Happy 5th Birthday Jack

 

My Jack Jack is 5 today….. FIVE!!  He was supposed to be my baby, my last, my finale.  We tried for over a year to get pregnant with him.  I remember month after month after month of frustration and meltdowns.  People would say, “At least you have a boy and a girl already,” “why tempt fate when you have two healthy children,” blah, blah, blah.  I wanted needed another baby to complete my family.  I was going to get to stay home with him (I worked 2,3, sometimes 4 jobs when Max and Emily were little) and experience every milestone that I  missed with the others.  My baby….

Now he’s five…. and he’s not my baby, my last as I had planned.  I cannot and do not want to ever fathom my life without Finley, but I feel that I have let my Jack down by not having enough time, energy, or emotion for him when he needs it.  He is my most demanding child and I become frustrated with him easily at times…. GUILT!!  I can’t help but think that I wouldn’t get so frustrated if he would have been the baby.  I know God’s plan is perfect and my family of six is the way it is supposed to be!!

Please don’t misunderstand this post… I LOVE EVERY ONE OF MY CHILDREN irrevocably, unconditionally, and enduringly (just to name a few).  Sometimes, as a mom, I just feel inadequate to meet their needs, wants, and dreams in life.  Sigh….

Pom Pom Bib Necklace Part 2

 

I think I have a recurring theme here lately… breaking my posts into part 1 and part 2…  Hmmmmm.  Anyways, here is the rest of my “Ode to Little Miss Momma…”   my completed necklace!!  I really really LURVE how it turned out… I want to make one with burlap and pearls next.  I have it all planned out in my head, but my projects don’t always turn out exactly the way I think they should.  Maybe karma will be nice to me on the day I undertake the burlap project though. :)

 

I made this headband as well (using Ashley’s tutorial of course) and I love it!  I don’t even really wear headbands, but this one is so darn cute. (Maybe I think it’s cute because I made it, who knows?)  It’s a bit loud and gaudy, but we all need that from time to time, don’t we?

So, if you haven’t tried one of these tutorials yet, DO IT!!  I’m telling you, they are both easy peasy with fabulous results…. way high impact.  Don’t forget to give me some comment love or shoot me an email when you do so I can celebrate with you.

Pom Pom Bib Necklace from Little Miss Momma!

I’ve been wanting to try this tutorial from Little Miss Momma since I first saw it!!  It’s super cute and the possibilities are truly limitless.  I had to wait for the ice to melt so I could get out to the store for supplies though…. :(  Right now, Ashley is hosting a Linkey Party for all of us who have tried her Pom Pom Bib Necklace tutorial (there’s a link to this tutorial under my “helpful links” badge to the right).  She also offers a tutorial for making awesome pom pom headbands.

 

Emily really needed some mommy time this afternoon, so we made pom pom bib necklaces together!  I helped her with her first pom pom, gluing the completed poms to the felt, and cutting the chain.  She did everything else… and I must say, I really think she ROCKED it!

Here she is hard at work.  She is 8 and this project was perfect for her.  I really think the next time she makes one, she will be able to do it all on her own.  She already wants to make a pom pom hair scrunchie to match her new necklace.

I just love that kid!!

Here’s a little sneak peak of my bib necklace…. more to follow in my next post!!

So, WHAT are you waiting for??  Get started on your own bib necklace, link up your finished project on LMM, and drop me a comment or email so I can check it out!

Scarves Part 2 (as promised!)

Now, back to business…

This scarf is my favorite by far!!  It was a bit more time consuming than the straight out embroidered/monogrammed ones, but oh so fun to make. :)

Here’s a sampling of the scarves I made mostly for teachers…

Here are the scarves I made for my mom, aunt, and grandmother so they can all match!

Here are Em and Jack sport their Christmas presents in the snow. :)

I’m thinking of making a tutorial on how to make these pretties.  They are SUPER easy to make and quick to whip up when you need them!

Scarves and Jewelry

I had planned on blogging about my craftiness leading up to the holiday season due to the fact that I haven’t done a whole heck of a lot of crafty posts as of late….  I became a wee bit sidetracked, however, and had a TON of fun taking pics in the process!!  I ended up making scarves, scarves, and more scarves for just about everyone on my gift list this year… I even made one for myself!

Here is the peace sign scarf I made for Emily and another shot of the green one I did for myself.  I even tagged each one with my Liberty Original label for that “professional look.”

While I was playing with my camera (um I mean taking pictures for this post), the USPS brought a loverly pkg to my front door… My Stella and Dot jewelry arrived!! 

  And as you can probably tell, I really enjoyed playing dress up with my new goods. :))  Aren’t these necklaces just to die for?  I want to wear the cascading chain necklace with every outfit!  I really like the way you can layer their pieces to create your own look.

I learned how to make these really fabulous collages with my Photobucket account…

 

Aren’t they great?!?  Since I got sidetracked, I will have to make a “Scarves Part 2” post so I can actually show you the rest of my sweet little prizes that I made.  I don’t know that I will ever be able to write another post without organizing my pics into one of these beauties!!

Stylish Blogger Award

 

Many thanks to Jen over at Petite Hermine for giving me the Stylish Blogger Award!!  I recently found her blog via Blog Frog and absolute LOVE her style and her etsy shop!

So, I shall follow the rules and tell you 7 things about my self while awarding this to 15 other newly discovered blogs.  I must not forget to link everybody so you can check them out.

