Blinded by love...

...for these stinkin' cute onesies that I made this past weekend...so blinded, in fact, that I have lost the ability to tell if they are as good and cute as I think they are or if maybe I am a little full of myself...I need some honest feedback from you lovely readers...I have listed a couple in the shop and would LOVE to hear what you think of them...because I am DYING to make a bunch more for the shop but I want to make sure they will actually sell...so let me have it. :)

We stayed pretty busy this weekend...in fact it is still pretty much the weekend for us here since Doug is off on Sundays and Mondays...and will still have a lot to do.

I started off yesterday wanting to get a start on the nursery...and ended up working all day on it...cleaning stuff out, going through stuff...filling the car with a load of stuff for Goodwill...Here is my progress so far...

I went from this....

to this.
My craft "room" is here now...
After I found new homes for all of this. :)
It was A LOT of work...and I still have a way to go.

Right now we are debating about this color scheme...

Or this one.

Either way (at the moment I am leaning towards brown/blue/orange) I REALLY want this glider from Babies R Us.

This is the one thing that I really wanted with Moses but never got...and since for this baby all we really need is a dresser...I am hoping we can somehow splurge on this item. :)

The winner of the Martha book is Melanie ( I would link to her if I could). Who was wondering about food inspiration and how I decide what to cook. :) I'll have to think on that post but I think that a kitchen/food post would be so fun! :) And P.S. Melanie...every recipe or food that I share IS easy to make and most are very simple! :) I hardly ever make/bake anything that takes up too much time. Just contact me via Etsy and let me know where to mail your book. :)

There were some other great ideas in there too so I have a few ideas brewing...one for example is why we don't really celebrate Halloween. :>0

So don't forget to leave me some feedback on the onesies. :) Have a fun day!!
xoxo

Just call me Mayor (of cranky town that is).

So let's just say that I am not the nicest person to be around today...not sure what is up with me...besides raging hormones, rainy weather and a toddler who wants every second of my time today, on top of..oh about 100 things that I want to do today...other than those things, I have no idea why I am so cranky...especially when I have this adorable little boy (see above) to love and snuggle on. :) Yes, I am way blessed...way...in a way that I know I could never earn. But today is just one of those days where I want to leave the house (without a toddler or a husband) and piddle around wherever I want to go...actually LOOK at books at Barnes and Noble or peruse through the craft store...or cut my to-do list in half...or think of no one but myself for a few hours (is that bad?) but none of those are possible today...or ever really. :) Thus we have Mrs. Cranky Pants. Surely you have these days too...

Above is the photo evidence of one of the cutest things I have seen Moses do in the last few days...last night as I was making dinner, he was apparently near death with starvation and doing anything he could to push me along already...I look over to the dining room table and see him putting the place mats in place, all of his own doing...when he is done with that he comes to me and says "big boy chair?" which translates to "is dinner ready?". I tell him no and ask him if he wants to help, give him two forks and tell him (sure that it won't happen) to go put one at mommy's place and one at daddy's. He does this and comes back with the same question. Again I say no and give him two napkins to put at the table, and then the butter and the end result made my mommy heart smile...maybe his love language is acts of service?

And just in case you needed something to waste some time with...here is a fun new blog for you called Cake Wrecks.

And just for fun, I'll give away the Martha book that wasn't claimed from last weeks giveaway...all you have to do to get it is to leave an idea for a post you would like to see me do in the comments on this post! I'll choose the winner on Monday!

Here's to you having a non-cranky weekend! :) xoxo

Sing....sing a song...

So the title doesn't have everything to do with this post but it is the most sung song in our house at the moment...if you are Moses the words go like this: "siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing........soooooooooooonggggg.....
loooooooouuuuuuuud.........strooooooong
And it is usually not good enough for him to sing it alone...you have to sing along...in fact, I just overheard Moses singing it in his sleep. :) The other day, in other Moses is cute news, I found him walking around the house saying "Jesus, where are you?"...like he and Jesus were playing a game of hide and seek. :) How cute is that?

So the last couple of days Doug has been off and we have gotten a tremendous amount of things done around here...getting some bills lowered, cutting grass, laundry, cleaning, errands, doctors appointments, starting to get the nursery together and shredding. I have not shredded in months and months! So yesterday I spent a couple of chunks of time going through all of our paper work and making a huge pile to shred...then I shredded away...Moses loved it, if you can't tell from the photos above. :)

I also got all of these dollies finished up for the shop...they will be sprouting up in there all day today...

I finally taught myself how to make these sweet and fun little tissue cozies. :) Would anyone be interested in the worlds easiest tutorial?

