn's Christmas present. I actually bought a pattern for this next thing. Shocker!

Yeah, it's trending. #RainbowDash

Clearly, I need to go to sleep. Hope everyone else had amazing results with their challenges and nothing like this:

^_~

Busy As A Bee

2012-10-19T00:36:00.000-04:00

I always think I live such a boring life, but tonight I sat down and realized how much is actually going on.

In the world of Matt: He built a railing for our front porch. It looks amazing! I can't wait until we rebuild the steps and add a gate in the spring. He's also getting the garage cleaned and organized. He's working a lot to bring in extra money. He will be starting college again in January.

Matt working hard in the garage.

Keith: He's doing amazingly well in school. He is in his schools Lego League. He actually has had friends over lately. He's eating well again. After a joint parenting decision, he will be spending all of Christmas break with us, and Thanksgiving break with his mom. The way the school has Christmas vacation broken up makes it so one parent gets a really short holiday with the kid, so I asked Domi if she would like to alternate Christmas breaks. She was on board. Her request was that if we get all of Christmas, could she have Thanksgiving, since technically it's Matt's year, that way each parent gets to spend a major family holiday with Keith. It seemed fair to us so we're going to see how it goes. I don't foresee any problems, and it's nice that we're all getting along.

Keith wanted a poncho, too, but he couldn't decide between one for the Detroit Lions, or Michigan State University. So, I gave him both in one. It was a lot of work.

Nicolas: He is my little talker and awesome sleeper. He sleeps 6-10 hours a night. He gave me a heart attack the other night when his Snuza went off. Yikes! He has such a deep voice when he talks to me. He mimics all the sounds I make, and he's so stinkin' cute. He is the most laid back kid on the planet. Avalyn will come over and take something right out of his hand and he'll just frown at her. She lays down on him, and he frowns at her. He doesn't scream or cry, he's just like, "Hey Mom... can you move her please? And get my toy back? Thanks." He's sitting up for a few seconds by himself, he's rolling, he turning himself around when he's on his belly... this kid is ready to move.

Avalyn took something away from me... Again!

Pinterest inspired pic: Camera around neck + self timer = fun.

Avalyn: She's two. She's testing us every day. She's mean to Nicolas, she tells us no, she throws fits, she yells, she mimics she laughs, she's bossy, she's helpful (and not so helpful), she wants to make us happy, she wants to make us crazy, and we love her. She's doing great on the potty. We've gone a month with very few accidents. She picked out her big girl undies (My Little Pony), and tells me when she needs to go. We even got toilet seats with built in small person seats (bonus: they're the non slamming seats - I love them). Avalyn loves going to the fabric store with me. Seriously, it's one of her favorite things. She helps me pick fabric, tells me what I can make with it, and then we go home and she screams at me when I try to work with it. Joyous. She is obsessed with My Little Pony. I can't go a day without hearing, "Rainbow Dash is fantastic " Or, "Rainbow Dash is my favorite!" Or, "Rainbow Dash is so fast!" So, what did I do? I made her a Rainbow Dash sweatsuit complete with "cutie marks." She's in love, but is now asking for a matching stuffed Rainbow Dash. I looked on Etsy and those things are going for $150. Looks like I will have a new project for Christmas.

It's Rainbow Dash! I still need to add the wings.

Me: I made enough on Etsy to buy myself something nice. It has been a lot of work, but it's been really fun. I even made a poncho that looks like an animal (I made an owl, unicorn, monkey, and frog so far), and one for Keith's (and my former boss's) favorite sports teams. The Detroit Lions and Michigan State University Spartans. I'm feeling like a bad mom lately though. Avalyn is driving me insane. I love her, but my goodness, the not listening thing is making me what to rip my hair out. Then when I snap at her, she gives me this lip and cries and I feel so bad for not having enough patience. I'm trying to carve out some Avalyn and Mommy time when Nicolas naps. She wants to play with her "corny's" (unicorns) with me so badly, but I never have time. I need to make time. She's only two once, and before I know it she'll be a teenager who would rather hang out with her friends than her mom.

My plans for the next couple of months:
Keep making things for my etsy store
Paint the little bathroom (I'm thinking a pale yellow and lavender)
Make the office/guestroom more user friendly. There's no room to move in there, it's not ideal.
Help Keith make gifts for his other sister's for Christmas
Paint the main floor - I'm so tired of the white.
Make a desk in the living room for a family computer, Keith is that age now and with all of these horrible stories of bullying and suicide rates going up - I am a firm believer in monitoring internet/computer usage
Rebuild the PC so we do have a family computer

Anyone else have big plans, or have a busy life without realizing it?

