stopping to see "the guys"

yes, the boy has a love affair with the dog at old navy. i shouldn't post this because you'll now know how often we are there. (not necessarily old navy but the mall.) but any trip to the mall involves a stop to say hi to the dog and "the guys." i refrained from taking a pic this afternoon but we did stop to say hi.

quick and easy pillow

well not so quick but pretty easy to make. i've been wanting to recycle a sweater into a pillow for some time now. with my $3 recent thrift store find and scissors in hand i went to work. the reason i thought it would be quick, i believed all i had to do was cut it to the shape i wanted then sew it together. but when i went to sew it together there was no way the thick sweater was fitting under the foot of my machine. this meant i'd have to hand sew it. i decided it was best to use the yarn from the sweater so i unraveled one of the sleeves. (contrary to what weezer says, it's not so easy to unravel a sweater at least not with this one.) then with a simple whip stitch i was able to make this new/old pillow for our couch. a very easy way to update your throw pillows and only cost $3.

this is just one of the pillows i made, i'll be sharing some more in the upcoming days.

owl stop

so much for blogging more. after a serious flux in crafting the last month preparing for the boone handmade market things are finally starting to settle down. i was pretty much burning the candle at two ends. chasing a one year old around all day then trying to craft after he went to bed. i have tried crafting during daylight hours but the wee one has made it virtually impossible. with a minor freak out at the sound of the sewing machine and getting his hands on all my non-kid friendly craft supplies i have decided it best not to craft while he is conscious. burning the midnight oil has become a norm around here. (not really anything new if you know me)

so in my attempt to keep the blog and craft thing going, i'll post the new things being created by a rude girl and start updating the shop as well. i'll also go into a little more detail about craft shows and all the new things people noticed in my booth pic in another post. for now i'll let my little owl stop tide you over.

we've been using a bottle of laundry detergent to hold open the baby gate at the top of the stairs. on sunday i decided to make something a little less of an eyesore and voilà a hootie was born. i used fabric i got from my grandmother a few years ago, some felt and a few buttons from my stash. i left the opening at the top, filled a 1/4 of it with rice and the rest with reclaimed pillow stuffing. i was able to put a flat bottom on him but i'm still learning how to construct a pattern so it's not exactly as nice as i'd like it to be. it probably took me a little more than an hour to make and i didn't do all that i would have liked to have done. if i do another, i'll probably add some wings and a few more decorative accents. but for a quick and easy project, i'm quite happy with it. and little man noticed it right away, brought it to me while i was brushing my teeth the next morning.

spaceships and laser beams

website wednesday: spaceships and laser beams

for the boy's first birthday we did a low key party with just my parents and siblings who were here for the holidays. with his birthday so close to christmas it's hard to pick the right time to actually have a party. people have their own holiday schedules and throwing a birthday party in the mix, i know it wouldn't be on the top of everybody's priority list.

for his second birthday i've already started planning. looking at dates, themes, etc. (i know, who are you and what have you done with procrastinator sue!) i only have a couple of years before he'll want batman or some other licensed character party. *cringe* so i better get on it asap.

i was thinking about going with the robot theme i used for his nursery. and in my search i came across the spaceships and laser beams etsy shop. i love the fact that it's geared to little boys and that the art is bold and graphic. i hate that they've got me thinking monsters now instead of robots. i mean look at this adorable cupcake! how can you not want this to be the center of attention at your birthday party. i know the boy is the most important person there but this little guy would give him a run for his money. :)

hmmm, i guess i can look at it as having his next five birthday themes in the bag.

baby steals

here's wednesday's website of the week.

