Crafty Updates

A few people have been asking if I'm still sewing and selling. After the huge rush in October, I decided to take a much needed break. I do have some really cute designer Christmas fabrics so I am open to a few custom orders. I've taken down all items in my Etsy shop though, and probably won't be listing anything new for the holiday season. If you're interested, email me directly. I hope to make Macy another Christmassy outfit, a swing top and ruffle leggings, which I will likely post to the other blog. Thanks for all of you who keep checking in on me!

I'm currently working on an adult Texas A&M tee for the A&M vs Texas game on Thanksgiving, and an A&M shirt and tutu for the person's 3 year old daughter. I'm having so much fun creating these...think school colors with some funky zebra print thrown in! I've been wanting to create A&M shirts for my own kiddos for quite some time. My plan was to design a shirt for Tucker to wear on college school day, but I ran out of time and ended up buying an A&M shirt (gasp)!

My Horrible, Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Tucker woke up with tons of energy this morning. He was bouncing off the walls by 10 AM, but we needed to let Macy nap before heading out the door. As soon as Macy woke up, off we went to Target to get a few things. I had some larger items to get, so I put the kids in the double cart thingy instead of putting them in our double stroller like I normally do. HUGE mistake. Tucker kept unbuckling himself and trying to get out of the cart. "I don't like being strapped in!" "Let me out! I'll stay close to you, I promise!" Meanwhile, Macy sees her bubba causing trouble so she joins in too. Her fits normally involve throwing herself on the floor, but since she was strapped in, she just kept throwing her head back against the back of the plastic seat. This resulted in making her cry even more, but yet she kept doing it over and over and over. At this point, we made a bee line to the check-out. Tucker continued acting up, and even talked back to me, which resulted in a spanking in the parking lot (but that comes later). I was so eager to get the hell out of Target, that I nearly left the store without the items I had just bought. An associate came running after me with my stuff. Might I mention, that Tucker is crying at this point, begging me not to give him a spank, "Please, no, Mommy. Pleeeeease, no spank. I'm sorry!" We get to the car and he receives his spank (not without pleading, "Mommy, please do it real careful"), the kids get loaded in the car, both screaming their heads off. As I was backing out of the parking space, BAM, I hit a car. The poor lady says she honked, but of course I couldn't hear a darn thing over all the crying going on. Thank God that both kids fell asleep on the way home and are still napping.

Wine, please.

Today's Tuckerisms

While helping me roll up ribbon spools that Macy got into:
T: Doin' this is kinda like fishing (stishing- he uses st for f). You have to be reeeeaaaal patient when yours doin' this!


Tucker is sometimes in the sewing room with me while I'm working. (Oops, who knows what I say under my breath out of frustration)!
T: Stupid is not a nice word, right?
M: Right.
T: Well, you say it when you're sewing those ruffle pants. You say stupid THIS, stupid THAT...you really shouldn't say that word, Mommy.

Crazy for Turkeys

I have been so extremely busy with my All Tuckered Out Boutique business. TOO busy. :) I'm grateful for the interest in my items, but I don't so much enjoy the feeling of having this huge mountain to climb without enough hours in the day to climb. I have to keep reminding myself that I started this all because I enjoy it, not because of the money. If I were to calculate how much I'm making per hour it would be way less than minimum wage, I'm sure of that! I actually love the creating. The sewing part can get quite tedious, and cutting the fabric is, well, dreadful. I've actually enlisted my mother as my assistant. She's been cutting out all of the turkey wings and other applique designs! What a great mom, huh?!

People are going crazy over the turkey. I will agree, the turkey is pretty darn cute, but he is a handful to make! The prep of cutting out all the pieces, ironing him on, stitching (switching out thread colors), and then sewing on the button eyes and little polka dot bow...whew, it's a task!

I've received business from friends, (thanks to all of you who have ordered from me!), referrals, and regular Etsy customers, but my most recent rush has been from "advertising." Last week I took part in "What Do You Make" on Kelly's Korner blog. http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/2009/10/show-us-how-your-life-what-do-you-make.html
Yes, I knew that this particular blog gets gazoodles of hits a day, but I never imagined it would lead to so much business. Within a hour of posting my link, I had people placing orders left and right. I went to the state fair the following day, and when I checked my email at noon, there were another 8 orders sitting in my inbox. As the day went on, more came in. I was freaking out. Within 24 hours, I had 38 new orders. That's when I decided to take a break from my Etsy shop and took down my items. I've still continued to get daily emails from people interested in ordering. I'm thrilled that people are interested, but I just don't have the time! I've had to explain that I'm a mom of two toddlers, and I teach part-time, in addition to the clothing business. Once I get all caught up, I do plan to get back at it, but only after I have a little break. I'm looking forward to a week or so without feeling so overwhelmed, and actually getting to do fun things with my kiddos, family, and friends once again.

