vera bradley

I was over at the Vera Bradley website and they had some goodies on sale.

I got this agenda....
and this knotty headband....
{i hope it comes before baby so i can wear it to keep my hair back for the big day.}

and this baby book.

I got a few gifts from the sale section too, but i can't show those in case the giftee is looking.

Note:

just published a love note to my baby. it went under my last post should you care to view it.

children inspire designs

as i have mentioned before, i belong to an online shopping club called zulily. {and i can sign you up if you want, all i need is your email address...} well, they always have the stinkin cutest stuff and since one of my faves, children inspire designs, has made an encore, i thought i would share.


i apologize for the massive pics. i'm too lazy to make them smaller.
matryoshka dolls are so hot right now.

i got this one for judy jude's room. it is so darling in person. i will probably post pics of the nursery some day when it's actually put together. soon, very soon....
and i thought this set would be fun in a play room. our plans are to someday have one in our finished basement. a pipedream really.

view more here. they are only available thru zulily for a short time. let me refer you if you decide to buy!

Ode to The Bug

{picture by Kari Hennefer}

when i wake to the top half of your head smiling over my mattress in the morning,
i feel sunshine.

when that little lisp is reading aloud to itself in the next room,
i hear music.

when dinner is eaten without the WWF throwdown,
i taste sweet victory!

when you do exactly what i told you NOT to with that look on your face,
i see red.

but when that just-bathed hair snuggles into me, leaving wet spots on my shirt,
i smell my favorite place.

HUGTH AND KITHETH on your 3rd birthday! Even though you're about to be a big brother, you can be my baby anytime!

silhouette applique tee

'tis the season to be sewing. i've almost finished making my Christmas projects and here is an easy one you can whip up for a quick gift.

it's fun for kids and adults and it can be as simple {beginners} or elaborate {sewing vets} as you want. you'll need:
-basic sewing supplies
-sewing machine, thread, and jersey machine needle {about size 80/12}
-glue stick
-blank tee shirt {pre-washed and pressed}
-jersey knit scrap* {also pre-washed and pressed}
-simple applique template

*jersey knit is basically t-shirt fabric. it's a little lighter in weight than other knits and comes in many prints and colors. if you find one that is particularly slinky you can beef it up by ironing on a light weight interfacing to the back.

1. cut out your template on the lines.
place it on your jersey scrap and trace with a water/air soluble fabric pen.

2. rough cut around your design leaving a generous border surrounding.

3. turn over and gently dab glue to the back
being careful to stay within the lines of your design.

4. place on your tee and smooth down scrap to adhere glue.
add a few pins to make it secure.

5. change your machine's needle to a jersey one. sew scrap to tee stitching directly on the lines.
it helps to start at the bottom of the tee with neck closest to you and turn the sleeves inside out.
be very careful not to tug or stretch while you sew - you don't want puckers.

6. i used a triple straight stitch which goes back over itself two more times.
this makes the stitching more visible, but you can also use a slightly heavier thread.
press again using stream.

7. trim fabric close to stitching leaving about a 1/8" border.
be oh-so-careful not to cut your shirt. you'll be so mad if you do.

8. voila! you are done. there is no need to finish the edges since knits don't fray.
depending on how wide of a border you left, the edges of the applique will just roll in the wash.
if the glue made your shirt a little stiff, that will come out in the wash too.

i've made a few for my boys featuring their latest obsessions. i can't wait for these to become their fave tees. i'll have to post pics after they open these beauties Christmas morning.

maternity pics

let me tell you about my friend kari. she is the kind of person you want to hate, but she is so gosh darn likable that you just can't seem to do it. she is a yoga instructor, has all her babies naturally, is sweet and sincere, has the most gorgeous blond hair you've ever coveted and....
takes beautiful pictures.

sorry if this is too many for you to care about. it was really difficult to narrow it down to these. but now if you're curious, you can catch a glimpse of my growing oven. {p.s. it has grown considerably since this photo shoot. no fat jokes please!}







if you want her to take your pics, you better hurry! she could be moving out of state in the near future.

gobble these cupcakes

this
{1. cake mix. obviously. 2. jumbo cupcake liners + jumbo muffin tins. 3. not pictured - homemade frosting.}


plus this

{1. chips ahoy mini cookies in the pouch, and... 2. chips ahoy mini cookies in take-along cup. they're smaller. 3. m&ms or reeses pieces separated into colors. 4. icing carrots. i bought these from my local candy factory but candy corn works also.}


equals this:

{don't overfill your cupcake liners.
these make up best when the cupcakes are not mounded at the top.}


which results in this:

{we will be taking these on thanksgiving day for the less mature pallets who don't appreciate pie.
i highly recommend cutting them in half before eating.
the jumbos can be overwhelming for little mouths.}

too true

Hilary sent this to me and i about died laughing.