Trey and Lucy

pom pom trim flower headbands

2012-02-22T22:04:00.001-08:00

holy pom pom trim flower headbands booyah :)

They take seconds to make and are really just so adorable.

Easiest flowers for headbands I have ever made!

This is our little Charlotte. She just turned 5 months old.

This picture makes me want to go marching upstairs and give that sleeping baby a big kiss on those soft as butter cheeks. The ones on her face that is. She has a couple pairs of them whatever. :)

I am loving these headbands on her. The flowers are so sweet and fluffy.

That one little dimple. Amazing.

Here's how to make them:

You can buy this pom pom trim at most craft stores. Joann's sells them on the spools in many different colors.

Cut about 6 inches.

Just roll it around, no need to glue as you go!

Use a little dab of hot glue to secure the end after you have rolled it completely.

Cover the back of your flower with hot glue.

This is what keeps the flower intact.

Much easier than gluing as you go and burning your fingers with hot glue.

Take some elastic and cut it a little smaller than the measurement of your babies head, then hot glue the ends together.

Then just glue the flower right onto the elastic.

I like to make three and glue them right up next to eachother.

Then I like to put hot glue in between the flowers so they don't pull apart while baby is wearing them.

Take some ribbon...

tie it in a bow...

and glue it on with a little dab of hot glue.

It will serisouly take you 5 minutes.

Just do it.

Now I am off to find that baby.

Valentine Jars

2012-02-08T18:36:00.000-08:00

HELLO! Gosh Darn it it has been too long!

But the kids and I wanted to say hello. We are once again making Valentine Jars for the people we love and appreciate!

We kept them so fun and simple this year so that the kids could make them themselves!

We just save jam and sauce jars and then take a trip to the store and pick out all kinds of little goodies to put inside.

We fill the jars with candy, punch circles out of card stock, and tie them on with ribbon or this year we used bakers twine.

We like to take a look at what kinds of candy are inside and think of a clever saying to write on the tags.

We made a tag for the jar on the left that contained Hershys Hugs & Kisses and Chocolate Covered Gummy Bears that said:

Happy Valentines Day!

Bear hugs and kisses,

Trey, Lucy, & Charlotte

The jar in the right has Tootsie Rolls and Hershys Kisses in it, and the tag reads:

Hey Toots,

Hope you have a Wonderful Valentines Day!

Kisses,

Trey, Lucy, & Charlotte

The kids made these for their teachers.

Trey picked Sour Patch Kids & Strawberry Whoppers.

He wrote on the back of his tag:

You are a Whopper of a teacher. Thanks for putting up with us Sour Patch Kids!

Here's a very simple idea we came up with using a package of Valentines Peeps:

"Happy Valentines Day to some of our favorite PEEPS."

Happy Valentines Day

and don't forget to save your jars!

Christmastime at our house

2011-12-20T09:43:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

School is out, and I finally have a second to sit down and say hello.

I have never had a busier 3 months in my life!

Sunday I snapped this quick picture of the kids after church.

I love those three little kids more than anything in the world.

Trey was adamant about taking this picture of the girls and I.

Thanks Trey!

Sunday morning while getting ready for church I found this bow tie in treys closet. The thought of him wearing it to church made me giggle with delight, but i knew he would strongly object.

"My friends will make fun of me!" he protested.

"Oh but trey think of baby Jesus, we like to dress up extra nice for him around Christmastime." I said.:)

Next thing I knew he was wearing it! He is such a tender hearted little guy. He was the most Handsome little man in his bow tie and missing front tooth.

Thinking about baby Jesus had him wearing that bow tie all the way up to the church doors, where he then ripped it right off saying "It's not worth it mom!"

Ha! It was worth this priceless picture though!

Charlotte doesn't go anywhere this winter without this cute hat her aunt toad sent her in the mail.

{I have been sewing}

I made a couple of these Cozy Car Caddys for Christmas gifts.

I followed this tutorial from a great blog called Homemade by Jill.

Thanks for the idea Jill!

It opens up into a little car garage and road.

awesome!

{ trey has been crafting like a CHRISTMAS fool}

he made this christmas card holder.

(originally found on martha stewart.com)

you just need:

12 or 14 inch wooden embroidery hoop

small wooden clothes pins

glue gun

ribbon

*all supplies were purchased at Joanns

hot glue the clothes pins about 1 1/2 inches apart.

make sure every other pin faces the opposite direction.

then just tie a ribbon on top and hang!

