charlotte's headbands: a tutorial--kind of

when we first found out we were having a girl, one of the first things i wanted to do was make headbands!  i'm a huge DIY fan because 1) i enjoy it, and 2) it saves money. a LOT! and who doesn't like to save money? i knew i couldn't just buy every headband i loved, because i was thinking that she'll need a headband for every outfit--and what girl doesn't love to have choices? i know i do. and even though she could care less, i will have fun dressing her up! even though the world of boy has come a long way (in the fashion realm that is), it's a girl's world out there. i remember going shopping for tag the first time and thinking, are you kidding me, this is it? the girls section is HUGE! and these poor boys have plaid or solid..that's it! and even though i enjoy shopping for our boys, it's been so fun to shop for some girly things!

making headbands is super easy. but what makes it even easier, is having the right supplies. so really, this is nothing too helpful i'm sure, but maybe more informal than anything. the first 10 or so i made, i used just regular elastic. the kind you can buy at walmart, or a fabric store for pants. it's alright, but stiff and comes in white or black. i'm a creamy colored girl myself, and love a softer look. i was also using a lot of felt, random clothing scraps, buttons, and material that i had in my craft drawer. which was great because most of it i already had..AKA free. But one evening i thought i'd hop onto etsy to get some actual headband elastic. big mistake. i was in headband heaven. i came across a ton of vendors selling headband supply. i clicked on one with good prices, and as i was browsing her inventory, i realized i 'needed' all these shabby flowers, as well as fun elastic, too. i couldn't believe the prices, too--way cheaper than i thought. free shipping ALWAYS gets me. of course there's usually a catch--spend this much, etc. but it was $20 to spend and you received free shipping. so i kept on adding, and adding..and adding! i couldn't believe all the supply i was getting for $20! 

i received the supplies a few days later, and didn't waste any time getting started. this is my hoard of craft stuff. i had just cleaned our bedroom, so this is neat and tidy for me :)

this is how the shabby flowers came

i just chose the flowers i wanted, and cut as much as the netting off the back, then cut out the elastic. i never measure--i've had a few years experience putting headbands on the newborn girls that come into the studio, that i just estimate. also a plus to buying actual headband elastic--it's much stretchier. a lot of the headbands i buy, i get in 'newborn' size because they'll stretch all the way up to a good year. my boys had small heads, too--so i'm guessing (and hoping) charlotte will as well.

next, just glue! i use good 'ole hot glue

next, glue the elastic to the back of your headband piece

and here's a trick i learned from my friend, vanessa who makes my Little Byrd headbands--felt! it keeps baby's heads comfortable so the elastic won't scratch, and also covers the elastic to make it look nicer.

TA-DA! see? nothing too special, but simple and adorable--and SO easy!

and here, my sweet crew modeling it for me. this one is too big for newborn, but she'll grow into it eventually. and don't worry, he was a willing participant :)

and these, just because :)

another fun and easy headband is the bohemian, AKA "boho" headband. not practical, really. but they're too cute! 

for these, i simply cut a strip of material, a small piece of elastic, and 2 pieces of felt rectangles. i glued the elastic to the headband, and then wrapped and glued the felt around the elastic. i also did it with some of the fun print elastic i bought. i love the aztec look, as well as gold and cream!

here's one of my favorites i've made for charlotte

some of the felt ones i made in the very beginning. i pinned some felt flower tutorials, and they're also very easy to make!

 and felt bows are my favorite, and once again SO easy!

and just some of my favorites i've made for her

so there you have it, my new DIY obsession--making headbands! 

i bought my headband elastic and shabby flowers from:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/DogwoodSupplies

and if you're not so crafty, or don't want to take the time to make headbands, check out my friend, vanessa's FB page! she custom makes headbands for my newborn clients and loves vintage!

 https://www.facebook.com/WhimsyPrimsyAndPosh

Grocery shopping with 3?!

