For a Sweet Little Man

One of the sweet ladies, that I worked with in Florida, is expecting her 3rd baby! A little boy. Sonja is the sweetest! And has 2 little boys, that will just melt your heart. Well, I wanted to do something for her. And her little man. For one, she is such a good friend. My closest friend, from Florida. From the beginning, she always invited Paul and I over. For dinner, holidays, just because. Made us feel, like we were part of her family!

But secondly, she sent Matilda the biggest box of goodies. We received it the day we got home from the hospital. With a big box of snacks, movies, and other treats for Paul and I. I told you, she's amazing!!

I've picked out a few little outfits. And a precious picture frame. Sonja loves to have pictures of her family, on her desk at work. But I wanted something more thoughtful. More personal. I got the idea to crochet this little man something. That's when I found this pattern.



Isn't it adorable? What a cute hat! I'm going to make 2. One a dark brown, the other, a baby blue. I even want to make Matilda a pink one. I think this is a hat, for both boys and girls. Depending on the color.

And I'm going to try out this pattern again. I hope to make 2 pairs, in the same colors as the hats. I can't wait to put together this little package. I miss Sonja and her family so much! And I pray, that the remainder of her pregnancy, and the delivery, go well. ♥E

Miss Eloise

Our dear friends,welcomed their 2nd little girl, into the world. Last week! The day after Miss Eloise was born, we had some pretty horrible weather. Matilda, slept most of the day. And I began to get worried, by dinner time. Thinking, she was getting sick. But Friday, we were a OK.

Then we traveled to the east coast. The guys had left earlier in the week. And J was taking the week off. That meant, that we got to leave a little later than normal. But it still didn't allow us, to go meet Eloise.

Instead, we went to work. And by we, I mean Paul. Matilda and I, just enjoyed the traveling! :) I also found myself, wanting to make something. We'd already bought Miss Eloise some darling presents. But I just knew, I could make her something. Alli's blog has so many wonderful patterns. And that is exactly where I found this pattern!



I just adore the little flower. It's different from most, that I've seen. I managed to make 2 hats. A pink one, just like this one. And a cute yellow and white one. If you read Cari's blog, than you'll know she loves flowers!! I just thought, this hat would be perfect. And, I've made a few flowers, for Matilda. I want to attach them to some headbands.

We are planning to go visit our friends this afternoon. I'm so excited to meet Miss Eloise. I've heard that Amelia, is very excited to be a big sister! We're so happy for our friends! And their adorable little girls. ♥E

Inspires Me

I don't think it's any kind of a secret, that Paul and I travel a lot! Paul has a busy career. And we're very grateful, that Matilda and I, get the chance to travel with him. It means so much to us!

With that comes a lot of expectations. I need to actually look nice, when I attend events. I need to put in an effort. It's a good think though. Especially being a new momma. Because let's face it, in the early days of mommyhood, I was just grateful to take a shower. :) But traveling with Paul, gives me a reason to do my hair, put on some makeup, and look for a cute outfit.

But if you want to get honest here, it's tough. I don't go shopping a whole lot. Even when I go, I'm not really inspired. And lean heavily on friends. Like when we went to Dallas recently. I totally took advantage of Lola and Vi! I'd been saving money, and used it on a nice little shopping trip with my friends. Asking them a million and one questions. I hope they didn't mind! But I just had to. Besides, Lola has amazing taste!!

Now that we have a "schedule" again, I'm tying to remember these little things. Like making an effort in my appearance. Not only do I want my husband to be proud of me, but I want him to know, that I'm making an effort for him. He does so much for Matilda and I. Getting dressed up a few times a week, isn't a huge deal. But Paul's smile, when he opens the door, says it all!

It's funny how I've been thinking about this. And yesterday, Jamielynn posted this. Everything about this post, has inspired me!



First, I just LOVE all these colors!! And this style. Casual, but put together. Not too fussy. But a whole lot of fun. Best of all, if you read this post, you know it's all affordable.