{Candy Garland}

what you need:

sour patch kids

string

needle

{Paper Christmas Garland}

trey saw this idea at a baby shower thrown by my good friend erin, and wanted to give it a try. he made it completely by himself.

how to do it:

use a scalloped circle punch to cut a bunch of circles....

place two circles on top of each other...

sew right through the middle....

when you reach the end of the circle sew about 10 stitches until you feed the next circle through.

when your done open the circles and hang!

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

happy halloween

2011-10-31T15:47:00.000-07:00

Charlotte will never forgive me :o) She was very mad when she woke up inside a pumpkin.

The kids came back from the mailbox today with a package from their Aunt Kathryn. She sent the girls both Halloween headbands! They are so cute! She really has amazing style and she is so creative! The blogging world needs her in it. I will see what I can do about that :o)

Thanks Aunt Kathryn!

Photo taken by Lucy of Charlotte and I.

Nice job Lu!

(you can see the pumpkin in the back ground getting warmed up by the fire for baby charlotte's photo shoot. we wanted her to be nice and warm in there for goodness sake.)

Have fun tricking and treating!

pumpkin ice cream made by the kids

2011-10-27T19:23:00.000-07:00

The kids and i have learned this fun and oh so easy way to make ice cream.

you honestly need to try this!

such a great idea.

you can make so many different flavors, but this one is our latest creation and it tasted fantastic.

what you need:

crushed ice

salt

milk (any kind)

agave (any kind of sweetener you like)

pumpkin puree

pumpkin pie spice

1 gallon size ziplock bag

1 quart or sandwich size ziplock bag

we used 1/3 cup of pumpkin

3 cups of milk

less than a half teaspoon pumpkin spice

about a tablespoon of agave

then mix it together and give it a taste.

then just add what is needed, if anything, until the kids give it a thumbs up.

pour your pumpkin mixture into the smaller ziplock bag

before closing the ziplock bag, set it on the table and push down to get all the air out, then close

take a half cup of salt...

and pour it into a gallon ziplock filled with crushed or blended ice

place your smaller ziplock bag filled with the pumpkin mixture into the gallon bag filled with ice and close

put the bag into a pillow case and have the kids shake it for 5 minutes

after five minutes it will look like this!!!

scoop it out with an ices scream scoop and your done!

isn't that so fun and easy!

happy halloween!

and we went to the pumpkin patch

2011-10-26T08:35:00.000-07:00

the last six weeks since we have had charlotte have absolutely flown by.
i think it is because everyday i run around like a crazy woman juggling a new baby, homeschooling and being a mom to trey and lucy, being a wife, managing the house, and just plain keeping up with life.

there has been something that has been on my mind amidst all of this craziness that i wanted to share:

when i am out and about with three kids, i often get friends and strangers making comments asking me how i am doing it all, and saying silly things like how i must just be super mom...or they start to compare them selves and say things like "when i had a baby i didn't leave the house for months and was such a mess" and so on.

when i get a comment like this, i think to my self "oh my gosh what i have done wrong to make this person think i am anything special?" don't they know that i feel crazy sometimes...don't they know that i have cried every night since this baby was born...and my fridge hasn't been cleaned out in a month...and i found a back pack full of my daughters belongings the other day and when i asked her why she had packed her clothes it was because she had run away and i didn't even know!!??

me, super mom??? ha!

let me just tell you about our trip to the pumpkin patch will help me further explain my lameness:)

charlotte was only 2 weeks old i took these kids on a field trip to the pumpkin patch.

the field trip was through the kids homeschool co-op. we had gone the year before and had a blast.

i had tried my very best to be on time, but despite all my efforts, i ended up getting out the door about 15 minutes late and the field trip started out with a train ride.

me being just 2 weeks post baby, i was very emotional. i was so worried we would get there and the train of kids would have already left. i was feeling like such a loser because i knew the kids would be so disappointed if they didn't get to go. i may have shed a couple of tears on the car ride there. ridiculous i know.

when we pulled up, it was just in time to see the train full of kids already loaded from the parking lot. i had two choices....leave and pretend i had forgotten about the field trip when the trip leader later asked me why we didn't show up...or make a run for the train and make a fool of myself in front of a trainload of people.

