"N" is for.... Doodle

Copic RV09 Fuschia, Copic YG07 Acid Green, Copic B04 Tahitian BlueFaber Castell Pitt Pens (shades of gray) and Marvy Zig Writer in Black

"N" is for my sweet little Nikki girl! She chose 3 colors. I wasn't sure about that, but as I got going, I was pretty pleased with the outcome.

Mandala coloring on a rainy day

It's been a little rainy the last couple of days in southeast Texas. So, to pass the time, I went HERE and printed out some mandalas for coloring.

I was pleasantly surprised at how quiet the kitchen got as we all concentrated on our coloring. Coloring mandalas can be very relaxing. A few years ago, when I was having trouble sleeping, I would color them to relax and get sleepy. They worked wonders!

Here is my 6 year old hard at work on her mandala.

Here is her finished piece.

This is my 9 year olds finished piece.

Here is my finished piece.

Katie asked me if I had ever tried to draw my own. I told her I hadn't and she said she wanted to try.

Here she is hard at work. She amazes me with her artistic ability.

I have been informed this is an animal mandala. Can you see a one eyed dog, a green lizard, a flamingo, a red parakeet, a yellow parakeet, and a cat with extremely large ears?

And check out the free Kaliedoscope app for the Kindle Fire. Super fun! You can make your kaliedoscope and replay making it as a movie. The kiddos love it!

Happy coloring!

She stopped me in my tracks today...

Admittedly in the recent weeks, I have let the circumstances in my surroundings steal my joy. God chooses to bring messages in many different ways.

In the midst of running around today, to the school my 9 year olds recorder concert, to the Vitamin Shoppe, the dry cleaners, the drive through for lunch, I sat on the floor in my living room nursing my baby boy and turned on the mid morning news. The last story on the newscast was about a family choosing joy in the midst of grief.

A baby girl named Avery Canahuati stopped me in my tracks today. Here is a link to the story I saw. I sat nursing my perfectly healthy baby boy with tears pouring down my face. Avery's parents are beautiful, amazing people who are making a choice to make the very best of their baby's life for whatever time they have her with them here on earth.

At one point in the interview her mother says this... “Mike always told me we’ve got all the time in the world to cry,” said Laura. “We can cry, you know, when she’s no longer here. But for now we want to enjoy the time we do have with her and just make memories.” I know they are putting her story out there to raise awareness of spinal muscular atrophy, SMA Type 1. But the message they are sending in addition is a much, much bigger and powerful one. We can choose how we spend our days with our loved ones.

Life is so very precious and fleeting. In the final days I spent with my mom before she passed away I sat in the presence of a woman who had had her share of pain in her life, both physical and emotional and all of that falls away when you are left with precious little time with the people you love. My parents had been divorced 5 years before Mom died. Dad visited her a few days before my final visit. All the blame and pent up anger fell away in that visit and it seems as if the two of them put things to rest and all that remained was sweet, sweet love.

The Canahuatis realize what is important in the here and now is to love Avery like nobody's business. And they are doing it with all of their might. I took a lesson from them today and hugged each of my precious ones close, for I have taken them for granted. I'd like this beautiful family to know that I am sending prayers for Avery, their strength and peace on this journey they are on, and a hope that a cure may be found soon.

Please visit Avery's precious blog at Avery's Bucket List and like her page on Facebook. Help her parents spread the word about spinal muscular atrophy and learn a little about choosing joy at the same time.

26 weeks: A letter to my little boy....

Wow, to type it out, or say it out loud... "my little boy".... wow!

(25 weeks... looking as tired as I feel! :) )

We are now at 26 weeks although your mommy looks and feels more like 36 weeks. We are on the downhill slide and I am finally looking at purchasing your layette. We have your new travel system and play yard (complete with a changing table and hamper so you and I can take care of business in the living room instead of running all over the house while I am recuperating from the c-section) and I ordered some sweet cradle bedding for your cradle when you come home.

Daddy is beside himself with excitement and is amazed at your strength. You can get my belly moving and it fascinates every single one of us. One of our new favorite pass times is to put the t.v. remote on my belly and watch you move it with your little kicks. At a recent doctor's visit, I found that you were head down (I know this will change a few more times) and I questioned if that were so, why did it feel like someone was stomping on my bladder. Reason... your little fists were in front of your face. Apparently, you were using my bladder as a punching bag!

Your sisters are having fun helping me pick out items you will need. They love to pick out outfits and ask me questions about you all the time. They already love you and pray for you at night before they go to sleep.

