LA Originals Knitted Baby Hat GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

LA Originals Knitted Baby Hat GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Thursday's Wish List

Today I'm dreaming of a new handbag. I stumbled upon a great little Etsy shop today called ikabags. Their bags are so reasonably priced I'm thinking I could use several of these bags to carry around all of the stuff that I "need" in my purse (aka junk)! I do love a nice big slouchy bag! A few of my favorites:

Happy Thursday!!

I {heart} Chick-fil-A

The Chick-fil-A in our town is having Daddy Date Night tonight. How precious is that? They are giving the adorable couples limo rides to the restaurant from a nearby hotel. They made reservations for them and will have a wait staff - dressed in appropriate waiter attire :) Daddy and daughter got all dressed up for this special night and what kind of mother would I be if I didn't stage a mini photo shoot before they left?

I was so happy to send my little girl off on a date with her prince tonight. I wanted to be a mouse and hide in my husband's pocket so I could enjoy the moment with them, but I guess I'll save that trick for later...maybe for Emma's first date!

I seriously think Vance is trying to prevent Emma from ever HAVING a first date by teaching her tricks like this! Like-father like-daughter, I guess!

Thursday's Wish List

I've been a big fan of the adorable dresses that the Etsy store RockerBaby creates for quite some time. They're so cute and I love their use of black. I personally feel that more children's clothing should be made in black. Too cute.

A few of my RockerBaby favs along with a few other little girl's dresses that would fit perfectly in Emma's closet...

I've been admiring this adorable black "Little Audrey in the city" dress for too long! Emma needs this dress!!

Love the red dress paired with the green shoes!

How cute is the yellow sash?!

This one would have been perfect for our beach trip!

I love the marriage of vintage fabric with a little girl's dress.

This one is by LittlegirlPearl.

Also loving this cute blue and yellow dress by Sweet Gracies.

Hmmm...I seem to be obsessing over polka dots lately!

You gotta love Etsy! Happy Thursday!!

Graduation Day

There were days when Vance and I swore that our little girl would never learn to use the potty. Even when she started peeing successfully the issue of #2 was still a great concern for us. But then one day - she just GOT it. No more holding #2, now she goes almost as much as she pees. She tells us when she has to go - she's an official big girl.

Even with all of her success, I've been holding off on officially saying she's "potty trained." I felt like if I said it she would then pee all over her carseat - or worse. But yesterday, while I was making a phone call in the office, she apparantly had to go really bad. She went in my closet and found her potty (I had cleaned my bathroom the night before and moved everything on the floor in my bathroom to the closet). She pulled it out, peed in it and then came and found me. Success! I was so proud of her.

So, yesterday we had a graduation ceremony for our little girl. She was proudly walked down the hall to meet her dad who was singing a lovely graduation tune. I crowned her, handed her a scepter and gave her a graduation certificate. We also gave her a little gift - which she loved and exclaimed "what the heck is this"? I suppose that's a whole other issue we now have to deal with!

Anyway, it was a really exciting moment. A moment, that at times, I had lost hope would ever come. But it did - just like most things in life. If you work hard and are patient, you will see the harvest!

P.S. Please excuse the bad photography with the pictures - horrible lighting in the house yesterday. But, I think they still manage convey the wonderful moment Vance and I were so happy to share with our little girl!

Emma being "interviewed" by her daddy before she was "crowned"!

We were so proud of our little girl we decided to give her enough candy to rot out her little teeth!

Insert caption "what the heck is this?!" above her head here!

Pretty much no graduation connection with this photo, but how could I resist posting a good "baba" picture. One of the few reminders still around that she's not all grown up just yet!

Little Reminders

I'm constantly thinking that my little girl isn't just here for me to take care of her and to have fun with. There are so many lessons and reflective moments that happen while watching my precious daughter grow. I'm reminded about the simplicity of childhood and how I was and felt as a little girl. It's strange to me that I can watch her play and somehow still feel so connected to the little girl that I once was. I'm reminded of silly fears I held onto as a child when I see Emma screaming because she thinks there are tarantulas in the blue bonnets (I was terrified of black widows for a good portion of my childhood)! I see her in her happiness and sometimes in her sadness and want to protect her. I want to shield her from all of the things that I remember hurting me as a child.

But then I have to stop and wonder...who would I be right now if all of my bad memories were gone, if nothing hurtful had ever happened to me. Would I be a strong woman and mother? I can only imagine that the answer is a definite "no." I think that we are so much more connected to the bad things that are a part of our past in a "good" way than we can even imagine. Bad things are bad...but if we trust in the Lord and allow Him to work in each situation, they turn into good things in our lives. The experiences change us and make us stronger. I know it must be so hard for Him to allow certain things to happen to us, His children. I can feel only a glimpse of that as Emma's mother - but I'm thankful for motherhood and the ability it gives me to see life and the world around me in a clearer and more Jesus-like way.