i had no shame...i told the kids to run like crazy to the train, i would get the baby and be right behind them, and maybe the conductor would see them and not leave before we got on.

it worked, and though it was pretty embarrassing running with a baby while 40 people sat on a train watching us try to catch it, the kids and i ended up having a great time!

here is lucy wearing her new hat that is pretty darn cute on her if you ask me.

my pumpkins with their pumpkins.

here are some fun little videos of the kids playing around.

so anytime you start to think i am something special...just think to yourself "hey isn't the girl who cried on the way to the pumpkin patch...oh and didn't her daughter pack a backpack full of clothes and run away and she didn't realize it till days later."

also, while at the pumpkin patch we saw these halloween candy men again!

we made them last year and showed you how.

click here to see how to make them!

and just because she is the sweetest little darlin' here is a picture of charlotte.

it is hard to tell in this photo, but everyone keeps saying that she may have a little bit of red in her hair!?

to me it looks just really light brown.

what do you guys think?

the end

Felt Bow Headbands

2011-10-12T07:07:00.000-07:00

Just a couple of weeks before Charlotte was born; I sent my husband and kids fishing, sat down, and created all kinds of things for my little darlings hair.

These felt bow headbands were one of my creations.

So easy...so cute..

and really a lot of fun to make!

here she is wearing this pink one.

this headband is nice and big.

i will show you how i made this one that Charlotte is wearing, but

play around with different sizes as you make these.

here's how i did it:

you'll need felt.

i am a fan of wool felt because it is thicker, holds up nicely, and really it just looks so much better.

most joann's stores carry it.

elastic or stretch lace.

joann's sells it.

cut a strip of felt...

19 inches x 1 1/2 inches

then another...

3 1/2 by 1 1/2

find, and if you would like, mark the middle.

fold one side to the middle and then fold the extra back over to the other side.

do the same thing with the other side making sure the initial folds are at least even.

put some hot glue in the center to hold those folds down.

when you turn it over it will look like this.

next take your small strip...

glue it to the back of your bow like this.

then tightly bring it around to the front of your bow...

i like to pinch the sides of my bow down like this as i am bringing the smaller strip around...

now bring the smaller strip around to the back and hot glue it secure.

your bow will look like this!

cut a triangle shape out of the ends of your bow like this.

measure a piece of elastic about an inch or so smaller than your babies head...

put some hot glue on one end...

glue the ends together.

now cover the back of your bow with hot glue...

and glue your headband to your stretch lace.

if you don't have the measurements for the headband size you need, here is a general idea of what size to make:

Sizes
-Newborn 13.5 in
-0-3 months-14 in
-3-6 months 15 in.
-6-12 Months 16 in.
-12 Months-Tween 17.5 in.
-Adult 18 in.

Happy Headband making!

hello from baby land...

2011-09-27T07:19:00.000-07:00

just checking in with a few photos from my iphone.

(a couple of days after having charlotte, my husband came home with an iphone for me. purple case and all :o)
i was really skeptical about getting one. i told him it was too expensive..i didn't really need it...i didn't want to be wasting my time on it...and so on.
but, honestly it is one of my most favorite things that i own now.)

charlotte with her mama.

those toes in her hot pink heart pants picked out by her big sister melt my heart.

her first sunday to church.

i adore this little dress my cousin brittani picked up for charlotte while she was in italy this summer.

this little hat used to be mine when i was a baby.

i can hardly contain myself when she is wearing it.

i know that she is much too brand new to smile...

but i am convinced that she really does!

when i tell people...i can tell they don't believe me.

she only does it when she is wide awake, perfectly content, and her mama talks to her.

i happened to catch it on my phone camera.

what do you guys think?

is it a real smile?

her name...

2011-09-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

is Charlotte

(i realized after reading the comments in my last post that i forget to tell you her name?!?! can i get away with blaming it on the lack of sleep and get away with it?)

above is her baby announcement that i made in photoshop elements 7.0.

i got photo shop elements a few years ago after getting my Nikon D40.

it is easier to use than photoshop and much much cheaper.

i now have photoshop cs4 but still do a lot of things in elements because it's a little easier for me to use.

my husband took trey and lucy out for some fun and charlotte and i did a little photoshoot.

we had a great time together.

here she is at just 3 days old....

i love her so much it hurts my heart :o)

she is here...

