Wishing You a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

My New Year's resolution for 2009? To start blogging again. ;oD

Summer Hiatus

I bet you've been wondering...."where has she gone, why isn't she blogging anymore??"...or maybe you're just having too much fun enjoying the summer with your family and couldn't care less...like us!! :oP

I'm on summer hiatus but will be back closer to the beginning of a new school year. I decided to spend more time with my family and hold off on any biz plans for a little while longer. :o)

See you soon!

Decoration Day

In an event similar to ones involving countless Scout groups across the country this past weekend, many of our local Boy Scouts met at the Fort Sam Houston Cemetery for the annual Flags at Fort Sam in honor of Memorial Day.



The Memorial Day holiday takes place on the last Monday of May. This holiday commemorates United States service men and women who died in military service for their country. The holiday, originally called Decoration Day, is traditionally marked by parades, memorial speeches and ceremonies, and the decoration of graves with flowers and flags, hence the original name.



Boy Scouts were invited to participate with the placement of flags on the gravesites of veterans and their dependents. For Mr. Smarty Pants and 5 others from his Cub Scout Pack it was their first opportunity to participate and they all seemed to really enjoy it, even though it was very VERY hot that day!



I was surprised at how much they wanted to learn about the veterans; reading about where they were from, what conflict(s) they had been in, etc. A few of the cubs(brothers) had a great grandfather buried in the cemetery as well.



I'm so proud of Mr. Smarty Pants! :o)

Fairies, Tutus and Bows OH MY!

I know I know, seems like ages since I posted last. I really need to catch up but for today at least I wanted to share a really fun and girly giveaway by Dawn of Pink with Sparkles:

I love fairies, tutus and bows and Bambina Ballerina has it all! Do you have a little princess who has tons of bows but no place to keep them? Then here is the ultimate girly accessory!



Want one of these gorgeous bowholders? Then head on over to Dawn's blog where she's giving away one $30 Gift Certificate to Bambina Ballerina AND one Bambina Ballerina bowholder! This giveaway ends May 29th at noon EST so enter soon and your little princess will thank you. :o)

Wordless Wednesday : Peek-a-boo...

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Mommy Moment

This is one of my favorite mommy moments. We didn't ask him to kiss my belly, he just did! He loves his twin sisters sooooooo much! :o)

Happy Mother's Day!

Check out other mommy moments here:

What Motherhood Means to Me

This captured moment speaks volumes for me. Whenever I look at it I feel overjoyed, lonely and nostalgic all at once. This is my mom and I at my wedding in 2000. She had been diagnosed only 2 years earlier with Ovarian Cancer and was given grim statistics. She beat the odds and not only walked me down the aisle and gave me away at my wedding, but was able to be there to welcome her first and only grandchild that she ever knew a year later. She kept beating the odds until May 6th 2005. I am forever grateful for the extra time given to us.
3 months after she passed we found out we were pregnant with twins and I knew exactly who their guardian angel would be. When I found out I would be having daughters I knew I would name them both after my mom. If it were not for my own mom I would not be the mother, or even the woman, I am today.

This picture epitomizes motherhood for me, with all the joy and happiness AND the pain and sorrow that it comes with. I miss you mom.

What does motherhood mean to you?



Note: I couldn't get my scanner to work so I had to take a pic of a pic from my wedding album. I will update it with a better version if I ever get this darned scanner figured out!

Wordless Wednesday - Hello Elephant

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Happy Birthday Sugar & Spice!

The twins turned 2 on Sunday! We gave them presents including puzzles, a pillow, books and their very own twin baby dolls. My camera batteries died and we didn't have replacements so there's hardly any pics.



Then we went to the zoo. It was a gorgeous day! Real Spring weather which is so rare here. We didn't get very many pics at the Zoo either, even though we picked up some new batteries on the way.

Here's Mr. Smarty Pants striking his "I'm cool" pose. :o)



I rarely get pics of me & the girls together so we gave it a shot. Sugar & Spice just did not want to sit still for a pic and this was the only decent shot we got. I don't think you can tell how hard I'm trying to hold them still. LOL! All my makeup is gone too since it was at the end of the day.
*Note to self: Next time, take pics at the beginning of the day and right after applying makeup! :oP



Oh and did you notice my hair?? It's hard to tell but I cut it short! I just couldn't deal with it anymore. It may not look as good but it sure feels great!!

