Life of a FT Student, Mom and Crafter

School is DONEZO!!!

2009-12-10T16:01:00.000-08:00

Well, until Jan 11. :) My classes went well. I was worried about my grades, especially for two classes, but I have already gotten one of my grades back for one of those two classes, and I got a B. I am so relieved. Now I am just waiting on one other one, and even if I pull a C, I won't be too upset. My English class was probably my hardest, and I worked really hard in it. I had this same professor for a class last semester and really liked her, so I decided to take her again. Turns out I didn't even have to take this class, but I'm glad I did, especially since I got an A in it. :) It will help me in my major, so I'm not regretting taking it at all. I'm just waiting for two more grades, I hope my GPA stays up. Right now I'm at a 3.6 which I think is pretty impressive given the fact that I have a two year old and my husband is gone!

I had a wonderful mommy daughter day. We went to Bed, Bath and Beyond because I had gotten a 20% your entire purchase coupon in the mail, and I wanted to use it since it was a good deal. I have wanting to get a new cookware set since the one I have is coming apart. I mean, the pieces are holding up, but the non-stick is coming off the pan, and I don't think that's too healthy. My dad had sent me a generous gift for Christmas, so I decided to use part of it on new cookware. I did some research online and found that the Calphalon line was pretty nice, but a little spendy. But I figure if I want something that will last, I better be prepared to spend. So picked out the 10 piece, since it came with a good sized stock pot. Brooke and I go up to pay and they tell me that the set comes with a Gift With Purchase. Heck yeah! So I'm figuring it will be something small, boy was I wrong. It was a $160 dutch oven. I don't even know what a dutch oven is!!! But I am thrilled non the less! I am super excited to use my new set, and I figure this is an investment for Eric as well, since I cook him food. :)

I'm planning on opening a new store. Yes, my THIRD Etsy store. But I made a mistake with my first two, I named them so that they were very exclusive to other products. And I have so many new ideas. So this one will be called KBJDesign. That way, I can list anything I want to without feeling like I'm not staying true to my shop name. I will be carrying fabric covered button magnets, fabric covered button pushpins, fabric covered button earrings and swarovski earrings like the ones I posted pictures of below! I am super excited since I have four weeks until the new semester starts.

Other than that, I don't really have much else to say. My shops have been doing fairly well, but that's due to the upcoming holidays. :) The mail person must think I'm crazy and a shopaholic. I get about 3 packages a day in the mail...haha!

One more week ...

2009-12-06T11:07:00.000-08:00

I have been busy!!! School is coming to an end so I've been super busy studying for finals. I have been scrambling. And the past month or so, both of my shops, Bows for Baby and Pacify Me are doing really well!!! My Pacify Me store has really picked up, I'm super happy!! It's always nerve racking to open a new store up, you never know if it's going to take off or not.

Once school ends next week, I will a lot more time to devote to filling my stores with items! I have to pay for daycare so I might as well use the time and work. :) I'm actually super excited to start building inventory. I have a lot of ideas!!!

Below are some of the things I've been working on. I have been working on the flower clips and they seem to have a lot of interest. I also have headbands now as well. My Bows for Baby Bundle seems to be popular!!! I have also made some earrings, but am still deciding on if I want to list them. What do you think?

And the Winner Is...

2009-12-01T12:08:00.000-08:00

Ashley Culbertson!!! Congrats!!! You have won the giveaway! Please check your email, I have sent you instructions on how to claim your prizes!!!

lil miss' mama said...

I like the Retro Flower Pacifier Clip!
email in profile.

Pacify Me GIVEAWAY!!!

2009-11-10T11:56:00.000-08:00

I am having my first GIVEAWAY for my Pacify Me store on Etsy!

Pacify Me carries the most fashionable pacifier clips! There is a wide variety of prints to choose from, definitely something for everyone! My pacifier clips are high quality, durable, fashion forward and can be used as more than just a pacifier clip! I also offer MAM (button) adapters as optional add-ons. You can also purchase a separate suspender clip to turn the clip into a bib clip! These clips are sure to grab attention in all the right ways.

So what am I giving away?

I am giving away THREE pacifier clips from my store, YOUR CHOICE! You read it right, the winner gets to choose any THREE clips from my store! And there's a bonus, you can choose an additional add-on for free! I will include either 1 MAM adapter OR 1 suspender clip.

So how do you enter?

Mandatory Entry

1. Head to my store www.pacifyme.etsy.com, and tell me which pacifier clip is your favorite!

Additional Entry (You must leave separate comments for each entry)

2. Become a FAN of Bows For Baby on Facebook. (My main store is Bows For Baby, but I have also incorporated Pacify Me into updates and pictures)

3. Follow my blog!

4. Blog about this giveaway! Make sure to leave the link of your blog post in your comment.

5. Follow Bows For Baby on Twitter!

6. Tweet about this giveaway! Remember to leave me a link to your Tweet!

7. 10 entries if you buy something from either Pacify Me OR Bows For Baby!

**PLEASE LEAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS WITH YOUR COMMENT ENTRY SO I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOUR NAME IS CHOSEN!**

Contest will end November 30, 2009

Below are just some EXAMPLES of the type of clips and prints I have! There are many more in my shop!

I'm having issues...

2009-11-04T19:59:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting an SLR camera for a while. But now I've really started to look at and compare them. I take a lot of pictures. Between taking pictures for my stores, my daughter, get togethers and random scenery, my point and shoot is constantly going. I love taking pictures and then seeing them upload onto my laptop. I love getting great pictures of my daughter because she will carry them with her for the rest of her life. I know I either want a Nikon or Canon. The Nikon D3000 is a great camera, but so is the Canon Rebel XSI. DECISIONS! I've already talked to Eric about it, and he said I could get it as my Christmas present under one stipulation. I have to camping with him. Not my kind of camping (a 5 star hotel), but his kind of camping (out in the wilderness with no running water, toilets or electricity). So I've been hesitating on getting one. Now don't get me wrong, I love my husband. But he's crazy. He knew that I was not a camping kind of woman before we got married. And he was fine with that. So now, he's BLACKMAILING me. Turd. And I really, REALLY want one of these cameras. I mean, covet with all of my being. (I'm a sinner, I've already come to terms with this.) The no electricity, running water and no toilet doesn't deter me as much as the MOSQUITOES. Yes, you read it correctly. I am scared breathless of mosquitoes. Want to know why? Because I'm allergic to them. I can see you scoffing right now and saying, "She is so full of B.S. No one is allergic to mosquitoes!" But I tell you, I am. When most people get bit, they get some small swellage and it itches of a couple of days. Not me. When I get but, it swells to the size of a quarter, at minimum, and then itches for two weeks straight. I swear I am not being a drama queen. I am also allergic to bees, deer flies, horse flies, and anything that bites and leaves venom. I have been diagnosed. Eric had to take me to the ER the first summer we were here because I had a huge swellage on my thigh with the circumference of a football that was raised, hot, and itched like a BIATCH. The ER doctor took a look at it and gasped. Yes, gasped. Then he drew a circle around it and said that if it got any bigger, to come back IMMEDIATELY. So, I tell you, I am allergic to all things that bite. So is spending the night in the wild wilderness getting eaten alive worth a fabulous new camera? The jury is still out on this one. What I may do is tell Eric we will go look at the beautiful wilderness, but I am not camping. We can stay in a hotel and go day exploring. Or I may just pout and he will be a puddle at my feet. :)

But I think that I am going to get my dream camera. But which one? Nikon or Canon? Leave your thoughts. I have had the majority of my friends say Canon and I am almost in agreement with them. I have a Canon ELPH and love it. But Nikon seems to make a pretty decent SLR as well. So, HELP!

We've been busy!

2009-10-27T17:06:00.000-07:00

I know I have been lacking on updating my blog for the past few months, but I have good reasons! I swear! First off, I've super busy with school. Lots and lots of homework. LOTS. And then I've had my craft shows on top of that. I have one down, one to go! Then add in finding a new daycare provider and potty training my two year old. YIKES.

The potty training started a week ago when I started my new daycare. First off, I love my new daycare place! A wonderful lady with an in-home daycare on Elmendorf AFB is watching my little angel. I actually found her onCraigslist and immediately thought that she would be a good fit for our family. She is licensed through the base so that was pro number 1. Then I went to meet her and instantly fell in love with her curriculum and set-up. She keeps her numbers low so she can devote more personal attention to each of the children. Right now she has Brooke, one other part timer and her own. Brooke started potty training the day she started there and it has been a journey! The FCC onElmendorf says that any child over the age of 2 1/2 has to be in underwear. I was little apprehensive because I had planned on working with Brooke when this semester ended. I wanted to wait till then because then I would be able to focus 100% on her and potty training and not have to worry about anything else, like school. But, the world doesn't always work that way so here we are. I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised on how well Brooke is doing. It has been a week now and she is down to one or two accidents per day. And it's getting better everyday! When she's here at home with me she usually doesn't have any, and that's just because I can devote my attention on her potty training. When she's at daycare she waits until the last minute, and sometimes it's too late. This morning she only had one accident, and that was while she was pulling down her pants. I took her to the grocery store yesterday and she didn't soil her pull-up at all. Can I tell you how wonderful it is not to change poopy diapers anymore? I love it! But now we have all these pull-ups to use. And I think I'll use them when I take her out in public. She knows that she shouldn't pee in her pants and she has been doing very well not doing that when we go out in public, even if she has a pull-up on. We went to a Halloween party this past weekend and I had put a pull-up on her. The whole time we were there I would take her to potty, but nothing. But she stayed dry. And then when we got home three hours later she went on the potty! Amazing. I've been using some suggestions from fellow friends/moms. Some of them are working very well! My friend Megan told me that when she potty trained her daughter she bought her some underpants with different characters on them, and then told her to keep those characters dry or they would be sad. I tried that with Brooke and she told me that they would be "gwumpy" if they got wet. Well, apparently she had an accident at daycare and fell to pieces because she made the monkeys "gwumpy." I thought it was cute. And then there are my additions to this process. I'm very nervous about Brooke having accidents on the carpet in our house because they black light our carpets when we move out. If there are stains, we pay for the carpets, and that is not something I want to do. My friend Jenn laughed at me when I went out and bought puppy pads to keep the cloth/absorbent surfaces in my house safe. But come on! How genius is that! Set one under the child if they sit on the couch, and my personal favorite, in the car seat! Car seats don't come with several different covers and who wants to wash them every time there's an accident?! Anyways, I thought I was being smart, but I got laughed at. Oh well. You win some you lose some. So in conclusion, the potty training experience is going well, but my husband totally owes me when he gets home. :)

Brooke is thoroughly enjoying her new daycare. She loves Miss Dee and has already made a new friend. She loves the structure and I do too! She comes home daily telling me what she has learned and what she did at school that day. Brooke thrives off a schedule and I can see that this is going to be very good for her. Miss Dee has lesson plans for each week and themes that she works from. I feel confident leaving Brooke in her care everyday and Brooke adjusted perfectly! The first day there she all but pushed me out the door! There are so many learning tools and I love how learning is integrated into their day.

--------------------

I've opened up a new Etsy store. I have a new found passion for making pacifier clips and now I've opened up an Etsy shop that carries only pacifier clips. They are too cute for words and I am thoroughly enjoying buying different printed ribbon. Here are some examples of what I have made so far, but never fear! I have just ordered more printed ribbon!

Make sure you check out my shop and heart it to keep up with all of the new prints I am getting in! These are perfect shower gifts, stocking stuffers, "whatever" gifts, etc. I have also priced them low enough so you can splurge and get more than one! But don't let the affordable price fool you, they are very well made and durable! They can also be turned into toy clips or bib clips! Make sure to pass the word on!

www.pacifyme.etsy.com

New ETSY Shop!

2009-10-19T13:45:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to announce that...

I've opened up a new ETSY shop!

Pacify Me

(www.pacifyme.etsy.com)

This shop will carry pacifier clips. I love making them and I think they are so much cuter than the ones you can find at the store. They are made out of high quality grosgrain in a variety of different prints. They measure approximately 9-10 inches long, have a suspender clip at one end and a snap closure at the other. I also offer the MAM (button) adapters so you can use it with the button nuks!

I just ordered a whole bunch of adorable 7/8 ribbon in different prints. I only have a few listings right now, but I will be listing more over the next few days. Check back often for new prints and offers! If you have an Etsy store, make sure to heart me!!!

Thanks so much!!!

A Post!

2009-10-13T11:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back. Kind of. I have another craft show in three and a half weeks and I need to restock.

I had a craft show last weekend. It went well enough. The morning was the worst morning I have had in a long time. Our babysitter was over an hour late. When I called her the night before, I let her know that it was PERTINENT that she be there at the specified time since Jenn and I had to get to our booth to set up. The next morning, no show. Didn't answer the phone either. So Jenn and I loaded up our kids and brought them to the fair while we set up our booth. An hour later the sitter calls. She says her alarm didn't go off. When Jenn and I had finished, I drove the girls back to my house and dropped them off. I went back, and no sooner did I set down at my booth did a lady knock down one of my displays resulting in spilled coffee over the rest of my inventory. RUINED. All of my beanies, ruined. In lieu of all the drama, I made out okay. I now know what to restock for my next show, so I have to get busy.

One of the items that sold really well were pacifier clips. I have finally got the art down and I think they turn out really cute. :) I ordered MAM (button) adapters. Those things are expensive! But, they are super cute, don't you think?

I had a busy week in school last week. I had three tests and a paper that was due. I did well on two of my tests (haven't gotten the third one back yet). I don't know how I did on my paper, we get that back tomorrow. Coming up I have two papers to write and a research paper to start. I also have some custom orders to get done, and I got another order off Art Fire this morning and need to make the second half of the order. I think I'll do that this afternoon while my daughter is at daycare.

MIA for a little longer...

2009-10-07T17:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have been so MIA, but I've had three test and a paper due this week AND a craft show coming up, two in fact. So I have been busy with my daughter, school, and feverishly creating inventory. When all of the hubbub dies down, I will post. I promise!

Brooke Needs Your Help!!!

2009-09-25T12:24:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! I've entered Brooke into the Gap Casting Call and she needs your vote! Please, PLEASE vote for her and please pass the word on! You can vote for her once a day, so make sure to go back everyday to vote!!!

Thank you so much!

Click here to vote

2 Year Olds Have No Tact

2009-09-18T23:45:00.000-07:00

I was walking in Target with Brooke and as we walk past the lingerie section, my daughter points at the bras and yells at the top of her lungs, "BOOBIES!" Everyone in the store turned at looked at me while my daughter continued to chant, "Boobies! Boobies! Boobies!"

Can I get a STRESSED OUT?!

2009-09-11T23:57:00.000-07:00

Sheesh. I am STRESSED. I mean, not the "Oh crap I'm a little stressed", this is the "I have a math test on Monday, a five page paper due on Tuesday, an article to read before Tuesday, I have a two year old who is testing mommy's patience and two craft shows to make enough inventory for in the next three weeks" stressed. I think I'm going gray. Can Asians get gray hair? I don't even know.

I knew this semester was going to be a pain in the butt. I knew it as I was signing up for my classes. Did I listen to the inner voice that was screaming, "What the HELL do you think you're doing?!" Nope. Apparently I turned my selective hearing on and responded, "It won't be too bad." Wrong. WRONG, WRONG, WRONG.

On the bright side? Eric will be home in (hopefully) FIVE months. :)

Toddler Speak

2009-09-05T11:41:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here listening to my 2 year old...and it's so entertaining to listen to her talk. She's in her playroom playing with her kitchen and I hear her drop something. Next thing I hear? "Oh gosh. Oh man...." Apparently she's been listening to mommy's words when mommy makes a booboo. Ha. And the "oh man". You can thank Dora.

And something else that I feel I need to share. There's nothing creepier than a two year old chasing after you telling you that she's "gonna getchyou!" I feel like I'm in a toddler horror movie. It's not the words that creep me out, it's the way she says it and the tone of voice. Yikes.

Words you can't take back

2009-08-31T22:42:00.000-07:00

Eric and I when we eloped. Yes, I thought I was super cool with my sunglasses on. I was a naive 22 year old. Leave me alone. (But look at how young Eric looks!)

Our vow before God, family and friends. Forever.

I'm sitting here watching MTV's True Life. I'm on my second one tonight and both have the same theme. Marriage. If you know me, you know that I'm a very over analytical person and that I look at things from all sides of the spectrum. These shows are making my brain hurt.

The first one was called "I'm Eloping." Well, if you know Eric and I, then you know that we got married after three and a half months of dating. Yes, three and a half months. Not three and a half years, MONTHS. We got engaged two and a half months. And we've been married for over four years now. Many thought we were crazy, our parents thought I had gotten pregnant, and our friends thought we were rushing into things way too fast. We didn't. Eric had just enlisted in the Army for active duty and he moved to Louisiana a month after we started dating. Before he left we threw the idea of marriage around, but we didn't really talk about until he had moved down there and we were missing each other like crazy. He even tried to break up with me once. If you know me, then you know that I didn't allow it. It was influenced by two of his buddies that had very disfunctional relationships and thought that women were the spawn of the devil. They convinced Eric that I was back in Minnesota running around and sleeping with every guy I met. HA. I was proposed to in a Days Inn in Leesville, Louisiana. Romantic. The sad thing was, I was scared of telling my dad that we had gotten engaged. Do you know what his response was? "I'm happy for you, but you know that the key to a lasting relationship is a long engagement." Crap. I was flying down to Louisiana in four weeks to elope. Crap. Crap. Crap. I felt like such a horrible daughter. It took me a week to work up the nerve to tell him. And he took it surprisingly well. He was sad that he wasn't there for the actual day, but he got to walk me down the aisle a year later when Eric and I had our Blessed Ceremony. It wasn't the wedding of my dreams, but I got to marry an amazing guy who gave me the most precious gift I could have asked for, our daughter. Sure we have our ups and downs, but I have to say that I think we have a very stable relationship. We squabble, but we never do it in front of Brooke and we always try our hardest to work it out. Brooke doesn't need to hear mommy and daddy fighting, it's not good for her psyche and I don't think that she needs to be surrounded my negative energy.

So that brings me to the second True Life, "I'm Getting Divorced." I feel like the "D" word gets flung around way too much. Couples fling it around in the heat of the moment, but to me, those words are very serious. I told Eric when we got married that if he every told me he wanted a divorce, there was no taking it back. To me, we made vows. We made vows before God. We made vows to our family. We made vows to each other. Those vows are very serious promises. And the word "divorce" is a very serious word. To me at least. I know some of you may be thinking that I may seem a little ridiculous, but I have seen so many couple fling that word around like it has no meaning. One minute they're happy, the next one of them says they want a divorce, then they make up, then the other gets mad and says that THEY want a divorce. Nuh-uh. The word is being used way to casually for my taste.

Even though Eric and I got married so quick, we just knew. We each knew that the other was the right one. We knew that the other was going to be there for the rest of our lives. We knew that we would fight, but we knew that we would love. We knew that we'd raise a family and support each other no matter what each other did. We knew that our love was forever and there was not going back.

So what's the point in this post? It's this. Marriage is a promise to one another. People need to start being more aware of the words they throw at one another. They need to stop taking the "D" word so casually. Especially if you have children. What do you think your children are going through? Do you not think that they are being affected by all this? One of their parents is constantly in and out of their lives. They feel the negative energy radiating from both of their parents. It affects them more than you realize. So please, when you're feeling overwhelmed, take a deep breath and count to ten. Think about what you're going to say before you say something that may change the course of your life forever.