2011-09-20T15:39:00.000-07:00

it all started with a day at the beach...

the forecast said close to 100.

the thought of being stuck at home without central air was too much for me to handle.

i told my husband we were taking the 1 1/2 hour drive to the beach where it was supposed to be 20 degrees cooler.

we were driving when i started to have some pretty strong contractions. my husband stopped the car to turn around.

i had been having strong contractions for a couple of weeks, figured it wasn't a big deal, and told him to keep driving.

keep in mind i have never gone into labor on my own before so had no clue what to expect!

the beach was perfect. lucy shared her stash of suckers from wholefoods with me...

and posed for lots of pictures.

(my husband and I laughed for awhile abut this picture. she was trying to put her hands on her waist but aimed a little high :o)

my husband and son trey skim boarded...

trey crashed big time and was a little down about it...

so my husband drew a football field in the sand and played the best game of football i have ever watched!

touch down :o)

family photo.

we headed home from the beach the the contractions were still coming but not regularly at all.

my husband had an obligation to take care of at the church, and i didn't want to think anymore about how i was probably just having false labor, so i told the kids to go get their swimsuits on, that we were going swimming!

we drove to the pool only to find out it was closed for maintenance.

so we headed to wal-mart to get some groceries instead.

it was in salsa isle that i found myself barely able to stand through my contractions as i propped myself up against the shelves.

i had a cart full of groceries and my two kids with me.

we were in the check-out line when i got hit by another contraction...

the lady checking me out turned white and said "do you need to call someone?"

"you know what?" I said, "i think i am about to have a baby...could you please hurry?"

the kids helped me load the groceries in the car and we headed home.

i met my husband at home, we dropped the kids off with our friends, and headed to the hospital.

on the way to the hospital i was so worried that i was in false labor, that they would just send me home...the thought of it was so unbearable because the contractions were really painful.

here i am about to get checked to see if i am in false labor or not...yes still wearing my swimsuit :o) i did not even think to change.

when the nurse said i was dilated to a 7 i could not believe it!

i remember my husband shhhhing me after i responded to the nurse with "holy cow are you kidding me!?"

a few hours later we met our little girl!

we will never be the same.

our family of 5.

i love that there are 5 of us now :o)

the girls.

my husband is honestly the best dad. he loves our kids and love snuggling this baby.

a friend brought me these pink roses and they smelled so wonderful.

she is perfect.

we are completely smitten by this baby.

it is the most wonderful feeling.

Ribbon & Bakers Twine Baby Bows

2011-09-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

I love just a simple bow on a brand new baby.

I can't imagine anything sweeter.

So the other night I sent my husband fishing with the kids, and I made bows for this baby that is coming any day now.

also...

Have you heard of BAKERS TWINE?

I am a fan of this stuff!

I found the Bakers Twine at a scrap booking store in Florence, Oregon...but I know they sell it at lots of places.

I got a yard in each color.

I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it!

I made several little bows in each color.

I can't wait to see what they look like on this baby!

I have been collecting ribbons for a while...

you just need about 6 or 7 inches to make a tiny bow.

They turn out so cute!

When I was little they used to stick on baby bows with honey...but now they say honey is not safe for babies.

Did you know that KY Jelly works great though! I just bought a tiny little bottle of it at target.

You put a little dab on the back of the bow, stick it in place, and when it dries it stays wonderfully.

Here is a picture of Lucy 5 years ago, when she was brand new with one of the little bows I would stick in her hair.

p.s. I have been having contractions all day so I think we might be getting really close :o)

nyree's blessing dress

2011-08-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

i have been a very lucky aunt this year!

i have gotten 2 brand new nieces and a nephew.

so far i have 3 nieces total.

i have made blessing dresses for all of them!

this one i just finished last week.

it is for my newest niece Nyree.

it is made out of a very light cream silk taffeta.

it has tulle coming out of the bottom...

ruffles around the neck...

and antique looking diamond buttons down the back.

i made this matching headband...

and sewed some bows on some tiny socks.

i have decided that baby dresses are my favorite thing to make.

sweet Nyree I know you will look so beautiful in your dress.

now it's time to start thinking of a dress design for my little darlin' that is due in less than 4 weeks!

ahhh!

the kiddos...

