A December to Remember

Can you even believe that December is almost here?! Geez I seriously feel like someone hit the fast forward button the day that Nathan was born! Time is flying so much faster in my adult years then it ever did when I was a kid, or teenager. Didn't it seem like it took summer a life time to come as a kid, now you blink and it's come and gone!

Nathan is really hitting a fun age. He can carry on a full conversation with you, that combined with his 'do it myself' attitude makes for some really funny (and sometimes difficult) days! But, this fun age means that he is really starting to understand Holiday's, their meanings, and the traditions that come along with them. This year I've decided to start a new December tradition for our family. We have two advent calenders that we count down to Christmas with. One I made and one that is a beautiful keep sake that was gifted to us. Nathan gets to open the beautiful one each morning, and the momma made one each night with Dada. The morinng calender will have a note with an activity we will do that day. Some big, some small. Like 'make cookies' or 'go to grandmas house' and the second one, which he will open with dada after work will be a small piece of candy. But what I'm most excited about is my newest addition to the daily December traditions.

I've been collecting holiday themed books for a good two months now. I ordered a few off eBay, but mostly picked them all up at garage sales, estate sales, and the swap meet, and thrift stores. Our local Goodwill gives each child a book for free each visit, you better bet we got a few from there! I also rummaged through all the books we have to find a few. I was even able to unearth a book that my grandma gave my older sister and I on my first Christmas! So sweet, with a hand written note inside the cover!

There is also one of those recordable books in the mix, that my parents gave my kids last year, the story is read by my parents!

So anyway, I've collected 24 holiday themed books. My plan is to wrap each book up. Then each night after dinner, Nathan will get to pick one to unwrap (with Sydneys help) and we will read it together as a family. I will rig it so that the last book (December 24th) will be The Night Before Christmas!

I love that he will have something to look forward to for the whole family, it encourages reading, keeps the holiday magic alive in our house daily, and if I'm lucky it might encourage him to eat more then 3 bites at dinner!

Do you have any fun holiday traditions?

Another dress!

I'm on a sewing kick! I've decided that I go through phases, sewing, crafting, thirfting, and just sitting around looking at blogs and pintrest! lol Right now it's a sewing kick! And each time I get one, I'm reminded how much I really love to sew! It truly is a passion and I hope I can continue to grow my skills as a seamstress. Like I mentioned a few posts ago, I'm having a lot of fun with dresses for Sydney right now. But let me tell you that most patterns don't seem to fit her, does anyone else have that problem? I mean I know that she is small, but I would for sure think that a 3 month pattern would fit my 11 month old!

Anyway, this dress was ssoo easy it's one piece! Yup one piece! Super easy! You just cut the same pattern piece out twice from two coordinating fabrics and sew! Then add a few buttons! Viola! Gosh I love easy! Instant gratification is the best! For this particular dress I used a  cotton (the dots) and then a flannel (the inner pink) since it's winter here and I want to make it in her size now! The pattern says it's reviser able, but since I made the buttons non functioning , it would look a little silly! But with actual working buttons it would totally be! So a super easy pattern, that produces two dresses! Love!

Do you spy Duke Dog?!

M.I.A.

I took these last few days off from blogging to enjoy time with my husband and kids! It's been a great week, our Thanksgiving was wonderful! We truly have so much to be thankful for. I couldn't have dreamt of a better life to create with Alex. I live in bliss! But don't be fooled, there are always a few bumps along any blissful road.

My sweet little Sydney has come down with dual ear infections, again. She seems to get them really bad, this time is no exception. We were unable to see our normal ped on Friday, so I saw another doctor in her practice. After looking at Sydney's ears she determined that they were so bad that she wanted to give Sydney a shot, the 1st of 3 to combat the infections. The catch was that it would take til the third shot (Sunday, one a day) to kick in, and since it was Friday I would have to drive her down to the only open clinic in San Diego each day this weekend for the following two shots. Well, Sydney is not a car fan, nor a shot fan. So we opted for oral meds and a visit with her normal pedictrican on Monday morning, since either way she was not going to be seeing much relief til then anyway. So that's the plan, we will meet with her doctor on Monday, and most likely get her set up for an "ear tubes" surgery.

I've had a really hard time with that, the thought of her under going surgery, but I feel now it may be for the best. It will help her to no longer be in pain, and that is my goal. It will be hard on me, but I'll be strong for her.

Aside from that I have been crafting a lot lately in seems. Alex home for 4 days gives me some free time! I plan to share my latest projects with you this week, but if I go MIA again it's because Sydney and I are doing our best to sleep whenever her little ears give her relief.