My child saved me $50 today

2009-08-29T20:39:00.000-07:00

We need a chest deep freezer. The side x side fridge/freezer has practically no freezer so I need to get a deep freeze because I buy my meat in bulk. Anyways, I found one at Sears but I didn't feel like driving out Sears to get it, plus it was $75 to get it delivered. So I called Best Buy and they said they would match the price and delivery was only $30. So out Brooke and I went! I found the person who was working in appliances and it turned out that the model Sears had and the one Best Buy had were not the same brand. So the girl calls her manager. And the manager said to price match it anyways. His words, "Don't make her drive out to Sears." Score. But it gets better. While I'm talking to the sales girl, Brooke is turning on the charm with the manager and he was impressed that Brooke knew how to "pound it" (fist bump). So then I though, "Well if he thinks THAT is cute..." and I held up my fingers and asked Brooke what they were. "Phalanges." The manager was so impressed he told the sales associate to take off another $25 (making it a $50 savings) because Brooke was so cute.

See, they earn their keep. :)

Morning Adorableness...

2009-08-28T09:32:00.000-07:00

When I went to retrieve Brooke from her bed this morning:

Brooke: "Hi Mommy!"
Me: "Hi baby!"
B: "I sweep good. I wost my piddow and wuvey."
M: (Picking them off the floor) "Here you go baby."
B: "Thanks mommy."
(Brooke then starts staring me down while counting and naming parts of my body)
B: "Two gwasses, two eyes, one mouth, one nose, two cheek, neck, head, arm..."
(I hold up my fingers and waggle them)
M: "What are these?"
B: "PHALANGES!!!!"

(Oh, and I totally taught her the fist bump :) Ha!)

Two days down...

2009-08-25T19:23:00.001-07:00

A whole semester to go. I am reprimanding myself now that the semester has begun. Why oh why did I enroll in such boring mundane classes? History, Logic, Math, and Writing in the Natural Sciences. I am going to be one busy girl this semester. I will be writing, reading, writing, writing, reading and writing some more. Oh, with a few algebraic expressions thrown in there. I may have to sign up for some super Saturdays or Friday respite hours in order to study adequately. Hopefully I can sign up for more interesting classes next semester. On a positive note, my Intro to Logic teacher is entertaining. He is retired Army and wears his Army Strong pin very proudly. He has an odd obsession with youtube.com but keeps my attention which is a good thing. My history teacher is a little over enthusiastic about history, so I hope I catch his bug. He said he's not going to be lecturing from the book much, so this means not only do I need to know what's in the book, but I need to know his lectures as well. Gulp. My Monday math class was pretty interesting. I somehow chose a seat near a very gassy and smelly classmate. Every few minutes I would get a wiff of something completely rotten and foul. I think I'm going to try and get to class a few minutes earlier so I can find a seat on the opposite side of the room. I don't know if I can take a chance for another class period. The upside about Monday and Wednesday classes is that I have an hour and forty-five minutes between my two classes to get homework done. The downside is that my first class is at 8 A.M. which means I need to be up by 6:30 and out the door by 7:45. Do you know how hard that is with a two year old? I usually just grab Brooke out of bed, throw her in some clothes and toss her in the car still half asleep. Poor kid has gotten used to sleeping into 9:30. She gave me a look the other morning that read, "Really Mom? Really?" Poor Brooke.

I hope I have enough time to get enough stuff done for the upcoming craft shows. I know I talk about these shows a lot, but I did very well at the one last year so I'm really forward to seeing what will happen this year.

Alright, I should go. And study. Boo.

Sunny Morning

2009-08-21T13:51:00.000-07:00

Brooke and I had a wonderful morning. We woke up around 8:30 or so and had a delicious breakfast of over medium eggs and sausage. Then Brooke got to watch one of her shows while I got ready for the day. After that we went to the park but were there for a very short time since she decided to poop her pants. Oh Brooke. So we walked home, I changed her then she rode around the neighborhood on her super spiffy bike. She's getting a lot better at steering her bike where she wants it to go. Sometimes she has issues and has to redirect her bike the hard way, but for the most part she's getting down steering in the direction she wants to go.

A while back I was contacted by a fellow Etsian who stumbled upon my blog. She told me that she makes baby, toddler, and childrens boutique clothing. She commented on my daughter and thought she would be a cute model for one of her outfits. I thought this was a wonderful idea. Before our move, I got her cute little outfit in the mail. Since we finally got our internet hooked up, I was able to take pictures of Brooke in the outfit and it turned out super adorable. Renee owns CandyStickLane on Etsy and carries a whole bunch of adorable outfits for little girls and boys. The outfit that Renee sent me was the Layer Cake Skirt and Matching Tee. Be sure to check out her super adorable shop!

Here is Brooke modeling the outfit with a hair bow I made to match.

It is super sunny out today, so the sun was in her eyes, hence the super squinty asian eyes. :) But even squinty, she's super adorable! Thanks again Renee!

Yikes!

2009-08-20T00:25:00.000-07:00

Sorry for not updating lately. The past 4 weeks have been busy and then the past two weeks I have been without internet.

Basically, my husband came home from R & R, then the last three days he was home we got a call from housing here on Fort Rich telling us they had a brand new house for us if we wanted to move on post. Did we hesitate? Nope. We moved our whole entire house, sans a moving van, in THREE DAYS. Not kidding you. My good friend Jenn was nice enough to lend us her Suburban and that's what we used to move the majority of our house. Eric and I packed one night, then the next day we started moving boxes. When we ran out of boxes that were prepacked, Eric took up packing the rest of the house while I was at the new house unpacking boxes as they came in. It was an experience I never want to experience again. But, I am all moved in and there are only a couple boxes left that need to be unpacked.

The funny thing about this house is that we got GREEN carpet. Yes, green. Not a pretty sagey green, like a forest green. And what color is our couch? Red. Yup, it's Christmas in here 24/7. HA.

I have to get ready for a craft show. I have two in the upcoming months, and they're 2 weeks apart. So I have to build enough inventory to carry me through two shows. So that means I have to craft along with starting my fall semester and taking care of my 2 year old daughter. I wish I could multiply. Like in the movie Multiplicity? Or I wish I was like Cinderella, all my forest friends that come out of the woodwork to get work done! Ha.

Alright, it's late, and all I wanted to do was to let everyone know that I am still alive!!! I will be sure to update more later. :)

Thanks to my new followers! I promise you will be highly entertained by this blog. :)

2009-08-03T22:51:00.001-07:00

We're moving!!! Very last minute, but we got a brand new house on post!!!

Busy bee!

2009-07-19T15:42:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I'm nearing the end of my summer session so I've been super busy studying and getting all my of homework done. On top of that, I'm getting ready for my husband to come home for R & R. It just seems like I have so much to do, with so little time. My in-laws are coming as well, so I REALLY have a lot to do. Anyone have any worker mice they can lend me?

I've been trying to write this doggone paper for my English class and it's boring me to tears. It's a 6-8 page research paper and I am completely uninspired. I wish I could just snap my fingers and it would be written for me.

I don't know how much I'll be updating within the next couple of weeks. I want to spend as much time with Eric and the family as possible, so I'll make sure to do one huge update once he leaves. ::tears::

Thanks for your understanding!

Photo Op!

2009-07-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

A swollen eye doesn't make me any less adorable!

I still cheese with the best of them!

I like playing games with mom when I get out of the bath!

I'm a monkey mom, I can do this!

Just watch, you'll see.

See, I told you! Have a little faith. :)What do you mean what am I doing?

Just, "hanging" out!

Apparently wearing the one shoe makes the shapes a lot easier...

It is HOT TAMALES!!!

2009-07-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

Anchorage has been reaching record highs the past few days, and to tell you the truth, I'm over it. I don't think it would so bad if we had air conditioning in the housing, but seeing as we do not, I'm ready for cooler weather. Apparently the weather here is being talked about in the lower 48. The meteorologists are baffled as to why we're getting such warm weather. Phew. I lived in humid Louisiana for three years and was super excited when I moved here, because I knew that hot summers were in the past! Or not. My friend Jenn came back yesterday from Ohio and was happy to be coming back to cooler weather. Or not. It's supposed to start cooling down here in the next week or so, keep your fingers crossed!

School is...well, school. I like my English class because we never stay for the full time. The other day we were there for fifteen minutes, we're supposed to be in class for a full two hours. My math class on the other hand runs for the full two hours. I am overloaded with algebraic formulas by the time I leave, I leave with a headache. There's only a couple more weeks of class left, and then it's some good ol' down time. No school, no homework, just chillaxin time. :)

The parents-in-laws are coming up here on the 25th. They'll be here for about days, so that means I need to clean. I hate cleaning on my own. Eric usually does it, so I'm really dreading this. I mean, the house isn't too bad, I just need to declutter and organize my craft room (where they'll be sleeping), clean the bathrooms, Brooke's room and tidy up the living room. HEADACHE FORMING.

My kid is starting to chunk out a bit. I hope it's because she's about to hit a growth sport and not because she's eating too much. I know I don't overfeed her. Speaking of my child, she is fearless! And it shows. Literally. She has bruises and owwies up and down her legs because she's either constantly running into things, climbing up things or just plain being destructive. She tripped over her own feet in the Toys R' Us parking lot (thanks mom for those genes) and now has a huge scrap on her knee. It's a good thing I'm over prepared and had a first aid kit in my diaper bag. :) She also got a bug bite on her right eyelid, so her right eye is partially swollen shut (thanks again mom for the genes that make me extra sensitive to bug bites).

Alright. I should get going. I have a long night of DVR ahead of me!

Happy Fourth!

2009-07-03T23:34:00.001-07:00

Not a whole lot to update on. This is a long weekend for Brooke and I. Classes were canceled for the holiday weekend, so we have Wednesday through Sunday off to spend together! I am already pulling my hair out. Brooke has started a new phase. Her stubborn/no phase. Let me share with you how pleasant it is. Brooke has been saying no and knowing what the meaning is for quite some time now. But up until recently, it was used sparingly. Up until recently. I would say in the past week or so, this child has gotten so bull-headed stubborn I am ready to pack her in a fedex box and overnight her to her grandparents. (Don't worry, I'd give her enough water and snacks to tide her over for the trip.)(And for those who don't have a sense of humor or understand sarcasm, I'm kidding.) Her latest thing is not wanting to eat. Now, if you know my kid, you know that she loves food. She loves ALL food. I can't even bribe her with a cheeto now days. I ask her if she wants to eat, and the response back is a sassy little "No!" with attitude. At first I would just pick her up and strap her down, while fighting the brutal strength of a two year old. And two year olds are feisty! She would sit there for the next ten minutes screaming her lungs out while I completely ignored her. After a while she opened her eyes long enough to see me eating and realize, "Oh, okay. Maybe I will eat." Today I tried a new approach. I told her that her meal was ready, got the same sassy response back and left it at that. I took both of our meals to the table, set hers down in her spot, sat down in my spot and started to eat. A couple minutes later guess who saunters up to her seat saying, "My eat! Mommy, my eat." Yup, my divalicious two year old. I think I'll start using this method from now on. If her food gets told, her fault. Hopefully this will last as long as the hair pulling did, about a month. Brooke tends to go through phases really fast so I hope this is one of them.

These are some pictures of little miss divapants. It's very rare these days to get a genuine smile, but she was in a hammy mood that day, so I got some pretty cute shots. It's hard to stay mad at a face like this.

I'm starting to gear up for craft shows. There are two big ones coming up that I'm sure I'll do well at. The first one is the Elmendorf Arctic Bazaar. It's held on Elmendorf Air Force Base and it always draws a large crowd. I think I'm going to change my products up a but this year. Last year I mainly had bows and a few beanies. This year I'm going to focus on the smaller pinwheel bows, simple clips, bug bows, small korkers, hand crochet beanies, hand crochet hats, hand crochet booties and pacifier clips. With the crochet items, I should bring in more money, because they cost more. But they won't bee too expensive where people will be put off on buying them. Beanies are so popular right now, so I think they'll be ok. I plan on having some of the nylon headbands as well, I think they look cuter than the stretch lace or the mass produced crochet headbands. The second one is the Fort Richardson Craft Bazaar. That one is held in November, so I have about a month to replenish my stock. People say that the Elmendorf show draws more of a crowd. I thought I did pretty well at the Richardson one last year, so to have two huge shows consecutive months will be great.

Eric comes home soon for R & R. I'm so excited. His parents are coming up for a few days to see him, so it will be nice to have a babysitter here so we can go out a couple of times and spend some one on one time together. I miss him so much. I'm worried about him right now. The soldier that was captured is in the same area where Eric is based out of, so I have this feeling that Eric's platoon was called up to help find this guy. So please keep him and his brothers in your thoughts. They need all the positive thoughts right now.

I'm heading to bed. I don't know what we're doing for the fourth tomorrow, so we'll see what the day brings! Night!

Want to see another side of me?

2009-07-01T16:17:00.000-07:00

Check out my new blog where sarcasm and snarkey thoughts are divulged. :)

www.aimlessrealizations.blogspot.com

I'm dreaming about algebraic expressions

2009-06-30T20:43:00.000-07:00

I am so inundated with math that I'm dreaming about numbers and solving algebraic expressions. Someone save me! I have only been in this class for three days, but it comes to a total of six hours. Wow. I have math class tomorrow, but no English.

I have no idea what Brooke and I are going to do for 4th of July. It doesn't get dark until after midnight, so fireworks are out of the question. It's not like she'll know it's a holiday, but oh well. Maybe we can do something fun next year when she's more aware and daddy's home.

I snapped these pictures of her the other day. I think they turned out super cute. When Brooke gets out of the tub, sometimes I braid her hair. I love to unbraid it the next morning because it's all wavy, totally 80's style. :)

The, "Mommy, I'm not listening to you" face.

Showing me her shapes that she put in her doll's pillowcase by dumping them all over the floor so mommy can step on them later.

She may look innocent...but mommy's not fooled.

This is the result of me saying, "Brooke! Smile!" Do you think she could look any more Korean?

And this is the exaggerated smile...She can't even see.

I ordered some embellishments to make into clippies, and I think they turned out super cute. Now I just wish someone would buy them! Otherwise, I'm stuck with a gagillion of them.

I took the picture above to show how CUTE they look in. :)

I'm off to do some more number crunching. Yay. My life is so exciting.

Come on summer!

2009-06-26T19:58:00.000-07:00

My second summer class started. I'm taking math, and it's going to be a busy class. It's two hours a day, Monday through Thursday. Then I have my English class for two hours on Monday and Wednesday. For the next month I will be up to my ears in homework. They changed my professor out too. I had signed up with a professor who gave homework, but it was optional. This professor assigns homework and all of the problems are worth a certain amount of points, AND they're the evens, so the answers are not in the back so you can check if you got it right or not. Blech.

I will have to wait until my upgrade date in order to get the new phone. They're all sold out and they don't know when they're going to get a new stock. So when my date comes up in July, I'll have to call and if they haven't gotten a new shipment in yet, I'll have to order it off of Apple or AT&T. I hate waiting. I am so impatient when it comes to things I want NOW. I'm spoiled. And FYI for anyone who has my phone number, Eric and I will be changing our phone numbers in the near future to Alaska numbers. My Louisiana phone number is just a constant reminder of the fact that we lived there. Ack.

Brooke's final two year molar is finally breaking through the gum. Yay! I wonder if she'll get her twelve year molars when it's time. I never got all of mine, and I never got wisdom teeth either. My dentist said I was evolution. Haha. I think Brooke is starting to get a trace of her daddy's nose. I'm looking at her profile, and it's starting to not look like mine so much from the side. From the front is still does, but it seems like hers sticks out a bit further.

I finally got my Gina, George, & Lucy messenger bag. I love it. It's so cute and the best part, the gagillion pockets!!! It has so much room, but isn't too big. Best bag ever. :)

Below are some pictures I took of Brooke the other day. I made a small korker bow to match a dress I bought at Old Navy. You'll have to excuse the mismatching hoodie, it was a but chilly that day, but Brooke insisted on wearing a dress. :) That's my girly girl!

The one below has to be one of my favorites. I love the random facial expressions I capture.

Brooke was grooving out to the music. When she dances, she does not hold back.

Below are some bows I've been working on. They turned out super cute, now I just have to get them all listed. :)

The clip below is a crochet flower clip. I crocheted the flower myself. :)

Alright. I should get going. Hope this entertained you!

I'm a gadget whore...

2009-06-23T20:25:00.001-07:00

If you know me, then you know I have an odd obsession with purses and cell phones. Well, I got most of my purse issues at bay for now, but I've now turned my attention on my cell phone. Lord help me. I have the iPhone and I love it. But now Apple has gone and released the iPhone 3G S. I want it. I want it bad. But before I go any further, you need some background. If you follow this blog then you know I bought the Samsung Impression about two months ago. I got it at the discounted pricing using Eric's upgrade. Mistake. I then started missing my iPhone, especially since the 3.0 upgrade came out. So I switched back to my iPhone. So now I have an almost brand new Samsung Impression and a new two year contract on my husband's line. My upgrade is available on July 13. But then both of us will be tied in with no upgrade options for two years. This sucks for my husband because he'd be getting my hand-me-down 3G (which isn't all that shabby since I take REALLY good care of my cell phones) and I'd have the spiffy new one. Well if Apple keeps their pattern up, they'll be releasing a new iPhone next year and we wouldn't be able to get the new one (I already told you I'm a phone whore right?). So I would have to wait till the next version because of the stupid two year service agreement thing. Ugh. So me being the sly coniving person I am, came up with this idea. What if I...cancelled Eric's line, pay the $175, haulk the Samsung Impression (which isn't a bad idea since someone already offered me $275 for it), re-open a line to get the new phone at the promotional price while keeping my upgrade option open? Too complicated? Am I crazy? My friend Jenn says I am, but what I won't do for a new phone...So the sale of the Samsung would cover the cancellation fee AND pay for part of the new phone. I have issues. I know this.

So what are your thoughts? Crazy? Doable? Check myself into an insane asylum? All of the above? Ha. Well, I'll talk to my husband tomorrow and see what he has to say. Should be an interesting conversation. But he knew I was this crazy when he married me, so it shouldn't come as too much of a shock to him. Plus, he may read this (hi hunny!) before I even talk to him. Ha.

Frustrated

2009-06-21T12:06:00.000-07:00

I deleted my Giveaway post because ONE person had entered. ONE. (To that person who entered, if you would like a free bow, message me and I'll send you one.) How frustrating is that? I totally thought it would be a big hit. It was $10 to my shops, not bad! There's a lot of things for under $10 in my shop and you could definitely buy more than one thing! I feel like an ignored failure, and my confidence in my items has plummeted. This has never happened.

My shop is really slow going right now. It picked up a bit in the beginning of June, but that was only because I was running a sale through CafeMom, so a couple of moms took advantage of that. I just don't understand it. I think I have some really cute stuff up. I have several beanies, lots of korkers and simple clips. I have bug bows and pinwheel bows. There are just too many bow sellers on Etsy and I get lost on the crowd. I love Art Fire, but the client base just isn't the same as Etsy. I'm getting frustrated. I can't wait for the craft shows this late summer and fall. I know I'll be stressing to build my inventory but I know I'll love the outcome!

I've made a whole bunch new bows, so I'll have to take pictures and post them. They're all mini korkers and super cute!

I start my Monday-Thursday classes this Thursday. I have a good month of classes everyday, with four hours of classes Monday and Wednesday. This should be interesting...I had been planning on taking a look at my math book this weekend, but got sidetracked by the hair bows, so I didn't. I'll do it this next week and next weekend. I have plenty of time since my friend has gone down to the lower 48 for a couple of weeks. :)

I really don't have much else to say. It's been a little cloudy here lately. I've been waiting for a nice day to break out Brooke's pool, but no such luck. Every time we enter the garage she says, "My pool! My pool!" Poor kid. It's sitting there just teasing her.

