Sorry Adam, apparently she's not a fan

One day last week on the way to the sitter's I happened to have the radio on in the car, which hardly ever happens...like ever, seriously. So I was super excited when The Thanksgiving Song by Adam Sandler came on. Love it..."I love to eat turkey, cause it's good...I love to eat turkey like a good boy should..." Yep, too funny. Anywho...much to my dismay, Hailey was NOT impressed. "Mommy, what's this?" with a look of either utter disgust or utter confusion on her face (I couldn't tell which it was)..."The Thanksgiving song!" I told her. She said "The ThanksGIVING song???" like that was THE stupedist thing she had EVER heard in her whole 3 years of life. "Yea, The Thanksgiving song! It's funny! He's singing about turkey!" I told her. Again, she says "The ThanksGIVING song??" "YES" I told her. Then as we were getting out of the car at the sitter's, Hailey asked me "Mommy, where's Darks Bentweys???" SIGH...Ok, I love Dierks. I really do. He sings good, he's hot, he sings great...but come on, she totally dissed Adam Sandler and a totally classic song! Oh well, at least she likes "Darks" LOL I can live with that.

Speaking of Darks, the other day Hailey was super happy when I put his CD in the player in the car. She exclaimed "Mommy, this is Darks Bentweys?? Grandma gave it back to us from her car???" It was so cute. She was so excited. And she tries to sing the sings, and dances in her car seat. How cute is she?? I think she's gotta be his youngest fan. Anybody know where to get her a TShirt? LOL

Update

So my MRI went ok...the meds they gave me to sedate me didn't kick in til after I got home. Lot of help they were! :) But I was able to hold still and concentrate so I didn't panic or freak out. They got the pictures they needed, and now I'm nervously awaiting the results. Of course, being the worrier I am, I'm worried I have a brain tumor or something since it's taking so long to get the results...but I'm staying positive. Just because I got most of the bad things from both sides of the family so far, doesn't mean I have to get the horrible ones too, right?? Well that's what I keep telling myself anyway.

I'm super excited about the craft show I'm participating in this weekend. It's not a huge one, just a few of us at my friend's house with our displays set up for a couple hours. We invited family, friends and friends of friends. I've made a few bow boards, a bunch of super cute matchbook style notepads, a bunch of gift tags (most in the more traditional style that you just tape on a package), sets that include a card and two coordinating gift tags...5 x 7 Christmas cards...WHEW! And I'm making even more! I'm designing and making some gift card holders tonight that my husband's grandma ordered, and if I like the design enough I may make some of those for the sale as well! We're really hoping it goes well. Anything I don't sell I'll be listing in my Etsy store!

I've started my Christmas shopping already. I have a list of things I want to get for Hailey in regular stores but I'm waiting for the after Thanksgiving sales in hopes I'll find a good bargain on at least some of them. After my awesome experience getting up at the butt crack of dawn to hit the Walmart Black Friday sales last year (leaving Hailey and D home asleep) I'm super excited for this year...even my mom is excited after my experience last year!!! I think we're going to go together and make it a fun little outing...I wonder if Starbuck's opens that early...hmmm. So anyway, back to gifts...the rest of the stuff I've purchased off of, where else, Etsy! I love knowing I'm supporting others just like myself, and the stuff is awesome! I'm having a lot of fun with the season this year. Both Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's not stressing me out at all. I can't wait to decorate for Christmas (my husband is such a Scrooge, he won't let me put up the tree or anything yet...but I snuck out a new "JOY" decoration early and he hasn't noticed teehee!)

That's about all I have time for right now. Hope everyone's having a great week!

Photos by Kristybee - Feature

I have always loved photography...a dream of mine has always been to be a professional photographer. Taking pictures of things I find beautiful or interesting and having people appreciate my work enough to pay me for it...how great would that be?

I have a small list of favorite photographers. Some really famous, some not quite there yet. I recently came across a shop on Etsy, Photos by Kristybee, that I have fallen in love with and added to my list of favorites.

