Super Duper Deluxaroo gift set!

this was a gift for a good friend's baby shower last weekend. her grandmother bought some of my things, and i gave her the rest. this is the new modified mega diaper bag (first version here)

which is a little shorter in length, and a little taller in height. we also added stroller clips to the sides.

so 1 mega diaper bag with zippered wristlet, diaper clutch nursing cover, cotton burpies, 2 onesies, 1 snuggle blankie/quilt and a fabric hair flower for mama.

i really love this fabric by joel dewberry.its been out for a while, but i've never sewn with it. i LOVE LOVE LOVE the brown circles. i'm totally ordering it.

i'm happy with how the bag turned out, it took longer than i wanted. my serger was acting up, my new athena wasn't the powerhouse i thought she was. so after staying up until 2am the night before the baby shower i decided im on the hunt for an industrial sewing machine.

one that can sew the through layers of my bags like butter. if anybody has any recommendations please drop me a line, i'd love any info or experience on industrials.

elliana's picture taking skills. the new camera is a little heavy for her. ;)

i love how the snuggle blankie turned out all quilty. mostly because i didnt' have enough of any one fabric for the entire side. i'm in love the orange swiss dots. actually any swiss dots these days i'm in love with.

just ordered some new fabrics and some old ones from the city girl line.

slowly relisting some goodies in the shop. hopefully by thursday everything listed will be ready-to-ship instead of made to order. at least for the summer.

ok, back to sewing.

dear jesus

"and thank you God for helping me make good choices and don't let mommy stop sewing.

amen."

"and what?"

"and don't let you stop sewing."

"why?"

"because you make beautiful things."

*that right there made today worth it.

thank you lord for my sweet precious girl.

father's day

i took this picture on father's day. it's probably one of the best ones we've taken, ever. i love how handsome my husband is in all of them. (there were some cute ones of he and the kids too)

he is such a wonderful husband and father. god has completely blessed our marriage, our family and our lives. our children are so lucky to have him as their daddy. he is loving, patient, loves jesus, is silly, rough, loves playing with the kids even when he's tired, he will do anything for our family and always puts us first. he is absolutely amazing. and oh so handsome. "Trust God fromt he bottom of your heart;

don't try to figure out everything on your own.

Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;

he's the one who will keep you on track."

Proverbs 3:5-6 (the MESSAGE)

Green Baby Expo booth!

Green Baby Expo went really well this year! this my booth and i was really happy with the overall design (it was similar to last year) but the whole expo was in a better location and my booth spot was MUCH better. and the weather was amazing, 85, and breezy. not 105 and muggy. ew.

it was a great event and there were so may talented artisans around me. Kristin had a fun booth for all her Charli'z products with homemade bubbles and chalk recipes for the kids. Charissa had her Sassy Satchel booth with her amazing bags and clutches. i should've snagged one of her clutches! Maryanne had her Chico Cozy products with lots of cute things.

this years event was much better than last year and hopefully i will do it again next year!

camping and still sewing

camping was great. the weather was exciting. i actually SLEPT! and enjoyed great company! the kids had a blast and didn't want to come home. neither did our dog chessa. she wouldn't get out of the camper when we were unloaded. i guess she wasn't ready be done camping.
it was a much needed "calm before the sewing storm", because i am indeed in the middle of a sewing tornado! so many things are brewing in the studio! happy mistakes turned into new products (gotta love that!)
only 3 more days until the Green Baby Expo!

ahhhh. love this pic.
and now, back to sewing!

guess what tucker did?

busted! at least he chose my favorite color. and it looks like he tried 2 different colors and put the caps back on both. and handed it to me. elliana and i were busy packing for our camping trip and tucker was well, "occupied apparantly" and as i came into elliana's room i thought, "hmm, that smell is familiar (finger nail polish) and tucker walked in and handed me the nail polish and i looked down and saw both of his feet covered in dark brown polish. i freaked out and picked him up thinking, "children and nail polish........poured out all over the carpet!!" so i put him on the toilet so he wouldn't track it everywhere and checked if he had gotten it on the carpet and he didn't. my very next thought after the carpet was, "where's my camera?"

little stinker. is this what i'm in for? elliana NEVER got into polish. he even screwed the caps back on! my polish is in our linen closet under stuff, at the top, way in the back. he's clever. i'm worried. not even 2 yet. everything just stepped up a notch. supervision of him, hiding things, making sure stuff is out of his reach. oh man. i left it on him. i actually think he was proud. he always asks me to put some "o-nao" on him when i paint my toes and i never have. but the other day my dad was watching him and my niece and elliana were painting their toes and i guess my dad painted a little pink dot on tucker's big toes. thanks dad.