With this pregnancy, I have become rather large, rather fast and I get bunches of double takes when I go out in public. "When is your baby due?" "October." "Really?!" (Which is usually replied with eyes as big as saucers.) I haven't had much energy this time around and it continues to dwindle as I haven't been sleeping well. I am already the weight I was when I had Katie and it is getting increasingly difficult to bend over and pick things up. It was rather amusing the other night when I was buttering a nice piece of corn on the cob and dropped it. I watched as it rolled down my tummy and onto the kitchen floor. Katie was sitting next to me and looking down at it she said, "You want me to get that for you don't you?" I don't know what I would do without your big sisters to come to my rescue!

Because of our little scare back at 11 weeks and because of this being my third c-section with a chance of a uteran rupture on the second one I had (doc says he doubled that area last time) I have had more fear and worry with you than with your sisters. I discussed a c-section at 37 weeks (as soon as we know your lungs are fully developed) to keep me from going into labor this time. When I wake at night and my mind starts to wander on all the things that could go wrong. I remember that God is in control and he has, as your big sister Katie likes to say "very BIG hands!" And I picture you safe in my arms. I know for a fact, all of this will be worth it in the end.

I cannot wait to meet you my precious boy.

Love, Mom

20 week ultrasound of you (we will do this again at 29 weeks)

Sharing some big huge news!

On January 19, 2011 I celebrated my 40th birthday.

On February 15th, 2011 I ordered my first bifocals (eek!)

On February 17th, 2011 I took a pregnancy test that turned out positive!!!!! (triple eek!)

My "babies" are now 8 and 5. We have been trying for about a year and I had finally decided that I was just fine with 2 children. My body was in pretty good shape for 40 and I had been planning a creative career with my extra time and energy. Well, so long extra time and energy! Our lives are about to be rocked and our family altered in such a beautiful way. The girls are thrilled with being big sisters. Especially my little Nikki.

I have felt stifled not blogging and so I decided I'll just share and move forward. I am looking forward to the creativity this little one will spur me on to!

I am missing Mama more than ever. I would give anything to call and share with her!

I am 9 weeks today and I saw Baby J's beautiful heartbeat on the ultrasound monitor this morning. While I know this is really early to be broadcasting it to the world, I also know that life is full of beginnings and endings and if God was to change the plans for this baby I would share it with you just as I shared the loss of my mother. Life is also full of celebration and I hope you will take this journey with me.

I never took you for the "type" to knit...

First, I want to invite you all over to my other blog Misc. and Etc. You can get there by clicking on the button to the right. My friend Chris and I are starting to do some inspirational blogging and would love to have you visit for encouragement and share with us!

On Mother's Day weekend. My daughters and I were passing the time in a little Gulf Coast town called Port Lavaca in Texas. While moseying around, we came across a cute little yarn shop called 2 Sisters Knit. Because Katie and I are both big lovers of color, I took the girls in to see all the pretty yarns. The owner and her sister happened to be sitting on cute little wicker couches knitting away. One was knitting a trendy little handbag, the other a scarf. While we perused the different yarns, I struck up a conversation with the owner. I was reminiscing about how my mother knitted and that I had two of her afghans and how much I enjoyed them.

(Moms knitting projects.)

In the meantime, Katie picks up a cute little colorful scarf knit from eyelash yarn and tosses it about her neck. The ladies exclaimed how cute the scarf was on her and that it was for sale. Turns out buying a hank of yarn and needles was cheaper than the scarf... Did I mention, my mother taught me how to knit? It was like riding a bicycle after 30 years. I had to have the owner demonstrate how to bind off as my Mama always did that for me, but soon I was on my way to making Katie a scarf.

Here is where I mention for the benefit of my friend Aamie that it is going to be 94 degrees in Houston this afternoon and hardly the weather for a scarf so here is Tallulah the cat modeling in the comfy airconditioning of our home...

On Mother's Day, I sat around the table with my inlaws, visiting and knitting away when one of my brother-in-laws piped up to say he never took me for the knitting type. I happen to know a few knitters (Marie!) and kind of giggled. Just what is the knitting type?

After arriving home from our weekend I was prompted to go to Hobby Lobby so Nikki could pick out yarn for her scarf. Here is the lovely Tallulah modeling for us again...

I have really enjoyed making a couple of washcloths this week (see below) and am hoping to do some more advance projects sometime soon. An afghan would make a lovely Christmas gift don't you think? Katie has already asked for one!

So what about you? Do you knit? Do you care to try?

Last Day of School T-shirt Tutorial

Each year, I make my girls a "last day of school" t-shirt. I wanted to post this now so you would have time to do your own if you like.

I had to post the above picture because... well, because it's pretty! Look at those colors! They just make me happy! (It helps that they were only $.99 each too.)

Okay in all seriousness let's get on with it.

Materials needed:

• Child's size t-shirt in desired color and size
• T-shirt form (optional)
• Fabric paints in assorted colors

Simply put the t-shirt over the form, smoothing out the wrinkles (I did this after I took the picture), and paint away! Let item dry overnight before painting the other side.

