Magpie Skinnies

2012 - Wow! Whoa!

2012-01-10T09:52:00.000-06:00

I've been terrible about blogging! My little ones are keeping me hopping. We're having a lot of fun though. Ruby is getting into arts and crafts, which is a blast for me (once I overcame my notion of how she should be crafting-ha!). She does really neat mixed media pieces, too cute. I'll post some soon.

Race is growing and changing. His personality is blossoming. He thinks Ruby is HILARIOUS. She keeps him in stitches, even if she's growling, "Stop lookin' a' me." He thinks it's so funny.

Life is good...

I'm doing some painting (a little bit). I'll post some WIP soon!

Mama of two...

2011-09-20T12:07:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been an interesting summer! Mama of two keeps me way busier than I'd ever imagined. Race is a honey, loves to smile and coo at us. He's quite the little talker. I'm so excited to watch him grow and learn and can't wait for him to be big enough to play with Ruby a bit. He loves to watch her play and smile at her.

Ruby is an amazing big sis. She gives little bro big hugs and brings him her blankie and Booboo bear (her very special things) when he is upset. It's heartwarming to see.

Our little newbie...

2011-06-13T23:35:00.000-05:00

Our little man, Race has arrived. Born at 11:55a.m. Friday after 4 hours of labor and one push (or four pushes, but the doc said he considers that a set and therefore only ONE push). I couldn't even believe it had actually happened at first it was so fast. Race came out completely asleep and dangled limply in the docs arms for a moment. I was a little nervous until the doc and nurse started laughing about my little man coming out snoozing. :D

We are so blessed, he's a total sweetie and Ruby's totally enamored with him.

Little Helper

2011-05-27T22:32:00.000-05:00

Ruby's been a big help gardening so far this spring. She loves to wear her bug boots from Nana. :D

We're just hanging out over here, waiting for baby two to make his entrance. I think he dropped last night, could be any day, could be two weeks... The waiting game!

Big girl bed

2011-05-18T12:29:00.000-05:00

Here's a pic of the Peep in her big girl bed. It's filled up with babies, books, etc. at all times. Sometimes she hauls them all out to the living room in between sleeping. It's a big job, but a girl's gotta do what she's gotta do!

22 more days 'til my due date!

2011-05-17T10:00:00.000-05:00

I'll be 37 weeks tomorrow which is considered full term. So hard to believe! Chuck's boss told him one of his kids came 4 weeks early and Chuck said he started to hyperventilate a little. ha! It's going to be a switch to have two kids instead of one, but I think we'll do just fine. I'm excited to meet our little man and see what Ruby thinks of her brother.

Hopefully I don't have problems nursing this time like the last, but if I do, I know where to go for help and that I can get through it. I'm also hoping I don't have PPD, but again, I know to get help and hang in there...

Any other preggo moms out there? When are you due? What are you fears/excitements?

Ruby speak, boy has it changed!

2011-05-17T09:50:00.002-05:00

Ruby is growing up so fast and talking more every day. Some of the things she's been saying lately:

-In response to, "Do you want chicken for lunch?" "I want a hoc (hot) dog... and chips."
-"I oh (lo) you Mama (Daddy, etc.)." - Love you
-Chuck kissed me goodbye one morning and Ruby said, "I want a kiss!"
-Ruby on the phone with her daddy, "Hello Daddy! Book Daddy? (She says pointing at the book in her lap) Daddy doing? Workt Daddy workt? See you Daddy!"
-Talking to Nana and Papa, she turns the phone to her feet cuz she's taken off her shoes and socks, " See! My toes! My toes! See Papa/Nana?"
-Simmin/simmie pool - swimming pool
-Clippered the big dog - Clifford the big red dog
-Ning room - Living room
-Heard alot, "Come on Mommy/Daddy!" She's always wanting us to go with her to the "ning" room and play after meals. But she says it all the time, she needs someone (a brother?) to follow her around. :D
-"I cutesy!" When leaving the bank after all the ladies/tellers said she was cute. And modest too!
-"I pity gir!" After putting on a new outfit from Nana.
-"Abc, abc, abc, abc." She even fills in sometimes, she said, "l m n o p" and then "y" at the right time.
-She's working on Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, first Tickle tickle star star star and now "Tinkle tinkle star star star."

Cute upholstered toddler bed...

2011-05-10T20:53:00.001-05:00

I started to do a search for DIY toddler bed quilt, but before I could type quilt this super cute toddler bed picture popped up:

You can find the instructions on how to make it here!

We've already bought Ruby a Step 2 Snooze 'N' Cruise Toddler bed:

And all I really want to do is make a little pillow and comforter for her, to make it more adult-bed-like for her. I'm not really finding anything, so I'll just have to come up with something on my own! I'll let you know what I figure out...

Interesting boy names

2011-05-02T12:17:00.001-05:00

When I was pregnant with Ruby and looking for girl names I came across some strange names (in my opinion, sorry if this is your name)... Now that I'm looking for names again, here are the odd boy names I've seen:

Adoption
Annabelle (what?)
Annmarie (seriously, do you want your kid to get in fights at school?)
Beetle
Egbert
Gandolf (I liked LOTR, but come on!)
Pope
Sake

Melanoma

2011-04-25T12:18:00.001-05:00

I had a mole removed last week; it was suspect for melanoma. Luckily I just found out it was benign. Everyone should get checked. Age doesn't seem to be a factor, heredity, nor whether you've been sunburned. There's no cure at the moment, all a dermatologist/specialist can do is remove the cancerous tissue and if that's not possible, melanoma can be deadly.

I almost hate to recommend checks because I know I dislike having chunks of skin removed for biopsy, but much better that than the alternatives.

Check yourself today!

30 weeks today!

2011-03-30T13:41:00.003-05:00

Hard to believe how far along I am in my second pregnancy. Time sure flies when you have a little peanut to watch over.

I'm missing my desk job a bit, this nesting at home could kill me. Much easier when all I could do was tidy up my office in between projects with a few evening hours/weekends to dedicate to the house. Being at home my nesting is taking the form of deep cleaning the house, organizing the basement, tearing out our old juniper bushes in the front of the house, digging up lily bulbs and thinning them... It's a bit much for my back, in addition to carrying around the baby bump. :D

Wow...

2011-03-21T21:56:00.001-05:00

My baby a year ago! My goodness, I can't believe how she's grown and changed. Here she was just crawling and babbling, now she is running as fast as the wind and speaking in sentences, broken sentences, but sentences none the less. I cannot believe how fast she's growing up!

Rubyisms:
Buckle - bockoak
We say, "Who's this?" and point to her and she says, "The peep!!"