"At BabySteals.com we sell one quality baby or maternity product every day at up to 80% off until it sells out. It's not just a deal, it's a steal! A 'BabySteal'! No, we're not stealing and reselling babies. We drop one amazing steal a day at 9am MDT and another at 9pm MDT until it's gone, and they sell out fast. Once we're sold out, you lost out. On the weekends we give you a second chance on steals we still have, and you might get lucky and find more than one Steal a Day!"

i've only purchased one item from the site. stonz booties for the boy. with the winter we've had i thought it best we invest in some type of foot protection. i like these cause they can slide over his regular shoes, they're fleece lined, water-resistant, and they can be worn through a few shoe sizes. so he'll be wearing them next winter as well. we just got them in the mail and most of the snow has melted so we haven't tried them out yet. but i'm sure we'll be using them sometime in the near future.

restraint

so it's taking every ounce of my being not to get the boy a pair of creepers. of course, these are a slimmed down version of the real thing (no platform). but they are cute nonetheless. awes absolutely hates them, at least the adult version. but i think if he saw these he might change his mind.

yes, i might be pushing my shoe fetish onto the boy. restraint seems to have flown out the window when it comes to the boy. so don't be surprised if you see him sporting them in the upcoming months.

lord help us if we ever have a girl!

felt fetish

i don't know why but i have a love affair with felt. lately my craft projects have revolved around the medium. right now i'm attempting to make 3 dimensional felt flowers. it's basically trial and error, trying to use paper techniques and applying it to felt. once i master them i'll have to figure out how i'll use them. i will be posting the new felt hair clips i made for the craft show i did few weeks ago. i've got a few new designs i came up with that i'm pretty happy with.

i finally finished the stocking i started last year for the little man. my brother and aaron both have/had stockings made by our mom's so i thought i'd do the same for avery. it's made from a kit just so i can get the hang of layering and what not. if i do another larger felt project i think i'm gonna attempt making avery a halloween bag. although this one is reasonably priced.

shop update is coming really soon. i promise.

red all over

Red Rum - letterpress greeting

Red Love Grows with Dove

Hand Screenprinted Birch Forest in Red fabric

VIVID RED POPPIES Shoe clips

purple people eaters

PASSIONATE PURPLE Recycled Magnetic LOCKET SET

Violet Hydrangea Ring Box

Handmade Purple Tiny Tile Bobby Pin Set

Penelope Necklace No. 2

perfectly pretty in pink

this is actually proving to be more time-consuming than i thought. looking for the perfect item then trying to find the perfect corresponding pic, yeah it's taking me a lot longer than i expected. hence the lack of commentary.

one reason i'm doing this is to spark some inspiration. i've started crafting again. little things here and there. i was just asked if i'd like to consign some of my stuff at a local bookstore. i hardly have enough to keep my etsy store up and running let alone consign or have a booth at a craft fair. since the weather is starting to grow colder and our lives a little less hectic, i'm shooting to get back in gear. i need to set mini goals and a little sweat shop in my craft room. maybe then i'll get some stuff done.

Polaroid Coaster - Pink Fairies

Savoy Truffle - 9-Piece Enameled Bangle Set

Pair Vintage Table Lamps with New Custom Drum Shades

Large berry bowl strainer and scallop saucer in lilac.

berry blue

Navy Blue with Honeysuckle print throw pillow

Dipping dish - beetle in ocean blue

Coco - 3 lovely blue wool felt flowers headband

Tattoo Style Anchor Love Pendant

go for green

Peacock Parade Necklace

Sweet Little Blue Bird on a Pale Green Bowl


9 Mossy Green Felted Wool Acorns


Landscape leather bracelet

color feast

this week i'm bringing back the color wheel. but this time i'm combining my love of color with my love of etsy. just in time for the holidays.

i meant to start this yesterday so i'll be a day behind. today we are yellow.

Copper and Honey Felt Flower Brooch

Sweet Sterling Silver Honeycomb Necklace by Rachel Pfeffer

Sweet Lemon Cream Soap Loaf

Gorgeous flower shaped filigree silver hairpins

AUTUMN WIND - Original Mixed Media Painting on Canvas

oh petunia

a few months ago, katie's sister asked me if i had heard of the petunia picklebottom diaper bag. (she too has a infant a few months older than avery) she told me they were the cadillac of diaper bags. i had never heard of them and had forgotten about them til we went shopping in charlotte a few weeks later. when i saw them, i was instantly infatuated. yes, i couldn't believe i was ga-ga over a diaper bag either. when i saw the price tag, i cringed. no way was i paying that much for something that's sole purpose was to carry diapers, bottles and anything poopy.

