Stalled

Posted in General Life, She's Crafty by

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Stalled. That is exactly how I am feeling right now. At least, creatively. I sit here at my work table staring out the window and listening to the rain patter against the pane, wasting precious nap-time freedom. I cannot get excited about any of the projects I currently have going, nor am I interested in starting something new. Everything is “Meh” to me. Soon, too soon, I will hear the rustle of stuffed animals and the babble that will turn into shouts of “Mom” over the monitor and I’ll be summoned back to the world of diapers and board books, cheerios and sippy cups, puzzle pieces and sticky fingers. Why am I wasting this precious time? Oh creative Muse, please push me forward and get me out of Neutral while I still have this moment to call my own.

April’s Birchbox

Posted in Fashion by

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  • Caudalie Divine Oil – This dry oil hydrates parched skin and disappears in seconds without any residual stickiness or oiliness. I’ve been using it on my cuticles, but I could see it working well for any overly dry areas. The scent is truly divine, with  notes of Moroccan and Bulgarian rose, grapefruit, vanilla, and subtle floral undertones, you could definitely use it in place of your regular scent.

  • Nexxus Youth Renewal – This product is supposed to combat signs of aging hair: volume loss, breakage, less shine, roughness, dryness, brittleness, unruliness and loss of color vibrancy. Now, I might have a few grays here and there (Thank you, Joseph and Shawn!) but I must say that my hair is in great condition already and not in any need of rejuvenating.
  • StriVectin-SD Eye Concentrate for Wrinkles – This product claims it reduces the appearance of wrinkles, diminishes dark under-eye circles, and keeps puffiness in check. Again, I’m not a dewy teenager anymore, but I’m not yet battling crows feet. Maybe some sleep-deprived circles. . . This is one of those products that needs two to eight weeks to show results. I’ll continue to use it to see if there is any difference and will let you know how it goes.
  • Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics – This balm is supposed to help diminish shine and add longevity to your make up. The long-lasting, dense formula soaks up excess surface oil and imparts a flattering, soft-focus finish. I’m not really too worried about shine right now, but I’m thinking this might come in handy as the temps rise.
  • Bonus Beauty Freebie: Weleda Body Lotion – I love this stuff! I’ve used this Swiss brand’s lotions before – they also make great baby products!- and this new collection of nourishing body lotions adds to their amazing line-up. Made with all-natural fruit extracts, the lightweight formula is loaded with rejuvenating ingredients that boost elasticity and protect skin against environmental aggressors. All of the scents were light and simple. They should sell this stuff in 55 gallon drums.

 

Anyone interested in signing up for a Birchbox? Please click here so I get points for the referral. Thanks a bunch!

Joseph 13 Months

Posted in Oh Baby by

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I’m not doing an “official” portrait any more, but I thought I’d still record his monthly photo and give a brief update on how he continues to grow and change.

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I’m a big boy now, over one year old! I had so much fun celebrating my birthday with my family and friends.

This month I’ve really improved in language and comprehension. I understand so much if what people say to me and can do many things when asked. I’m also adding new words to my vocabulary every day.

I love this warm weather because now I can go outside! Riding in my wagon and stroller are so much fun! I also love it when mom blows bubbles for me. I try really hard to do it, but mostly end up eating the bubble wand.

Books are still my jam, but a close second is playing music on my piano or record player and “dancing” to any music I hear. I can really groove!

Joseph’s First Birthday Party: Favors & Decorations

Posted in Oh Baby, She's Crafty by

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I’ve been meaning to share a bit of what I ended up doing for Joseph’s birthday party. For those of you that follow me on Pinterest, you might have noticed that we were having a “Friendly Monster” theme. I had an overwhelming amount of ideas for what to do. After considering the limited amount of time I had available, I distilled it down to these few things to focus on.

I made an “Adopt A Monster” bin, having each child bring home a little guy as part of the favor bag. I fell in love with this idea when I first saw it, and knew that if I only did one homemade thing for the party, this was it. I already had this pattern, and they were fairly quick to make. I decided to use fleece that I found in the remanent bin at JoAnn’s, however, these would be just as cute in different fabrics.

I also made up the “Monster Eggs” bags. I got a ton of jelly beans -yes, I picked out all of the black ones! – and portioned them out in glassine treat bags. Then I took some card stock and stamped the lettering on there, added a sticker, and voila!

