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Bueller? Bueller? Is anyone home? 18 Mar 2014 6:42 AM (11 years ago)

Somehow, in all the blogs in blogverse, this lil' ole one still gets some visitors, even though I haven't blogged in a year. Yikes. Thanks for the emails from some of you, asking if I'm still alive. Yes, I am. 

The kids are all doing well. Arielle is in 5th grade this year. Here she is with Wheezy and Titan. 















Jasmin is in 2nd grade this year. She's still not too cool for Mom to come to her school parties. 

















Ava is 3 now. No issues from her gastroschisis, which we're thankful for. She's as wild and crazy as ever. We registered her for pre-K next year, how is she old enough???











And last but not least, my youngest, Alli. She's 18 months old now. She's as sassy as they come, and I joke that if she was my first, she'd be the only one I'd have. She can be a pill most days, but I wouldn't trade her for the world, most days. 

Some days I'd trade her for a large sweet tea from McDonalds. 





We rescued a miniature dachshund a few months ago. She came from a puppy mill and spent her first two years of life in a rabbit cage, just having babies. She's super clingy and drive me insane most days, cause she's always up my butt, but she's my dog and I love her. Imagine my surprise when I took her to her pre-spay appt and the vet said she was pregnant? 



Of course, she went into labor on a Sunday. So 4 puppies, a trip to the emergency vet for an emergency c-section for the 5th stuck puppy (who we still lost), and here she was. My sister in law took the black and tan runt, and the piebald. Two other girlfriends took the other two puppies. They're all being spoiled rotten in their new homes. 




That's about it. Some random crafting here and there, still running my etsy shop, getting a few more tattoos, and trying to keep up with my heathens. That's about it folks. I'll try and get better about blogging, maybe it'll keep me accountable for the craft projects I have on the back burner. Thanks for thinking me me, folks! 

Ceiling tile mirror tutorial 28 Mar 2013 6:56 PM (12 years ago)

Thank you to a lovely reader, who's email reminded me that I needed to do a tutorial for my ceiling tile mirror, so here is it. 

I found these ceiling tiles at a huge flea market thing near Dallas called First Mondays. It's HUGE. Booths and booths and aisles and aisles of stuff for sale. Some craft stuff, lots of vintage, anything you can imagine. I found these for $6 a piece, but offered her $5, and she accepted. 

I went to Home Depot and picked up some 2x2's, which I think ran me $12 for 4 of them. My tiles were 12x12, so I built an outer frame that was 36x36 (of course, this measurement is going to depend on your tile size). Next, I made a grid on the inside, so that when I nailed in my tiles, I'd have something to attach it to. 



Yeah, see that extra piece on the left? That's there because I didn't put the wood in the right place, so the middle left tile didn't have anything to nail it into. No worries, I just added another piece of wood. It's a very forgiving project. 



Now, some of my tiles didn't match up exactly. I'll blame that on the tiles, instead of the more likely fact that my outer wood measurement probably wasn't perfect. So when I had it all assembled, you could see the wood in between some of the tiles. With the tile being super distressed, you wouldn't want to just put one color in there, or it'd be super obvious that you're faking it. So I loosely mixed together some similar colors, and dabbed it in the cracks. 



And seriously, when it's hanging on the wall, you cannot tell that I had to fudge it. At all. 

For the mirror, I just bought a 12 inch mirror from Michaels (don't forget that you can use a competitors coupon!) and some trim from Home Depot. Measure and cut that wood at a 45º angle. Attach with some glue, paint that bad boy, glue on the mirror. I just used wood glue to attach it to the tile, weighed down overnight with my kettlebell and my medicine ball on the corners. 



Don't feel like jacking with the trim and the mirror? I did see a square 13 inch mirror at Walmart for under $10. Grab that and slap that on instead. 

And here we are! Seriously, it might have been one of the easiest projects I've ever done. 

Creating With The Stars, Round 1. Whew! 13 Mar 2013 4:30 AM (12 years ago)

So, yours truly has made it past the first round of Creating With The Stars! Mine ranked 5th out of 12, which I'm happy with. I won't lose any sleep if I don't win the whole thing, but my goal was to make it past the first round. So woot! Mine was the "Tin Tile Mirror", and I'll be doing a tutorial here shortly. 

So now we're down to 9 bloggers, and the week's theme is "Knock Off". I think I've found my perfect project, and with encouragement from my blog star Jamielyn of I Heart Naptime, I'm getting started on it today. I have to admit, it's a little daunting. The project is due Saturday night, so one week after the first was due. But, I didn't want to start on a project if I wasn't advancing. Eek. Time to crank this out! 