Alright. I should get going!

2009-06-14T17:33:00.000-07:00

Wow. What a weekend. Well, I should say what a Saturday night. My friends 25th birthday was this past week, so she wanted to celebrate this weekend. I was all for it! Boy, I didn't know what I was getting myself into. Jenn ended up inviting her softball team, so there were eight of us heading out on the town. We all piled into Jenn's suburban and headed to Chilkoot Charlies. We had a blast there. There were games and food and of course drinks. At around 11 we went to Platinum Jaxx. I had one drink there and started chugging water. Jenn however, was three sheets to the wind. I tried cutting her off, but she wasn't listening. :) We got home around 2 P.M. and she all but poured herself into bed. I ended up going home around 4 A.M. because I couldn't fall asleep. All I kept thinking of was my huge comfy bed. Brooke and I slept until around 10 A.M. this morning, so if you do that math, I got about 5 hours of sleep. I am all but useless today. I called went and got Jenn this morning for a good greasy breakfast. Man did that hit the spot. I also didn't feel like cooking dinner so I just ordered delivery Mexican. YUM. My house also looks like a mini tornado went though. Yikes.

I was somewhat productive this afternoon while my daighter napped. I knew that if I took a nap, I would be even more tired than I already was. So I made some new clips and clips for an order I got. I love making mini korkers! I also made a mini mini korker and mounted it on a snap clip. I loved how it turned out, so I think I'm going to have to make more. :)

I think I will be going to bed early tonight. I am exhausted.

Toddlers...

2009-06-12T20:25:00.000-07:00

Why don't toddlers stay by their parents unprompted? Ever since Brooke learned how to walk, I've noticed that baby animals in the wild always stay close to their mothers while mine runs wild. Why can't my child do this?

Old Navy Obsession...

2009-06-09T17:42:00.000-07:00

I have an Old Navy Obsession...do that have an Old Navy Anonymous? I guess I can blame it on OldNavyWeekly.com. Coupons are the death of me. Especially the ones that are $50 off $100 purchase. I have gotten them two weeks in a row now. I have Old Navy clothes coming out of my years. But I am quite proud of my bargain today. I saved $179 on clothes, that's more than I spent! If I hadn't gotten a discount, the total would have been around $400. How did I save so much? Well, all of the mens items were 50% off and then if you add in my $50 off, that's about 70% in savings. I didn't pay over $11 for anything. I bought so many clothes I had to utilize my rippling muscles (or is it fat?) to carry all of my bargains out to the car. Eric, if you're reading this, your loving wife bought you 2 pairs of cargo shorts, 4 new pairs of jeans, a couple of polo shirts and numerous t-shirts. You have a whole new wardrobe. :) Love me even more? I went with Jenn, and she saved $125 on her lot. Pretty good eh?

I made new tutu! I did this last night when I should have been doing homework. I ran out of pink and black for my last tutu, so this is my first completed tutu, and it turned out tutu cute! I named it Blueberries and Chocolate.

So cute don't you think?

Ok, I'm off to make dinner!

Adorable Tutus!

2009-06-08T00:28:00.000-07:00

What a weekend! We had a wonderful one.

We went to a carnival that was on post yesterday. It was smaller than I thought it was going to be, but Brooke got to ride a couple of rides. This was the first time she went on a ride by herself, and she did really well! She sat down the whole time and threw a fit when we left.

I started a new craft. TuTus! RibbonsAndBowsOhMy.com started carrying tulle, and they were having a 10% off introductory sale, so I thought I would buy a few spools and try it out. I could never understand why people charge so much for them, now I know why. They take forever! You have to measure it out, cut the strips, and then wrap it around the ribbon or elastic. Yikes. The pictures below is the of the first tutu I have ever made. It took me forever. I will NOT be selling this one...

I finally went online and took a look at a tutorial on YouTube and the way the lady described it on there made it seem a lot less complicated. So I tried again. I got 5/6 of the way done and I ran out of pink tulle! So now I have it hanging up in my closet waiting to be finished.

And then I had an epiphany! If the spools came 6 inches wide, did they come 3 inches wide??? They sure did! I found a supplier online, ordered a butt load and now I only have to cut them length wise! So much simplier. I'm so lazy.

I'm hoping to sell the tutus for a pretty reasonable price. I'm thinking around $15. I also want to have a good stock for the craft shows coming up, because what princess doesn't want a princess tutu???

And so the week beings tomorrow. Back to school. I have homework to turn in that I haven't finished. And I still need to take the garbage out. Crap.

Well guys, I'm off! Night!

A sick baby is a cranky baby...

2009-06-04T13:05:00.000-07:00

My daughter has a cold. Or allergies. All I know is that she woke up with booger in her eyelids (not eye boogers, nose boogers), has had a runny nose all day, sneezing and her eyes are watering. I hope it's allergies. I gave her some allergy medicine, and her eyes have stopped watering. I hope she takes a good nap. She went swimming at daycare yesterday and one of our friends has a cold, so she may have gotten it from those things. Jeez I hope not. A sick Brooke is a cranky Brooke. And a cranky Brooke is a cranky mommy.

And on top of a sick toddler, my washing machine decided to be a brat. I threw a load of Brooke's darks in the washer last night. I noticed that the washing machine was making this weird buzzing noise, but I ignored it. Bad idea. I forgot to throw her stuff in the dryer last night, so when I went down this morning I found the water had not drained. So I thought that if I ran the washer again it may drain. Wrong. So after several attempts I finally have up and went and rinsed every item in the sink and rung them out before I threw them in the drier. Gah. So then I ran the washer with nothing in it to see if it would drain, and it did. So I don't know. I think I'll throw a few of my t-shirts in there to see if it happens again. I hope it doesn't. I mean, it isn't our washer, so I would have to call our landlord, and my house isn't the cleanest right now, so I don't want to call him over here. Ha. Eh.

Yesterday I went over to Jenn and Jasmine's for park time and dinner. Jenn made us shrimp alfredo and it was yummo! We also took the girls to the park and Brooke had a blast as usual. She went down the biggest slide and loved it! She sure loves to climb things. There was a curved ladder leading up to a platform, and she must have climbed that thing at least 20 times in a row. She's not so graceful on her feet, but she sure can maneuver up things like a pro.

This Saturday there's a carnival on post. Jenn and I are going to take the girls. There are free rides and such, so I think it will be a good time for all!

I finally made up a couple of adult slouch beanies. I bought a foam head off EBay to help model it. I wish they made kid sized foam heads, but they don't. Anyways, I thought it turned out cute. I would like to sell it, but I don't know about listing it in my Bows For Baby shop, since this isn't for a baby. Maybe I could do a "Mommy and Me" listing. I'm a little sad that the toddler version isn't selling better. I think they're super adorable. They have been hearted on Etsy a couple of times, but no bites!

Alright. I should get some lunch into my child and get her down for a nap. I have homework to do, and a washing machine to fix.

My daughter got in a fight with the coffee table and lost...big time.

2009-06-02T17:30:00.000-07:00

It's a good thing we didn't name our daughter Grace, because she was born with NONE of it. I had told Eric that when our daughter was born, we would more than likely have to wrap her in bubble wrap and adorn her head with a football helmet, just to keep her from breaking. I was pretty much right on. She has had more than her share of spills, and this is the result from the last one. Brooke is a little dare devil, and sometimes she doesn't use her best judgment. This afternoon she was sitting on her super cool trike that daddy bought her for her birthday and started rocking. Bad idea. Next thing you know, she tips over sideways and all I can do is gasp. I can see her poor little face/neck/head heading towards the corner of our coffee table and I know that a booboo is inevitable. I was down on the floor before she hit (too far away to prevent said ouchie) and was right there to gather her in my arms and assess the damage. Her neck got the brunt of it, and it got it pretty good. She screamed for a good 2 minutes, wiped her boogers onto my shoulder and then walked away. I can say that this kid has about a 2 second rebound rate. Below are pictures of the damage. Poor kid.

I went to Old Navy today because I was lucky enough to snag one of the $50 off $100 coupons from their oldnavyweekly.com site. I had purchased these really cute brown shoes from Payless a couple of weeks ago and realized that I had NOTHING to wear them with. So I went to ON today with Jenn and brought her a 30% off $50 or more coupon. My bill went from $105 to $55. How nice is that? I got a brown skirt and a few t-shirts. I now have enough t-shirts to outfit a new ON. I still would like to gt a couple of brown dresses so I can wear my new shoes more often. :) BUT, I have an awesome summer wardrobe that I'm super excited about.

My Just Cavalli purse was due to arrive today, so while I was at ON I left a note on my front door, just in case they came to deliver when I was gone. My note read, "UPS-Please leave package at door. Thanks!" But they didn't come when I was gone. But they DID come right when Brooke woke up from her nap! The purse is A LOT bigger than I expected, but I love it! It will be perfect for going anywhere since there's enough room in it for everything we need. I mean, a $530 purse for $208?? Cheaper than Coach. :) There could be a few more pockets, but I'll deal. Haha :)

I went on a clip making spree yesterday. I really like the little ribbon tie added to the clip. It gives it just a little something extra. I really didn't feel like doing homework, so I created instead! I love the colors and plan on listing them over the next week or so. The first set I've listed in my Artfire Shop. They're very reasonable at only $3 for the set. Great for gifts in great summer colors!

I also wanted to remind you that my etsy Team, etsyBABY, is having a Customer Appreciation Sale. There are quite a few shops participating in this and it runs from June 1- June 15. I am participating as well. You can see the list of shops and discounts here.

Now I have to figure out what the heck I'm going to make for dinner. Suggestions anyone?

Etsy BABY Customer Appreciation Event!

2009-06-01T10:48:00.000-07:00

Etsy BABY is having their 2nd Annual Customer Appreciation Event. Select shops have chosen to show appreciation by having a 15 day sale in their Etsy shops! There are lots of wonderful shops here who carry a variety of items that cater towards babies and toddlers!

If you click the square banner below, it will take you to a list of the participating shops, what kind of discount they're offering, and how to redeem! I am participating in this even as well!

My Daughter is a Rock Star

2009-05-31T19:18:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been pretty low key.

On Thursday, Brooke and I went over to our friend Jenn's house. They just moved into on base housing and their new house is beautiful! It is practically brand new, only one other family has lived there before them. It's is GINORMOUS. I am jealous. So uberly jealous. Our friend Sarah came over with her daughter and son, so the girls had a great time playing. There is so much room for them to run around, it was nice. Jenn made us a chicken and vege dinner that was delish! I helped her unpack a little bit while Sarah watched the kids.

On Friday Jenn called me as she was coming back from clearing her old house. She was wondering what I was up to and I told her that I had just made a huge batch of taco soup and her and Jas were more than welcome to come over. So they did. And we had a fab dinner of taco soup and corn bread. Jenn brought a chocolate cake that hit the spot.

This is the recipe I used, I found it on allrecipes.com.

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds ground beef
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 1/2 cups water
1 (15 ounce) can mild chili beans
1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies
1 (1 ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix

DIRECTIONS

In a Dutch oven or large kettle, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add taco seasoning and mix well. Stir in remaining ingredients. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

* I nixed the green chiles and put just regular diced tomatoes in. I didn't want it to be too spicy for Brooke.

Yesterday Brooke and I met Jenn and Jas at Old Navy because they were having their $3 graphic t-shirt sale. I thought it would be as big as their $1 flip-flop sale, so I told Jenn to meet me 15 minutes before the store opened. HA! There was no one there. I felt like an idiot. The bright side, we got to mull over the shirts and take our time instead of having to grab frantically for any shirt in our size. I also got a couple t-shirts for Eric, but their sizes were so picked over, there wasn't much variety. I also got Brooke a couple of items because their clearance was an additional 50% off. I got 7 t-shirts and 3 things for Brooke for $39. Ten pieces of clothing for under $40, that's pretty good! Then we all went to Target together because Jenn wanted to pick up some things for her new house and I had to get some things we were running out of. I love Target. Then we went to eat at the food court on base. Yummy!

Today Sarah took Jenn and I to iHop for lunch as thanks for helping her when Alistair was born. I stuffed myself silly. It was so good. I had a bacon, cheese, mushroom and avocado omelet, stuffed french toast with strawberries and hash browns. SOOO good. I love breakfast food.

Brooke was being pretty silly this afternoon. She found the neck warmer I made her and had me put it on. Then she found her daddy's play glasses and her princess crown and became a complete rock star! She is too cute. Her imagination is growing as well. At dinner she'll take pieces of her food and pretends it something else. This week she has made turtles, trees, and frogs. Can you guess what she has been eating?

I was pretty productive when Brooke went down for her nap. I finished up my homework and then went downstairs to finish an order and make up a few new bows. I think the new bows are super cute! What do you think? I have the first picture listed in my Etsy shop. They are priced VERY reasonable at $3 for the set. :) Perfect for summer! I think I'll list the other set in a couple of days. And I also think I'll make up some more color combinations. I found some cute ribbon at Joann's and this is just some of the ribbon in these sets. Too cute!

Well, it's back to school tomorrow! Hopefully it won't be too painful. My brain is starting to fry. Tonight I'm relaxing with The Hills finale, the MTV Movie Awards and SVU after Brooke goes down for bed. Yay for late classes!

26 May 2009

2009-05-26T11:12:00.000-07:00

Do you ever wake up from a dream asking, "Whoa, where did that come from?" I had one of those last night. Every once in a while I'll have dreams that feature the mot random people ever. Last night it was a kid I went to high school with. I haven't kept in touch with them so it was so very random.

Brooke woke up on the wrong side of the crib this morning. She's very sensitive and wearing on my patience. This means an early nap. Phew. I don't know why she wakes up like this. She went to sleep at a decent time and woke up fairly late this morning. Is there such a thing as TOO much sleep? Man, I wish I could get a good 12 hours. That would be so nice. Speaking of, I still haven't had my coffee yet this morning...Hmm.

My friend Jenn moves into her on post house today. Brooke and I are going over there after Brooke wakes up from her nap. I think I may stop in the housing office before hand to let the people know when my husband is promotable and see if we are able to get switched to the E7-E9 list. Let's hope! If we do get switched, we're eligible for a two car garage. SCORE! No really, it would be wonderful. I know Eric probably doesn't want to move when he's home, but there's no way I can do this on my own. My back is just too bad to be lifting heavy boxes. I guess I could have people come in and do it for me, but then there's all the unpacking by myself... ::sigh:: Maybe it would just be easier to stay here. Ack. Decisions.

I'm really getting obsessed with these beanies. I finished a blue one and it turned out super cute. My model is really getting sick of mommy taking pictures of her, but I can't for the life of me find a toddler sized foam mannequin head. So irritating! I have a wire one, but these hats just don't sit on them right and show the full cuteness potential. So I guess my disgruntled model will have to do. I think it turned out super cute. I think I'm going to make a listing where you get to choose your color. I have been getting a lot of views, but no bites.

Have a good Tuesday!

Boohiss to Today

2009-05-23T18:55:00.001-07:00

Dinner was a horrible disappointment tonight. I had gone to the grocery store earlier and picked up a filet of halibut and two ears of corn for dinner. I was really looking forward to dinner. When I started preparing dinner, I took the halibut out of the packaging to cut it up for fish nuggets. Man was I surprised to find that the skin was still attached! Rolling my eyes I went to work trying to cut off the skin the best I could. Don't get me wrong, I love seafood and meat, as long as I don't have any reminders that it was a living thing at one time. The skin on the fish gave me the heeby jeebiez. I was about half way through de-skinning the fish when I notice this little thing on the sruface of the fish. I took my knife and scrapped it off. When I transfered it from the knife to the cutting board, I took a closer look. It. Started. To. Move. Holy heck. The thing started curling up on its self and it literally looked like a baby worm. That was it. The fish was done for me. I scooped the whole thing up, threw it in a plastic bag, sealed it, and threw it in the garbage. But I kept an optimistic mind cause hey! We still had corn on the cob! So I whip out the trusty dusty turkey dogs and get the corn boiling. More dissapointment. The corn was not good. The kernals were tough and yuck. And don't question my corn making skills. Trust me. I have them. But the corn didn't seem to bother Brooke. She's grubbing away on her cob. ::Sigh::

Before I hit the grocery store today, I stopped at Old Navy because they were having their $1 flip flop sale. I went there around noon which was a gamble. I know how some people are and I was sure they would be horribly picked over. I was right. There were literally about 20 pairs left on the shelf. They were all size 5 and 6. There were two pairs of 7's left in this light tannish brown color. I grabbed them. Then I thought I would humor myself and see if size six would work. They did! But just barely. But the $1 price tag was worth it. I got a brown pair and hot pink pair. They aren't too small where my foot is hanging over the edge, my foot is right at the edge. Ha! Oh well. They were $1. I also got this really cute skirt in green. I thought it would look really cute paired with a black t-shirt. I'm excited for it!

Other than that, not a lot going on here. It's Memorial Day weekend so we're just staying low key. We'll probably go spend time with friends tomorrow and then on Tuesday I'm helping my friend move into her fabulous new house. I really hate moving, but I like her, so I can suck it up and be a friend. :) Plus I love her new house so it's a win win situation.

I've been reading a new vampire series. Nerd alert. That's me. It's The House of Night series written by P.C. Cast and her daughter Kristin Cast. It's considered young adult, but I enjoy them. They ready fairly fast, and I've been getting through one book in about a day and a half. I am on the last book right now. Apparently there are eight books in the series, but only 5 are published. I'll be waiting for the last three. The next one is due out this October. I hate being patient.

I made another toddler slouch beanie. This one is pink, more of a dark rose. It turned out REALLY cute. You'll have to excuse my disgruntled model. This was the about the 800th hat I had put on her in the last week. She had had about enough. But, I love it and wanted to share!

Until net time my faithful followers!

School, toddlers and yarn oh my!

2009-05-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

School started Monday. I have one class until the end of June, then I have two. Right now I have Technical Writing. The class load seems like a lot, so hopefully I do okay this session. It seems like an interesting class so I hope I enjoy it.

Brooke and I had such a good dinner the other night. I got us shrimp which I sauteed in butter, garlic and lemon juice, then we had rice and CORN ON THE COB! Brooke's favorite is corn on the cob. She has loved it since she was able to eat. Fred Meyers had gotten some in, so I went and bought a couple of ears. Brooke loved me for the rest of the day. ;-)

My daughter cracks me up sometimes. She also surprises me with her creativity. She got some Little People from her grandparents for her birthday and she LOVES playing with them. The other day she was lining up all of the Little People. First she lined them up in a line one behind the other...

And admired her work...

And then she lined them up in a line the long way all facing the same way. I'm impressed that they were all meticulously lined up. She took her time making sure they were all facing the right way. Her intelligence and creativity is so amazing.

I've been looking for a good slouch hat crochet pattern. I bought a couple off Etsy, but I didn't like the way they were working up... However, I did a search for free ones posted online (which I should have tried first) and found this one. I think they turned out so cute!

The first one I worked up was with Vanna's Choice. (BTW, these are worked up just as the pattern says, and they seems to look cute on toddlers as well!)

I wasn't quite enamored with the way the hat came out with the Vanna's Choice, so I went and bought some Cotton Ease instead. They turned out so much cuter!!! You have to love my model, she looks so thrilled to be getting her picture taken.

I love the way the slouch hats looks, and they are so very IN right now!!! I can't wait to go get more yarn (I got a coupon from Joann's for 10% my total purchase in the upcoming week or so) so I can make more. They didn't take very much time to work up. I think I may try and make a toddler sized ones, they may sell well on Etsy and Artfire!

**EDIT** I made up the beanie in a true toddler size! It turned out WAY cute and looks even better now that the size is especially made for a toddler! I can't wait to go get more colors!

