Caleb’s Christmas Present

I made a few Christmas presents this past fall but am only just now getting to think about posting them.  I think I’ve got a good excuse though and she’s the cutest little baby ever.  We are so enjoying Selah.  I love just sitting and snuggling with this little one.  I look at her and know that she is really such a gift and I’m so incredibly thankful to God for her.  I love seeing how much Caleb and Alice love being with her too, they sing to her, show her toys, play with her, and on and on.  Alice started talking for her today saying, “do you like this toy Selah?”  and replying for her “yeah its really cute”.  I can’t get enough of these sweet times these days.  What a blessing.  Bob’s been pretty sick since Saturday and staying away from the baby as to not get her sick.  Poor guy he misses his little girl.  I love seeing Bob with her and how tenderly he loves her and the big kids as well.   

So about these Christmas presents!  We’ll start off with Caleb’s present.  Back when we were expecting Alice I made her a banner with her name on it.  Before I had Alice I didn’t really like pink.  I picked all earthtones for her name banner and regret it some now as she couldn’t be more into pink and purple!  Not to mention that it doesn’t really match her room, but I digress.  What I love about it I repeated for Caleb for his own name banner.  Its hanging above his bed with five pockets waiting for all the little treasures that little boys find and love.  I hope one day when the kids are older to leave little notes for each of them in their pockets and hope that I’ll get some sweet notes back.  (oh and as I sidenote, I not only hope, but I WILL change the navy blue wall color in his room (you see it below in the picture of his banner), its so dark and came with the house, and I didn’t even let you see the sports wallpaper above that I disdain as well.  But that’s another project for another day and probably for another year.)

                 

                                   
 

I pretty much copied how I made Alice’s banner for Caleb’s.  For the letters I chose an easy font and printed them out.  Then I traced the letters onto freezer paper and ironed that paper onto the fabric.  I then cut the letters out.  This is such an easy way to cut out an applique.  I cut out stitch witchery (you can also use heat-n-bond) for each letter and ironed them onto the pockets.  Then I satin stitched (very tiny zigzag) the edges of the letters onto the pockets.  I wish I’d thought to put interfacing or some other stiffener behind the letters because I got a lot of puckering, but next time I will (and I did for Alice’s Christmas present this year, more on that later).  I then sewed the pockets onto each of the five colored squares and joined them all together.  I basted a piece of thick batting on the back of the name side of the banner to make it thicker.  For Alice’s banner I made tab tops to run a dowel rod through to hang it.  For Caleb’s I made a rod pocket in the back instead.  I think I like the pocket better because it gives it a cleaner look, though it hangs at a bit of an angle because the hooks that hold it stick out from the wall.  I didn’t really think about that when I made it.  But I like the look of the rod pocket, as in you can’t see the dowel rod, as opposed to making it with the tab tops.  I bought all the fabric while shopping with my good friend at Hobby Lobby.  I think that’s the first time I’ve bought fabric there.  Not sure why I always overlook that place.  I’m sure I’ll be back more often since my walmart has discontinued its fabric section, what a bummer!  Caleb likes his banner, especially since he’s all about learning how to write letters and particularly into writing his name lately.  Someday I’ll have to make one for Selah too and all the kids can pass secret messages back and forth to each other.

Sweet Gifts

Here’s my snuggly baby girl wearing a hat made by my friend Christy, a sweet little sweater from my friend Linda and wrapped up in the blanket that Sara made for her.  I love them all.

   

              

Handmade Baby Gifts

On thanksgiving day I received my first gift for this new baby from my good friend Sara.  She handknit this baby blanket, its simply beautiful.  I love making gifts for people and realize how much I love receiving handmade gifts too!  I know the love, thoughtfulness and time that goes into making them.  Thanks Sara! 