Make sure you're voting! I'll be sure to post and let you know when and where to vote. We aren't allowed to tell you the project that is ours, so it's not a popularity contest (Whew, no more high school anxiety!). The projects are revealed Monday morning, and voting closes out on Tuesday night. Wish me luck! 

Creating With The Stars 2013 1 Mar 2013 6:05 AM (12 years ago)

Holy. Crap. I woke up this morning, expecting it to just be another day of changing diapers and catching up on Project Runway and Nashville. So there I was, scrolling through facebook, and I see a post that says 

"Yay! The contestants and their blog stars have been announced! It was such a hard decision- you guys are all so talented! Did YOU make it?"

So, I click on it, vaguely remembering that I entered my plank wall on a whim, never expecting to actually become a finalist. 

And out of 361 entries....



Holy. Crap. That is freaking awesome. The other finalists are some tough cookies, but I'm just honored to be chosen. I Heart Naptime is one of my favorite blogs, so I'm super duper excited to get to know Jamielyn better. 

I remember following along with the 2012 contest, and holy cow, I'm super excited. 

Each week will have a new theme, and the star will give ideas, suggestions and encouragement. The projects will then shown anonymously, so everyone is on a level playing field, which I love. 

Make sure you follow along with the fun!

My plank wall, finally 28 Jan 2013 4:31 AM (12 years ago)

Am I the only one who's been drooling over all the plank walls that pop up daily on Pinterest? I had plank walls pinned for forever, and a couple of months ago, showed it to hubby, totally expecting him to shoot it down (we don't exactly have the same decorating style. I like awesome stuff, and he likes the exact opposite). But somehow, we both agreed on this idea. Our finished project?

Before I started, I already knew the perfect wall for it. It's in our kitchen, viewable from the living room thanks to a very open floor plan. Most of the walls I saw online were either all white, or all wood tone. I wasn't sure which way to go, so thanks to the magic that is photoshop, I shopped them both up. 






First, I tried it with natural planks, but
there wasn't enough personality for me.










Yup, not feeling the white either. Yuck. 









So I talked to hubby about doing a mix of boards, almost like we found pieces of wood, each one a different paint/stain, and he agreed it was the personality I was looking for. 



There are enough plank tutorials online that I'm not going to walk you through every single step. Cut the wood, work your paint magic, nail it up. But a couple of helpful tips for ya. I got my wood at Home Depot, I believe it was called plywood sheeting. Anyway, it was $11-13 a sheet. Now, I will say to either A. pre-measure and make sure you buy enough wood in the first place, or B. pay attention to what wood you bought the first time so you can buy the same kind the next time. I did not buy enough wood the first time, so when I went back and got one more sheet, it was slightly thinner than my first set. But I rolled with it, and figured if I was going for the "reclaimed wood" look, then having them be different thicknesses wasn't a huge deal. You can kind of see it in this pic, the darker wood from the lower left corner, under the long, natural color plank is slightly thicker. But hey, we're going to roll with it. 




My boards were cut at 5 inches, across the 4 foot wide side (the wood I bought was 4x8). Now, it might be up to your Home Depot employee if they'll cut it at 5 inches. Their safety rules say that they can't, but after talking to a few employees, it basically came down to the employee and if they wanted to or not. 




I did not use any glue on this, figuring that if we ever got tired of it, or sold the house, I didn't want the wall to be ruined. What I did do is use screws and nails on each corner, and then I did a line of finishing nails where the studs were. Since it's cheaper wood, it did have a bit of a bow to it. No biggie. 




If you're totally organized, you could probably lay out all the wood in your garage, figure where each color should be, paint/stain/sand all the boards at one time, and then nail them up on the wall. I do not, however, work like that. I would do one line at a time, figure out what color I'd need next, and then paint/sand/stain/whatever. I did a mix of stained boards, boards left natural, some painted, some painted and sanded. Some of the boards came with some letters stamped on the wood, and yup, I left those on there. Plus, any of the wood that had knots in it I put knot side up. Again, personality and texture, right?




I do have one more thing to do to make this space "done". I bought this light fixture, and just need to have someone install it. Someone, meaning not me, since I want to move it over 6 inches so it's centered over the table, and ya know, don't want to get electrocuted or burn the house down. We're going for an "industrial chic" vibe in the house, so I thought this was perfect. 



And what's a good blog post without a photobomb by a certain husband when you're trying to take pics....



Nerd. 

Partying at craft-o-maniac. 

Merry Christmas! 27 Dec 2012 1:43 AM (12 years ago)

Did you have a good Christmas? We did. As a mom, I think I get more excited for the girls than I do for myself. 

