Another hat for my little boy

This is more of a night-cap style hat, which my hubby thought was a bit silly :) But I thought it looked so cute on Rystin! :)

All these super cute professional pics are credited to my
dear photography friend: Phyllis R.
She needs a blog so I can link you up and show you her
other great work...don't you think!?

Thanks for stopping!

I have discovered the greatest career in history!
Literally...from the very beginning when Adam and Eve laid eyes on their first child, I believe this has to be the #1 'job' that ever was and will be. Right up there with 'wife', the title of 'mother' is such a JOY!
The two short years I have had the privilege of bearing this title have been amazing!

I will also admit, that being a parent is one of THE toughest things I have ever done.  Not that I have had any extreme experiences in my lifetime thus far.  But really, would you apply for a job that involved working around the clock with no 'real' breaks, no (monetary) paycheck, major (and many) responsibilities, no paid time off, dealing with tempers, tantrums, and tears, being in charge of discipline, and so on...!?!?  No, that sounds ridiculous!

But what if the same job offered no chance of layoffs, unimaginable love, partner support, and endless lifelong benefits ranging from huge smiles and hugs to "I wove you, Mommy" every day.  From rocking a cuddly baby to laughing a silly antics.  From endless fun to fresh beginnings.  From soft little coos to hilarious giggles.  From unlimited teaching opportunities to watching learned skills.  From "I'm sorry" with a hug to awe and amazement.  The list is endless.  Sounds pretty worth it if you ask me!

Remember to thank God if He has given you the amazing blessing of being a parent.  Children are gifts from Him and I can think of no greater gift except for the Son that our God GAVE to us for our benefit of eternal life.  Take hold of that gift, then treasure the gifts that He has given you.  Love them, teach them, care for them, and give them back to Him.  This 'job' is not a calling for everyone, and I know there are so many other blessings in this life that are ours for the taking.  I just wanted to share a few of my own thoughts and maybe give you a little inspiration to love your job that much more!  I better run... one of my little blessings just woke up from his nap and wants his Mommy! :)
Thanks for stopping by!

Here's another hat I made for Rystin. 
This one is from one of my old sweatshirts so it is thicker and warmer.  Unfortunately, I am good at making hats a bit small, so he wasn't able to wear it real long and I didn't get any pictures of him in it :(  Anyone need a newborn size hat with an "R" initial!? ;)
I'm going to have to do better at getting pics of my boys in the hats I make them so I can post them for you!
Thanks for stopping!

Well we are halfway through the month of March and our spending plan...or more like NO spending plan... is going well!
So far I believe the only money I've spent outside of bills and milk is $2.58 for postage to mail some things that my family left when they were visiting.
I must say, for myself, this has definitely been challenging! I didn't realize how often I throw things into the cart or grab a bite to eat when I could just pass and save a buck or two. 
I think the two times I most noticed was when we had Rystin's baptism at our home and I had to plan a meal for 15 people without going grocery shopping!  Thankfully that was at the beginning of the month and my mom provided the salad for it! :)  Another time was when a friend of mine was visiting for the week and we headed to the mall for the late afternoon/evening.  Daddy was home to babysit so no paying a sitter, but it WAS a little odd to bring a sack lunch to the food court!! :)  But my bologna and cheese sandwich tasted just fine and Sbarro and McDonalds didn't snag my money that day!  I actually enjoyed the window shopping without feeling like I was constantly being tempted to spend on something I didn't need. 

I've had to chuckle a bit at my husband's take on the month so far! He said something along the lines of:  "It's not like we're doing anything really different, I haven't really noticed any changes"  (!!ha!!)  I guess getting up and going to work, coming home to supper made, and going to bed doesn't give a lot of opportunity to notice changes in the shopping! He's not the one trying to figure out meal plans, bringing his lunch to the mall, or feeling silly because you aren't going to spend money to eat out with friends!   BUT that's alright if it's easier for him, hopefully he's pleased with the results at the end of the month too! 
I've been learning a few things as this goes on too, but I'll fill you in on more of that as the March (stretches on and on...) I mean... comes to a close!
Thanks for popping in!

  Whispers of Joy is giving away this set...

...over HERE at Delightful Order

Danita has a super neat blog all about things from organizing and  decorating, to creating and simplifying. She also has a neat etsy shop!
One of my favorite posts from here is her Toy Closet makeover!

Delightful Order is currently hosting Whispers of Joy's latest giveaway so head on over and sign up!
Thanks again!

Since a bit before Rystin was born, I have developed another addiction...

HATS!!
I've made quite a few for Rystin, as well as one for Skyler.
I use old clothes and recycle them into these fun hats!
I'll do posts for each hat, so look for more coming in the future.

Thanks for stopping by!

We decided to do a photo shoot after the new addition to our family.
When Rystin was born, I wanted some good newborn shots of him, since I didn't really get any of Skyler when he was born. My dear photographer friend, Phyllis, did a great job at capturing my precious little boys! Here's a few that she snapped.

