The Patriotic Peacock

DIY: Candy Heart Door Hanger

2012-02-01T09:45:00.001-05:00

It's LOVE MONTH!

Valentine's Day is such a fun holiday.

Hearts and pink and red and chocolate and remembering all those that you love.

Valentine's Day is so much more than just spending time with your significant other...although I do love that significant other of mine ;)

I think it's a day to love on your main man even more and remember everyone in your life that you love!

I'm in the spirit and if you lived anywhere near my town, you would know that wooden door hangers are the rage.

Just about every house in my neighborhood has a wooden, polka dotted monogram letter sign, or a big wooden, polka dotted heart.

You can order them at tons of gift shops for $40-$50 a pop! So, if you know me at all, you know that I am definitely not dishing out that much money for something crafty to hang on my door.

My alternative costs about $10 and I love it...and so do my neighbors because it's different from their gift shop versions :)

Here's how you can make your own:

Lowe's and Home Depot both sell 2'x2' pre cut plywood squares for around $5...I grabbed me up one!

Next, I laid out a tarp and pulled out a deep pink spray paint can.

Nice and pink

Lightly draw your heart shape onto your board with a pencil, then use a paint pen to paint over your stencil line.

Fill in your heart...I did two coats of white.

Using my white paint pen, I drew some polka dots then used a round foam brush to fill in the dots...the best part is that your dots don't have to be perfectly circle!

I decided I wanted to make this look as much like a candy heart as possible, so I used my ruler and drew "Be Mine" in pencil, then used pink paint and a thin brush to paint over my pencil lines.

I added some hardware and a ribbon to the back...and VOILA!

Will you be mine??? :)

Chevron Obsessed

2012-01-31T09:58:00.000-05:00

The chevron craze is in full force...and I hope it stays that way for a while because I love all these great chevron designs, fashions, and ideas!

How about these gorgeous plates from etsy?

Source: etsy.com via Ashley on Pinterest

This top is sooo fun! Seattle designer, Jessalin Beutler is the mastermind behind this great piece and I love it.

Source: etsy.com via Paula on Pinterest

I must admit that I am not a quilter, but if I did quilt, this adorable quilt from V and Co. would be on my to-do list.

Source: vanessachristenson.com via Margaret on Pinterest

This baby set from etsy, is a show stealer...so trendy and cute.

Source: etsy.com via Paula on Pinterest

I'm sort of drooling over this bed set from Urban Outfitters...it would look so good in my guest room.

Source: urbanoutfitters.com via Erin on Pinterest

And for you dog lovers...

Source: etsy.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

Seriously? Amazing clutch from Marigold & Sage.

Source: etsy.com via Paula on Pinterest

Love these place setting cards...chic and they come in just about every color.

Source: etsy.com via Paula on Pinterest

Doesn't get much cuter than this.

Source: etsy.com via Paula on Pinterest

My chevron obsession...aye yai yai...what's your trendy obsession right now?

Dark & Spicy

2012-01-30T16:25:00.000-05:00

I. love. hot. chocolate.

Especially now that I have to keep my caffeine intake under control.

Seth thinks I'm crazy I love it so much.

This is one of my favorite recipes I concocted!

I thought since I loved it so much, you might too :)

Ingredients:

16 oz of milk

1 heaping tablespoon of Hershey's Dark Cocoa

3 Tablespoons of sugar (or splenda)

1 Tablespoon of chocolate chips

Dash of cayenne pepper

Marshmallows for topping

Mix everything together except the marshmallows.

Heat for about 1 1/2 minutes.

Stir realllllly well (the cocoa likes to clump, so you have to really stir that bad boy!)

Top with marshmallows.

Find a quiet spot, preferable during toddler nap time.

Drink to your hearts content.

Beware of marshmallow stealers...or as the thief calls them,

"Smarshsmellow's"

Or you can just give up and hand over the entire bag...=

Yummmmmmm

Baby Bumble Bee Applique Onesie

2012-01-29T18:21:00.002-05:00

I definitely have been feeling the pressure of a new little one about to enter our home!

I can't wait to smell that newborn baby smell and kiss those sweet cheeks.

Even though I can't wait...I'm still not quite ready either. I have too many things on my "baby-do list" that I still haven't gotten too!

All the little projects and fun baby things I had planned to do over my pregnancy haven't happened yet. I realized Friday that the next eleven weeks are going to go by fast, so I'd better get myself in gear to do some of the baby things I've been wanting to do.

While Caleb napped Saturday afternoon, I grabbed a plain onesie, some yellow, black, and white felt, and my handy scissors.

This project was relaxing. I sat in the living room with Seth.

We turned a movie on, and I sat there cutting out my shapes and pinning them to the onesie until I was ready to move to the sewing machine and sew them on.

I really like these cute, little bees...perfect for a girl or a boy.

I especially like the little one on the hiney.

My plan is to make Caleb a matching T-shirt...I hope I can remember to grab up a few t-shirts the next time I'm out!

He also requested a giraffe shirt...which actually is a cute idea!

I think Caleb is really excited about being a big brother.

I am going to dress them in matching clothes for as long as they'll let me!

I know that right now Caleb will think it's super cool to match his little baby brother or sister...we'll see how long that lasts ;)

The fun thing about appliques is that they are simple to make and you can make anything...

Just cut, pin and sew!

You can even hand sew the felt on if you don't have a sewing machine.

Does it get easier than that?

Here are a few cute applique tutorial blog links that I found if you have no idea where to begin!

OR if you just want a few, fun ideas :)

These are FUN!

2012-01-27T08:00:00.007-05:00

I've been working on this project for over a week now...tweaking it and brainstorming. But this idea has been in my head for months!