Savvy shopper

2011-03-16T21:56:00.000-05:00

Chuck got a "bonus" from work in the form of a Macy's gift card. He was bemoaning the fact that we had to pay tax on it and said he didn't think he'd accept another. I'm always a saver, but in order to make him feel better about the gift card I went to special effort today, spent $109.17 (so really just 9.17 after gift card) at Macy's and between sales and coupons saved $67.37.

Our towels look like that of a college students, a hodgepodge of mismatched towels and beach towels, so I got 6 nice towels and 4 matching hand towels (all chocolate brown). Our bathroom has fern green (if you're looking at the other colored towels) tile and then I have paint to do the walls robin egg blue. I also got 3 outfits and socks for the boy and one gift for an upcoming birthday. Yay me!

Spring Cleaning

2011-03-10T14:06:00.000-06:00

I've been galvanized lately! After our trip to Florida, I could think of nothing I wanted to do more than simplify, simplify, simplify. So I've been sorting (=giant garage sale pile), throwing out, organizing, cleaning. It feels SO GOOD! I want to keep this going.

I have some outdoor plans to put into place as well. Build a chicken coop and get some chicks for laying hens and thereby organic eggs. Set up a compost pile. Build a jungle gym for Ruby, Chuck has a telephone pole that he'd like to build into it. Lots to do, lots to do before baby two arrives in JUNE.

Florida

2011-03-10T14:03:00.003-06:00

I told Ruby the morning we were leaving that we needed to eat breakfast because we were leaving to go to Florida. She went to the front door, reached for the handle and said, "Me me ah Florida."

Her speech and vocab have improved so much in the past week, it's incredible. She's got a big thing with, "Oh no!" lately. As in, "Oh no, my bucket (baby, blankie, penny, juice, milk, etc.)!"

An allehhh-yator (Ruby's pronunciation) we spotted behind our cottage.

We laid her down in our inn room for a nap (in a pack n play, bless you so much Anchor Inn & Cottages!!) and we laid down to take a nap too. Ruby says, "Hi, Momma. Hi, Momma. Hi, Momma." I didn't respond. Then she says, "Momma sleep. Night night Momma, night night!" I hear her lay down. Approx. 30 seconds later she stands up and repeats the process. She did that, oh, 3 or 4 times. I'm just laying there trying not to laugh out loud.

She ADORED the beach. She'd have spent all day there, no problem. I don't even think she would have stopped for lunch. She waded into the surf, scooped sand with her shovel and bucket, watched people, picked up shells, followed seagulls and other birds around (that was too cute).

This kid...

2011-02-24T20:22:00.004-06:00

The Peep in her Cousin It phase.

This is a conversation we had tonight:

Me: Ruby, how old are you?
Ruby: Eighteen
Me: You're not eighteen!! How old are you?
Ruby: Two
Me: How about one?Ruby: One
Me: Ruby, how old are you?
Ruby: Eighteen

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T15:52:00.002-06:00

Heart cupcakes from Family Fun.

I made this sheep based on the Shaun the Sheep pom pom tutorial from Craft Passion. It turned out super cute. Love it!!

More Baby Boy "pics"

2011-02-11T15:15:00.001-06:00

Cutie pie! I think he looks a lot like sis.

Jammin', waving arms and legs around.

Valentine's Day Loveliness

2011-02-10T13:31:00.000-06:00

Heart cupcakes from Family Fun, love love love, need to get some cute Valentine/glittery toppings.

Adorable felt heart garland from Craft Zine.

Sweet ideas collected by Remodelaholic, including pom pom flowers, too cute.

Loads of pretties from Tatertots & Jello.

Valentines you can print from Take the Side Street (with a quote I love from E.E. Cummings)

This wall heart collage on Honestly... WTF. Plus much more eye candy to be seen here!

Pom pom garland / scarf with a Valentine flair from Bubbly Nature Creations, super cute model. :D

You can buy these lovely Valentine-y hair accessories from Giant Dwarf.

Pom Pom Cuteness...

2011-02-06T12:42:00.009-06:00

I just bought some pom pom makers and went on the hunt for things to make. Here's what I've found!

Shaun the Sheep poms by Craft Passion

I love Shaun the Sheep, just found a Shaun the Sheep pom pom tutorial on Craft Passion! I definitely need to make my own Shaun and Shirley, adorable!

Wow, unbelievable, a pom pom garland from Honestly...WTF.

A Christmas wreath and baby mobile from In Between Laundry, super cute.

Cute ideas from Girl Scout Troop 1379.

A ladybug, chick and caterpillar pom pom from Martha Stewart.

Can anyone recommend other cute pom pom tutorials? I can't wait to get started. I *might* have to go purchase some more yarn (insert evil laugh here).

Snowpocalypse Tuesday...

2011-02-01T14:34:00.001-06:00

The dreaded winter storm has arrived and doesn't seem all that "monster" so far. If it keeps snowing for 24 hours we might have something interesting on our hands, we shall see!

Ruby is being as entertaining as she knows how. :D

Ruby speak:

Black olives - blackies (she adores black olives. I think she would eat an entire can of them if allowed!)
Max - she was saying it pretty well, but seems to have switched to say Mice. Took me a while to figure out what she was talking about!
Poop - had a little friend over and someone was stinking. I said, J* did you poop? He said, no it was Ruby. Ruby said, J* poop! Can't put one over on her any more. :D
Yogurt - ogurt
Pizza - peetzee
Computer - pooder (often heard, Daddy's pooder, Mommy's pooder, MY POODER!!)
Pen - pim ;)

As far as me, well, I'm expanding rapidly. Contrary to my hopeful belief that my maternity pants would stay up better as my belly got bigger, they are still sliding off. *sigh* Can't wait for warm weather, I'll just wear dresses and forgo pants for the duration.

I want this in my kitchen!!

2011-02-01T14:27:00.003-06:00

On Saturday I happened to catch b. organic on KCPT, such a cool show! I told hubs that he was probably going to wish I'd never found this show, ha!

They made this gorgeous concrete countertop ->

And put down this amazing cobbled wood floor ->

I'm in love!! Now I just have to convince hubs to help me do this to our kitchen. :D

Caftans...

2011-01-28T12:11:00.001-06:00

Doreto Batik Caftan Dress

I ran across the blog Corks and Caftans while doing a search on caftans, which I thought might be cute maternity/nursing wear.

Corks and Caftans mentions this Doreto Batik caftan dress as a must have and it is super cute, but I am a tight wad, so after searching Ebay to no avail, I started looking up patterns. Here are some cute/interesting ideas I've found:

First this pattern looks super simple and might be my first effort.

This one looks pretty elegant and I don't know when or if I'd wear it, but I like it.

No pattern here, but it looks like a scarf sewn together with a neck hole added?

This one's cute, but might be more complicated. I didn't open up all the individual pdfs. Looks like someone (uhhh ummm!) needs to learn more about pdf making, eeesh.