And I had to post this picture as well of my little hat model. Sometimes the facial expressions are just too much. :) How did I end up with such an adorable daughter???

Things I Love About My Husband...

2009-05-19T10:30:00.000-07:00

- That he loves me for me. He has never tried to change me and accepts me for who I am.
- That he loves my body just the way it is. I've never been a "skinny" girl, and especially since I've had my daughter, but he loves it even more knowing the journey it took.
- He supports me in everything.
- He's my personal cheerleader. He gets just as excited when I get a sale on Etsy, get good grades or just feel accomplished about something.
- He encourages me to chase my dreams. It's a little hard chasing your own dreams when you're married to the army.
- He never nags me on my spending habit. He says as long as there's a roof over our head, clothes on our back, food in our belly and all our bills are paid, he's okay with it. (Note: I am getting better. :) I've been saving a little out of each paycheck since he has been gone and I'm proud of it!)
- He talked me into having our daughter. Yes ladies and gentlemen, HE was the one who wanted to start our family!
- He thinks being a SAHM (stay at home mom) is a full time job and therefore doesn't expect the house the be clean when he gets home.
- He helps clean the house, although most the time, he ends up doing the majority of the cleaning, and for this I REALLY love him. :)
- He's a manly man. He can wield a wrench, hammer and drill with the best of them!
- He's mechanically inclined. My dad is a mechanic and I always said I wouldn't marry someone who didn't know their way around an engine.
- He does his own laundry.
- He does the dishes.
- He doesn't say no to me. Even when it comes to frivolous things I want to buy. He could say no to me and I would respect his wishes, but he never seems to say no.
- He supports my Coach obsession.
- He gives the best hugs and kisses in the world.
- He gave me the perfect family.
- He tells me everyday that I'm special and a good person. I need this reassurance since I tend to doubt myself a lot.
- He tells me I'm a wonderful mom. This is even more important than the one above this.
- He still looks at me like I'm the most special person on the face of the earth (although I share these looks with our daughter).
- He has random spurts of romance.
- He lets me run the household. I'm a bit of a control freak, and he puts up with my anal retentiveness.
- He tells me he loves me every time I talk to him and isn't afraid to tell me in front of all his friends.
- He thinks my boobs are still amazing even after they've been through a pregnancy and pumping. (TMI?)
- He makes me laugh with his sarcastic sense of humor and I only get sometimes.
- He thinks I'm beautiful without my makeup.
- He tells that it looks like I've lost some weight on the days when I feel like a fat cow.
- He loves me cooking.
- He thinks our daughter is the neatest thing since sliced bread.
- He supports my bipolar craft obsessions. First it was jewelry making, then scrap booking and now it's hair bows and crocheting.
- He wants me to get out of the house. He all but shoves me out the door to make sure that I get some time out of the house with a break from Brooke.
- He deals with my baggage. I came with a lot and he sits there and bitches right with me.
- I could go on and on, but the bottom line is, my husband loves me and for this I am grateful and blessed.

I love you Eric!

Ah husbands :)

2009-05-15T17:38:00.000-07:00

You can't live with them, and you can't live without them! Well, I guess I can live with mine. :) I love my darling husband, don't get me wrong (sorry hunny, I know you're going to read this), but sometimes, I just want to throttle him! My husband and I have two completely different personalities, that's probably why we fit so well together. He is quiet, reserved, shy, and cautious when it comes to meeting new people. And me, well, if you know me, then you know I'm loud, outgoing, obnoxious at times, makes people laugh at the drop of a dime and comfortable with new people almost instantaneously. It takes me husband a while to warm up to new people, but once he does, he's a riot!

But that's not what this post is about.

I am a planner. A HUGE planner. Blame it on my anal retentiveness or my over analytical personality. I am not a patient person. I like to know what's going on, when it's going to happen and who is involved. That's just me. So when it comes to our household, I pretty much make sure each day is lived flawlessly (well, I try to at least). We have a common phrase in our household, "Kelsey is always right." My darling husband would like to argue that phrase, and I will say that he has proved me wrong on a few occasions, but usually I know what I'm talking about. Anyways, back to the idea at hand.

I went on post yesterday to see my friends new post housing. It was beautiful, I was jealous. So I followed her back to the housing office to see where we were on the list because I know want a beautiful new on post house. So I waited and spoke with a lovely man by the name of Jim. Turns out, we didn't even have an application filled out. That meant that we weren't in their system and we definitely was not on the waiting list for on post housing. And then it occurred to me, my darling husband was in charge of doing all of this. That was my "AH HA!" moment. (I love you darling!) It wasn't even showing up in the system that my daughter and I were command sponsored. (Alaska is considered an overseas base, so in order to get all of the overseas perks, the dependents have to be command sponsored.) So, I get everything straightened out, filled out an application and got us on the waiting list. #126. Yeah...

So my husband called me last night, after a week of not hearing from him. I know he's under a lot of stress over there, so I didn't want to make a big deal out of it. This is our conversation (edited to make it a little more humorous and entertaining).

Me: "So, when we first got here, did you put us on the waiting list for on post housing?"
Him: "I think so. I'm pretty sure I did. Maybe, maybe not." (Translation: "Nope")
Me: "You sure didn't. We didn't even have an application on file."
Him: "Oh. I thought I did. Really? Not even an application?"
Me: "Nope. No application. But don't worry. Your wife took care of everything."

Ah husbands. I love my husband to death, but some things you just can't leave in his hands.

Example. After Hurricane Katrina and Rita swept through Louisiana, I made both of us go through our closets and get rid clothes that we could donate. We had about three garbage bags full and I entrusted my husband to drop them off at the designated area. When he got home later that day, I asked if he dropped them off and he told me he had. No questions asked. So about three years later we're getting the house ready to be packed up to move here and what do I find in our storage area? The three bags of clothes I asked him to donate. When asked about the bags, he told me he had forgotten about them and by the time he remembered, it was too late to drop them off. Ha.

Don't get me wrong. I love my husband. These kinds of things are the types of things that make me smile (most of the time!).

But he is a very loving, doting, attentive husband. Since hes been deployed, I've gotten two vases of roses and a message in a bottle. I wouldn't trade my husband for anyone or anything.

So I guess the whole point of this post is, if you have a forgetful husband like mine, retrace his steps, but do it on the sly. :)

It kills me when...

2009-05-14T10:40:00.001-07:00

I ask my husband what he wants for Father's Day, and he tells me that he wants to come home.

Suck you deployments!

To Vaccinate Or Not?

2009-05-13T23:47:00.001-07:00

I'm sitting here watching an Law and Order: SVU episode and it has really gotten me thinking...What made me choose to get my daughter vaccinated? In all honesty, I didn't have to think twice about it. I never weighed the options between vaccinating or not vaccinating. I was vaccinated as a child, so when it came to my child, it was an automatic decision.

So what's the argument between the two? Should vaccinating be a personal choice or should all children be vaccinated to ensure that certain diseases don't spread?

Personally, when I sit here and think about my options, I would make the same decision to vaccinate. My daughter was born with strep b, which can cause sepsis, meningitis, and pneumonia, which can all be deadly diseases. I had tested negative during my pregnancy, but Brooke tested positive when she was born. She ended up spending 14 days in the NICU receiving antibiotics that saved her life.
So why shouldn't I make the choice to get her vaccinated against other deadly diseases?

But let's take a look at the other side. Why do people choose NOT to vaccinate? Some choose not to vaccinate for religious reasons, and some just don't agree with the practice. The recommendation is 20 vaccinations against 11 different diseases before the child reaches 18 months of age. Some parents choose not to vaccinate because they fear the side affects tat vaccines can cause. Some believe that vaccinations can lead to certain neurological disorders like autism and ADHD.

In 1990 there was a scare with the level of mercury in vaccinations, that same decade there was a spread of the measles. Coincidence? One will never know, we're all going to make our own assumptions.

Pediatricians highly recommend and urge parents to vaccinate their children because the benefits outweigh the potential complications. People today are living longer and longer, and that's not a coincidence. Health and medical care is getting better and better every day. This advancement contributes to growing elderly population. Take a look back in history and research what the average age of death was. You were lucky if you saw the age 50. And why do you think that was? Why do you think school require that children have all of their immunizations up to date by the time they enter a public daycare, preschool, or kindergarten?

This may be a controversial issue. And I am not saying that I think parents who don't vaccinate are negligent, I'm just saying that I would never take the risk of not vaccinating. I do believe that each parent has the right to choose, and I choose to vaccinate. If my child is around another child who has not been vaccinated and they are carrying a disease that could harm them, I can sleep well at night knowing that my child has the defense of the vaccination.

When It Rains, It Pours

2009-05-12T12:32:00.001-07:00

So I'm sitting here stressing about something that I probably shouldn't even be stressing about.

My dad left last night and it broke my heart. I really didn't want him to go. How often do you hear a child say that their parent doesn't annoy them and that they wished their parent could stay indeffinately? Well, I am. My dad's three weeks here was such a breath of fresh air. For once I wasn't stressed about anything and I could just sit back and breathe. We had an amazing time and Brooke fell head over heels for him. They really were two peas in a pod. He left super early this morning, he conned my next door neighbor into driving him to the airport at 5 A.M. this morning. Don't ask me how he did it, my dad has some major charm. :) Anyways, we said our good-nights and good-byes last night and he started to get choked up. It always breaks my heart when my dad gets emotional. I kept it together until he went to bed, and then I just lost it. I felt like such a horrible daughter. I'm his only child and I can't spend the time I want to with him. He has such a limited time, and I want to be there for as much of it as possible. It's killing me.

So then this morning, I'm feeling down in the dumps. I check my email and see an update from a friend of mine on CafeMom. I go and check out what she's talking about only to find out that the area my husband is in, is getting rained down on. The Taliban is reaking havoc upon a nearby city, and I'm worried sick. Apparently there are three wounded and I don't know who those wounded are. I just want to know that my love is safe.

That's the hardest part of a deployment. Not knowing. And I HATE not knowing. I always have to know what's going on. I'm impatient and nosey. I'm also over analytical and have an over active imagination. These qualities are NOT condusive to a deployment. My number one biggest fear is that something would happen to my daughter. My second biggest fear is that something would happend to Eric. Who knew that I would be in this position today. Not me! I had dreams of white picket fences, not being thrown into single motherhood with my husband half way around the world getting shot at. I am a very practical person, and this is not practical. I know, I sound like a whining ungrateful wife. And I'm sorry for that. But, aren't I allowed to be a little selfish when it comes to my husband? I barely talk to him. He calls maybe once every couple of weeks. They are working him to the bone over there and I sit here and worry that he's going to come back to me in one piece. Why can't we have deployments like the airforce? He'd be gone for six months. I can do six months. I'd be half way through right now. I love him. I love him with all of my being, and to know that he may not come back to me one day kills me. I know, I know. Think positive. But if you know me, you know that I'm a realist. I'm not one of those people who constantly think of puppies and kittens. I know that there's a chance (even if it's small) that he may not come back. And if I go through this whole deployment thinking nothing is going to happen to him, and then something does, my mental health would fail. So for me, I need to remember that something is possible, and pray to God I will never find out. So not only does the Army move you far away from your friends and family, they take your loved ones away and stick them in the most dangerous parts of the world. Where is our pay for this? Don't we get some sort of compensation? We're hold down the FT job of being a devoted spouse, single parent, and moral booster.

I guess I'm just asking that you not only keep our military in your prayers, but their families at home as well. They are going through their own emotional war, and let me tell you, it's not easy.

Three Weeks Go By Way Too Fast

2009-05-11T14:53:00.000-07:00

My dad leaves early tomorrow morning. :( The three weeks he was here flew by way too fast. But maybe there's an upside because that means it's three weeks closer to Eric coming home for R&R. I loved snapping pictures of Brooke and "Gwampa" during his stay. They are so sweet together it melts my heart. She really loves her "Gwampa". But then again, she would love anyone who spent as much time with her as he did, like taking her to the park and getting down on the floor and playing kitchen, ball, and anything else her imaginative little mind came up with.

My dad wanted to go back down south to see the Bore Tides, so I humored him and we went. :) To tell you the truth, it was pretty neat and absolutely beautiful. The sun was shining, it was a little cooler than it had been, but not too cold, and the mountains were looking magnificent. Whoever thought that I would some day LIVE in Alaska?

Mother's Day was great. :) It was sad that Eric couldn't be here to celebrate with us, but I had a great time surrounded by family and friends. We went to brunch at the Millenium Hotel. It was super busy, but then again, we went at a really busy time. If we do it again next year, we'll go at a less crowded time. They had wonderful food and my dad and I stuffed ourselves silly. It was a little pricey, but it was Mother's Day so we splurged. Below are a couple of pictures of Brooke and her friend Teresa. How cute are they???

My friend Jen bought this adorable crochet book at Barnes and Noble. She make up a couple of crochet dresses and I fell in love with them instantly. You can see the ones she's selling here. Mine isn't finished yet. I'm not going to do mine exactly like hers, I don't have a sewing machine for the bodice ribbon. But, I will be replacing the yarn ties at the shoulders with ribbon ties, and the nice thing is, I'll be able to interchange the colors so I can change up the color combination. But I think it turned out pretty cute, especially if you factor in the fact that I've only been crocheting for 5 months. If I make this dress again, I may tweak the pattern a bit, and I may invest in a sewing machine. Eric said I could get one long ago, but I just haven't seen a need. Next time, I may make the skirt as wide as the bodice, so it has more of an A-Line look to it, not the bunched look at the bodice. It took a long time to make the skirt, so we'll see if I have the patience for it. Ha.I have to go get my textbook for my summer classes today or tomorrow. I'd rather not take Brooke on campus, so I may just go when "Gwampa" takes her to the park this afternoon. Yikes. School, school, school. Will it ever end?

I need some ideas on what to get Eric for Father's Day. It's coming up soon and I need it to get to him half way around the world. I was thinking of a DSi, but I don't know. He said he isn't at his FOB too much, so I don't know how much he'd use it. So any ideas would be great. :)

Ok. I'm off to take a shower. I smell like a tanning bed.

Time is flying but dragging...

2009-05-07T12:13:00.001-07:00

So I've been a busy bee! School is done and I've have had to finally BREATH. I got my grades back today, I got two A's and two B's so I retain my 3.50 GPA. I wish I had gotten an A in my Juvenile Delinquency class, but the class was so poorly organized, I am perfectly content with my B. I have about a week and a half until the summer session start so I'm taking advantage of my free time.

During my time off, I've been super busy creating things! Below you will see some new booties I've whipped up. I like them because they are super cute and super quick to make! There are so many possibilities with colors. I got the pattern from a book I picked up at Joann's but altered it to make them cuter! They are made out of 100% cotton and come in different sizes and colors. I am going to be listing them on my Etsy as a choose your own color and size. I haven't seen any other booties like them on Etsy, so hopefully they will sell. :)

I got Brooke's 2 year pictures done. We went to Sears because that's where we went for her 1 year pictures, and those turned out really cute. We also get 20% off for being military, so that's nice as well. The girl who was taking her pictures was really good and I was super impressed with how well she did with Brooke. I was worried Brooke wouldn't be smiling in any of her pictures, but she did!

My dad has been up here for about two weeks now. In a past post I had written about all the ways he has been keeping himself busy. He is still at it. Right now he is running around town looking for things to fix my Honda. He was at the junk yard and found a muffler and now he's running to Home Depot and the auto store to put it on. My dad is so handy to have around. :) I will miss him when he goes.

A couple of days ago we went out of town on some sight seeing. My dad had read about the Bore Tide and wanted to see it for himself. We only drove about 40 minutes outside of Anchorage, but it was amazing to see how the scenery changed so dramatically. All of a sudden we were surrounded by water and mountains. It was so beautiful it was breathtaking. When we got to our point of interest, the bore had already come and gone, so we're going to try and go back to see it. But while we were there, we drank in the scenery and took some great picture.

We also went to the Anchorage Zoo. It's a lot smaller than the Como Zoo and Minnesota Zoo in Minnesota, but it was just the right size for Brooke. She loved seeing all of the animals and talked about each one. Below is a picture of Grandpa and Brooke checking out the sea lions. She thought they were pretty neat.

My dad has this habit of making new friends where ever he goes. He met this Christian biker couple on the plane from Chicago to Anchorage and gave them my number. So when I was at school one day I get a call on my phone from a number I've never seen. I answer it out of curiosity and it turns out it was this couple my dad had met. The husband and wife wanted to meet Brooke and I and bring us some moose meat. They showed up on their motorcycles and Brooke thought they were the neatest thing.

Other than that, not a whole lot has been going on. The weather has been beautiful. It was really warm for a couple of days but it cooled down a couple of days ago. It's still sunny so it's pretty nice out.

I got a new cell phone. I got the Samsung Impression. I love it. I may have jumped the gun on the phone, but my iPhone has been irritating me so I thought a new phone was in the cards. So far I really like it. It has a full slide out Qwerty keyboard and it also has a touch screen keyboard as well. We'll see if I like the new update they're supposed to be releasing in the next couple months. Who knows, I may switch back to the iPhone and sell this one on Ebay. They're selling for quite a bit so we'll see. Isn't the new phone pretty though?
Alright. I should get going. :)

Want to win a $10 Gift Certificate for Artifre?

2009-05-04T14:40:00.001-07:00

As I posted before, my guild on Artfire is having an open house to introduce the world to our handmade items made by MOMS! One of our promotions is a game where you can win one of THREE $10 gift certificates to use at any of our participating Artfire Cafemom Team shops. Below are the instructions on how to play and win!

To help celebrate our Open House, we are having a Hide and Seek. All this week our members will have hidden letters in their shops. The hidden letters will be in one of the photos in our guild member's shops. Here is a list of our member roaster to help you search.

As you find the letters, write each one down. After you are done searching, you will find that if you unscramble the letters you will have a phrase that reflects our guild members.

When you think you have the correct phrase, please email this phrase to the guild master. You must include your name and email address in the email. Contact us at jazzyjemz@hotmail.com.

*********** WINNERS**************

If you guess the phrase correctly, you will be randomly entered to win one of 3, $10 gift certificates for use in any of the participating hide and seek shops. Gift certificate will be emailed to the winners and must be used by the expiration date. Gift Certificates are for product only and do not go towards shipping and handling costs.

Correct answers will be assigned a number and randomly choosen through a computerized generator.

Best of luck to you all and remember to check out our list of shops on sale this week by clicking here!!!

To replace my iPhone or not....

2009-05-03T09:50:00.001-07:00

To replace my iPhone or not....

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ACT (Artfire Cafemom Team) SALE!!!

2009-05-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

My guild on Artfire is having it's official introduction into the Artfire world! To celebrate this we are having several things happening during the next week. The first is a scavenger hunt. Several members of our guild have certain letters hidden within their listings. The contest will be to see who can put the secret phrase together the fastest! There will be three winners and each winner gets a $10 gift certificate to spend in whatever shop is participating in the contest. More details wil follow!

We will also be having a HUGE basket giveaway! Several shops have donated items (including myself) for this, so there will be a large variety of great handmade items! Keep an eye out on our ACT Blog as we will be posting about these events.

And to top off this great week, below you will find a list of all the shops participating in the ACT Sale! You will find the name of the shop, what their sale is and a link to their shop. All items will be automatically marked down, so the great price you see listed is the price you pay! Can't beat that! Some shops are offering free shipping over a certain dollar amount ordered, those shops will send you an updated invoice with the shipping deducted. Feel free to contact those shops if you are confused on how it works.

