Made for You by Amy Plew

A New Year

2012-01-06T00:00:00.000-05:00

It's been a bit crazy around these parts lately! Making gifts, taking a couple of trips to Charleston for Bean's pre-op stuff, preparing for his surgery, and a whirlwind trip to Indiana to see family has wiped me out! We survived Christmas and rang in the new year by going to bed early. But we did get to enjoy tons of Christmas treats, happy boys, fantastic homemade goodness, and more toys than a toy store... and, I got a new camera!!!! :o)

I'll be posting about Christmas craftiness later next week, after Bean's surgery. I hope you had a blessed holiday season too!!!

Felting Classes

2011-12-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

A couple months ago, I mentioned I had something in the works, and now the schedule is posted, I can finally tell you! I'll be teaching some felting workshops at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina this year! Yay! The Arts Center has a bunch of fun classes for kids and adults, and starting in January, I'll be teaching a couple of classes on how to make felted objects for you and your home... starting with hearts like the one below...

Here is the class listing, with link....

Felting Hearts
Valentines Day is coming up and love is in the air! Needle-felt 3 detailed hearts to hand out as valentines or use as seasonal decorations. Hang them up on a seasonal tree or mantle, adorn gifts with them for a special touch, decorate your dinner table with a little extra love – the possibilities are endless!
Instructor: Amy Plew
Date: Saturday, January 28, 2012
Time: 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Tuition: $40

Thanks for taking a look! I'm so excited to get to share this craft with other people!

The Christmas Chaos

2011-12-04T18:58:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving is barely over, and I'm feeling the anxiety of how much I have to do before Christmas gets here. All of the making, decorating, planning, traveling... feels really overwhelming right now. I don't know why! I love this time of year and all of the festivities that come with it. Maybe it's because everyone is so sick. (BLECK!) Our living room is starting to look like a sick tornado has spun through it, complete with empty tissue boxes, piles of pillows, blankets, and pink kitty nebulizer. Hopefully, now that everyone is on neb treatments and antibiotics, we will be on the mend and we can get on with Christmas already!

The neb masks were hung by the chimney with care....

The pink kitty nebulizer

Maybe it's my psychotic need to have a "perfect" holiday, or the unrealistic expectations I have on myself, but my list is a mile long, and I am light years away from being able to complete it. I have only purchased one gift for Christmas this year, and it's for Jared, and he was there when I got it... so no surprises there, and the gift making has not yet begun. Also we do not have a single decoration up yet. Jared has been in bed all day with a fever, and Micah was plumb-tuckered from taking a walk earlier today (we needed to get some fresh air!)... so Jesse and I are enjoying a little mug of hot chocolate and then we're going to start with the decorating. The tree won't go up tonight. It's in the garage and I can't carry it in by myself. So we will have to cherish these little moments together, listening to Christmas music, drinking our cocoa, and putting up a couple of things to make this house look like Christmas is coming. I know these moments are few and fleeting, so I am determined to enjoy them in the midst of the chaos that is our life.

Change of plans...

2011-11-09T09:45:00.000-05:00

The plan was for the boys to be Oompa Loompas (from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) last year. Instead, because I was just too tired, Jesse went as Fred from Scooby Doo, and Micah wore a "My First Halloween"onesie and striped pants.

Halloween 2010

This year, I was determined to make my little ones Oompa Loompas. Thus began "Operation Wonka-fy":

Plan A: Buy some thrifted brown shirts and white pants and repurpose them into costumes. No such luck.

Plan B: Find brown turtle necks, brown socks, and white pants at any store. Not happening.

Plan C: Buy pattern and fabric to create our own costume. No pattern. No brown and white striped fabric. No brown socks. No green wigs. Plan D?

Plan D: Make EVERYTHING from scratch. Never mind I've never made a pattern, sewn a shirt, or worked with knit fabric...oh, and did I mention I waited until the weekend before Halloween to get sewing?

Thanks to my very sweet husband, and some patient kids, who had to try their costumes on at least a dozen times before I got them right, I think they turned out really cute!

Happy (very belated) Halloween!

Gotcha!

2011-10-20T08:56:00.001-04:00

I'm always a little sensitive this time of year. I feel a bit... umm... delicate. It seems like Jesse has always been a part of our family, but my heart remembers when he wasn't. Just over 3 years ago, I was full-swing in the midst of grieving...grieving for the children I thought I'd never have. And when I think back on those dark days, I can still feel the raw edges of doubt and pain that ruled my life then. Doubt that I would ever fulfill my purpose. Doubt that maybe I wasn't supposed to be a Mommy...and the heartbreak that ensued. I was exhausted, shaken to the very core of my being. I feel silly even thinking back on those days now because everything changed, shifted when we got the call from DSS that they had a little boy for us to foster. And ten days later Jesse walked into our living room and into our lives. And God revealed Himself in a way I never expected. I am overwhelmed by His goodness!

Our first "family" photo - October 20, 2008

My life will never be the same! Jesse is one of the most amazing blessings I've ever received. I don't know why it shocks me how perfectly he fits in our family. Or how he and Micah look so alike. God really did know what He was doing! So, you see, I might feel delicate right now, but I am also eternally grateful! Grateful for a God who sees the whole picture - both mine and Jesse's. Grateful that I can see why I had to walk through the valley, and come out the other side a Mommy. Grateful that He sees it fit to let Jesse call me his Mommy. And today, we celebrate Jesse's THIRD Gotcha Day!

We love you, Jesse! So glad we gotcha!

Some exciting news is coming!

2011-10-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

No, I'm not pregnant. But here's a little hint...

Pumpkin butter!!!

2011-10-11T08:00:00.025-04:00

Have I mentioned how much I love pumpkin?! And pumpkin butter has to be one of the best pumpkin-y things I've ever tasted! YUM!!!

As of Friday, I was still trying to decide what I wanted to can this weekend, and then Jared brought home a bunch of little pie pumpkins that his work wasn't going to use for an art project. We started processing the pumpkins after going to to the pumpkin patch on Saturday afternoon. It was a family affair.

I've never made pumpkin pulp before. Every time I've baked anything pumpkin, I've used the canned stuff. So, Jesse helped scoop 1/2 of a pumpkin, and Micah just wanted to hold and sniff a pumpkin half, and take little licks of the inside when he thought we weren't looking. (I don't think that he was too impressed with the taste. ha ha!) Jared gutted the rest of the pumpkins. We cut the pumpkins into chunks and lined them up on 2 large jelly roll pans.

We covered them with foil, then baked them at 375 degrees for just shy of 2 hours, and scooped out the pulp. We blended the pulp until smooth using a hand blender. Then, I looked for at a couple of recipes and tweaked one a bit to come up with my own (because I'm a rebel like that!). 16 hours in a crock pot, and a bit of canning, and we've got....

Pumpkin Butter (in a crock pot)
Ingredients:
9 pie pumpkins, cooked, pulp removed, and blended until smooth (see above) ***

Juice from 5 small lemons

2 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 cup apple cider

4 cups sugar

2 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ground cloves

Directions:
Place half of the pumpkin pulp into a large crock pot with all of the other ingredients. Make sure you have at least 2 inches of room at the top of the crock pot. Blend with a hand blender until smooth. Place the lid on top, but do not seal or close tightly. You want the steam to escape. Cook the pumpkin on high for 5-6 hours or until the pulp has halved in volume. You can stir the pulp, but it's not necessary. I let mine cook overnight. Add the rest of the pulp, and continue to cook the pumpkin until it's thick and dark brownish-orange - approximately 5 more hours. Use a hand blender to smooth out the mixture once more.

The USDA says that pumpkin cannot be safely canned because the acidity of pumpkins varies so much...so spoon hot pumpkin butter into jars that have been run through a dishwasher with "heated dry" or boiled in a pot of water for 10 minutes. You want to have the pumpkin butter about the same temperature as the jars. Top with lids. Let jars cool on a towel-lined counter top. Store pumpkin butter in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. Makes approximately 12 pints of pumpkin butter.

There's not much that I wouldn't eat this yummy pumpkin-y goodness on. So far, we've tried it on crackers, pretzels, apples slices, pumpkin pancakes, bagels with cream cheese...but I'm thinking that it would be pretty amazing on a cheesecake, or on muffins, or how about chocolate chip banana bread? YUMMY!!!! Happy canning!!!

***If making your own pumpkin pulp seems like too much work (it is a bit labor-intensive), you can always substitute a couple of cans of already prepared pumpkin pulp. Just make sure it's not pumpkin pie filling.

When we got home....

2011-10-06T08:00:00.003-04:00

Camping was a blast, but the best part was coming home to have not one, but two packages for ME on our front porch. I hardly ever get mail that isn't a bill, and I never get packages aside from my birthday.... and yet, there they were...

Package #1 was from my Mom. I grew up on a sheep farm, and my very talented Mom has always used the wool from our sheep to spin, dye, and knit. (We were the only weirdos in town that had a bunch of dead-headed flowers in the yard from from cutting the flowers off to use as dye.) Later on, my sisters, Mom and I used the wool for needle felting. But, it's difficult to make a living off of a product that is 100% hand-made. For the first time ever, Mom decided that the most recent harvest of wool was to be processed and made into yarn. She still dyes the yarn by hand, but at least she's sparing the flowers this time. Let me just tell you that it's the most gorgeous yarn you've ever seen, and I am the overjoyed owner of 3 skeins of it - natural white, gray, and hand-dyed blue. (I am practically giddy!!!!)

Gorgeous, right?!

The second package was from my Mother-in-law, and inside of it was two dozen Weck canning jars! (Again, giddy!) I love making jam and "putting up" peaches every year, but the last 2 years I've been a bit busy (on bed rest with Bean, and then chasing after my one-year-old). I am afraid that I might have missed the best produce of the Summer, but these jars are nothing short of inspiring! Their vintage/modern shape, all-glass lids, and little rubber gaskets, have me practically chomping at the bit to can SOMETHING!!! Aren't they pretty?!

Yes. I am a big dork, and the first thing I did was take them out of the box, line them up, and admire them.

Like I said, I'm a dork.

So, this weekend, on top of FINALLY finishing the mountain of post-camping laundry, I am on a quest to find the perfect knitting project for my new yarn, and something to put up. Any suggestions?!

Oh, and if you want a bit of this awesome yarn for yourself, just contact my Mom via her etsy site. She should be posting some yarn soon!

Into the woods...