I received my second gift for this new baby the Saturday after thanksgiving.  This one has a bit of a story to tell.  Another good friend, Amber, makes the coolest artwork and when I went to the clothesline this fall I knew that I’d love to have something of hers someday.  Bob knew that and ran with it.  He asked Amber to make me something as a surprise gift for a “congrats you did labor and now have this beautiful baby” present.  Amber asked me what the colors were in our new guest/baby room and I didn’t think twice.  I had no idea she was making something for me.  The Saturday of Holiday in St Elmo (Nov. 29th) it was cold and rainy and I was (and still am) hugely pregnant, but that didn’t stop us.  I wanted to go because I knew Amber would be there and I wanted to find something of hers that I liked.  So we went, and out of all the pieces she had I liked this one below the best.  I told Amber I really liked it and wanted to talk with Bob about it and then went over to talk with a friend.  She asked Bob what she should do because that was the piece that was supposed to be my labor surprise.  He ended up telling me and was a bit bummed that I’d ruined the surprise but was happy that I liked it.  What an awesome husband and friend I have: that Bob would think to do this for me and that Amber would know me well enough to make something that I love so much and happened to pick out of all of her work.  So now its an EARLY, congrats you will do labor and I’m so proud of you gift.  Its on the wall above the baby’s crib and I love it.

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They crack me up

Overheard this morning at breakfast and it just cracked me up:

C:  “Alice, when you be a mama then you will like gluten free too.”

A: “Yeah!” “And take showers too!”

C: “Yeah, and sometimes daddys take showers.”

A:  “Yeah and grandmas and pop-pops take showers too.”

Well they’ve got it all figured out don’t they?  I couldn’t bring myself to explain that not all mamas have to eat gluten free.  I love hearing their little preschooler reasoning, hilarious.

Princess Cake

Alice will be 3 in a couple of weeks but we had a princess party for her 2 weekends ago just in case this baby comes early!  We had all the little girls dress up as princesses and had a blast doing girly girly things.  A good friend came and painted the girls nails and gave them fairy dust sparkles on their cheeks.  Alice had asked several times to dance at her party, so we put on some music and let the girls twirl and dance in their princess dresses.  Caleb dressed up as a knight and was into everything, except not quite sure about the dancing part.    

 

Alice asked for a princess cake of course.  I borrowed this Wilton stand-up doll cake pan from a friend at church and then made a normal double layer cake to go underneath it (you can also use a glass bowl for the skirt as well).  I wanted that bottom cake to look more like a base but it ended up looking like an extension of the skirt, but it worked out.  Watching this online video helped me figure out how to make the cake.  They suggested buying an actual doll or barbie and using it in the cake.  That way the little girl can have the doll after the party.  So I found a ballerina barbie at the dollar store and she happened to be wearing a princess crown, so that was perfect!  I wrapped her up in plastic wrap and decorated her with icing.  It worked out great.  I had a lot of fun making the cake and even more fun celebrating with our little princess.  Happy 3rd birthday Alice!

Enjoy the pictures.  Oh and we have some pictures and a little video of the actual party here.

 

       

                      

Girl or Boy?

I received this awesome moses basket as a gift from my good friend when Alice was born.  We absolutely loved using it with Alice and of course will use it with this baby too.  I made a bumper for it yesterday and some sheets for it today.  So we’ve got the boy version and the girl version.  But honestly I like the squirrels the best.  Aren’t they the cutest?  I mean who can resist little orange squirrels munching on acorns!  Not me.  I’ll definitely use that one either way, but don’t think I could bring myself to use the pink flowers for a boy.  So we’ll see.  Only 6 more weeks to go!

 

                                

The Room is Done!