Jemz: 20% off , free shipping on orders over $30
www.jazzyjemz.artfire.com

Bows for Baby: 15% off items in store, not on custom orders. Free shipping on orders over $20 before shipping.
www.bowsforbaby.artfire.com

Stitch’N Love : 10% off all orders
www.stitchNlove.artfire.com

Spirit Essence Art: 20% off all items, Free shipping on orders over $30
www.spiritessenceart.artfire.com

Creations with Heart: 15% off all items
www.creationswithheart.artfire.com

JewelrybyJanzia: 15% off all items
www.jewelrybyjanzia.artfire.com

Chantilly Lace: 15% off all items
www.chantillylace.artfire.com

Totally Tyra: 15% off all items
www.totallytyra.artfire.com

Diecutz: 50% off all items
www.diecutz.artfire.com

Bittersweet Design Studio: Free Shipping
www.bittersweetdesignstudio.artfire.com

Francisbel Boutique: Free Shipping
www.francisbelboutique.artfire.com

Waters Girls Crafts: 15% off all items
www.watersgirls.artfire.com

By Coco: 15% off all items
www.bycoco.artfire.com

SW Designs: 20% off all items
www.swdesigns.artfire.com

Eddy’s Pressies: Free shipping on all goods over $25 to UK, US and worldwide
www.eddyspressies.artfire.com

Soft Shell Body Shop: 15% off all items, free shipping on orders over $30.00, after discount
www.softshellbodyshop.artfire.com

DJ Storeroom: Free international shipping, international airmail, delivery confirmation and insurance for all items.
www.djstoreroom.artfire.com

Vestque Creations: 50% off all items
www.vestque.artfire.com

SubEarthan Cottage: 10% off all items
www.subearthancottage.artfire.com

Handmade with Love: 20% off items in her store
www.handmadewithlove.artfire.com

That's it for now! But check back later for more details and other blogging excitement!

Two down, one to go

2009-04-30T13:47:00.000-07:00

I have ONE more final left. This one is tomorrow at 7 A.M. SEVEN. I mean, really? The earliest classes they offer don't even start until 8 A.M., so I don't know where the administration is going with this one. We shall see. This means I have to get up at around 6 A.M. Yeah...fun! Thank god it's only a math final. It should be easy breezy. I'm going to study here in a few minutes, but only reviewing and doing a few review questions from each chapter.

I sold my textbooks back today. $100. That's it. And I think I paid well over $300 for them at the beginning of the semester. I didn't sell one back, because I need it for my summer classes, but the three I did sell back, $100, total. I think one was only $10. What a joke. Got to love inflation!

My Juvenile Delinquency final was a joke. There was so much to commit to memory, it was impossible to remember everything. I shall see how I fare in that class.

My dad has been doing a wonderful job of watching Brooke. The other morning Brooke woke up and I could here her yelling at me from downstairs. I know this happens to other moms where you just can't seem to drag your ass out of bed, no matter how loud they are yelling. Sometimes it takes a little more time to pull yourself out of that deep sleep you were wallowing in. I knew she was O.K, that's why I didn't jump at the sound of her yells. I heard my dad go get her, and I thought I better get out to go see if he was O.K. So I get up and head downstairs. Right when I get to the bottom of the stair, my daughter comes running out of her room with her diaper on BACKWARDS. Yes ladies and gentlemen, her grandpa put her diaper on backwards. It was so funny I couldn't help but laugh. God bless his trying. :) So then yesterday grandpa watched her while I went to take my Lifespan Development final. I get home to a pretty funny story. Apparently my dad went downstairs momentarily to throw some laundry in the washer. He called up to her to make sure she was doing okay. She replied that she was so my dad decided to do one more thing while he was downstairs. When he got back upstairs, guess where my wonderful daughter was. At the pantry with the door open. My dad notices that she has something in her hand, but can't quite make out what it is. So he asks her. Her reply, "Cookie!" Well, my dad said it didn't look like a cookie so he went over to investigate. It was a chunk of brown sugar! My daughter had opened the brown sugar bag and was sucking on one of the hard lumps of sugar. That's my kid with the sweet tooth. Just like her mommy and daddy. My daughter would never pull that stunt with me around, but she knows that she has her grandpa wrapped around her little finger and because of that, she can get away with murder. Oh Brooke. He also had his first encounter with a poopy diaper. I'm not even going to get into that one. Let's just say that her changing mat was out on the balcony drying and smelled like bleach cleaning solution.

I need my dad to come visit more often. I was worried that he would get bored because at home he is such a busy body. Apparently my worrying was unnecessary. Since hes been here he has cleaned and reorganized the garage, organized parts of my house, washed both cars, changed the oil on Eric's car, cleaned and vacuumed my car, fixed things around the house, and he still has a list of things he wants to do. I love that my dad is a fix it man. :) I told him our Toyota is due for it's 100,000 check-up. He decided he's going to do it himself. Now I remember why I loved living at home. It was funny, when I lived at home or in Minneapolis, if I was having issues with my car I would call him up and imitate the sound it was making. I'm sure I sounded quite special, but he was able to diagnose the problem by just me sputtering a few sounds into the phone. I told my dad he can move in and take care of all the manly things around here. It's nice to have someone here taking care of that stuff, even if it is only for a few weeks.

It's gorgeous here in Anchorage, and I'm am completely bummed I can't enjoy it because I am constantly studying for finals. Hopefully the weather won't be as rainy as it's predicted to be next week. I'd really like to enjoy some time outside. We shall see!

Quit stealing my life!

2009-04-29T08:46:00.000-07:00

I have three more days of school. That means three days of finals. Gah! I have been studying my little tail off and hardly feel prepared. Most of it is my Juvenile Delinquency class. You know how most normal teachers test their students every few chapter throughout the semester? Nope. Not this one. Our final is on THE ENTIRE TEXT! All fourteen long chapters. So I have been studying my arse off for the past few days ('cuz he only gave us a study guide last Thursday) and I am so overwhelmed. Hopefully he'll realize what a pain this is and let us use our notes, then I'd be set. I have Lifespan Development terms and Juvenile Delinquency terms intertwining in my brain and it's getting me all muddled.

My dad is here! He got in last Wednesday. He got in the day before Brooke's 2nd birthday. The next day I had Brooke's party. We had it at House of Bounce. It's a place full of inflatable jumping apparatuses. Brooke had a blast (as you can see in the third picture). We had a great turn out and everyone had a lot of fun. My dad enjoyed meeting all my friends and they enjoyed meeting him as well. One of Brooke's little friends really took to my dad. It was super cute.

Apparently the twos bring very annoying stages. The latest one is, "Mommy...mommy...mommy ...mommy...mommy...mommy..." I think you get the point. And when you respond to her, she just gives you think blank stare. It's wonderful. :) You know what else is wonderful? Your kid finally going to sleep at 10 P.M. and then waking up bright and early at 7 A.M. WONDERFUL. I think lack of sleep is making me unusually sarcastic. :)

I listed some economy friendly booties! I mean, with the economy being so crappy right now and people still wanting their babies to look adorable, why not give back a little? These booties are super cute and very fashion forward and a steal! They are super lightweight for the summer coming up and are kick proof because of the ribbon. :) I honestly can't wait to have another little one so I can cover them in my crocheted items. Hahaha!

Someone wants to live my life. It's actually very irritating. I had taken pity on a mom when I lived in Louisiana. She was a new army wife and was clueless as to what the army life was like. So I befriended the girl and added her as a friend on Cafemom. Well, we move to Alaska and we stop talking, or she stops asking for advice. I didn't take her off my friends list either. A few months back I noticed that she had a baby girl and named her Brooke. Now, I know this may not seem very serious, but when we were talking (before she had her daughter) she gushed on and on about how cute my daughter's name was and blah blah. So it surprised me to all of a sudden see her newborn daughter's name was Brooke. I let it go. No big deal. We weren't even in the same state anymore. So yesterday I was browsing my friends profiles and came upon hers. I was scrolling down and read her blurb about her, and this is what I read (note the part in bold and in red),

"Hi,I am 23 year old I am a mother of 2 boys.Married to the love of my life who made me a Army wife.I am a SAHM .My older is walking and runing and jumping and my little one is stand and walk all by himself.He is also climb all over everything.I get along better with boys than girls. They cause too much drama.I am pregnancy with baby # 3 now!"

Ok, now this is MY about me, note the part in bold and in red,

"Brooke Anne was born April 23, 2007 and is absolutely perfect! I'm a Minnesotan to the core. I get bored easily and hate petty people. I'm blunt, comical, outgoing, over analytical, anal retentive, over achiever, perfectionist, a movie buff, I love to read and I get along better with boys than girls. They cause too much drama. I'm a hardcore Vikings fan and love the Wild. I could eat Korean food everyday and my new obsession is making hair bows! I love to travel. I love meeting new people. I make mistakes, but never make the same one twice."

Ok, so now you may say, "Well, it's simply a coincidence." Take a look at her grammar and my grammar. HUGE difference. My statement doesn't even FLOW with her statement, it sticks out like a sore thumb. Ugh. This is so irritating. I know it's only two lines, but they're mine. It irritates me that people steal other people's words.

Anyways. I had to rant.

Ok. I have to go shower then fed my kid. Then go take an excruciating final. Yay! (NOT!)

2009-04-23T00:13:00.001-07:00

My dad is here!

Crochet Crazy

2009-04-20T15:57:00.000-07:00

This is my last week of school before finals. I am super excited to get done with this semester. This is the first year I have accomplished as a full-time student without failing a course. Ha. I know it may not seem like much of an accomplishment, but I drank myself out of my first year of college and then when I went back, I went back as a part-time student. It feels really good to be on my way to a degree. Finally. This summer I'm taking a math and English, and those classes start two weeks from finals. YIKES!

My friend Jenn and I went to see "17 Again" on Friday night. It was super duper cute! And we weren't the only twenty somethings in the theater. We were actually trying to figure out why there were a pair of guy friends sitting in front of us, and then one seat over there was a twenty something single guy, at the movie by himself. We came up with several different scenarios, but we really couldn't fathom any of them. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Haha. Anyways, the movie was super cute and not too teeney bopperish. Zac Efron was totally adorable. I would feel a lot better about my little crush if I were a few years younger. :/ Ha.

My dad comes to town on Wednesday and I have so much to do to get ready for him. I have to clean out my craft room because that's where I'm stashing him for the three weeks. I bought a twin sized blow-up mattress so that I'm still able to get in there if an order comes up. Speaking of orders, I got two of them in the past couple of days, so I worked on them a bit today, but the pressure of homework kept nagging my mind, so I finally went upstairs to get started on that. Back to my dad...I went to Barnes and Noble the other day and picked up Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist. Michael J. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's a few year back and this is one of the books he wrote about his journey. I thought it would be a good book for my dad to read. I asked if he had read any of them and he said no but that he wanted to. So I went and bought it for him as a little present. I hope he likes it. It looks like a very positive book, despite having such a debilitating disease. My dad is coping fairly well, but I think reading about someone elses obstacles will help him in his journey.

I've been super-duper busy this past weekend. I have gotten bored with the two afghans I started, so I went on to some other projects. Oops. I had some other projects I had completed but hadn't taken pictures of yet, so I finally got those done.

This is a set of dishcloths I made. I thought they turned out really well. They are super thick and nice. They are both made out of 100% cotton and I love the color combinations.

This is a pattern I bought off Etsy from ThreeAM. I ended up changing it a bit. I added a couple more rows so that the hat was a bit longer because I wanted the ears to be covered. But that's about the only thing I changed. It worked up fairly fast so I'm excited to make a couple more. The first picture is before I added the band. Both ways look super cute and the hat is super thick and warm. I know it's starting to warm up, but hey! I live in Alaska! Who knows! Haha.

I've also had a hankering to make a hat with a brim. Like a cloche/bucket hat. I couldn't find any patterns I liked, so I kind of crafted it from a couple of different patterns and then did my own thing as well. The second picture was actually the first one I made, and the hat my daughter is wearing is the second one I made. I actually like the style of the pink one better. I will have to add a couple rows to it the next time I make it because it wasn't as long as I wanted it to be. They look super cute on and are perfect for keeping the sun out of the eyes. These hats could easily be worn by boys as well, like a cute blue and white one would be adorable.

This is a pattern I use often, but I used a different yarn. I went to a high end yarn store with a friend of mine and found this super soft alpaca/bamboo blend. I wanted to buy all the colors, but at $10 per skein, I only chose one. I chose this one because I thought it would make a beautiful baptism/Christening cap. It is super delicate and would add that extra something sweet on that special day.

I also made a yellow beanie using the same pattern as above. That one would look super cute as a summer hat. It's also very airy so the little one wearing it wouldn't get too hot.

Anyways, I should get back to my homework. I really need to get this project done, even though it's not due till Thursday. I do have another assignment for another class due tomorrow, so I need to get that done as well.

I need your votes!

2009-04-16T14:24:00.001-07:00

Hey guys! I need you to go vote for my item in our ACT blog contest! I am the Springtime Clippy. :)

(Click the picture to take you to the contest!)

Excessive Stress= Eye Spasms

2009-04-15T21:58:00.000-07:00

I've been living in a fog the last month or so. My daily life has been on auto drive and I've just been plowing through very ungracefully. I tend to put on a happy face, but I don't know if I can even do that anymore. I know I need to stay positive, but it's hard. The last couple of days my left eye lid has been spasming constantly. I finally googled it on WebMD and apparently they're caused by stress.

"Most of us have had these uncontrollable eye lid spasms ("blepharospasms") at one time or another. The triggers for eye lid spasms are fatigue, caffeine use, stress. Some treatments are pressure applied near to the twitching muscle, or even botox."

Botox? Really? Crap.

Hopefully I can settle when my dad comes and this semester is over. And yay to me being an overachiever and taking summer classes. Granted it's not a full 12 credits, but it's still time and stress. My friend says I need to drop something, but I don't think it's possible. I need to get my degree as soon as possible, that's why I'm trying to fast track. Eric has his career plans, so we're putting them on hold until I get my degree. (Can someone please make my eye stop twitching?)

There's a new show on T.V. called Southland. It's a cop show, but it seems different than the other ones out there. I tuned in because of Ben McKenzie.

He was previously on the television show "The O.C." Loved that show. Yes, I'm a teeny bopper in a 26 year olds body. It's my guilty pleasure, what can I say? Anyways, I tuned in and LOVED it. I like how there's a couple different story lines happening at one time. It will be interesting to see where the show goes from here. There are a couple of other great actors in this series, Regina King and Tom Everitt Scott.

This Friday I'm hoping for a girls night out. Every week I get together with a friend of mine and we either get the kids together to play or if there's a Parent's Night Out on base, we put our kids in child care and go have a cocktail or ten. This weeks Parent's Night Out is full, so we're trying to tie down a babysitter. We both really want to go see "17 Again" with Zac Efron.

Jailbait. I know. But he's adorable! (And he's 21 so he's really not jailbait) The movie looks cute with light hearted humor that will take our minds off of our stresses and our romance free life. :) Living vicariously through fictional characters seems to be a very prominent theme in my life lately.

I signed up for a Costco membership. I had a Sam's Club membership a couple years ago, but let it run out because 1. the nearest Sam's Club to us in Louisiana was an hour away and 2. we were moving. So I had thought about renewing but never got around to it. Well, the other day ago I got a coupon booklet in the mail from Costco and decided to go in to see what they were all about. Twenty minutes later I stroll through the entrance with the executive membership. Yes, I got talked into the $100 membership versus the $50 membership. Their selling points? 2% annual cash back with a minimum $100 check (if my 2% doesn't reach the $100 mark, I automatically get $100 back), a $20 Costco card, and monthly coupon booklets PLUS additional coupons for being military. We'll see if it's worth it. If anything I can use the $100 I get back and put it towards renewing my membership. Brooke and I wandered around for about forty minutes and I was completely overwhelmed with the excessive bulk items. But I was able to use a few of the coupons and completely forgot to use the cash card they gave me.

I have so much to do before my dad gets here. I really need to clean the house. I mean, the whole house. I try and keep the upper living area clean, but my downstairs is a completely different story. We don't do anything down there but come and go, so the clutter doesn't really slow us down. But now that my dad is coming and going to be staying in the third bedroom/craft room, I need to make sure he can get to the bathroom without tripping. That will be my weekend project. Maybe. Oh dear. I hate cleaning.

Ok. I really should get to my homework. Only two more weeks of stress and headaches. Maybe my eye twitches and stress will go away? One can hope right?

Thursday = 4 day weekend!

2009-04-09T15:52:00.000-07:00

I have two weeks of school left before finals. This semester flew by. Eric left in the middle of it, so maybe that's why. I registered for classes on Tuesday. It took me two hours to figure out my schedule and what classes in wanted/needed to take. It's hard to block your schedule a certain way. I try and schedule all my classes in the morning so that I have time to study in the afternoon while Brooke is sleeping. Two days out of the week I keep Brooke at daycare for a full day, just so I have a few hours to get homework done. It's impossible to get anything accomplished when she's awake. This summer I'm taking two classes. I'm taking an English class and math class. In the fall I'm taking math, intro to logic, another English, and history. Wow. I'm kind of rethinking the history. Its funny. I think it took me so long to pick my classes because I choose my professors from www.ratemyprofessor.com Funny and neurotic I know, but I don't want to end up with a biased/unfair teacher. I did the same thing when I registered for these spring classes, and so far they are spot on. We'll see. I have to do fall semester with Eric gone for the whole thing, so hopefully I won't be too overwhelmed.

I'm having a couple friends over tonight. Every weekend a couple friends and I get together to just hang out. It's nice because my friend Jenn's husband is deployed as well, so this gives us time to socialize and just take our minds of things while our daughter's play. Tonight it's my night to host, so I'm making this garlic, vegetable, shrimp pasta dinner with caesar salad. I've never made it before, so if we die...Happy thoughts!

I felt my first earthquake the other day. I was sitting in one of my classes and all of a sudden it felt like someone had just kicked the back of my chair really hard. I asked the girl next to me if she had felt it, and she had. She then confirmed that it was in fact and earthquake. YIKES. So not only do we have volcanoes erupting, we have the earth shifting. And if the earth shifts in the ocean close enough to the shoreline, we could have a tsunami. NEXT PLEASE!

Brooke is really starting to talk. She was talking before, but now she's starting to put sentences together. Her cognitive abilities are growing too. She has this tendency to put things in her mouth (I blame that on her dad's genetics as well) so she'll often pluck her hair bows out of her hair and stick them in her mouth when I let her watch a show. I notice, tell her not to do it, but she'll keep doing it. Finally I just turn the t.v. off and tell her why I did it. Well, she's two, so she pitches a fit. About a minute later I ask her if she knew why I turned the T.V. off and she replies, "Hair bow. Mouth." That's pretty dang good for a two year old. :) Anyways, Brooke has her favorite sentences like, "Uh-oh! I messy!" She loves, "Uh-oh!" and usually proceeds to add something else to it like, "I messy!" or "I drop!", or "Help! I stuck!" It's hard to keep a straight face and be serious because her face is so expressive.

I made this chicken stir-fry the other night, and I had to take pictures of Brooke eating because she was too comical. She LOVES noodles, especially the long noodley kind. She slurps them right up and doesn't even bother chewing. I blame that on her father's genetics. :) Brooke is a VERY good eater and isn't too picky.

This is her getting frustrated because the noodles weren't staying on her fork...

She's pouting because I wouldn't let her have any of my pop.

"Oh-oh mommy! Hands messy!"

"I've gone cross-eyed looking at my cuppo."

Brooke in the sweater grandma knit for her

The view from our balcony

I can't believe the weekend is almost over...Really?

2009-04-04T20:56:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I am going to the most delicious brunch EVER. A hotel in town has the best buffet brunch ever with desserts to die over. I am so excited!