And finally I have been wanting to make this frame for weeks...the idea has been floating around my head all this time and I finally got it done! It will be in the shop soon. :)

Ok, so I have another thought provoking question for you moms out there...and I want to hear your honest answers so you can post anonymously if you must (and I have not dropped the prayer requests, I just thought it might be better to do them sporadically)...anyway...if you have more than one child...Do you have a favorite child? And if so, how do you avoid letting that interfere with the care/love/attention/etc you give to the non favored child?

Let's hear it.... xoxo

Twig and Berries.

Yep, you read right...it's a BoOOooOooOOoOOOoY!!! And we could not be more thrilled! There was a collective sigh of relief from both Doug and I when we saw the goods. :) We both knew that Moses needed a brother and that we wanted another little boy. :) Girls are lovely and wonderful but this just feels SO right to both of us. :) Everything is perfect and lovely and just how it should be health wise as well. Thank you Jesus!
Here's the money shot...he's not shy! :)

Cute little profile...

And these are the bottoms of his cute little tootsies...this shot is for you Michelle. :)

So the winner...for saying boy is Linda! :) Go on over and visit Linda and say hello! Linda just contact me via Etsy and let me know which book you would like to have.

And to celebrate...everything in the shop is Buy One Get One 50% off...but only for the next 48hours...and you have to mention "It's a boy" in the note to seller and wait for a revised invoice! I'm not advertising this in the shop...it's just for you lovely blog readers!

I'm off to get some things done...I suddenly feel very motivated to do work! :)
xoxo

What's in a day...

Our Friday so far...

Breakfast...

Playdate...

Sewing...

Waiting to be sewed...

Two new girlies waiting for faces...

We'll leave out the un-fun stuff...like talking to insurance companies and trying to make the one understand that money saved is money saved and we'll have to go with the other guys...and the fact that Doug will be doing his job alone again soon...ugh.

But here is more fun stuff...
You can go here to see a Little Bit Funky Commercial!! How super fun is that? Be sure to listen until the end...(wink, wink). Thanks so much to Julie for doing this for me!! :)

And here is the giveaway this week...If you win this week you can choose from ONE of these fabulous books...The first one is Tag Sales and Flea Market Finds from Martha Stewart. The other is Sew Easy...which is full of fun and simple sewing projects. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post...in that comment tell me whether you think I am having a boy or a girl...I'll choose a name from the group who gets it right after we find out on MONDAY!

Have a happy weekend! xoxo

Things for you to do....

So yes, I stole this photo from the website...but I guarantee you that I have made these delectable little treats more times in my life than I can count...and people always ask for the recipe. I plan on making some later today for a MOPS gathering but I wanted to post this today so that is why I stole the photo. :) These are my absolute favorite Fall treat...tiny little bites of pumpkin pie tasting goodness. :) Make them and you will be happy with YOU. :)

Pumpkin Pie Tarts

Gather up these goodies:

	3 packages (15 tarts each) pre-baked frozen mini pastry shells (I use Athens Mini Fillo Shells)
	1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
	2 cups (plus extra for garnish) frozen whipped topping, thawed
	1 teaspoon (plus extra for garnish) pumpkin pie spice
	1 (3.4-ounce) package cheesecake-flavor instant pudding and pie filling
	Mint leaves (for garnish)

1. Remove the shells from the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine the pumpkin, whipped topping, and pumpkin pie spice in a medium bowl, whisking until smooth. Add the pudding mix and whisk until smooth and thick.
3. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the filling into each of the shells (you can also pipe the filling with a pastry bag or a plastic sandwich bag with one corner snipped off), then top the tarts with whipped topping, a sprinkling of the pumpkin pie spice, and a mint leaf, if you like. Makes 45 tarts.

I found this cute little piggy craft/snack...go here to find out more.


Then there are these cuties. Little Acorn Pumpkins. :) Go HERE.

And who says gourds are boring? Go HERE.

And here is one more for you. Little Forest cuties...you can GO HERE.

I borrowed all of these fun ideas from Family Fun Magazine...if you don't get it and you have or work with children then you should...I have gotten it for years...long before I had Moses. :) Plus it is super cheap and always FULL of great ideas. :)

Another thing for you to do...come back tomorrow...I just might have a giveaway if I can get my act together. :) Now you can't say you don't have anything to do...so shooo!

xoxo

Alrighty then...

Who knew the toilet was carnivorous? Story HERE.

To warm you up...