Kristy's photos are so amazingly beautiful, I wish I could buy every single one. I love how she uses natural light to show off and beautify such simple objects. Her photo composition is amazing...a peaceful, delicate flower against a bright blue sky, highlighted by the sun...just amazing. I could go on and on about Kristy's photos, but they really speak for themselves...

Tiny Green Apples

Some of my fondest memories are of cooking with my grandma over the years. I started helping my grandma cook when I was only three years old. We'd wake up bright and early to cook my grandpa breakfast before he went off to work. She'd pull a chair up to the stove and let me cook scrambled eggs in my very own mini cast iron skillet. Eventually she also taught me to bake, making pies and things of that sort. I learned how to peel carrots and apples and potatoes without cutting myself, and cracked and picked many many pecans over the years.

I want Hailey to have these special memories like I do. I may not be as skilled at cooking from scratch as my grandma was, but I can still make pie dough crackers and cookies and apple crisp to name a few. Actually learning the skills isn't necessarily what's important...it's making the memories and having fun cooking with family that really matters.

We've started this tradition slowly, and hopefully will have more time in the coming years. First we made pie dough crackers one week night. She had a blast, but cooking's a messy job...it was clear, Hailey needed an apron. While browsing Etsy one evening I came across Tiny Green Apples. They sell the most adorable personalized aprons, among other things. Hailey adores her apron...it's not just any apron, it's HER apron, because it's got HER name on it...she's sure to let us know :) These aprons are not only adorable, the quality is also amazing. They are heavy duty, yet comfortable. And generously sized too...Hailey will be able to use hers for years and years, but yet it fits her comfortably now. She wore her new apron when we made Halloween cookies and it was MESSY by the time we were done...but her clothes weren't! I just threw the apron in the washer and dryer, and voila! Good as new!

This mom and daughter apron set would be a perfect Christmas gift for a mother with a little girl...

I absolutely LOVE the Christmas tree style of aprons they have right now. How cute are they??

Have a little boy that likes to cook? These aprons aren't just for girls!

Tiny Green Apples sells more than just aprons. They have all sorts of personalized bags to choose from as well.

My personal fav is the cinch sack...

They also have a gift section that includes things like little dolls or these personalized towels which would make such a cute Christmas gift!
If you're in the market for personalized gifts for Christmas this year, definitely head on over and check out Tiny Green Apples today!

Weird Week

Well I went to see the neurologist Tuesday. I'm glad I didn't cancel the appointment. I go in for an MRI this evening. I have to be sedated because I'm claustrophobic. Totally not looking forward to it at all. I'm also worried because D has to pick Hailey up from daycare and he's not the most reliable person in the world. And he never picks her up or feeds her dinner or puts her to bed or anything. I just can't wait for this day to be over. Thank God tomorrow's Friday!

And the winner is...

The winner of the NeatNiks Bibs giveaway is...

Christina!! Congrats!

Here are your random numbers:

3

Timestamp: 2008-11-10 15:40:20 UTC

Movies, Crafting and Etsy, OH MY!

I'm finally getting some time to post because my adorable little 11 year old nephew, who Hailey absolutely ADORES has come over to play with her while I get some things done. Which includes blogging. Because I have had NO time for it lately!

So last night Hailey and I met my friend and her two girls at the movie theater to see the 2nd Madagascar movie. Hailey loves the first one. When I told her we were going to go see it she put the first one in to watch before we left the house LOL It was a good, funny movie and the girls did great. Hailey sat through the whole movie, eating her popcorn and drinking her lemonaid. She got really into the movie right away, asking me questions about the characters. It was so cute. After it was over everyone had to use the restroom. My friend was asking her youngest, her 3 year old, if she had to go peepee. She yelled "Mommy, stop asking me questions!" like she was SO embarrassed her mom was talking about going pee with all these people around. Then on the way out the person holding the door let it go so it slammed right into Hailey's head. I felt so bad for her! I was really concerned and kept asking her if she was okay. She kept walking away from me and finally replied "Mommy I'm OKAY, LEAVE ME ALONE!" like she was just so embarrassed about the whole situation and really wanted me to drop it. My friend and I looked at each other and I said "This is NOT supposed to be happening yet, they're only 2 and 3 years old...we've already become the embarrassing parents!!!" They grow up so fast! Despite this, it was a lot of fun and we will definitely do it again. I love that S and I, who have known each other since we were born, now have kids together and can do things like this together.

