Charlottes Web The Blog & Design

Life: It's a new year...

2016-01-17T17:03:00.000-05:00

Hi 2016!
2015 was amazing, crazy, scary, long, short, hectic, funny, thrilling, and so much more.
Let me catch everyone up quickly.
We moved back to Texas. I got a job teaching 4th grade at an amazing school. Tim works for a construction company as a project manager. We got the boys into a great daycare that we love. Cogley started walking...and now running. He is now 21 months old. Asher is doing therapy and getting a helmet to re-shape his flat head, poor baby. He is now 10 months old. He still isn't crawling, barely sitting up, and doesn't like baby food, but we are working on all of those things.
One of the most exciting things we did in 2015 was buy our first house. Over the last 5 years we have rented, so it was time to settle down and get a place of our own. WE. LOVE. OUR. HOUSE.
We are in the process of decorating and making it our own. The fun part.
Now for some pics!

Happy New Year and God Bless!

Teaching: TpT Seller Challenge Week 3 Make your Masterpiece...

2015-07-01T19:00:00.002-04:00

The challenge for this week was to make your masterpiece. Create a new product for your TpT store.
This was just the motivation I needed to create my Teacher Binder Covers that I've always wanted to make.
One aspect of the challenge was to swap your item with another TpT seller to have them proof it. Through the comment page I connected with Ashley from the Adventures with Miss A.
She was so helpful in proofing my new product and I made a new TpT friend!

First, I made this Pink Dot & Lime Teacher Binder Cover Set.

After it was proofed and I made the listing, I went ahead and made 3 OTHER SETS!
It's addicting y'all!!!

Rainbow Stripe Teacher Binder Cover Set
Black & White Leopard Teacher Binder Cover Set
Bee & Purple Teacher Binder Cover Set

I hope y'all love them as much as I do. I wonder which one I will use this next school year.
Oh, and be on the look out for more products throughout the summer!!!

God Bless!

TpT: I'm moving back to Texas TpT GIVEAWAY!

2015-06-29T00:00:00.000-04:00

**Update: Winner Announced!!!**
So, I was so impressed by the number of entries for the giveaway that I decided to choose 2 winners!
Congrats ladies!

*******************************************************************************************

Good Morning Everyone!
I'm feeling giddy about moving back home and decided that a giveaway was in order.
I'm feeling so giddy that I'm giving away my entire store!
That's right. EVERY. SINGLE. PRODUCT!
Now you're excited!
The giveaway will be going on from Monday, June 29th to Thursday, July 2nd at midnight!
The winner will be announced on Friday, July 3rd!!!
Go check out my TpT Store to see what you could win!!!

Click HERE or on the image to download and SHARE!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

God Bless!

Teaching & Design: Polka Dots & Pals...

2015-06-27T15:32:00.001-04:00

My sweet friend Lauren over at Polka Dots & Pals is the best!
She has started creating clip art and is specializing in Pals! A pal is a clip art version of yourself.
She makes the process very simple.
1. You download this listing on TpT for her Pal form.
2. Fill it in and email it to Lauren.
3. After a bit she will send you an email, you purchase on TpT, and voilá, you have a Pal!

Here's mine. She was so sweet and made me one with Asher's shirt also!

I then made mine into my TpT button! Super cute!

AND I am one of her Feature Teachers for her 2015-2016 Teacher/Pal Calendar. I'm going to be January 2016!

So, go check out her TpT Store, Blog, Instagram, and Facebook Page.

God Bless!

Teaching: TpT Sale June 26-29...

2015-06-26T17:54:00.002-04:00

After a long, hard school year I think we all deserve a SALE!
Head on over to my TpT store and get 20% off until June 29th!
ENJOY!

Also, I finally finished my Behavior Charts with Student Calendars and Parent Notes for July 2015-July 2016! I put a lot of time and thought into this product and I hope y'all like it as much as I do. I can't wait to use it in my classroom next year!

God Bless!

Teaching: TpT Seller Challenge Week 2 Dare to Dream...

2015-06-23T10:01:00.002-04:00

This weeks challenge was a bit hard. Think about how you want to grow your TpT business.
How do I want to grow?
Oh my!

Well, I gave it some thought and came up with 3 things that I would like to see happen over time.

My main goal in life has always been to be a stay-at-home mom. Unfortunately, we are not a place where that is possible. I love teaching and I love my babies. I miss them all day when I'm at school, but at home I dream of creating products and resources for my classroom.

One day I hope to grow my TpT business so much that I can work from home. To start that process I need to complete #1 and #2. Getting myself out there is going to be the key to success.

Fellow TpTers and Bloggers: What do you suggest???

Thanks and God Bless!

Teaching: TpT Seller Challenge Week 1 Makeover Madness...