This is the back of my 4 year old's t-shirt.

This is the front.

This is the back of my 7 year old's t-shirt.

This is the front.

Word to the wise, buy more than one t-shirt form if you are doing more than one shirt or have a magazine handy to insert into the shirt.

I loved having my girls design the shirts with me and tell me what colors they wanted me to paint. I also loved that the shirts were only $1.50 each so this was an inexpensive way to make their last day of school this year even more fun.

If you were really brave you could hand the paints over to the kiddos and let them paint their own. I might do this next year, or make some fun "just because" t-shirts as a summer art project.

Happy crafting!

Happy Mother's Day!

One video is a tribute to Mom. One is a tribute to my daughters.

To all mothers and children enjoy this special day!

Much love,

Monday Musings... My favorite time of year in Texas

What is my favorite time of year in Texas? Springtime, of course! Want to know why? This is it right here...

Aren't they gorgeous? This is the Texas state flower, the bluebonnet. Every year around this time the hill country is full of them. There are literally fields of them. People stop on the sides of roads and climb through barbed wire fences just to get the right shot of their kiddos in them.

The girls and I took a drive about an hour from our house yesterday to find some. And find some we did. It was really funny starting out. I said, "Keep your eyes peeled for bluebonnets!". After driving about 1/2 hour K started to doubt me and asked if I knew where I was going. Can you believe the nerve? So I told her to just watch and we would start seeing a little bunch here and there and then pretty soon we would see fields of them. About 5 minutes later they were shouting about all the bluebonnets. They couldn't believe how many there were!

Sometimes my little point and shoot Cybershot does a pretty good job don't you think?

These are indian paintbrushes. You can see lots of these this time of year too. They actually remind me of Arizona.

I am amazed at the beautiful colors!

Here is a shot of the girls making their annual run through the bluebonnets. I was surprised to see how many people disregarded the fact that it is against the law to pick these flowers. My daughters even know this and pointed out how other kids were picking them. We had a beautiful time though.

I leave you with my favorite shot of N making last year's annual run.

If you are ever in Texas this time of year, I strongly suggest you take the time to find a field of bluebonnets. Trust me when I say the pictures are beautiful, but it is really something to see in person!

Happy Monday!

Monday, Monday and a great little giveaway!

My youngest got revenge of the Easter candy in the middle of the night and she and I have just been laying low today. I've been puttering around the house. I planted my first herb garden and we'll see what comes of that. Gotta have lots of fresh herbs for salads and pastas for the warmer months. And... I planted plenty of cilantro to make my famous Southwestern Salsa!

Gonna make a sweet recipe in a bit. I'll post it tomorrow for you so stay tuned. And, provided my patient (who just so happened to just come in and ask me if I knew what "puking" means), cooperates, I hope to get a post up about K's 7th birthday party last weekend for Wednesday.

In the meantime... Wouldn't you love to win this little basket of goodies?

If so, head on over to Bucket of Cherries (formerly Bizzy Bee Creations Crafts) and enter (ends on April 12th). While you are there be sure to check out her crafts! So cute!

Hope your Monday is great!

Chalkboard Flower Pots...

 I thought I would share a tutorial with you. I don't have pictures of the process, but plenty of finished pieces and a quick tute on how they came together.

For This Project You Will Need:

Terra cotta pot and saucer in desired size

Terra cotta spray sealant for pot

Chalkboard paint

Painter's tape

Acrylic paints in desired colors (it is great if you know the person's favorite color)

A couple of pieces of chalk

Ribbon

Cardstock (colored and white)

Decorative paper

Embellishments

Bamboo skewer (or craft sticks)

A pretty plant/flower

For the Flower Pot and Saucer:

1. Spray terra cotta spray sealant on pot inside and out and saucer.

2. After sealant is dry, paint the bottom portion of the pot with the chalkboard paint (I didn't bother painting the inside of the pot). You may need a couple of coats to really cover it good.

3. I used painter's tape around the pot just under the rim to keep a straight line with the acrylic paint then painted the rim and the saucer. Again, you may need a couple of coats to get really good coverage.

For the Plant Pick:

1. Print your saying on white cardstock using a fun font. The saying is Miss _____ Thank You for Helping Me Grow, Love ______.

2. Cut your printed white cardstock to size and then adhere it to scrapbook paper and colored cardstock.

3. Decorate it with embellishments. Here I used paper punched flowers with a rhinestone.

4. Cut another piece of colored cardstock to size (this will be the back of your plant pick) and glue the front and back together with the bamboo skewer sandwiched in between.

5. Keep your plant in the pot you purchased it in and just set it inside the pot and stick your finished plant pick in.

6. Write Thank You on the pot with chalk.

7. Take 2 new pieces of chalk and tie a pretty ribbon around them.

Tada!

Your teachers will love them!