The night before, we did our traditional Christmas Eve stuff. The girls opened a present (new pajamas), we made some hot chocolate, and then drove around and looked at Christmas lights. 

I've said it before, but I freaking love our neighborhood. At one house, there was a man and woman, dressed up as Mr and Mrs Claus, passing out homemade cookies. And at another house in the neighborhood, starting at Thanksgiving there is a mailbox for Santa, where you can drop off your letters to him. 















Santa will then write you back and drop it off in your mailbox. I love that each girl got a different letter, so it felt really personal. 







Christmas day started off with the girls opening up their stockings, and then moving on to their presents. The older girls are getting to the age where they love clothes, so it was fun seeing them try on their new clothes. 















Yup, she picked out that hat. Homegirl likes bright colors. 















Ava got a new hat too (I love owls!) and a new CD player, since she decided to break hers two days before Christmas. 









I had an awesome Christmas. A new fixed lens for my Nikon (a 50mm 1.8), a crap ton of gift cards to Home Goods, some new Doc Martens, and a Silhouette Cameo!


And somehow we ended up with a white Christmas in Texas! My girls lasted all of 20 minutes before they were whining to come back in.







The funny thing is that when the girls opened their new hats, my father in law was wondering when they would be able to actually wear them (heck, we were in the 70's a week ago) but they certainly came in handy today. 



Merry Christmas!

Fireplace mantle make over 4 Dec 2012 3:58 AM (12 years ago)

Yes! Finally a post from yours truly. No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. Just keeping busy with a 2 month who the past couple of days, has decided that the only way she can sleep is in my arms. 

Recently, I found a website called Houzz.com, which I love. There is a section called Design Dilemma, where you can post a picture or question about your house, and designers will weigh in with their suggestions. 

I've always had problems with my mantle decor. Like, I've never been able to figure it out. There are so many beautiful mantle decor pictures on Pinterest, and still, mine just looks like a catch all for whatever home decor crap I shove up there. 

So I posted my question on Houzz, and they all said the same thing. The mantle is too small and the wrong style for all the stone. I noticed on Pinterest, that whenever someone had a huge fireplace with a crap ton of stone, they all had a simple beam mantle. Found this blog post on pinterest, showed it to hubby, and he loved it. I was never able to find the thin veneer that she used, and the guy at Home Depot didn't know what it was, so I skipped that part. 

Now, apparently I've forgotten how to blog, since I didn't take half of the pics that I wanted. Lame, right?

First thing we did was pull down the top trim piece, which made a HUGE difference. Hubby and I have always hated it, but never thought to take it down. 







And can I just say, 12 feet doesn't sound that tall, but when you're up on a ladder, painting at 4 in the morning, it's pretty damn tall. 

Next I hit up Home Depot, and found some wood that I liked. It was called whitewood and I found it in the lumber section with all of the tall, straight boards. 



I made sure that the boards were straight and had some pretty knots in them. I had them all cut to 67 inches, which would give me 4 inches of room on each side when installed on my stone. I made sure to keep my scrap pieces, since I knew that I'd want to use the scrap piece of the 1x8 to cap off the sides. Then it was as simple and making a box. After I attached the 1x8's to the 1x10 with some wood glue and screws, I measured the sides and had hubby cut my scrap piece to cap off the side. Those were around 7-8 inches. In this pic, I had the sides just sitting in there, which is why they look wonky. 




Then I beat the crap out of distressed it, concentrating on the front (since that's all you'll really see). Some spots I hit with a hammer, some with a screwdriver. On some of the edges, I let the dremmel with a drill bit gouge out some of the wood. 



Then I filled in the screw holes and all the seams with stainable wood filled, and after that dried, I sanded the crap out of it and made it super smooth and worn. 

Then came time for staining after I applied the wood conditioner. The whitewood is super soft, and I wanted to make sure it took the stain evenly. The color I used was "dark walnut". This was one coat that I let sit for a couple of minutes. I ended up doing one more coat of stain, because you can always add more, you can't take it away. Which is why I tend to err on being too light than too dark. 



While I was doing that, hubby disassembled the mantle inside. I swear, this thing was built to withstand a nuclear bomb, it took a while to pull it all apart. 



Again, there should be a picture here to show what it looked like after we pulled off the decorative pieces, but imagine a wooden box built around some 2x4's. 