2011-10-05T08:00:00.000-04:00

With most summer days here reaching over 90 degrees with 100% humidity, we welcome Fall, and cooler temperatures, with open arms! We can finally venture outside without sweating through our t-shirts, and having to listen to incessant whining about how hot it is from our very heat-intolerant 5-year-old! (poor thing!) But...I have to tell you... I am not really what you'd refer to as an "outdoorsy type". I would much rather stay in a nice hotel, with my own bathroom and a hot shower. I don't really like getting dirty, and I hate bugs because I always end up getting eaten alive. And if I'm going "camping" I'd much prefer camping the way my in-laws do it - in a RV. Ha! But until we can work an RV into the budget, we will stay in a tent because my Jesse just loves camping. And this time around, I was really excited to collect my boys under one tented roof, and find some adventure in the woods. And we definitely found some adventure! We ventured into the "wild" of Jekyll Island, for one of the more memorable family times with my little ones. And despite, colder-than-expected temperatures, a really grumpy Jesse, extremely loud quarreling raccoons at 3:00 am, a deflated air mattress, a broken camp stove, forgotten groceries and can opener, and attempting to pack 2 adults, five-year-old, toddler, and 2 dogs onto the only remaining queen-sized air mattress, we had a great time together.

Located smack-dab between Savannah and Jacksonville, Jekyll Island is an awesome place to visit! It has a little bit of fun for everyone in the family - gorgeous beaches, miles of paved biking trails, gigantic, sprawling hundreds-of-years-old live oaks dripping with Spanish moss, the old plantation home made of tabby, Horton House, and a beautiful historic district, that was once owned by the richest people in the world. And it was just so nice being able to enjoy all of it with my boys!

Micah eating a pre-breakfast muffin while Daddy went to get replacement eggs for the ones Mommy forgot at home.

Cooking bacon on our tiny camp stove since the Coleman stove was busted.

Brothers chilling in the wagon, after Jesse finally got over his case of the grumps.

My boys at the Horton House

Jesse showing us how to jump

Swinging with Bean

The squirrel who ate all of Jared's Chex Mix. Poor Jared.

This is when he decided he loves camping.

Micah likes chilling at the camp site

Our home camp

Wagon walk with Daddy

Roasting marshmallows

Micah likes S'mores!

and we all loved camping!!!

Fall Crafting

2011-09-26T08:00:00.002-04:00

I love that Jesse is getting old enough/coordinated enough to start making things with me, and I'm always on the lookout for projects we can do together. So....to welcome Fall we've been making some fun kid-friendly crafts. Here's our paper-mache pumpkin project that you can make with your little pumpkins.

We started with this project idea from Martha Stewart, but adjusted the directions to make the project more kid-friendly. I did not take any pictures during the process because Jesse and I were both covered in glue, but we had so much fun together!

Here is what you need:
Latex Balloons (we used medium-sized and found that blue and green balloons are easier because you can see where you need to cover the balloon better.)
Orange tissue paper
Wheatpaste (either buy from art supply store, or make your own. It's super easy, and here's the recipe we used. It made just enough for 2 medium pumpkins.)
Newspaper
Cup or mason jar
Clothesline or rope
Clothespins
Sharpie Marker or black paint
Green and brown Felt or wool roving

Here is what you do:

1) Make glue according to recipe. Set aside and let cool.

2) Cut 1-2 inch wide strips of orange tissue paper. Set aside.

3) Blow up balloons. Cover your work surface with lots of newspaper.

4) Martha's directions called for perfectly aligned strips, using a paintbrush to brush on the glue. However, after attempting this for 2 seconds with a 5 year-old, we gave up, and smeared the glue on with our hands. We smeared glue on the balloon, then placed the strips of tissue paper from the knot to the top of the balloon. Smooth the strip down and smear glue on top of it. The balloon will tend to want to roll, so balance the balloon on the cup or mason jar while you're working on it to prevent it from rolling all over the newspaper.
5) Place the next strip of paper slightly overlapping your first strip. Continue this process, overlapping each strip slightly as you work your way around the balloon. Make sure the entire balloon is covered. Then, start another layer. We made 3 layers of tissue paper for each balloon.
6) When you're done, hang the balloon from the knot using a clothespin on a rope. Our balloons took 24 hours to dry. It may take longer if it's particularly humid where you live.
7) When the paper is dry, pop the balloon while it's still hanging. It took a few minutes for the balloon to deflate and release the pumpkin. The paper pumpkin will crumple a little, but don't worry, you can fix that later.
8) Add your finishing touches! Draw or paint a face on your pumpkin to make him a jack-o-lantern. (We used a black Sharpie marker.) If the pumpkin crumples a bit, just blow into the open end, and it will puff back up. I needle-felted a stem and leaf using some leftover roving, but you can just as easily roll up a rectangle of felt for the stem and cut a leaf from felt. Stick both in the opening on top.

Jesse's pumpkin

Mommy's pumpkin

Happy crafting!

It's Friday!

2011-09-23T09:44:00.001-04:00

We have a lot to do this weekend - a garage sale at Jesse's school, two birthday parties, tons of long-overdue lawn work...and I'm sure there's a ton more that I'm forgetting... But today, I am going to slow down and just enjoy spending time with my sweet boys! Because hey...it's Friday! Have a great weekend, everyone!

Charlotte's a MOMMY!

2011-09-22T16:15:00.000-04:00

It was my freshman year of college....

12 hours away from home, in a basement dorm room, with 3 other girls I didn't know, placed together by the college. It was one of the craziest years of my life. And the strangest part of it all, was Charlotte. Charlotte was one of my 3 roommates, and she was definitely peculiar. Oh, the stories I could tell! OK...I'll just tell a couple...

We went to a very conservative Christian college, and here is this girl, who would run to the shower naked, using her towel as a cape, shouting, "SUPER CHARLOTTE!" She used to prank call this poor boy, Bob, every time she got a cold because she sounded like a crazy old man, but she called it her "sexy voice." And she had this stuffed Ernie (you know...like Bert and Ernie) doll that would suspiciously start singing at 3:00 am. (((Needless to say, Ernie had some surgery to remove his batteries pretty early in the semester!))) HAHAHA! I can laugh about it now, but really, we could barely stand each other then.

I don't know how it happened, but after we left school, we became pretty close, talking on the phone a couple times a month. She was a single, wild-child radio DJ, professing her undying love for every musician she met (HA!), while I was busy getting married, becoming a nurse, and having kids. But, despite our differences, and her crazy radio DJ lifestyle, big moves to California, Arkansas, then Florida, we have kept in touch. And this girl who used to drive me crazy, became one of my dearest friends!

Then, in just two short years, Charlotte lost her job, moved back home, broke up with her boyfriend, reconnected with her high school sweetheart, went back to school, got married, bought a house, and got pregnant. (I told you...she's crazy! HA!) She didn't want to know the sex of the baby, so she called the baby "Wilbur" from Charlotte's Web, and decorated the nursery with pages from the book, and black white, and baby blue. And in late July, Charlotte and her husband, Justin, welcomed Andrew into their family.

So, I knew that I needed to make Andrew (a.k.a. Wilbur) some piggy love for his nursery. I scoured the web for a cute piggy picture that I could embroider, and found the cutest little piglet drawn by illustrator, Aaron Zenz. (Check out his newest book - Chuckling Duckling. It's so cute!)

Welcome to the world, Andrew!!!!

(((P.S. Thanks to Aaron Zenz for allowing me to borrow his sketch to make this gift for my sweet friend!)))

And the winner is....

2011-09-09T20:48:00.003-04:00

Congratulations, Lizzy! (I had Jesse draw the winner out of a bowl so it would be fair.) I hope you enjoy your little felted Fall goodies!

It's not too late....

2011-09-09T09:20:00.000-04:00

Hey, all! It's not too late to enter your name into the drawing for some hand felted Fall decorations. Just leave your name and email address on a post from this week, and you'll be entered to win! Entries close at noon today, and I'll post the winner later this evening! Good luck!

Holding on to summer for as long as we can....

2011-09-08T07:00:00.001-04:00

Made for you - a little gnome

2011-09-07T08:43:00.000-04:00

I finished my first gnome order last night, and he will be shipped off to his new home today. Here he is:

And don't forget to leave a comment with your email address on this blog before Friday at noon to be entered into the giveaway drawing! Have a great day!!!!

Thanks, Megan....giveaway extended

2011-09-06T07:00:00.004-04:00

Hello friends! My sister, Megan, in all of her vast wisdom, suggested that since it was a holiday weekend, and that people were out having fun, and not hanging around reading blogs and surfing the internet, that I should extend the giveaway for a couple more days.

OK, Megan, I'll give it a couple more days. I was just really excited to set up my shop, that maybe I made the giveaway deadline a little too short. How about Friday? Would that suit you, smarty-pants Megan!? :o) OK, then Friday it is!

Just leave a message on this or any post this week (just one please) with your email address so that I can get a hold of you if you win and I'll randomly draw a name by noon on Friday. So, come on, folks! Leave a comment for a chance to win some lovely hanging acorns and three Fall leaves...and make Megan happy!

Oh, and since you're back from your long weekend, and you'll need something to do during your long work day, please check out my shop, too. :o) Thanks!

Shop update...TODAY!!!! (and a giveaway!)

2011-09-05T07:00:00.005-04:00

I've been working really hard on getting my etsy shop up and running again...and today's the day! Come on over and check it out! Thanks for taking a look!

And to celebrate, I'm giving away a set of 6 hanging acorns, and 3 fall leaves!

Just leave a comment and your email address here by the end of the day, and I'll randomly draw a name tonight. The winner will be announced here tomorrow (September 6th). Good luck!!!

Felting, sewing, and a shop update (in the very near future!)

2011-09-02T07:00:00.010-04:00

I've been a busy little bee around here lately - sewing and felting deep into the night (and sometimes morning) hours, and when the Bean is napping. Here are some of the things I've made in the last couple of weeks...

A cute little bib tucked inside....

a little diaper cake for a special little girl,

a fabric beach ball using this tutorial for a much-overdue birthday gift,

bibs for the shop (modeled by the cutest one-year-old in the planet),

some wool felted owls, leaves, pumpkins, and mushrooms, for my etsy shop,

(((the pumpkins)))

and a couple of handfulls of felted acorns for display, and some for hanging.

Which brings me to a little announcement....SHOP UPDATE THIS MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5TH! WOOOOOO HOOOOOO!

Back to school...

2011-09-01T07:00:00.029-04:00

School is in full swing here at the Plew household! My sweet Jesse just started his third week of Kindergarten! Can you believe it?!? He really loves it. Mommy, however, has been a bit of a mess. I'm a little sad about him growing up so fast. It seems like yesterday when he arrived at our home, declaring it was his, in his squeaky adorable 2 1/2 year-old little voice. It feels like I haven't spent enough time with him to prepare him for real life, and here he is, jumping into it head-first.