Life Update

2012-10-02T00:34:00.000-04:00

My goodness I have been busy lately! I have sold a few poncho's through Etsy, made an owl costume for a friend, am busy making a sweat suit for Romeo's two-year birthday gift, and have to make a poncho for my former boss. I'm taking a quick break to write an update on how we're all doing.

Keith started 4th Grade and loves it. Avalyn is talking more than ever, and is potty trained (she still wears training pants at night). Nicolas is growing like a weed. He's rolling, and sitting briefly without assistance, he's also talking (baby coos) a lot more and blowing raspberries like there's no tomorrow.

We went from summer to fall up here in a snap. Seriously, one day it was 90 degrees and the next it was 59. What's up with that? I went down to my parents house last month and had a shopping spree at Once Upon A Child, I bought Avalyn so many dresses (easier than pants for potty training), and I made sure to get Nicolas clothes that can come off easily (that kid has so many blow outs), I also found a blue glowing seahorse, a Scout puppy, and a portable swing. The seahorse was $5 ($14 in store) and looked brand new, Scout was $10 ($20 in store) and also looked brand new, and the swing was $25 ($70 in store) and works great. I also had a full punch card so I got 20% off my entire order. Meaning, the swing was (mostly) free. I was so pumped. Sad that that kind of thing gets me excited.

I've been enjoying my new camera. Thanks to my sales for allowing me to buy it. That and some selling on craigslist. I still have a lot more stuff to list. Baby things that aren't being used, furniture that is not baby/kid friendly... so much to do!

Sorry the update is so quick. I'm tired, but felt the need to write something.

EDIT: For some reason I've had this saved in drafts for two weeks. Fail!

Check Out My Newest Creation(s)!

2012-09-04T12:42:00.000-04:00

I made the poncho warmer (two layers) and reversible! Please tell me I'm not the only one who thinks this is cool... I also made an infant poncho for wee ones who can't walk yet. It's longer and scoops in the front so it covers Baby's feet in the car seat/stroller/swing/bouncy anywhere really, I'm so excited and proud. I just had to share. :)

If you like them I do sell them! Tell me what fabric you would like (I can find almost anything) and I will make you the perfect poncho for your kiddo! Fall and cooler weather is on the way. Now's the time to order. Sorry, marketing isn't my strong suit. :)

Clisso Crafts

Why I Share My Bed With My Kids

2012-08-29T01:09:00.000-04:00

As the title says, I'm a bed sharing mama. If this bothers you, that's okay. Co-Sleeping isn't for everyone.

My kids are hellions. There are days when Avalyn drives me absolutely batty. I love that girl to the moon and back, but she knows just how to get on Mommy's nerves. She's like her big brother in that way. I will tell her not to touch something and she will stare at me as she slowly touches whatever it is again. Just like Keith, and Keith drove me crazy. So, after a long (long, long, long, long) day we need to recharge. Well, I need to recharge, Avalyn could probably keep going and keep testing long into the night. This probably makes people think, "Okay, so she spends all day with her kids AND she wants to share a bed with them? Is she crazy?" I will admit that I can be goofy at times, and my husband sure thinks I'm nuts, but sharing my bed with my kids actually relaxes me (most days).

It's a really nice feeling to get into bed with Avalyn climbing up behind me with her sippy cup and hear her say, "I want mommy bed! Mommy lay down, too. I want snuggles, Mommy!" Avalyn is not a good sleeper. She was better when she was still breastfeeding - thanks to milk coma's - but she's really bad at it now. If this was a gradable subject she would have a "D-". Not an "F" because she does sleep, but it is a huge struggle. It's even harder if I'm trying to put her to bed in her own room. She doesn't do well by herself. Enter bed sharing. Life became easier when I gave into bed sharing. I was dead set against it in the beginning. I had heard horror stories of babies being suffocated by their parents, parents not being able to transition the kids into big kid beds, parents no longer having a place to be intimate... all of the cons. So, I was terrified.