On the craft front, I've added matchbook style notepads to the selection in my shop. They're larger than the ones you normally find...3" x about 5". I keep one in my purse and it really comes in handy for little notes, shopping lists etc.!

I'm also super super excited to report that I'll be taking part in my very first Christmas Bazaar of sorts!! One of my friends makes and sells all sorts of things, hair bows, quilts etc. and we both thought it would be really fun to hold a little mini show at her house (thankfully not at my house!) a few weeks from now. We've already got the flyer made and we're inviting family, friends and friends of friends! I'm hoping it goes well...I'm not sure how much stock I should have to take, I have no idea how I'm going to display my items (any ideas??) and I'm not sure how many people are going to come, but I'm still super excited! (Okay and nervous, I'll admit it.) This means I really need to get cracking and get a bunch of stuff made! I'm going to try out some more traditional gift tags as well as the style I currently carry in my shop. The kind with adhesive on the back that you can just stick to a package instead of the tie on style. Hopefully they turn out like I want them to!

I've started using the money I've made from selling my crafts to buy a few Christmas presents...on Etsy of course :) I'd marked a shop I found in the forums the other day that had a great item for stocking stuffers. Imagine my surprise when I checked her shop this morning and she was having a sale! Awesome!! Kaya Papaya sells (among other items) recycled crayons at a great price. I've always loved crayons and coloring...my Mamaw got me started on that when I was a teeny tiny little girl. The idea of crayons melted down into shapes with different color combos is just so neat! I got this bear for Hailey, along with a couple other shapes/sets...

Hailey is going to LOVE getting these in her stocking this year!

Gotta go get myself dressed and feed the kiddos, and then get started crafting! Hope everyone's having a great weekend!!

Perfect Distraction

Catherine over at Evolving Mommy tagged me a few days ago...I'm supposed to share 7 random things about myself. I'm such an open book, I've actually found it hard to come up with 7 things that you all don't already know about me. But I think I've finally done it, so here goes...

1. When I get the slightest bit cold, my toes go numb. If I get REALLY cold, my feet go numb. I have no idea why.
2. My absolute favorite color is blue. I'm drawn to it. In stores I gravitate towards anything blue. It's just so calming and peaceful and pleasing to my eyes. I'm very happy to report that my daughter has fallen in my footsteps and loves blue as well :)
3. I love vintage Pyrex. The colors and patterns are just amazing. I don't own any, unfortunately, but I will one of these days!
4. When I have to park downtown (which I'm getting good at these days since my mom works down there now and I love meeting her for lunch...yay for parallel parking!) I generally forget that I need change for the parking meters. Luckily I've never gotten a ticket. On the rare occasion I do have change (I'm really trying to be more prepared) I use what I need in my meter and then as I'm walking to my destination I use the extra nickels or dimes that I have for other people's meters that have run out of time. Apparently this is illegal, (why???) but it makes me feel good so I do it anyway.
5. I can sew. As in, really sew. I've been sewing since I was teeny. My grandma used to have me help her cut fabric for quilts when I was 3 and 4 years old, and then I moved on to sewing by hand and then by machine when I was about 7 or 8. I would absolutely LOVE to have a nice sewing machine. And time. Oh the things I could make...
6. If I was rich I would totally have a personal chef. They do their own dishes too, right??
7. My favorite number is 7. Always has been. It's like the color blue. Looking at it just makes me happy. :)

Instead of tagging people like I normally do, I'm just going to pull one of those "If you wanna do it, do it, and leave me a comment telling me you did so I can check your answers" dealies. ;)

Etsy Featured Artist - Caramel Jubilee

It's no secret that I LOVE sweets. My love for all things chocolate and sugary really escalated when I became pregnant, and it didn't go away after Hailey was born! Something I don't think I've ever mentioned though is my love of caramel. Ever since I was a little girl I have loved the smooth, ooey gooey sweetness of all things caramel.