Pumpkin pancakes before his first day of school. He's a bit excited!

Micah doesn't see what all of the fuss is about...

All ready for school in his uniform

Mommy and her big Kindergartener!

Walking to school with Daddy and Micah

He chatted the whole way to school.

Walking down the long hall to his classroom

Meeting his teacher - Ms. Gump.

Micah likes Ms. Gump too.

Here we go.... Day #1

My little shrimp, next to a 1st-grader

I'm also a bit scared for him. His school is tough-as-nails, and he is such a free spirit. Since I've been home with him for a few weeks (prior to school), I've noticed that his lack of listening (that I thought was him being tired at the end of the day) actually happens all day. He doesn't listen at all. And Back to School Night confirmed that we have a little problem. You never want to hear that your child is struggling, but he is. His sweet teacher said she'd keep an eye on him, and make sure he's adjusting. They checked his hearing, which is fine, and now we just have to see if he'll adjust to the schedule and new environment on his own... and in the meantime, we're trusting God to give us the wisdom and patience to know how we can help our little guy do his very best.

Finally finished!

2011-08-23T20:42:00.000-04:00

I started making the cutest quilt for Micah a couple of weeks before he was born, using this tutorial. I was so excited to make something for my little man using the awesome 30's reproduction fabric my Mom got me from here, but I could only work on it for a couple minutes at a time because of the whole bed rest thing. And then, baby came, and we had doctors appointments, and I went back to work, and I Jesse needed a lot of time with Mommy...and no crafting of any sort happened around here for a loooooong time!

1-month-old, casted Micah on his unfinished quilt top

So it sat around in my "to finish" bin for over a year. And then, after a trip home to NJ, and some help from my very crafty Mom, and sister, I finally finished Micah's baby quilt. WOO HOO!

Pinning the quilt top to the batting and back

And here it is!

Jess likes it too

such a sweet boy!

Big changes around these parts

2011-08-22T14:24:00.000-04:00

Hmmmn....where to begin....

This summer has flown by in a flurry job changes, travel, and visits with family. God has been so good to us to give us exactly what we needed when we needed it. Over the last couple of months I've been having a very difficult time finding a good balance to my life. I had become increasingly uncomfortable with our childcare situation, and it affected every part of our collective family life. So, after much prayer and pleading, God opened the door for Jared to get promoted to an art director position at work... and I got to kind-of quit my job as a nurse for the oral surgeon I had been working for for two and a half years. And although I was sad to leave, I am so excited for Jared and the huge step this is for him... and I get to spend some much-needed time with my boys!

Also I've been having great bursts of clarity recently, like I've just woken up after sleeping for a long time. So much of how I saw myself was tied to what I did for a living, and my husband and kids got what was left over of me at the end of the day. My patience was always wearing thin, and I always felt like I could never quite get on track. I'm not perfect, and I have a long way to go, but I'm just so thankful for this opportunity to invest in my family! So, here's to new adventures of the mommying kind!

This time last year....

2011-07-13T23:04:00.000-04:00

Micah's first birthday is just 2 days away (can you believe it!?!), and I have been thinking a lot about how insane life was just one year ago. This time last year....

... I ate an entire bag of potato chips and my legs swelled up like two giant sausages. No really, I had thigh-cles!

... I spent most of my days for three months laying on the couch, with a terbutaline pump injecting medicine into one leg, getting weekly injections of progesterone in my backside, monitoring contractions twice a day, watching every episode of Bones on Netflix, and trying to find crafty projects that I could do whilst staying off my feet.
... I had the awesome experience of witnessing the most amazing, unbelievable provision of God.

On our journey to being parents, Jared and I couldn't have ever imagined how God would order our lives. I've blogged about Jesse's adoption before here, but I have never really told Micah's story.

We had a really tough time conceiving. Five years of craziness - 3 different doctors, a fertility specialist, rounds and rounds of meds, tests, diagnoses of a unicornuate uterus and polycystic ovarian syndrome, and dreams of swollen bellies and tiny, soft babies were crushed every month when only one little line showed up on each and every one of dozens of pregnancy tests.

At that time, I worked at the hospital in ACU, on the same floor as labor and delivery, and every shift I'd see Mom after Mom holding their newborns as they were wheeled into the elevator to go home. I longed to be one of those Moms. Then Jesse came along (through his own set of trials) and I didn't even miss not having a baby. I decided that I would never miss the feeling of a baby twisting and turning inside my belly, counting little baby toes, nursing, sleepless nights, or the pain of labor and delivery. I was blissfully happy with Jesse, and if he was our one-and-only, then so be it. I was blessed beyond measure But then one night, not long after we realized that Jesse was eventually going to be ours forever, I was tucking him into bed, and after saying prayers, he said, "Mommy you're going to have a baby." I told him that Mommy couldn't have babies, but if he wanted one, then he should ask God for a baby. Jesse got down on his knees and said the best prayer I've ever heard - "Dear Jesus, Baby! Amen."

LOVE!

A couple of months later I was tired, and not feeling very well at all. I asked Jared to pick me up a pregnancy test on his way home from work. He jokingly asked when I was going to stop wasting my money on tests. I lovingly told him to shut up and bring home the test. The test was positive and we couldn't believe it! We were pregnant! A miracle! But a trip the doctor proved otherwise - a blighted ovum - an empty egg sack with no baby. We were devastated.

Just one month later, in October 2009, I was stressed out! On top of my miscarriage, I also had a new boss, who didn't usually use a nurse in pracitice, and I was exhausted trying to guess where my life and career were going. I put my pregnancy behind me, and dove into work and Jesse, but I was eating constantly, and my clothes starting getting tight. I joined a gym and got up every morning at 5:00 am to work out before going to work. Then, in late January, I was working on a wisdom tooth case under sedation, and I just started gushing. My cycles were never predictable, but this was different. I immediately made an appointment to see my doctor again.

Jared and I went into the doctor's office to see what had happened. Did I have another miscarriage? I was beside myself. The doctor wanted to do a urine pregnancy test, but I just couldn't pee in that stinkin' cup! The doctor took me back to the exam room, and got the ultrasound set up. I donned a gown, and laid down on the table, eyes closed tight, fists clenched. I couldn't look at the screen. Then the doctor gasped, "OH!" My stomach lurched. I bit my lip. Tears flooded my eyes. "You have a baby. A BIG baby." What? And there, on that little screen, a tiny little baby bean was flipping and jumping around. He was a perfect 12 week, 4 day-old baby! Jared and I just started laughing and crying hysterically. I was pregnant!

Meet Baby Bean

That night, anxiety started to cloud my overwhelming joy. My sister had miscarried 4 times before Molly was born (her awesome story here). Could I even carry a baby to term? The doctors had said that I only had a 10% chance of carrying a baby to term. How were we going to be able to afford this baby? I didn't get maternity leave at my job, and we had been working very hard to get out of debt, but still things were tight. And what about Jesse? His adoption was far from being finalized. Ugh! I was a mess. I started praying. I prayed for everything we were going through...prayed for forgiveness for doubting, for not trusting that God would take us through, prayed for Jesse, the bean, Jared, prayed for my womb to accommodate a growing baby, even prayed for my lack of a maternity wardrobe. And afterwards, I felt the most incredible peace wash over me. I was PREGNANT, and anything that was going to come up afterwards, was going to be just as God wanted it to be be. God burned Psalm 139 into my heart, and he was knitting Micah together in my womb.

Thus began the craziest pregnancy, bathed in peace that passes all understanding, smothered in provision that could only come from God. Without mention of need or asking, two days after God granted me such peace, two of my friends dropped off boxes of maternity clothes. God was showing us He was in control of the whole situation. We had nothing to worry about.

I had an absolutely awesome next couple of months. On March 19th we found out that the Bean was going to be a boy.

It's a boy!!!

The day of my baby shower.

I was tired, but I felt great. I did all of the cliched pregnancy things - posted pregnancy pictures on facebook, let complete strangers rub my belly, relished every movement that sweet little baby made... But just 2 weeks after my baby shower, on April 24th, I started feeling like Micah was kicking in the same spot every 5 minutes. A round of monitoring at the doctor's office showed that I was actually having contractions. I was just 24 weeks along, 60% effaced, and dilated 2 cm. I went to the hospital, where they tried to give me medication to stop the contractions, but nothing helped, and I was brought by ambulance to the closest level 3 NICU, 2 hours away from home.

Jesse visiting me at MUSC

I spent two weeks at MUSC Hospital, where I met with specialist after specialist. They were able to stop the contractions, and ordered me on bed rest with medication and monitoring. I met with a NICU doctor who explained to be the problems my baby would have at 25 weeks, if he were to be born then. I was glad Jared was 2 hours away with Jesse for that conversation. It was tough to listen to, but I still had peace that God knew what He was doing. But again, God was gracious and provided friends to visit me in the hospital, and make meals for Jesse and Jared while I was gone. He even ordered the days perfectly so that my friend from HHI would be in Charleston the same day I was being discharged so that I had a ride home- just one day before Jesse's 4th birthday. I was on bed rest, with medication and monitoring, but I was home.

And any time I started to feel anxious about the pregnancy, God provided a tangible reminder that he cares for us and our miracle baby. Jared's family helped us a ton getting our finances in order. Our church made dinner for us every night for nearly 3 months. Different families from our church took Jesse every day for play dates so that I could just rest. (Jesse had a great time going to the movies, beach, pool, friends' houses, and kid's museum!) And the craziest thing, the one thing that tickles me more than anything else, is the watermelon plant. I craved watermelon so badly during my pregnancy, but at five + bucks a pop (and I could devour some watermelon!) I felt so guilty spending any extra money on myself, since we were down to one paycheck. So, God provided a watermelon plant in my backyard. I never planted watermelons; I never even bought watermelon seeds, and there it was, in my flower bed. And that little sucker produced some of the most delicious watermelons I've ever had... just enough for the end of my pregnancy, and then the plant died.

So, for three months straight, I was hooked to a terbutaline pump in my thigh, and I monitored contractions twice a day using a satellite fetal monitor. Then, weekly, a nurse would come and and give me progesterone injections and monitor me further. It was a weird time in my life. I hate sitting still, and my couch had a permanent indentation in it from my big belly. Then, the doctors stopped my pump at the end of my 35th week. I started contracting immediately. By dinner, my contractions were 5 minutes apart, and Jared took me to the hospital.