We started this when we were still living in our teeny tiny house. All four of us in 900 square foot box. It was a pretty tight fit in the "master bedroom" as it was. It was an eleven by ten room. We had a six foot long dresser, a queen bed, a two foot long dresser, and a crib all packed into the place. My biggest concern was our bed would be unsafe. So, I looked up how to co-sleep safely. Dr. McKenna's suggestions were these:

"Infants should sleep on firm surfaces, clean surfaces, in the absence of smoke, under light (but comfortable) blanketing, and their heads should never be covered. The bed should not have any stuffed animals or pillows around the infant and never should an infant be placed to sleep on top of a pillow. Sheepskins or other fluffy material and especially beanbag mattresses should never be used. Water beds can be dangerous, too, and the mattresses should always tightly intersect the bedframe. Infants should never sleep on couches or sofas -- with or without adults -- where they can slip down (face first) into the crevice or get wedged against the back of a couch."

This is what my bed looked like.

I was off to a good start. The bed was clean and firm, we don't smoke, Avalyn was always dressed in footy pajama's (she was a no blanket kind of girl, still is), no stuffed animals (well, not with her anyway... just above her) or pillows, and no crevices she could get wedged into or against. We attached her crib to our bed, since we had a queen sized bed at the time and there wasn't really room for her, and put foam in between the crib mattress and railing. This made sure there were no creases for Avalyn to fall into. I also threw a flannel blanket down that went over the entire crib mattress and half of our mattress. This gave her her own space but she was close enough to mommy to feel secure. Even after she stopped nursing bed-sharing made it easy for her to fall asleep securely.

When I found out I was pregnant with Nicolas, I told Matt it was time to spring for a king sized mattress. We went with a mattress with a memory foam topper. Avalyn was instantly in love with it. I was fine with that. I assumed she would be out of the crib and could sleep in between Matt and me. This did not happen. When Nicolas showed up I was originally going to put him right in the crib (which is still next to our bed in side car position like the photo above), but Avalyn refused to give it up. In fact, Avalyn had been sleeping wonderfully on a cot in our room for a month by the time Nicolas arrived. But once she saw a baby in her bed, the cot was a thing of the past and the crib was hers again.

So, I ended up putting Nicolas in a co-sleeper in between Matt and me. I have a love/hate relationship with the co-sleeper. I love it because he's nice and protected, but I hate it because I have to move it whenever I feed him.

Crafty Little Me!

2012-08-16T01:47:00.000-04:00

I'm actually making sales in my Etsy Shop! I'm so excited! And I love what I'm doing. How amazing is that? I love what I do AND I get to stay at home with my babies. Talk about having a full heart. Now if only I had a full pocket book to go with it. Money is still tight and I know what little I make isn't going to make a big difference, but I feel like I'm at least contributing now. Matt is on call for three weeks in a row, trying to bring in more money to keep us afloat, but it's really hard on him.

Here's what I'm selling, in case anyone is wondering.

Gauze Wrap Baby Carrier

Funky Tutu Outfit

And of course - The Car Seat Poncho!

Anyone else enjoying craft type activities? I sure am!

A Little Comparison... Or Two.

2012-08-15T13:55:00.000-04:00

I took a few photos this week, and I had to share them.

Avalyn at 8 weeks and Nicolas at 7 weeks. Two years apart, same(ish) pose. And people agree, my mom looks younger in the picture with Nicolas. #BenjaminButton

Avalyn 11 Weeks

Nicolas 7 Weeks

Clearly, I will have to take the last picture again at 11 weeks and have the blanket facing the right direction... Please tell me I'm not the only one who does this with her children. I won't stop. I know it. At least I promise not to put Nic in a tutu. Unless he asks. ;)

Ice Cream for Breakfast!

2012-08-04T09:51:00.000-04:00

Avalyn has a shirt that says: Ice Cream for Breakfast, and today she used the potty. How are these two things related? Simple! I rewarded her for using the potty with breakfast ice cream.

Now, before you tell me I'm a horrible, irresponsible parent I'll let you in on a secret... it wasn't real ice cream. That's right, I totally tricked my kid and I didn't have to clean up poop. Win! So, what did I give her? You ask. I gave her frozen banana's.

What? How did she miss that it wasn't ice cream? I'm so glad you asked, invisible internet person. It was so simple! I took three over ripe banana's, pealed them, sliced them up, and put them in the freezer overnight. This morning I put together my trusty ninja and put the banana's in it.

Oh, yeah, there's peanut butter there. Just wait.

Mmm... blended into a softy serve(ish) goodness.

Two teaspoons of peanut butter.

Oh yeah, she's so excited she's doing her French Stewart impression. Spot on, Avalyn, spot on.