Then it was as simple as sliding on the box that I made, screwing it into the box that was already there, go drop $40 on candles at Walmart, and voila! (I've seen somewhere where a lady bought cheap drinking glasses, covered them in contact paper, and they looked like candles for a lot cheaper. But I'm an instant gratification kind of gal. Plus, with it being at eye level, I was worried that it would be obvious if I tried to fake candles). 



And since we all love a good before and after shot...




I think I spent $70ish bucks on this for the candles, the wood and stainable wood filler (I had the stain and screws already). I love it, and surprisingly, it's one of the only few projects that hubby and I both love. I'll call this project 99% finished, since I need to get some wood for the fireplace, and the wood grate holder thingy down from the attic. 

Whatcha think? 

Let's party like it's 1999...

Trash, I mean, treasure hunting... 19 Nov 2012 5:40 AM (12 years ago)

Yeah, I'm alive. And desperately trying to get back into blogging. But since I usually have a baby that sleeping in my lap (Alli apparently thinks she is going to die if I put her down), that means I can't exactly bust out the glue gun or mod podge. What can you do though. She's our last baby, and especially after losing out on so much baby time with Ava and her long NICU stay, I'm soaking it up as much as I can. 

20 Dogs 3 Nov 2012 3:17 AM (12 years ago)

So, I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to review a DVD called 20 Dogs. Knowing how much my three older girls love dogs, music, and the TV, I said yes. 

They sent me a DVD, a music CD, and a shirt for each of my older girls (can I just say that I love that they sent a shirt for each girl, instead of just one shirt that they'd fight over?) 

Ava was so excited about the movie that I couldn't even get her to look at the camera. 

The DVD was really cute. It showed all different kinds of breeds of dogs, and the girls loved identifying the ones that they knew. The DVD wasn't just all cutesy songs either. It was also educational. It would tell you about the breed, things like their characteristics and where they came from. My 9 year old was excited to tell me that chihuahuas come from Mexico. 

I think it's going to be great for my two year old. The DVD would sing a song about "small", and then show a bunch of small dogs to show what small means. 




The CD is my 7 year old's favorite. The songs are catchy, but thankfully not annoying like some kids songs can be. Jasmin has had the CD on constant repeat since we received it. Twenty Dogs even has their song lyrics on their website, which my 9 year old really liked. She loves to sing along to things, but doesn't always have the patience to learn all of the words. So the lyrics being written out was great for her. 

The shirts are a great quality, and have held up well in the washing machine. It's a thicker material with a clear, crisp picture on the front. For size reference, my two year old is wearing an xs, my 7 year old is wearing a small, and my 9 year old is wearing a medium. Here is a better pic of the shirts, even though Ava looks like a goober. Lately she just refuses to be cute in pictures and usually does a one eye squinty pirate looking face. Darn two year olds. 



Overall, it's fun and educational (which the kids love) but, like some kids stuff, it's not annoying (which Mommy loves). 

Thanks Twenty Dogs for the chance to review this! My kids have truly enjoyed it. 

Easy (and CHEAP!) Teacher's Gifts for Halloween 26 Oct 2012 5:51 AM (12 years ago)

I know, I know. A total shock that I'm actually crafting and blogging again, right? Alli was 4 weeks old yesterday, Ava is going through the terrible two's, and yet, I had a few moments of peace to myself to craft. 

Cutting Edge Stencil Winner! 24 Oct 2012 2:39 AM (12 years ago)

I know you're all waiting with baited breath to find out who won the Cutting Edge stencil giveaway, right? That lucky winner is....

Manda said her favorite stencil was the marrakech trelis allover stencil, and I agree, I love that one too! I'm sending you an email, Manda!

Folks, PLEASE make sure you're following all the rules of a giveaway. There were two winners that rafflecopter picked before Manda, but sadly, they didn't follow the required entry and post what stencil was their favorite. Don't let this be you! 

Alli's Newborn Pics! 19 Oct 2012 4:07 AM (12 years ago)

Don't forget you still have a day to enter my giveaway for a Cutting Edge Stencil! If the Rafflecopter widget isn't showing up, you can try a different browser, or just leave comments the old fashioned way. 

Alli had her newborn pics done last week, and despite her wanting to be awake, I think we got some good ones. I can't believe she was 3 weeks old yesterday. Time is flying by. 

That gorgeous blanket was made by my sweet friend Candace, her crochet pieces are amazing. 

Thanks for letting me share! And go enter that giveaway!

Cutting Edge stencils review & GIVEAWAY!!! 15 Oct 2012 5:26 AM (12 years ago)

I know you've heard of Cutting Edge Stencils. And about how awesome they are, their great customer service, how easy their stencils are to use, I could go on and on. So imagine my surprise when they contacted me and asked if I'd like to do a review and GIVEAWAY for my readers! 