Before the heavy contractions

I labored all night, contractions getting increasingly more intense, and by 6:00 am, my water hadn't broken yet even though I was 6 cm, 80% effaced. So, the doctor broke my water, and I begged for the epidural that I previously didn't want. And, after pushing for 2 hours, Micah Owen Plew saw this side of heaven. Isn't he gorgeous?!

Sweetest baby ever!

He was pretty perfect as far as we were concerned, although, he did have his share of problems. He couldn't maintain a healthy oxygen level for the first 24 hours, and spent a good part of his first day under an oxygen hood. He also had failed his hearing test, had torticollis, and a club foot.... but all we went through before the pregnancy proved to us that God was in control, and we were blessed.

Family picture from my sweet friend, Jordan @ Landon Jacob Photography

And now, a year later, I can honestly say, it was all worth it. Micah Bean is an awesome little guy, and we are still blessed beyond measure to have him in our family! Happy (almost) 1st birthday, Micah!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

2011-02-14T07:00:00.001-05:00

One of my goals this year is to be very intentional about celebrating holidays, especially since last year I missed a lot being exhausted/pregnant/bed-rested. I have a lot of catching up to do with Jesse. Last year we didn't even send out cheap little paper valentines to Jesse's school friends. So, this year I wanted to do something fun with Jesse...and here is our Valentine's Day project.

First, we made some yummy chocolate pops using Wilton Valentine Mega Candy Kit Pack. So easy and so yummy! Jesse loved pouring the chocolate into the molds.

Then, we had a Valentine's photo shoot with my cuties.

My sister, Robin, made me this adorable heart pendant banner for Christmas this year. Isn't she amazing?!

I cannot get enough of these kids!

Add one energetic 4 year-old to....

Jared's awesome Photoshopping skills....

and a chocolate lolly, and you've got one sweet Valentine's Day card for Jesse's class!

Happy Valentine's Day to you!!!

A pig roast

2011-02-12T16:05:00.002-05:00

Last weekend, 32 adults and 5 kids from BFG huddled together in my little house to enjoy all things "Super Bowl." But, after having so many people here, Jared informed me that he will never invite so many again, and we both agreed that we can comfortably fit 10 tops! There was a lot of super yummy food, though, and I got to meet a lot of great people from Jared's work. But the highlight of the night, was the roast pig! Jared, Ryan, and Jonathan did a great job cooking the little oinker, and I was only slightly put- off by the hooves, snout, and eyeballs (BLECK!) (((WARNING! Gross pig photos ahead.....)))

Here is the coffin (er...box) it was delivered in.

This is what a 32-pound pig looks like

Ryan and Jared putting the piggy on the grill.

He's all smiles now.

Cooked to perfection.

Ryan carving the pig.

And Avery enjoying a pig hoof.

I hope you had a happy Super Bowl weekend, too!

MADE

2011-01-08T22:15:00.002-05:00

It has been a looooooooong time since I have made anything. In fact, I think the last time I had the opportunity to sit down and finish a project, I was on bed rest...almost 6 months ago. I don't know how all of these new moms have time to make things, and blog about them, and take care of their newborns. Maybe they don't also have full-time jobs. Maybe they have nannies. Maybe they are super women....or aliens....I just don't know. But for me, necessity bred some creativity a couple of months ago when Micah needed a warm, winter hat and I couldn't find one anywhere. (Sometimes I feel like living in Hilton Head is like living in a third-world country when it comes to finding things for kids.... especially winter clothes. There are very few resources here for little ones living in this retirement community.) So, I searched the internet and found this pattern for free via Soule Mama. If you can knit, pearl, and sew a seam, you can make this adorable hat. The way this shapes itself is so cool! I used some inexpensive poly-blend worsted-weight yarn that someone gave me, and knit this up in a couple of evenings. This little hat is warm, soft, and oh-so-cute on my little man's crooked head. He is a cute little (drooling) model isn't he?

The story of Jesse

2010-10-22T22:05:00.002-04:00

I love everything about Fall - visiting the pumpkin patch, the changing leaves, carving pumpkins, crispness in the air (which translates to 70+ degrees in sunny SC - HA!), pumpkin spice lattes, Halloween, pumpkin pies, fall festivals, and did I mention pumpkins? But, the thing I love most about this time of year, is that it marks the anniversary of Jared and I first becoming parents. And, in celebration of Jesse's 2-year anniversary of living with us, here is his story:

We tried for 3 years to conceive a child on our own. I went through a number of medical interventions, but nothing worked. We were devastated, knowing that God intended us to be parents, but didn't understand why He was withholding a child from us. We prayed ((ALOT!)), and looked into all of our options, finally settling on adopting through the foster care system. It took us just 2 days to complete our paperwork, but over a year to get the call. In that year, we found a sibling group of 3 that we wanted to adopt and 2 private adoptions of infants fall through. It was the craziest roller coaster ride of emotions...but then...

On October 7th, 2008, we got a call from DSS stating that they had a little boy for us to foster. His name was Jesse, and he was a 2 1/2 year old little boy who would more likely than not be up for adoption. We had wait 3 excruciatingly long days to go to Charleston to learn more about him, but after reviewing his history, we decided that he would be a good fit for our family. It's there, in that little DSS office, that we first saw pictures of our son. (Pictures do not do him justice!)

That weekend, we visited him at his foster mom's house. He was so tiny for his age, and was a bit wary of these weird people mooning over him.

(Oh! That bowl haircut! ha ha ha!!) And then, just a few days later, on October 20th, Jesse's social worker, Laura, dropped him off at our house. We were prepared for the worst - crying, sobbing, a lot of "you're not my mommy" moments - but Jesse just walked into our house (and our hearts) saying, "This is my Mommy. This is my Daddy. This is my house. These are my dogs...." He was right where he was supposed to be! Here's a first family picture:

I remember those first days with Jesse being filled with awe that he fit so well into our family. We waited so long for him, yet it seemed like he was with us forever. God knew exactly what he was doing when he brought this little guy into our lives, and we are so thankful for him!!!

Now, 2 years later, we are anxiously anticipating finalizing our adoption on November 12th - yet another reason to celebrate Fall! (((God is so good!!)))

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

2010-08-02T12:45:00.000-04:00

On April 3rd, my Mom, Mother-in-law, and best girl friend, Lizzy, threw Micah and me the most beautiful baby shower. The theme was a jungle tea party (jungle for Micah, and tea for Mommy!), and it was simply lovely! My Mom made the fruit salad, gathered and wrapped a number of fun prizes for the games, and made the gift bags filled with a homemade goodies - tea holder, Baby Micah Blueberry Lemon Marmalade, and a photo album for each guest. My Mother-in-law hauled all of her beautiful tea wares from Indiana to South Carolina, and made a huge assortment of baked goods, sandwiches, cheese balls, and tea. Lizzy put together and orchestrated the games, and hosted the party in her lovely home. And the whole party was a perfect! I'm only sorry I didn't get more pictures of the event.

The lovely tea settings

Gifts for the guests

Tiny baby hats

Little lion bath towels

I wanted to do something special for these three awesome ladies - for making my shower so special and making me feel so loved. Little did we know that I would go into labor just 22 days later, with two months of bed rest to follow... So, buying presents was out of the question, and crafting was limited due to amount of time I was allowed (or not allowed and took anyway....ahem....) out of bed. I did a lot of embroidery during my time on bed rest, including these three pieces:

For Lizzy, I embroidered this little bird in grayscale from a picture of an embroidered bird I found online and matted it in an embroidery frame, using fabric and rickrack, inspired by this little guy.

My Mom just redid her bedroom in browns and yellows, with touches of cranberry, so I whipped up this little cutie from this pattern for her, and framed it in a frame that looks like old barn wood.

And for my Mother-in-law, I made a little brown and gold bird from the first pattern, edged in yellow rose reproduction fabric, and framed in the same old barn wood frame.

So, ladies, thank you, thank you, thank you, for making Micah's shower such a special day (a couple of months late)!!!

He's here!!!

2010-08-01T15:26:00.001-04:00

I have been off the radar for a couple of weeks now because I have been very busy giving birth to, and then falling in love with our new little baby boy - Micah Owen Plew! He was born on July 15th after 26 hours of labor at 6lbs, 6 oz, and 19 3/4 inches long. And what a blessing he is! I am still in shock that we have a baby, and all of the medical interventions and bed rest were well worth the result. He made it to 37 weeks and one day (almost full term) because of the sweet prayers, meals, childcare for Jesse, and encouragement of our family, friends, and church family! We are so blessed!!! And now I will leave you with a couple of photos from Micah's first few hours of life on the outside....

Just a few moments old.

Spiderman visits Micah at the Hospital.

All bundled up.

Jesse loves his new baby brother.

Our first family shot on the way home from the hospital.

Sweet baby boy.

Lydia

2010-07-10T04:16:00.003-04:00

My younger sister, Megan, is working on a project I want to share with you here. Megan's best friend from college, Jen, had her beautiful baby girl, Lydia, go to live with Jesus a couple of months ago. I can't imagine how devastating it would be to lose a child, even though you have faith that your baby is now in the arms of our loving God. Her whole story can be found here on Jen's blog. Bring tissues. Lots of them. It's an incredible journey of faith, hope, and loss.

Jen and her husband, Micah, are in the midst of grieving, but have still set up a memorial scholarship fund in Lydia's name at the Christian school where they met as students, and taught as adults. Megan really wanted to support her friends and honor the memory of Lydia, and blogs about her contribution here on her blog. She is making the most beautiful purple felted flower pins with 8 petals, and 8 seeds to represent the 8 months, 8 days that Lydia graced us with her presence on earth. Every penny of every sale goes towards the scholarship. Please check it out! (I've also added a link on my page if you'd like to directly link to Megan's blog.) And please pray for Jen and Micah as they continue to mourn the loss of their little girl! Sometimes God does things that I just don't understand.

Baby Project #5 - Baby shower gift

2010-07-07T08:00:00.000-04:00

I love giving kits as gifts, don't you? Whether it's a popcorn and movie kit (popcorn, movie rental cards, movie theater candy, and popcorn toppings in a big bowl), or a cookie making kit (ingredients for cookies, spatula, cookie sheet, and oven mitts), I think it's so fun to give a gift that has all of the pieces needed to make memories, have fun, or get a job done. Well, changing diapers is no exception. Although decidedly not as fun and exciting as baking cookies, it is a necessary evil of all new parents, and I just love the idea of having everything you need in one place. That's how I came up with the diaper wrap. I have posted on this blog before about it being my go-to shower gift, but I have changed the pattern a bit due my sister's critique of the changing pad being too small (thank you, Megan). And now, it's better than ever!