As I sit here late this Friday evening, I still have 13 orders to fulfill. Hey, that's better than 38!

Pray for Laurren Smith

I've been following this family for several months via Facebook. Laurren Smith is a local 13 year old fighting for her life. She has a rare form of cancer and is only expected to live a couple of months. Please take a moment to read the news article below. What a remarkable young lady, truly an inspiration.

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local-beat/I-prayed-for-God-to-give-me-a-positive-attitude-59638407.html

This morning the family posted a Facebook update. Unfortunately, the treatments Laurren has been receiving in Mexico failed. The tumor in her lung has doubled in size. Please lift Laurren and her family up in prayer.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/laurrensmith


http://laurrensmithfoundation.org/donate/

Dog or Not?

Tucker is still so upset about our Brinkley dog passing away. It's been over 3 months and he still talks about her almost daily. This week at preschool they talked about responsibility and taking care of pets. Tucker painted a picture of Brinkley, but he told me, "Ginky dog is in heaven. I need a new Ginky dog so I can have a pet. Pleeeeeese, I need a new dog. Please, Mommy, pleeeese." So what am I doing? I'm researching dog breeds in effort to find one that meets these requirements: no shedding, child-friendly, and laid back. And, I feel really strongly about rescuing a dog instead of buying from a breeder.

Brinkley was so easy. She was already house-trained when I rescued her from the SPCA. She never chewed or destroyed anything, and she was so loving towards our children. I really fear the unknown when getting a new dog. You never know how they will behave, especially around children, and I don't look forward to the added responsibility of cleaning up after two babies and a dog. I love dogs. I really do. It's just that things are "busy" enough around here right now. I would really like to wait a few years before welcoming a dog into our family, but it breaks my heart to see Tucker so upset. :(

What to do, what to do? If you have any dog breeds to recommend, please leave a comment!

Petite Maison

There is a baby boutique in town that is going out of business. The owner is someone I went to high school with, and I'm so sad about this place closing! Not only do I wish it would stay open because I personally know the owner, but also because it's a charming shop. It's located on the downtown square in this awesome building. It would honestly be my dream location if I were to ever own my own business.

I've done lots of shopping at said boutique over the last few weeks, and I must share one of my finds. The Zutano outfit that Macy is wearing in the photo below was only $8. Yep, $8 for the outfit! I just love the colors and patterns. It's my best find yet (price wise, at least. I've gotten SO many cute things)! Yesterday I bought Macy several designer outfits for $15 a piece. That's pretty awesome considering they are normally $50+. Oh, how I love a bargain, especially when it's unique boutique stuff.

So for all you local moms out there, head over to Petite Maison before Oct. 24 when its doors close! I doubt you'll be disappointed!

Tuckerman and Gobble Gobble

My silly little man, so full of life and energy, what a unique child of God. He keeps us on our toes and laughing out loud on a daily basis. Everyday is a new exciting adventure.

Tucker's silly hat that he has been wearing around the house lately. :)

Macy is sick with what the doctor assumes is the flu. She started running fever late yesterday afternoon, and has been wanting nothing but to be held by her mommy. Poor baby girl. I am loving all the holding and snuggling.

GOBBLE GOBBLE! Click here to see my newest fall inspired designs.

Busy Busy

What have I been up to lately?

SEWING. Nothing but sewing! Shabby Chic Halloween dresses and Crazy About Fall ruffle pants, to be exact. I can't complain though, as I'm so very grateful the interest in my items. It's funny how all of the orders seem to come all at once. I will go several days without anything, then bam (!) three orders in one day. Since I do have a real job M-T or W, my sewing is limited to Th-Sun. That means I'm trying to sneak it in any chance I can get. I've already decided that the kids need a toy sewing machine for Christmas. :)

And for any of you that sew, please be aware that the popular Portabellopixie ruffle pants pattern runs really small. It took me 2 total mess ups to realize that. How frustrating it is to spend all that time only to realize that what you've made is WAY too small!

Happy weekend to all! You know what I'll be busy doing!

Tucker's Potty Prize!

Tucker has been using the potty for nearly 2 weeks! The strong-willed little boy who gave us a million excuses as to why he couldn't use the potty, is now doing it! We are beyond thrilled!!!