I added some chocolate, too. Why not?

Avalyn's breakfast ice cream is served!

She wanted me to put the ice cream in each cup. That didn't work out for her.

She really did like it, but this "it's cold" face was priceless.

Mmm... delicious. She ate the whole bowl. This from the girl who doesn't eat fruits and veggies without a fight. Putting this in the win column!

And there are leftovers for tomorrow!

Yes, Matt called while I was taking the picture. Thanks speakerphone!

Want to know what else ripe banana's and peanut butter is good for?

Banana bread and peanut butter cookies. Yum!

Have any of you tricked your kids into eating fruits and veggies? What tricks do you use? Am I the only one who is super glad to have found the peanut butter cookie recipe that used to be on the giant 64 ounce tins of peanut butter (yey Google!)? Do you put butter on your banana bread? I know I do. The only thing that goes on my banana bread is butter. Nothing else touches it. Mmm... now I need to go get another piece. That reminds me, I need to buy butter...

The Math is Killing Me!

2012-08-03T22:29:00.000-04:00

I'm back! I sure have missed blogging almost daily. It's not very easy to find time to blog when there's three kids in the house. Not sure how the pro's do it! But here I am, back and ready to blog!

Let me start by saying Nicolas has been on a pretty good schedule lately!

9:00AM - wake up/feeding

9:30AM - back to sleep

10:30AM - wake up/feeding

11:30AM - sleep

2:30PM -wake up/feeding

3:30-4:30PM - sleep

8:30-9:30PM - wake up/feeding

9:30PM-12:30AM - awake time with five-ten minute cat naps eating in between

12:30AM-4:30AM - sleep

4:30-4:45AM - feeding

4:45-9:00AM- sleep

Nice huh? During the sleeping time I try to spend time with Avalyn and Keith, and clean, and cook, and make things for my Etsy shop. Believe it or not I'm pretty busy during the day. Despite what Matt thinks. He wants me to work outside the house, but doesn't at the same time because he's afraid of the kids. As he should be. ^_~ Money has been really tight so he thinks me working will fix it. It won't. Daycare + gas = spending more money than what I'd make, unless he watches the kids. Which, as I already said, he's afraid to do by himself.

Note to past self: Don't take out student loans. If you can't pay for college outright, don't go. That simple. There's no jobs except minimum wage stuff anyway, so there's no point in going into debt for an education. If only I had done the math nine years ago.

Minimum wage at forty hours a week: $15,000 per year = (about) $950 month after taxes.

My student loan debt (not including Matt's) $60,000 = $730 month

If I found a job in my field I would make between $10-$15/hour, so let's average $12.50 an hour which would be $1,600 after taxes.

Subtract my loans from that and I have $870. Even if I made $15 an hour and brought home $2,000, after student loans were paid I would have $1,270. Which is better, but at Alfie I made $1,300 a month after taxes. That's without an education! I would make $30 less with a higher paying job in my field than what I made at Alfie. Not that Alfie was a bad place to work (it was actually pretty great), I'm just saying it's crazy how useless college was for me.

I know in the long run (in fifteen years when my loans are gone) it will be worth it, but right now I'm super bummed that we can't save any money for our kids to go to school. Here's hoping when the kids are in school (in five years) the job market will be better and I will be able to start saving for my wee one's so they don't have to worry about going into debt before their adult lives even start!

Did anyone else major in debt? Or were you smarter than me when you were younger and save your pennies for college?

Meeting New People

2012-07-26T01:08:00.000-04:00

When Nicolas was two weeks old, my mom brought my grandma up to see her new great-grandson. She was happy to meet him and see our house, and she made me laugh when she told me we were spoiling Nicolas by holding him. It was a nice visit and Nicolas slept through most of it, Grandma and Mom even played on the swings with Avalyn. I hope it can happen again,soon.

Just had to throw this in here, Nicolas had his first bath that day, too!

Getting lovin's from Grandma.

Avalyn was a wee bit jealous. She wanted Grandma's attention.

Looks like Nicolas is a hit with Grandma Betty!

Having fun on the swing set.

Mom and I went to Midland today so Nicolas could meet his great grandparents (on my dad's side) and great aunt. The trip went fine until we were a few miles East of Cadillac, then the crying started. I stopped at a church and fed him in the parking lot. Mom sat in the back (switching places with Keith), to try to keep Nicolas calm for the rest of the trip. That didn't work out so well either. I ended up having to pull over on US-10 (near Clare), and switch spots with mom. Who knew I was flexible enough to nurse Nicolas while mom chauffeured us the rest of the way to Midland? ^_~ Nicolas did very well while we were there. He needed to eat twice, and most slept the rest of the time. He actually napped on Aunt Mary for quite a while. He knows when he's in safe arms.