2011-07-25T22:39:00.000-07:00

while being a stay-at-home mom to two children and one on the way, i sometimes picture myself running out the front door with my hands in the air screaming for mercy....

the only thing is, i think i would just turn right back around, and run even faster right back to these kids.

even though they drive me so crazy...

i. love. them.

trey just turned 7,

and i do believe that he is more handsome than ever.

that sideways baseball cap (he wears one everyday now),

those blue eyes,

orange hair,

and freckles are impossible for a mama to resist.

lucy is coming up very swiftly on 5 years.

i think, that she is the prettiest little almost 5 year old ever.

she's got those ruby earrings (that she refuses to let me change),

those perfect little teeth,

and that sassy attitude that drives me insane but i wouldn't change one single bit.

lately she is very much into babies and animals.

she is so nurturing it amazes me.

here she is feeding the goats at a berry farm last week.

so instead of running out front door screaming for mercy...i have really been focusing on enjoying this time with my little ones...and when things get really bad just turning to chocolate :o)

we had someone snap this picture of us after trey's birthday party.

for those of you wanting to see me in all my pregnant glory there you have it, and that will teach you to ask. :o)

little conversations...

2011-07-21T21:18:00.000-07:00

i get the biggest kick out of listening to my kids when they think i am not around.

as far as trey is concerned lucy is his life's challenge.

he quietly cried to himself in the ultrasound room when we found out we were having another girl.

he is convinced this baby girl will be just as sassy and feisty as lucy.

the other day i walked in the room just in time to hear this:

Trey: "lucy you know that if we ever put you in an orphanage no one would ever adopt you."

(after a few seconds pause)

Lucy: "i know."

ha ha

i will never forget it.

the 8th month...

2011-07-20T07:58:00.000-07:00

children are pointing...

women are staring....

men are asking "aren't you about ready to have that baby?"

(the kids and i at ikea last night)

i am at the very beginning of the 8th month of pregnancy.

heaven. help. me. :o)

because putting napkins on my lap at dinner does not help one little bit, i have resorted to the shame of resting them upon my stomach.

as you can see it takes more than one napkin :o)

our 4th of july week

2011-07-08T09:22:00.000-07:00

my husband took the week off work and we packed up the car for an adventure!

we had a two hour drive ahead of us and we were trying to keep the kiddos busy.

my husband was driving and telling the kids the history behind this great holiday.

he had just taught them about the American flag when we passed hundreds of flags in the side of the road and had to stop to check it out.

the kids thought it was very cool and we even purchased an American flag of our own.

where were we headed?

there is only one thing in the world that could make trey this happy...

and that's camping!

(we go to the same camping spot every year, we reserve our spot 6 months in advance, and talk about it often until our trip finally comes around!)

just look at that chocolate fudge cookie covered face!

*can you see his bike in the background? i took this picture right after my husband, trey, and i had been heading down a trail to go salamander hunting. trey lost his footing on the petals off his bike, and from a distance while i am screaming for someone to save him, i saw his little life flash before my eyes. my husband heroically jumped of his bike and ran faster then humanly possible to save trey from what would have been a very big crash.

here he is just after, happy as can be, with nothing but catching salamanders on his mind.

this is his makeshift net that did not fail him in his hunt :o)

trey lives to hunt.

this is just one of the many many critters he caught this week.

this cute little chipmunk kept invading our camp.

after no time at all trey had half of a crawdad trap propped up by a stick with a string attached to it, and a bag of sunflower seeds as bait.

it took him about 10 minutes to catch that chipmunk!

we cooked him up and ate him!

ha, just kidding, what kind of people do you think we are!?

we let the cute little guy go of course.

i think my husband is an excellent fisherman.
everyone he took fishing came back with something to show for it!

my husband and cousin ethan with two nice sized trout!

my husband cleaned those fish, and I rolled the them in some fish fry batter and cooked them in olive oil.

they were a hit!

the lake was full of crawdads!

with fish heads as bait, and an uncle bob who took great care in placing the traps, we caught tons of them.

we boiled these guys up till they turned pink...

and everyone had a taste :o)

i was skeptical of this huge floaty my husband purchased at costco...

but it turned out to be a blast for everyone!

it has a really nice plastic mesh across the bottom that made it safe and fun for the kids.

i was worried how i would do on this camping trip. i am still not 100% at 7 1/2 months pregnant. but i really just had the greatest time, and my husband helped me out so much with packing and keeping the kids busy.

one day i decided i needed to take a little rest in the tent.

lucy found me in there, as well as my camera, and we had a great time taking pictures in the tent.