We are out and about a lot, and he is even using the potty while out in public. He just tells us when he has to go. Imagine that!

Tucker spotted this castle at the store one day and so badly wanted it. I decided to take him back to the store a few weeks later to get the castle with the understanding that I would save it for him until he was using the potty. Richard and I decided tonight that he had earned his prize! Guess what Tuck has been busy playing with for the last hour!

Waiting on his surprise...

So happy!

Sweet Tucker

I'm tearing up just thinking about this, but want to share it since this blog is a means of recording life as it happens. My hope is that one day Tucker and Macy will enjoy reading about the everyday and monumental happenings of their lives, and it also enables me to look back upon these priceless moments.

On Thursday morning, I was explaining to Tucker that we needed to take Macy to the doctor because she wasn't feeling well. He sat down in the chair in Macy's room as I changed her, and he was being awfully quiet as I went about choosing an outfit for her to wear and packing the diaper bag. After I few minutes, I realized the he was curled up in the chair crying. He said, "Mama, I don't want baby sissy to go to Heaven."

How sad is it that my 3 year old believes that anyone who is sick is dying? It was then that I realized how careful we must be in talking about illness and death with him. Not that we haven't been sensitive regarding such topic, but he really has a fear of "people getting too sick to live on Earth" which is exactly what we've explained to him when someone goes to Heaven.
We have experienced a great deal of illness, injury, and death in our immediate family over the past year. Tucker and Macy have lost their aunt, great-grandpa, and dog. In addition, their papaw had a heart attack, Momo broke her ankle, and their great-grandma had extensive back surgery with a very extended hospital stay. We have a small family, and each and every person is such a big part of our lives. It saddens me to think of Tucker growing up with the fear of losing those close to him.

Losing Brinkley seemed to light the fire of Tucker's insecurity about death. Life without her is definitely different. There's no one to lick up all the crumbs and pieces of food that Macy throws on the floor. Good thing I have a hand vac. :) The other day I actually asked Tucker if it was okay for me to feed his uneaten sandwich to Brinkley. He just stared at me with a puzzled look...and that's when I realized my goof. We no longer worry about stepping on a pile of poo in the backyard, nor is there dog hair collecting on the floor as I write. There's no longer anyone scratching on the bed in the morning to be let outside. I no longer see that huge grin form across Macy's face as she points and says "daaaaa!" (dog) when she spots Brinkley. There's no more Ginky, therefore, I won't get to see Tucker hug and kiss her, or gently pat her on her head. Life is different without our Ginky dog.

Our dear neighbors Toby and Jennifer brought over a gallon of ice cream, Magic Shell, and whipped cream to help cheer us up after Brinkley passed away. Wasn't that so sweet? Later that evening Tucker was sitting in cousin Clay's lap at my parent's house. Tucker said to Clay, "Ginky went to Heaven. But it's okay because Toby and Jennifer and Alexandra brought us ice cream, and chocolate syrup, and whipped cream to make us feel better!" It was so cute. Thanks, Toby & Jennifer! We are truly blessed with the best next-door neighbors.

As we were saying our prayers the other night Tucker added, "And maybe if I'm a really good boy somebody will bring us another Ginky dog." We may have an energetic, crazy at times little boy, but Richard and I see firsthand that he has such a pure heart. Underneath all the rowdiness, he really is the sweetest.

My PRECIOUS little man.

I Won Something C.U.T.E

Her Southern Charm hosted a giveaway and I WON! Look at this adorable bubble gum machine jumper from Cotton Candy Shop

Thanks to Lauren at Cotton Candy Shop and Jennifer at Her Southern Charm for hosting the giveaway!

Check back in a couple of weeks for pictures of Miss Macy Moo wearing this adorable jumper!

A Laugh at Life

Richard and I were finally able to get way from the kids for some couple time, although, it was short-lived! Let me explain. We dropped the kids off with my mom around 1:00 yesterday, then we were off to the Gaylord Texan Resort for the night. For those of you that haven't been, it's beautiful! We got settled into our room, walked around the resort soaking in all there is to see, and then ate lunch. Full from lunch, we headed up to the room for a nap. Yes, we were at a beautiful resort and decided to nap! You parents know what luxury an uninterrupted nap is! After our 3 hour nap, we got ready and headed down for a nice dinner. Just as we were seated, I received a phone call from my dad. Thank goodness we hadn't ordered dinner yet, because we had no other choice than to leave our mini vacation behind...


