Nursing Shawl

Do a quick search on google for "nursing covers" and your going to get {in my opinion} these dorky looking covers that do nothing but let everybody know exactly what you are doing; nursing a baby. 



Photo Credit: from craftsy.com

No offense, but I thought the whole point of a nursing cover was to conceal what you are doing. Let's face it, when you are wearing a cover that has loud child-like fabric on it, everyone is going to know you are nursing a little one under there.  Now, it isn't the end of the world that everyone knows your nursing (after all, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out) but I wanted something that was a little less obvious and would at least take a double glance to figure out.

photo credit: Misocraftyknits.com

With my first child, I just used baby blankets.  They work perfectly fine, there really isn't anything wrong with them, except the occasional slippage, otherwise they are cheap and easy.  

Photo credit: thecoterieblog.com

But thanks to pinterest, once I saw this modern nursing shawl on Coterie, I just knew I had to make one for myself..... because I just don't have enough going on right now. Insert large sigh here.  The shawl is simple, effective, and cheap.  Check. Check. Check. Bring it on.

Ignore the stalking cat



Ignore the stalking dog

If you can get past the dorky model (my cat and dog never did), you'll see a cute shawl that only took 20 minutes to create and $12.99 worth of fabric.  Totally worth the little time and effort it took to make! 

If you are thinking about making one yourself, DO IT!  It is super easy, just follow the directions on thecoterieblog.com site.  It was literally one sewing line.  It could not be easier.  The best part, it isn't dorky (just the person wearing it is but I can't fix that).  



All Baby All the Time

It is all baby all the time here in this household.  I wish it wasn't but when you're 38+ weeks pregnant it is really hard to concentrate on much else.  I've been busy.  Busy with anything and everything that will help me keep my mind from wondering when labor will start.

A couple of weekends ago, my friend K came over and helped me make some freezer meals.  A huge THANK YOU for the helping hand.  I now have the following frozen in my freezer: banana muffins (from America's test kitchen), whole wheat raspberry scones, Spring Shepard's pie, lasagna (my mom's recipe), and sloppy J's.

I also got the following done in the last couple of weeks: mac & cheese, Cilantro lime chicken, and Mexican stuff chicken shells.  And if my energy holds up, I'm still going to get to these this weekend:  No bake Energy Balls.  Oh I also cooked some chili this weekend and I hope to get some in the freezer before the hubby eats it all but I'm not sure that will happen.

So you can see, I'm not lying, I've been keeping myself busy.  Busy in between napping :)

My sister came last weekend and cleaned my house.  A HUGE thanks for that!  It is so nice to come home to a clean house.  If this baby doesn't come soon, she is going to have to come back....it is impossible to keep this house clean with two (soon to be three) stinky boys!  I hung all my hubby's clothes this weekend (happy early V-day honey!), that was about 3 weeks worth of clothes.

The pack-n-play is all set up and waiting (like everyone else) for our little one to arrive.  This is still my favorite spot in the house.  Look at that cute couple in those photos, it has now been 15 years (8 of them married).

 

Someone has to come over and break it to our cats that these are not new cat beds.  I just can't do it!  They are just so darn cute and comfortable.  I'm sure once there is a crying little one in these items they'll settle somewhere else (although if Mies wants to help with the Butt Paste, I won't argue).

Talk about cute and comfortable.  Look at this soon to be big brother.  He's been "reading" us stories lately. He can't actually read many words yet but we're having fun listening to the stories he makes up to the pages.  He took a big brother class this past weekend where he learned all about the new baby.  He seems excited, I hope that excitement lasts!

I have some sewing projects that I have completed and I hope to get posted here before our newest little one arrives.  If not, I'll have a post baby update with the projects!  See you soon!

Baby Sprinkles

My lovely friend P threw me a baby sprinkle.  She'll tell you I was really nervous about having this because I really didn't want a second "baby shower".  She'll also will tell you that having a second baby is worth celebrated just as much as the first and my friends won't be bothered by the silly concerns I was worried about because, well after all, they are my friends.

Anyway, the sprinkle was nice.  Six close friends and I had lunch downtown and they showered me with some gifts (which were not necessary) but COMPLETELY and TOTALLY appreciated.  I got diapers (who doesn't ever need diapers), wipes, some cute new clothes, included an adorable robot outfit (I'm always head over heals for anything with robots) and a much needed baby bouncer.  Everything that I received will be put to good use!  We exchanged mom stories, engagement stories, and general life stories making for one great afternoon of girl chatting.