Ham

2011-01-19T17:00:00.003-06:00

Here's the pic I mentioned from the other morning where Ruby had pulled her arm out of her jammies. She is such a little crack up. :D

Funny little girl...

2011-01-10T20:16:00.001-06:00

My bright shining star, what a fun little person.

Yesterday I said to her, "Did you poop?" She's says, "I boop." haha! So then this morning we're at the doctor waiting for my appointment and she says, "I boop." She just says it so matter of factly and it slays me. And it was no joke, she did boop. ha!

She's saying more and more words every day. Yesterday she said duck, plain as can be after months of saying duh for duck. This morning she said doctor. She says color, but it sounds funny like cuhler.

Baby #2

2011-01-10T14:10:00.004-06:00

We had our sonogram this a.m. and I'm so excited!! We're having a little boy and so far, everything looks just fine. I think Ruby is going to be a wonderful big sis!

Ruby speak...

2011-01-06T21:36:00.002-06:00

It's so amazing watching Ruby learn to talk...

Some of the words she puts her own interesting twist on:
Milk - molk, molko, MOLKOOOOOO
Snack - nack, nacko
Pumpkin - pumpball
Nana - papa, mom-o, nani
Dog - dado, dawg
Ethan - E-hee, E, E-an
Jett, Jennie, Jeremy - Geegee
Tractor - dracdoor

She says a bunch of other words and in the last few weeks has started repeating words we say, what a little character.

Some funny stories of late.

This a.m. I go in to Ruby's room to get her up and instead of her usual speech (daddy, papa, booboo, baby, etc.), she says, "Uh oh." I take a closer look and she'd pulled one of her arms out of her pajamas. I went and got the camera and she smiled really big for a picture. haha!

Yesterday I was in the kitchen writing a grocery list and Ruby runs up, hands me her diaper and says, "I take this off." Then runs away. I had to chase her around and around before I finally caught the naked little character.

I took her downstairs at my folks over Christmas and changed her diaper and took off her pajamas. She got away from my mom and I and went all the way upstairs by herself. Once she got up there she started running up and down the house giggling and shrieking. She loves putting one over on her Mommy. :D

Good reads of 2010

2011-01-06T21:31:00.002-06:00

I love to read... When I was a kid my mom would take me to the library and I'd get a big pile of books. A few days later when I'd read them all, I'd beg her to take me back. I'm still reading, and thought I'd share some faves. Here's 2009's list, and here's my 2010 list. Enjoy!!!

Such a Pretty Face and Henry's Sisters by Cathy Lamb, she's SO good.

The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister

Bread Alone by Judith R. Hendricks

True Colors by Kristin Hannah

The Apothecary's Daughter by Julie Klassen

The Reluctant Heiress by Eva Ibbotson

The Thing about Jane Spring by Sharon Krum

Merry Merry Christmas!

2010-12-23T22:25:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours!

My what a difference a year makes. Ruby has changed SO much it's hard to believe. This is her, last Christmas, click here.

Now she is talking saying new words every day. She is walking, running, climbing. She has been walking around with her afghan on her head. She comes up and hugs me and pats me on the back looking like Cousin It. She's been sleeping through the night since July. Weaned in September. Loves dogs, babies, kids, people, horses, and on and on. Talks about her Papa (which I've learned she calls Nana too, so it's grandparent encompassing) and cousin Katie all the time, along with our dog Max and the neighbors dog Beau. She loves for her daddy to hide under a blanket sitting on the couch, she pulls the blanket off and he chases her snorting and growling. She laughs her head off and the minute he stops she says and signs "more?".

To add to our joy, we are expecting baby #2 this summer. We're excited and nervous... I'm not sure how I will corral two munchkins and get them out of the house, it'll be interesting!

Safe travels everyone! See you next year!

Christmas time is here, happiness and cheer!

2010-12-22T12:01:00.000-06:00

Just saw a cute article on wrapping ideas for the holidays on Etsy:
http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/how-tuesday-last-minute-packaging-round-up-11450/?ref=nf

Hard to believe that it's winter, let alone Christmas... And the new year, 2011 (holy crap!!), is just around the corner. I remember hearing the adults at family get togethers talk about how fast time went and I thought they were crazy! Time dragged waiting for Christmas, draaaagged waiting for summer, draaaaagged waiting for my birthday, draaaaaaaaaaaaagged waiting to grow up. Wow, how that has changed!

Who knows what the new year will bring for us! I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Painting painting painting!

2010-10-12T09:30:00.000-05:00

Flutterby 11x14" Acrylic on canvas

Commissioned piece just finished! I hope the commissioner (?) likes it. She requested a butterfly and left it to me to sort out the style and doing so has sent me on a bug kick, so expect to see more bug paintings coming up!

I used real acrylics rather than craft acrylics on this and I must say I have been converted. They are SO much nicer than craft acrylics!!! I thought they'd be a lot more expensive, but they aren't, especially if you catch them on sale.

You know... it takes me longer to finish a painting with a small one to chase and wrangle, but it's as satisfying as ever.

Another year...

2010-09-28T11:04:00.003-05:00

Another birthday! Birthdays always seem like a good day for some introspection, where I am, where I thought I'd be and where I'm headed. A good day to reflect on just how lucky I am to be married to my best friend and to have the sunniest, sweetest little girl and to be happy for our family's health.

So here goes!

Past: I try not to have regrets, but... a few still linger. I remind myself that every choice I made led to where and who I am today and in that I am truly blessed.
Present: Loving it. Looking forward to what each new day brings. Ruby is growing and changing every day and she brings me such joy. (Even when she is yelling at me, "ma! ma! or maybe especially then, haha!).
Future: I want to do more art, more selling of said art, more blogging, more yoga and more bible study.

Monarch Migration

2010-09-23T12:33:00.000-05:00

We had loads and loads of Monarchs in our trees last night and our camera just wasn't up to the job!! Nothing makes me want a fancy camera more than an instance like this. It was gorgeous and majestic. One of the most beautiful things I've seen.

Blogging....

2010-09-09T14:55:00.000-05:00

I've updated the blog just a bit, shocking I know. Not only have I been a lazy poster, but I also didn't touch the header or background in at least 2 years if not more. I was sick of it, were you? I'm working on a new header, perhaps something for fall. That might inspire me to do a new header before two years.. or it might not. ;)

Wedding weekend...

2010-09-08T11:16:00.009-05:00

First we hit Greaserama. Gorgeous day to check out hot rods and rat rods and see some friends.

Then head outta town for Sam and Alison's wedding!