I joined a new group on Etsy. It's called EtsyBABY and they seem like a great group of artisans! I am super excited to really get involved and get to know some of these wonderdful ladies! This group caters towards babies and young toddlers. They are a very talented group of crafters who specialize in high end boutique quality items.Just search " etsyBABY team" (without the qoutation marks) and you will get a wide variety of great items for baby!

Ah school. What to say about school. I just have to finish this one paper, and my stress level will hopefully plummet. I am so burnt out, I need a long vacation. Thank goodness my dad is coming to visit in a few weeks, maybe then I can get some breathing time. Brooke will love having Grandpa Tom here, for he is one crazy, funloving Grandpa!

And now for some ADORABLE pictures of my daughter. Hard to resist, isn't she?

This is my monkey wearing some of my unsellable creations. She loves mommy's castoffs!

My daughter is a strange cookie. She's sitting in an empty laundry basket watching Sunday morning cartoon...haha.

One of her pretty face.

Going down the huge inflatable slide at one of friend's birthday party. Love the face!

She insisted that she needed her legwarmers on. (Purchased from Fategoddess from etsyBABY!!!)

And one of her beautiful, crooked, toddler smiles.

A giveaway! An Adorable Beanie!

2009-04-03T10:57:00.000-07:00

My Artfire (a site to sell handmade crafts) group is having a giveaway! They are giving away a hand crochet pink beanie for your little one! Go check it out! It's pretty cute! And spread the word!

***** Click the picture! *****

"Nuk go bye-bye"

2009-03-29T21:21:00.000-07:00

I'm breaking Brooke of her nuk. Cold turkey. Everyone pray for my sanity. I noticed that she's been chewing them to pieces, we went through 4 nuks in 2 days. So instead of going out and buying nuks in lots, I've decided she's big enough to be weaned of them. This is our first night without one. She looses them at night anways, so hopefully she can get to sleep because I know she'll stay asleep. This could be a long process of falling asleep though. I put her down 5 minutes ago and we had a long a talk about how the nuk went bye-bye. She nodded and said "Okay", but I don't think she really understood it.

On a different note...Redoubt erupted again and this time ash fell on us here in Anchorage. Brooke and I were at an Easter party on post, and someone there said that a friend had called her and that ash was falling over on C Street, which was about a mile from where we were. I had been slacking on shopping and had to rush and get diapers and milk, just in case we were going to get ashed in for a few days. When I arrived at the commissary, I could see the ash cloud, but no ash. By the time I emerged thirty minutes later, ash was falling. I ran with Brooke out to the car and got her in the car right away. She had no clue what was going on, she just thought mom was pretty fun for running with the cart. We live right outside of base, so it wasn't a very long drive home, but I was hyperventilating all the same. We finally got home and wend inside. The first thing I did was turn on our air purifier. The snow is kind of ashy outside, but it's not too bad. I hope this volcano stops pretty quick here. I don't like that it can be an ongoing thing. Too much anticipation. I'm a planner. I like knowing what's going to happen, and this volcano trumps that. Gar.

I was playing with my camera today. It has so many neat features, so I wanted to try some of them.

This is a picture of my very first afghan. I screwed up on part of it, and would have had to rip out four rows. I didn't. So I'm sending it to my dad instead. He'll never know...Haha.

This is the couch covered in yarn and the coffee table covered in pattern books.

And my crazy daughter...The first is of her bedhead, the second is her "doh!" and the third is just...her. :)

Close to my 100th Sale!

2009-03-28T12:56:00.001-07:00

I am so close to making 100 sales! I just wanted to let everyone know that who ever buys the 100th item, they get 30% off their whole order! My sales are at 95 right now, so if you buy 5 things, that would bring my sales to 100 and you get 30% off the WHOLE order, not just that one item.

ACT (Artfire Cafemom Team) Giveaway!

2009-03-27T01:38:00.001-07:00

My Artfire Guild is having another giveaway! The item being given away is a beautiful green dichroic glass pendent. Check out the giveaway and spread the word!!

(Click the picture to take you to the giveaway page)

I attract natural disasters...

2009-03-26T11:13:00.000-07:00

So I can't get through a weekend without some sort of excitement. Last weekend it was helping to deliver a baby, and this weekend the volcano here in Alaska finally erupted. We've been waiting on this things for the past few months and it finally blew Sunday night. I got a bad feeling around 11 P.M. Sunday night and went to check the AVO (Alaska Volcano Observation) website and saw that it had erupted 40 minutes before. Now I won't sugar coat it, but I was FREAKING out. I have never lived near volcanos, so how was I supposed to know what was going to happen? The first thing I did was check all of the news sources online to see if the ash cloud would be heading towards Anchorage. The next thing I did was call all of my friends here in Anchorage to give them the heads up. Needless to say, I was up until around 2 A.M. and was hoping that school would be cancelled the next day. Not with my luck. So I headed to class off of 4 hours of sleep. The volcano has erupted several more times in the past 4 days, but none of the ash is heading this way. Before volcanos I was in hurricane land...what is it with me and natural disasters?

(Picture taken from the AVO website. The picture is dated March 23, 2009)

On a happier note, I finally got my bad! Andrea of WatermelonWishes on Etsy put my bag together so fast I barely had to wait. But the time I did wait was full of impatient anticipation. When I did get it, it was perfect! It was even better that it looked in the picture. The workmanship is VERY high quality. If you like pockets, then this is the bag for you! Since taking it out, I have gotten a lot of compliments, so thank you Andrea!

(My daughter is checking out the inside of the bag :) )

I learned how to crochet about 4 months ago. Since then I've just crafted booties and beanies. They're fast, easy, and adorable. I have shied away from afghans because I'm a instant gratification type of person. I love to see my work finished in a short amount of time. But then I saw my friend Jenn and the afgan she's been working on, and it looked so neat when she was making it, so I decided to give in and try one. Well, I didn't just stop at one, I started two. One is pink and green, and the other is green, rose and black ripple pattern. I will have to post pictures later to show you what they look like.

Another Week Gone

2009-03-20T17:02:00.000-07:00

Another week has gone. Another week of school gone. WOOHOO!

I got my paper back in Lifespan Development. I wasn't quite sure how well I would do on it since I literally threw it together and barely proofread it. It was also my first paper attempted since Eric left. I got an A! I was so happy!!! There were a few grammatical and spelling errors, but the formatting was right and I included everything I needed to in it. So now, I hold a strong C in that class. Haha. I hope to bring that grade up to a B by the time the class is done. We have one more paper and two more tests with a smattering of quizzes in there. I have the second test on Wednesday, and I have been studying! I am so proud of myself. Haha. I am getting an A in math and either an A or B in my English class. My Juvenile Delinquency class is a huge question mark because he doesn't post grades and we haven't gotten anything back that we've turned in. That is so frustrating since I like to keep track of my progress.

If anyone knows me, I am not a little Miss Suzy Homemaker. I hate cleaning, doing laundry, doing the dishes and my house is hardly even spotless. I have a friend coming over on Saturday to watch Twilight with me, so it has given me a good excuse to clean up. The worst part of my house is my room, the island in the kitchen and the dining room table. The island gets all of my castoffs. It's usually cluttered with mail, wrappings, and miscellaneous crap. But now, it's clean! Before I went to bed last night I attacked it with a vengeance. Everything is organized and I had even bought a mail holder at Target, so now all my mail and miscellaneous papers are in that basket! I am going to TRY TRY TRY and keep it clean. We shall see. So before she comes over Saturday, I need to vacuum, clean up the downstairs, clean the bathroom and clean the dining room table off. I can do it! Haha. Oh, and the couch since it's covered in yarn and crocheting paraphernalia.

My daughter is becoming such a hoot. Her new thing is to "read" with me while I'm reading her a book. Her favorite book is Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton. It's super cute but my brain gets all muddled when I'm trying to listen to her and read at the same time. She has also started to sing along with the radio when we're in the car. Granted it's just a bunch of babbling with a few distinct words here and there, but it's still so cute. Maybe she'll be a singer when she gets older. :) Take care of her old parents.

When I get bored I browse Etsy and Artfire. BAD IDEA. I always end up buying something. Well, a couple days ago I was browsing Artfire and came upon Betty Mae Bakery. The thing that caught my eye was that her baked goods were only A PENNY. One penny, one cent. I had to take a closer look. Upon investigating further, I realized ALL of her products were a penny! I knew I was in trouble then. She had so many yummy looking things, it was hard to choose just one, or two, or three. But finally I settled on two things. One of them was Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl Cookies and the other was Four Dozen Cookie Mix. Well, I finally got them yesterday, and they are delicious! They were shipped super fast by priority mail, but the great thing was, all of the cookies came in reusable containers. I LOVED that! I love Tupperware so it was nice that I got some free and that she's eco friendly! You better go take advantage of this promotional deal while it lasts! the Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirls are certainly my favorite, and my daughter's too! All you pay is the cent and then shipping.

I will try and blog tomorrow, but I am about to head out to dinner with a friend and I still have ti put on my face. I am going to write about my new bag (that came today, I just have to get to the mailbox), the Artfire Cafemom Team blog and it's giveaway! Plus pictures of my new beanie I made up and other miscellaneous things. :)

2009-03-16T23:59:00.000-07:00

Well, to say I had an eventful weekend would be the understatement of the year. I will apologize in advance if some of this post doesn't make much sense, I'm running off of minimal sleep.

This past 30 hours has been one of the most memorable times in my life, and it came with no warning at all. I have made a couple of wonderful friends here and am so grateful to have them in my life. This past week I was on spring break and have been spending a lot of my free time with them. We've been going on much needed outings to take our minds off of our husbands being gone and to just get some much needed adult conversation. So to end a wonderful week, we all went to breakfast yesterday morning. We pigged out at iHop and then we all went home to just sort of wind down before the week ahead overwhelmed us. Sarah's husband was due to come home in four days, Jenn had a stack of ACU bag orders to fill, and I was going back to school the next day. At around 4:45 P.M. Sarah calls me because I had text her whining about not knowing what to make Brooke and I for dinner. She tells me that she's been having contractions for the past two hours, but she thinks they're just braxton hicks and that she's dehydrated and hungry. So then we get on the topic of food and how we don't feel like making dinner because it's a pain to cook for 1 1/2. I suggest going out to eat because we didn't want to cook and it sounded like fun. Sarah calls Jenn and we all decide to meet at Red Robin in 40 minutes. We all show up at relatively the same time, get our table and order. Throughout the meal Jenn and I can tell that the contractions are still coming and they're coming at regular intervals. Sarah is timing them just to keep track. Towards the end of the meal, the contractions seem to be getting stronger so Sarah calls labor and delivery to ask their advice. They tell her it would probably be a good idea to just come in and make sure everything is ok and they also wanted to monitor her and measure her contractions. Jenn and I fly into go mode. We work out the details among ourselves. Jenn is going to take Teresa (Sarah's 2 year old daughter) back to her house while I take Sarah to labor and delivery to get her checked out. I get Brooke strapped into her car seat and pull my car around to where Sarah and Jenn are. I tell Sarah to take a seat in my car and that Jenn and I will get Teresa's car seat situated in Jenn's SUV. That was a challenge by its self because the parking lot was so dang icy. Jenn and I almost went down a couple of times. So we get the cars situated and Jenn takes Teresa. I drive the block to the hospital, drop Sarah off at the entrance and go to park the car. I get Brooke inside and up to Sarah's room where they've hooked her up the the fetal heart monitor and contraction thinga ma jig. I'm chasing Brooke around the room trying to keep everything as calm as possible, but it's a challenge since two year olds have an agenda all of their own. Sarah, Brooke and I are there for about 3 hours when one of the nurses come in and tells us that they would like to keep Sarah there for a few more hours just to see if her labor progresses. I decide that it's best for Brooke to not be there because she's getting cranky due to the fact that it's past her bedtime. I call my daycare lady and made plans for Brooke to go spend the night there since Brooke was going to be there the next day anyways. My caregiver says it's ok so I pack my kid up, tell Sarah I'll be back ASAP and head home to grab Brooke and overnight bag. I get to my caregivers, drop Brooke off and she's not even phased by the whole situation. I kiss her good night and get back in the car to get back to Sarah. This whole time I'm trying to keep a calm head about the situation. She has been on the phone with her husband to keep him updated on the situation and to reassure him everything is ok. I get back to the hospital and make very attempt to keep the atmosphere as light as possible. I knew Sarah was stressing about so many things, and I wanted to try and keep her mind off of the pain and her stress. We sit around chatting in her room, listen to another lady in the next room have a very loud labor and delivery and just hope that everything is going to be ok. Sarah has been in constant contact with her husband and finds out that if she is in fact in labor, he wouldn't be able to make it home that night. The earliest he would be able to come home is the next day. About three hours after I get back to the hospital, the main doctor on call comes in to check her out. It turns out that she is in fact in active labor and dilating. Since Sarah had a c-section with her previous child, she was going to have a c-section with this child. The doctor and nurses go into go mode and schedule her c-section for an hour out. I myself go into go mode because I know that I need to be there for Sarah since her husband isn't able to be there and her mom is stuck in Minnesota. She then asks me to stay and help her through the delivery and to be there for her and her new baby boy. I feel so honored that she wants me to be there during such an amazing event. I help Sarah fill out paper work and try and keep her mind off of the fact that her husband wasn't going to be there. Once everything is set, they take Sarah back to the OR and get her spinal in. They've given me the white has mat suit, hair net and shoe covers. I look absolutely ridiculous. About 20 minutes after they've rolled Sarah away, the nurse comes to get me and brings me into the operating room. I'm led to a stool near Sarah's head manned with my camera with strict instructions to take as many pictures as I can. I talk to her while they start the procedure and am just in awe of everything that was going on. I somewhat knew how she felt because I myself was in that position just two years before, but I did have my husband with me. It took about ten minutes to get to the baby. Then the anesthesiologist tells me I can stand up and when I do, I see little Alistair's head being pulled from Sarah's stomach. In no time the rest of him is pulled out and I start clicking away. This baby boy is so perfect it brought tears to my eyes. It was so surreal to be in that situation and to witness such a miracle. I telling Sarah over and over how perfect he is and you can see the love just flow through her. She is glowing. The nurse then says that they're going to take Alistair to get him cleaned up and get his vitals. I follow the baby and nurse into the NICU (that's where they take all babies who were born via c-section) and just hover as they go through procedure. They hook him up to a couple monitors because he was a few weeks early and they just want to make sure everything is ok. I sit with Alistair for close to two hours. I can't take my eyes off of his perfect little face. Finally the nurse suggests I go check on Sarah and I tear myself away. Sarah is recovering and looks fabulous after just having her stomach cut open. She sends me home to get some sleep. I head out at around 3:30 AM and crawl into bed.

I wake up the next morning (Monday) at around 10 am, take a shower and am out the door in 15 minutes. I head to Sarah's room to find her dozing. Little Alistair can't be with her if shes alone because shes in such a fragile state. She has the nurse bring him in and I visit with them for a little bit. I then head to her house to get some essentials and head back to wait for her husband and in-laws. Jenn brings Teresa a little bit later and Cody (the dad) comes in not too long after that. A happy reunion.

This whole experience has been so amazing words can't even describe. I feel so blessed to have been part of such a memorable experience. Sarah kept thanking me for everything I was doing, but I was thanking her for trusting me and wanting me to be there with her. It's so weird to be on the other end of the spectrum. Almost two years ago I was the one on the table not knowing what was going on and feeling completely overwhelmed. Because of that, I was able to keep a clear head and help her the best I knew how. I still can't get over the fact that I got to witness such a miracle. I have now been on both sides of the situation and each are amazing in their own way. The funny thing is, Teresa and Alistair have the same birthday. Brother and sister share the same day. How funny is that? Exactly two years apart.

So in closing I want to say, Happy Birthday Alistair and Teresa!!!!

*This is my "I'm about to help deliver a baby" pose. It's about 12AM here.*

Mommy and baby!!!!

The end of spring break...

2009-03-14T11:06:00.000-07:00

It came way too soon. I have had so much fun this week hanging out with my daughters and spending time with my friends. I haven not done my homework and am kicking my self because now I have to cram it all in the next couple of days. My daycare had the sickies on Thursday, so I had to keep Brooke home. There went six good hours of homework time. :(

Last night I went to a wonderful get together with some friends. It was a pajama party full of toddlers, food and Rock Band on Wii. I tried the drums and really stunk. Its hard! Tomorrow I'm doing a brunch with the same friends at iHop. It should be a good time.

I've been on a bootie kick lately. I am trying to build inventory for the upcoming craft shows this spring, summer, and fall. I am listing them on Artfire and Etsy and if they don't sell, I'll suspend them to take to the craft shows and if they don't sell at the shows, then I'll relist them. I don't know how many I should whip up, but the double strap booties (below) are a lot faster to make. The loafers are super cute, but I have three other patterns like this that require you make two soles, then sew them together and make the body of the bootie from there. It's really time consuming and you have to match the size of the soles perfectly or else they don't sit right. Maybe if I get faster they won't seem so time consuming. For now I'm just going to play around with different color combinations for the double strap. I need to make up some boy booties next.

I am now contributing to the Artfire Cafemom Team Blog. I wrote the last post on St Patrick's Day. There are a lot of talented crafters in our guild on Artfire. To check out the variety of items, go to Artfire and search for "Artfire Cafemom Team." There are pages and pages of listings from our guild crafters.

I really like Artfire and would eventually like to completely switch everything over to their site, but it just doesn't have the same traffic as Etsy does. I have so many sales on Etsy as well so my reputation and feedback is lost as well. Maybe once the traffic picks up I'll be able to redirect everyone over to my Artfire shop.

That's my new Artfire banner, do you like it? I love it because it matches my Etsy banners so they look great in my Cafemom signature.

Brooke and I got to talk to Eric on web cam the other day. It was really nice to see him for those few minutes. Brooke was all about talking to daddy and she didn't seem too confused on why daddy was on the computer. She kept pointing to things on his face and naming them. It was too cute. It was good to see his face after three weeks and to see for myself he was ok. I haven't heard from him in a couple of days, I'm guess their internet is down. Their phone lines have been down so I haven't been able to hear his voice. It's been hard. I've had a couple of those days where I just feel blah. But then I get a hug from my daughter and I'm strong once more.

I've finally found it!!!

2009-03-11T15:15:00.000-07:00

So I've been searching and searching for a new carry-all bag, like a large tote. My Coach purse just isn't hacking it anymore and it's getting beat up from all the use its been seeing. Now, if you know me, I am very particular about my purses and bags. I LOVE LOVE LOVE pockets so it's hard for me to be completely satisfied. Until now. I was searching around on Etsy last night while waiting for Eric to get online. I wanted to see if there were any bags listed on Etsy that fit my nit-picky requirements and at a reasonable price. And there was. A bag by WatermelonWishes just had a bright light that illuminated around it. I was speechless. It's called the Seven Pocket Tote Bag. I mean, the title says it all, doesn't it?

So I clicked on it, excited to see where the pockets were and already in my mind deciding what I was going to put in each of those pockets. And this is what I see for the inside.

WOW. I am...in pocket heaven. So then I take a closer look and am wondering what those two elastic loops are for (I read the description AFTER I've scrutinized the pictures.) And I see this:

They're for bottles and sippy cups! Hook, line and sinker I'm SOLD!

So then I take a look at her fabrics and nothing is really catching my eye. So I go back to her shop to message her and see that there is a DYO/BYOF (Do Your Own/Buy Your Own Fabric) section where I can pick my design and send her my own fabric. So I message the very crafty Etsian and she is so nice and has such great customer service. I bought the 7 Pocket Tote Bag and made one adjustment. Instead of the pockets on the side, I am having her move them to the front. :)

So then the exciting part came. Picking out my fabric. I threw my kid in the car and drove as fast as I could to Joann Fabric. I haven't ever shopped for fabric, since I'm usually stocking up on ribbon and yarn (which I admit, I did walk out of the store with). So I start perusing and all of the fabrics are starting to smoosh together into one big fabric blob. Until my fabric just pops out and me and I know I've found it!

