Fearfully & Wonderfully Made

We've been loving the Spring weather lately! Does this face do it justice?

Here's hoping that Spring is really here, and Winter doesn't come rearing it's ugly head again. I know I'm ready for Spring to be here to stay. It's definitely my favorite season. Everything just seems to come back to life, and I love seeing it each year - it never gets old! Speaking of coming back to life, we are gearing up for Easter weekend around here. Easter is the most joyful holiday to me! I mean - JESUS IS ALIVE!!! It just doesn't get any better than that (no offense, Christmas...)! When I was growing up, we always got some new duds around Easter, and the most special of those dresses that I can remember are the ones that my Mama made. I was just so proud to wear something she had made :-) See (far left - that's me)?

Now, I am fully aware that Carter could care less if I make his clothes - good gracious, Carter could care less if he even has clothes :-) HOWEVER, I love making clothes for him - especially his Easter clothes! I made his very first Easter outfit last year - you can see it as well as how little he was last Easter in THIS POST.  Well, a lot has happened since then, and my sewing has both improved and expanded. This year I decided to make him a smocked romper using THIS PATTERN.  I smocked 3 crosses to remind us of Calvary during this sacred season that gets so covered up in the eggs, bunnies, and candy. I got to work on some skills that I had never done before: plackets, collars, sleeves, buttons down the back, belts, using my (surprise Christmas present) serger, etc... I had SO MUCH FUN making this precious little outfit!  Here are some snippets of the process. My camera died halfway into the project, and I was so wrapped up in sewing I didn't replace the battery until I was completely finished :-)

As I sew, I think. I love that time. I think about all kinds of things. I plan, I measure, I create, I think about our family/our future/the baby/our home/etc.... However, I when I was making this outfit, I could not help but dwell on how much God must love us - his prize creation!

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, 
I know that full well. Psalm 139:14

I was making this outfit thinking of how happy it makes me to create something so special, and my mind could not stop going back to HOW MUCH MORE precious we are to God than this silly little outfit is to me. He created us - in his image no less! From scratch :-) I have a pattern of course, because my mind is INFINITELY less creative than God's (stating the obvious? - I think so...). Then after he created us, he sent his son to die for us, and raised him from the dead to save us - on Easter :-) So there you go. Sewing is just my little tiny way of using the brain that God gave me to in-turn create something beautiful. The finished product?

The very next day I used extra fabric to make a certain someone else a special little matching outfit for when he gets here! This is the first outfit I've gotten to make for him, and my first project smaller than 18 mos in size. So, so, so fun!!!

This was a new pattern as well, which you will find HERE. I got to try my hand at several new skills for this outfit too!! I did heirloom embroidery, pleating, and elastic leg casings!

Close-up of my First (far from perfect) Attempt at Heirloom Embroidery :-)

I cannot explain how fun it was to make my boys matching outfits :-) Disclaimer: I do not expect this baby to be here by Easter, but they will be wearing these outfits throughout Spring/Summer :-)

BROTHERS :-) I can't wait! 

PS Can I just say that the Creations by Michie' patterns that I use are so easy to follow!?!?! I have used 3 of her patterns now, and every single one of them has been super easy to follow, and the finished product looks like it's supposed to and fits my child! Worth every penny!!!

Happy Leap Year!

We've been learning to leap (jump) around here...a fun way to celebrate Carter's first leap year! We've also been learning to sing Row, Row, Row your boat :-) 

Happy Leap Year Everyone! 

It's Been Warm

Last week we had a few days of warmth - like 75 degrees warm. Such a welcome temperature in February! Needless to say, Carter and I spent a lot of time outside on those days. I gave C a pot of dirt, several other containers, and a little shovel and he went to town. He could have played in that dirt all day long. I think I'm just going to give up the idea of having a clean patio for a while though - oh well :-) He has fun!

19 Months Old

Carter turned 19 months last week. It's crazy all the things he started to do while he was 18 months old, so I thought it deserved an update, so here you go...

-He throws an ALL OUT PARTY when Dada gets home!

-He says "see?" when he wants to show me something.
-He loves to wear his "boos" (rain boots) and "shooos" (shoes).

-He calls Fischer "Sheesh(er)"

-He LOVES to feed Sheesher.

-He LOVES to go outside. He will run to the door and say "at-sigh" (outside).