I still have other ideas for it but this is what I have so far and I'm pretty excited about these cuties, which can all be found here in my Etsy shop...or I have included a new purchasing option at the bottom of my post!

I started with this painting on oak board:

It looks so cute in Caleb's room.

Caleb loves it.

He stands and stares at it saying, "Dat's Caweb!"

Of course, I also had to test some designs out on dishes:

These really are my new favorite thing to make.

Something so fun about adding hair styles and eye colors to each one.

I think these would make great gifts for birthday's or new baby gifts...or a great gift for parent's or grandparents, perhaps with more than one child face!

Interested in purchasing one of my new Child Face item's?

Not interested in going through Etsy and/or don't have a Paypal account???

You can purchase right here!

Here are your options:

LARGE 24" x 24" (Square) Personalized Child Face Painting on Oak Board, comes ready for hanging!

MEDIUM 11" x 7" (Rectangle) Personalized Face Painting on Canvas:

When placing order, include your choices of the following options in the provided section at checkout:

1. Background color

2. Boy or Girl

3. Skin Color

4. Eye Color

5. Hair Color

6. Hair Style

7. Shirt Color

8. Position of name

9. Any extra's (hair bow colors, add earrings, etc.)

Be sure to list number's 1-9 with your choice beside each number so I know exactly what personalizations you would like!

Children's Face Juice Mug:

When placing order, include your choices of the following options in the message section at checkout:

1. Boy or Girl

2. Skin Color

3.. Eye Color

4. Hair Color

5. Hair Style

6. Position of name

Children's Face 8" Ceramic Plate

Microwave and Dishwasher Safe. Refrain from using knives on painted areas.

When placing order, include your choices of the following options in the message section at checkout:

1. Boy or Girl

2. Skin Color

3.. Eye Color

4. Hair Color

5. Hair Style

6. Position of name

Please contact me with ANY questions!

PaulaKathlyn.com@gmail.com

Dis & Dat

2012-01-26T18:44:00.002-05:00

We've been doing a lot of cooking and baking lately.

Especially since Caleb has his "cook" to put on...aka: apron.

That may be the reason behind our funny little episode this morning.

I woke up at 5am and went to check in on Caleb.

Of course he had somehow flipped himself so that his head was at the foot of the bed and all of his covers with bunched up underneath him.

I picked him up and moved him to the right end of the bed and covered him up. I was getting ready to leave when he rolled over and said, "Mommy...you cook!"

Then he rolled back over and fell asleep.

Alright son, I'll get right on that. You know how I love cooking at 5am!

I'm thinking he must have been in mid cooking dream...or he just assumes that is my 24/7 duty.

This kid really puts on for the camera...fo ril.

Believe it or not, this is his gangster dancing face. He isn't mad at all. He was listening to J.Lo's "Get on the Floor" and when the rapping starts, this is his gangster, serious, rapper face...crack.me.up.

This is where my two handsome's chill every night. Every. Night.

Seth has a thing for laying in the floor to watch TV, always has. Caleb of course, joins in on this habit and so now it has become the father-son ritual to lay in the floor and watch TV.

I'm working on a piece of furniture for the baby's room and it needed some sanding and painting done to it, so I grabbed Caleb's paints and set him up a little paint area too. It's so fun seeing how much he enjoys painting now. It actually keeps him occupied for longer than 30 seconds...thank goodness.

He's trying not to smile at me...

And to end this completely random post, we have a new favorite movie.

Yepp...Pooh!

It was his FIRST movie that he saw in the theatre back at the end of summer when we first moved here.

We redbox'ed it on Saturday and this kid has watched it probably 8 times since then.

I have to admit, it's a super cute movie and since someone's birthday is next month, it might just show be at our house for good pretty soon.

The past few days, I've fed Caleb lunch and then let him watch Pooh before his nap. It's an hour long which, to me, is the PERFECT length.

His favorite is Tigger...but he laughs at all of them.

Enjoying these blissful days now before he grows up too fast and wants nothing to do with Pooh Bear :(

I love this kid.

He keeps saying that the baby will "pop" out in one minute...that's gonna be a mighty long minute buddy.

Happy Thursday everyone!

That's right...that means tomorrow is FRIDAY!

Put your dancing boots on :)

twenty. eight.

2012-01-24T21:58:00.000-05:00

Check out big brother's face..crackin' me up!

It's hard to believe I'm in the middle of WEEK 28!

I feel like it was just yesterday that I was laying in bed, sweating from nausea, trying to not use my nose to smell anything and watching a million Disney movies with Caleb...poor little guy was a trooper during those super sick-o days.

Today, the doctor said I was measuring right on track...despite my wish that he was going to tell me that I was measuring a few weeks larger proceeded by him changing up my due date to March...a girl can dream, right?

Honestly, I am enjoying being pregnant. This week I can really tell the growth in my belly. My pregnancy book says that I should be growing a 1/2" every week! That means I still have 6" to go!!!

It's been such a great, healthy pregnancy. Even though I have gained too much weight, I feel wonderful. I am exercising and eating lots of fruits and veggies (and brownies...ooops!).

I am in much better shape this go round than I EVER was with Caleb and I am hoping that will help me out in the delivery room...only time will tell.

Just a few more weeks before we find out what our little bambino is and I am sooo excited!

Caleb will randomly come over to me and say, "Mommy, you push push push and that baby pop out? And doctor will catch baby?"

Hahaha! He makes us laugh so hard. He thinks he has a baby in his belly too. I wonder when he'll figure out he doesn't. I don't want to break the news to him...ha!