We'll have a little birthday celebration with a Disney Princess theme in 2 weeks when Memaw & Papaw come to visit. I figure next year we'll do the whole party with friends thing. :o)

Fabulous Flickr Fabric Finds

Before I get to the fabric post, did anyone see the shocking American Idol results show last night? I was floored when Micheal Johns was voted off. Not only that, but Ryan was downright "unforgiving" in the way that he announced it. Not a great way to end the Idol Gives Back week imho. :o(

Ok, on to the fabric!! So I thought it would be fun today to highlight some really cool Flickr groups, including fabric manufacturers and fabric designers. Amazing things you crafty gals make with my fave fabrics! ;o)

Free Spirit Fabric(and Rowan)

Michael Miller Fanatics

Joel Dewberry Fabric

Freshcut and fabulous!(Heather Bailey)

Chocolate Lollipop(Anna Maria Horner)

Bohemian Beauties(Anna Maria Horner)

Ginger Blossom(Sandi Henderson)

Tina Givens Fabric

Denyse Schmidt Quilts

Sis Boom Sightings

Amy Butler Sew Inspiring Contest

Amy Butler Fans

Sugar & Spice are turning 2 this weekend(Two already? Wow!!) and while we're going to wait and have an "official" princess party when Memaw & Papaw come to visit in 2 weeks, we'll probably do something, like go to the zoo, since the weather is beautiful!! Hope everyone has a lovely wekend as well. :O)

My Baby Has Glasses

Sugar finally got her glasses last night and today is her first official day to wear then since she went to bed an hour after receiving them last night. I have to say, so far so good. She has been great about keeping them on. I was surprised! I think it may be just because it's something new but I'm hoping that she recognizes that she can see so much better with them on. I do think that these frames are too small for her. I'm noticing indents on the bridge of her nose and her temples. I've tried adjusting a bit but I just think I will need to take her back to the Vision Center today and see about getting them adjusted or replaced. Yesterday I asked about when we would need to change them out due to her growth and they said they should be good for about 6 months but it's hard to imagine that being the case with a fast growing toddler! We'll see. So what do you think?



I'm trying to get used to her new look. I do think she looks pretty cute! :o) The glasses are pink and have a little bitty Tigger on each side of the frames. The case has Winnie the Pooh and Tigger on it which she recognized. When we got the glasses yesteday we all made a big fuss about how pretty she looked and and I even told her how at night the glasses would go "night night" in their sleeping case. This morning we "woke up" the glasses so she could wear them. hehehe. I think it's going to help alot to have rituals associated with the glasses.



I was reading some mom blogs last night after the American Idol Gives Back show (btw if you haven't already, donate, donate, donate!) and ran across a post about InfantSEE. I wish I had heard of this earlier. Not only does this website have excellent information about a baby's developing eyes but you can search for an eye doctor in your area that will evaluate your baby's vision for FREE! Yup you read correct, anyone who has a baby under 12 months of age can have them checked for free. NO insurance needed. Like most parents I didn't think much about getting my kids vision checked when they were babies at an eye doctor. I thought that the pediatrician was sufficient. I believe now that had I been more aware Sugar might have had her vision problem caught earlier. I didn't notice anything wrong with her eyes until her second year and even then I didn't trust what I was seeing. I thought it was a "trick of the eye"(no pun intended) until it started becoming more obvious and others noticed it too.
Amazingly when I did a search for participating InfantSEE Optometrists I found 13 doctors within 20 miles of us!
This program came about in 2005 after president Jimmy Carter spoke to a group of Optometrists about his two grandsons who have vision problems that could have been treated if their eyes had been checked as infants. They had the insurance and money to take the boys for eye care, but they lacked the awareness. So members of the American Optometric Association and The Vision Care Institute of Johnson & Johnson joined forces to create InfantSEE.
Do yourself a favor and have your babies eyes checked, if only for your peace of mind.