she is just a beautiful and fun little girl.

she made my "nap" so much more fun :o)

we even had some fun visitors come for the day.

this is wesley. i love him.

on his face is a mixture of licorice and dirt.

i think he loved the taste of both equally.

lucy and cousin ethan doing a pirate craft that aunt toad brought.

two years ago when we were camping we did a pirate treasure hunt. we really played it up big time. we had a note from a pirate named "one eyed willy" stuck in the tree by a knife and everything. i thought the kids were all having the time of their lives when i noticed both of my kids were close to tears because it was a little too real for them.

this year i made sure to make it much simpler.

you can see though, the knife mark in the paper because i started to get carried away again but quickly realized what i was doing and corrected myself before we had more tears :o)

i made sure all the clues were simple enough trey could read and they had a great time.

the final clue lead them to the dock where my husband was paddling in the canoe carrying the final treasure.

the kids loved it!

it really is a lot of work packing up the family to go camping. but there is just something about being outside for a whole week...we don't even get cell reception and my husband and i really look forward to that. the kids can run around, get dirty, and do everything a kid loves to do and it makes it just so worth it.

until next year favorite camping spot!

we can hardly wait!

here's an idea...

2011-06-13T19:54:00.000-07:00

get yourself a watermelon...

cut that baby into the biggest, juiciest, slices you have ever seen....

sit out on the sidewalk and enjoy.

does it get any better than that?

an ultrasound to remember

2011-06-02T08:16:00.000-07:00

these last 6 months have been tough on our little family.

from me being sick from the pregnancy, to my husband working 60 plus hours a week, and with him traveling.

i am very lucky to have a husband who is a very busy hardworking man.

so, i made sure to schedule my ultrasound later in the day hoping he wouldn't end up missing it!

trey, lucy, my sister emily, and i were waiting at the doctors office on the second floor of the building.

it was time for my appointment, the ultrasound tech was going to call us any second, and my husband was nowhere to be seen!

he had never been to the doctors office, it is kind of hard to find, so i was worried.

we were all perched next to the windows facing the parking lot to see if we could see him driving up.

finally we see his car race in...he jumps out...

and just watch the video to see what happens next...

trey thought it was the funniest thing to see his dad sprinting from his car, through the parking lot, and into the building. we were all getting a kick out of it really.

except for lucy that is...she does not like it when people laugh at other people :o)

while my husband was coming up the elevators to the second floor, the ultrasound tech calls us back.

i run over to her and ask if we can wait just one second for my husband.

this place is like a maze of ultrasound rooms, and i knew it would be hard to find us if he missed us.

right then the elevator doors open and all is well.

so i think...

we get into the ultrasound room, i am laying on the bed, and the ultrasound is just starting when i look over at my husband and he mouths the words "i really have to pee."

i have had enough of his shenanigans by now and pretend i have no clue what he is saying so we can proceed. :o)

after just a few minutes, we find out we are having a girl!

(i really just think she is the cutest thing i have ever seen!)

i then give him the go ahead to leave for the restroom.

after about 20 minutes the ultrasound tech comments on if he is ok or not.

i say "he is probably just lost out there trying to find the room we are in."

sure enough, with only a few minutes left in the ultrasound, my husband finally finds us with a story to tell about how he walked in on a women having an ultrasound who was not his wife! ha!

he eventually went to the front desk and received directions on how to find his wife and family.

it made for an eventful and unforgettable ultrasound :o)

i was really just glad my husband made it and all was well with our sweet little princess!

now it's time to really start thinking about a name for this little darlin'.

henry's shower

2011-05-25T21:17:00.000-07:00

good heavens it has been way too long since i have blogged, and by golly do i miss it!

i miss my old self...and i miss you guys.

i am slowly coming back, and dare i say, i am ready to start blogging again :o)

last month i did not have a lot in me...but my friend erin had a sweet new baby and i wanted to throw a shower for her.

i thought you might like some of these easy ideas:

Scalloped Edge Muffin Toppers:

i used photo shop to create a round circle and added the text "henry" in the middle. if you do not have photo shop just forget the circle and print out your name on card stock. then i used a round scalloped punch to cut them out!

simple.

Flag Muffin Toppers:

i cut out random triangular shapes out of double sided paper and just taped them to toothpicks.

easy.