I had a hard time narrowing my choice down. They have so many options, from florals, to damasks, to birds, the list goes on and on. I already own the large rabat stencil that I used in my master bedroom. And my friend Megan loaned me a damask stencil that I used in Ava's room. So I wanted something a little different. I ended up picking the Julia stencil. I liked it because you can do the flowers the same color, or a different color, and get a totally different feeling from the same stencil. 

I told my mom that I was going to be doing her guest bathroom, which she was super excited about. Her bathroom was pretty blah, just a non-exciting color on the wall with a sad flower picture that she's had forever. I knew the stencil could make it something fresh and fun. 

Yup. Boring bathroom with horrible, horrible lighting and that sad picture on the wall that's hidden by the door most of the time. 









I use painter's tape to hold it to the wall. Cutting Edge says you can also use spray adhesive to help hold it up, but the painters tape works for me. I just put it under any large negative space on the stencil. I did use a thumb tack to hold it to my mom's wall, only because she has sand paint with a sealer on top, and the tape refused to hold. See my clip on level? HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! 




And we're off! The stencils are nice and thick, but still easy enough to bend to get into corners and crevices. A little bit of paint goes a long way, and too much paint on your roller can cause it to seep under (that can be fixed with some touch up paint, but who wants to do extra work that you don't have to?)








And here we are, a short couple of hours later! This stencil was nice and big, so I was able to do quite a bit at a time. Since it's such a small space, we decided to do just one wall. 















Seriously, so easy that you can do with with a toddler running around and you're 39 weeks pregnant. 




















Now, the part that you've all been waiting for! Cutting Edge Stencils is offering one stencil up to $50 (US residents only please) that they'll ship it to you for free! How awesome is that? 

This giveaway is for followers of this blog, so please make sure you are a follower! Enter on the rafflecopter widgit below!

*If the widgit isn't showing up (my friend said that it didn't work on her ie 8 browser) just enter the old fashioned way and leave a comment for each entry, and I'll figure it out.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Just checking in, y'all 14 Oct 2012 7:18 AM (12 years ago)

Life is still good as a momma to 4 kids. (Geez, 4 kids? How the heck did that happen??)

No Worries, I'm Still Alive 9 Oct 2012 5:23 AM (12 years ago)

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. Just trying to get used to the schedule of waking up with a newborn and keeping up with three other kids. Luckily hubby is such a huge help, so every other night I get a full night's sleep. We're trying to get Alli on a night feeding schedule of 11:30, then 2:30, and then 5:30. Hubby is a night owl, so he takes the 11:30, we alternate the 2:30 and I take the 5:30 since I'm a morning person. Alli still has her days and nights mixed up. She wants to sleep all day, and then wake up around 7pm to party. Luckily my father in law came to visit for a week and took all of the 2:30 feedings while he was here, which was SO appreciated. Thanks Steve! 

Ava is doing well, adjusting to the baby in the house. I was worried about a bit of jealousy, but we try and keep Ava involved as much as we can. She gets us diapers if Alli needs one, hands us the burp cloth, etc. I'm making sure to give Ava extra snuggles, since she's always been attached to my hip, I don't want her to feel replaced or left out. 

The other two girls are doing well. Jasmin turned 7 yesterday, so we did a family outing to Build A Bear. We dropped off Alli with my mom, and Jasmin, Arielle and Ava each got to pick out a bear and some accessories. 

I'm not going to lie, I'm freaking exhausted. Which is to be expected 12 days after having a baby and interrupted sleep, but I'm hanging in there. I have some fun giveaways coming up (one you don't want to miss will be posted on the 15th) and I'll get back into crafting, slowly but surely. Thanks for following and for your sweet messages, it means a lot. 

And because I can't leave you without some pics.....

Happy Birthday, Alli! 29 Sep 2012 9:55 AM (12 years ago)

So, we all know I was due on September 30th. At my Monday appt, my OB talked about having me come in on Friday the 28th so she can break my water. I got a phone call from their office on Wednesday, asking me to come in on Thursday to get checked to make sure we were still on board for Friday. 

I got to her office at 9am when she first opens, but she was out doing a c-section and I was told that I would be first in line when she got back in. So my mom and I went down to the food court to hang out and grab a bite to eat. We went back to the office to wait, and the dr called me back around 11pm. She checked me, and I was at 4cm, so she told me it was time to go to L&D. 

My only issue was that my mom cannot drive on the highway (she panics on the on and off ramps) and hubby was at work 40 minutes away. So I explained that to the dr, she said it was fine to check into L&D in an hour and to head out. I drove my mom's car back to Mesquite so she'd know how to get home, and Jake met me there. 