He's a hit with Grandma Ellie, too!

So, clearly we've had a lot of first in the past couple weeks! First bath, first trip, and first time meeting his great grandparents! Good times all around. Hope everyone else is enjoying their summer, too!

Newborn Photo-Shoot!

2012-07-13T11:53:00.000-04:00

As the title says. This is Nicolas's photo shoot. The pictures are not professional quality, I know, but I tried! :)

EDIT: I also made his birth announcement and forgot to post it. Thank you Pinterest for the idea. :)

Tutu 2.0

2012-07-11T01:18:00.000-04:00

Remember Avalyn's best friend forever (and cousin) Alyssa? She's turning two! July 15 is the big day! Unfortunately, we can't make it to her party. Matt is on call and Nicolas hasn't taken a big trip yet. Not to mention I'm afraid of people playing "pass the baby" if they aren't vaccinated with whooping cough being the epidemic that it is. Call me overprotective. But the main reason is Matt being on call. I do not want to make the trip alone with two little ones, and be the only one who is there to watch them.

So, the problem now is getting Alyssa's present to her on time. Of course this present was hand made by me - like most of Alyssa's presents are. Every two year old needs a tutu, right? And since Alyssa's daddy doesn't want her to be a princess (nobody wants to have a spoiled tot on their hands), I made her a Sponge Bob tutu! Sponge Bob and princess do not go hand in hand, so I think we're safe!

It looks huge!

It's a Sponge Bob shirt!

Pink, yellow, and blue tutu!

This is the back of the shirt, the big bow on top of the tutu is the shirt's tie. :)

What do you think? I hope Alyssa likes it!

DIY Baby Wrap!

2012-07-10T19:05:00.002-04:00

Woot woot! Pinterest Challenge time ya'll! Brought to you by the brilliant mind's Katie and Sherry.

For the summer addition of the Pinterest Challenge I decided to make a baby wrap. As seeing I have a new baby to wrap up in one! Nicolas is just a wee bit too small to fit in my other carrier (no infant insert), and I need to be able to be hands free and breastfeed on the go with a two year old running amok in my house. Was that a run on sentence? Probably. Not so good with the grammar right now. I can't blame pregnancy brain anymore. Can I blame having a two week old and two year old? I'll do that. ;)

Here's where I found my inspiration: Monkey Sew, Monkey Do! She had a great "how to" on a baby wrap. She used five yards of cotton gauze for hers. I went a different route. Two years ago I wanted to make a wrap but between school and having a newborn who cried whenever she wasn't being held, I was without time. Thank goodness Nicolas is such a happy baby! I have time to do things now. Whoa! Anyway, two years ago I bought six yards of cotton jersey fabric, so I used that for my wrap. I love using stuff that's just sitting around the house!

I cut the six yards of fabric in half length wise (I could make two if I wanted to!), and then I folded it in half (end to end) to find the center (so I know where to start when I wrap).

Lots of fabric!

From there I decided instead of marking it with a tag, I would to add a little something special. Enter the frog fabric I had left over from a different project. I cut it to size and pinned it to the wrap fabric and brought it downstairs to my serger.

I hooked up my serger with blue, orange, and yellow thread. I wanted to use green thread to match the frogs but I didn't have anything that really popped, so I went with yellow. Looking back now, I could have done red. Ah well! It still looks nice!

I put the orange thread on the front of the wrap, and yellow on the back. The orange looks great with the blue, and the frogs. I'm so excited! It took me about ten minutes to go around the whole six yards of fabric.

My results!

I hemmed the edge of the frog fabric, but didn't sew the sides onto the wrap. I'm going to sew them up halfway or three quarters of the way to create a pocket for my wallet or phone. I think that would be really neat.

Here's the finished product in use! Yep my baby boy loves it, and Mommy loves it, too! I can even nurse him in it. Yey! Please ignore my post baby flub. My belly is like jello right now. He was a big boy! Totally worth jello-belly.

And I can give him lots of lovings and comfort while he's in it. Always a plus.

What did everyone else make? I'm so happy about this project. I can't wait to take it out on the town! And by out on the town, I mean the grocery store. I live an exciting life!