Flag Name tag Vases:

i had a bunch of these white vases.

i filled them with white carnation flowers, placed a flag in the vase, and tied a tag and some tiny triangle flags around the vase. they turned out super cute!

Flag Table Banner:

i don't have a close-up picture of the banner?! i just cut out a bunch of triangles, punched holes in the corners, and strung them on white string.

(I should have taken a before photo but this is a photo of the aftermath :o) ) 

love and miss,

tanya

cowboys and indians

2011-04-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

i have the sweetest little nephew named miles.

i love this kid with all my heart.

that's him with my dad...his grandpa jess.

he turned 5 in january and...

he is a lover of homemade treasures.

so back in january, i made him something special for his birthday.
(i also started this post back in january and am finally getting it posted)

it's a TEE PEE...but not just any old tee pee...

if you dare open this particular tee pee...

you might just get attacked by some cowboys and indians!

i packaged up this tee pee and sent it on down to california.

miles called me when he opened it, and as soon as he saw what was inside this tee pee...well, he forgot he was even talking to his Aunt Tanya he was so excited about it :o)

originally i was just going to use cowboy and indian figurines, which i still think would be such a cute idea! but, this kids loves legos so much i hunted some some down on ebay.

you can get cowboy and indian figurines in packs at toy shops, hobby stores, amazon, ebay, or even at the dollar store sometimes.

i made sure it had a little handles so miles could pack it around where ever he went.

Here is the pattern below for you to download if you would like!

Tee Pee

Here's how to make it:

*After you have sewn the sides of your teepee together, fold your teepee right-side-out and push the inner fabric inside the outer fabric. it will look like the photo below. the top of your teepee will be unfinished. just fold the top 1/4" inside the teepee and pin closed. this is where i added about 2 1/4 inches of ric-rac inside the top of the teepee before i sewed it shut at 1/8".

*make sure your inner fabric is facing out.

then your done!

good luck, happy sewing, and hooooeeeeehh to all those little boys who will be playing cowboys and indians!

Mei Tai Winner

2011-04-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

The Winner is Comment #116

Lindsay

Lindsay Wins a Custom Reversible Mei Tai Carrier

from my friend Dani's Etsy Shop!

(Lindsay Email me at treyandlucyblog@gmail.com and I will get you in touch with Dani!)

I just had to show you guys something new to Dani's shop:

It's called the Mommy Purse/Diaper bag!

My sister emailed me last week saying she is getting me the grey one for a baby gift!

I am so excited I haven't been able to stop thinking about it!

They are a great price and are too cute!

Don't you just love the red one!?

Dani also sells shoe patterns that are just so darling!

(I am going to need to get these shoe patterns!)

Thank you Dani for such a great giveaway!

a little something fun...

2011-03-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

oh my goodness hello everyone!

i am slowly getting better and it feels so amazing.

my 6 year old trey says i don't "look like a tortured woman anymore," and i am so glad about that :o)

your prayers, comments, and emails have meant so much to me.

i am getting soooo close to being able to blog again.

but for now, i have something for you i am SO excited about.

do you remember dani?

my sister lives in california and she is one of my sisters best friends.
i met her last year when i drove there with the kiddos, and was completely amazed by her!

she has an etsy shop where she sells fantastic patterns and ready made as well as custom order mei tai carriers!

and guess what!? she wants to give a customized mei tai carrier away to one of my readers!

leave a comment letting us know you are in!

we will randomly pick a winner and announce it on monday!

HOW TO CUSTOMIZE:

1- Pick ONE fabric for straps (black, brown, white).
2- Pick TWO fabrics for each side of the main body.

Click here for better pictures of fabric

Here are some reviews on her carriers:

"Such a BEAUTIFUL carrier! I am so so so excited to wear it to our play group today. I feel like I need to dress up just to match how pretty it is. I LOVE it.... it really is gorgeous and so well made! It's so cute and I feel all fancy wearing it... I love my Ergo, but never realized how informal and shabby it looks now! :)" - Wendy in El Cajon, California

"I absolutely love this Mei Tai and so does my daughter! I'm glad I finally found a carrier that she likes and feels comfortable in. I love, love, love the fabric!" - Amber in Tomball, Texas

"Got my Mei Tai today in the mail. I LOVE IT!!! It's so pretty and the quality is excellent! Thank you!" - Liz in Ontario, Canada

"This is a great carrier! I love it even more than my ergo. So pretty too! And I love the flower headband you sent, I wear them together and feel like a "pretty" mommy for a change." - Luana in San Diego, California

i have seen her carriers in person, she is a perfectionist, and her work is amazing!