Weekend snippets:
Ruby on Aunt Denise's lap during the wedding ceremony, rifling her purse. Thanks Denise! You were a lifesaver, I didn't think she'd sit down for the wedding! :D
Ruby leaning her head back on Uncle Tony a long time in a Ruby style hug.
Ruby walking a big circle around the wedding crowd, doing a little nature walk waiting for wedding time.
Katie doing a little ballet spin while Ruby watched, then Ruby leaning forward, arms out behind her going Ohhohoh- her version of a ballet move I guess. :D
Katie about Ruby, "She's a mess maker!" (Usually when we get together Ruby will shriek or yell or something and Katie says, "She's a noiser!")
At the wedding reception Ruby squealing and then running to Nana arms wide open.
Ethan bringing me a little folder with a folded piece of paper stuck in that stuck out when you opened it. I said, "What's this a nose?" Ethan, "YES!" Then peals of giggles. :D
Laughing over margaritas with some of the family post wedding.
Hanging out with Uncle Al and his lovely girlfriend Laurie.
Sam and Alison exchanging vows while Alison tried to hold Sam's hands and hold her dress down.
Ruby putting a piece of banana to her ear and doing her talking on the phone impression, mouth open in an O, saying Oh, oh, oh.

Gorgeous wedding and a fun weekend!!

Ps. Can I just say that it's hard to believe that this was nearly a year ago!! Ruby has changed so so much. Love that little rascal. xoxo

Indiana banana July 2010

2010-07-23T10:53:00.001-05:00

What a lovely trip to the lake in Indy... Ruby has grown and changed so much in the two weeks we can't believe it. She's suddenly saying a lot of words.

We discovered she is ready for and loves the sandbox...

She's climbing up on more furniture AND we've taught her how to turn around and climb back down! She never ceases to amaze us with how bright and sweet she is.

We saw lots of geese (in fact everything was "geese" as far as Ruby was concerned), swans, ducks and even had a sandhill crane who liked to fish of ours and neighboring piers in the morning. Ruby loved to watch all the birds. I especially like the crane because he looks so comical walking around on those long legs with knobby knees.

Vacation moments:
Driving in the van, heads bobbing to Love Machine.
Ruby at 5 a.m. from pack n' play - "mama? maamaa?" some shuffling and then she's back asleep.
Ruby - Patting screen door with both hands saying, "I go, I go, I go." Gets shoes and sits on kitchen floor and fiddles with the velcro.
Max's first few jumps into the lake off the pier are so tentative and he usually dunks himself a few times, then by the end of vacation he's flying off there like a champ!
Hanging out with family - lovely!
Ruby hanging over side of rowboat as we are motoring across the lake, trying to touch the spray kicking up.
Ruby pointing at ducks, swans and geese saying, " Geese geese geese!"
Ruby following Chloe (Chip and Janice's granddaughter) around and then standing at a closed door saying, "Ooee? Oooeee?"

Creating...

2010-06-22T20:01:00.005-05:00

Here's a potential design for a quilt my mom is going to make for my daughter... I had another design all drawn up, with lots of forest animals, but it seemed too unisex and I decided to draw a more feminine design. My mom is amazing with a sewing machine, I can't wait to see how it turns out!

Baja 500...

2010-06-05T07:07:00.000-05:00

Chuck and his buddies are racing the Baja500 today! I hope that it goes well for them and that they finish. Hopefully before dusk so they don't have to race in the dark. Be safe guys and have a blast!! This is the design that Russ did for them. He's a wonderful artist!

Miss ya Chucks!

Where you used to be, there is a hole in the world, which I find myself constantly walking around in the daytime, and falling in at night. I miss you like hell. ~Edna St. Vincent Millay

Art Art ART!

2010-03-02T06:42:00.002-06:00

A wedding present....

Custom Painting - Done!

2010-02-05T18:51:00.002-06:00

Rabbit and Punkin, best friends forever....

Ruby 7 1/2 months old...

2010-01-25T20:28:00.011-06:00

This little girl is a constant source of joy to her dad and me. What a character (click here to see her on a soapbox). She is doing a low crawl, still working on her regular crawl. She has figured out her pincer grasp and thinks puffs are the bees knees. She has gotten very cuddly lately so I get to cuddle her before naps and bedtimes and it is the best.

She's got one tooth on the top and three more about to pop and she's been a bit miserable today, poor little thing. Last night she was on quite a soapbox while her dad was giving her dinner. See below. :D

We went to the zoo yesterday and Ruby loved it. She was doing her usual, hanging out the side of the backpack to see around us as we walked. Here are a few things we saw!

Ruby had a lot to say to these kangaroos sunning themselves, but they didn't pay a lick of attention.

The other Sumatran tiger was licking this one's head a minute before. Too cute.

In the Peek-A-Boo tree.

Lil monkey. I forget what kind, but they were too cute.

Meerkats...

And more meerkats, checking out the outdoors.

Ruby's Christmas (posting a bit late!)

2010-01-08T12:54:00.006-06:00

Paper! Gimme!

All dressed up...

Christmas lunch. Squash, yum.

Winter Wonder - WHAT THE HECK!

2010-01-05T11:53:00.005-06:00

All that gorgeous pristine snow... And then!!

Chuck got the snow cat out and we drove all over and now it is less winter wonderland and more "what the heck was in your yard?"

Ruby liked it, round 2 made her fall asleep.

January 2010!!

2010-01-02T09:13:00.000-06:00

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas (or Happy whatever holiday you celebrate!) and a fun New Year's Eve.

Random moments with Ruby in the last couple months...

Picking her up in the night to feed her and she says "Eeep! huh uh huh uh huh uh grwww"

Picking her up in the morning and she hugs my head.

Picking her up in the morning and she comes at me mouth open like she's gonna latch on my neck - HUNGRY!

Discovering squealing and doing it ALL DAY LONG, progressively getting louder and louder.

Scooting to the side one night to get a toy and then getting up on one knee to scoot too the side the next day, in front of the parents as teachers lady. She thought Ruby might crawl right there and then! Not so far, but she is getting up on all fours and she almost did an army crawl yesterday.

Doing her funny chuckle when you get her belly.

Raising her eyebrows when you talk to her.

Sitting up all on her own. She was close for a while and then one day she just could do it.

Waving at me (she did it 3 times in a row after I waved at her, made me think it was intentional).

She is growing and changing so fast, it's unbelievable... What a little wonder she is. :)

Favorite Reads of 2009...

2009-12-29T20:11:00.005-06:00

The Last Time I Was Me and Henry's Sisters by Cathy Lamb

Water for Elephants by Gruen

Hand of Isis by Jo Graham

The Night Villa by Carol Goodman

The Sugar Queen and Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich (Stephanie Plum books are all laugh out loud funny)

and the best... The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.

Enjoy!

Wow...

2009-11-21T16:25:00.003-06:00

So far in the past week Ruby has:

Started rolling around the living room.