I also made some of the garland to hang using this simple tutorial. I bought some tissue paper on clearance and used some yarn I had already on hand to string it up. Shawn and I got them all made in one evening watching TV. I was so happy with how it looked and it cost me pennies!

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Last but not least, I printed out each of Joe’s monthly photos and used spray adhesive to attach them to some canvases I got on sale at the craft store. Shawn and my dad hung them all for me using 3M hooks. I actually still have them up for right now, I love looking at them.

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All this being said, I really could have gone overboard on the craftiness. I think that is a side effect of Pinterest, all these wonderful ideas and beautiful photos, you get to the point where you think you are crazy if you DON’T make a million individual cupcakes and matching paper drinking straws to your homemade origami napkins. These are the things that I wanted to do, however I also augmented my decorating with store bought banners, balloons, and used fabric yardage as a table cloth. I also farmed out the food to a caterer (pasta and italian beef sandwiches) which cost less than buying everything and making it myself, not to mention saving me from a mental break down in the kitchen the night before the party while I wept into the spaghetti sauce. (Ahem. . . it’s happened.) I also ordered his cake from a bakery. I was getting where I was panicked about making it “perfect” and Shawn looked at me and said something along the lines of “You’re nuts, order a damn cake.” Thank God for that man. It was delicious and adorable and I didn’t have to freak out trying to make the monsters “cute enough” or that it would list to one side like a drunken sailor.

All in all, I was super happy with the party. All the people we love were there to help us celebrate Joseph’s first year and that is all that really mattered.

 

 

101 Things: 56. Buy a new mattress for our bed

Posted in 101 Things by

Hallelujah! I cannot explain to you the agony and torture that I’ve been going through sleeping on our current mattress. I’d prefer to sleep in a bag of sawdust on top of a pile of empty beer cans. Shawn and I went last weekend and picked out the new one and it’s being delivered today!

Dream Year 2013: March Re-cap

Posted in Dream Year 2013 by

March was a difficult month, let’s break it down and get on with April!

  • Mentally, it was a roller coaster. With the twins’ day, Joseph’s 1st birthday, and a 10 day trip out to my parents, I was feeling pretty mentally exhausted by the end of the month. Not to mention the crap weather we had, blue skies and normal spring temps will definitely elevate my mood.
  • Physically, I stink. I started out doing really well before we left for Chicago, but the wheels fell off by the time I got back. I’m trying not to beat myself up about this, but just going to move forward.
  • Good news, I finally got my shoes! (Let’s not discuss whether I’ve broken them in yet. Moving on.)
  • Relationship wise, I feel like I took out a lot of stress on Shawn this month, but we were able to turn things around towards the end. I think that there is a direct relation to the amount of time we spend together (without Joseph) be it hanging out watching Duck Dynasty or going out on our Date Nights and how well we do in general.
  • Craftiness was entirely spent on Joe’s birthday. I’ll share more about that soon, but let’s just say I am glad I have another 11 months before I have to do that again.

BTW: Shawn’s birthday was on the 28th, Happy Birthday to the best man I know. I love you, honey!

March’s Birchbox

Posted in Fashion by

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  • Caldera Body Lotion – I found this lotion to be moisturizing but not greasy and soaked into my skin quickly. I received three different scents, Tea Olive Lime, Aloe Water Apricot, and Coconut Fig. All three were very subtle, soft scents, not at all overpowering or overly sweet/floral.
  • Marcelle BB Cream Golden Glow – I felt like this was a bit too thick and didn’t spread easily, although the color matched my skin very well. I added a little of my moisturizer to thin it a bit and it went on great. However, I already have some of Smashbox’s BB cream that I prefer.
  • Whish Shave Crave Shaving Cream – Smelling overwhelmingly of blueberries, I wasn’t very impressed with this shave cream. Pretty average, I felt. Meh.
  • Serge Normant Meta Revive Dry Shampoo – This stuff scares me. I have really thick dark brown – almost black – hair that can get oily fairly quickly. I’m afraid that is would either make it feel gluey or that I dumped baby powder on my head. I’m still working up the nerve to try it. (Yes, I’m a chicken.)
  • Bonus Freebie: Madewell for Birchbox Nail Emery Board – This month Birchbox teamed up with Madewell and included these cute emery boards -plus $25 off any order of $75 or more!

Anyone interested in signing up for a Birchbox? Please click here so I get points for the referral. Thanks a bunch!