I'm constantly praying for the strength to LET life happen to Emma. I pray for the wisdom to be able to protect her when I need to, and let her experience some pain along the way too. I have to let go. That's hard for a control freak. Really hard. But no matter how much control I THINK I have - it's all a sense of false security. God is in control and I have to learn to trust Him more.

I'm thankful for life's lessons in the everyday and I'm thankful for friends - far and near. There's something so natural and sweet about watching young girls become friends. I love the way they hold hands and hug like there's no tomorrow! I love how they giggle and play. It's so sweet and it reminds me of all the good times I've had with dear friends. I'm thankful that God has blessed me with some amazing people to share life with. I'm also so very grateful for the little reminders to laugh and giggle a little more than I do.

New things, finally!

I finally did it! I worked all night on editing my shop photos and getting some new items in there! It felt like it took forever editing each and every photo. I wish that the pictures were perfect when I shot them so that they wouldn't need any editing! Not my favorite part of the process, for sure.

Anyway, there's lots of new thank you cards and personalized notecard sets. I still have so much more to add, but I think I'l have to save the rest for another time!

Blue Bonnets

Emma and I had a fun afternoon spent with our new friends (who happen to live next door)! We drove out to Ennis to see the infamous Blue Bonnets! I'm not sure what I was expecting, but the scenery certainly was beautiful. I only wish that I weren't such a freak about bugs. I hate ALL bugs and act like a complete moron if they land on me. I'm not sure what's going to happen if we have a boy next! One of the highlights of the afternoon was when Emma HAD to go pee...where in the world am I going to take her to the bathroom out in the middle of nowhere? I ended up having her squat in the grass. We both laughed hysterically as the pee ran down her leg. She thought it was the funniest thing ever - and so did I! Anyway, we're planning another trip out there with Daddy soon! Can't wait!!

Lots of fun things going on around here. Staying busy with the shop - hoping to get a lot of new items posted tonight. Plus I have several invitation projects I'm working on. I love the work, but I hate that it always seems to come at the same time! Pictures of new items coming soon!

P.S. If you're interested in winning free luggage tags from my shop - go here.

I'm absolutely loving this picture of Brady! So cute!!

Don't think Brady is as happy about getting a kiss from Emma as she is to give it!

Wedding Thank You's

Just finished these cute thank you cards for a lovely Etsy customer. I've made several things this season with the same color palatte. Yellow and grey are so popular this year! I love the color combo too! I think I'll be adding these to the shop soon!

I'm so thankful every time I get to help a bride with an element of her wedding. I don't plan on having another wedding, so it makes me happy to still be involved in the process one way or another!

She Said It

I got the idea for this jar from Brooke at Inchmark months ago and I finally made my own - with a little twist!

I love the idea of having a cute little jar on my desk full of the funny things Em says these days. On a bad day, or a good one, I can just twist off the cap and read one of her hillarious quotes!

I bought the jar from Michaels for about $1.60 (I think), put a glossy 2.5" square sticker on the front and tied a ribbon around the top. Not a bad project for under $2! Thanks Brooke for the great idea!

Seasons Change

As I get older I become more and more aware of how much things change and that consistently changing is actually part of who we are and the world we live in. I'm not just talking about the weather, but about the things we do. There are times when I am incredibly organized with my coupons and cut them the second I get them. There are times that I let them pile up for weeks at a time (current season). For a while I was blogging at least once a week...and yet I sit here today blogging for the first time since January.

Seasons change. Life gets busy. I'm trying hard to just go with the flow and let some of the things that just don't matter come and go. I obviously can't choose to go through seasons of personal hygiene or cooking for my family, but there ARE things that just don't matter in the long run. I think blogging has fallen into that category, although I do miss sitting down and typing my thoughts out on my little laptop. So, I'm back for now. I guess we'll see how life goes and how long I'll keep it up this time!

Not only do seasons in our life change, but sometimes we have to unexpectedly change our plans to make things work...

I've been so excited about an upcoming trip to the beach that we've been planning. Actually, I've been BEYOND excited. So excited that if I try hard enough, I can hear the ocean already. I'm from Florida. That should say it all. I grew up at the beach and somehow it's a big part of who I am. It's a place where I can truly relax, think, and rejuvenate. Not only that, but we haven't had a real vacation since right before I got pregnant with Emma. We've moved twice since then and just haven't had the finances to take a trip...until this year, or so I thought.

Our trip to the beach isn't extravagant, but trips require money no matter how frugal you are - unless you're so frugal that you'll camp out or sleep in your car and eat out of trash cans. Needless to say, I'm not THAT frugal. Anyway, our budget is still tight, but with the extra money I've been earning from my shop and the little bit I've managed to save we were headed to the beach in May.

I just said we WERE headed to the beach in May because today I got a statement from the bank concerning our mortgage. I was expecting a letter from the bank, but I wasn't expecting to be told I owed quite so much money. Because we live in a new home we haven't been paying property taxes yet and the bank finally re-evaluated our mortgage and sent us a bill. The point is that we now owe twice as much money as I thought we would and our monthly payments are going up by several hundred dollars too. Both of these things I knew were happening, but my math (or guesswork) was off a bit.