Figured out how to get her pacifier back in her mouth.

Grabbed said paci hanging from the back of her car seat to the side of her head, and put it in her mouth with the cord stretched across her cheek.

Turned on the radio.

She's a little marvel!

Curiouser and curiouser!

2009-11-19T16:12:00.006-06:00

Here is a photo of Ruby at the beginning of her nap (recreated for visual effect).

Here is how I found her when I went to get her up.

And here she is cracking up at her own cleverness.

How did she get turned around like that!!??

And here she is this a.m. Notice anything funny about her pacifier?? She can put it in herself, but sometimes it's upside down. :D

5 months old...

2009-11-10T14:27:00.004-06:00

Our little peep is 5 months old today! I can't believe how the time has flown...

She was waking up lots in the night through October. Finally realized she was teething when a little tooth poked through (you can just see it in the pic!). Number two peeked out Sunday. Hopefully she'll have a little reprieve before the next set comes in. I can't believe my little baby has teeth!!

She is such a little people watcher. Her grandpa and cousins from Indy were here for the weekend and she stared and staaaared at them. Most of her smiles were put on hold until she's had a while to check them out. Funny inquisitive girl...

Every now and then I make her chuckle, either by wiping spit up off her or by raspberrying her belly, but it's still too spotty to catch on video. It is the cutest chuckle, it just bowls me over. Can't wait to share it. :D

We take lots of walks out back to watch Max zoom around and look for deer, frogs, and the blue heron who sometimes visits our pond. I'm so grateful for the lovely weather we've been having!

Seeds...

2009-11-04T14:01:00.001-06:00

We had a mouse in the house a while back.... I finally found what he did with the bird seed he cobbed. :)

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T09:18:00.000-05:00

Toes and whatnot...

2009-10-28T19:33:00.004-05:00

This is my you weren't in this position when I put you down for your nap picture (should that be hyphenated? ah well, too many hyphens for me, italics will have to do). She's so adorable, she just melts my heart down into my shoes several times a day.

Saturday night we went to Jim and Becky's wedding reception. A cute couple there came up to talk to me about Ruby. Apparently they have a baby about the same age, or so we thought. Comparing notes, we found they were born on the same day! They inquired if Ruby was chewing on her toes yet. "Not yet," said I. Then Sunday morning the pjs were off for a diaper change and the toes went up to the mouth, not for a chew though, just for a lick. Toe lollipop anyone?

What's in the bucket?

2009-10-23T09:03:00.001-05:00

About a month ago I went out by the back porch and grabbed this blue bucket to water some plants. When something rustled in the bottom, I dropped it (and screamed if you must know). I have NO idea how these little guys got in there!!

I'm on an ocean kick

2009-10-13T09:18:00.002-05:00

Ocean Tranquility from Hampton Jewels.

A picture of a gagillion hermit crabs in a tide pool in Akumal...

Cute as a button...

2009-10-13T08:55:00.000-05:00

Our little love - could she BE any cuter? :D

We have gone to so many festivals and outdoor events and sites since Ruby's entered the world. She has been to a Mud Bog, Applefest, Jesse James Days, Watkins Mill, even the annual picnic of our utilities company. She LOVES to be outside and to people watch and she's as good as gold. I think we both might get cabin fever this winter.

I'm thinking that perhaps we should take a cruise. Now if I could just remember to buy a lotto ticket so that I'd have a slight chance of winning!

Warm thoughts

2009-10-12T09:15:00.001-05:00

Picture from our babymoon in Akumal - some flowers near our bungalow. *warm + sunshiney + ocean for snorkeling = bliss*

Cold avoidance...

2009-10-11T19:45:00.005-05:00

I'm SO not ready for winter. Today the high was supposed to be 48, but I don't think it actually got over 40 degrees. *sigh* I'm thinking it'd be nice to move to Mexico, or maybe even Arizona for the winter.

Pretty ocean pendant from Texas Woman.

Tropical Ocean - Blue Quartz and Sterling Necklace from Theresa Rose Designs.

Ruby at 4 months

2009-10-05T17:41:00.006-05:00

It's so amazing to look at old pictures and see a skinny little Ruby. Was she really THAT little?

Diaper changes take longer now because she grabs my pinkie with one hand and my sleeve with the other and then tries to chew on my sleeve. haha! She's also found her feet and likes to grab her toes mid diaper change. She drools like crazy most of the time and blows a lot of spit bubbles.

You can tell when she's excited to see you or is having fun because she waves her little arms around and whacks her side with them and smiles her funny wide mouth smile.

She's rolled over from her stomach to her back several times, but she can't always do it, yet. Yesterday she did it 4 times in a row, like a champ and then today couldn't seem to figure it out. I'm sure that in a week or so she'll have it down pat and then tummy time will be on her terms!

Sometimes I have to go in and peek at her at night to make sure it's real. I'm a parent? And some mornings when she wakes up and I go to get her, I'm astounded again by this perfect little person Chuck and I made. Amazing....

Etsy cuteness...

2009-10-01T09:34:00.003-05:00

Super cuteness from Zooz Handmade Jewelry.

Ruby Growling....

2009-09-28T08:49:00.001-05:00

Ruby was growling in her crib one morning last week. She's a funny girl. :D

Etsy Love...

2009-09-27T20:34:00.001-05:00

This just cracks me up! Dork plate from Vandalized Vintage - Trixie Delicious.

3 1/2 Months Old...

2009-09-20T20:22:00.002-05:00

Ruby has been changing so much lately. She has started babbling and cooing (and motorboating her lips) a ton more. Just today she talked most of the day! She was totally wound up last night and wouldn't go to sleep, perhaps because she wanted to socialize.

She's been grabbing things and putting them in her mouth. She'll spend time entertaining herself in her play yard or with toys on a blanket (which is new, before she needed constant attention or yelling ensued). She's gotten to where not everytime she cries is an all out meltdown of sobbing like it was there for a while. Sometimes it's a little gurgly/talking cry and other times it's a yell. :D

She was yelling the other evening when I was trying to feed her. Chuck gets home from work and walks up and says hi to her. She immediately stops yelling and beams him a big smile. The little imp! She sure loves the dad.

Tonight I rolled her over onto her stomach and she landed with her elbows bent by her side propping her head up! Then I helped her roll back over. I rolled her back onto her stomach and she rolled onto her back all by herself!! What a little smarty. It's amazing to watch her grow and change.

The Evolution of a Mother

2009-08-07T07:39:00.009-05:00

A week or so after giving birth I started wondering what the heck I'd gotten myself into... I had postpartum depression, kept crying and asking my mom how on earth I was going to handle it and thought about running away. I wanted to go out to the movies and out to dinner and go to China and Belize and go get chai tea whenever I wanted. But then at some point along the way I quit worrying about what I was missing and started enjoying my new responsibilities, started enjoying Ruby's smiles and quit minding so much when she cried and just focused on making her happy again. I started feeling like a mom.