The loves of my life!

Congrats to our Giveaway Winner...
SHARLA S.

Shara will receive all the items shown above!
Sharla, please email me your mailing address and I will get it to you soon! :)
Thanks everyone else for stopping by!
Always more giveaways coming!

Before Rystin was born I started this project...AND finished it!
(round of applause for self)
 I had learned the basics of crochet about a year before, but hadn't done too much with it.  I decided to do a blanket in the colors I wanted to do the boys' bedroom in (tho at that time I didn't know I was having boy)

The blanket took a VERY long time!
I discovered I really enjoy crocheting though, and would probably do it again if I had something to do it for specifically.
This one is about 48" square.
The bedroom that Skyler has been using since I did the Penguin Nursery when he was in the smaller room.  I moved him to a bigger room and put my office in his old one, but still used all the penguin decor in his room once I moved him.  I did that room without buying anything, and would like to re-do the room him and Rystin share now.  Rystin still sleeps in our room but his clothes and crib are in the same room as Skyler's.

This is what the room looks like now.  Skyler's bed already has a comforter that matches (even tho it's for a full size bed) so I won't have to worry about that.  The crib set that he used (still does at nap time) is yellow, though, and is quite beat up.  I'd like to attempt making an orange one for Rystin...or at least a dust ruffle.
The top part of the walls is already the right blue so the biggest change for the room would be to paint over the girly purple that's in there and make it a manly grey.  Then I have something in mind in orange to divide the colors.  I did the blanket to go in the crib and match the rest of the room.
I love orange lately, and combined with blue and grey it's so boyish and fun!
So this will probably be slow to come together, and will be more of a project to finish later, but the next step in my mind is to paint.  I'll keep you posted on the progress!

Also remember that today is the LAST day to sign up for the GIVEAWAY!!
Go make sure you have your entry(s) completed! There are so many ways you can sign up for multiple entries so go check it out!
Thanks for stopping by!

I don't know if you're like me, but I think matchy-matchy is fun! Especially when it comes to baby accessories such as blankets, bags, burp cloths, and such!  Check out the Limited Specialty page and you'll see what I mean!
So I had a lot of fun making a set for myself after my little man was born!! No, it's not real boyish...but he doesn't have to wear it either! I decided to do more neutral colors, but with a femine touch for me.  I have the diaper bag, a Sort-n-Stash Pocket set, a burp cloth, and a nursing cover all coordinating. Ok... you might think it's too much...but I think it's fun! :)

It felt like I had searched forever for 'the perfect bag' to use for a diaper bag (ok, maybe it was...8 months. Or something.) But I guess I must be picky because I just couldn't find one out there that quite fit what I was looking for.  My requirements:
-Lots of pockets!
-Big enough for stuff for two kiddos
-Cute (!)
-Not too cheesy (I don't like the 'diaper bag' style like the ones you can get from the hospital)
-and most importantly... CHEAP!!
yup. i'm picky.

So the story goes...
One day I was browsing online and different bags (most of them QUITE expensive I might add) and feeling rather discouraged.  OK, maybe I'm making a bigger deal of this than it should be...or than it really was.  Anyways, I decided bag it (no pun intended!), I can just do it myself, the way I want it! And so... I did.
The end.

I took a few ideas from purses and diaper bags I'd seen that I like and mashed them all together.
Then I sketched out a pattern and grabbed some fabric from my stash.
(Yes... I had everything I needed on hand already!  Did I mention I was going the cheap route!?)

The bag is reversible, so the pockets work both ways.  Right now I like the yellow side the best.  The big flower accent was a lot of fun to design... I may use the idea in some future products.  I also like ruffles...so I did a few ruffles and such on the other side over the 3 pockets.  Next to the flower is another pocket with stitching designs and beaded embellishments.  The beads are already coming off tho :(

I got the idea for the handle from here. I thought the braided handle thing was a cool idea.  The bunchy fabric that connects it to the bag itself reminds me of those scrunchies my mom used to wrap around my ponytail about 9 times back in the '90's! :)

The other side is a damask print of black and white. I did lots of pockets on this side since I thought that it would be on the inside most of the time. The yellow pockets are supposed to help tie the yellow from the handles in.  Not sure it worked quite that way though. ;)

And the other side...

I had been quite overwhelmed with the idea of making my own diaper bag (hence, the frantic search for 'forever')  I discovered it really wasn't that hard.  I have done bags before, but nothing quite this complicated, and for sure not without some kind of pattern to follow!  So now that I know how much easier it was than I had thought, maybe I'll try it again someday. Or try other things using the 'mashing' technique and putting my own touch on other ideas.  I'm sure you could do it too, if you know anything at all about sewing! :) 

Thanks for stopping by! May God bless your day!