-He turns on/off the tv...all the time.

-He pretends to talk on the phone using calculators, baby monitors, pretty much any rectangular shaped object.

-He watches home videos and loves to name people in them.

-He tries to look "into" or "around the corner of" the tv when he hears people he knows talking off screen.

-He counts "uh" "oo" "ee" (1, 2, 3).
-When he wants a snack he runs to the pantry and says "naaa" (snack)

-He says and points to "noe" (nose), "eee" (ear), "tee" (teeth/mouth), "haa" (hair), IIII (eye).

2 Quick Funny Stories: He was eating lunch, and I told him he was eating a pear, and he pointed to his head...he thought I said "hair." We were getting ready to read his Bible before his nap time. I asked him if he was ready to read about Moses, and he pointed to his nose and mine...he thought I said "noses."

-He can dunk his basketball and he cheers loudly for himself every time.

-He climbs into his highchair by himself - he CLIMBS ON EVERYTHING!

-He builds towers with big building blocks and proceeds to knock them down.

-He answers questions! - I asked him if he was finished and he shook his head and said "No." It's a little strange when you get a verbal answer for the first time :-)

-He shakes and nods head.

-He walks down the stairs by himself. Most of the time he holds onto the wall or spindels

-He is interested in puzzles now.

-His new song is Row Row Row Your Boat...he likes to sing the row row row part. He also likes to sing Justin Beiber's "Baby, Baby, Baby" song - thanks to Mrs. Bethanie :-)

-He does the hand motions to the Itsy Bitsy Spider and the Wheels on the Bus

-He puts his hands together when we tell him it's time to pray ("praying hands" we call it).

-When he thinks things are "ha" (hot) he blows on the "shhhhhhh."

-He says and does the sign for "more" and he does the sign for "all done."

-We are trying to teach him that mommy has a baby brother in her belly. When you ask him where his baby brother his, he points at his belly now....not quite :-)

It's been so fun to watch him learn and grow. He is at such a fun age. Everyday is a brand new adventure!

Up We Go!

Kevin had enough materials left over when he made the Toy Storage unit for our playroom to make us some stools for the upstairs and downstairs bathrooms.

We got the plans here - Anna White | Build a Vintage Step Stool

We LOVE our stools! I love them because I don't have to hold Carter to wash his hands anymore. He loves them because he can now fill my sinks with toys and cans of chili... He also loves looking in the mirror at himself, brushing his teeth, combing his hair, helping me with laundry and cooking.

Thanks for the stools, Daddy!

Smocking Projects

Here's what I've been up to lately. I LOVE TO SMOCK! It's COMPLETELY addicting. For some reason it is a stress reliever, but at the same time it fuels my creative side and makes me think that I've used my brain at least some that day :-) Kevin would tell you that smocking is unsocial and life-consuming. Just kidding [kind of]. He's probably glad that the smocking part of these projects is over though...I cannot wait to see what the outfits are going to look like!

Here's Carter's Easter Smock. It's my variation of Ellen McCarn's "Crosses" pattern. It's going to be in a romper.

Here's some Crabs that I'm going to turn into a matching Bubble and Jon Jon for the boys for spring/summer. Aren't those button eyes the cutest!?!?! The crabs are my variation of Little Memories's "Crab Happy" and Cross Eyed Cricket's "Blue Crabs" patterns.

Here's a smock that was supposed to be done this Fall...then my 1st Trimester happened. It's the Little Memories "EI EI OH!" pattern. I'm planning to make it into a Seersucker Jon Jon for the Summer.

Don't feel bad if it took you a while to figure out what on earth that said. And if you still haven't figured it out, it says "EI, EI, Oh" as in "Old McDonald had a farm _______..." I think it's really cute! Kevin said it's confusing.

That's the plan at least...I'll update as the projects progress.

Third Trimester

Hello 3rd Trimester!

I wish I could say that I was ready for you. Here I am at week 27.

Yep, I'm pregnant...

I've been working on the new nursery art lately, and I really like how it turned out - the theme is transportation.

We still don't have a name for Baby #2... We have to name him soon though, because I've got an idea for how I'll do his name in the nursery. This will be my inspiration, although I think I'm going to get Kevin to make it like a shelf, so that I can put some things above it. We shall see.

(Note: This will not be his name...)