This Monday Chuck watched Rubes while I went to get a pedicure. I had a terrible time getting out the door. I said goodbye and kissed her little chubby cheeks several times before I finally left!

I'm making sure to enjoy cuddling her and take time to rub my cheek on her fuzzy, lovely smelling little head. She's not going to be little for very long, she weighed 11 lbs. 11 oz. yesterday and she's already 11 weeks old!

According to baby books, Ruby's been sleeping through the night since she was about 3 weeks old, which means sleeping 4-6 hours at a time. So not my idea of "through the night"!! She was going to sleep at 7 or 8 and then eating between 12 - 2 a.m. then going a couple hours before eating again. Last week she slept from 8pm to 5am several times, but she's reverted back to the old schedule... Before I know it she will be sleeping through the night by regular definition and I bet I will miss our sleepy middle of the night feedings.

We went to Indy to vacation and see Chuck's family last week. Ruby was a gem on the trip out and was good throughout the week, napping better in the truck (diesel, very loud and vibrate-y) and at the cabin than she ever does here at home!

Here was the highlight of the Indy trip for me... Peach cream cheese pie with fresh peaches (be still my heart) from Tiffany's , a little Amish restaurant in Topeka... No offense family, it was REALLY GOOD PIE!!

6 weeks old...

2009-07-22T20:20:00.004-05:00

So 6 weeks old is supposed to be the peak of fussiness for babies and today Ruby is 6 weeks old... Already I'm noticing that she's a bit easier to soothe, fussy periods do not last as long and for the most part today had a reason (wet diaper, hungry, etc.). Everyone kept telling me it would get easier and it looks like perhaps they were right. ;)

Ruby smiled at me yesterday morning when I was changing her diaper. She has a cute little dimply grin and she scrunches up her shoulders when she smiles really big. It was so adorable and made my day. She smiled at me today after I told her I had no idea what I was doing. Then she promptly started wailing. A test? I got a couple smiles from her this evening. Things are definitely looking up!

And here's a cool pic Chuck took of his '62 Galaxie...

Motherhood - One month in...

2009-07-13T20:45:00.004-05:00

So far motherhood has been much tougher than I had even anticipated. The first nights in the hospital I thought I was being so smart by feeding Ruby and then letting her go to the nursery. I would be refreshed and ready to take on anything when I got home. HA!

I hadn't anticipated recovery from birth, a fussy baby who did not go to sleep at night, and a lot of difficulties nursing that resulted in anxiety and stress...

But at Ruby's two week check up her doctor recommended the book, Happiest Baby on the Block and I just happened to have the DVD from a friend. We watched that and with swaddling we now had a method for soothing a fussy Ruby. I recovered from childbirth and started getting out exercising (with my lovely supportive family) and my energy started to return. And I'd love to say that nursing became easy for us, but that is just not the case, however, we are coping with that...

Still it's not easy... I find myself tensing at the slightest peep afraid that she'll wake up. At which I wonder, why am I afraid? I know what to do to calm her (feed, burp, change, bounce, repeat, repeat in reverse order, feed, change and so on and so forth!)....

Right now the little angel is napping... Who knows what the day will bring. I just hope that I'm up for the challenge.

Ruby

2009-07-13T14:01:00.009-05:00

Ruby - 2 weeks - "Ohhhhh nooo..."

Ruby at 2 weeks, lookin' at the blue fish on her bouncy seat...

Ruby at 1 month - Polka dots...

Ruby at 1 month - Pooh outfit...

Ruby at 1 month - Serious face...

Miss Ruby

2009-06-27T18:34:00.002-05:00

Our little addition, born June 10th. Welcome to the world Ruby!

Big Momma...

2009-05-24T11:13:00.006-05:00

Hi all! Sorry to have been so absentee from the old blog. I've been very busy baking a (big) bun. :) Actually between trying to read about childbirth, baby care and getting my stuff at work ready to be gone for maternity leave, I've been gonzo busy... With a side of fiction reading, getting some of that done before I have less time and energy!

Only 2 1/2 more weeks until my due date. We'll see when baby girl decides to come. :)

I have loads of baby shower pics to post, just need to get them ready. In the meantime though, I just want to say, I feel SO blessed to have such amazing family and friends. Thank you all for the love and support, it means a lot to me. HUGS.

Projects projects projects....

2009-04-15T14:42:00.006-05:00

Curtains for the nursery in progress. I've got all the strips sewn together, now I just have to finish them up! I wanted just nice bright colors, nothing gender specific (read: pink).

I've got a couple paintings (one started, one in the works) for the nursery, but I'm a little nervous to post them based on this. I believe Greenbeanbaby has taken down the specific examples, but someone had obviously and blantantly stole her artwork. We all get inspired by one another's work of course, but these were her designs with a few details changed, really sad. Makes it hard to want to share what you're working on when you have to worry that someone will make it their own and I wouldn't be able to do a thing about it.

Chuck's mom repainted the nursery for us! It was a pale gray that you didn't realize was kinda dark until you saw the room all crisp and white. What a relief to have that part done!

This is a lovely nightstand that my dad made for me. Only took me 4 or so years, but I finally tiled the top! I've since finished tiling and grouting, need to take a final picture.

All dressed up...

2009-04-15T14:39:00.006-05:00

All dressed up for my cousin's wedding reception. 30 1/2 weeks pregnant (feeling huge! check out the side angle, aye caramba). And here's a shot of the cute updo my sis-in-law to be gave me.

I'm 32 weeks (as of tomorrow) and probably even bigger than in this pic. The baby moves around a ton, some big moves that are so distracting when I'm in a meeting or driving. It's so cool, yet bizarre to have a little person growing inside me. Can't wait to meet her!

Rainy Monday...

2009-04-13T10:33:00.008-05:00

Lovely print from Katie M. Berggen Art & Design.

We watched Son of Rambow this weekend. I wasn't sure how it would be, but it was good and not too sappy. Great little actors!

Hoppy belated Easter!

These guys are a riot...

2009-04-02T20:42:00.002-05:00

Weird baby names I've run across...

2009-04-02T09:17:00.001-05:00

If one of these is your name, I do apologize, but wow!!

Daisy Boo

Poppy Honey

Pocahontas

Primavera

Moon Unit (name of one of Frank Zappa's kids Chuck says)

Medea (heavy name for a munchkin)

Prunella

Renis

And who knew there were so many versions of Francine.. Prancine, Trancine

Wafty, Windy Wednesday...

2009-04-01T10:13:00.005-05:00

LOVE THiS! I spent a lot of time making myself silly dizzy on a sit n' spin, back in the day. Tees and onesies from Wren Willow.