We got back to Dallas and into L&D right at noon. We got settled into our room and got the IV started around 1pm. My contractions were coming every 3-5 minutes, but only some of them were painful. The nurse recommended that I get the epidural before the dr broke my water, since it would make the contractions stronger and more painful. I got the epidural at 2:40, and holy. freaking. crap. It HURT. I may or may not have called the anesthesiologist a mother-effer a time or two amid all of my sobbing. I felt bad afterwards, but hubby said that he's sure he's been called worse. I was happy with the epidural, I was still able to move my legs and feel pressure, but it really took the pain away. Shortly after, the dr came and checked me, and since I was at 5cm, she broke my water. 

After that, it was just a waiting game. At 4pm, they checked me again, and I was at 9cm. By 4:30ish, I was at 10cm, so they paged the dr, got the bed all ready and got my legs into position. When the dr got there, I pushed once, and Alli was born. 

Her stats? Born at 4:50pm, 20 inches long, 7 lbs 10 oz. And obviously my VBAC was a success. Her name is Alli Stephen, middle name is after hubby's dad, who is hubby's favorite person (besides yours truly of course). 

We only stayed at the hospital for one night, since my OB and the pediatrician cleared us to go home after 24 hours instead of the normal 48. I'm just so blessed, she's perfect. It's surreal, having such a normal pregnancy/delivery after all the problems we went through with Ava. Ava's dealing with a little bit of jealousy right now, but we're just making sure that she get a lot of momma time too. 

Still pregnant, but with an end in sight! 25 Sep 2012 4:57 AM (12 years ago)

So, we've been on weekly appts with my OB for the past couple of weeks. Last week I had my appt on Thursday, I was 1 cm and 75% effaced. Which is progress, but not exactly the "Hey, you're so close!" news I had hoped for. I had my 39 week appt yesterday, and I'm 2 cm, and I don't know the percentage of effacement, but she said I was really thin and Alli was in the perfect position and really low. So yay! 

We did talk about our options, since Alli was measuring around 7 lbs at 36/37 weeks and we're trying for a VBAC. I've been having a few contractions, but nothing regular, and while they're not painful yet, they definitely get your attention. She said that if I'm still pregnant on Thursday morning, to call her office and we'll make a plan for me to come in on Friday to break my water and get things started. I know that a lot of people who are trying for a VBAC are told to let everything happen naturally without intervention, but I've read a lot of success stories about breaking your water and things being successful too. So at this point, we're just praying and hopeful. And if I end up having another c-section, then so be it. My OB has a high VBAC success rate and I trust her fully. And my older two girls have Friday and Monday off of school, so that works out perfectly. 

How far along? 39 weeks 2 days

How much weight gain/loss? 22 lbs gained

Maternity clothes? Nope, still wearing my normal clothes. Not my skinny jeans by any means, but my looser jean capris and longer shirts. 

Belly button in or out? Completely flat

Sleep? Doing better. Waking up once a night to use the restroom instead of 2-3 times. Can't sleep much past 5am though, which makes me take a nap with Ava during the day. Good thing she loves to sleep with mommy. 

Pregnancy symptoms? The usual ones you have at 39 weeks. Sciatic nerve pain, tired, nauseous at times. So ready to be done and meet her! 

What am I looking forward to? Meeting my daughter, of course. Being able to sleep on my belly again (I've never been a belly sleeper, but something about not being able to do it makes you really really want to). And I'm super duper excited about her newborn pics, I've made her a few things to wear, and the photographer we use is fabulous! 

Next appt? Friday, unless she comes sooner! And since we all love belly pics.....

So, be thinking of your favorite blogger this week! 

Barbie Giveaway WINNER (take 2) 22 Sep 2012 1:26 PM (12 years ago)

Sadly, the winner the first time around did not respond to my email. Since it's been 4 days since I sent the email and posted it on FB, it's time to pick a new winner. And that lucky winner is....

And that makes the lucky winner none other than Mr Arthur C!


I'm off to send you an email! Let's hope this winner responds back within 3 days or I'll have to pick another winner! 

Barbie's Princess & The Popstar giveaway WINNER! 19 Sep 2012 11:24 AM (12 years ago)

Congrats! You've won BOTH the Tori and Keira doll from the new Barbie movie! I'm off to send you an email!!! You have 48 hours to respond back or I'll have to pick a new winner!