You see, my mom fell in the backyard while playing with the kids. She was actually holding Macy when she stepped off of the patio and her ankle gave out. In effort to avoid falling on top of Macy, she twisted herself around to fall on her behind. That's when she heard a pop. My dad was inside at the time, but Tucker to the rescue! He ran inside and told Papaw that Momo fell down and was really hurt. Sure enough, my dad discovered her lying in the grass, with Macy on top of her. Her ankle was already swelling and turning black and blue. Mom couldn't move or feel her foot. And that's when dad called us to come get the kids at the ER!


Poor mom, she didn't just break her ankle, she broke all 3 bones in the ankle. She goes in tomorrow morning for surgery. She will be on crutches for a month, then a walking cast for another month. She was supposed to leave for Florida next week with my brother and his family, but the Dr. said absolutely not. I know she is feeling somewhat down in the dumps, along with being in pain. We are about to head over to visit her so Tucker can give his Momo a kiss to make it feel better. He has been really upset about her "breaking hers bone."


While mom getting hurt is no laughing matter, we've had our own little laugh about the odds of this happening on the ONE night that we were away at a hotel. This was the first time in over a year that we have been away from the kids overnight...and a castrophy happens! These pictures are proof that we were actually at the Gaylord, even it was only for a mere 6 hours! :)

Blog Awards!

Meg awarded me with the Lemonade Award, which is all about having an attitude of gratitude.


The Rules of Accepting and Sharing this Award:
1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate at least 10 blogs that show an attitude of gratitude.
3. Link to your nominees within your post.
4. Comment on their blogs to let them know they've received this award.
5. Share the love and link to this post and the person who nominated you for the award.
Tell us how you've come to have an attitude of gratitude.

This reminds me to make lemonade when life gives you lemons. I definitely try to stick to that mentality, especially since I've realized how life's moments so quickly turn into memories.

I'm passing this award on to:

Knowing Norrah

The Yarbroughs

The Blurbidges

Charlotte

Sarah

The Gautreaux Family






I also received The Adorable Blog Award from Sarah . How sweet!

The rules are:
Post this cute award to your blog.
Link the person from whom you received this award.
Nominate as many blogs as you'd like.
Leave a comment on their blog telling them how adorable they are!

I nominate:

Trendy Mindy

Me and You Plus Two

Wendy Q

Kim

Jessca B.

Meg

Susan

Jessica H.

Bye, Bye Baby Stuff

I'm in mourning.

Over the weekend, we rid our house of quite a bit of the baby gear that's been such a huge part of our lives. Some of the essentials, like the swing, stroller system, etc. I guess that means no more babies for us, or at least not for several years. Richard would like a third, but I'm unsure. I feel as though we are already blessed with two healthy children, and getting here has been a bit of a rough road. Might I also mention how BUSY life is with two little ones! I can't even imagine adding a third to the mix. We may reconsider once Tucker is at least in Kindergarten. If we were guaranteed to have another girl, I'd be onboard. Kidding, of course. I love my Tuck, but it's so much fun dressing and accessorizing a girl. :)


I've also been purging the closets of baby clothes. I held onto a lot of Tucker's clothes until we found out we were having a girl. Now I'm even getting rid of a lot of Macy's clothing. I'm holding onto outfits that hold sentimental value, but everything else is going. If we are blessed with another baby in a few years, I'll have to shop, shop, shop for all new stuff. I guess that isn't such a bad thought though! I know it's silly, but I'm genuinely upset about all of this baby stuff leaving my hands. I just can't justify holding onto it all when it's not being used. Who knew watching your children grow would be so bittersweet?

Okay, pity party over.

Mother's Day 2009

Mother's Day this year was extra sweet, since it's the first year that I've had not just one, but both of my babies to be thankful for. It brings me to remember our baby girl, Emma Hope, that we lost two years ago during my 5th month of pregnancy. Even though I had my Tuckerman on that particular Mother's Day (he had just turned 1), celebratory was far from how I was feeling. It was May 2007. We had recently found out about Emma's serious medical condition, and were facing monumental sadness and grief. While my heart rejoices for the many blessings I've received, specifically for the life of my precious children, my heart aches for those who long to be parents, or have lost a baby. Mother's Day is one of those holidays that you either love or hate, depending on your life circumstances. I'm so thankful for my own mother, but how will Mother's Day feel come the day when she is no longer on this Earth? How will my 9 year old niece, Isabel, manage to get through Mother's Day each year without her mother? I know one thing for sure, God prevails. He surrounds us and heals our wounds. The church sermon this week was about overcoming life's obstacles. They only make us stronger people, and we learn more about faith during such times of despair. From my own experience, I've learned to count my blessings daily; to be alive in each and every one of life's moments; and to never take any of life's joys for granted.