I've been sitting at the computer going through our budget in Excel and the good news is that we can make it all work. The bad news is that we can't make it work AND take a vacation. I'm trying very hard to be an adult and accept this as fact. But I have to admit I'm still in shock and a bit sad. I know that going to the beach isn't part of my survival, but I was so very excited. I haven't been able to get myself to pick up the phone and call the woman I'm renting the condo from to ask for my deposit back just yet. I guess I still have hope that I'll come up with another solution. I should have been better prepared - it certainly isn't the bank's fault. I just have to wrap my brain around the death of such a wonderful trip :)

Dear Lord, thank you that we have a roof over our head and food to eat. Thank you that we are doing so much better than a lot of people are in this country, but can we pleeeease have a vacation in this decade? I really, really need to get away sometime soon. Amen :)

Coupon Love

I love coupons...all kinds. Including this one! What a fun way to show someone you love you them for Valentine's Day! You can check it out here.

Happy Wednesday!!

xoxo Andrea

I can't breathe

...do you ever feel like that? Like you just can't get enough oxygen in? Not so much in a literal sense I suppose, but more like your chest feels so heavy with obligations and the worry of life that you can't breathe?

That's how I feel today. It isn't as fun to write or think about days like this...I would much rather blog about a wonderful new outfit I found online, or something cute Emma said (she did say something really cute a few minutes ago...she asked me if I knew where her daddy was!). But I feel like I'm in one of those moments where everything going on in my life has converged at one moment...there's just more on my plate than one person can handle.

I'm tired, but not the tired that can be fixed from taking a nap or sleeping in. The tired that can only be fixed by crossing a few things off your to-do list and going on a great vacation. The only problem is that there isn't a vacation in sight and for everything that I cross off my list another 2 things are added.

I don't want this to become a huge complain-fest...I am a truly blessed woman. I'm just having one of those days where life doesn't FEEL all that great. I know that all things are just for a season and that this day too shall pass. AND I am so grateful for a God who loves me in spite of my weaknesses and allows me enough grace to live out my days. I just need to breathe...

Goodbye 2008...

Hello 2009! I can't believe it's the last day of the year. It's so wierd how every year when New Year's Eve rolls around it's like it came out of nowhere. Where did all the time go? It's such a natural time for reflection and cleaning (at least that what happens around here!). I'm so grateful for the wonderful things and people in my life. This year has been full of really special moments and I'm so grateful for the family and friends God has given me.

Because of all of the reflection going on in my head lately - I have so many new ideas brewing. Exciting things I want to do in my shop, so many projects around the house that I'm determined WILL get completed this coming year, so many things that I want to change. New Year's resolutions are notorious for being written down, but never followed through. I don't want that for me this year...my goals aren't beyond my reach. I can get them all done if I just focus on what is important. Doing just that is one of my goals for '09. I focus so much of my time on things that I'm not really sure are on the top of my priority list. I am determined to cut some things out of my life that have just become time suckers! I don't know that this will be all that easy to accomplish, but I find it so very necessary at this point in my life. My life has grown significantly beyond the days of being single and I really want to work on the things that matter...

One thing that has been on my mind is something I'm calling "Grace 365." I have this vision of doing something for someone else everyday of the new year. I wish I had it all planned out better, but I don't. I don't know exactly how this will evolve, but I want to spend more time focusing outwardly instead of just on the things going on inside my home. I'm sure some of the "acts of kindness" will have to do with my family, but hopefully this journey will lead me to meet and affect people that I don't even know yet. I just have to step out and do it. Sometimes even the smallest gestures can make such a big impact...a simple note to a friend far away, a phone call, dinner for someone in need. Whatever it is, I'm excited about beginning this journey. Lord willing I'll be posting daily (or close to it) on my adventures of kindness!

I'm looking forward to the new year and all that it has in store. A few pictures to end the year with...

So very thankful for my sweet little family. In my eyes the three of us are so very perfect together!

(even when there's a few tears to be shed!)

I couldn't be more lucky...Vance is such a wonderful husband and always the most fun to be with. When I say I married my best friend, it's the absolute truth. I love life with him...

I'm so happy that my little princess got to spend some time with her Grandstephie. It breaks my heart that she doesn't get to see her grandparents very much, but I know that every moment she gets is so very special...

Thanks Mom, for making Emma so happy in the backseat on the way to the airport :)

I'm so grateful for the trips Aunt Britt made out to see us this year. Emma adores her so much!

Just remembering this day makes me tear up...why are goodbyes always so sad?

Last, but certainly not least, is my little Emma. I could not be a prouder mommy. She is the absolutely joy in my life. Her little smile and laugh make me so happy. I love how much she loves her little Georgie, as he is affectionately called these days!