When crew was born, one of my first thoughts was, "how in the world will I go grocery shopping with two?! A newborn and a 22 month old? Impossible." Well I'm here to tell you that 2 years later, I am a master at grocery shopping with my two very ornery boys. Well, maybe "master" isn't all that accurate. But after about two years of practice, I somewhat enjoy grocery shopping with them. For one, it gets us out of the house. And after the winter we've had, it's like a vacation going to the store with them. Then there's the, "if you do a good job at the store, we'll go get a treat from the coffee shop." That one is mostly for me. But Tag especially understands this. As soon as he stands in the cart or tries to grab something off the shelf, the words barely leave my mouth and he sits back down. Sometimes I leave the store feeling defeated, and sometimes I leave like a queen, with my head held high because my boys didn't embarrass me all that much, and were calm enough for me not to break down and throw a fit myself. Either way, we got out alive. And that's a win in my book! 

today was a big step for Tag. I let tag walk outside of the cart. Big step for both of us, really. Usually, he lasts about 30 seconds before he has to go back into the cart because he continually touches and gropes everything he sees. But today was different. He listened. He strayed a few times, but quickly listened and did what he was told. I was impressed, and proud. I'm sure this won't happened every single trip. But I think he may have just successfully graduated to walking instead of riding. Which made me realize--hey, maybe I can do this with 3 kids! Well..maybe. Just maybe. I definitely give props to all those moms out there who take their kids grocery shopping alone--someone has to do it! I've stared in amazemt as some moms make it look so easy with two or three kids. Kudos to you, moms! I hope I can master shopping as easily with three! When I picture myself taking all three, I envision tears and sweat--from me, not them. But maybe after a few trial runs I can make it--at least with no tears ;) 

This is from a few weeks ago. They love to help put the groceries on the belt (don't judge my overly healthy food choices that week) :)

And these were today's treats--a tiny tim latte for tag, iced buckeye for me, and a wildberry smoothie for crew. A great way to cash in the last of their Beca house gift certificates! 

4 years ago today..

4 years ago today was a sunday. a normal sunday for micah and i. get up, get ready, church, rest, and going out with some friends to end the evening. we went to chipotle, did some shopping, and ended the day with coffee.  going home that evening, i felt like i had overdid it. i remember laying in the tub with my feet up, and seeing spots, feeling just "off". did i forget to mention i was 38 weeks, 1 day pregnant? oh, yeah. that, too. little did i know, after waking up the next morning, our lives would be changed forever--in a wonderful way.

the next day as micah was off to work, i was sitting at home, thinking about doing some crafting to pass the time. i got out my paints and some canvases to paint. after awhile, i just wasn't feeling quite right. even though my blood pressure had been normal my whole pregnancy, something was telling me to check it. i borrowed a wrist blood pressure reader from micah's parent's and thought, i'd check it just in case. i don't remember the numbers, but remembered thinking it was broken because the numbers reading back to me were WAY too high. i called micah's mom to make sure it was working correctly, and she reassured me it was accurate. so i took it again, and there were those crazy numbers again. i decided to call my dr. office and ask them. being my first child, looking back--i can only laugh. but the nurse told me to come in right away. i didn't really think much of it, so i grabbed my purse (the wrong one--only had a tube of lip gloss in it). no wallet, no ID, just my phone, and a tube of lip gloss. i called micah on my way to the hospital letting him know i was going to to be monitored for awhile. i show up at the hospital and wait...and wait..and wait. finally the nurse called me back and took my blood pressure. the numbers were still really high. she told me to lay on my side for 5 minutes, and she would come back to check. 5 minutes later and still pretty high. then in walks my OB and mumbles something about "having this baby tonight" and walked back out. i sat there thinking, "wait, what? huh? i'm so confused." another nurse comes in and says, "ok, you ready to head down to OB? guess you didn't think you'd have this baby tonight, huh?" my mouth literally dropped and i said, "wait, i'm having my baby right now?" she said, "yep--gotta get you prepped for a c-section." all i could do was say--"i have to call my husband! he has no clue!" it seemed like forever until micah got there--but he finally did. and then everything was in fast-forward. the only thing i really remember is shaking terribly. and the sweet nurse gently rubbing my face and telling me everything would be ok." then they were telling us that we would hear our sweet baby crying within 15 minutes. all i could do was look at micah and the clock. literally 5 minutes in and i heard that first cry. i think my first thoght was, "that wasn't 15 minutes!" then all the nurses saying it was a beautiful baby boy. i looked over at that baby being cleaned off and didn't take my eyes off of him. they brought him over, and put him right next to my face. i couldn't stop crying. i could not wait to hold my sweet baby boy. sometimes it seems like yesterday.

i never knew that kind of love until monday, february 22, 2010. one of the absolute best days of my life! it literally seems like it was yesterday, and not 4 years ago! so happy birthday to our sweet tag! you have forever changed our lives in the most amazing way. you have taught me so much. how to be selfless, that how i physically look after a baby doesn't matter, patience, and the list goes on and on. 