Here are a couple of maternity fashion looks I came up with that I would love to prance around in ;-)

Maternity Fashion Casual by retrogalusa featuring camel shoes

Topshop maternity, $32
Maternity, $195
TopShop camel shoes, £30
Crossbody bag, $160
Crystal jewelry

Maternity Fasion by retrogalusa featuring wool scarves

Isabella oliver maternity, $89
Red Herring Maternity maternity, £27
Franco Sarto tall leather boots, $140
H M leather shoulder bag, £25
Lanvin necklace, $1,350
Chanel jewelry, €376
Acne wool scarve, €107

Sew-For-Yourself: Monogrammed Apron

2012-01-23T10:37:00.000-05:00

Step 1: Start with a square piece of fabric.

I chose a light blue and white seersucker...you can use anything for this project!

Step 2: Hold it up to your "client" and get an about measurement of where to cut for the arms.

This can be made for a child or an adult!

Step 3: Cut armholes as shown.

In order to get matching armholes, fold your material in half, length wise after you cut the first armhole and use that as a guideline to cut your second armhole (pictured below):

Now your material should look like this:

Step 4: Hem all edges.

I serged around the edges first and then did a 1/4" hem with my sewing machine all the way around.

Step 5: Add elastic to neck line.

I cut a piece of narrow elastic, pinned it to each side of the top and sewed straight across. I chose to use elastic for the neck because now my little "client" can pull it on and off easily without needing me to tie it for him.

Step 6: Add ribbon to sides of apron.

I had a roll of wide, grosgrain ribbon on hand. I cut two equal pieces and sewed each one onto either side of the apron, right at the base of the arm cut outs.

I added some fray check to the ends of my ribbon to keep it from fraying and looking sloppy.

Step 7: Grab some felt and cut out your monogram letter.

I used black for contrast. I free-handed the letter C, but you could print out a letter from your computer, cut it out, pin it onto the felt and cut around it if you are looking for a certain font, like a pretty cursive!

Pin the letter on and carefully stitch it onto your apron.

This is an optional step. I used my remaining pieces that I cut from my arm holes in step 3 to make a pocket.

Just hem around the edges.

The left is a picture of what the back of your pocket will look like and the right side is what the front will look like:

Then I sewed the sides and bottom of the pocket onto the apron, leaving the top open.

Someone loved it.

He likes to "cook" with me. In fact, we "cooked" up some chocolate milk as soon as he got his apron on! He thinks stirring means he's cooking something good...so he get's to do lots of stirring :)

Look at this kid. He's so serious.

A little too much flour on his nose.

This apron would make a great gift too! For birthday people of all ages :)

Easy, functional, fun and "client" approved!

Happy Monday everyone!

Don't forget, there's still one more day left to get your coupon codes for the Valentine Mug sets.

Valentines Day is only THREE weeks away!!!

Mr. & Mrs. Mustache Contest

2012-01-20T17:05:00.001-05:00

This week, I added a new couple to my shop...just in time for Valentines!

I think they make a cute couple.

Meet Mr. & Mrs. Mustache and Lipstick...

I decided to do a contest for all my readers.

The regular price on this mug set is $40 + shipping

However, I have decided to give everyone a chance to get a great price on a pair of these for your Valentine.

Here is how:

1. Become a follower of my blog

2. Facebook this link

3. Tweet about this link...include @PaulaKathlyn so I can see your tweet!

4. Repin this link on Pinterest

5. Blog about it! Make sure to include the link back to my blog and etsy shop.

6. Like The Patriotic Peacock on Facebook.

If you do ONE of the above, email me at retrogalusa@aol.com for your 10% off code!

If you do TWO of the above, email me at retrogalusa@aol.com for your 15% off code!

If you do THREE of the above, email me at retrogalusa@aol.com for your 25% off code!

If you do FOUR of the above, email me at retrogalusa@aol.com for your 30% off code!

If you do FIVE of the above, email me at retrogalusa@aol.com for your 40% off code!

If you do SIX of the above, email me at retrogalusa@aol.com for your 50% off code!

The discount price is only valid on the Mr. & Mrs. Mustache and Lipstick Sets.

You must email me to receive your discount.

Contest closes Tuesday, January 24!

Discount codes expire February 14!!

Good luck!!!!

Skinny Mama's No-Bake Cookies

2012-01-19T16:30:00.003-05:00

I'm by no means anywhere near being a "skinny mama" right now...but so as not to gain 60 pounds this pregnancy, I have been experimenting with healthier options. I love no-bake cookies and decided to do my own low sugar version.

They turned out yummy...especially since I know the calorie content is much lower than the regular kind!

Here's my concoction :)

Recipe:

1 1/2 Cups of Splenda

1/2 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Natural Peanut, Cashew or Almond Butter

1 Stick of Smart Balance Butter Blend or just regular butter

1/2 Cup Milk

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

3 Tbl dark cocoa powder

3 Cups of Quick Oats

In a saucepan, whisk the butter, sugar, splenda, vanilla, cocoa and milk together.

Let boil for about 1 minute.

Stir in your nut butter. I found this at Target and I realllly like it!

Moving quickly, add your oats and remove from heat.

It should look all nice and messy, like this:

Lay out some wax paper and drop spoonfuls of the mixture.

It's gonna be tempting, but try realllllllly hard not to eat one until it's nice and cooled. Or you can stick a few in the freezer like I did ;)

Yum!