Barbie's Princess & The Popstar GIVEAWAY!!! 11 Sep 2012 3:11 AM (12 years ago)

So, I had the freaking awesome opportunity to host a party this past weekend. My three daughters and eight of their girlfriends got to watch the new Barbie Princess & The Popstar movie. 

I sent out invites and each of the guests came dressed as either a princess or a popstar. My two youngest chose princess, my oldest chose popstar. Everyone got a tiara to wear. There was a ton of sequins, ruffles and zebra print :) 




I know you've seen the commercials that have been airing. It's the traditional prince and the pauper themed movie, but with a fun new twist. Tori is a princess who dreams of being a popstar like her favorite star, Kiera. Kiera is a famous popstar who is tired of performing and dreams of being a princess. The two meet and trade places, and realize that not all is as it seems. There is fun music and great animation, and definitely a treat for all ages. 




The girls all enjoyed the movie, and so did the moms! Afterwards, we all colored some Barbies pages, danced, and enjoyed pink and purple jello and cupcakes. It was a blast sharing this time with the girls, and even the moms got to play princess for a while. Who doesn't secretly want to be a princess?





With any new movie, you know there are awesome new toys, right? Barbie has really outdone themselves with these Barbies. They each transform from princess to popstar, and even their hair changes with a simple twist. Plus, with a simple touch of their necklace, they sing two songs from the movie! My two oldest girls love these dolls. Even my nine year old who at times thinks she's "too old" for toys hasn't let this doll leave her side. 





Along with the dolls, we were all able to check out the new princess castle. It was super easy to set up, and my youngest loves it. It plays music from the movie, and every step lights up and plays a note. Plus it comes with a small Tori and Kiera from the movie. 




Along with checking out the new Barbies and castle, each guest received a fairy doll from the movie to take home. Each guest got to pick either pink or purple, and they had a blast "flying" them around the room and singing to them. 




Adorable, right? Are you completely and utterly jealous yet? Guess what I have for you today? One lucky blog follower is going to win a Kiera AND a Tori Barbie doll! Trust me, you'll be the coolest mom ever when you give these to the special little girl in your life. 

Wanna win? Do ya?

Required entry (make sure you're a follower of my blog, mmmkay?)
*Answer this question in a comment: Would you rather be a princess or a popstar? Why? 

Optional entries
* Follow me on FB and leave me a comment saying that you do (one entry)
* Share this giveaway on your blog, facebook or twitter. Leave a comment/link for each one that you do (each one gives you one entry). You can do this daily! Just make sure you leave a comment for each one every day you do it. 

This giveaway will end next Tuesday Sept 17th at midnight! 


“This is a sponsored post from One2One Network. Mattel product and additional incentives were provided to me.  All opinions stated are my own.”

Back to school and pregnancy updates 27 Aug 2012 8:54 AM (12 years ago)

I'm pretty sure everyone else's kids have already made it back to school, but today was our first day of school. My oldest is in 4th grade, my middle is in 1st. The first grade teacher is the one that my older daughter had, and we adore her. 

Yeah, I know Ava only has on one sock. She refuses to wear her right sock and will always immediately take it off. Weird, right? 

Yesterday we hit 35 weeks pregnant. I'm at 17 lbs gained and still all belly. We are still trying for a VBAC, which means that I have to go into labor naturally (they won't induce if you're trying for a VBAC since there is more chance for uterine rupture). So we picked up from evening primrose oil and raspberry leaf tea capsules. Neither will cause labor, it just strengthens and tones your uterus, which will hopefully help us with the VBAC. 


Our next appt is on (I think) September 5th. Alli is definitely the most active of all my babies and moves around constantly. The room switcheroo is taking FOREVER. Partly due to my pregnancy slowing me down, and partly because there is just no freaking room in this house to store anything. It's funny, a year or so ago, hubby and I said we'd be in this house for a few years, and now we're saying that in two years or so, it'll be time to look. We'd definitely look in our current neighborhood though, we love it here. 

So that's what's been going on in my world. What's new with you? 

Heather's Story about the dangers of asbestos 24 Aug 2012 4:15 AM (12 years ago)

Last week, a reader named Heather contacted me and asked if she could share her story. Now, being a mom myself, I can only imagine her fear with dealing with cancer while being a new mom. Heather hopes that by sharing her story, she can educate others on the dangers of asbestos, and possibly save others from suffering the same things she's been through. 

I was diagnosed with cancer. Is there any other word in the English language, which can sear the soul with such fear and dread? Three and a half months before this frightening news I gave birth to a new baby. My life should have been filled with joy. 



