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

Enjoying Life

Matilda is nearly 2 weeks old! It's been pure bliss around here. :) Our house is currently, full of our loved ones. And we really are loving it!

Having so much of our family around, has been a blessing. It's allowed Paul and I, to get some rest. We have tons of help! And we have knowledgeable people, to turn to, when we have a question! I'm so thankful!

It's also given me, a bit of time to remember those things I didn't get done, before Matilda was born. My parents, managed to find our Christmas decorations. And pulled them out for us. My in-laws have thoroughly stocked our fridge. And my MIL has cooked us many meals, and froze them, for when everyone goes home.

My sisters have managed, to get our holiday donations, to the local Children's home. Paul sent the mail, that I never managed to get to the Post Office. And my SIL bought that CD, that I wanted for the nursery. I swear to you, I had a list! There were just certain things, that well, fell in the cracks.

One of those things, is this hat. My parents still live in the mountains. And we plan on visiting them, in about a month. That means, Miss Matilda, is going to need some warm clothes. Not like we're lacking or anything. I mean, Lola made us so many things! Everyone gifted us, with so much! But I had wanted to make an earflap hat, for my sweet girl.



This hat is a little large. I asked Lola to help me a bit. And she shrank the pattern, to make a more "newborn appropriate" hat. And because I've become a bit of a "yarn hoarder," I have exactly what I need! I'm hoping, I can get a hat done, for Matilda. With all this help, and over a month, I think we can have some success!

In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy these early days of mommyhood. And all our family. I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving. And long afternoon naps, with the sweetest girl I know! ♥E

Happy!!

Friday, we found out that our Little Apple, is a girl! I'm so excited!! Paul is over the moon. Already buying dolls, and little dresses. And I just can't stop smiling.



These little shoes, I just couldn't pass them up. I found them at Old Navy for $2!! They are a little big. A size 18 months. But our little girl will have some adorable shoes to wear! Something about this news, makes this all real. I mean really "real." In just a few months, we'll meet our daughter! ♥E

Sunflowers

There are fields and fields of sunflowers out here. Paul and I went for a drive this morning. Every color, every size you can imagine! It makes me want to grow a bunch at home. They just make me smile. For as far as you can see, there were sunflowers. It was beautiful! ♥E

Texas Sized Fun!

We got to my in-laws yesterday. And already, we're having so much fun. Last night, I told Paul how lucky he was. I just can't imagine growing up out here. It must have been a blast!



Today, my MIL and I are baking a lot. Paul and my FIL had some work stuff to do. So we're just holding down the house for them. :) We've made all sorts of berry pies. They smell so good. And tonight, we're having some Texas BBQ. I seriously can't wait!

But it's nice to come out here. There's not a whole lot to do. But be close to your loved ones, and nature. I'm really enjoying myself! Do you think I can convince Paul to move out here? ♥E

It's Monday...

I just can't believe how tired I am. But we're back home. And today is Paul's day off. I'm not going to lie, we slept until noon! Yes, I said noon. I can't believe it. But we were so tired from our trip to Texas.

It's a little crazy that we came back home. I'm sure J would have let us stay. And just head from the job to my in-laws. But we really needed to come home and rest up! We're heading out to visit my in-laws this week. And I'm really excited!



Everything just seems so much more laid back. That's the thing about living in rural areas. Having a working farm. It's an amazing thing to go back to. And I can't wait to start cooking with my mother-in-law. She makes the yummiest things ever! Let's just say that my 80-20 week isn't going to work out on this trip. I'm not going to worry about calories or working out. I'll deal with that when we get home.

But my tummy is growling. I'm pretty sure I should get up and go make us some lunch. Oh, and start the day. Why do we have so much laundry. I really have to start my Monday... ♥E

Veggie Tote

Isn't this the cutest little lunch bag? I kind of wish that I still worked. That way I could buy it. You can find it here, for $19. There are 2 other styles. But the tomato is my favorite. I really do wish I had a good reason to buy this cute bag. But when would I use it? ♥E

Love 'Em!

I just love this episode of GH! Luke and Tracy are such a cute and unexpected couple. This has to be one of the best scenes on GH in a long time! Early in this episode when Luke tells Tracy, "I want you anyway I can get you," it made me smile. It was so typical of of Luke.

But this scene it was so sweet. I really did enjoy it. You know, until Tracy got sick. I've been watching GH since I was 13 or so. It has always been one of my favorite shows. Now if I could just catch up. How did I get this far behind? ♥E

Weekend Date Night

I did it. I signed up for Polyvore. I have seen a few ladies' Polyvore pages. And I was just in love! Polyvore immediately made me think of paper dolls. For adults. :)



I decided to put together a date look. Paul and I have decided to go out on a date tomorrow night. Mostly because he's off for the weekend. And we don't get to be a "normal" couple often. So we like to take advantage of the "off weekends" when we have them.

We're going out in the late afternoon. There is a local market that we want to go to. And then we're going out for a nice dinner. So I was going for a casual look. Something that could also be semi-dressy.

I can already tell, Polyvore is going to be addicting. I might be in trouble. But it might also be something that keeps me busy when we're traveling. Do you have a Polyvore account? I would love to see it too! ♥E

Weekend List...

This week, we're home. I'm kinda glad. But it's so hot around here. We considered going to visit my parents this weekend. But we decided to stay home. Why? Because of the heat. And we're working on some projects at home. Our list seems to never end. But we're slowly knocking things off of our list. It makes me feel good! Even if it's a lot of hard work.