DIY: Painted Outdoor Rug

2012-01-18T14:34:00.000-05:00

I have had a couple of brown, boring runners for a few years now.
They have never been my favorite but when we bought them, we lived in a home with cold, tile floors and really needed them and they were a good deal, so we have been using them in every house along the way.
They have ended up in the laundry room, in the hall and everywhere else. I decided to take one of them and paint it to something I liked a little better.
Turns out, I created myself a pretty good lookin' outdoor rug and I'd love to show you how you can take an indoor rug and create an outdoor one out of it!

Here's what I started with:

Step 1: Tape off your rug.

I took the rug outside, laid it on a tarp and taped off even sections with masking tape for my stripes.
Using a T ruler really helped me to get the lines straight.

Step 2: Choose your spray paint.

I picked up 2 colors of spray paint..one in Krylon's Catalina Mist, an aqua color (surprise! surprise!) and the other in a warm brown. I also used this handy spray paint gun attachment...a MUST have for spray paint lovers.
Believe me, it will make your life THAT much easier and it's only a few bucks!

Step 3: Spray paint your heart out.
I will admit that this rug soaked up lots of paint. It took about 4 coats per each stripe to get it covered good.
I also had to be careful not to get the brown paint on the blue paint and visa versa. I got a little creative and used a couple pieces of poster board to protect the alternate stripe...you guys are smart so I am sure you can figure out your own solution for keeping the stripe colors separate...there are many solutions! Usually just ends up being what you have handy...cardboard, old rags, etc.

Here is the after!

Originally I had thought I would put it inside but Seth complained that it wasn't "soft" anymore, so I moved it outside and it works like a charm! I don't know why I didn't think to do this sooner. It complete's our outdoor living room set up...just need this weather to stay warm so I can put some purty flowers out!

Love Your State and Warm Weekends

2012-01-17T10:49:00.001-05:00

I added a few new fun things to my shop this morning.

I am especially excited about these state plates:

Virginia and Alabama State Plates

Available in any state or country!

I created this plate for Valentine's.

I think it would make a cute gift for some love birds.

I can't believe it's already time to be thinking of Valentines!

I always say that after the holidays are over, I'm done with the cold weather and ready for Spring.

Luckily, we have had some super warm days down here in the south and it really has felt like Spring.

We took advantage of the park a couple blocks down from us...it would be a shame to waste a Spring-like day in the middle of winter! Don't you agree?

This one seriously cracks me up. I was trying to take a picture of Caleb when I realized Seth was standing behind him, pretending like he was going to get him with a bat! Caleb had no clue...

DIY: Stamp & Paint Baby Sleeper

2012-01-16T09:26:00.001-05:00

This is a simple tutorial on how to snazzy up a plain sleeper (or onesie, or t-shirt or pair of pants, or, or, or...)

Step 1: Start with a plain sleeper.

I found this cute one, brand new at a thrift store. I loved the simple grey and white stripe design (can't wait to put it on my bebe!)

Step 2: Gather supplies as though you're a pilgrim gathering food on Thanksgiving day.

Okay, you don't have to work that hard.

In fact, you only need three items: your choice of fabric paint, a foam brush and some letter stamps OR stencils. I found these large stamp letters at Joanne's on sale one day and had to grab them up and I have used them on tons of projects.

Step 3: Liberally apply paint to your stamp, and stamp away!

Being careful to make sure you line things up nicely. Don't forget to put a piece of cardboard or card stock in the sleeper so the paint doesn't leak through.

Tah Dah!

Make sure to follow the instructions on the back of the bottle of fabric paint. I have found after you let the paint dry really good, laying a towel over top of your design and ironing over the towel heat sets the fabric paint, allowing for more durability.

Definitely allow for as much time as possible for the paint to dry before you wash it!

How simple and cute is this?

Inexpensive too!

I'd love to see your painted clothing if you get crafty and decide to paint something :)

Happy Monday everyone...

I hope this is the start of a GREAT week for you!!!

Winner and Saturday Fave's

2012-01-14T12:00:00.001-05:00

Thank you everyone who entered the giveaway! We had such a GREAT response!!!

The winner of the $25 gift card is #4: Karen who said,

"I'm new to your blog - but I really enjoy reading it :) I like the minky satin baby blanket - my little gal would LOVE something like that :)"

Congrat's Karen!!!
An e-mail has been sent your way :)

Today is Saturday and we are setting up part of the nursery! Exciting and scary at the same time...Caleb is really excited though. He thinks this baby needs a bed and I'd have to agree. After we get the baby bed set up, I can start decorating the room. It will be a little bit challenging since we don't know if we are having a boy or girl but I am sooo up for the decorating challenge!

Here are some pictures that have inspired me:

Source: thebooandtheboy.com via Paula on Pinterest

Source: laybabylay.com via Paula on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Paula on Pinterest

Source: elementsofstyleblog.com via Paula on Pinterest

Source: blog.holamama.es via Paula on Pinterest

Source: projectnursery.com via Paula on Pinterest

Source: rowhousenest.com via Paula on Pinterest

Source: gallery.projectnursery.com via Paula on Pinterest

With so many amazing nursery ideas, I am completely overwhelmed with what to do! I do know that I am more than likely going with a blue, green and yellow scheme...besides that, I am up a creek without a paddle! What are some of your favorite nursery ideas???

DIY: Wooden Ruler Height Chart

2012-01-12T17:18:00.001-05:00

I went to Home Depot and had them cut a $5 board in half for me.

This is about 4' tall.

Choose what color you'd like to "stain" your board. I choose to use a black (even though I took a picture of a white bottle!)

You mix about 1 part of acrylic paint to 3 parts water.

You can also use wood stain too, whatever you'd like!

I used some paper towels and wiped them all over my board until I got the color I wanted. Dab excess off with a clean paper towel and let dry.