I used some coordinating fabrics from my favorite reproduction 30's pattern stash (the most awesome Christmas present EVER from my Mom!) and some quilting binding I had had on hand. Besides the changing pad, I also like to give the new Mommy-to-be a couple of newborn diapers, and a package of travel wipes. I'm in the process of putting together a tutorial for this little present now, but it will take me a little more time to put the finishing touches on it.

Father's Day Present

2010-07-06T14:49:00.002-04:00

Oooo.... It's been a long time since I've posted anything here. I have been so tired lately, and I'm really ready to have this little baby so I can start feeling like a real person again! Bed rest continues, as well as meds and monitoring, and not sleeping, and having to pee all night long.... But it will all be worth it when we get to meet our little boy! We just can't wait!!!

While sitting at the dinner table a couple of weeks ago, Jared made a comment about the adorable shape of Jesse's head. I thought this was a funny thing to say, but it sparked an idea for a Father's Day present. And here it is (with a little tutorial in case you want to make one for the Daddy in your life):

1. Get squirmy 4-year-old boy to hold still for a picture in profile.

There. That's better.

2. Assemble your supplies:

* Printer with paper

* Scissors

* Scraps of fabric for the profile (I chose black.) and background (red with polka dots)

* Iron-on adhesive (I used HeatnBond Lite)

* Frame or cards for the finished product

3. Print out paper copies of profile, and cut around the profile, keeping all the detail you can intact. (Micah's picture was a little easier to procure since I already had his profile from an early ultrasound.)

3. Iron adhesive on silhouette fabric using manufacturer's instructions.

4. Lay the picture on the adhesive's paper lining and trace around it. (Right after I traced this, I realized I wanted him to face right, so I retraced the profile the opposite way and didn't get a new picture - sorry!) Cut out carefully.

5. Measure the size of your background fabric to fit the frame. I used the mat as a guide and added an inch around each side.

6. Lay the silhouette on the background fabric. Peel off paper backing from iron-on adhesive, and iron on to background fabric using manufacturer's instructions.

7. Place silhouette in frame or card. Simple, sweet Father's Day gift - done!

P.S. I chose a card for Micah's profile because it was from a very early ultrasound, and I wanted to make a framed version of his profile when he comes out. Oh! And Jared just loves that we now have a permanent record of the adorable shape of Jesse's little noggin! I also got Jared this book and it's absolutely perfect for my geek husband with (soon to be) two fun, curious little boys. Check it out if you get a chance!

A bit of boring backlog

2010-06-28T16:03:00.001-04:00

OK! I finally did it! I'm 99% packed for the hospital. Now, I just have to add my camera, laptop, and cell phone to my bag and I'm ready to go. Y'all should be very proud of me! :o) Here is my master packing list:

*PJs
*Slippers
*Nursing bras and tanks
*Nursing pads
*Outfit to wear home
*ipod with baby-birthing playlist
*Camera (batteries charged, extra memory card, charger)
*Video camera
*Snacks (dried fruit and almonds)
*Notebook and pens (I like to make lists!)
*Bible
*Toiletries (shampoo/conditioner, soap, facewash, makeup bag, lotion, nail clippers and emory board, razor, comb)
*A couple of extra surprises for Jesse in his blue bag (big brother t-shirt, new book, magnet playsets, coloring books and crayons, present from baby Micah)
*Baby bag (a couple of outfits that Jesse picked out, receiving blankets, little brother onesie, baby care kit, nursing cover)

Ahhhh....(deep sigh of relief)! Now I can check packing off my list! Hooray!

Plus, I've been busy checking some other stuff off the list as well (between naps of course)!

1~~. Make Jared's Father's Day gift (I have such a fun idea for this, but can't talk about it until after it's finished!)~~ Pictures and tutorial on it's way!!!

2. ~~Sew comforter cover for the crib.~~

3. ~~Move furniture into nursery (Jared's job).~~

4. Art for nursery walls.

4a. Start birth announcement wall hanging.

4b. ~~Hang animal print picture.~~

5. ~~Buy and start Micah's baby book.~~

6. Print out pictures and add to Jesse's adoption book. (My Mom commissioned a friend to make us this amazing scrap book, and all we have to do is add pictures, captions, and journal entries. I'll post pictures when it's done.)

7. ~~Clean the house (difficult when you're on bedrest).~~

8. ~~Finish up thank you notes for the people at church who have been so sweet to us during my time on bedrest.~~

9. ~~Finish gifts for my Mom, Mother-in-law, and Lizzy (for the lovely shower they threw Micah and me)~~.

10. ~~PACK FOR THE HOSPITAL!!!!~~

Baby Project #4 - Vivian

2010-06-16T08:30:00.000-04:00

Vivian is the beautiful baby girl of a friend, Natalie, who lives down the street. Up until she was 36 weeks pregnant, Natalie was told that her baby was going to be a boy. So, like all good parents, Natalie and her husband Aaron, painted the baby's room blue, and had a host of little boy things to welcome their son into the world. Needless to say, Natalie and Aaron were shocked when the ultrasound tech told them their baby was going to be a girl, and they scrambled to get their home ready for a daughter! They changed the nursery to pink and brown, and brought their baby girl home to a grande girly welcome!

My choice for Vivian's embroidery was easy! It needed brown and pink, and when I found this embroidery pattern, I knew I had to stitch it up for her.

I trimmed the embroidery with some of my reproduction 1930's fabric I received for Christmas from my Mom and Dad (by the way, it is THE BEST Christmas present ever!!!), and placed it in a frame, so that Vivian can always remember that she's surrounded with love!

Baby Project #3 - Josiah

2010-06-15T08:30:00.004-04:00

When my sister and brother-in-law had difficulty having a baby, and desperately wanted to be parents, they searched their hearts, and God's will, and started the process of fostering to adopt. Their journey to parenthood is chronicled here, and it is amazing - please check it out! So, to make a long story short, Josiah entered our family a little over a year ago. He is still in foster care, and we don't know if he will be a permanent member of our family, but we love that little piglet! And, so he didn't feel left out when his younger sister got something from his Aunt Amy, I made him a little embroidery, too. It's not as elaborate as Molly's, but I have plans to make him a wall hanging like hers if/when my sister adopts him, complete with "gotcha day" date and adoption date. Until then, this little giraffe will have to do (found here)!

A visit to the hospital

2010-06-14T08:00:00.000-04:00

I think that Jesse took it the worst when I was in the hospital for preterm labor. He was acting out at home and even started breaking out in little pimples. When Jared asked him what he wanted for his birthday, he said, "All I want is for Mommy to come home." Poor thing!!! So, in an effort to make the next hospital stay more relaxing for the little guy, (hopefully after July 7th so I will be able to deliver at the hospital near our house) the hospital offers a sibling tour to see where Mommy and new baby will be during labor and delivery, and postpartum care. I signed us up for the tour and we borrowed a wheelchair so that I could come too. The sweetest nurse, Wendy, took Jesse around and explained to him what would happen when it was time for Micah to be born. She showed him where baby Micah would get cleaned up.

She showed him what they use to clean the baby after he is born (to get rid of the baby slime).

They showed him how to work the bed that Mommy would stay in. (He really likes to push all those buttons!)

And then, Wendy took him to the nursery to show him where baby Micah would be if he wasn't in the room with Mommy.

Then, Wendy proceeded to talk to Jesse about when the baby comes. The highlights of the conversation are as follows:

Jesse - "When Micah pops out, Mommy can hold me again."

Jesse - "My baby is not going to be brown. He's going to be white."

Wendy - "What will baby Micah eat?"

Jesse - "Milk."

Mommy - "What kind of milk?"

Jesse- "Mommy's milk."

Wendy - "Can the baby drink your milk?" (Meaning the kind of milk Jesse drinks)

Jesse - "NO! I don't have beans!!!" (beans = Jesse's word for breasts)

And as we were leaving.... Jesse - "They forgot to take bay Micah out!!!"

That kid just cracks me up!!! He can't wait to be a big brother, and we've been practicing our brothering skills with a rag doll that I designed and made for him last week. It is just a prototype, and has a disturbingly small head, but Jesse doesn't care. He plays with it constantly! Here he is cuddling with "Micah" on the couch.

I am so blessed!!!

A little confession regarding packing for the hospital

2010-06-09T16:43:00.002-04:00

I have a little confession to make...

I haven't packed for the hospital yet. I know. I know. I should have done this a month and half ago when I started to go into labor at 25 weeks. But, I just can't bring myself to get this one thing done. Why, you ask? Because packing for the hospital means that I'm ready to have this baby....and I am not ready for this baby. Despite being on bedrest, and having all the time in the world, I still have so much to do before Micah graces us with his presence (and a lot of it I can't do because of bedrest)! Nevertheless, here's my checklist:

1. Make Jared's Father's Day gift (I have such a fun idea for this, but can't talk about it until after it's finished!)

2. Sew comforter cover for the crib.

3. Move furniture into nursery (Jared's job).

4. Art for nursery walls.

4a. Start birth announcement wall hanging.

4b. Hang animal print picture.

5. Buy and start Micah's baby book.

7. Clean the house (difficult when you're on bedrest).

8. Finish up thank you notes for the people at church who have been so sweet to us during my time on bedrest.

9. Finish gifts for my Mom, Mother-in-law, and Lizzy (for the lovely shower they threw Micah and me).

10. PACK FOR THE HOSPITAL!!!!

UGH! That's a lot of stuff to do! I think the first thing I tackle will be packing, since baby Micah could come any day, and I would at least like to have my things in order to bring with us (if he comes in the next 4 weeks, we have to go to the hospital that's 2 hours away again!). And now that I have posted this declaration of getting things done, I feel accountable, and maybe I'll actually start tackling this list. I'm sure there will be more blogging regarding these things to come.....

Baby Project #2 - Molly

2010-06-04T10:26:00.002-04:00

I started a wall hanging for baby Molly a couple of weeks before she was born (almost a year ago now!). Molly is my sister Megan's miracle baby. Megan, and my brother-in-law, Justin, had a very difficult time having children, and had 4 miscarriages before God blessed them with Molly. They have an incredible story about becoming parents, both through foster care and birth, and the lessons God taught them along the way. You can read about their story and see pictures of my gorgeous niece (and nephew - more on his project later) on Megan's blog.

I wanted to give Molly something super special to welcome her into the world, and record the important facts about her birth. The teal linen circles are hand appliqued on a piece of vintage linen, and then embroidered. (Side note: if I ever do this again, I will embroider the circles before appliqueing them. It was very difficult to embroider through two layers of fabric.) The little designs are adapted from a book I found at a thrift store on Victorian Stencils. I layered the vintage linen with cotton batting and another piece of linen, machine quilted around the circles, then applied the vintage bias tape binding I inherited from my Grandmother's stash, using this great tutorial from Oh Fransson.