7 THINGS ABOUT ME:

~ I love my children more than I love life itself… I realize this sounds a little twisted, but I’m just being honest here

~ I think black nail polish is pretty and the fact that I like to wear black nail polish doesn’t mean that I’ve gone over to the dark side

~My absolute favorite candy is Laffy Taffy… seriously, if there is any in my house, I have to eat it immediately.  This includes confiscating it from Halloween candy!!

~ Love, Love, LOVE to sew and embroider…. I wish I could do it everyday and avoid other time wasters (ie paying bills, cleaning my house, taking the time to eat properly)

~ I wish my sister and I lived in the same city… heck I would settle for the same state!

~ I put on a tough act sometimes, but I’m a true romantic at heart

~ I like to say a little prayer whenever I’m making something… I pray that God will watch over the person who receives my Liberty Original and will grant them peace in their heart

10 STYLISH BLOGS:

Little Miss Momma

Carried Through Grief

Sandbox Gems

Riding the Rollercoaster

Miss Val’s Creations

Mothering Mayhem

The Mad White Woman

Speaking Thru Me

Deep Thoughts By Cynthia

Sparkles and Fairytales

Soooooo, I fully realize that I only listed 10 blogs instead of 15…  In keeping with my NYR to Make The Effort even if things are not perfect, I’m meeting my personal deadline and publishing this post!!  How do you like THOSE apples? :)

Make the Effort

 

So, it may seem sort of mundane, but I’ve decided on one resolution for 2011:

Make the Effort

So often I don’t even try something because I’m afraid I won’t be able to do it perfectly.  I don’t let the kids have friends over because the house isn’t clean or I’m afraid the other child won’t have a good time.  I don’t start a project for fear of messing it up.  I tend to stick with what is comfortable to me… what I know that I can complete successfully. 

So, I promise to make the effort this year and break out of my box… for my children, for my friends,  for me. 

Clipart in the post courtesy of The Graphics Fairy

Adieu, Adieu

 

Although I am ready for 2010 to be over, I do have some happy memories that have occurred over the past year.   I do believe this is the most personal I have ever been on my blog!

 Things I want to remember

{1} “Honeymoon” in Jamaica (after 12 years of marriage)… we even renewed our vows!

{2} Watching my kids grow and mature

    

{3} My friends and family that have supported me

Now, for my things that I am READY to forget

{1} The personal strife that affected me the first half of the year…

Embroidery design from Urban Threads

{2} My neck surgery where cervical discs 5 and 6 were fused together, the pain that led up to the surgery, and the recovery afterwards…

{3} The pain of watching dear friends bury a child…

{4} All the negativity in my life…

So, adieu adieu 2010… you will not return again.

 

I’m STILL working on those resolutions…  but, I have a good vibe about this upcoming 2011! 

My Motto

 

So, I’m working on my last post of the year.  I’ve decided that I won’t be shedding any tears for dear old 2010…  In fact, I think I will say, “Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.”  Not very eloquent, I agree… but it does get my point across!!

Now, off to work on those lovely resolutions…

Peace…. Love…. Joy

 

Merry Christmas from my family to you this sacred day.  May you each find peace in your heart, joy in His gift, and love surrounding you this holiday season.  And, yes….. hubs pretty much always looks that grumpy in pictures.

RECAP OF CHRISTMAS MORNING….

Finley (2)wouldn’t even look at the Dinosaur Train guys Santa left for him…. all he wanted was Star Wars guys like his big brothers.  He did warm up to them after about 5 minutes… :)

Max (10) was completely stoked about his acoustic guitar and even graced us with a few strums of random notes.

Emily (8) was also happy with her zoobles and zooble world.  Little House on the Prairie seasons 1 and 8 surprised her in her stocking and she proved to be in utter bliss at this surprise. 

I was sooooo super excited for Jack (4) this Christmas.  He is completely into Star Wars like his older brother.  Santa brought him a gumball machine just like he asked.  He also wanted “Star Wars Guys.”  I found a ginormous AT-AT clone trooper vehicle at Target for him.  I just knew he was going to LURVE it more than life and have the best Christmas ever.  He plowed through his presents….. and instead of telling me I was the best Mommy ever after he opened his present that I had been so excited about, he burst into tears.   YES….. tears, sobs, full fledged sadness… his heart was broken…..  he didn’t get his Star Wars Guys…. SERIOUSLY?!?!?  I actually had to send him to his room so I didn’t ruin Christmas for the other kids with a very big scene.  My mom gave him 2 Star Wars guys, 1 Star Wars guy came in the AT-AT, he got a Star Wars gun, and a Star Wars game that came with 2 little Star Wars guys.  In his little 4 year old mind, that box that was as tall as he was, was FULL of Star Wars guys….  When it was a ship, he was devastated that he didn’t have a collection of Star Wars guys that could rival his brother’s.  I have to remind myself that he is only 4.  When he came back from his room, he did apologize and tell me that he loved all his presents.  I guess that’s what I get for patting myself on the back prematurely!!

They are all snuggled in bed soundly after a miraculous white Christmas in Northwest Georgia.  All that playing in the snow tired them completely. :)

More pics soon of the many Christmas presents I made this year.  I hope I’m not naive in thinking everyone liked them.  At least, they said they did anyway!!