Birth Story Part 2

2012-07-05T02:05:00.000-04:00

When I got in there, the doctor who saw me was the on-call doctor from Friday night. She was surprised to see me and to hear that my contractions were so painful. She did another cervical check (those are the most fun ever), and said, "Well, I've got to tell you something..." I was thinking, "Oh, no I still haven't progressed and I'm going home!" Turns out Matt was thinking the same thing. Thankfully she ended her sentence with, "You're four centimeters! I'll call the hospital and let them know you're on your way. You don't even need to check out, I'll do that for you."

Praise the Lord! By the time we got to the hospital (it's literally across the street from my OB's office), and got the car parked, it was a little after noon. We got all checked in and found our room. The nurse gave me some water to drink and a beautiful hospital gown to wear and I got into the bed and time flew while I was hooked up to a billion machines. My contractions were still killing me, but I was just happy to be in the hospital where I was going to get those amazing antibiotics for my beautiful baby!

I wasn't hooked up to an IV until around 2:00PM and my epidural came shortly after that. I didn't need pitocin this go-round (thank goodness, that stuff is awful!) because I was actually progressing on my own. The on call doctor came in to introduce himself, but there really was no need, we knew each other. It was Dr. Wright! The person who helped deliver Avalyn! I was so happy. We exchanged pleasentries and he went on his way, he said he'd be back soon to break my water if need be.

Anyway before I knew it Dr. Wright was in the room, ready to break my water. It was around six o'clock at this point. He made a face when he broke my water and said something that made my heart sink, "There's a lot of thick meconium in the amniotic fluid." I looked at Matt and my expression must have given away my worry because he told me everything was going to be okay. I was terrified. This had happened with Avalyn as well, and she was fine, but it's still a very real danger for the baby.

I asked the nurse if the hospital ever experienced complications with this issue with babies, and unfortunately, she reminded me that she was new to this facility and wasn't sure. She explained the risks to me and basically said it was 50-50 that he would be okay. On top of being worried, I also had a selfish reason for being upset. This is my last pregnancy, and I really wanted to know what it was like to have the baby placed on my chest right away. I wanted that instant bond and I wanted him to not have a traumatic first start.

Around 6:35PM I really felt like I had to go to the bathroom, my nurse said no way and checked me again and Nicolas was on his way. My doctor, a couple pediatricians, and four or five nurses rushed into the room and got everything ready for Nicolas's arrival. The doctors and nurses were barking codes and orders to each other while I felt like my bits were on fire! At 6:40PM I started pushing, and oh my goodness did it hurt! I actually screamed - something I swore I'd never do. I blame the days of active labor, lack of sleep, and added stress and worry from the meconium in my bag of waters. It was a bad situation and I was hurting in more ways than one. Dr. Wright told me to take the effort I was putting into screaming into pushing. I understood what he meant. Shut up and do your job!

Nicolas Ira made his arrival at 6:54PM weighing in at 9 pounds, and was 24 inches long. Big boy! Boy did I feel his biggness. The nurses swept him away and Matt went over to him instantly (unlike with Avalyn where he hung back to make sure I was okay). Nicolas didn't cry and didn't make eye contact with me the way Avalyn did. In fact, he didn't look good at all. He was limp and I couldn't tell if he was okay or not. The doctors and nurses got him all cleaned up and cleaned out, he still wasn't crying, just making little grunting whining sounds. I don't know what his Apgar score was and I don't want to know. It was really scary. Even worse I kept asking if he was okay and no one would answer me.

Meanwhile, my doctor was telling me he was surprised with such a big baby I didn't tear too much. He gave me one stitch just to be safe. I was squeezing my thigh out of worry while he stitched and he must have been worried because he said, "Don't try to help me down here, you can trust me." I told him I just needed to hold onto something.

Finally I saw a nurse hand Nicolas to Matt, who brought him over to meet me. He was so beautiful! He had dark brown hair and Matt's nose! He also had petechiae on his face (they looked like little freckles), and a broken blood vessel in his eye which were from the pressure of pushing - and from the cord being wrapped around his neck, my poor little guy!