I am not a huge soup kinda person but this soup is wonderful! Loaded potato soup...mmm. This is yummy and filling...serve it with warm bread for a simple and lovely meal. :)

Loaded Potato Soup

3lbs Red Potatoes
1/4 c butter or mar, melted
1/4 c flour
8 c half and half (I did not say it was super healthy). :)
1 16oz block of Velveeta (see)
few dashes white pepper
garlic powder to taste
1 tsp Tabasco
good bacon bits (not those dried up gnarly ones)
cheddar cheese

1. Dice unpeeled potatoes, place in large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil, boil until cooked through. In a separate large pot, combine melted butter and flour, mixing until smooth. Place over low heat and gradually add half and half, stirring constantly. Stir until smooth and begins to thicken.
2. Add cubed Velveeta and stir until melted and combined with half and half.
3. Drain potatoes and add to cream mixture. Stir in pepper, garlic powder and tobasco.
4. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring often, for 30 minutes.
5. Serve in bowls with cheddar and bacon sprinkled on top. :)

If you find that soup is sticking to the bottom of pot (this ALWAYS happens to me)...do NOT scrape the bottom as you stir so that you don't mix burned parts into the soup.

Hope you enjoy! :)

Here is a link to Rice Krispie treats recipe...I just used this recipe for Moses cake and pressed it into a bunt pan that was sprayed with cooking spray...next time I plan to double the recipe for a larger cake. :)

Thought question for the day...if you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I would make it possible for me to thrive on less sleep. :)

Happy Birthday Sweet Moses!! :)

Well...my baby is officially two now. One thing I realized this weekend was that I never expected motherhood to bring such a huge mix of happysad days. I love to watch him grow and learn and see all his changes but at the same time I am dumbfounded by the fact that this time two years ago I had a 27 hour old infant who just needed to be changed, fed and loved and now we have a wonderful little toddler who is the joy and happiness in our lives...he talks and walks and runs and screams and hugs and loves. WHERE does the time go? It makes me not want to even look forward to breakfast tomorrow morning in fear that today will go by even faster. We had a great day yesterday...Moses woke up asking for cake. I opted to make him a rice krispie cake instead of the traditional bucket of frosting and sugar(aka cake)...he seemed to love it. :) When he came down in the morning we had blown up balloons to give a little celebration to the day...went to church, came home for lunch and naps for the boys then we headed to the pumpkin patch, our Moses birthday tradition and then dinner with Doug's family and my uncle. It was a great day.

He blew out his candle! :)

Tough choice...

We had to leave with a couple of these.

On this day he was practicing his "i'm going to be so wiggly that there is no way you can get a good photo of me" moves. :)

But I did manage this one of my two great guys. :)

And this one on the hayride...

Hope your day is filled with this kind of bittersweet happiness. :) I'm off to enjoy a day off with my guys. :) xoxo

Smiles in a Box.

Would you just LOOK at the box of goodies that sweet Mrs. Meg sent to me, unexpectedly in the mail!?! Only some of the finest Kansas acorns, some fall goodies and THE cutest handmade onesie that I have ever seen!! :) Meg, I will have you know that you just had me grinning from ear to ear for the rest of the day...how in the world is it possible for someone I have never met to know just how to make my day? :) Thank you ever so much!! Doug even said after I showed him all the goodies..."Why can't we live closer to her?" :) I truly LOVED every little bit. :)

Acorns-from the left-A Virgina Acorn-A Kansas Acorn-A New Jersey Acorn--Who knew they could all be so different?

And here is a delish fall dessert that you have to go make right now!! Pumpkin pie bars...oooohh. You will LOVE them then walk around your house for the rest of the day breathing deeply and audibly saying "ahh" because it will make your whole house smell delish!

Get all these Goodies together:

1-1/3 cups flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) cold butter or margarine

1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats, uncooked

1/2 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

3 eggs

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin

1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

Then do all this:

HEAT oven to 350°F. Line 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides; grease foil. Mix flour, 1/4 granulated sugar and brown sugar in medium bowl; cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in oats and nuts.

RESERVE 1 cup oat mixture; press remaining onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 15 min. Beat cream cheese, remaining sugar, eggs, pumpkin and spice with mixer until well blended. Pour over crust; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.

BAKE 25 min.; cool 10 min. Use foil to transfer dessert from pan to wire rack; cool completely.

Then send me an email thanking me for making your fall day. :)

Loves to you all!! Have a great weekend!! :) xoxo

And P.S. I listed a couple of good NEW goodies on Ebay...take a peek-Both could be good gifts for Christmas. :) Go HERE. :)