2015-06-16T18:23:00.000-04:00

I am so excited to be participating in the TpT Seller Challenge over the next four weeks.
Here are my beginning stats:

Week 1: Makeover Madness had us revamping one of our products in our store. I chose my Classroom Helper Signs and Passes.

I love the way they turned out and wish I had the time to revamp my whole store. Maybe this summer???

AND the Classroom Helper Signs and Passes is on sale until June 20th. So head on over and check it out!
God Bless!

life: two boys at home...

2015-06-14T07:38:00.000-04:00

Asher was released from the hospital on June 5th. He spent 77 days in the NICU. It seems like a lot, but it went by so fast.

It has been one crazy week at our house.
He came home last Friday, my mother and grandmother flew in on Monday, and Cogley's last day at daycare was this past Friday. Jeepers.

My mother and grandmother are here to watch the babies while my school year ends. We didn't want to put Asher in daycare fresh out of the hospital.
Cogley has done pretty well considering all the changes. He recognizes the other baby is in his house and likes to touch him. We are working on being gentle.

Asher has done great being home. We had a pediatrician appointment on Tuesday and he was up to 7 lbs 14 oz. Big boy! He also got his 2 month shots and took them like a champ. We have a follow-up appointment this Tuesday to see if he's gaining an ounce a day.

It has been magical for me not having to go to the hospital every day.
God is so good. My boys are home and healthy.
Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.

God Bless!

life: 1 year and 1 month...

2015-04-26T18:03:00.000-04:00

Our sweet Cogley turned 1 last Sunday. ONE!
It's amazing to me how fast his first year went. My mommy heart is taking it pretty well. I had a few cryface moments. But, life must go on.
We celebrated with just our little family. He ate a cupcake that he hated. Opened presents. We bought him his first Bible. Can't wait to read the stories with him and see him understand.
Cogley is still army crawling everywhere and just started to pull up on things this past week.
Next step, walking! (Ba dump ching!)
Let's go down memory lane. Here is Cogley at the hospital! He is such a little boy now.

Baby Asher turned 1 month last Sunday! (Sunday was huge for us!)
Today when I went to visit him he is up to 3 pounds 11.6 ounces. He is in an open crib and wearing preemie clothes. Eating good. Sleeping good. Breathing good.
God is so good!
We also took our first family photo last week! You may want to grab some tissues...

God Bless!

life: daddy, the picture taker...

2015-04-10T15:09:00.000-04:00

I can honestly say that it's weird not having a single picture of your child without tubes and wires hooked up to him. Sometimes it's hard to look past all those medical devices and see the little person you grew inside of you.
My sweet hubby started a photography business when he got out of the Air Force in January. Since then he's taken some really good shots.
The other day he brought his camera to the NICU and took more professional (than my iPhone) shots of our little boy. They turned out so good and I can't stop looking at them.

photography website: Fox Photography
photography instagram: @foxphotographyshots
photography facebook: Fox Photography Facebook

God Bless!

life: support baby asher

2015-04-07T10:07:00.004-04:00

It completely amazes us with the amount of love and prayer we have witnessed for this sweet baby. Strangers are praying for him. It's amazing.
If I could meet each and every one of you I would hug you for loving on my sweet boy. Thank you for your support.
If you would like to show your support for Baby Asher during his stay in the NICU you can purchase a shirt. The shirt features the hashtags that I've been using on Instagram to document his daily updates.
You can purchase one HERE and there are different styles to choose from.

{The money earned from this campaign will help the Hollinger family with hospital and living expenses during this time.}
Thank you again and God Bless!

life: 2 weeks...

2015-04-04T11:39:00.002-04:00

2 weeks has gone by so fast. 14 days old.
In 2 weeks Asher has changed so much.
The docs and nurses are very impressed with his strength.
One thing that will be ongoing is oxygen. He is such a small baby and his lungs will need help for a while.
He keeps amazing us with his weight and ability to get through anything. His PICC line was taken out within the first week and his breast milk feedings have increased from 3 ml to 23 ml. Growing boy!
His birth weight was 1080 grams and he is now 1175 grams. His skin color is less red and more pink and he is slowly filling out, but still looks like a wrinkly old man.

Thank you to everyone that has prayed and thought about our sweet family.
God Bless!

life: Asher was ready...

2015-03-26T15:40:00.004-04:00

We've had a crazy 2 weeks. I went into preterm labor last Sunday afternoon. I was admitted to the hospital and put on Magnesium to stop contractions and given steroids to help with Asher's lung production in case I was to give birth.

After 48 hours on the Magnesium, the contractions had stopped and the baby was good.