P had one game that we all played and that was a guessing game.  So fun.  I am a sucker for games!  I LOVE games.  She asked everyone to guess the stats for this baby, including what we will be naming the baby, here are everyone's guesses:

Date of Birth: 2/17/13
Time of Birth: 9:30 am
Weight of Baby: 7.5 lb
Length of Baby: 19.5 in
Guess the Baby Name: Austin

Date of Birth: 2/7/13
Time of Birth: 6:36 pm
Weight of Baby: 7 lb 5 oz
Length of Baby: 19.5 in
Guess the Baby Name: Colton

Date of Birth: 2/10/13
Time of Birth: 8:00 am
Weight of Baby: 6 lb 8 oz
Length of Baby: 19 in
Guess the Baby Name: Patrick

Date of Birth: 2/19/13
Time of Birth: 11:00 am
Weight of Baby: 6 lb 12 oz
Length of Baby: 20.5 in
Guess the Baby Name: Milo James Stark

Date of Birth: 2/15/13
Time of Birth: 7:15 pm
Weight of Baby: 6 lb 5 oz
Length of Baby: 20 in
Guess the Baby Name: Ethan

Date of Birth: 2/15/13
Time of Birth: 3:30 pm
Weight of Baby: 7 lb 8 oz
Length of Baby: 20.25 in
Guess the Baby Name: Jared Alan

Date of Birth: 2/1/13
Time of Birth: 5:00 pm
Weight of Baby: 7 lb 3 oz
Length of Baby: 20 in
Guess the Baby Name: Oliver James

 I can't tell you who's who (mainly because I don't know) but the winner is getting a gift card from P.  My real due date in 2/21/13 and I'm glad nobody thought I was going to be having an 8 pounder!  The names are not even close (well except mine I hope but I can't tell you which one that is, plus I guess my husband gets a say in this too).

With the baby due soon it is time to stock up on some "thank you" cards with a baby theme to them.  I just love this card.  I bought the chevron cardstock from Paper tree house studios on Etsy.  I think I've said this before but I LOVE purchasing my paper on Etsy.  It seems to be the only way I am buying these days.  It is so easy and cheap.

I had a difficult time coming up with the card.  It looks simple enough but I spend a few hours making it look just right.  I wanted something that was easy to mass produce but didn't feel too plain.

The dimensional effect of the plane flying off the card is perfect and the metal jewels add just enough pop to give this card some character.

Look at the card without the little metal bling.  Boring, right?!  The metal jewels add just enough interest to the card to make it feel complete and balance it out.

I found these metal jewels at Archiver's but I'm sure they have them at plenty of other places too.

I'm loving the airplane theme and having been toying with the idea of making this the theme for the baby's room as soon as the baby has a room....  I got a few more months to think about it :)

If you have any guessing or suggestions for baby names, I'd love for you to leave a comment!



 

2013 Resolutions

Well welcome 2013!  How is everyone doing on those New Year's resolutions?  Me?  Mine are great!  I skipped them this year.  I figured since I failed so miserable on last year's resolutions, why try this year? 

I guess last year wasn't a complete bust.  I did complete about two of the projects on last year's list: the 364 holes are fixed (except this weekend I found some I missed in my son's closet, but I'm still calling this project done!) and I organized our kitchen cabinets (which truthfully need to be organized again).  I started about three others but haven't finished them yet.

Don't mistake not having any resolutions for not being productive, because we've been busy in this house.   I've been busy nesting and getting much needed help nesting from my Mother in-law (MIL) and my sister.  Even my husband is busy nesting.

With only six weeks to go before our little one arrives my baby bump and hormones are in control of our every move. YES, for once it is NOT the dog!

With a child on the way and no bedroom to put them in yet, his temporary home will be our bedroom, like my husband says, "that's where he was going to be anyway".  That meant I needed to clean out the junk!  This pile of crap crafts is GONE.  Yep, check one off of 2012's resolutions list!

It soon will be the space for the pack-n-play and is now holding three canvas art prints that have been in my possession for over a year but never even taken out of their packaging.  Oh, they're so pretty on my lovely hole free walls.  My room is so clutter free I don't want to leave it.  It is a nice, quiet, clean, sanctuary right now (at least for another six weeks). I even cleaned off my hubby's dresser and found $45 in the process which everyone on facebook agreed is mine to spend on whatever I want :)  Always trust your facebook friends for advice!

    
I organized my bathroom closet.  I forgot to take a "before" picture.  But in all honesty, I probably would have been too embarrassed by the mess to post it!  It hadn't been organized or cleaned out in five years (when my sister did it for me during my last pregnancy).  It is SO nice.  I can actually find stuff and as a bonus, my things don't fall off the shelves when I open the door.

My sister carried boxes and boxes and boxes full of baby stuff down our attic ladder for me and then carried boxes and boxes and boxes back up the attic ladder for storage.  My MIL organized those boxes and put stuff away.  My son can actually see and use some of his toys now (hence how we found those holes, ignore them, I'm convinced they will go away on their own)!

 

He has clothes hanging in his closet.

And an organized bookshelf.  I really hope we can keep it looking like this.

 

My MIL also organized, folded, and put away all our baby clothes.  It feels so nice to be a little bit more prepared.  I really owe both my mother in-law and my sister a HUGE THANK YOU! 

Next up is packing this cute new bag with all my hospital necessities but not before.........

I can turn this cute pile of new fabric into a little something for my little something arriving soon!  Stay tuned! 

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!  Here's our little guy with the big guy!  He told Santa he wanted binaculars, luckily santa delivered! 

Just a quick post this morning to show you our holiday card this year.  This was my favorite picture this holiday season (despite the blur around his little fingers and nose) and we turned a similar pose into our Holiday Card this year.