in sewing news....

lots of sewing last night. made the cutest mommy bag and if it doesn't sell at Green Baby Expo next weekend, i'm totally keeping it. love the fabric. and if it does sell, i'm getting more fabric and making me one. 4 bags done yesterday. my hands and feet were sore. i took a bubble bath at midnight and it refreshed me enough to get one more bag in for the night. awesome.

heading up for camping today with my mom and sister. hopefully no more thunderstorms will come our way while camping. my daughter is not exactly an "extreme weather" kinda girl. :) should be fun!

elliana's first ballet performance

saturday was elliana's first ballet performance......and she rocked the stage! (as much as a 4 year old could!) i think i was more nervous than she was. but she did awesome! she wasn't nervous or anxious, she had a blast on stage. and we were all so proud of her!my little dancing bear. the theme for this year's performance was circus!circus! and each class was a different animal/theme. our class was the dancing bears. they all were so cute!elliana remembered all of her moves, and wouldn't let me practice with her. "i'll do it on saturday mommy." (the day she has ballet class). so i never really got to see her do all her moves. i was a little worried honestly. i mean, a year ago, there's NO WAY she would get up on stage in front of all those people. so i was so proud that she wasn't shy at all.

you can just tell she was having fun, she's a natural.

ta-daaaa!!

i totally cried the last few moments of her 2 minute perfomance. i was seriously a ball of nerves. i was so anxious for her. before the bears came out on stage, the curtain was closed and wasn't opening. it seemed there was "a problem" because it was taking longer than it probably should've. my dad leans over and says, "noooo! i don't wannna go on stage!!!" and i thought, oh no. she's freaking out. i'm not there. should i have told the class mom what to do? oh no! but lo and behold, the curtains opened and there she was. i was very relieved, and no signs of tears. i think her teacher had a costume change or something and that's what took so long. phew!
we were all so proud of her. :) tucker even enjoyed watching her in the theatre. after her part was over tucker kept saying, "bye sissy!" really loud. actually, he said everything REALLY LOUD. there's a (almost) 2 year old boy for ya!

and the reward.......cupcakes!

justin's mom and dad and grandma came down to watch the show and stayed the night and visited with us. we had a great weekend, and ended up with 2 tired kiddos!

my baby girl is growing up!!!

******

and now......the sewing marathon has begun. my dad is so graciously taking both my kids all day today so that i can sew, catch up on orders, sew products for the Green Baby Expo, and generally be productive. yesterday the kids actually played really well while i cut out patterns and it was nice. i could handle a few more days like that!

i hope i don't sew up my sleeve or something crazy!

tip junkie birthday bash giveaway!

check out the "going dot com birthday bash" over at Tip Junkie starting Monday June 15 to enter to win all sorts of prizes. you can enter to win a Sweet Baby Nursing Cover and matching burpies gift set on thursday June 18th.

if you haven't already visited Tip Junkie, you must! they have so many great links, tutorials, cute stuff, creative ideas and GIVEAWAYS!!!

i am a "mom-prenuer" and just LOVE Tip Junkie!!!

sewing binge

i have been living and breathing SEWING. every moment i get, i sew. when the kids are content, i sew. when they are in nap/quiet time, i sew. in bed, i sew. when i am dreaming, its about sewing. all day long i think about what i will work on when its time to sew. my name is jenna and i am STILL a sew-a-holic!so its been sparse here on ye ol' blog, and probably will be for a few weeks. i am working hard at stocking up inventory for the Green Baby Expo June 2oth of which i have none. yep, hardly have anything. which means, me:working like a mad woman every moment of every day until GBE. so until then, sew mama sew!

on our way....

to kindergarten round-up! we have been so excited about going to school this fall. this is elliana's first experience in school other than sunday school and i know this will be such a great experience for her. i am so thankful to have been her first teacher, although sometimes i wish we would've been able to send her to preschool a couple days a week because i know how valuable the preschool experience is. i believe in preschool. i was a preschool teacher before i became a mommy. sometimes i feel guilty about this. she is so smart and quick and eager to learn. i know she will do great in kindergarten!