They kept me over night and then discharged me around lunch time on Wednesday. Went home, was fine, taking it easy, and went to sleep.
On Thursday, I woke up around 6 am and went to the bathroom and there was blood. I told Timmy and he was so calm and got everything ready. We dropped Cogley off at daycare, went into Labor and Delivery, peed in a cup and my water broke, and got all hooked up again. They started me on Magnesium again to stop contractions, but by 5 pm I was having painful contractions much closer together. Timmy had left to go pick Cogley up from daycare and headed right back to the hospital. The pain was so intense that I got an epidural even before Tim and Cogley arrived. The epidural kicked in and I was on cloud 9 again.
After about 2 hours on the epidural, the doctor came to check my cervix and I had dilated 10 cm and she said she wanted to go ahead and start pushing, this baby was coming! They got the room set up, all the NICU docs and nurses came in, and then the pushing started.
I pushed twice and he was out, along with a gush of amniotic fluid in the docs face, but that's a story for another time. She held him in one hand and we could hear his little, kitty-like cries. How amazing to hear a 26 week old baby cry when they are born.

After that everything moved quickly. Timmy got to go take pictures of Asher and watch them get him ready to be moved to the NICU. I was all cleaned up and made ready for postpartum.
Asher was whisked away to the NICU and we were told that all had gone perfectly and he was looking good.

After a few hours in postpartum, getting the feeling in my legs back, and the arrival of my in-laws from Texas, we walked down to the NICU to see him. He had a CPAP mask on, a ton of cords, and looked so small.

They said he was doing great and his lungs were awesome.
Since then we have visited him everyday, I've been pumping and taking the breast milk for him, and have only heard good things each time we go in.

Today I was allowed to hold him skin-to-skin. It was so wonderful and made my momma heart happy.
What a miracle baby! Friends and family have been sharing the news of his early arrival and so many people are praying for this sweet boy. We thank you all and appreciate your prayers and support.

Now, as far as Cogley goes, well....he's a big brother!

Asher was born on his 11 month birthday and they are Irish Twins (born within the same 12 months). Very cool. Cogley has no idea, of course, that he has a brother. I can't wait until he understands and can recognize that Asher is his. The funny story from Asher's birth is that Cogley was sound asleep in the pack-n-play in the corner of the delivery room and slept through the entire birth. Such a sweet boy!

This entire experience has been like a dream. It's weird to not be pregnant anymore. There will not be a birth on June 20th. Been there, done that. Crazy! I'm so happy he's out, though, and taken care of so well by those nurses.

God Bless!
#asherspreemiestory

life: baby boy has a name...

2015-03-01T09:53:00.000-05:00

After naming our first son such an unusual name, Cogley Jase, we have been faced with the task of naming our second son with just as unusual a name.
Guys....it's hard.
There are a bajillion names out there, both unusual and everyday.
Well, after much discussion and searching and praying and thinking about drinking wine but not being able to....we have found THE name!

Asher - my sweet husband was reading or watching a sermon/devotional and came across Asher in the Bible. He looked it up and found that it meant happy and blessed. Beautiful, since that is what this baby is.

Boggie - my grandfather passed away last January. He was such a special and supportive man and I wanted to honor and remember him always. At the time of his death Cogley was still in my belly, but we had already named him and monogrammed everything. Hubby and I agreed that when we had another boy we would incorporate my grandfather's name. Boggie was his nickname forever and it sounds so right with Asher.

Naming a child has by far been one of the most stressful, exciting, and God fearing jobs we have ever had to complete. The name you choose will be with them forever. When the name you have chosen finally clicks and you smile when you hear it is when the weight has been lifted.

Now to enjoy the falling snow with my sweet boys.
God Bless!

life: Worst blogger ever...

2015-02-16T19:58:00.001-05:00

This school year is flying by. How is it already the middle of February?
We have been busy...
Baby Boy Hollinger #2 coming June 2015!

And sweet Cogley is growing like a weed. He will be 10 months in a few days. I can't believe how much he changes every day. Today, he finally decided that he liked bananas. And not the baby food mashed yuckiness.
Stop. Growing. Kid!

The weather here is finally getting crazy. We are all wearing our pj's inside out tonight to make sure we get a snow day tomorrow. And what will I do with that day you ask?! Make some much needed jewelry. Can't wait to share!

God Bless!

life: time flies...

2014-11-04T12:50:00.000-05:00

Sooo....being a parent is hard. I bet y'all knew that. Especially a working parent.
Needless to say my life consists of work, baby, sleep, work, baby, sleep....you get the picture. Thankfully the hubby has been such a saving grace. We are so blessed to have him as the leader of our family.
The kid is 6 months old, chubby, and changing so much everyday.

I've been working away on some new blog designs. Can't wait till they go live.
I plan on blogging more now that the school year is kind of under control.

I'll leave you with this adorable pic of this Chubby McChubberson.

etsy: vintage key earrings...