Like his sister, Nicolas latched on right away and we didn't need help from a lactation consultant (again, she said he was a natural). He's also an amazing little sleeper. I was able to put him in his bassinet and take a shower as soon as he was done eating. Avalyn was not as easy going about that. When I was done with my shower, the nurse who helped deliver Nicolas was back to monitor him and seemed very pleased. I asked her how Nicolas was and she admitted he had a very rough start. Between the meconium, the cord being wrapped around his neck, not getting an adequate amount of antibiotics (I was positive for GBS), and a low apgar they were worried. She told me that he seemed perfectly healthy and bounced back very well. A few nurses had to come in to see if he was really as long as he was measured as well. Apparently, he was unusually tall!

Matt, Nicolas, and I were alone for the first couple days (we had to stay an extra day because of the GBS). And Mom and Dad brought the kids up on the day we were discharged. It really was nice getting to know Nicolas for two days all to ourselves. So far, I can say: He's not a crier. It makes it a little difficult to know when he needs something but I'm sure that will change. He's also an amazing sleeper - I know I already said that but seriously it's wonderful!

First smile ;)

Mommy and Nicolas

Daddy and Nicolas

Grandma introducing Nicolas to Avalyn and Keith.

With Grandpa and Grandma

First family photo

Meeting Aunt Penny - he slept on her for at least an hour.

Meeting Nana and Papa.

Birth Story Part One

2012-06-30T13:12:00.000-04:00

Oh sweet Lord this post seems like it's been a loooooooooong time coming!

Let me start off by saying that I had been feeling like a giant for about four weeks. Seriously. I didn't think my body could stretch any more than it already had. Turns out it could. My stretch marks have stretch marks! I had also been having contractions on and off since 37 weeks. Those are a picnic.

On Thursday the 21st I had my last OB appointment - I was 3cm dilated and 80% effaced. I probably had been for a while because I had been feeling as if Nicolas would fall out at any given moment. My OB also told me my bag of waters was bulging. Of course the whole time I'm there I'm thinking: How is this kid not here already!? On Friday I was hanging out at the cottage with my parents and timing some really regular contractions. These puppies were 2-4 minutes apart and lasted 1-1.5 minutes. I thought this might be it.

I called L&D to see what they would recomend. They paged the on-call doctor who called me back and told me to come in and get monitored, especially since I was GBS positive. So, my parents, being awesome, took the kids for the night and Matt and I headed to the hospital. Well, they hooked me up and it turns out I had not made any progress, and my contractions weren't painful enough to keep me there. And we were sent home. :( I spent Saturday feeling contractions as well, but the on-call doctor had told me on Friday if they weren't painful enough to take my breath away or wake me up then I didn't need to come in.

Enter Sunday morning... 4:30AM strong contractions that wake me up. I waited though, and waited, and waited. I did not want to be sent home from L&D again! We went to the cottage that day to let the kids play, and Mom and Dad offered to take them home with them just in case I went into labor (since we don't have any babysitters on hand). We took them up on it and waved goodbye to our babies around 5:30PM. At around 8:30PM I told Matt bouncing on the exercise ball, and breathing through the contractions weren't working anymore and we needed to go in. I was in some serious pain at this point. I thought for sure it was the night. I was wrong. Again.

We got to the hospital and once again I hadn't progressed. I asked if there was anything we could do because I was in some serious pain (they kept saying I was uncomfortable... whatever triage nurses. I was in PAIN). They said take a Benadryl and some Tylenol and go to bed. Right... I told them that neither of those would mask the pain I was in enough for me to sleep. So, they gave me an Ambien. Great. I should also note, the on-call doc didn't want to induce me because she didn't want to deal with it "at this hour." And I should call the office tomorrow and talk with my doctor about my options.

So, I left crying. Not because I was upset but because every thirty seconds I doubled over from a contraction. It took us 15 minutes to get to the freaking car. It should have only taken five. Jerks. I was pretty mad about the whole thing, too, because I didn't want to have the little guy at home without antibiotics for the GBS. That, and Avalyn had her first bowel movement inside of me and I had an awful feeling Nicolas probably did, too, since he was overdue. Those were two things working against me. I just wanted to be admitted so my baby would be safe! I told Matt if I gave birth at home the hospital would be facing a huge lawsuit.

Needless to say even with the Ambien I couldn't sleep. Strong contractions that don't let up aren't stopped by a sleeping pill. Instead I was groggy and in pain. Great combination. The next morning I called my doctor's office right when they opened and left a message for the OB nurse. She called me back an hour later (meanwhile my contractions hurt more than ever), and told me to come in at 2:45PM. Ugh! Another six hour wait. Thankfully she called back and said there was an 11:30AM that opened up. I jumped on it. 11:30 could not come fast enough.