I used two different rulers. My "T" ruler rocked...I wouldn't have been able to get my lines nearly as straight without it...you can buy them for pretty cheap at any craft or office supply store. They might even have them at Walmart and Target.

It's pretty much just a T-shaped ruler.

Also, don't forget to measure how far off the floor you will be hanging your chart. I started at the 6" mark. That is why I didn't start with the one inch number.

If you have a stencil, that would be perfect! If not, you can also free hand it like I did.

I can't say enough great things about Sharpie Oil based paint pens. I've used many brands of paint pens and this one ROCKS!

Caleb woke up before I finished my project. He supervised.

I also sprayed a clear coat all over the ruler, just for a little extra protection.

Caleb had some fun with it!

Now...where to hang it?!?

***Tomorrow is the LAST DAY to enter the giveaway!!!!!***

twenty. six.

2012-01-10T17:52:00.001-05:00

How far along? 26 weeks

Maternity Clothes? YES! Everything is maternity these days, with the exception of a few tops that I can still make happen.

Stretch Marks? Not yet...but I am keeping my Bio Oil on hand, slathering it and body butter on day and night!!!

Weight Gain? Oh the dreaded question...28 pounds...this is not looking promising! I can't believe I'm admitting to my weight...oh well.

Sleep: Getting more and more uncomfortable. I can get about 7 hours of sleep, with about 2-3 trips to the um, powder room, every night.

Best moment this week: Having a date night with Seth...the first one since we've moved here, SIX months ago!!! It was long overdue. We went to a local restuarant and then he bought me a new camera (Canon REBEL!!!)before ending the date with hot fudge sundaes from McDonalds...it was such a nice date!

Also, Caleb taking his finger and poking me in the belly while saying, "Pop!Pop! Mommy, that baby's gonna pop out!" Bahahahaha!

Miss anything? My back has been hurting me pretty badly...I miss being able to go an entire day without having to sit down and stretch my back muscles out constantly.

Movement: Super active. Especially at night! Or whenever I take a bath...maybe this baby will actually enjoy baths, unlike Caleb did when he was an infant.

Cravings? Pretty much everything. Especially whip cream lately!

Anything make you queasy or sick? We were at a big get together with some friends and one of their little babies threw up right in front of me...as in majorly threw up. I had to run outside because I started gagging so bad, I thought I was going to throw up too! NOT a good experience!!!

Gender? It's gonna be a BIG SURPRISE!

Labor Signs: No...thank goodness.

Symptoms: Back pain, lots of it. I still get super nauseated if I wait too long to eat...and I get HANGRY if I wait too long to eat...Seth can attest to that ;-)

Belly button in or out? Still in! I have a major inny so it never popped out with Caleb, just kind of leveled out...it's well on it's well to level though.

Wedding rings on or off? Still on! Bands have been off just to avoid any catastrophe's but my actual ring still fits perfecto.

Happy or Moody? Moody, for sure with happiness sprinkled in. Kind of melancholy though. I've been thinking a lot about the past 4 years of marriage and the past 3 years of having Caleb in our lives. Makes me sad to think about how fast time goes. Or maybe I am just in a constant state of emotions these days. I woke up in the middle of the night two night's ago and couldn't go back to sleep because I was thinking about something in our will that I wanted to change...oy vey.

Looking forward to: A four day weekend with Seth this weekend! We have big plans of getting all the baby stuff down from the attic and possibly setting the crib up. Seth says we need to do it before I'm too big to help him...haha :)

Have YOU entered this week's giveaway from SARAH WADE HANDMADE??? Enter here!

Sarah Wade Handmade

2012-01-09T17:36:00.002-05:00

We haven't had a giveaway in a while and this giveaway is a GREAT one!

I'm so excited to tell you about it.

My beautiful sister in law, Sarah, recently opened up her own Etsy shop and she's filled it with beautiful, handmade items.

Here are a few of my personal favorites:

Orange and Turquoise Baby Quilt

Reversible Nursing Cover

Bib and Burp Cloth Set

Camp Out Quilt

One of my lucky readers will win a $25 gift card to her shop, Sarah Wade Handmade.

To enter:

1. Visit Sarah's shop and come back to tell us your favorite item.

2. Tweet about this giveaway.

3. Facebook about this giveaway.

3 chances to win AND you can enter daily by tweeting and facebooking and leaving a new comment letting us know!

That means you have LOTS of chances to win!!!

Winner will be chosen Friday.

Best wishes to you all!

Fried Potatuh's on Saturday

2012-01-07T16:29:00.001-05:00

We haven't been anywhere today. Just enjoying our Saturday at the house. Cleaning, cooking, laying around.

Some of us like to wander in our under-roo's...

our new Yo Gabba Gabba underoo's

Or maybe only one of us...

I decided to whip up some fried potatuh's...that's southern for "potatoes"

Took a couple potatuh's

Sliced them real thin

Put them in a pan with hot oil...olive oil, vege oil, canola oil...whatever tickles your fancy

Sprinkle some salt and pepper

and a little sprinkle of Tony's for good measure

Then I went and peeped in on the little guy, just to make sure he wasn't putting a hole in anything

Nope, he was just eating a "dog dog" and watching some toons.

Then I came back to check on the tater's

Stirred them until they were nice and brown and then put them on a plate

With lots of ketchup

Then I ate them...oh yes, and they were delish...d-e-lish

My picky little man decided to stick to eating his dog dog and shredded cheese

On another note, my skin has been terrible throughout this entire pregnancy. On a whim, I decided to up my water intake.

Literally, within a week, my skin has cleared tremendously!

I went from drinking about 6-8 8 ounce glasses a day to drinking around 12 or more 8 ounce glasses every day.