Now moving on to something more positive....delightful would describe my Mother's Day this year. I did a little boutique shopping and managed to get some new trendy clothes and accessories. Richard bought me a sewing machine, which I've been wanting for some time now. I'm so excited to start experimenting with all the cute fabrics that I picked up at Hobby Lobby! He then surprised me with a pancake breakfast, which we gobbled down, before rushing off to church. We visited with Richard's mom and sister, then lunched on Mexican food at this cute little restaurant located at an outdoor urban-inspired shopping area. We sat on the patio, the weather was just perfect, and so was the mango margarita I indulged in. The kids were surprisingly well behaved during the meal, so I was actually able to enjoy the food. Bonus!


Happy Belated Mother's Day to all.

Weekend Wrap-Up

Worst part of the weekend: It went by too fast, and I didn't get as much done around the house as I would have liked.

Best part of the weekend: Getting a new car.

Most random part of the weekend: Buying a new car- that doesn't happen very often!

People I saw this weekend: Richard, Tuck, Macy, Mom, Dad, Grandma

Something I wished I did this weekend that I didn't get around to doing: Cleaning house

Things that I am looking forward to this week: Tucker's birthday party and Macy's baptism.

Things that I am not looking forward to this week: Cleaning the house/getting everything ready for said birthday party!

Macy looking like a boy? Why, never!

So my mom informed me this afternoon while we were out shopping that Macy was dressed like a boy. Yes, she was wearing the same outfit as in the earlier photos from today. Mom was seriously upset about it, and was even looking for a green GIRLY outfit to replace what Miss Macy had on. Ha. I guess no more t-shirts and khaki pants for Miss Macy. I did argue the fact that she was wearing a pink & green bow, and that boys certainly wouldn't wear pants with a satin sash around the waist! Oh, mOms! :)

Our Valentine's Day

The morning began by Macy and I sneaking out of the house to get donuts and balloons for brother and Dada. Tucker gets so excited about donuts, specifically, the pink icing kind. We returned home at 9:00 AM to find our boys still sleeping.

After our healthy breakfast, we were off to Barnes & Noble for storytime with Curious George. Tucker gave George a huge hug and a high five, and asked him where the Man in the Yellow Hat was. He just didn't think it was right for George to be there without him! He then picked out two Curious George books, which kept him entertained during our Valentine's lunch at Pot Belly.

Then, it was just hanging out at home, where we even managed to sneak in some laundry and light house cleaning while the babies napped. Later in the evening, we ordered pizza and visited with Momo, Papaw, Great-Mamaw, Uncle Jeff, Aunt Kim, and Clay. Not quite a romantic Valentine's for us, but we loved every minute of it!

And I must brag on the hubby...he came home on Friday with a gorgeous orchid plant. I absolutely love orchids! So much so, that I insisted on them for of our wedding flowers. It's been a while since Richard has given me an orchid (probably because I told him to never again buy me one since I can't keep them alive!), so it was THE perfect gift.

Lots of love to everyone!

Invasion of the Flu

It all began last night as a pounding headache, followed by sinus congestion. Richard realized how poorly I felt as I headed to bed at 8:30pm. Macy was up most of the night, not sure if she is teething or has another ear infection (???), so I didn't expect to wake up feeling 100%. Boy, was I in for a treat! I realized the pounding headache was still hanging out as I rolled out of bed this morning at 6:00am. As I was changing Macy's diaper, I suddenly felt nauseated and light-headed, and nearly passed out. Thankfully, mom watched the kiddos today while I had an all out fight with the Flu himself. There is no way I could have cared for Tucker and Macy today with how I was feeling. I wonder how SAHM's do it? My day consisted of sleeping. vomiting. chills. hot flashes. pounding headache. And then waiting for nearly 2 hours at the doctor's office. Thanks to my wonderful hubby, I've been able to relax in bed this evening while he took charge of the nightly duties of feeding, preparing lunch for Tuck's preschool tomorrow, and putting the babies to bed. I just hope the kids don't get this horrible bug, despite having their flu vaccinations. I have definitely learned my lesson...get a flu shot!

One a side note, thanks to Jennifer for introducing me to song number 1 on my blog play list, It Won't be Like This for Long. I had previously heard it on the radio, but obviously hadn't listened to the words closely enough. It's definitely a tear jerker for all of you moms (and dads)!