i'm feeling a bit emotional about this today. this is the beginning of the school years, for everybody. no more sleeping in, hangin out the jammies all day, and do what we feel like. its school, and get ready, and lunches, and rush out the door, and "did you do your homework?", and class projects and new friends and more time away from me. up until now i've know everybody and everything that has been in elliana's world. i'm letting go. and i'm scared. what if she gets hurt? what if she needs me and i'm not there? what if she doesn't need me anymore?

and maybe they'll teach her the things that i couldn't. maybe she'll grow stronger and smarter because of this school. maybe she'll meet her best friend there. maybe her teacher will love her just like i do.

i really don't want to cry at her school today. new kids, parents, teachers and staff. but i'm totally emotional. i didn't think i would be, i haven't been up until now. this morning. and i'm crying. my baby is going into school. my colicky little biggins who wouldn't go to anyone else but me and her daddy for the first 9 months of her life. and now she's so excited to go off to kindergarten by herself.
and so am i. :)

grab a tissue...

i came across this song yesterday and it just got me. it amazes me how right now i can feel two such completely opposite emotions: "hurry up and get past this stage!" and "please don't grow up so fast, i don't want to forget each moment". i'm pretty sure this is why i take so many pictures. the words to this song sum it up nicely.

Let Me Hold You Longer- by Karen Kingsbury

Long ago you came to me, a miracle of firsts, First smiles and teeth and baby steps, a sunbeam on the burst.
But one day you will move away and leave to me your past And I will be left thinking of a lifetime of your lasts…
The last time that I held a bottle to your baby lips The last time that I lifted you and held you on my hip.
The last night when you woke up crying, needing to be walked, When last you crawled up with your blanket, wanting to be rocked.
The last time when you ran to me, still small enough to hold. The last time that you said you’d marry me when you grew old.
Precious, simple moments and bright flashes from your past- Would I have held on longer if I’d known they were your last?

Our last adventure to the park, your final midday nap, The last time when you wore your favorite faded baseball cap.
Your last few hours of kindergarten, those last few days of first grade, Your last at bat in Little League, last colored picture made.
I never said good-bye to all your yesterdays long passed. So what about tomorrow- will I recognize your lasts?
The last time that you catch a frog in that old backyard pond. The last time that you run barefoot across our fresh-cut lawn.
Silly, scattered images will represent your past. I keep on taking pictures, never quite sure of your lasts…
The last time that I comb your hair or stop a pillow fight. The last time that I pray with you and tuck you in at night.
The last time when we cuddle with a book, just me and you The last time you jump in our bed and sleep between us two.
The last piano lesson, last vacation to the lake. Your last few weeks of middle school, last soccer goal you make.

I look ahead and dream of days that haven’t come to pass. But as I do, I sometimes miss today’s sweet, precious lasts…
The last time that I help you with a math or spelling test. The last time when I shout that yes, your room is still a mess.
The last time that you need me for a ride from here to there. The last time that you spend the night with your old tattered bear.
My life keeps moving faster, stealing precious days that pass, I want to hold on longer- want to recognize your lasts…
The last time that you need my help with details of a dance. The last time that you ask me for advice about romance.
The last time that you talk to me about your hopes and dreams. The last time that you wear a jersey for your high school team.
I’ve watched you grow and barely noticed seasons as they pass. If I could freeze the hands of time, I’d hold on to your lasts.
For come some bright fall morning, you’ll be going far away. College life will beckon in a brilliant sort of way.
One last hug, one last good-bye, one quick and hurried kiss. One last time to understand just how much you’ll be missed.
I’ll watch you leave and think how fast our time together passed. Let me hold on longer, God, to every precious last.

last night tucker woke up at 10:30 and cried/moaned/fussed until 12:30. in and out of our bed, his bed, snuggled on the recliner, refused medicine to ease his fever/pain. i did the run through of all the things that could be ailing him, and the things that usually make him feel better. he tossed and turned snuggled between us two. and i remembered this song. as i held him across my chest, like i used to when he was just a babe, i remembered this song. and how much i miss him being a baby. the warmth of his body next to mine, the comfort he finds in me, being his pillow and his blankie all wrapped in one. watching him try to fit on my chest all tangled and scrunched made me realize how big he is. *sigh*

(almost all of our friends are pregnant right now and i will have to get my baby fix when all those babies start poppin out! )

just wanted to pass along this song to remind us all to hold onto it all, even when its hard, even when we are frustrated and at the end of ourselves, because all too soon it will pass, and be just a memory.