Because of this, when I was given the chance to feature an Etsy shop that makes...you guessed it...homemade caramels, I jumped at the chance. I have heard SO many good things about Caramel Jubilee, I don't have to personally try her products to know they're wonderful!

A few questions I had for Rachelle (the owner of the shop):

~How did you start making caramels? How long have you been making them?

I've been cooking since I was very young, but just recently became interested in caramel making. Last spring, I was looking for a recipe that would be a bit of a challenge for me and came across a caramel one that seemed to suit the bill. After trying many different recipes from a variety of sources, I invented my own that is definitely scrumptious. I received such positive reviews of it from family and friends that I decided to try selling them online and have quickly grown from there.

~How do you come up with your flavors?

I choose flavors that intrigue me and that I enjoy. I'm always on the lookout for new ones and am constantly experimenting. I came up with all of the flavors on my own, excepting pumpkin pie which was suggested by a loyal customer. I only do ones that can be made using real flavorings. I refuse to use any artifical flavoring--these have real pumpkin, pomegranate, spices, etc.

Don't these pictures just make your mouth water? I would absolutely LOVE to try the pomegranate caramels!

A bag of these would be the perfect gift for someone special...or to treat yourself, because you know you're worth it! Another incentive to try these caramels? Until November 15, Rachelle is offering all my loyal readers 20% off their order! All you have to do is mention the name of my blog in the "Notes to seller" portion of the checkout process!

YUM!

Whew!

What a weekend! Is it seriously almost over?? I am so not ready to go back to work tomorrow! (Mental note: WASH KHAKIS)

Hailey had an okay Halloween. She had a great time dressing up as Uniqua from Backyardigans at the sitter's. She even had her first pinata experience, whacking a big ol pumpkin! When I picked her up she wasn't Hailey anymore...she informed me her name was Uniqua LOL.

She really wanted to just stay home and watch Little Mermaid and Backyardigans but I convinced her to get into her kitty cat costume.

She did great all through dinner at McDonald's but it was all over when we got home and a giant ice cream cone trick or treated us (Ok it was a frozen custard cone...one of those mascot suits...from Culver's...this thing was HUGE). She trick or treated me, but she refused to go to any other houses. She didn't even want to go to my dad's (although we did, and she begged to go to Memaw's house the whole time, OOPS). We spent the rest of the night at my in-laws, talking and playing. I figured Hailey didn't need all that candy anyway...we'll try again next year. :)

Today we went to a craft fair where my mom got me a couple cute holiday things to decorate with.

Lots of cute stuff coming up in the SHOP!

And now, I've run out of things to say. I'm going to go eat some rasberry sherbet!

NeatNiks Bibs - Review and Giveaway!

Hailey and I are alike in many ways. One of the ways we are alike...we both love eating, and as hard as we might try, we are messy eaters. I'm always on the lookout for good bibs for Hailey and I hadn't found one yet that would completely protect her yet be easy for me to care for. I've tried the plastic bibs with the pocket...not only does the pocket not really catch much food, but they're also not machine washable. This is not convenient in our household and has resulted in quite a few ruined bibs. I've also tried the "towel" style bibs from big name stores and haven't had much luck. Yes they are machine washable, which is a must, but they aren't very big...they don't cover much and the neck holes can be quite small which makes them hard to get over Hailey's rather large head! They also start to fall apart after so many washings! I finally resorted to making Hailey eat shirtless or in nothing but a diaper. Now that it's getting cold, this just isn't an option. Thank goodness I happened upon NeatNiks Bibs.

NeatNiks Bibs carries the BEST bibs I have ever come across. They are made from incredibly soft, thick towels. No thin cheap towels for these bibs, like the ones from the BN store! These are made to last! The neck hole on these bibs is perfect...it's made just like a T-shirt and makes the bibs so easy to get on and off. They fit over Hailey's head with no problems at all! Hailey LOVED it...no struggling or fussing!