I can't wait to make one of these for each of my boys! I'm waiting for Jesse's adoption to be finalized before I finish his, and Micah's will have to wait until he graces us with his presence. Oh, and by the way, I'm officially 2 months away from my due date today! I'm so excited to make it this far with this pregnancy, but I'm praying for just a couple more weeks of "baking time."

Baby Project #1 - Grady

2010-06-03T17:56:00.001-04:00

I cannot believe that it is already Thursday! Where has the week gone? You'd think the days would go by slowly while being on bedrest, but I really have been busy crafting. (Promise!!)

Since I became pregnant, I have been so tired. It was all I could do to get up, go to work, pick up and take care of Jesse, make dinner, and climb into bed. Weekends were reserved for playing with Jesse, and catching up on housework and naps! (Hooray for naps!) Since then, we've had a bunch of babies enter our little corner of the world. I'm sorry to admit that since basic surviving took the place of baby crafting, baby presents are now sadly overdue. Well, now I've had a bunch of time to catch up, and here is the first project, made especially for baby Grady.

I embroidered this sweet little elephant from a pattern I found and tweaked a bit from this blog, and free-hand embroidered his name. And since Grady's nursery is all blue, green, and brown, I added a blue and green patchwork from some scraps of fabric I had left over from other projects. Baby project #1 - done and done.

Busy, busy, busy...

2010-05-29T21:59:00.000-04:00

I have been so busy being crafty the last couple of days, and I haven't had a minute to blog. I've been sewing in very small intervals and felting, but mostly, I've been embroidering. Embroidery allows me to stay in a reclined position while I create - the perfect bedrest craft! :o) Over the next week, I'll be posting a project every day. So, make sure you check back to see my progress. Maybe this bedrest thing isn't so bad afterall!

I'm so excited!!!

2010-05-25T14:53:00.003-04:00

I must admit that it's a bit of a bummer being on bedrest. I know that you might think that laying around, doing absolutely nothing sounds pretty appealing, but after a month of barely moving, with little contact with the outside world, it gets really old! I have a huge list of things I'd love to do - get my hair cut, take Jesse to the beach, I'd even clean the bathrooms if I could... I know it will be worth it in the end, and so far it's paid off! Tomorrow I'll be 30 weeks pregnant!!! HOORAY!!!

While I've been on bedrest so far, I've tried my very hardest to keep busy. I've watched a lot of movies and tv series thanks to Netflix, napped, knit a bunch, felted and set up shop on etsy, and entered a squirrel-making contest at the Brooklyn General. Remember this little guy?

Well, he won honorable mention! (See him? He's all the way on the right.)

I received a lovely gift certificate to Brooklyn General (which I cannot wait to spend on their delicious assortment of fabric and yarn)! And to make matters even better, my little grey squirrel found a new, permanent home in Brooklyn, New York. I'm just so excited!

Shop Update

2010-05-24T14:40:00.001-04:00

Hello, sweet friends! Just to let you know, I've updated my etsy shop a bit today. I added a bunch of cupcakes, a felted bag, and few birds, too. I'll be adding more later this evening. I hope you're having a great day!!!

My awesome husband

2010-05-22T10:32:00.001-04:00

My husband, Jared, is a graphic designer at an advertising firm. He's super-talented, and I love seeing what kinds of ideas he comes up with! I finally asked him for some help designing my new logo last night. I told him the colors I wanted and that I wanted bunting in it somewhere, and this is what he came up with:

Isn't he awesome!? Thank you, my love! You've got so much weighing on your shoulders right now, and yet you are still so sweet and supportive of my little crafty endeavors! I love you!!!!

And the winner is.....

2010-05-20T21:11:00.002-04:00

Thank you everyone who entered the giveaway for Horace, but the winner is.... MICHELLE!!!

Michelle said...What an awesome giveaway!

When I was on bedrest, I mainly used my laptop to keep me company and Netflix was a great way to be entertained. I especially love to watch TV series on DVD... Good luck!
Thanks for the chance to win!

Congratulations, Michelle! Horace will be on his way to you very soon! Again, thank you, everyone for participating! Check back here on May 24th for my etsy shop reopening!

Just a couple more hours....

2010-05-20T16:58:00.001-04:00

I cannot believe how much blog-love I've received over the last couple of days for the Horace giveaway! Thank you so much! Haven't entered to win? You have a couple more hours to post your comment here, if you want to join in the fun. I'll close the comments at 9:00 PM (EST) tonight, and contact the winner shortly after. Good luck, everyone!!!

Giveaway Day!!!

2010-05-17T06:34:00.003-04:00

Sew Mama Sew is sponsoring a Giveaway Day today!!! Woo Hoo! Over 250 crafters have volunteered to give away some of their handmade goods and supplies, so check them out and try your luck at winning a great prize!

I'm giving away Horace, a needle felted owl, complete with barn gift box. This adorable little fat owl is approximately 2.5 inches tall, and made with wool from my parents' sheep farm. He has a clear hanger on top so you can display him with ease.

Pose for the camera, Horace.

(front)

(back)

(side)

How can you win? Leave a comment below answering the following questions:

If you were on bedrest, how would you keep your sanity? Any crafty ideas? (I need all the advice I can get!)

I'll choose the new owner of Horace at random, and will post the winner by Thursday, May 20th @ 9:00 PM (EST). One entry per person please. I cannot ship internationally (sorry!). Horace will be shipped out no later than May 24th, so you can start to enjoy your little handmade friend as soon as possible! Good luck!!!!

Comments are now closed. Thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway!!! Winner will be announced in a bit!

P.S. Even if you don't win, you can check back here on May 24th for my etsy shop update!

A Wonderful Day

2010-05-15T17:57:00.007-04:00

I have been stuck inside for almost 3 weeks now on bedrest. My hospital room had a window, but 3/4 of the window was covered by an air conditioning unit, only allowing me to see a tiny patch of sky. And although my house has tons of windows, I still feel like I haven't seen the sun in forever! Now this might not seem bad to you, but I love being outdoors in the spring and summer - working in my garden, kayaking in the river, taking Jesse to the pool or beach, picking strawberries for jam, and riding bikes down to the "historic" part of town to go to the farmer's market or occasional festival. (I'll be doing all of those things next year, by the way!!!) So, in order to keep me from going completely crazy from cabin fever, I went outside today! Don't worry! I sat very still with my pelvis tilted back so that I could still rest, and I only stayed out for half an hour....and it was nothing short of glorious to bask in the sun and watch my adorable 4-year-old play in his new "gingeraffe" kiddie pool that he received for his birthday from his Grandpa and Gigi.

Then Jared came outside with two packages. One box was for Jesse, and it contained two books - Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, and Leonardo the Terrible Monster (belated birthday presents from Aunt Megan and Uncle Justin). He was so ecstatic, that we had to read them right away while he sat in his pool.

And to make the day even better, the other package was for me!!! My mother-in-law, Jean (otherwise know as Gigi), sent me a book I have been wanting VERY BADLY since its release a couple of weeks ago, Anna Maria Horner's newest book, Handmade Beginnings : 24 Sewing Projects to Welcome Baby.

I REALLY wanted this book, but since funds are super tight, I felt so guilty buying it. I have entered every giveaway available to win it (see below for more chances to win), but have been unlucky thus far....until today!!! (Thanks Jean!!! You made my day!!!)

Blog Giveaways for Anna Maria Horner's New Book:

May 16 The Purl Bee

May 18 All Buttoned Up

May 19 Alabama Chanin Journal

May 20 Homemade by Jill

May 21 True Up

May 22 Oh, Fransson!

May 23 Prudent Baby

May 24 Sew Liberated

May 25 Handmade by Alissa

May 26 Hazelnuts

May 27 Petite Purls

Giveaways. Sunshine. Kiddie pool. New books. Micah staying put for another day. What a wonderful day!!!!

Spinning

2010-05-14T10:25:00.002-04:00

Last summer my friend Lizzy went home to the Minnesota state fair, and brought me home a lovely little bag of the most beautiful hand-dyed roving from this farm. I have been trying to decide what I want to make out of this little piece of heaven, and after staring at it for months, I finally broke out my spinning wheel and started spinning.

It took me a while to set the tension on my wheel, (It's been so long since I looked at that thing!) but I finally got into my groove, and quickly spun out this small amount of yarn. I also spun a little bit of white roving while I was at it, so that I'd have enough to knit something, too. I don't know what I'll make out of the yarn yet, but when I figure it out, I'll let you know!

SQUIRREL!

2010-05-13T21:49:00.001-04:00

Bedrest continues! I spend a lot of time combing through blogs to find fun crafty ideas for when I'm able to sit at my sewing machine for long periods of time. The other day I came across this fun contest from the Brooklyn General Store. They have put together the most adorable knit tree window display, and requested handmade squirrels to inhabit it. I couldn't resist making a needle-felted squirrel to add to their other furry friends. I shipped him out today, and I can't wait to see all of the other entries! Oh...and fingers crossed...I really want to win, too!

(This sweet chunky squirrel loves him some acorns!)

More Baby Knitting

2010-05-10T17:33:00.001-04:00

I started knitting a baby hat for Micah a couple of weeks ago. My goal is to use what I have on hand to make anything for this kid, so I used some baby yellow, super-soft yarn that someone gave me a couple months ago. I finished it very quickly, but after looking a the gargantuan size, and knowing that the probability of this baby is coming in a couple of weeks is very high, I made another hat for a premie using this pattern and size 4 needles.

So sweet....and so tiny! I can't imagine a baby being that small!

A Bag for Everything

2010-05-09T18:22:00.000-04:00

While I'm on bedrest, the sweet stay-at-home-Mommas from our church have volunteered to watch Jesse during the week. Every day holds the promise of a new adventure for the boy - the beach, a new pool, dress-up, trips to the library, napping in a tent, new toys to play with... Jesse loves playing with his friends, but he always wants to bring something from home with him. I whipped up this little bag for him in about and hour using this tutorial (plus I added a pocket) so he can bring his little treasures with him wherever he goes. (Please forgive the terrible picture! It's much cuter in person!)

Not made by Amy Plew

2010-05-08T22:00:00.004-04:00

I'm home! And just in time for Jesse's birthday! I'm still on bedrest and a terbutaline pump to help stop the contractions, but at least I'm home with my family!!! Jesse is 4-years-old today, and I can't believe how fast time flies. Here are a couple of pictures of the day's festivities.