Our garden is refusing to grow in this heat. Nothing like this picture! I'm just at a loss for words, when it comes to our garden. And my flowers, they just don't want to bloom. No matter how much water I give them. Part of our lawn is also "sunburned." At least, that is what J's gardener told us.

But this weekend, we're tackling other stuff. Yard work, yes. There is also painting on the list. And organizing our stuff. I know we've lived here for months. But we still haven't really settled in. I hope we can knock some of those projects off the list. What are you planning for this weekend? ♥E

General Hospital Fail

That my friends, is the last episode of General Hospital that I watched. Why? I don't know. I'm so behind! I usually catch up on GH when Paul is working. Or we're traveling. Watching on the plane or in the car helps to pass the time. But this, well it's a total fail.

I think I've been putting it off. Knowing that I can watch on YouTube anytime I want. But it has me almost 2 months behind. And I need to carve out some serious time. I really do miss GH. Maybe Paul will have a day of watching sports soon. Then I can curl up and watch some General Hospital. You know, catch up. So I know what's going on. ♥E

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July! We're excited about today. It's one of Paul and I's favorite holidays. We're actually getting ready to grill. Or I should say, Paul is getting ready to grill. :)

My parents came down too. And tonight we're going to go see the Electrical Parade. So much fun! It reminds me of when we were in college. We would go every year. That's part of the fun of living in a small town.

But you can never forget the people that make it possible. The men and women who are out there fighting for our lives, our freedoms, and our safety. To you, I say Thank You! It means the world to me to be an American. ♥E

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Ours? Not so well. This heat is killing us. And our plants. We decided to plant entire seed packages. Paul already thought that most plants wouldn't make it through the summer heat. But I don't think either of us realized how badly our garden would be doing by now.

We lived here when we went to college. But at the time, we were your typical "poor college students." And we lived in an apartment. The only thing we grew were tomatoes. Because you could grow them in pots. And we tried strawberries once. It didn't go well.



But when we moved to Florida, we got spoiled. We had a lush, beautiful garden! 90% of the veggies we ate, came from our garden. And we really got used to that. But here, the desert heat isn't so kind. And everything is dying! We try watering. Paul even put up a canopy over our garden. But I'm guessing 110 degree weather isn't so great for a garden.

We're hoping some stuff survives. Are you growing a garden this year? How is it going? I hope a lot better than ours. ♥E

I Might Be Crazy...

Today I went looking for a baby shower gift for my friend Sandy. She's expecting her 1st baby, a girl, in July. And I found this, and bought it. Not for Sandy. But for me...

An up close view of "Love Bird."

And the entire set.

And before anyone asks, no we're not expecting. We're not even trying to get pregnant. Mom, please don't get all excited. I'm not sure what came over me. But I spent $250 on this cute set. Because I liked it. And with my luck, when Paul and I do decide to try for a baby, we'll probably just have boys.

The only thing that makes me feel real good is, I got a super good deal. Because there was a great baby sale going on. But now what? I guess I'm going to have to store it away until we decide to grow our family. But isn't it adorable? ♥E

Bubble and Brown

First off, I don't ever get to watch the Rachael Ray Show. Not because I don't have time. But because our local NBC station carries it. And the station has a horrible signal. Since the entire change in signal during the summer, well there has been no NBC signal in the area.

I never, ever get to see The Rachael Ray Show. And I kind of miss it. I didn't really watch it in Florida. But it was there if I wanted to. But recently, we were somewhere were I was able to watch the show. And I really do enjoy it.



I also seen this set. And I checked online. It's $40. And I love it! It comes in a variety of colors. But I really do like the blue. And I can see myself using it for a variety of reasons. Now, I just need to bring myself to order it. When I was talking to my mother-in-law about it, she told me that they sell Rachael Ray products at Sears. I'm going to check the next time I go to the mall. ♥E

Holiday Makeup

I'm really getting into the holiday spirit. And watching all these YouTube videos is making me want to dress up every day. Even if I'm just spending my days and nights at home. But I'm really enjoying it.

I wish I was better at makeup. I'm nowhere near Manders. But after watching some videos, I'm feeling a little adventurous. And I want to try this look. What do you think? I don't think it's too dramatic. And I'm pretty sure I can pull it off. I just need to practice. ♥E

Christmas Cookies in a Jar

Earlier this week, I was looking for a good cookie recipe. I really wanted to bake cookies. And I'm going to admit it, we still haven't finished unpacking. So I couldn't find my holiday recipes. I decide to go looking around All Recipes. And I found this recipe.



I immediately thought that this idea would be great for some holiday gifts. For our friends. Who doesn't like a good cookie? And even for some of our family. So I'm going to get started. I have a bunch to make! But I did manage to bake some cookies for Paul and I. They were delicious! I think you should try out this recipe too. But if you're not into sweet cookies, I'd half the chocolate chips. ♥E

Ingredients

1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup orange flavored dried cranberries
1 cup vanilla or white chips


ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Directions

1.In a 1-qt. glass jar, layer the sugar and brown sugar, packing well between each layer. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; spoon into jar. Top with oats, cranberries and chips. Cover and store in a cool dry place for up to 6 months.

2.To prepare cookies: Pour cookie mix into a large mixing bowl; stir to combine. Beat in butter, egg and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Drop by the tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.