When I got in there, the doctor who saw me was the on-call doctor from Friday night. She was surprised to see me and to hear that my contractions were so painful. She did another cervical check (those are the most fun ever), and said, "Well, I've got to tell you something..." I was thinking, "Oh, no I still haven't progressed and I'm going home!" Turns out Matt was thinking the same thing. Thankfully she ended her sentence with, "You're four centimeters! I'll call the hospital and let them know you're on your way. You don't even need to check out, I'll do that for you."

Praise the Lord! By the time we got to the hospital (it's literally across the street from my OB's office), and got the car parked, it was a little after noon. We got all checked in and found our room. The nurse gave me some water to drink and a beautiful hospital gown to wear and I got into the bed and time flew while I was hooked up to a billion machines. My contractions were still killing me, but I was just happy to be in the hospital where I was going to get those amazing antibiotics for my beautiful baby!

Nicolas Ira Is Here!

2012-06-26T19:11:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the world Nicolas Ira!

9 pounds, 24 inches long! Born on June 25, 2012 at 6:54 PM!

Birthday Tutu!

2012-06-11T19:49:00.000-04:00

So, yesterday I went out and bought 5 yards of tulle from Joann Fabrics - best part? It was on sale. $0.74 per yard! That means my first attempt at making a tutu wouldn't cost me an arm and a leg if I messed it up somehow. I wasn't looking to make anything fancy, just something for Avalyn's 2nd birthday picture.

I'll post step by step how I made it, and what the finished product looks like. I really like it, and so does Avalyn, I suppose that's all that matters!

Here are the colors I picked. A bright pink, lime green, orange, teal, and lavender. I chose a deeper purple for the ribbon.

I measured Avalyn's waist and cut my elastic to size and sewed it together.

I spread each yard of tulle out on the floor (easier than a table for me right now).

Then I folded it in half, and sliced it down the folded edge.

After that I measured and cut six 6 inch strips. Thankfully the squares on my rug are six inches each so it was super easy to measure!

Ta-da! All the tulle is cut!

I looped the elastic around one of my lovely pillows (it's so well dressed now). And tied on the tulle. I folded each strip in half - the long way - as shown above.

Then I looped it behind the elastic.

And pulled the bottom of the strip through the loop.

Then I tightened it down (not too tight!).

And pushed it up against the rest of the strips.

It took me about an hour to do. Cutting took the longest. Yow! I didn't take pictures of putting the ribbon on, but it was super easy. I took an inch wide ribbon and wrapped it around the elastic and knots of the tulle. To start I left a foot of ribbon (to tie the bow), and started to wrap it. I did it around every other strip of tulle. At the end I tied it like I was tying a shoe.

Here's a picture of what I've done so far.

I actually made the bow a bit smaller and then put a stitch or two in it to keep it tied (kids love to untie bows), then I cut the edges on an angle and sealed them with a lighter so they wouldn't fray.

Viola! A tutu! And here are some pictures of my big girl - she's 2-years-old today - in her new "pretty dress." :)

Happy birthday to my 2-year old baby girl! Love her bunches. She's the best birthday gift I've ever received! :)

Keith's Birthday Party!

2012-06-10T22:25:00.000-04:00

Keith turned 10 on the 1st! Hard to believe we have a ten year old in the house! We had a party for him yesterday - a Lego Party. The boy loves his Lego's, just like his Dad.

I made a Lego "Keith" and utensil holder out of Lego's for the occasion. Not pictured are the napkin holders I made to match! :)

Lego banner! Handmade by me! I used construction paper and washable markers (things every mom has in her house, I'm sure) to make the Lego's, then used twine to hang them on and clothespins to hang them with. I really like how they turned out!

Matt blowing up balloons in standard Lego colors.

Yep, I sorted the cups, plates, and napkins to make a Lego rainbow!

The kids "helping" with the party prep.

Oh, static electricity, you are so fun!

How I decorated Keith's door while he was sleeping. :)

The table is all set up for the party!

This is as far as I could go with streamers. Too much work for being 38 weeks pregnant!

Keith's big gift!

The birthday cake (in Lego colors), topped with Lego men (and women).

Blowing out his candles!

Fun in the pool after the party. I love this picture because Avalyn is yelling at Andy for being on the slide, and Keith is trying to dunk Anthony under water. My kids are vicious!

Hope everyone else had an excellent weekend! I love birthdays... and I love that all of ours are in June!