The left side is the interior fabric and the right is the exterior. After I bought it, I hustled my little butt right off to the post office and mailed it out priority. And now the wait begins. I am so impatient when it comes to getting new things. I'm very impulsive and once I've made up my mind about something, I WANT IT NOW! So the next few days or weeks are going to be TORTURE. I was even contemplating just choosing a couple of her fabrics just so I could get it faster, but I knew that I really wanted a OOAK. YAY!OK, so to reiterate. You really, REALLY need to check out WatermelonWishes on Etsy. She has so many other GREAT items. She has sever designs for bags, binder covers, laptop sleeves, notepad organizers, nursing covers, strap wraps,wet bags and changing pads.

I will for SURE post pictures when I get my new bag!!!!

Spring Ahead!

2009-03-08T11:47:00.000-07:00

SALE!!!! (FOR ONE PERSON ONLY!)

I got a new scale!!! I finally broke down and got one because it's a pain to bring a 2 year old into a post office that is always packed. I bought one off E-Bay and it's finally here! To celebrate this, the 83rd sale (the VERY NEXT SALE) gets 25% off one item!!!! So go quick! There's lots to choose from!

I hate daylight savings in the spring. I mean really? Losing an hour of a day is a lot. Especially when that hour is spent SLEEPING. I was up unusually late last night. I was making some mini korkers with some new swiss dots korker ribbon I got. They turned out REALLY cute. :) I'll post pictures later. I was hoping the sun would be out today so I could take the pictures outside, but so far it's clouds, clouds, and more clouds.

I made this adorable set the other day. It's called the "Triple B Set - Beanie, Bow and Booties". I think it turned out super cute

I also made a different pair of booties based off of the pattern above, but they didn't turn out the way I wanted them to, so I'm going to have to try and tweak it a little. But they turned out ok...

The heel needs to be higher huh?

But I like the concept so I am going to keep working at it.

I went shopping with my friend Sarah and her daughter Teresa who is Brooke's age. I went to Babies R Us with her to help her shop for her new baby. Apparently she's about to pop so and I worry about her being out in public alone with an active toddler! Plus, I love baby shopping so it was super fun for me. I totally got baby fever when I got home, it's a good thing Eric isn't here, otherwise I'd have probably talked him into another one by now...haha.

I haven't talked to Eric lately. He left a short message on my MySpace wall, but I haven't talked to him on the phone for a couple of weeks. :( I miss his voice. But there's nothing I can do about it so...I just have to suck it up I guess.

Alright, I'm off to take a shower then take Brooke to Michaels and Target. Michaels is having a sale on Sugarn' Cream yarn and I need some things at Target. :)

Almost Spring Break!

2009-03-04T17:32:00.001-08:00

Spring break is almost here! I am so excited! A whole week to relax, minus homework. Pooh.

I got my grade back for my first creative project in English. I got a perfect score! The comments she left were all glowing, and she told me that she hopes I'm going to choose a career in public speaking. She said I was engaging and entertaining. That made me feel really good. I like her as a teacher. My Lifespan Development class is a whole different story. The class is challenging! We're trying to cover this text book that is ginormous. Her tests are really hard to figure out. Hopefully I can come back now that my mind is back on track, somewhat.

This Friday I'm getting together with Jenn and Sarah again. We had a lot of fun last weekend and I always love spending time with them. I am so lucky to have found down to earth friends who I have a lot in common with. Who knew that my random post looking for a craft show buddy would turn into a great friendship?

Brooke's vocabulary is expanding by leaps and bounds. Her use of words is so amazing. She is such a smart little girl and I am so proud of her. She is so independent and has such great social skills. She's your typical toddler with a little stubborn mixed in. She loves the word "no" so that gets a little frustrating, but I know it's a phase so I grin and bare it.

I finally got my cousins gift off to her. I made her a beanie and matching booties. I also made her some hair bows. Her daughter has some hair, so they will look so cute! I had a lot of fun making them. Here is a picture of the hat and booties.

I loved the set so much that I made another one with pink and brown. I still have to sew the buttons on so that's what I didn't post a picture.

I got to talk to Eric online the other night for about an hour. It was really nice to talk to him. He sounded very upbeat and content, minus the fact that he misses us dearly. I'm glad that he's doing ok over there. I finally got his first care package out to him today. He had a box set aside with things he wanted sent, and I finally got them sent! His new spurs came in the mail the other day as well, so he'll be surprised when he opens his package. :) I miss him so much. Today I had one of those days where I missed him terribly. I know I can do this, but he's my best friend, so it's hard not having him here.

Well, I think I'm going to get going. :)

Don't Hate Cause We're Military

2009-02-26T19:49:00.000-08:00

So I was sitting in class today, and before it started I overheard a conversation that kind of got my blood boiling. This girl was talking to an older classmate (and when I say older, I mean about 55) about her high school and how she opened the door to this school that was supposed to be a school for intelligent kids. It was some sort of magnet school. Anyways, the older lady was saying that she tried to get her kids into that school, but they didn't get in because of a military family. Apparently, the dean admitted both the kids from the military family and didn't admit this ladies children. Her point of view was that her kids should have been admitted over the military children because her kids were permanent residents. Her kids were the ones that were going to be contributing to the state when they graduated. So basically, the military kids didn't deserve to be admitted because they were going to be moving. Ok. So here's my point of view. When my kids get older and they have a chance to attend a great school, I sure as hell want them to go there! So what if we're military, I still want the best for my kids, especially when it comes to education. Every kid should be treated equally, they're all going to be contributing to the future of this country. It just made me so upset that she would discriminate againstmilitary because they moved. Sorry if our husbands and our kids dads are defending your freedom.

On to a more positive note.

I made homemade pizza tonight. And it was delicious! Eric is a picky eater, so eating pizza is a big ordeal. We usually have to either order two or get half and half. It's a pain. Anyways. I went out and bought the Pillsbury dough in the can, cheese and toppings. I made a hamburger, olive and mushroom pizza. It was the best! Brooke loved it too. She eats all of the olives off. Throughout the whole meal she was shouting, "MMM!!!! PIZZA!!!!"

Tomorrow I'm doing a playgroup with a couple of friends. We're going onto base to check out a public one. It should be a lot of fun.

I took some new pictures of the Sesame Street clips, and they look a lot better.

And then I made another hat, a pattern I've done before, but didn't like it with the acrylic yarn. I tried it with the cotton yarn and it came out so cute. I think I'm going to make a bow to go with it and list it as a bow and beanie.

Ok, off to do puzzles!

Sick toddlers are so pathetic :(

2009-02-25T19:21:00.000-08:00

Brooke has a cold. Another one. It seems like she just got over one and now her nose is runny, she's sneezing and coughing. Poor baby. She didn't nap very well today at daycare, so she's uber cranky and that means early bedtime.

Brooke HATES my baths. I don't know why my baths aren't fun, maybe she's just used too used daddy baths. :( I feel bad. She has so much hair, and I'm kind of a good hygene freak so I really scrub her down. She really hates it.

I have TWO big papers to write this weekend. Both are 6 pages and one is due Monday and the other is due Tuesday. It's hard to get back into the groove and try and whip out two papers when your mind just isn't there. Yikes.

This weekend it's muh birfday! SO, for my birthday, I am going to be offering 15% off everything in my store!!! AND free shipping on orders over $20! I can't believe I'm going to be 26. I know I've beaten this dead horse once before, but I'm getting so old. And it seems like I'm getting older faster because Brooke makes the time go buy so quick. Next year, right after Eric gets home, I'll be 27!!!!! Damn.

I read a post by other Cafe Etsy Mom who is also a hair bow. She had found these Sesame Street hair binders in the dollar section of Target. By accident the little sesame street heads started coming off, so she had the idea to attach them to clips and sell them! I know I'm bad, I but I had to "borrow" her idea. I searched Etsy to see if she was the only one, but she wasn't so I didn't fel so bad. I hope she doesn't get mad at me. One of the liners ended up being the same color as hers, and I didn't mean to do that. I couldn't remember what colors she had used so one ended up like hers. Ooops. Sorry!

Alright. I should get going!!!! Lots to do tonight!

Sorry I haven't updated in a while...

2009-02-24T20:12:00.001-08:00

So. Eric has been gone for 5 days and I'm gettin back in the groove. Although I will admit, I'm already burnt out. I have had to do a lot of catchup with school so it's been rush, rush, study study. I also had a couple of Etsy orders to fill, so I had to make those up and get those mailed as well.

Last Friday I got to spend time with some great friends. We went to the mall and tooled around there for a few hours, then that evening we all went to go see a movie. It was exactly what I needed and those girls are the kind of people I like to spend time with...So thanks girls!!!

This weekend is my 26th birthday. Can you say "HOLY CRAP?!" It's closer to 30 than 20, so I'm freaking out a bit. Ugh. 26. ::sigh:: I'm going out to eat with friends that night, so that should be a good time. :) I will need a break after trying to throw two papers together that I am so not motivated to write.

I registered for summer classes but am confused on how to pay for them. What I understand is that financial aid will pay for them if you have left over aid from the fall and spring semesters. I don't think I do. So I don't know. I had money set aside for classes just in case, but then Eric needed $ and my "therapy" seemed to depleat it down to...well...nothing. So I will have to talk to FA to see what's up. It would be really nice if they could take it out of next years FA, but I don't think they can. As of right now I am signed up for math and a technical writing class. I was hoping to get my science out of the way, but apparently they don't have chemistry available in the summers.

My daughter is both driving me NUTS and making me so proud. The nuts part is that she has turned into a hair puller. I mean a...if you take my toy I am taking you down to the floor by your hair hair puller. Ugh. And the bad thing is, she never shows any sort of physical aggression towards me, so I can't discipline her. The only thing she does to me is talk back. So yeah. And, don't judge me, but I am the parent that if she pulls my hair, I'll pull her hair right back (not to hurt her ofcourse, just enough to stun her). At least shes not a biter. Ha. But she makes me SO PROUD. She can count to 10!!! That's the latest on her achievements. :) We'll trade off numbers and she sounds SO cute. We're working on her letters and colors. Every color is either blue or green, but she can point to the correct color when you ask her. Same with her letters. All of the letters are B, but she can differentiate between most of them. We'll keep working on it.

I made another custom order for a repeat customer. She liked her order so much she came back and ordered 2 more bows and another beanie in another color.

I also wanted to try the Lion Brand Cotton East yarn so I bought a skein and made two hats with the same design in two different sizes. I think they turned out so cute! I have them listed. :)

Thank god for my crafts because they keep me busy in down time, and my mind off my troubles...

Alright. I'm done. Haha.

Sorry for the lack of updating...

2009-01-20T14:16:00.001-08:00

I will try and post later this afternoon. I have been busy with school starting and trying to build inventory for my new Etsy shop. :) www.HookHere.etsy.com. Go check it out!

I've gotten my sanity back...

2008-12-31T12:18:00.000-08:00

Sort of. The in-laws are back in MN and I must admit, I miss Eric's mom. She is so sweet and I love having her around.

I didn't get much hair bow making done, but I did learn a new crafty hobby, crocheting! Golly I'm an old lady. I have been wanting to learn for a while now, and Eric's mom Marianne is very talented when it comes to crocheting and knitting, so I had her teach me when she was here! I've been obsessed! I bought a couple of mary-jane patterns off of Etsy, but each time I try them, something get's screwed up. I opened a new shop, but haven't listed anything yet. I named my shop HookHere. I have a granny square hat I may post, and I'm working on another one right now. I hope I can get a few things done before I go back to school. It's a lot of fun, and I can spend time with the family but still create things. =) I will write more later, but I have to get crackin on New Years Eve plans. I hope eveyone has a safe and fun night and I will talk to you all next year!

Will be away for a bit...

2008-12-18T15:25:00.001-08:00

So, the PIL are enroute here...and they are sleeping in my craft room, therefore I have decided to put my store in vacation mode. This also means that I will not be updating my blog much since I will be busy playing gracious host and not being able to make more bows. =)

A couple more mini korkers!

2008-12-16T19:35:00.000-08:00

So I made a couple more mini korkers. I think they're really cute, but they're not getting any views on Etsy. :( They are so versatile. You can use them in pigtails and they're small enough to use to hold whispies back.

Some cute new things!

2008-12-14T18:00:00.000-08:00

So since I have a few weeks off, I've been working on some bows. I whipped a couple up when the Vikes kicked the Cardinals arses this afternoon. I have been wanting to make more of the loopy flower bows to go with the kufi crochet beanie caps, because the last batch sold so well. So I came up with a black and red one.

And then I wanted to make some more mini korker sets, because the large korkers drive me batty. I can never seem to get them right, but the mini ones always turn out so cute. I had sold a ladybug set back in October and wanted to relist it.

And I really love my sapphire colored korkers, so I made black and sapphire ones.

Thos will probably be listed tomorrow.

I don't know what else to make...I can make some "you choose" listings, but I want list some more creative listings. Any ideas???

Congratulations to Foxytix!

2008-12-13T13:23:00.000-08:00

I just want to congratulate Foxytix on winning my blog giveaway! Way to go!

Finals are finally done. Whoohoo! So far I've gotten an A in Sociology, that's the only grade that's posted. It feels so weird to be at home and not have any homework to do.

I have a few new listings up, you may want to go check those out. I'm very happy I've passed the 50 sales mark! I hope they keep going up. I had a listing that was very popular so I think I'm going to recreate it, but with different bows. I'll be sure to post pictures when I do. I also have a "choose your own" listing where there are 94 different clips you can choose to make a set.

I think I may also do one with pinwheel bows and pigtail bows. I have one up for ladybugs, but no one has taken a bite on that one.

So my question is, what would you guys like to see more of?

Another sale??! WHA?!?!?!?!

2008-12-10T12:56:00.000-08:00

In celebration of the semester ending and living through finals, I will be having a BOGO 1/2 sale tomorrow! (The second item being of equal or lesser value). And if you buy $25 or more, I will ship for free!

This semester has been very stressful here at the end, so I want to celebrate! Pass the word on!

Kelsey

This would be so great for when Eric deploys!

2008-12-09T20:23:00.000-08:00

MommyDaddyBlog.com is giving away an HP Photosmart A826 Photo Printer as part of their Three Gs For The Holidays event! Click on over right now to get in on fun giveaways, get shopping ideas from their Gift Guide, and learn how you can help children in need this holiday season!

Shop Giveaway! Now through Dec 13!

2008-12-07T13:39:00.000-08:00

I am doing my very FIRST shop giveaway!

I will be giving away the very popular Set of Three Bug Bows! I am ending this giveaway on the 13th so that it hopefully will get to you before Christmas! (No garuntees due to living in AK) =)

To enter:
Go to my Etsy shop: http://www.bowsforbaby.etsy.com
Leave a comment here about my shop. It can be which item is your favorite, or what I can improve on, or even other items you'd like me to offer.
You may enter between now and December 13. I will draw a winner on Dec 14 and contact that person for their prize. I will ship the item as soon as I get the shipping information from the winner! If you have an Etsy shop I will do a promotion of that shop in my blog. Please spread the word!

Entry Form
Your Name:
Your Etsy Shop Link:
Your Email Address:
Comment:

Procrastination is a Disease!

2008-12-06T22:03:00.000-08:00

I should so be studying for my history final that's on Monday, but it's so boring I'm losing my mind! So instead I'm updating this. :)

My craft show was a BUST today. I couldn't believe it. I thought it would be great because there seemed to be a lot of advertising and it was sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce of Eagle River. HA! What a joke. I barely made back my booth fee.

So now, I think I'm going to just list some really GREAT deals on Etsy. :) I have a whole box full of the crochet kufi beanies and crochet headbands are coming out of my ears. Look for deals in my shop coming soon! I am also going to be posting these wonderful clippies soon as well.

I received my SplatMat from Jenn today (JazzyJemz). It is so wonderful! My husband thinks it's even greater than I do. :) This will save us from constantly having to rearrange the rug and have our dinner table slowely creep it's way out of place. It's so easy to clean and has so many different uses. Jenn's are priced very reasonably and she does WONDERFUL workmanship. She has some other wonderful creations in her store such as crayon rolls, nursing covers, diaper stackers, blankets, iSpy games, onsies, booties, holiday decor, and mama's helper clips.
Here is the mat underneath Brooke's booster chair.

Ok, I should be getting back to studying. Anyone want to come take this final for me? I'll give you a free bow! Haha

I LOVE Etsy!

2008-12-05T20:57:00.000-08:00

Can I just tell you how much I love Etsy? My sales have been picking up and that makes me so happy!

A couple posts ago I wrote about a WONDERFUL Etsian SweetGracies. I had put an Alchemy up looking for Christmas stockings, and SweetGracies had replied that she wanted to send me a gift for my daughter as thanks for my husband serving. Her kindness and thoughtfulness touched my heart. I picked out a cute little cupcake apron set and I received it in the mail today! Along with the apron, she sent me some gourmet hot cocoa! We need more kind souls and hearts like Kathryn (SweetGracies) in the world. I want to post pictures of Brooke in her apron because she looks so sweet! Now she can help Grandma bake over the holidays in style!

Doesn't she look ADORABLE? You guys need to go check out her shop, she has a lot of WONDERFUL items for sale. She is VERY talented!

I have been working on getting ready for my craft show tomorrow. I have listing some new things, and the trio of bug bows have been selling like hotcakes! Everytime I relist them, they sell within a day or two. I also got a whole bunch of saddle stitch ribbon and plan on listing those tomorrow or so. I love the Christmas set of green and red clips.

Alright kids. Eric wants to watch a movie I bought him. We've been putting it off the past few nights because I've been studying, but he's getting cranky so I have to indulge him. I'll be gluing some clips while I watch it, multi-tasking seems to be constant in my life these days. =)

New Shop/ Banner Design

2008-12-02T16:44:00.000-08:00

I blogged about it yesterday, but I wanted to show off the finished product! I put in a custom request for a shop package and chose a wonderful Etsian to do the job! I gave 5StarDesign certain colors to work from, and she turned them into something amazing! I guess my request inspired her to list a similar package in her shop, so you should go check her out and utilize her services! She is very attentive, listens to what you envision, sends over proofs and then tweaks whatever needs tweaking! I am kind of a detail oriented person, so I had her tweak and retweak, but in the end chose her original designs. She just knows what looks best! She has a lot more than just shop packages, so check out her shop and you won't be dissapointed! Also, if you would like to see more of her work, just check out her blog where you can browse many different projects shes completed!

Added a couple of new listings

2008-12-01T11:36:00.000-08:00

I added a few new listings. I went simplier because it seems like people like the simple clips, so I'm trying to conform to the demand. I hope they sell well, because I could really use the ego boost. But I know there are a lot of people selling hair bows on Etsy, so there is a lot of competition, I just wish I could find my niche.

Here is a set of a simple clip and ladybug bow. I think they compliment each other nicely.
Listing in my shop.

Here is a set of three bold colored simple clips. I like the "wow" factor of the colors and I think they set each other off very nicely. Listing in my shop.

And finally, an adorable set of bug bows. There is a traditional ladybug, a bumblebee, and a brown with pink dots ladybug. This has a good color variety and make little girl's hair look so cute. Listing in my shop.

I will have some wonderful Etsy shops to blog about later. I had 5StarDesign make me a new Etsy shop banner, avatar and business card set. She has done a wonderful job and I can't wait to put them up! You can see some other graphics she's done by going to her blog.

I have also ordered custom Christmas stockings from DCMalecha and found her through Alchemy. I will post pictures as soon as they get to me!