This happens to be my favorite outfit of Jamielynn's. It's so fun! And colorful. Perfect for Spring and Summer. And now, I really want to go shopping. And not just for Matilda. Momma needs a few new outfits too! Between, isn't Jamielynn the cutest. And all those tulips, make me want to plant a whole bunch, for next year!

I really want that pink purse. And that pink ruffle shirt. So I tweeted Jamielynn today. I hope she gets back to me. Even if she doesn't, I'm still so grateful for her post. It's given me the inspiration that I need! I know that not every day in the mommyhood, has to be spent in workout clothes. ♥E

Not Giving Up

When I found out I was pregnant, there were a few things, I wanted to learn how to do. Crocheting was one of those things. I called Lola, and she promised to show me. And she did! Lola was so sweet and patient. I managed to crochet 3 blankets, some booties, and a few hats. I was so thrilled!

Now I want to try some harder things. Matilda is such a doll! And endures quite a bit with me. I'm always dressing her up. Putting some sort of bow, headband, or other glorious thing on her! I think tutus should be worn daily. Things like that.

To be 100% honest though, since Matilda was born, I haven't really done much crocheting. I've managed a few more hats. And other small projects. It's not that I'm not looking, I just don't feel like I have the skills needed for such things.

It doesn't stop me from reading lots of blogs. Getting tons of ideas. And checking this site, at least twice a week! That's where I found this pattern. Which motivated me, to pick up my crochet hook again.



Aren't these the sweetest booties? I think so! A few weeks ago, I packed up Matilda, and headed to Hobby Lobby. Don't you just love shopping for yarn? I do! I ended up buying 6 skeins of yarn. A dusty pink, fuchsia, turquoise, white, red, and a dark chocolate brown. So pretty! I even bought the perfect buttons, for each color.

That weekend, I packed 2 skeins of yarn, and 4 buttons. I printed the pattern, and figured, at the very least, I'd get a pair made. It's been just over 3 weeks now, and I have 1 and 1/2 booties finished. It's been an almost frustrating situation!

The original weekend that I started, I got both of the soles made. That was ridiculously easy. Even for me!! But the rest of the bootie, was so difficult. Things were just not working out. And at one point, I wanted to cry.

I didn't like the way things were looking. I ripped out those 4 rows, more times than I can remember. But every day, this project haunts me! And every day, I pick it up! Finally, I called Lola. The "Crochet Goddess."

We ended up getting on Skype, when Matilda was napping. And literally, Lola walked me through the process. By the way, as the pattern reads, Lola pointed out, it just doesn't work. So she wrote down the changes, and emailed them to me. She just changed the 2nd part, to the booties.

Yes, after our little crochet lesson, I'm on my way. During that lesson, I went from 1 and 1/2 booties, to 2 soles. I'm back to 1 and 1/2! I told you, there is a slight problem with the pattern. But I'd still recommend you trying it. Because these booties are just too cute!

And positive, that by dinner time, I'll have 2 booties made. And will move on to the next pair. Too bad Matilda didn't get her red ones for Valentine's Day! But her Nana, didn't let us down. She sent us, the cutest pair of red booties! Yes, friends are wonderful cheerleaders, teachers, and supporters! I don't know, what I'd do without my friend! ♥E

Needing Something Light

How were everyone's holidays? Ours were amazing! In fact, we're still in Texas, visiting family. My amazing MIL has gotten me hooked on Pinterest. Just where have I been? This might be my favorite site ever!!

We've been cooking and baking a lot. Honestly I'm starting to feel a little stuffed. Like we've had a bit too much good food. You know, holiday food. Filled with lots of yumminess, and calories. I'm craving something delicious, and light. So is my MIL. We took to Pinterest, for a little inspiration.



Doesn't this look wonderful? We thought so! And since our men are fully engrossed, in all things sports, we're completely involved in all things food. Don't tell them, but tonight, we're having a super healthy meal. With this as dessert! If only the link had worked, but it doesn't look too tough, to duplicate. I can't wait to have some fruit!! ♥E