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. ~ Marcel Proust

2009-03-31T16:14:00.004-05:00

Iron Man vs Bruce Lee @ Yahoo! Video

Check this out, a great little stop motion animation. :D

I'm feeling so frustrated today and my neck and shoulders are so tense I'm surprised my arms aren't clapping over my head like a wind up monkey.

Speaking of monkeys... I talked to my older bro last night and he said my niece was up in the middle of the night recently, talking at the top of her voice about monkeys and monster trucks. heh heh... She is one cool little kid.

More Mexico...

2009-03-31T08:31:00.000-05:00

A little compilation of lovely Mexico, click to see larger. Including a picture of a limonada. I drank a lot of these, it's no margarita, but they were darn tasty.

Siesta time, even for el gato.

Akumal bay

Tulum, Mayan ruins on the beach.

Fun bar, good food!

Handsome...

Bump!

Akumal Bay again...

Gnome sweet gnome...

2009-03-30T09:31:00.003-05:00

Cute garden/shelf gnome from BROOKLYNrehab.

I've got a couple projects in the works that I'll photograph and show sometime soon...

The baby bump is getting bigger! I meant to get some photos this weekend, but it just never happened. Maybe this evening. :) The baby moves in such big ways now that it is a very odd sensation, at times. Pretty amazing...

Clothes for our Peanut...

2009-03-29T10:01:00.016-05:00

2 pairs of overalls (1 brand new Gymboree - came with one of the onesies, orig. $45)

1 pair of pants

4 sleepers (one 12mo, but it had hippos on it, too cute!)

3 onesies

1 funny elephant book

1 pair Gymboree shoes, look brand new

1 bohemian dress

1 maternity outfit (shirt and capris)

changing pad

$32!!!!!

A friend and I went to the Moms of Multiples Sale and a KidsCloset.biz sale yesterday. I wasn't overly impressed with the first sale. A lot of stuff was stained around the neck and some stuff was pretty pricey for being used. The second sale was half off because it was their last day and I got a lot of good deals.

These are my spoils from last weekend. Two dresses and a wee sweater for $7. I got a few kid's books too, 25 cents each. I heart bargains!!

Here are some deals I got a while back from thrift stores. I think I spent maybe $10? I love the little onesies (frogs, clouds, stripes) not to mention the crocodile sleeper!

It's Friday, it's Friday!!

2009-03-27T11:15:00.004-05:00

Super cute camera and phone cases from Hine! And check out her adorable stop motion film on Storque - Camera Camera Case.

Have a lovely weekend peeps!

Gloomy Thursday

2009-03-26T10:57:00.002-05:00

Wow, how cute is this buck from The Handwork Group? I dream of making cool softies, but I'm not entirely sure I actually have the patience...

I'm having a blah day today. I think I need some vitamin D/sunshine...

Mexico

2009-03-17T16:26:00.000-05:00

Two weeks ago now we were basking in the warm sun on the beaches of the Mayan Riviera... (The buddha spreads out funny when I lay down.) I was nervous to bare the bump at first, but there are all sorts of body types out there, so what the heck!

We snorkeled a lot... The water was un poco frio so I bought a wet shirt. It didn't cover the buddha very well, but it'll work great when the baby comes and the belly goes.

Chuck's better at diving down than I am.

I'm impeded by the bump when diving down. Or maybe the bum cuz I think I was bad pre-bump.

Chuck zoomin' in Yal-ku Lagoon. The salt water was mixing in with the fresh there and it made the water look shimmery.

We didn't see any turtles/tortugas the first day, but the second day we figured out where to look in Akumal Bay and we saw five all in a row. Chuck took this pic with his aforementioned diving skills.

This one's kinda fuzzy (my photo, you'll have gathered why), but still a neat tortuga pic. I just gotta get closer to stuff.

Yal-ku Lagoon. I think this used to be coral, but now it's above the water, pretty crazy looking.

Other cool ocean sitings: 6 foot barracuda - we saw him twice, once when the water was pretty stirred up and we were practically on top of each other before we could see each other. We stopped and he veered off. whew! haha!). Wall of fish - we saw this twice too, once when I had no camera and once when the water was murky. Pretty small fishes (6" to a foot) as far as you can see left and right. As you swim towards them, they kinda bend away from you, it was pretty amazing how tight their formation was.

We also visited Dos Ojos Cenote which was so incredible. In one area you are swimming in a cave that curves in a half moon and opens all along one side. There are tiny fish in the water and ginormous boulders below you and stalagtites hanging from the ceiling. So crazy. I gotta admit I was nervous of the crevices in the boulders at first, but I realized there wasn't enough fish or vegetation to support anything very large in there (I hope!). ;)

A man in a little t-shirt shop called me "mamita", little mama, I think. I like it...

We ate some really scrumptious food...

Loncheria - Omelette ala Mexicana for me and Huevos Mexicana for Chuck... They had the BEST pico de gallo. The last time we ate there I made it a game to see how much I could pile on my omelette.

Lol Ha - Sea Food Pasta Buffet... You got to pick what seafood, veggies and spices, alfredo or marinara (to die for) sauce. Heavenly....

Lucy's Kitchen - Shrimp and fish tacos and smoothies, yum!

Ismelda's - Enchiladas - wow they were good and so filling. 4 enchiladas and rice and beans for like $3. We ate there the last day and ended up wishing we'd tried it earlier in our trip!

I had a blast using my crappy Spanish on taxi drivers. There was usually someone at the taxi stand who could speak English, but many of our taxi drivers only spoke a bit of English. The one day there was no one who spoke English at the taxi stand was the day we wanted to go to Xcacel Beach. I wanted to know if they would take us and wait, but couldn't remember the word for wait. haha! When we got to Xcacel the taxi driver taught me in Spanish and asked how to say it in English, pretty cute.

Every time we visit a country like this I'm struck by how simply people live. It makes me yearn to simplify, but then I come back to the states and I'm inundated by marketing telling me everything I NEED. It's so easy to get sucked into consumerism and the hurry hurry mentality.

Happy St. Patty's Day!!

2009-03-17T16:05:00.001-05:00

Hope you are all having a lovely St. Patty's Day! The weather is gorgeous here. I can't wait to get outside....

Cutie pie...

2009-03-13T08:18:00.000-05:00

Elephant cosmetic pouch from The Dainty Squid. LOVE that material!!

Two Friday the 13th's in a row? WEIRD!!!

Good stuff...

2009-03-09T09:09:00.004-05:00

My friend Cristi got me this book and it looks hilarious... I think this is just what I needed because the author Stephanie Wilder-Taylor has a comedic approach to parenthood which is a breath of fresh air after all the many many MANY do's and do not's in other parenting books. Cristi - you are the bees knees!

Octopus week?