Instead I’m told I have cancer; specifically, malignant pleural mesothelioma. Mesothelioma cancer is expressly caused by asbestos exposure. Wasn’t asbestos banned years ago? How could you have been exposed to asbestos?

These are the questions I am commonly asked after explaining my condition to others. No, asbestos has not been banned. My contact with asbestos was through secondary exposure. My father worked in construction, primarily drywall taping, mudding and sanding. What seemed like ordinary white dust was actually microscopic asbestos fibers. He unwittingly brought millions of these fibers home through his jackets and work clothes, as well as leaving particles behind in his car. 

When I learned of my diagnosis at the age of 36, the Mayo clinic had known of only one other person who had contracted the disease at such a young age. Typically, older males who have worked in specific trades such as plumbing, heating, electrical, and work on military ships, are the usual candidates for mesothelioma. These men brought home their dirty laundry covered with asbestos for their wives to clean. The wives vigorously shook out the clothes before tossing them into washing machines. Thus began the second generation of Mesothelioma sufferers. 

I was the start of a disturbing trend. I am speaking of the children of those hard working fathers. Men weren’t the only people exposed. Little girls jumped into the arms of their fathers; arms covered with asbestos. Women worked in schools as either teachers or secretaries, in offices and classrooms laden with asbestos. Women became ill. Children going to these schools with asbestos tiles crumbling down around them were the next group to eventually become ill. They were victims even in their homes where attics were filled with asbestos containing materials. Millions of homes across the nation were contaminated with asbestos, unbeknownst to the families living in them. 

Think of all the children who couldn’t wait to hang out with their dads after he had worked all day installing pipes and installation. Picture them wearing daddy’s coat to feed the rabbits, so that they wouldn’t soil their own; coats contaminated with asbestos. These children are the next generation of mesothelioma patients. 

While becoming involved in the mesothelioma community, I have met many young patients. These are young men and women just starting their lives, in their late 20’s and early 30’s. They are starting careers, getting married and having babies. Upon diagnosis their lives have come to a screeching halt, and they are now focusing on fighting and beating the disease. The good news is; people of all ages are surviving due to the many advances in the treatment of mesothelioma.



Having cancer of course is devastating, but I persist in holding onto hope. Those of us in the mesothelioma community do the same as we come together to support one another and share our experiences. We cry together when the road is tough and we celebrate the victories. 

Nothing will change unless there is more awareness. I share my story to bring about awareness and to offer hope. If I can do this for even just one newly diagnosed person, or keep them from living in fear of mesothelioma, then I’ve done my job. I have a purpose in doing the right thing.

Thank you Heather for sharing your story! You can get in contact with Heather and keep up with her story here. 

Ava's 2nd Birthday Party 22 Aug 2012 3:58 AM (12 years ago)

I still can't believe that my youngest is 2 years old. How did that happen? We celebrated her birthday party on the 11th. It's crazy. 

Sponsor Spotlight: Lollipops! 14 Aug 2012 6:14 AM (12 years ago)

Did you see that adorable button on my right side? Yup! Krystina from Lollipops is sponsoring LCW! At her shop, you can find the most adorable stationary and prints, I had a hard time picking my favorite! 

Krystina says "Everything from lollipops is handmade and is archival safe, meaning you can keep it for 80+ years without any fading, bleeding, or colors changing. Super fine inks and high res printing 4800 - 9600 dpi !!! This is professional level printing. Our paper is smooth fine art thick paper for that added touch of class."

Wanna know some of my favorites?

Holy cow, I adore this card! It's 5 inches square, and would be perfect for a husband, boyfriend or best friend! It's blank inside, which means you can write anything you want. I think I'd frame this inside a square frame, I think it's adorable.



    

I love this saying. This print comes in either mustard yellow or turquoise and a couple of different sizes. This would be perfect in all of those gallery walls that I see people put together. The turquoise would be perfect in my house. 





This is one of the coolest things I've seen. Ever been at a park or school function, you meet a mom that you'd love to hang out with or schedule a play date, and there is not a pen or paper to be found? These play date cards are the answer! You can choose from 50 different graphics and 14 different fonts, and Krystina will design your card and make sure it all coordinates. 

Krystina also welcomes custom orders, and all orders ship within 2 business days. Her testimonial page speaks volumes about her work, I know you won't be disappointed! 

Happy 2nd Birthday, Ava Grace! 10 Aug 2012 4:02 AM (12 years ago)

Somehow, my baby is turning 2 today. I'm not quite sure how that happened. I know we're 33 weeks pregnant right now, but it still feels like she's a baby. It's amazing how far she has come in two short years. Looking at her now, it seems so crazy that she was that baby in the NICU.