I've even noticed that little man has been wanting to drink more water because he sees me drinking it.

Although he enjoys playing in his more than I do

And then, daddy picked him up because it was the dreaded "nap time"

We live for the weekends...they. are. awesome.

Richard

2012-01-05T17:02:00.000-05:00

Acts 20:35

"...You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

Proverbs 22:9

"Happy is the generous man, the one who feeds the poor."

I first heard about Compassion International right after Caleb was born.

Ever since then, sponsoring a child has been on my heart...I guess I am a little stubborn sometimes.

Yesterday evening, my heartstrings were tugged yet again.

Seth was sitting on the sofa with the computer, so I sat down beside him and showed him the website.

He was immediately interested in sponsoring a child.

Seth is the giving one in our relationship. It just comes naturally to him. Especially when it comes to those in need and this time was no exception.

He spent a month in India on a missions trip when he was in college. That, paired with his year in Iraq has really given him a realistic view of the poverty there is in other countries.

He tells the story of his favorite memory while being deployed.

I will try to give it justice.

While Seth was in Iraq, he and his soldiers were constantly on missions...pretty much the majority of what they did. One town they frequented was a town that made bricks. All the families worked in this brick factory, leaving the children to fend for themselves during the day.

The work was hard and the pay was essentially nothing.

Their homes were huts and the children ran around with no shoes on.

Seth always loved when his missions brought him through this town though because he and his soldiers were able to pass candy out to the kids...and of course the kids loved when the soldiers came.

Right before Seth was scheduled to finish his deployment, his troop received a truck load of shoes from the U.S. to pass out to the people in this village.

Seth was really excited to go hand these shoes out but when they got there and started unloading the shoes, his excitement turned to disappointment when he realized the shoes that American's had donated were very used and some in bad condition. He said they looked like shoes that we would use to do yard work in.

However, to these kids who had no shoes at all, much to Seth's surprise, were ecstatic about our used, American shoes.

There was one little girl Seth remembered vividly. She was his favorite. He saw her every time he was in the village. He though she looked about 2 years old.

While they were unpacking the shoes, Seth came upon a pair of pink, sparkly tennis shoes. He immediately snatched them up, thinking of his favorite little girl and praying that they were the right size for her.

He was able to find the girl and helped her put her new shoes on. He said she was grinning from ear to ear, so happy for the pink shoes that fit her perfectly, not even thinking once about the fact that they once belonged to someone else.

Seth is a tough guy but every time he tells this story, he can't fight the tears.

Yesterday as I browsed the Compassion website, I looked at face after face of children who were and are in need of help. We narrowed our search down to a male and decided to opt for one who had been on the waiting list the longest.

Two pages of children popped up.

We waited until Caleb woke up from his nap and let him come in to pick our new child.

He looked at the rows of faces and ran his finger across the computer screen, stopping on one little boy.

He picked Richard.

Cute little Richard.

Richard melted our hearts immediately.

We think Caleb and Richard would be best buds..Caleb even asked to go to Richard's house later that night ;-)

We sat there with Caleb and told him that Richard needed help. We explained to him that Richard didn't get presents for Christmas like he did and that Richard needed money for food and clothes.

Before we could even finish talking about Richard, Caleb had jumped off the couch and was running for his room.

He came back with two big handfuls of change from his piggy bank, saying,

"I help friend Richard get toys".

We really wanted Caleb to feel like he was giving his money to Richard, so we grabbed an envelope and let Caleb put his money in there. Then we took it to the mailbox and let Caleb put it in and close it up.

Later, we snuck the coin filled envelope out of the mail box, but Caleb will never know that.

In his heart, he went through every motion to help his friend and that's the way we want to keep it.

The cost for us is $38 per month.

Richard's family makes $150 a month on average.

$38 for us isn't a huge deal. It may mean cutting out a cup of coffee and a dinner out, but sending Richard that money is huge.

That is roughly a 1/4 of what they make in an entire month's time.

I started thinking about how blessed we are and how much we have.

Richard is 10 months older than Caleb and I can only imagine how different his life is.

I'm not writing all of this to toot my own horn.

I will be the first to admit that giving isn't my forte, especially giving above and beyond.

I am selfish when it comes to money...after all, it's mine!

But really, it isn't mine. God gave it to me so how can I look at a child like Richard and not give to him?

We are very excited to begin this journey of sponsoring Richard.

Our wish is to allow each of our children the opportunity to help others, starting by teaching them about the needs of others around them and I can't think of a better way to start.

I myself am learning the lesson of giving. Giving up my Starbucks and a dinner out on the town for a 3 year old without food...wow, I am so ashamed to even write that.

So long latte, hello Richard!

This year, my resolution is to be more aware of others need's around me and to spend more time thinking, praying and doing for others. That might mean sponsoring Richard in Africa or that might mean taking 5 minutes to write someone a "just because" note and sticking it in the mail.

My goal is to start each day asking God to show me where and how I can help someone else.

I feel like I'm about to be taught a lot of huge lessons...starting with Richard, our new little friend.

God, help me this year to see others through your eyes. Help me to look beyond my wants and see other's needs. I pray that you would help me be more aware of how I spend my money. Keep Richard and his family in my constant thoughts as a reminder of how blessed I am and how much you have given to me, so that in return I can give to others. Thank you for opening my eyes, even if just a little. Open my eyes even more so that I can turn my selfishness into selflessness and forgive me for how caught up I can become in the things of this world. Thank you for Richard and for the lessons he has already taught me and my family. I pray that you would continue to use him in our lives!

*If you are interested in sponsoring a child, please visit compassion.com
**I have not been compensated in any way to write this about Compassion.

twenty. five.