                  

holy cow, i was SO swollen! 

and love the picture of micah bringing tag to me for the first time :) 

seeing my baby for the first time! 

loved his pouty face--he's still got it!                          going home! all 5lbs, 14 oz of him!

newborn stuff was so big on him, and he was able to wear preemie onesies for a couple weeks!

ONE!!

19 months!

TWO!

THREE!

FOUR!

happy birthday, tag!!

our simple valentine's day

remember when? life without kids? i do, and i miss it! i wouldn't trade it for the world now. however, life before kids was just plain simple. valentine's day ALWAYS makes me think of our first official date as boyfriend and girlfriend--which was on valentine's day, 2006. this year marks 8 years since our first date. it actually wasn't just the two of us, but a group of college friends all going to olive garden together. but it was special to me because micah was 'officially' mine :) here are a few pics from that night! 

i think this may be our first official boyfriend/girlfriend picture 

the card inside my purse was my first of many handmade cards from micah

so lets fast-forward EIGHT whole years. so here we are, two kids--and another on the way. our lives are nothing short of BUSY! at the end of each hectic day, i'm so thankful for our many blessings and little hooligans we have! we never make valentine's day a huge production, and this year it'll pretty much be the same. i always buy micah little things he likes or needs and always some candy.  this year was about the same. but i did think that maybe i'd do a little fun DIY gift for him as well, and a little something special for the boys. tag, especially will enjoy his gift!

last night i went through my craft drawer, and pulled out some candle jars to clean out and re-use.  this is how i decide to use them:

date night in ideas & i love you because..

both ideas pulled from pinterest

 

                                        i used chalkboard tags for the outside of the jars

and here's my simple valentine for micah--new jar for his  keurig stash, his favorite k-cups, and some of his favorite candy. and my DIY gift 

 instead of spending $ on junk for the boys, i thought i'd get them something they love. they both LOVE  smoothies and hot chocolate from our favorite coffee shop. so it was $10 well spent! i'll throw in some candy for good measure :) 

 i always make a special meal and dessert for valentine's day, too. even though our years without kids are long gone, i wouldn't trade them for the world! happy valentine's day!

we're having a girl, and i selfishly prayed for her

i'm having a girl. old news. but every day, all i can think about is my daughter. charlotte ann. the little miracle i prayed for. all my life i envisioned having daughters. i'm a girly girl. i grew up with sisters. and just the thought of a little me? i couldn't wait. 

when we were pregnant with tag, i just knew it would be a girl. the day we found out he was a boy i was sad. yep--i'm an honest gal. i REALLY wanted a girl. however, he came and was perfect and god showed me just how much love a child brings into your life--no matter the gender. and i soon realized that i LOVED having a boy. so  i kinda secretly hoped that when our little surprise crew came along, he was as boy, too. i still REALLY wanted that girl. but that time around, i knew it didn't matter what he/she would be and that if our baby was a boy, he and tag would be the best of friends. i would love to watch them play together, break up their bickering, try to drown out the LOUD sounds that come from boys,etc--all true. all things i love about having my boys.

and this time? well this time i felt like i KNEW from the beginning it was a girl. i tried to deny it. because in the back of my mind all i could think of was, "it doesn't matter, you'll love this baby no matter their gender." however, i prayed for a girl. i also prayed that if it wasn't a girl, that i would not be angry, and know that god had chosen to bless our family with another boy for a certain reason. i envisioned lots of granddaughters and wonderful daughter-in-laws in my future. but instead, god decided to bless us with this sweet, little girl. i can't wait to meet her and to be her mama. and along with having a girl, i get to do all the fun girly things, like shopping. oh, the shopping. my new favorite obsession are baby moccasins. first it was headbands. so i made about 50. then i ordered more headband material from etsy, and i am currently anxiously awaiting that package in the mail. but the baby moccasins. oh boy. they're way cute. i've bought one pair, but could easily buy every pair--if only money grew on trees :) 

i will always love having my boys--they are my boys, and charlotte's big brothers. i am most excited about the boys being 'big brother' to her, and growing up with a sister--protecting her. and being able to really see how a girl deserves to be treated (with respect). also--having a girl will be a nice change and was a an answered prayer! and we can't wait to meet her! ALL of us. 

all the stuff i got for headbands--$20! via etsy (dogwoodsupplies)

                                   

 

and the baby moccasins i bought that i'm obsessed with--made by deeriehandmade via etsy