2009-03-04T08:51:00.000-06:00

This tee from Zoe Chen cracks me up! I love it.

Fun!

2009-03-02T09:42:00.000-06:00

How about these cute octopi? I'd have to buy all 6 cuz I love the rainbow octopus effect. :D These are a steal at $9.50 each!

Adorable terrarium...

2009-03-01T10:34:00.000-06:00

How sweet is this turtle terrarium from Tiny Gardens, Charlotte Cramer Design?? And get this she's going to be featured in the March issue of Elle Girl Magazine and the debut issue of Antler Magazine. Love to see a crafter makin' good!!

Wish upon a star...

2009-03-01T08:35:00.000-06:00

Cute star earrings from Natalia Raya. Love love!

Work - blog...

2009-02-27T12:20:00.003-06:00

It's hard for me to work and have a blog especially I have read about people (Dooce) getting fired for blogging. It worked out well for her, I'm sure she's much happier doing her own thing, but...

Any bloggers out there? How do you come up with blog content, but keep your privacy intact? Do coworkers know about your blog?

Aqua blue...

2009-02-27T12:18:00.002-06:00

Here's a lovely for Friday, from Krista Peel.... Happy weekending to you all!

Pretty...

2009-02-25T10:36:00.003-06:00

I'm digging these constellation pendants from Beth Cyr Jewelry. They make me think of our friend Dave and his telescope. Long time no see Dave, we've missed looking at constellations and galaxies and whatnot!

Baby News

2009-02-24T11:27:00.006-06:00

We're having a girl!! Here's our little Peanut at 24 wks 1 day, with her bottom lip tucked up a bit.

I bought her this litttle cutie this weekend...

I was wondering last night how I'm going to make it 3 1/2 more months. My upper back gets so achy in the evenings. Any words of advice? I did prenatal yoga this a.m. hopefully that will help.... Other than that I'm feeling great. I really do have more energy than in the first tri, but it didn't happen the first day of the second tri like I'd hoped. :D

HOT Pink

2009-02-19T09:05:00.002-06:00

I'm in love with this necklace from Beijo Flor... Looks like they are having a buy one get one free sale so check them out!!

Love

2009-02-17T11:13:00.002-06:00

Seems like a lot of my thoughts lately center around how large my belly is and food... I took a picture of a tuna melt, but it wasn't as pretty as the cherry nibs. :D

My belly seems to have shot out in the past two or three weeks. It's a surprise to look down and see the bowling ball that has replaced my tummy. The baby moves around a lot and kicks or elbows hard enough that you can see it, it's so bizarre.

Free Valentines!

2009-02-12T16:09:00.006-06:00

Click here to download your MagpieSkinnies Valentines for free!

Or some free printable Valentines: Secret Agent Josephine, Inside a Black Apple. And check out these cutie pie Valentine ideas from Crafty Crow!

Thursday...

2009-02-12T11:16:00.012-06:00

Work in progress... Here's a pic of the tree skirt I'm working on finishing. I still need trim for the edge, but I'll get that this weekend when my mom and I go shop for fabric for crib bumpers and curtains for the baby's room!

I finally broke down and ordered this book. I've been coveting it for a year now. :) I just got it today and I'm stoked to make the turtles shown in here (click here to see). My goal is to make a stack of 3 for the nursery... We'll see... :D

Illustrator...

2009-02-11T09:38:00.003-06:00

Some days Illustrator foils me and other days I manage to win the battle... Here's a background I did for a March promotional deal.

Funny Valentine...

2009-02-10T11:50:00.001-06:00

Check out this funny Valentine from Cuore!

Cuz mustaches are funny

2009-02-05T16:22:00.002-06:00

The artist is currently on the Etsy homepage, so if you're an Etsy-bug you've seen it, but if not, I present the Mustache Key Hook from Suddenly, It's Real!

Thinking ocean thoughts...

2009-02-04T13:50:00.007-06:00

Seaside memories from House of Six Cats.

White Beach Glass Nugget from Sophia Pip.

Marilyn dress from Ureshii...

And have I mentioned that I love Confessions of a Pioneer Woman?

Sweetling for a Valentine?

2009-02-04T12:26:00.001-06:00

Here's some cuteness for Krize Smiling Shop...

I had the flu the last couple days and I just gotta say, nothing makes you appreciate your health more than not having it.... I'm sending well wishes to anyone out there who is under the weather. Feel better soon!

*Magpie Skinnies*

2012 - Wow! Whoa!

Mama of two...

Our little newbie...

Little Helper

Big girl bed

22 more days 'til my due date!

Ruby speak, boy has it changed!

Cute upholstered toddler bed...

Interesting boy names

Melanoma

30 weeks today!

Wow...

Savvy shopper

*Spring Cleaning*

Florida

This kid...

Me: Ruby, how old are you?Ruby: EighteenMe: You're not eighteen!! How old are you?Ruby: TwoMe: How about one?Ruby: OneMe: Ruby, how old are you?Ruby: Eighteen

Happy Valentine's Day!

More Baby Boy "pics"

Valentine's Day Loveliness

Pom Pom Cuteness...

Snowpocalypse Tuesday...

I want this in my kitchen!!

Caftans...

Doreto Batik Caftan Dress

Ham

Funny little girl...

Baby #2

Ruby speak...

Good reads of 2010

Merry Merry Christmas!

Christmas time is here, happiness and cheer!

Painting painting painting!

Another year...

Monarch Migration

Blogging....

Wedding weekend...

Indiana banana July 2010

Creating...

Baja 500...

Art Art ART!

Custom Painting - Done!

Ruby 7 1/2 months old...

Ruby's Christmas (posting a bit late!)

Winter Wonder - WHAT THE HECK!

January 2010!!

Favorite Reads of 2009...

Wow...

Curiouser and curiouser!

5 months old...

Seeds...

Happy Halloween!

Toes and whatnot...

What's in the bucket?

I'm on an ocean kick

Cute as a button...

Warm thoughts

Cold avoidance...

Ruby at 4 months

Etsy cuteness...

Ruby Growling....

Etsy Love...

3 1/2 Months Old...

The Evolution of a Mother

6 weeks old...

Motherhood - One month in...

Ruby

Miss Ruby

Big Momma...

Projects projects projects....

All dressed up...

Rainy Monday...

These guys are a riot...

Weird baby names I've run across...

Wafty, Windy Wednesday...

More Mexico...

Gnome sweet gnome...

Clothes for our Peanut...

It's Friday, it's Friday!!

Magpie Skinnies

Spring Cleaning

Me: Ruby, how old are you?
Ruby: Eighteen
Me: You're not eighteen!! How old are you?
Ruby: Two
Me: How about one?Ruby: One
Me: Ruby, how old are you?
Ruby: Eighteen