2012-01-04T08:49:00.001-05:00

I am 3/4 of the way through week 25...WEEK 25!!! I can NOT believe how fast this pregnancy is going. So much faster than my pregnancy with Caleb. I always heard people say that once you have another little one to chase around, 40 weeks flies by and boy were they right!

Here are a few pictures my mama took from this past weekend.
My family came to visit and we went to the beach for the day...a great surprise for the month of December.

The joys of living in the south!

I had a dream last night that the ultrasound tech at the hospital accidentally told me I was having a boy. I was SOOO upset! The worst part is that I was in labor when she told me. If that happens, I will probably have to hurt someone.

HA!

Baby Shop Re-Opening

2012-01-03T17:35:00.001-05:00

Hey there friends!

Just wanted to drop in and say I have re-opened my baby shop after many, many months of it being closed.

I only have a few items in there right now, but I will be adding more every day.

Feels good to sit at the sewing machine again.

Hopefully this energy lasts for a while longer.

I start my 3rd trimester in NINE days!!!

I can NOT believe how fast this pregnancy is going.

Excited to meet our new little one in a few months.

Will we have a girl or boy???

It's a good thing I don't know because I would be sewing all kinds of new things, especially if it's a girl!

We kept everything from when Caleb was itty bitty, so I am well stocked in the boy department.

I'll guess I'll just stick to sewing for the shop right now ;-)

A Real Happy New Year

2012-01-02T17:58:00.001-05:00

This Christmas has been so crazy.

It's been fun and excitement filled and tiring and draining and all well worth it.

We have spent tons of time with both sides of our families and Caleb has been able to finally meet all of his cousins.

Then the new year rolled around. My family came in town to see us and we had a second Christmas. They all left this morning though, leaving a two year old with big crocodile tears in his eyes.

Seth and I were also sad to see all our family leave, leaving us with an empty house, in a town with no family.

Our choice of course when we decided to join the Army, but every time we have to say goodbye to our families, our hearts wish that we could live closer than 10 and 14 hours away.

I think being pregnant makes me even more homesick than I usually am.

Our hearts just want to be closer to family.

I was also thinking back on this past year.

I saw so many tweets and Facebook posts about how excited people were about the new year and how horrible 2011 had been for some.

It really made me stop and think about what the year 2011 was like for us.

January we found out that we were expecting, due September 11.

The end of January, we found out that we lost our little baby.

February, our little Caleb turned 2 and we had a great birthday for him at the aquarium and then a birthday brunch with special friends. My parents even surprised him and drove down for his big day!

March, we found out again that we were expecting and then a few days later, yet again went through the sadness of realizing we had lost that little baby too.

April we found out we were moving. I had mixed feelings. I had spent a year and a half making new friends, most of that time while Seth was deployed. These friends had helped me through a difficult time. They had kept me busy and watched out for me. We had found a great church and we had a nice home. But even with all the great things Fort Benning had to offer us, there's always a sense of excitement when you find out you are moving somewhere. My heart was still fragile from the loss of two babies and recent news of two of my closest friends becoming pregnant made my heart ache worse. I was happy for them, I truly was, but every time I met them for lunch or spent time with them, I couldn't help but long to be pregnant too, I should have been experiencing pregnancy with them. It seemed to make sense that it would make my move easier, just to have a fresh start and not be constantly reminded of my miscarriages. Such a selfish train of thought as I would later learn.

May we had a great time just spending time with friends and each other. That, and I almost ended up with a pixie style haircut when I tried to highlight my hair myself. I jumped up and down in the shower, begging Jesus to not let all my hair fall out...I can SO laugh at that now, but at the time it was not funny. I still have my hair...but will not be trying the home highlighting kit ever again!

June was my birthday month! Caleb and I drove to Virginia to spend time with my family and Seth surprised me by meeting us up there and taking me for a weekend to Williamsburg...this was our very first trip together without Caleb and we had a great great time.

July was moving month. It was hot. It was a long couple of weeks but we managed to get our entire house unpacked in 4 days. Did I mention it was hot???

August we found out were expecting! We found out super early...I thought I was further along than I was, only to have my first ultrasound to find out I was 2 1/2 weeks behind what I thought. But baby had a strong heartbeat! We also spent the month getting to know our new town and meeting new friends.

September was a blur. I know Caleb started school and I know I at least showered and got dressed (most days), but I was sick...so so so so sick with little baby in my belly and the whole month seems hazy.

October was partially blurry. I started feeling better about halfway through the month. October was a rough month. We lost a good friend of ours back home and made the trip to Virginia for the funeral. It feels like just yesterday that we found out he had been killed. Now, nearly 3 months later, we still think about him and talk about him all the time.

We came back from Virginia and a few days later we did Halloween with our little Halloween chicken. He was such a cutie. Best Halloween so far.

November was fun. We spent Thanksgiving with my family and took Caleb to a beautiful orchard in Virginia. We were all able to get a good taste of fall, falling leaves and bright, gorgeous mountains, covered in yellows, reds and golds...something that is foreign here in south Alabama.

December was also fun. We decorated for Christmas and spent 11 days in Texas for Seth's sister's wedding and Christmas with the Wade side of the family. We had a fun, family filled time catching up with everyone!

Our year has been filled with ups and downs.

I look back at each trial we faced, the loss of two babies and a childhood friend and other trials that weren't blogged about.

Were they fun? Of course not. But through each and every trial I have faced this year, I can see where God used every part of it to grow me.

I was able to work through my jealousy of my expecting friends and find true joy in my hearts for them and find contentment in where I was, just in time to find out I was expecting again.