i got home and looked on ebay, hoping i'd find a gently used one in a color/style i liked. i had decided i wanted the glazed boxy backpack in a somewhat gender neutral color. (i did consider aaron might be carrying this thing around) i had set my maximum price i'd be willing to pay...and i pretty much got outbid every single time. i felt like if i was going to spend that kind of money i might as well get exactly what i want. my birthday was coming up, so i decided this was gonna be a great birthday present to myself. my logic...since this was pretty much gonna be my "purse" for the next couple of years, i can indulge. yes, my reasoning is somewhat skewed when it comes to anything avery.

so when my bag arrived, i was surprisingly giddy with excitement. you would have thought it was christmas morning at our house.

now, a few months later, do i regret getting it? heck no! i absolutely love it! i take it with me pretty much everywhere. and it's been perfect for all the traveling we've been doing lately. added bonus: i've gotten so many compliments on it. yes, i love a diaper bag! (the one pictured above is the one i got)

U-G-G-L-Y, yeah they're uggly

just a few days away from hitting the single digits as far as weeks go. it's crazy to think it's less than two months now til our family of two becomes three. i almost put four becomes five because i'm the crazy dog lady! ;)

i had my monthly check-up last thursday and everything is on par as far as progress goes. his head is already down and his heartbeat was around 123. i assumed that i'd be getting another ultrasound at my next appointment but was told since i've had a few more than usual that it wasn't necessary. of course i already had my mind set that i'd be getting one so as soon as i got home i made an appointment at another womens center to get the ultrasound. since it's elective i'll have to pay but i'll get 3d/4d and a 30 minute dvd of the little one. it's thursday afternoon so hopefully i can figure it out and post a video update afterwards.

i am starting to get to that "uncomfortable" stage which isn't too bad YET. i think one of the main problems i'm having is swelling. for a while it was my feet swelling at the end of the day. now it's pretty much all the time. my doc said some women are just more prone to swelling than others. with my family history of varicose veins i wasn't too surprised i'd be one of those women. awes has me wearing compression stockings and wants me to do some more walking to get the blood circulating. my remedy is to lay down with my feet elevated, the easiest thing to do of course. i also found out why i was getting that faint feeling i wrote about last time. apparently with all the kicking and pushing baby westphal is doing he's hitting some of my big veins and interrupting the blood flow. little bugger! a few nights ago he pretty much did it all night long and it was impossible to get any sleep. hopefully those nights are few and far between.

last week awes and i started our birthing classes. i just thought it'd be beneficial for both of us to gain as much knowledge as possible. we've been reading books but i thought doing a more hands-on approach would help us as well. some of the things the class teaches include: relaxation and breathing techniques, info on pain management, infant cpr and a tour of the birthing center. after the last class we're considering using a doula. we're still researching it but i'd love to hear if anyone's used one for their delivery.

it's kinda hard to see in the pic but i did break down and get a pair of ugg boots. well a generic version of them. with all the swelling going on i didn't have much of a choice. although with today's weather i could have easily worn flip-flops again. at least i got the darker colored ones instead of the khaki ones so it isn't as atrocious. sorry if i've offended any ugg wearers, lol! ;)

a run for his money

i'm not exactly sure what this kid is doing inside me but the rest of me is not liking it.

a: "how you feeling?"
s: "not so great, for some reason i'm feeling a little faint when he moves. like my blood pressure is dropping."
a: "you should elevate your feet."
s: "okay, it's only happening when he moves, not when he kicks or stretches. like he's doing corkscrews or something. he must be flip-flopping in there."
a: "weird."
s: "no kidding."

so i spent the rest of the evening on the couch with my feet above my heart finishing off the third season of dexter.

i'm pretty sure i've gotten to the point (28/29 weeks) where i can give my dad a run for the money as far as beer/baby guts go! ;) i'll have to do a side-by-side comparison next time i see him.

i had to go out and purchase a cheap pair of boots (which, according to awes, look like ninja boots). with the weather getting cooler i was hoping i could just transition into my regular boots. nope, i tried putting on my boots from a few weeks ago and my monster calves have become more monsterous. i found a pair that has some give and goes about half way up my calf. i almost consider getting the ugg boot just cause they'd be easy to get into and out of. but to me uggs fall into the crocs category. i don't care how comfortable they are, they're ugly as hell and i just can't see myself wearing them.