While looking for someone to make my family stockings, a wonderful lady, SweetGracies, offered to send me something from her shop for my daughter. I took a look at all of her wonderful things and found this for Brooke. She will look so stinking cute helping Grandma bake when she comes to visit us over the holidays. When I get it, I will post pictures. You really should go check her shop out, she has some wonderful items!!!

Added Some Links

2008-11-29T19:46:00.001-08:00

I added some links on the left side that I think you should check out.

The first one is for a site called Own the Hour. It's an Etsy shop promotion tool. You can buy an advertising spot for only $.50 and it's up for one hour. We really need to get the word out about this because I think this is a great way to not only promote our shops, but Etsy in general. And it's cheap! Go to www.ownthehour.com to check it out!

MommyDaddyBlog.com is giving away a Clickfree Portable Backup 160GB External Hard Drive as part of their Three Gs For The Holidays event! Click on over right now to get in on fun giveaways, get shopping ideas from their Gift Guide, and learn how you can help children in need this holiday season!

And the third is for a new PayPal like site. It's called Revolution Money Exchange. It's a lot like paypal, but you don't pay any fees to send or receive money! Unlike PayPal, they don't take out fees for receiving money, which is nice. If you have a website and sell things off of there, it also has buttons you can put near your merchandise so they can just buy it from there! Isn't that neato?

I've been working on some new stuff. Well, not really working on...But I ordered some crochet headbands for my craft show and got them in the mail today! I posted a couple on Etsy, but I just wanted to show you guys how cute they are with a bow! The back of my daughter's head is shaped like mine, so we don't wear headbands very well, but they stayed in place long enough for me to get a couple of example pictures.

That's all I have for now!!! Remember, I'm extending my Etsy Sale until Monday night. So go check out my shop and receive 15% off of everything and FREE shipping on orders over $25!

Black Friday

2008-11-28T20:35:00.001-08:00

So...My sale didn't go so well today. I didn't sell a DANG thing. Because of this, I have extended my sale until Monday night. Apparently, Monday is known as "Cyber Monday" so that's why I'm prolonging the sale.

I did buy a new splat mat from JazzyJemz. These are GREAT for babies and toddler. They wipe off easily, keep you from vacuuming after every meal and keep stains off of the carpet! You should go check her store out, she has some REALLY amazing products!

This next week I'm really going to work on building my inventory for the craft show next weekend. However, I have been finding a lot of craft shows going on next weekend, so hopefully there will be a good turn out at the one I'll be at. Wish me luck! We need spending money for Christmas! Haha.

Happy Turkey Day!

2008-11-27T10:23:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!! My husband came home yesterday from NTC, so we get to spend Thanksgiving as a family.

I've been working on a lot of new stuff. I have a craft show on December 6th, so I have had to restock my inventory. This one is going to be at a mall, so there will be a lot of foot traffic. I'm hoping to make enough money for Christmas. I am doing this craft show with my regular partner in crime Jen (JazzyJemz: www.jazzyjemz.etsy.com). We bought two booths so we have a lot of room.

Here are some pictures of new things I've been making. The pink beanie with brown and pink flower sold out fast. I only had it listed for a couple of days and it sold. Then I got a message from a buy asking if I could duplicate it because she had wanted to buy it, but it sold before she bought it. So I remade the bow and she snatched it right up!

I was also able to braid Brooke's hair into pigtails, and then I added some bow, and the result was absolutely adorable!

2008-11-19T11:22:00.000-08:00

I haven't been doing a lot of crafting lately. It' hard to get things done with you don't have a lot of free time. I've been so busy with school and Brooke, it leaves little time to get any bows done.

But now I have a reason to! My friend Jenn and I are going to do another craft show together. We're doing one in Eagle River and I think it will be pretty big. I have some inventory left over from the Rich one, but I have to make up some more small pinwheel bows, ladybugs, dragonflies, butterflies and Christmas Trees! I have all of Thanksgiving break to work on them, I think I may work on some this weekend as well. I ordered a whole bunch of new 7/8 inch ribbon so I hope they send that soon. I know it's getting close to the holidays so shipping my be a little delayed. I think I'm going to work up some pacifier clips as well, so I will have bows, beanie caps, and pacifier clips. I hope I can make a killing because then Christmas shopping will be a lot easier. :)

I really don't have much to say, sorry about the lack of updating. :)

Cafemom Etsy Black Friday Sale!!!

2008-11-16T17:33:00.000-08:00

Please check out my fellow CafeMom's who have sales in their Etsy stores on Black Friday! I am in there as well. 15% off everything plus free shipping for orders over $25!

CAFEMOM ETSY MOMS
BLACK FRIDAY SALE
_________________________

20% off of one item and Free Shipping off of orders over $40!
http://www.hopscotchsquare.etsy.com/

15% off of all items
http://www.turtlemommy.etsy.com/

Free shipping on all: Sensory blankets, Twisty Towels,
Baby Bibs, and Cloth Wipes. Black Friday Only.
Shipping will already be adjusted.
http://www.mamaslittlemonkeys.etsy.com/

Free shipping on all single flower pens. 20% off pen bouquets.
Black Friday only. Prices will already be adjusted.
http://www.fleurdeink.etsy.com/

15% off entire store
http://www.createmeacanvas.etsy.com/

20% off entire shop. Free shipping on orders over $50. Value packs
will be offered this day only on my Boobie Brigade Collection: Buy a
nursing cover, get a FREE pair of bamboo lined nursing pads milk minders
with paid order.
http://www.jazzyjemz.etsy.com/

Black Friday Sale. 20% off all items in store and
free shipping on orders over $50.
http://www.childishthoughts.etsy.com/

Free Shipping!
http://www.beautifulbowbaby.etsy.com/

15% off my entire store and free shipping for orders over $25
http://www.bowsforbaby.etsy.com/

Free shipping!
http://www.keepsakesbyjanell.etsy.com/

Free shipping on all orders!
http://www.stitchnlove.etsy.com/

For Black Friday Only: 20% off of all items. Free shipping on all purchases over $40.
http://www.ohhsopretty.etsy.com/

15% off everything in my store (even deeper discount on SALE items) and get a free
surprise tuxedo bow with every order! Must put CEM in the message to seller upon
checkout and wait for a revised invoice.
http://www.shelleybeansboutique.etsy.com/

Free shipping on everything and then 10% off of $50 order
http://www.outoftheboxx.etsy.com/

10% off of everything in my store and free shipping on orders over $25. Use code
BLKFRI in the message to seller at checkout and wait for a new invoice.
http://www.tarastieups.etsy.com/

Free shipping on all orders over $20. 10% off entire shop. Black Friday - Sunday only.
http://www.seemommysew.etsy.com/

Black Friday only: 40% off everything in both of my shops. No minimum purchase required.
S & H not included. Must enter promo: Black Friday in notes to seller at checkout for discount.
http://www.jacquijcrochet.etsy.com/
http://www.shutterbuys.etsy.com/

All earrings are only $4. Plus bracelets are on sale too, and everything comes gift-wrapped.
http://www.brocklee.etsy.com/

15% off of everything. Shipping not included, must put CEM in message to seller and wait
for revised invoice.
http://www.donotdisturb.etsy.com/

Free shipping as always. 10% off of everything on Black Friday. Please mention when
ordering to get discount.
http://www.madebyjade.etsy.com/

10% off total order not including shipping (wait for revised invoice). Plus free bow with
every order.
http://www.beacreative.etsy.com/

20% off all items in store. Prices will already be adjusted.
http://www.luminiousmom.etsy.com/

Free Shipping! 10% off total order on Black Friday.
http://www.jesscreations.etsy.com/

Black Friday Only. All sock monkeys, sock plushies, and more will be ON SALE!
http://www.eleganthobbies.etsy.com/

15% off entire store. Black Friday only!
http://www.momofmak.etsy.com/

Black Friday sale. 20% off all items, not including shipping.
http://www.tjb1127.etsy.com/

15% off all in-stock items. Free shipping on ANY order over $29.
http://www.dawnberries.etsy.com/

Buy 2, get the 3rd half off.
http://www.mommyslittlehelper.etsy.com/

Free shipping
http://www.1maddieandme.etsy.com/

Buy two, get one free
http://www.ollieollie.etsy.com/

Hair pretties, children's jewelry, & key fobs. Black Friday sale. Take 20% off total purchase
(excluding shipping) and FREE shipping on orders over $10. Order between midnight the 27th until noon the 28th to receive the discount. Amount will be refunded after payment is made.
http://www.sweetsoutherndesign.etsy.com/

Black Friday Only! 10% off my entire store, and FREE shipping on all orders $40 or more (before shipping)
http://www.smox.etsy.com/

25% off listed prices AND free shipping on all orders over $50
http://www.hecates.etsy.com/

15% off all items and free shipping on orders $25 or more.
http://www.preciousangelbows.etsy.com/

10% off all items and free shipping (within the US) for orders $25 and over. CEMBF in
in notes to seller.
http://www.cozycabinmom.etsy.com/

Black Friday Only. 10% off my entire store, and FREE shipping on all orders $25 or more (before shipping).
http://www.shopdavinia.etsy.com/

20% off and free shipping. Prices and shipping will be adjusted to reflect sale price
and free shipping.
http://www.queenbeebows.etsy.com/

50% off all full size Puzzle Ball Christmas Ornaments (sale does not apply to mini-puzzle ball
ornaments) 50% off all pocket mirrors and keychains.
http://www.donnapool.etsy.com/

Black Friday 11/28- Receive free shipping (US ORDERS ONLY) and half off international shipping. Please wait for an updated invoice before paying! *Bonus* Receive a free clip set with minimum $10 purchase in addition to shipping discounts.
Saturday & Sunday 11/28-11/29 - Free clip set with any purchase of $10 and higher.
http://www.manda5462.etsy.com/

Spa sets are back! Just in time for the holidays! For Black Friday only, these sets will be listed for $15! (Will be $25 after that)
http://www.bigblueeyes.etsy.com/

10% off (excluding shipping)
http://www.time4muzic.etsy.com/

15% on all orders! Free shipping on all orders over $50, before shipping. Free matching barrette with any tutu order.
http://www.bundlemeboutique.etsy.com/

Free shipping on orders over $20.
http://www.frecklesgalore.etsy.com/

Free shipping on orders over $50 (before shipping. Free shipping to Silicon Valley everyday)
Buy three, get one mystery bath bomb free.
http://www.magnifique.etsy.com/

25% off and free shipping on orders over $50.
http://www.kenziewenzieboutique.etsy.com/

20% off entire order (excluding shipping) Black Friday thru Cyber Monday
www.tiarastutus.etsy.com

Black Friday only-Free shipping in US. Half off shipping International shipping.
www.lovetostamp.etsy.com

Friday 28th & Sat 29th - Buy one, get one 1/2 off all items, including custom orders. Excludes gift certificates.
www.starwalkerboutique.etsy.com

10% off all items, excluding shipping. Please wait for a revised invoice.
www.badcatjewelry.etsy.com

2008-11-11T11:35:00.000-08:00

I started making pacifier clips. It took me a while to get the hang of the snaps, but I figured out a method that works. They are turning out really cute. I have some listed on Etsy, but I think I may send a bunch down to the boutique in Louisiana.

I also make an adorable Turkey clip now! Brooke will be wearing this on Thanksgiving. They sold out at my craft show so they were very popular. I have him listed on Etsy as well.

I found some adorable ribbon at JoAnn for a dollar a piece, so I had to pick a few spools up and make some simple clips with them. They turned out SUPER cute. They too are listed on Etsy.

And then I just made another stacked pinwheel bow for the heck of it. I like pink so I thought this turned out really cute. This one is listed on Etsy as well.

And now for the good stuff! On Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) I will be having a sale along with the rest of my fellow Cafemom Team! All orders receive 15% off and FREE SHIPPING with orders over $25!!! It's a can't miss sale!!!! Make sure you check out the other Cafemom Etsy sales. Just click the link and it will take you to all the shops that are participating in the Black Friday Sale.

That's about it! Make sure you check out my personal blog if you want. A Little Bit of Me...Uncensored.

2008-10-24T11:07:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't updated in quite a while. It's been a madhouse around here!

School has been going well. My classes aren't leaving me with a lot of downtime. The homework is picking up and the content is getting more detailed. I've been for the most part, doing pretty well in them. Sociology is by far the easiest. All our grade depends on are 5 take home exams and attendance. I've completed and turned in two exams already, doing much better on the first one than the second one. But I've only missed one class, so my grade should be pretty decent. My history class is, well, a history class. I didn't do too well on my first paper so I wasn't expecting much from my mid-term. BUT, I got it back last week and got a B+! I was so pleasantly surprised...We have another paper coming up that I need to do better on. My Humanities class is very involved. We've done a lot for that class already and still have a whole lot to do. We've already completed 2 concept papers (a third was turned in a couple classes ago, still waiting on getting that one returned), 1 presentation with another coming up next Thursday and then we have to do a final project. CRAP. I have a faint idea on what my final project is going to be on, but I have no clue where to start. YIKES! My psychology class is by far the most complicated. There is so much to learn in such a short time. Right now my grade stands at a C+, but hopefully that will go up after our next exam, which happens to be a take home! But other than that...

Eric leaves on Monday for a whole month. He's going to NTC in CA to train for his upcoming deployment. So I get to more or less, finish out this semester alone. This should be interesting.

I entered Brooke into the GapKids casting call. We're supposed to hear from them next week if she gets chosen. There were a lot of applicants, so she would really have to stand out. She's a pretty cute stinkin kid, but I'm sure there's a lot that were entered as well. I hope that she gets chosen, it would be fun to fly to CA and have her do a professional photoshoot. Plus, I've never been to CA, so it would be a great experience.

Along with school, Brooke and the rest of my life, I've been working frantically on hair bows. I sent all my premade bows to Rustic Star (a boutique) in Louisiana. Then I read about a craft show that was coming up and wanted to try my hand at that, so I had to start from scratch. I made about $600 worth of bows in two and a half weeks. The craft show was last weekend and kind of a bust. First, it was about 20 miles from where we live at a high school. It was poorly advertised so not a lot of people came. The great part was I shared a booth with a really awesome girl and we had a blast. The time went by quickly and I did make some money. Next weekend I'm doing another one with her, the Fort Richardson craft show which is a lot bigger than the one I just did. We're sharing a booth again which will be nice because then if one of us has to leave the booth for a short amount of time, there's someone there to hold the fort down. I've been trying to build my inventory up a little more so I have a lot of things to choose from. And I'll be taking custom orders. I hope it goes well, we could really use the $. That same weekend, the Fort Polk craft share is happening, so the owner of Rustic Star is going to bring all my bows to that and sell them. Hopefully things go over well and I walk away a winner! Haha.

I've added some photos of recent bows I've done. I think they've turned out really cute.

These are just simple clips. I got some new printed ribbon in which is adorable.

I love these too. These are just small little baby boutique bows. More elaborate than the simple clips and oh too cute!

These are some stacked pinwheel bows. I like these because they're not TOO big but just big enough.

And my favorite. A new trend has been the crochet beanies. So I thought I would try them out. I ordered a whole bunch from a lady off of Etsy and she ships very quick. The great thing is, you can attach different bows to the beanie so they're very versatile.
This is my daughter modeling some of them. I got the colors black, white, brown, pink, shocking pink, and have coming regular pink and red. I hope these sell well at the show!

Well, I think that just about does it for me. Eric and Brooke are going to run and get some pumpkins so we can carve them. :)

2008-10-06T12:02:00.000-07:00

So, I need to find a new daycare provider in the next couple of weeks. My current provider EMAILED me to let me know she wouldn't be able to watch Brooke after my prepaid days had run out. I have one issue with this, don't email me. The proper thing to do was to call me and let me know personally. Not leave me a message on MySpace so she's able to check to see if I'd read it. So now, the search starts all over again. I am meeting with a lady sometime this week, so hopefully I'll like her. I hate looking for day cares because I'm so picky. I thought this one was going to be a long term deal, but apparently not.

So my bows are selling well at Rustic Star. Within the couple of weeks they've been there, I've sold close to $50. And most of those bows were my not so best ones. :) I sent two huge boxes of bows to her last week, so hopefully they'll get to her soon and they'll sell well! I'm really excited about this place so hopefully it will work out well.

My in-laws booked their flight to Anchorage. They arrive on the 18th of December and leave on the 28th. I'm really excited to see them, but I'm a little nervous to have 4 extra people in our house. Granted our house is a lot bigger than our last place, but we've never hosted this many people at one time for several consecutive days.

I did a lot of homework this weekend. I got all my notes taken on Chapter 7 in Psychology. My grade on my test went down by 3 points, how that's possible I'm not quite sure. Now my grade stand at a high C+. Hopefully with my next test, it will go up into the B range. I have a lot of history studying to do this week. My midterm is a week from today. I got about 1/4 of the questions answered. They're not too hard and pretty straight forward so...It's just tedious. I took Saturday night off from doing any homework. It was so nice. I got all caught up on 90210 and America's Next Top Model. Thank goodness for DVR. Tonight is Prison Break and Gossip Girl. I love having the CW here. My guilty pleasure are shows like One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl, America's Next Top Model, etc... My husband and I found a new show we really like. The Ex-List started last Friday and it is too adorable! He even likes it, but I'm not allowed to tell anyone. :)

Ok. Off to go get my angel bean from day care. :)

2008-10-01T10:52:00.001-07:00

I'm sitting in History with 10 minutes until class starts, we'll see how much I can can update.

I have so much homework to do this weekend, and now Eric has staff duty all day Saturday. Which is ridiculous because he just had it a couple of weeks ago. Retarded. So now I have to cram everything into this afternoon, all day tomorrow and Sunday. It wouldn't normally be a huge deal, but I have so much to do. I have a Sociology exam, study for my history mid-term, finish taking notes on chapter 6 and then take notes on all of chapter 7 for psychology and re-write my humanities paper completely. Sociology I can put off till later because it's not due until a week from today, and my history midterm isn't for another couple of weeks, but there's so many levels to it and she's such a tough grader that I have to make sure I'm completely thorough. Psychology takes the longest because there's so much to read and take notes on. And on top of that I'm entertaining doing a craft show in a couple of weeks. It's $50 to rent a booth, so I'm a little apprehensive. I think I would be able to make that back if there were the right people in attendance. I'm going to talk to Eric about it and see what he thinks. If I really put my mind into it, I could probably rake in about $300 which would be a nice chunk of change. I would really have to bare down and start making them though.

I started a journal for Brooke last night. I bought a journal yesterday and am going to write in it for her to read when she gets older. I think it will be neat for her to go back and read what was going on throughout her life. That way she can read it, remember bits and pieces and the journal should be able to fill in the blanks for her. I'm not much of a scrapper or baby booker so this will be a way for her to look into her childhood.

Alright, history class is starting, I should pay attention. :)

I'm brain dead...

2008-09-28T19:02:00.000-07:00

I was completely brain dead yesterday, so I got no homework done what so ever. So that meant I had to do it al today. Yuck. And now I am even more brain dead than before. I wrote my second concept paper for humanities, but I don't think it's as good as the first. It was hard to write it on a sonnet, we'll see how well I do though. I still don't know how we did on our presentation, so I'm waiting for that grade as well.

I did get some bows done. Aren't they cute? I made a whole bunch of bows for Rustic Star and husband went and mailed them yesterday! I hope they do well. I guess she sold about $40 worth within the first week. I sent a whole bunch of LSU bows so hopefully those will do well.

Eric has Thursday and Friday off. So Brooke can stay home with daddy while I'm at school. I like that because then I don't have to fight traffic on the way to her daycare and then fight traffic going to school.

Alright, I should get going. :) Check out my bows below!