It is a spin on the ever so popular chalkboard art going around pinterest this year.  I love it.  It was {fairly} simple.  You emboss white powder on black cardstock and then follow behind with some white pigment ink (off center it just a tad to give it a shaded effect).  Then use a white colored pencil to doodle wherever you want!  Fun.  Full details on this technique can be found on Paper, Scissors, and Superheroes. 

Have a great holiday everyone and see you back here soon!

Last Minute Gifts

Hi Everyone!  It is Christmas Eve and we're enjoying our family holiday celebrations.  With our son being four this year the holidays have been a lot of fun.  He has gotten into enjoying Christmas music and I REALLY enjoy listening to his versions of classics.  Feliz Navidad is Feliz Naneena and Jingle Bell Rock is Jingle Bell Rocks.  I often have "Dradle Dradle Dradle" singing through my head after I leave a room that had him in it.  Our Elf, Udie (named after the song in Dora the Explorer), has been finding herself in a lot of silly places and effectively working when the naughty bug kicks in. 

During this busy time of year, I don't find a ton of time to craft but I do squeeze some time in here and there.  I did hold my annual holiday gift giving class for my card class girls earlier this month.  It is always a popular class because it is a great chance to make quick and easy gifts for co-workers, teachers, neighbors, etc.  Earlier this month I showed you the chalkboard ornament that doubled as a gift card holder but today I thought I would share with you a few other gifts I made this holiday season.

I made this "Merry" banner using an old Little Golden Book that was Christmas themed.  I love Little Golden Books, they remind me of my childhood.  I remember having a shelf full of them.  They are also really cheap and easy to find now at thrift stores and used bookstores.  The letters were made using my slice machine.  I used the same concept I use for my superhero and princess banners, you can find those on my Etsy Shop (for those of you keeping track, the superhero banner is by far still the favorite over the princess banner!).  I also have this cute little "Merry" Banner posted in my shop if you are looking for a cute decoration for you or a loved one.

Next up is a little Petri dish (found at the Dollar Store) filled with Ju Ju Coins and  decorated with "Rudolph's Spares" on the cover.  I saw something very similar online (sorry, I don't have the original link) and knew we had to create this quick and easy gift in class.  It is just a fun way to package a little candy for your recipient.



This one is my favorite (and just between you and me, it won't be gifted to anyone because I'll be keeping it for myself).  It is some Peppermint Bath Sugar and smells heavenly.  You can find the recipe all over Pinterest.  I adapted mine and used some seasame seed body oil instead of the expensive almond oil that is hard to find.  It smells great and leaves your skin feeling nice and soft.  Half of the recipe was dyed with red food coloring and layered in the jar together to give it a nice candy cane look. 

Of course who would ever say "no" to a glass Santa filled with chocolates?  He is even harder to resist with that cute gift tag!  There is enough cuteness here to make you want to break that newly formed New Year's resolution before it even starts. 

Everyone could use a few more gift tags!  These use the hot trendy washi tape that you can find EVERYWHERE right now (including Target!). 

Next up: old school milk carton containers.  One is holding hot cocoa and the other is holding peppermint marshmallows.  Two neccessities when the weather gets cold around here.

And last but not least, I modified this coffee cup card template I saw on Stamsnsmiles blog so that the template opened from the top to hold a surprise gift card.

To make it even more special, I sewed up this quick coffee cup cozy on my sewing machine.  Seriously, this is a project you can have done from start to finish in under one hour (including the sewing time).  I used the cup cozy template that I found on Hawaiian Paper Doll but I did make it about 1/4 inch bigger on the top and bottom and about an 1/2 inch longer on each of the sides.

That's all for now!  I hope you and your family have a great (and safe) holiday this year!  See you soon, I got to take a break to get ready for Santa's big appearance tonight!   

Cheap & Easy

What is cheap and easy?  This gift, silly!  Unless you live under a rock, you know how hot pinterest is right now, and if you have ever spent more than a moment on it you also know how hot chalkboards are for EVERYTHING!  They are the "it" trend right now.  

Of course, I had to create my own version of this cool trend [yes, I cave easy to peer pressure].  I made this ornament using white embossing powder and white pigment ink.  You can go to Betsy Veldman's blog post, Chalkboard Art Meets Stamping to get her full tutorial on creating your own mess free chalkboard art creation.

It gets better.  My chalkboard ornament has a double life.  While it can hang on a door knob as decoration:

It also serves as a gift card holder for $10 off at local restaurants (cleverly hidden on the backside) :

All for only $5.  See what I mean?  A cheap gift (with lots of bang for your buck) and easy (because I make it for you)!  If you live in Milwaukee and need a cheap & easy gift, you can purchase this item from me for only $5/each (I'll ship it to you for free).  The ornament comes with a $10 off coupon at one of these Milwaukee restaurants (more details on the coupons can be found at citytins.com):  

You even get to pick what restaurant you want (first come first serve of course so hurry before your favorite food spot is gone!).  This will make the perfect gift for a teacher, co-worker, neighbor, postal employee, hairdresser...I could keep going.  Heck, at this price, buy it for yourself (I won't tell).  

If you don't live in Milwaukee, go ahead and make yourself a cheap and easy gift this year!