2014-08-10T22:15:00.002-04:00

I just took my etsy shop off of vacation so there is nothing listed except....these awesome vintage key earrings. I adore them and love how they can go with anything.

Check out my shop. I will be posting new items throughout the week.

Cogley Weekly Update #3

2014-08-08T08:00:00.000-04:00

What a crazy week. Cogley and I missed our connecting flight in Houston and spent the night in a shnazy hotel. Ok, maybe that was the only crazy part, but it was enough crazy to take up the whole week.

What a cutie!
God Bless!

etsy finds: stitches and soles gun metal metallic leather baby moccasins...

2014-08-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

I love how we can take anything, make it into a baby size, and the world goes wild and buys it like it will never be sold again. This is how I feel about baby moccasins. I can't get enough of them.
When Cogley was born I wanted to buy him a bagillion pairs in all different colors and designs. One day I was surfing the instagram feeds and came across Stitches and Soles! She makes the cutest moccs and she was having a giveaway. I entered. And WON for the first time ever. I chose the gun metal metallic leather baby moccasins for Cogley and they came in the mail the other day.
I. Adore. Them.
I chose a few sizes up so that Cogley would be more than a blob when wearing them.

//stitches and soles gun metal metallic leather baby moccasins//

Go check out her other shoes and visit her instagram often. She might have another giveaway or sale!

Enjoy and God Bless!

Cogley Weekly Update #2

2014-08-01T15:43:00.000-04:00

This is our last week in Texas with family and Cogley is such a ham. He is a flirt and he knows it. Love that kid.

Last nights photo was the best. Grandpa was babysitting and fell asleep with the Cog-man!

And July is over so that calls for a July monthly view.

God Bless!

etsy finds: nickel & suede rose gold leather earrings

2014-07-28T08:00:00.001-04:00

Apparently I have a thing for leather.
I just adore these earrings and everything else in the Nickel & Suede shop.
Who would've thought that teardrop leather earrings would be a thing?
The pair that I'm pining for are the Rose Gold Leather Earrings. They are so beautiful and look like they could go with anything and everything.

//Nickel & Suede Rose Gold Leather Earrings//

I think the next pair I pine over should be the hot pink and then turquoise. What do you think?
Check out their Instagram and Blog.
Enjoy & God Bless!

Cogley weekly update #1

2014-07-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

I was trying to think of another topic for my blog posts. Something new. Something personal. And OBVIOUSLY something about the kid.
So I thought, why not a weekly Cogley update? He's already changed so much and I would love to document his awesomeness in yet another social media outlet.
And so welcome to Cogley Weekly Update #1!
I've been posting a photo every day to document at least Cogley's first year of life. So far so good! We've made it to month 3 and the Cog-man is doing awesome. He just weighed in at 12 lbs 15 oz. Yowzers!

I know I'm a bad mommy for having Cogley in the SAME onesie three days in a row, but hey, we were busy!

life: family photos...

2014-07-22T07:00:00.000-04:00

Over the past few weeks the hubby and I have had the privilege of introducing our sweet baby boy to our Texas family. What a joy it has been to see everyone's faces. He is quite popular already and spoiled rotten.

While we are visiting, I asked if we could take a family photo on my moms side. We have a photo that was taken about 12 years ago with my great grandmother. I can't find the original, but when I do I will post it. Now that Cogley has arrived I wanted a new one taken. My sweet Pa Pa passed away in January before he could meet Cogley, but I know he is watching us from above and loving that sweet boy. Sad that he isn't here to be in the picture.

I love how it turned out and everyone looks semi-happy about it. Ha!

And of course, I had to have one of my sweet little family. Love my boys.

Not looking forward to leaving in a few weeks. But our time here has been priceless.

God Bless.

design: pinterest board images...

2014-06-30T09:00:00.000-04:00

A great way to make your social media and blog uniform is to add the same design throughout. My first stop: Pinterest. Through photoshop I designed an image for each board and uploaded them to the board and set them as my cover image.

I found this great tutorial on Ladybug's Teacher Files. She used powerpoint to create the images, but you can make them in photoshop like I did.

Now my pinterest looks uniform and matches my blog theme.

I have already fixed up my facebook page.

Now on to my stores: etsy and TeachersPayTeachers.

Are there any other social media/stores that you will make uniform to your blog?

life: so...I had a baby...

2014-06-27T22:24:00.000-04:00

I've been a non-blogger for a few months. In August we found out we were pregnant and the next week I started my new job.

I gave birth to our beautiful baby boy, Cogley Jase, on April 19.

He is the light of my life.

Now that it's summer and I've got this whole mommy thing kind-of-down I'd really like to start blogging and designing more.

Let me know if you're in need of a new blog design. Check out my design page and email me with your ideas!

Oh, and I know someone will ask: Cogley is pronounced coh-glee. Just keeping you from embarrassing yourself.