Show off
This is gonna be super quick and if you’re a boy, you most likely won’t care about this. Actually even if you’re a girl you probably won’t care. But yesterday in my mail came delicious, gorgeous goodies and I had to share. I think I may need to join Etsy Anonymous or something. I’m just glad that The Man has quit asking me how much anything cost and has stopped rolling his eyes when a new package comes in the mail. I justify all of this in that I’m spending money on our daughter. I mean, how can that be wrong?
It’s not. And these outfits…well. They are everything that is right in the world of having daughters. And Livie loves wearing them and gets so excited anytime she sees me open the packages up and realizes it’s for her.
I now have jean, brown and black ruffle pants for her to go with any top she has.
You may now roll your eyes and think I’m crazy. It’s ok.
Carry on!
Sneak Peek
Into our weekend ahead. There may not be fall weather here BUT we sure do try to make fall out of whatever we can. We’re off to the pumpkin patch tomorrow. There will be a petting zoo. There will be a corn maze. There will be a hayride. It will be fall tomorrow.
And a bit of Halloween because this came in yesterday and when Livie saw me take it out of the package she whined and pointed because she HAD. TO. HAVE. IT. ON. RIGHT. NOW!!!!!
She even twirled around in excitement.
It’s gonna be a great weekend, y’all. Hope yours is too.
It Happened
My weekend of rest and relaxation and healing and food and family and FUN happened. And just in time too. Hannah was gone most of the weekend so it was just me, The Man and Livie. We laid around. We went for a walk. We shopped. We ate out. We hung out with friends. We saw our family. This weekend had everything I’ve been needing for a long time.
And my baby girl who’s almost all the way over her cold was back to her normal self and ran around and played like a crazy woman. But if I ever left the room, she was right behind me. She was attached to me all weekend and I gotta say, it was kind of nice.
So I followed her around a lot with my camera and got cute pictures of her making her “thinking face” and her “happy face” and I loved it all. My little baby girl who I had fun dressing up in ALL homemade clothes because while I adore me some Target and Gymboree, Etsy and custom made stuff for my girls is where it’s at.
Know what else hits the spot for me? Watching The Man with our babies. It’ll never EVER get old to me.
And so by the time Monday came along I was ready to eat some burgers and hot dogs and laugh with the family and see my oldest baby girl who had a great time on her weekend trip away with her Nana. It was a weekend away from eachother we both probably needed and when she got home I just KNEW she’d be different.
I was right.
She came running up to me and told me she missed me and couldn’t wait to see me. That’s the daughter I knew was in there.
And Livie missed her too.
And so we did just that. We ate. We laughed. We told stories. We did what we do best when we all get together. It may sound corny but to me it’s magical how this family operates. I can’t say enough how grateful I am to have amazing in laws and people that consider me blood just as much as they do The Man or my girls. I feel like I was born into this family and that I’ve always been here.
It was a good, good weekend. The last weekend of summer…at least according to me. So now I anticipate fall and all the stuff I LOVE about fall. We may not get fall weather here or fall colors but we have our family and our get togethers and our pumpkin spice punch and Halloween parties. And that? Makes me happy.
It makes us happy.
18 months
Last week Livie turned 18 months old. When babies are born you count their months montly til they’re a year and then it seems that once they’re a year the only big month between that and 2 years old is 18 months. At least to me it is. Not to mention that 18 months was when Hannah really started to talk and understand things and Livie is following suit.
So I decided that the 99 degree heat and crazy humidity made for a perfect photoshoot outside. I also decided I’m crazy but whatever. I wanted to get these pictures done and I’m glad I did.
For about a month or 2 now Liv’s been quite adament in her quest to get what she wants when she wants. And if you stand in her way she throws a fit and screams. If you want her to do something she doesn’t want to do she says “No” clearly and won’t do it. She’s strong like her sister.