I didn't do a thing for this party but sit back and watch. My awesome friend Lizzy bought the balloons and decorated the dining room, and my friend Christy made the amazing Spiderman birthday cake. A couple of friends came over with their kids and we just enjoyed hanging out and celebrating the blessing that is our little boy, Jesse!

A Blanket for Micah

2010-04-30T17:09:00.000-04:00

It is very easy to knit a complete a baby blanket in a couple of days when you have nothing else to do. I tweaked the Big Bad Baby Blanket pattern from Stitch n' Bitch to fit the amazing cradle that Jared's dad made (pictures of the cradle will come later if I can ever finish the bumper pads). I used Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in pumpkin, and I love the way it turned out!

The Blessings of Bedrest

2010-04-28T12:30:00.000-04:00

This has been the craziest couple of days! Last weekend I just didn't feel right, and by Monday when I went to the doctor, I was having contractions every 3 minutes. My local hospital doesn't have a level III nursery, so they shipped me off to MUSC (2 hours away from home!!!) so that they could hopefully stop the contractions. And that brings us to today....I'm currently 26 weeks and a few days pregnant, and baby Micah really wants to meet his family! But thanks to the awesome doctors and nurses here at MUSC, baby is still safely inside my growing belly! The trade-off is that I'm on bedrest and a bunch of medications to stop my contractions. And although being on bedrest so far away from home is a bit of a bummer, I'm making the best of the situation. For one thing, I can't stop knitting!

New Name

2010-04-20T23:11:00.000-04:00

Hooray for new beginnings! Like I've said before, my life is changing like crazy right now, and I needed a blog name that represented all of me (not just felting). So, the new blog will be "Made for You by Amy Plew!" I hope to post more, and I have lots of new ideas bouncing around in this brain of mine. I can't wait to share these ideas with you!

4:36 am

2010-03-29T04:36:00.001-04:00

Good morning! It is currently 4:36 in the morning, and I have been up for an hour and a half for no apparent reason... other than the fact that I can't turn my little brain off. Micah is summersaulting in my belly, but he doesn't bother me. I love feeling the intermittent turning and stretching of that strange little life growing inside me. It's comforting; a precious gift that I thought I'd never experience.

I keep thinking about what life will be like with two boys. I already feel stretched to my limits with being a wife, mother, and working a full time job. Like Bilbo Baggins, "I feel thin. Like butter spread over too much bread." And now that this little precious life is on the way, it doesn't seem like I'll ever get caught up. I find myself trying to plan for the next couple of months, but coming up short because of exhaustion, and facing so much that is unknown...

I am holding tight to Jeremiah 29:11, and it gives me peace for the moment.

"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." (NLT)

Now if I could only get back to sleep before my alarm goes off...

The Great T.V. Turn-Off of 2010

2010-02-16T21:10:00.001-05:00

We love the T.V. in our house! It usually gets turned on first thing when we get home from work/school just for some background noise or to keep Jesse occupied while I fix him a snack or dinner. The T.V. is turned off during dinner, but makes a resurgence after Jesse is in bed. We have a lot going on right now, so "vegging" seems like the best way to wind down after a long day. Jared and I sit, parked on opposite sides of the couch so that we can both spread out a bit, and after an hour or two we usually fall asleep while watching some mindless nonsense that neither of us really care about.

Well, not any more!!! In an attempt to transform this life that has become exhaustingly monotonous, we have shut off our dish completely! HOORAY!!! (((Insert marching band music here.))) Now we actually have time to do the dinner dishes, talk, read books, blog, craft, and just spend time together. I have to admit that sometimes the silence (after Jess goes to bed of course) is deafening, but I'm learning to like it.

Transformation

2010-02-06T21:50:00.001-05:00

Have you even had a moment in your life where you felt like everything was going to change? Right before Christmas I remember feeling like change was in the air. I thought that this might manifest itself in a new job, or another move.... but nothing prepared me for the news we got just a few short weeks later. We are pregnant!!! And not just a little pregnant, but 3 months pregnant!!!

We are now the proud owners of our very own "Baby Bean." For those of you who haven't known me for the last few years may not realize how crazy this is, but I have to tell you that this little baby is proof that God has the craziest sense of humor, and His grace and goodness far exceed anything that I could ever imagine. Jared and I had been trying to conceive for 4 years, and after being labeled "infertile," and yet still knowing that we were meant to be parents, set our sites on adoption. Jesse came to live with us in October of 2008, and the adoption is still not finalized (long story!), but will hopefully be completed in the near future. Jesse cannot wait to be a "big bruder."

But back to the talk of transformation... I guess the reason I have been feeling like a change is needed is because, for a while now, I've been feeling like I have become very off-balanced. Don't get me wrong, I love my family, friends, church, job... but I feel like all of the most important parts of me, the things that make me who I really am, have become sadly overshadowed by the necessary, but not nearly as important, goings-on of daily of life. (Have you ever read Charles E. Hummel's Tyranny of the Urgent? It has become my theme song!) And now, faced with a BIG change coming into the world in 6 months, I think that now is the perfect time to get my act together! EVERYTHING is going to change!!! And I know that this will probably not be the most painless transformation, but I hope that going through this journey will help me get back to the me that God intends me to be.

Made by Rae Jackpack Backpack GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-09-08T19:45:00.000-04:00

Check out this super cute backpack giveaway! I think Jesse would love it!

Made by Rae Jackpack Backpack GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Deep Breath

2009-06-20T22:47:00.002-04:00

Maybe I've being a little hard on myself....and I really need to take a deep breath! OK...here goes... (hmmm ahh) Now, that feels much better!

Despite my last self deprecating post, I have been having tons of fun this summer with my sweet husband and Jesse. A couple of weeks ago, for my belated Mother's Day celebration, we took a little trip to a strawberry patch with plans to make some yummy strawberry jam. I come from a long line of "canners," (at least four generations on my Mom's side) and nothing is more satisfying than a pantry full of jars of homemade strawberry jam!!!

After a brief instructional session with the boy, he was picking perfect jamming strawberries in no time. Jesse, who, by the way, will not even touch a grocery store berry, was shoving berry after berry into his sweet little mouth the whole time.

We did run into a slight occupational hazard, though, that we are now affectionately calling "strawberry-butt." (Next time, Jesse, don't sit on the strawberries!) :o)

And when we got home, we squished and squashed, and squashed and squished the berries until they were the perfect jamming consistency.

And after 5 hours of preparation (picking, sterilizing jars, mixing, stirring, and waiting to hear that amazing little *POP* that occurs when the jars have been sufficiently sealed) we enjoyed the fruits of our labor on Ritz crackers. I think he likes strawberry jam; don't you agree?

Oh how I long to be "Super Mom"!

2009-06-10T21:47:00.001-04:00

I have to say that I'm feeling a little down on myself today. I wish that I could be a super mom/blogger/crafty business woman like Katie Did or Soule Mama or Angeline! Oh! To be able to stay home with my amazing kid and have time, energy, and foresight to make amazing meals, homemade clothing, and fun crafty stuff for my house. This mama can't even meal plan for a whole week, let alone blog about it (as you can tell from the rather lengthy time between blog posts lately). So, here is what I'm telling myself to soothe the longing in my heart to do something amazing....

1) There is a season for everything. Just because I don't have time to do all the stuff I want to do now, doesn't mean that I will never have time to do them.

2) I love my new job! I love being a nurse! So, although I yearn to be a stay-at-home crafty mama, I also love being an anesthesia-assisting, spectator of teeth-pulling!

3) I do have some new projects in the works....whaa-att-aaaah (that's how an evil laugh is spelled for those of you who don't know).

Until then... we're just motoring along!

A girl just can't get ahead!

2009-03-24T22:23:00.001-04:00

I wish I was the kind of person who could get ahead! But no matter how hard I try, I am constantly down to the wire (or over it) with crafting deadlines. Part of the reason why is that I feel like I need to have all my "other stuff" done before I can start creating. Why do dirty bathtubs and mountains of laundry call my name louder than fabric and wool?! I have no idea! Poor Jared has been waiting since Christmas for his felted zombie (pictures to follow when I finally complete it!)!!! But I finally did get my act together to turn out two little gifts for some of my sweet friends...and just in the nick of time!

Anna is having a baby boy any day now, so she received a diaper wrap... Only this time, a friend of mine suggested using iron-on vinyl instead of using the sewn vinyl I had been using on the changing pad. Who knew something so amazing existed? It literally changed my life! :o)

And for my sweet friend and neighbor, Jordan, I made her a little sewn zippered pouch, using a vintage zipper that I inherited from my grandmother's stash. I found a tutorial here, but I tweaked the pattern a bit so I could use multiple fabrics.
I just love the bright yellow lining!

Maybe next week I'll be able to get enough done to stock my shop again! Happy crafting to you!

Hello, my name is Amy, and I'm an addict.

2009-03-19T11:21:00.001-04:00

I have known for a long time that I am an addict, and there is no end in sight to the controlling nature of this addiction...

No, silly, it's not a vice (at least not in my eyes)...it's fabric! And even though my fabric stash extends far beyond my crafty endeavors at this point in my life, I cannot stop looking for it, buying it, and oogling over it. I dream about it at night, think about what I'm going to make with it when I'm at work, and spend hours online trying to find the best patterns. I am in love with the fabric designs available now from Amy Butler, Denyse Schmidt, and Chloe's Closet, to name a few! I cannot get enough of vintage fabrics either! Every time I walk into a thrift store, I cannot consider it a fruitful visit unless I walk out with an armful of old fabric.

Oh! How I do love the warm hues, lovely textures, and ingenious thought that goes into fabric design and execution! It must be so cool for these designers to spend their time dreaming up beautiful patterns and actually seeing them used by crafters all over the world to create their own works of art. I am in awe! Check out a few of my favorite online fabric shops:

www.purlsoho.com

www.reprodepot.com

www.sewmommasew.com

Happy crafting!!!

Beanbag toss

2009-03-14T19:18:00.001-04:00

Another birthday has come and gone for our sweet friend, Brayden! It was his third birthday, and I wanted to make him something very special. After much thought, I came up with this fun beanbag toss game.

Colorful circles sewn onto a dark blue, starry background, and a bright yellow print on back became the play mat. I had a bunch of Pixar-print scraps from other projects, and since Brayden loves those characters, the scraps became the bag fronts. The other side of the beanbags have coordinating fabric to match the circles, and Jesse helped me stuff bags with navy beans.

I sewed a little "Made for You, by Amy Plew" tag on the back, and voila! a special present for the birthday boy!

A bit about this weekend...