Another website I stumbled upon this morning is Babies With Glasses. It's a site for parents, grandparents, other family members and friends of babies and young children with glasses, needing glasses, or with other visual challenges to share experiences and tips. There's an online community for everything isn't there! :o) It's nice to know I have support out there if I need it. Maybe I'll enter Sugar for Baby with Glasses of the Month! ;o)

Wordless Wednesday - Slip 'N Slide

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Fun in the Sun

Where did Spring go?? As usual we had about a week of Spring and we're already on to hot humid Summer days. Gotta love Texas weather! :oP

We got the twins a pink plastic pool this weekend and they had their very own little "swim party" in the backyard. They love their evening bath so this was about a 1000 times better! LOL!

Fabulous Fabric Finds Pt. 3

Today I wanted to highlight more wonderful fabric designers; some old faves and one soon-to-be new fave!



The first is another blogger and allaround crafty gal, Jennifer Paganelli. If you're unsure of the name than you'll probably recognize her fabric collections; Mod Girls, Girlfriends and Sis Boom Basics. Jennifer's newest offbeat and eclectic collection called Bell Bottom is inspired by the 70's. Lots of fun colors don't you think?



You can see alot more pics of this new collection on Jennifer's blog.



So remember that wonderful collection called Summer in the City by Urban Chiks that was so popular last year? Well, those vintage/modern gals have done it again! I love there latest line called Swell. It has all the perfect spring/summer colors and looks so wonderfully vintage. Anyone know when this was introduced? This collection happens to be inspired by the 40's. Hmmm, I'm seeing a trend here. :oP




I couldn't find any information on these "swell" chicks; no official site other than the page on Moda Fabrics, no blog...nothin! Anyone have the lowdown?



And last but not least is a new designer who will no doubt do quite well. Lila Tueller is a painter/crafter and now fabric designer who has her debut line Woodland Bloom coming out in May with Moda. Here's a sneak peek:



Visit Lila at her blog and let her know what you think.

Have a fun fabric-filled weekend! :o)

Updates on Life

This has been a busier week than normal, which is the reason for the lack of blogging, so I thought I would update on some things that some of you may be wondering about.

Sugar's Strabismus:
Someone asked how Sugar's eye appt went. She had an appt a few weeks back and we found out that her "wall-eye" is due to farsightedness so she's getting glasses! Last week we went and tried on some frames(cute little pink ones) and we've been waiting on the lenses to come in so that we can pick them up. They were supposed to come in towards the end of this week. I have NO idea how I'm going to get her to keep them on. Anyone have any suggestions?? I thought about e-mailing Kate from Jon and Kate + 8 to see how she got Aaden to wear his. :o) Has anyone else ever e-mailed either Jon or Kate? Did they respond?

The Puppies:
Well what can I say, they're getting bigger...and our backyard is not fit for human beings anymore. LOL! We're gonna work on that hopefully this weekend. I'm thinking about seperating a part of the yard and putting a fence around it...for the kids! That way they can have a sandbox, toys and poop free grass to play in. :oP Mr. Smarty Pants is playing with them alot more. Also the "boys" take them for walks. They really are sweet, but I'd like my backyard back now that spring is here. :o)

My Jewelry:
Yes I know this is supposed to be my biz blog. *sigh* Seems I can make lots of jewelry in my free time but can't get any pictures of them so no listings in my store. :o( After being sick, busy, etc etc, I finally had time to try taking decent pics again and of course the weather will not cooperate. Soooo after doing some research I am going to make my own light box this weekend so I can take pics whenever my little heart desires! I also need to do some reading up on my camera settings as I can't seem to get the closeups I used to. My spring collection is soooo late but will hopefully debut soon. Again, wish me luck on that.

Cub Scouts:
Lots happening with Mr. Smarty Pants Cub Scout pack. I got to take him to his first hockey game a few weeks ago. Our local hockey team had a Scout Night. Since I grew up watching hockey in LA(go Kings) I thought it only appropriate that I get to take him instead of Honey(who I introduced to Hockey when we lived in Dallas-go Stars). He seemed to enjoy it though he wished they had scored more. It was a low scoring game and a little boring at times so I'm glad it still held his attention. We've also been working on his Pinewood Derby car. The Derby is next week and is the 1st one for his pack. He just earned his Bobcat Patch and Tiger Cub Recognition Emblem plus 5 beads a couple nights ago and I'm also working on the packs website. Busy busy busy!