In fun news, Nathans Elf on the Shelf is here! He named him John! John seems to be working nicely! What a fun tradition! Our Christmas decor is up, as is our tree! Nathan is at an amazingly fun age for this holiday business! And I'm busy dreaming up Sydney's birthday party which is T-21 days. Hopefully she is well and the party can go on!

Long enough post? I think so! I'll leave you with a few teasers!

A dress...

I'm really into the idea of making my kids clothes right now!

So hopefully enough of them look presentable enough for me to blog about!

So far I've made Sydney 3 different style dresses, not counting this one.

Which by the way was a craft fail!

Yup I admitted it!

A craft fail! lol Oh well they happen!!

Any way back to the new dress. I'm having a lot of fun with making dresses right now.

With a simply pattern the possibilities are endless!

Browsing Etsy and fabric shops online, my wheels are turning fast then my needle can sew! 

This is my favorite one so far!

I had to use the 3 month pattern and just lengthened it.

Sydney is so tiny but so long!

Since she can't stand on her own yet it's hard to tell that it is a dress,
but I promise it is!

She wasn't in much of a modeling mood!

Thomas!

On Sunday last week we went to see Thomas! If you have a little boy you know how exciting that is! The "A Day Out with Thomas" tour made a stop in the county next to us, it was about a 45 minute drive, so worth it! Nathan really loved it! Thomas the tank engine took us for a ride on a real train, there were activities for the kids, a petting zoo and temporary tattoos! A huge plus to the day was that little Miss Sydney didn't cry in the car either way!! That's huge! She cries in the car 80% of the time so you could imagine our surprise and pleasure when we made it there without crying! Then back! Wow, a good day all around! Now get ready for picture overload!

"She digs me"

Gift wrapped baby

So in my pintrest searching a came a crossed some adorable gift wrapped onesies! So cute! Ah how I wish I'd seen them last year! It would have been prefect for my December 21st baby! Isn't that how it always works! You find the most adorable things for your kids after the fact! Oh well! Two family friends are having babies this December, both of which are having baby showers this weekend. As part of their gifts I whipped up these adorable onesies!

After making them I fell even more in love with the idea! It's so cute! I can't wait to give them to these two lovely momma to be's! Do you know anyone having a December baby?

Hand Prints

Don't you just love your kids tiny little hands!

They grow so fast, but those little fingers and toes are just so small and cute!

 I never want to forget the little things.

I love the idea of hand prints.

 We use them for cards, wrapping paper, I'm always painting those little fingers for hand prints!

Check out my latest decor addition!

It's a family of hand prints!

I love it!

Colorful, unique, us!

Sydneys is a little blurry, but oh well!

Nathans

I love looking at it!

Cable Knit DIY pillow

Have you seen all the fun sweater pillows floating around lately?

I'm in love with their winter feeling!

 I recently went to Fashion Valley and saw these lovely cable knit sweater pillows in Pottery Barn,

 and fell in love.

Then we spotted them in Restoration Hardware, 

then Anthropologie.

Love, and love again!

Needless to say all the above mentioned stores are lovely...their price tags,

 not so much.

I took a mental photo, and continued on.

 Fast forward a week, hello Salvation Army!

Now I don't know about the Salvation Army in your town,

 but it seems like every time I walk into the one in my town there is a giant white board with the words

 "40% off Store wide" or

"All clothes 50% off" or

"Buy one piece of clothing get one free"

you get the idea!

That place is just always on sale!

I love it!

It's a little dingy in there,

but hey I'm okay with that when the prices are right!

So, anyway it was a 40% off day, and I happened to stumble crossed a white cable knit sweater.

I quickly recalled all those pillows I had seen at the mall.

$2.99 and 40%, they were begging me to take it home!

Sold!

It was pretty simple little project.

I chopped the arms off

(and saved them for anther pottery barn knock off coming soon)

then cut the neck line off,

and the bottom hem.

So I was left with a square, kinda!

Flip it inside out, sew a square, be sure to leave an opening for turning!

Turn, stuff, stitch hole shut,

Viola!

 Easy Peasy Pottery Barn Cable Knit Pillow knock off!

 Don't you just love the power of DIY!

From this..

to this in just a few minutes!

Now go find some lovely item waiting for a new life at your Slavation Army!

pictures...

I need a post with some pictures!

 I just realized my last few post have been photoless!

What fun is that!?! 

So here are some random photos!

Ya know to make up for the lack of them last week!

Cable Knit Pillow tutorial coming tomorrow!!