2009-03-08T09:28:00.002-04:00

Jared's birthday was on Thursday, but I worked a 12-hour shift, and it happened to be one of the most terrible shifts of my nursing career (the kind of day that makes you ask yourself why you continue being a nurse), so we celebrated on Friday. Putting Thursday's craziness behind me, Jesse and I made Jared's favorite desserts - red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting (((YUMMY!!!)))

Jesse especially loved the frosting, as you can see, and we quietly celebrated the birthday of my favorite boy in the whole world!

Saturday morning was super warm (a pleasant contrast the barely-above-freezing weather we've been experiencing lately), so we hopped on our bikes, outfitted with the kid carrier, and headed down to the river for some exploring. The banks of the river are covered in discarded oyster shells, and Jesse enjoyed "finding" the shells, and putting them back in the river where they belong.

A gigantic pelican was on the shore as well, trying his hardest to swallow his fishy breakfast. Can you see the shadow of the fish in his pouch? He finally got it down with a bit of a fight.

And just because I cannot stand to waste a minute of precious sunshine, when we got home, we decided to plant a few seeds in anticipation of the oncoming Spring. Jesse was fascinated by the wet soil, and how the seeds were all different sizes. The pumpkin seeds are much larger than the tomatoes, aren't they?!

Lunch. Then off the car for the nearly 2-hour drive to Jekyll Island, with the hope that Jesse would grab a nap in the car (he didn't, by the way), to visit Jared's brother who is playing in an ultimate frisbee tournament there. It was a nice enough visit, with a birthday dinner of lowcountry boil (sausage, corn, new potatoes, and shrimp) for Jared, and then back in the car for home.

We were nearly home, when the terrible gurgling of a two-year-old's belly broke the silence, and out came the most ridiculous amount of projectile vomit you could possibly imagine from that sweet little boy in the back seat. Poor thing! I jumped from the confines of my seat belt, and scooped up as much partially digested sausage as I could from his little lap in the pitch dark of the car. It was all so terrible, that the three of us just had to laugh! And after one more gurgling blow out, Jesse smiled, laughed, and said, "I'm done." We laughed the rest of the way home.

All of that to say, I feel like I've officially been initiated into motherhood. Jared and I waited so long to have a family, and whether we are basking in the warmth of Spring-like sunshine, or experiencing the really gross, unfortunate parts of being parents, I see that it's all a blessing. I am so thankful to have Jesse in our life!

Crafting for Babies

2009-03-02T20:42:00.001-05:00

My recent crafting has revolved around baby showers and birthday parties. I love giving a bit of crafty love to a new generation, and now that the recipients have received their presents, here a few photos.

This puzzle ball found it's way into little Collin's newborn hands a couple of months ago. It's made from a pattern found in one of my favorite crafty books, Last-Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts. The pattern is super easy, and the triangular pieces are whipped up in an hour or so, and then pieced together by hand to form the ball. Very fun to make, and addictive to play with (even for a grown up)!

This fabric beach ball pattern is from the Purl Bee (my all-time favorite place to find free crafty patterns). Lillian is a pink and purple loving baby girl, but I really wanted to give her something with a pop of fun color for her birthday. And who doesn't love a bit of retro orange and red flower fabric?!

(((Please forgive the horrible lighting in this picture! I took it seconds before the party started!))) This one is my go-to baby shower gift - a fabric wrap with 3 pockets (one for diapers, one for wipes, and one for a handmade changing pad). The changing pad has a vinyl lining so it can be wiped off easily, and the whole wrap is trimmed in vintage pink binding. There is a terrible lack of fabric stores in my area, so Walmart is my only choice in a pinch, unless I have three hours of my life to spend driving to and from Savannah with a nearly-three-year-old boy, who hates the fabric store! :o) But this fabric was so cute (even for Walmart), and I couldn't resist! And I think that baby Mary's Momma will appreciate having all of the diaper changing necessities close at hand in a pretty pink wrap!

crafting with the kid

2009-02-01T20:38:00.001-05:00

Jesse is an artist! We are so blessed to get a kid who loves to "make paint," sew, and be crafty. It's been a bit of a challenge to find things that are age appropriate and can hold his attention, but we still try! Here are a few crafts from the past couple of weeks: painting, embroidery, and making a mile-long paper chain to count down the days to Disney World. Happy crafting with your little ones!

I am in love!

2009-01-27T05:57:00.001-05:00

Since the first day I met him, I knew that Jesse would be a great addition to our family, but I never thought that I could love him this much! He has made an undeniable impression on every life he and his story touches. He is curious and smart with the most amazing facial expressions, and I feel blessed to be his Mommy. He is the funniest thing I ever met, and I wanted to share some of his Jesse-isms with you.

* Tylenol is "tiny lol."

* Chocolate pudding is "chocolate penguin."

* When he meets new people he says, "Glad to meet you," in his sweet squeaky voice, and shakes your hand.

* When I asked him where God lives, he stated, "In a castle."

* A couple of weeks after visiting with my family for the first time, Jesse was in the bathtub playing with a fishing game, when he grabbed up a green fish, held it tight to his chest and stated, "I just love Robin!!!" (my little sister)

* My mother-in-law told Jesse that we were going to hike when we go camping. He grabbed my hand and said, "Mommy, let's close eyes and pretend we hike through Disney World." (his current obsession)

* Jesse held onto this little heart-shaped rock for weeks after he found it on a nature walk.

* He hates ice cream because it's "too cold."

* If we're ever outside after dark he always warns us saying, "Watch out for the lions!"

* He called us "Mommy" and "Daddy" from the day we got him.

I hope that you have a little love in your life, too, that makes you smile and brightens your day!

a new year...just a little late

2009-01-21T15:04:00.001-05:00

OKAY. I know that it is 21 days into the new year, but I've been running just a little late for everything lately. Thus I think that this post is more than fitting for my recent state of mind/life. {smile and sigh} I have been thinking and puzzling things over in my head regarding the start of a brand new year. So many things have changed in my little world and I am enjoying them!!! My adorable new (soon-to-be-officially-ours) son is the most amazing change in my life. He is both a blessing and a challenge! (Why does he feel the need to rip books, lick counter tops and shopping carts, and pull the pee guard off his potty seat, sending a yellow liquid trajectory all over my clean pants ?) {another giant smile}

Which brings me to the real reason for this post - my promises to myself for this new year! (otherwise known as resolutions...but I really dislike that word...it always makes me want to quit before I get started...)

1. I will spend more time laughing and less time getting frustrated. (This includes pee on my pants that I didn't put there.) I will let go of having an immaculately clean house, perfectly folded laundry, and a tidy craft room.

{my embarrassingly messy craft room}

2. I will be more conscious and conscientious in my daily life. This includes taking some important stuff seriously - reading my Bible and praying, investing in friendships, playing more and fretting less, and getting healthy.

{sunflowers}

3. I will make something every day. I get in funks where it's hard for me to be crafty, even though I love creating. This year, I want to have a pile of goodies on hand to give away and sell.

{happy craftiness}

I hope this new year finds you well, and with a whole new perspective on your life, too. Happy (21 days into) 2009!

two blogs in one day...what?

2008-11-30T22:44:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know that's it's out of character to post twice in one day, but I finally caught up with some email tonight, and I found the most wonderful "present" from Angeline waiting for me! She has been added to a very fun blog/zine at heart handmade, and included little sheep felt in her Christmas wish list. Thanks, Miss Angeline!

A new addition to our family

2008-11-30T20:19:00.001-05:00

It has been quite a long time since I've posted anything on this little blog. My world has been turned up-side-down (in a good way) over the last couple of months. My husband and I have been trying to start a family for almost 3 years, and after many trials, medications, poking and prodding, paperwork, waiting, and more waiting, we finally received our little boy in October. We decided to use the foster care system to start our family, and we are hoping and praying that we get to adopt him some time next year. God knew exactly what he was doing when he gave us our little guy, and we feel ridiculously blessed to have him in our lives!

oh how sweet!

2008-08-23T17:18:00.001-04:00

Carolina Gudanowski, of From Tiki with Love, posted the sweetest blog about my Little Sheep Felt. Thank you, Carolina, for your sweet words! Check out her etsy site, where she posts THE CUTEST bird prints, paintings, and greeting cards.

the lazy river and wool roving

2008-08-18T19:34:00.001-04:00

I love being a nurse, but my days off have become a much-needed rest from the real world. My sweet friend, Kim, invited me to come to the pool with her, and as we floated around the lazy river, we contemplated answers to the pressing issues in our lives. Ah.....there's nothing like the leisurely solving of life's biggest problems! And then, I finally got my act together and posted the wool roving and beginner's felting kits on my etsy site. Hooray! Another step closer to crafting independence!

it's done!!!!

2008-08-12T01:21:00.000-04:00

After nearly nine months of felting/refelting and writing/rewriting, my little felting book is finally finished! HOORAY! Check it out here. Oh...and I cannot finish this entry without thanking my amazing husband for doing all of the layout and printing. He is amazing!

bunting and bird's nest

2008-07-14T20:20:00.001-04:00

Oh! How I do love summer - trips to the beach, sprouting garden, summer craftiness, and now a little bird has built a perfect little nest in the Confederate Jasmine on my back porch. And not only is there a little nest, but also 3 little shiny blue eggs! What a lovely surprise!

I am so privileged to have formed a friendship with the very talented Angelina Tsao. Her company, Cake and Milk Paperie, has become one of my favorite sources of artistic and business inspiration. She has a new line of graphic cards that just make me so happy! Her bunting cards are so sweet, and to celebrate her new card line, I decided to make some bunting of my own. (((BEAUTIFUL work, Miss Angeline!)))

an end-of-week tea party

2008-07-11T17:52:00.001-04:00

I had a very long workweek! When I'm not being crafty, I am a nurse on a very busy medical/surgical unit, and recently my patients have kept me ridiculously more busy than usual. Between patient and family requests, medically necessary tasks (wound care, dressing changes, assisting patients with ambulation, giving out meds....) and the insurmountable amount of paperwork, I feel like most of my day is spent chasing my tail. So, on my day off, I decided to have a tea party. My friend, Lizzy, came over on her lunch hour and we got to share an assortment of tea sandwiches, scones, desserts, and of course - tea! It was a lovely break in the week to indulge in something so girly, not rushed, and not ruined by the lingering smells of body fluids, that often haunt my workweek lunches.

the beginning

2008-07-07T21:21:00.001-04:00

I have been busy in my studio lately! My time is consumed with writing a short instructional manual on needle felting, and trying to increase my inventory. So far, the progress has been slow-going, but I'm inching closer to this life that I want to live (thus a blog entry - finally!!!). I am not sure where this little venture will take me, but here I am....willing to make this first step in this journey.