this weekend we're having a garage sale at aaron's office to raise money for the als walk we participate in every year. all the money we raise is gonna go towards als research. we're hoping to make this an annual thing so here's hoping the weather cooperates and we have a great turnout.

jack sprat

still chugging along. here's my 26/27 week belly shot. sometimes i wonder if you saw me from the front if you could tell i'm pregnant. sorta like one of those flat characters where you look from the front and she's super skinny and then from the side she's huge.

i was hoping i could still wear my normal clothing and i'm learning it's pretty much a lost cause. this week i switched out my spring/summer clothes for fall/winter wear. i threw on a sweater this morning and it pretty much covered about half of the baby bump. i now own an extensive collection of belly sweaters. looks like cardigans are gonna be my best friend this winter.

i tried hitting up the thrift stores in hopes of finding some decent pants or maybe even a pair of overalls. apparently the only ladies that donate maternity clothing are of the large or x-large set. so i broke down last week and bought another pair of maternity jeans and a maternity skirt. i can fudge a bit and avoid buying maternity shirts but there's no avoiding the mom jeans now.

as far as the health aspect of this pregnancy, i don't have too much to report. as predicted i failed the one-hour glucose test and passed the three-hour test after the second hour. still feeling good. occasionally getting winded when walking and definitely getting swollen feet at the end of the day. baby boris is moving around like crazy and you can actually see the kicking, poking, prodding and stretching he's doing on the outside. i didn't think i'd be one of those people who'd have her hands on her belly all the time and now i'm grabbing people hands and putting them there so they can feel the movement too. funny how things change.

the nursery is about 85% done. still looking for a rocking chair to put in there. i really don't want one of those typical gliders because i want it to eventually transition into a reading chair as he gets older. hopefully i'll be able to find something in the upcoming weeks. once i find the chair and get some window treatments, it'll pretty much be done. i'll post pics soon.

i did start an online registry at babies r us and target. i went from not having a single baby shower to now having three! i would love some input on what i overlooked and what you think is a baby must-have! thanks.

20 down...

20 to go. the halfway point has come and gone and so far things have been going good. my appetite has returned with a vengeance. holy cow, i seriously didn't think i could eat so much. so long kids meals, hello super-sized ones!

the last few weeks i've had to make the switch to maternity wear, at least out in public. i don't mind sporting the half shirt at home. and yes, i've been sporting the dresses more often than not. i think i've worn them more the last few weeks than i have in a lifetime. when the pants don't fit...

luckily last weekend was a tax-free weekend here in nc. so aaron and i did some shopping. me more so than him. we did get a few outfits for baby westphal, but our main agenda was to get me something to wear. i'm now the proud new owner of two pair of maternity pants, a handful of shirts and some maternity dresses. luckily i was able to find some normal clothes that can double for maternity wear. like the dress i'm wearing in the pic.

the nursery is done, at least painted. i'll post pics tomorrow of the before and after pics. already loving the color and am thinking about the rest of the decor. the crib and changing table are still on order. expected delivery between august 14 - september 1. so for now it'll remain empty. i'll have to post some of the decor i'm considering and get peoples opinion. i'm finding i'm a bit girly in my thinking and it's really hard not to be so cutesy.

i did start my registries. greyson and i hit up "babies r us" and target last week. i'm having a hard time picking out things to put on it. if anyone has any suggestions, i'd love to hear them. yeah, the stroller i registered for turns on a dime... which makes aaron very happy. lol!

on target

i absolutely love target. i ordered the baby bedding a few days ago and it arrived yesterday. i wanted to go somewhat gender neutral just in case we switched teams. and i wanted it to be modern and chic. it's gorgeous and i'm very happy with my purchase. i can now make some progress on the nursery, namely painting the walls. today i ordered the crib and matching dresser. i'll share that purchase later. i feel like we are starting to make some progress getting prepared for bbw (baby boy westphal). tomorrow i'll post today's doctor's appt. along with a long overdue belly shot. i finally have something to share. i'm amazed how things just pop out of nowhere. ;)

made for walkin

$3 thrift store find. yes, my shoes match my decor. they've been getting much love the past week. the sun finally decided to make an appearance today.