(me and dani last year :o))

good luck!

i will be back to you soon i promise!

i can make more than just crafts around here...

2011-02-07T14:59:00.000-08:00

about a month ago my husband came home to find this on his pillow...a positive pregnancy test...left by me of course.

it was very bitter sweet for us as...with my other two pregnancies, two weeks after i get a positive test i become extremely ill for about 5 months.

i hoped and prayed that this time would be different.

the nausea came right on time.

it was fierce and relentless.

3 days later i was in ER.

6 days after that i found myself there again.

in less than 2 weeks i had lost 11 pounds.

i could not eat or drink, my body was in starvation mode.

i cannot describe to you the pain that comes with this.

i spend my days and nights praying and crying.

my first trip to the ER, i recieved a text from my sister-in-law margo, saying she was flying in that night to stay with us and help out in any way she could.

she has been here ever since.

she takes care of my house and brings me little things to eat.

but most of all she cares for my kids and loves each of them exactly the way they are.

she comes in at night, sits on my bed, and tells me about their day together and little things she appreciates about them.

i owe her so much and will someday find a way to repay her.

this last friday i received in home IV care.

i have an IV in my hand and another line into my stomach for my anti-nausea medication.

my husband wakes up in the middle of the night and changes my IV bags and tubes, he also has to change the location of the line into my stomach daily, he holds my hand at night and listens to me cry even though it means no sleep for him...i cry as i think of all he has done for me and am incredibly grateful for him.

i can eat little bits of food ever since receiving the in home care, and can even eat ice chips now.

it has made such a difference and has made life somewhat bearable.

my dad checks in on me pretty much daily with a phone call or text to see how i am doing.

the other day he called me and i was really struggling.

i said to him, "one of the hardest parts about this is that i just keep praying, and i feel like the Lord just doesn't care about me ."

my dad responded with, "the Lord has you exactly where he wants you to be."

i knew he was right.

with my pregnancies combined, so far i have spend over a year of my life bed ridden and completely miserable.

but when it comes down to it i wouldn't trade the experience for anything.

it has been the hardest thing i have ever done.

it has stretched me beyond anything i ever would have thought i was capable of.

i has made me grateful for every single day that i feel healthy.

if i ever start to feel like i can't do something...i think back to how horrible this experience was and a fire ignites inside me.

i cannot think of a single day that my kids and i (when i am not sick) have not lived a day to it's fullest.

that my friends is a gift.

i owe that to the lord and the things he has taught me through the trials he has given me.

i want to say thank you to my friends and my family who have fasted and prayed on my behalf...i feel it.

*if you have been checking my blog wondering where i have been, now you know...

and you better not believe even for a second that you have seen the last of me!

all is well...

2011-01-19T08:03:00.000-08:00

I had the most horrible restless sleep last night.

I have been a mess the whole last week.:o)

I woke up this morning wondering what was going to happen and if I was going to make it though.

(ever happen to anyone else?)

While I was laying in bed, it was still dark outside, I had this memory flood back into my mind:

It was the night before my wedding.

I had just returned from the errand of picking up my wedding dress from the dry cleaners...only to find that my dress had been ruined.

I had made the pattern, designed, and sewn the dress completely by myself.

I was devastated.

(These are my Grandparents.
As I type this they are on a LDS Church Mission in New Zealand.

They are incredible people.)

After I had returned from the dry cleaners, I was sitting on the piano bench at my Aunt's house crying to myself.
(I was a mess then too :o))
Wondering how everything was going to work out and how I was going to make it through.

My wedding was hours away and I had no dress.

My Grandpa walked over to me, gave me a kiss on my forehead, and walked away without saying a word.

I felt from him that all was well...and that everything would be OK.

I will never forget it.

I am so grateful I was reminded of this story on this morning.

Everything will be OK and that this too shall pass...I just know it will.

Thanks Grandpa for helping me remember.

this is my favorite shirt right now...

2011-01-14T09:54:00.000-08:00

i found it at Target!

it's there now and i thought everyone should know :o)

i love how the ruffles go all the way around the neck and you can see them when worn with a cardigan.

i also like to wear it tucked in with a little jacket.

they also have it in black and yellow.

you might just need one.