God's timing is no coincidence.

I've been able to appreciate my life in a new way because of the death of others.

I've seen grown men and ladies act like my two year old because they have allowed their own self pity to eat away at them and I watched as they hurt so many people around them.

I knew in those instances that God had better plans for me than for me to spend even another minute feeling sorry for myself.

I have faith that in every trial I will face, God has a plan for me...perhaps a lesson I need to learn or something someone else needs to learn from me. We have the choice to take our trials and wallow in our own self pity, blaming others for our poor choices and living our lives as the victim, or we can put our grown up pants on and thank God for our trials, knowing that He will bring us through to the other side, stronger and better.

I know I have hurt people along the way this past year. I have pushed people away out of my own selfishness and I have made my fair share of mistakes. I pouted and wallowed at times and my self pity was overwhelming some days.

This year wasn't perfect and I was and am far from perfect, but God sure did take care of me in spite of my mistakes.

If I choose to highlight the low parts of my year and dwell on them, I could say this year really stunk...but that wouldn't be the honest answer.

My blessings far outweigh my hurts. I'm in a warm house today with a healthy husband and 2 year old and a healthy little one kicking from in my belly. I am not hungry and I have clothes on my back. My bills will be paid this month, my husband has a job. I have friends and family who love me. I have Christmas gifts that I haven't even been able to use yet. My list could go on forever and ever.

This year has been a great year. God has provided for me in so many ways and I know that whatever I may face in 2012, it will all be okay because I have God on my side.

It might not be easy, it may not always be fun but I know I can lay my head down each night and know that God is there with me.

This year, I will find my contentment through Christ, knowing that nothing on this earth can ever fulfill me like He does.

I will thank Him for each day and place each day in His hands.

I will ask Him to help me with my struggles and flaws so that perhaps next year, they will be a thing He has allowed me to conquer.

I don't know about you but I am sure glad I have God on my side to start this new year off.

Without HIM, my life isn't worth living.

Is He number one on your list this year?

Here is a devotion I read today. I felt like it described me perfectly. What a great devotion to start the new year off!

Love to you all...I pray the year 2012 is full of blessings for you and your family!!!

__________________________________________________________________________________

The Most Searched for Answer

Lysa TerKeurst

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 (NIV)

Growing up I had a plan for how I could make my life good.

Get a good education. A good job. A good husband. A few good kids. A good house. A good flowerbed out front. And a good mini-van parked in the driveway.

Then life would be… good.

Eventually, I had all that good stuff. I was thankful for it all. I loved my family to pieces. The mini-van wasn’t all I thought it would be, but I felt like an official mom driving it. So even that wound up being good.

But something inside me still felt hollow. A little off. A little lacking.

So, I reasoned I needed something else to do. Something where I could use my gifts and talents. And while these things were fun and satisfying on one level, they too fell short when it came to that deep place ringing with the echoes of empty.

Empty is a heavy load to bear. The mystery of wanting to be filled but not knowing how or what could fill the deep soul is a gnawing ache. A search that can seem both futile and shattering at times.

When you try and try, always feeling like the answer is just around the corner, and then it isn’t, it can split your heart wide open and leak dry all your reserves.

It can make you feel unsatisfied and frustrated with everything. Even those you love. Maybe especially those you love.

So you fake a smile and keep putting one foot in front of the other. But eventually you stop peeking around the next corner hoping the answer is there. History tells you it isn’t. And wrapped in that perception is the noose that strangles out all hope.

Sadly, this is where many women live.

I know this place because I lived there. I struggled there.

And I guess I’m just wondering if you or someone you love might be there as we begin another year. A New Year. It’s tough when everything around you screams “Happy New Year!” and you feel anything but.

It quite honestly stinks.

So, I’m not going to pretend you’ll suddenly feel super happy after reading this.

But what I can promise is a string of words that explains a lot. An answer that is sure and solid and true and full of the breathless wonder of a hope rediscovered.

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved,” (Acts 4:13).

Salvation can’t be found in a person.

Even a good husband — good children — a good friend makes a very poor God.

Salvation can’t be found in anyone or anything else.

No education or job or house can save you.

There is no other.

Only Jesus.

And I’m not just talking about saying we’re a Christian. Just following the rules and really following Jesus are two totally different things.

Going through the motions of religion won’t ever satisfy. It’s only when we bend down low, open our heart in complete surrender, and say, “Jesus, it’s You. Only You. There is no other. There is no other possession or person or position that can ever fill the deep soul place shaped only for You.”

This is my New Year’s prayer this year. Though I’ve been saved for a long time, I want to recapture the essence of this “no other” reality.

And really live like this is true.

Because it is. True.

Dear Lord, forgive me for trying to fill the empty places of my soul with people, possessions and positions. I want to know what it means to have You, Lord, as the satisfier of the deep places meant only for You. Show me. Teach me. Lead me. And I will follow. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

It's almost a NEW year!

2011-12-31T09:42:00.001-05:00

We are going to dance the night away with this little cutie and the rest of the family!

Cousins dancing away

Happy New Year from my family to yours!

I hope it's a year full of blessings and laughs :)

Christmas

2011-12-24T09:00:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas to all.

Thinking of the most important part of Christmas...

Jesus.

I pray this season that you will be blessed by the love He so freely gives and thankful for His sacrifice to us.

He is the true meaning of Christmas.

photo

Put Your Hands Up

2011-12-22T16:53:00.000-05:00

Here is a video of Caleb....pretty hilarious if you asked me. Apparently he knows how to follow directions...and we don't even have video of him doing the cha cha slide!

This is at his Aunt Hannah's wedding :)