She’s also been singing. A lot. She makes up little tunes and hums and sings and it’s so freakin cute. Also, the phone. She will find all her toy phones and have animated conversations complete with laughter and hand motions. It really makes me realize how much she watches us and knows to say “hello” and “bye” when she’s on the phone. I just know her vocabulary is going to explode so much in the next year and a half and I’m so excited to hear it all and put it all here. It makes me so happy to go back and read back from when I first started this blog and Hannah had just turned 3. The stuff she said back then cracks me up and really makes me realize how grown up she is now 4 1/2 years later. I’m glad I already had this blog going when Livie was born and really…for my whole pregnancy. I’ve documented everything with her from the very beginning and I know in a few years I’ll look back to these old posts and smile like I do when I look back at Hannah’s old ones.
So happy 18 months…happy half birthday baby girl. And kisses right back at you.
Silver linings
I’m currently in silver lining mode as I sit here semi buried in work. I’m taking a breather to blog and just, well, breathe. It’s been a busy day for me and I know that in a few weeks things will settle down and I’ll fall back into a routine and groove. I had a great weekend and I made sure to make it extra awesome because I knew that this week was going to kind of suck. And when I already think that way about things I get really discouraged because who wants to think about the days ahead and already know they suck? I sure as hell don’t. Saturday me and The Man are finally going to go see our friends in California which I’m truly excited about. But until then, I’ll be searching high and low for silver linings and things that make me smile because otherwise, I might crack.
So today’s silver lining is that I at least have a job. As much as I complain about having to work and wanting to stay home with my girls, I can’t. I need the money. And so since I HAVE to work I’m grateful for the job that I have because it could be a hell of a lot worse.
And without this girl right here, my world would definitely crumble a little bit more. So that’s silver lining number 2. Livie…who still lets me take tons of pictures of her everyday without complaining or rolling her eyes.
Here’s to hoping for a better week than I expected and to silver linings because we all need them.
Practice makes perfect
It’s no secret that I aspire to be a great photographer. Right now, I consider myself just ok. Maybe some days kind of good. Otherwise, I usually don’t like most of what I put out. I guess we’re all over critical of ourselves….but I truly just wish I’d morph overnight into something fantastic. Until that actually happens, the saying practice makes perfect rings true to me. And since I have 2 beautiful babies to practice on, it works out great.
Last week I showed y’all the dresses that just came in for my girls. My Etsy obsession is no secret. Specifically my Etsy obsession with Momi Boutique is no secret. I dream of a collection of dress after dress from Rachel’s shop for my girls. They’re not cheap but omg, they’re gorgeous. You just don’t get much better than this.
So so far it was going well. Then Hannah decided she wanted to use a flower for a prop.
My only regret for the day was not getting a good picture of the 2 of them together. Livie just wasn’t interested in sitting very still so close to the water. And really, I was nervous as hell shooting her by there because I just knew she was going to crawl off and fall in before I could grab her. It’s my worst nightmare, really.
So, I still consider it a good day. Got some cute pics of my babies modeling dresses from my favorite Etsy chick.
Next up: Etsy rehab. Because I need it.
Still amazed
I’m still amazed at the way social media has transformed my life…MANY people’s lives. I love how when someone is in trouble or needs help, everyone pulls together to help them. It’s a testament that there is good in people…that while things may seem to be falling apart in the world there are still good people out there who truly care. Who truly WANT to help. I’ve seen it with Maddie. I’ve seen it with Anissa. I’ve seen it with Sara. And now, I’m seeing it with Layla.
Enter my favorite Etsy dressmaker, Rachel at Momi Boutique. She heard about Layla and her fight. Apparently Layla’s mom was already a customer of hers. After Layla got sick, Rachel decided to name one of the dresses she made for Layla after Layla and donate all the proceeds of that dress for Layla’s medical bills. You can find that dress here. Her listing says it’s sold out but she may be able to work something out for you if you’re wanting to help. Rachel made these dresses for my girls.
(Just got these! Totally plan on taking pictures of the girls in these this weekend!)
She’s awesome does custom orders and sizing. Even if you can’t get the dress for Layla, shop around if you have little girls. I’m pimping her out after her generosity regarding Layla.
If you want to help but don’t want to buy a dress, you can always donate on Layla’s website.
And please, keep praying for Layla. She needs it.
Subscribe
You Know You Want It
I support