              

Our mostly guest room, somewhat baby room is finished!  (minus a door being hung)  I’m so glad to have checked this huge project off of the list.  Bob worked his tail off painting and hanging that nice ceiling fan.  He crawled in the super tiny crawl space under the room and the small spot above the room to run the electrical. I’m so proud that he can do that kind of stuff and that its turned out so great!  I shopped all around trying to find an inexpensive comforter with bed skirt and shams that I liked and got a bit frustrated.  Until I found this one!  I got it in the clearance section at Kohls for 19 bucks for the set (most others I found were between 75 and 125)!  I was shocked and excited and so thankful.  Then I found the curtains at Big Lots for 5 bucks a panel.  I mean they are an exact match to the color of the comforter.  Incredible!  I bought two panels and hemmed them to make 4 short panels for those small windows.  If you ever need unlined curtains you must check out big lots, you can’t beat the price.  I was so thrilled with all my bargain finds for this room, it makes it even better when you can find something you really like for cheap!  Oh and check out the other pictures of the completed room.

Tea Time

With the cooler mornings these days we’ve been enjoying some tea time together.  The kids love it!  I love that they’re learning to drink tea with me, even if it is with sugar and lots of milk.  These pictures are from a week ago one morning having breakfast and tea out on the deck.  Yeah for tea and the cooler weather that comes with it!

  

    

Baby/Guest Room Progess

Our little room off of our family room has been our guest room since moving here.  Well Alice lived in it for a while when we had Josie, a college student living with us.  But mostly its been for guests.  We’ve always wanted to paint it because its so small and very dark.  The walls just sucked up the space and the floor well, it was a hideous linoleum.  So Bob has been working his tail off painting the room and he finished it last night.  I found the deal of the century at End of the Roll in Rossville on a very thick cushy berber carpet.  Plus a really great guy from our neighborhood installed the carpet for us this morning, and at a great price too.  So this room in less than a week has been completely transformed.  We still plan to hang a ceiling fan, hang a real door (taken from a closet in the playroom=free!) and change out some old ugly outlets.  I also need to make curtains and find a nice bed spread or quilt.  But I can’t resist sharing the progress we’ve made in the room so far.  You’ll just have to wait in suspense until we finish it completely and put the furniture back.  Click here to see the progress.

Update:  I almost forgot to add the two cute videos I took of the kids playing in the new room.  Aren’t they the cutest?

A good morning for Prudence

Ever since we got Prudence with her own little potty and her once upon a potty book and her potty seat, I was hopeful that she’d help in potty training Alice.  It turns out she’s been great!  I’ve not actually used the potty chair as we skipped that and went straight to the big potty for Alice.  But we’ve used Prudence a lot.  Alice loves to hold long conversations with her while she tries on the potty.  I talk for Prudence and Alice tells her what a big girl she is.  Prudence of course enjoys trying on her own little potty too.  Well Prudence came with panties on, but we can never seem to find those little things and it crosssed my mind that she’s really needing to be a little more modest.  So Prudence now has a little skirt of her own.  I gave Alice the choice of 3 different fabrics to make the skirt and she chose this cute flanel (it also happened to be the one I liked the best).  We had fun doing it together (well mostly Alice watched, but someday I’ll teach her to sew) and Alice is thrilled that Prudence has her very own skirt.  I now really want to make a skirt out of this fabric for Alice.  I think it would be SO cute.  Enjoy the pictures.

Poor Prudence needs some clothes!             Alice and Prudence wait patiently.
             

             Prudence checks in on the progress and thinks she likes it.
                 

                Alice lets us know what Prudence thinks in this little video.

Prudence is all set in her new skirt.  She loves it!  Alice loves it too.
  

         Prudence is so relieved to have her own cute little skirt.  
                         

I’ve been working hard on Christmas presents for family these days.  So maybe that skirt for Alice will have to wait.  I also have hopes of making two things for the kids for Christmas and hopefully something for the new baby too!  So even though its just the beginning of October, I don’t have much time to crank out all of this out before the baby gets here.  Because I will NOT be sewing after this baby, at least for a while.  So I only have 2 more months!  Wish I could show pictures of the progress on Christmas presents, but you’ll just have to wait until after Christmas for those.