The bibs come in two sizes. A small fits from birth to about 18 months. A large fits from 12 months up. We were sent a large sized bib for Hailey to try out and were VERY impressed. The bib fit over Hailey's head, and it covered her WHOLE body! I didn't have to take her clothes off...it even went down onto her legs! She'll be able to wear this bib for years. I joked that I should get one for myself!! :)

All of their bibs have an adorable saying and picture embroidered on them. We were lucky enough to receive the "Gobble til you Wobble" bib, which is absolutely PERFECT for our family! We got such a kick out of it!

If you're looking for a high-quality bib that will last your children for years to come, you have to check out NeatNiks Bibs!

Want to try a NeatNiks Bib?? They're giving away a small bib (your choice) to one of my lucky readers!! All you have to do to have a chance to win is:

1. Visit NeatNiks Bibs, take a look around, come back here and leave me a comment telling me what your favorite bib is from their shop!

2. Want an extra entry? Blog about this giveaway! Be sure to post the link to both NeatNiks Bibs and this post. Then leave me a second comment with the link to your post!

3. If you make a purchase from NeatNiks Bibs leave me a 3rd comment with your Etsy username and the product you purchased...I'll give you 3 extra entries into the contest!

The contest will end November 9th. Don't forget to put your email address in your comment if you don't have your email posted on your blog! If you win you will have 3 days to reply after I contact you. If I don't get a reply in that time frame I will be forced to choose a new winner.

Good luck everybody!!

Mimas

As a little girl one of my absolute favorite things to do was play "babies." I loved being a little mom to all my baby dolls and would spend hours dressing, feeding and cuddling them. Luckily Hailey has fallen in my footsteps with her love of all things baby related. While searching Etsy for toys of this nature I happened upon Mimas, and I knew instantly I'd found something special.

Karen has been doing her craft for over 25 years now. Three years ago when her little granddaughter was two years old she wanted something to carry her baby doll in. They worked together until they got everything just right. The result is the cutest little doll bed/carrier I have ever seen!

It's like a little soft comfy moses basket, just the right size for a little girl to carry her baby dolls around in. We were lucky enough to receive one of these adorable little doll carriers and Hailey absolutely LOVES it. It comes with a little matching pillow and blanket as well and Hailey loves putting one of her stuffed animals to bed in her carrier every night. (She's on a stuffed animal kick right now, they are her babies).

These carriers are so well made, I know Hailey will get many many years of enjoyment from it, along with any kids we have in the future, and our kids' kids even!

Another Mimas product is this adorable little doll set that comes with a little diaper bag, bib, burp cloth and a little doll cloth diaper! This set would be such a cute Christmas or birthday gift!

Mimas is a big supporter of cloth diapering. I seriously contemplated switching to cloth when Hailey was a little older but couldn't justify the startup cost when Hailey was only using a handful of diapers a day at that point and was *hopefully* not too far off from potty training. She is now potty trained, thank goodness, but I will definitely try cloth diapers with our next baby! Mimas carries a wide variety of cloth diapers in all different sizes, colors and patterns! You can choose from either a normal cloth diaper that should be used with a cover (which they also sell in all sorts of colors and patterns!) or the incredibly convenient AIO (all-in-one) cloth diaper. They even carry cloth diaper inserts and washable baby wipes!

From the Mimas website:

"These homecrafted fitted cloth diapers/nappies are made of 100% all NEW cotton fleece or super flannel. My fitted cloth diapers are highly absorbant with a total of 9 layers, 2 - 100% cotton/fleece outer shell (very soft on the little ones bum), 1- 100% inner liner with a 6 layer soaker pad made of 100% cotton & terrycloth to absorb liquid and wick away from babies so they keep dry and comfortable, each soaker pad is sown to the inner liner with quilt stitching to prevent wading and bunching of the soaker pad, your cloth diapers will last wash after wash, each diaper/nappy has 1/4" elastic stitched to back and legs, this helps to fit to baby and protect against leakage. All diapers/nappies come with washing and drying instructions. All diapers/nappies have hook and loop fastners,no more pins or poking of babies during changing, we also rounded the edges of the hook and loop for additional comfort and safety."

If you're in the market for cloth diapers, inserts, washable wipes or an adorable Christmas gift for the little one in your life, you have to visit Mimas. With amazing quality and unbelievable prices, you won't be disappointed!