Fabulous Finds Friday:
Yes I am going to post part 3 of Fabulous Fabric Finds tomorrow. And yes, sadly, I missed posting about the Ginger Blossom launches on both ETSY and eBay the past couple of weeks. (I even bid and won some cute outfits for the girls!) You can still find listings on eBay and tons of listings on ETSY by searching for keyword "gingerblossom".

And since blog posts aren't nearly as much fun without pics, here ya go!



If I forgot anything I needed to update on just comment and let me know. ;o)

Remembering A Super Princess

I had fully intended to update about what we've been up to lately and post the delayed pt. 3 of the Fabulous Fabric Friday series but this morning doing my usual blog rounds while drinking coffee I came across a new blog...which lead me to another blog...which lead me to cry for most of the morning then finally deciding on a completely different post for today.
Through a wonderful artists blog(who I'll post about another day) I found the blog of Sheye Rosemeyer Photography. She is an incredible photographer and also mommy to four who lost her beautiful 3 year old daughter Ava last year. It was a terrible accident and one that she has since devoted to preventing any other parents from going through. She has bravely kept blogging and inspiring with her words and amazing photographs. In the hopes of spreading more awareness I would like you to meet Ava:



You can click on the picture above to go to Ava's website which has links to both this postcard(web & printable versions) and her memorial site where you can learn more about this Super Princess Angel.

I'm seriously thinking about highlighting someone like Ava each month to help spread awareness. I already found another beautiful angel with a mission from reading Sheye's blog. We'll have to see if I can manage to do this. I'm really not that strong...

Wordless Wednesday : Sneaky Peek

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Happy Easter!

I know I'm a little late but, better late than never right? :o)

Unfortunately we all got sick, yet again, and of course it just had to be over spring break and Easter. *sigh* I really do hope now that Spring has arrived that our "plague" days are over once and for all. Though we ended up not being able to visit family or do much of anything else this past week we did get to participate in our neighborhoods very 1st annual Easter Egg Hunt and I think I got some cute shots of the kiddos. The weather was perfect that day.




As you can see I did redo my blog and ETSY store design. I rather like it! It reflects "me" more than any of the designs so far. Sadly I haven't gotten my jewelry photographed yet so still no listings in the store. I'm hoping to resolve that this week. Wish me luck!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter! I'll update more about our family goings on tomorrow. :o)

Wordless Wednesday : You want me to sit WHERE??

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Fabulous Fabric Friday pt. 2

Today I'm highlighting some very popular fabric designers who have inspired so many crafters, new and established! The first is probably the most famous and is why my own fabric obsession began.



I adore Amy Butler fabrics and patterns. And her website's fabulous too don't you think? I wish she had a blog. I still want to have a Little Daisy's flower nap pillow made for Sugar & Spice. I found the pattern online today so I'll probably order it and then see if I can find someone to make it for me. Any volunteers? :o)



Anyhoo, here's a sneak peek of Amy's new Spring 08 collection called Midwest Modern:



The collection will be out this April. To see the rest of the colorways click here!

The next designer became an instant favorite with his first 3 collections in 2007.



Surprisingly I don't have anything made with Joel Dewberry fabric! I really will have to rectify that. :oP His newest collection called Ginseng will be out this May. It looks beautiful! Here's a sneak peek:



To see the rest of the colorways in this collection click here! Once again he has a beautiful website but alas no blog.

Lastly, I wanted to share a fabric designer who is new to me but probably not to most of you sew crafty ladies. ;o) Her name is Tina Givens. She has a blog too. I had seen her chandelier fabric here and there but when I found her blog and saw this fabric colorway...



...I fell in LOVE! I can't wait for her new collection called Chloe's Imagination to come out this spring. It is soooo my style! Check out the other colorways in this collection on Tina's blog.

Stay tuned for more "fabric love"...next Friday! :o)