the new tattoo

last weekend, before our trip to santa cruz, i got a new tattoo. i have been wanting to do this for a while. last year when my mom turned *29*, she got a little tat, my sister got another one, and i was going to get mine. but the guy was a jack and said he couldn't "mix tattoo styles" and some other load of poo. i was pretty bummed, but i let it go. then my sister in law kate called me up and said tattoo dan could do it! so i did! this is my original tattoo that i got in high school. the butterfly landing on a daisy is the symbol for finding the cure for lupus. i got this tattoo when my mom was on her sickest day in ICU when she was diagnosed with lupus. she is in remission now and healed and not on any meds. i had no idea when i designed this tattoo that this is what it meant until my mom joined the lupus foundation a year later. i just always loved butterflies and daisies. and i still do!
this is the new design drawn on my foot. i originally wanted the butterfly landing in the nest, and to cover up the daisy. but lately tucker had been pointing to my foot and saying "mommy fower" and i didn't want to erase something he identified me with. so i had a sketch i wanted and this is how tattoo dan translated it. its a bit different, but i wasn't exactly set in stone with the design. i let my design breathe, and grow, and evolve into its own piece of art. like me. ;)

the beginning of the 2 hours of pain. it really hurt. seriously. i have a friend who has her entire back tattood and she said it took her a total of 24 hours of work. and when i told her my tat was on my foot she said that the foot is one of the most painful places to get a tattoo because there are so many nerve endings. the other most painful spot with lots of nerve endings is where the moon don't shine. ouch. but something about giving birth to two babies toughens you up. i figured, if i can handle pushing a 9.8 lb baby for 2 and half hours, then i can handle this!

the final tattoo. i LOVE LOVE LOVE how he incorporated my original tattoo with the new design, and it looks like an entirely new tattoo. my nest. my family. my precious ones. my branch, my tree, my husband, my strength, my home. the butterfly landing into her nest. he even revamped my orignal butterfly and changed the leaf on my single daisy to make it all match. he did an awesome job and i'm super happy with it! i feel like a rockstar!

right after i had gotten my original tattoo i knew i wanted to added more swirls and flowers to my foot but i never did. and now 13 years later i got it done, but now it included my nest and my branch. so cool.

went on a roadtrip......

to the ocean.

i'm back. feeling refreshed, newly tattood, and ready to take on the world!

it was really.....magical. kate and i had so much fun. i have so many pictures to share! i'm so lucky to have a rockstar for a sister in law. this weekend we just let go and rocked it. seriously. even though we had a blast, i was so happy to come home to my family. it made me realize how thankful i am to be in this stage of my life.

and that my inner rockstar is still there. ;)

more pics soon!

Mother's Day Weekend.

my mom and dad, my sis and my niece, our friend brody and danna and clayton and us all went to the zoo on mother's day. we had so much fun, had a wonderful picnic under a shaded tree, and played at super fun park across the street.tucker really enjoyed playing on this tractor. he was in tractor heaven!


justin took a few shots of me and the kids for me. sometimes(most of the time) i have to physically hand him the camera and say "here, take my picture" just so my children will have documentation that i actually did exist during their childhood! just kidding. sort of. ;)

this the infamous family shot with toddler unwilling to cooperate. a perfect snapshot of my life right now. except elliana should have her arms folded and be grumpy. i love this time of life. (enter sarcasm)

tucker and his best buddy clayton playing on the train. i seriously took like 300 pictures that day. my mom even got into the action and was my own personal papparazzi during the picnic. she actually did take a few cute ones of justin and i.

it was a great mother's day spent with family and friends. i also got a new bed of beautiful planted flowers in our front yard. they are just lovely and a perfect present for me. i got to dig and plant them myself and was so glad to be reminded of how much i miss having dirt under my fingernails. i used to love to garden, back when i actually had free time. ;)

****

almost our crafty getaway weekend!!!! yay!

my new camera!

so i am LOVING my new camera! i have no clue what i am doing, i just kinda turn it on and push different buttons until i get a picture i like. but i LOVE it! when it arrived the other day i was playing around with it and was super happy with the picture quality already.

the phrase "a camera is only as good as the person behind it" has been sticking with me and encouraging me to turn off manual mode and really learn how to use my camera.

i'm sooooo excited!

tucker and chessa waiting for daddy to get home.

tucker in his crib after nappy time.

confused as to why i am taking all the pictures the moment he wakes up. ( this is one of my favorites because its so "right now". it will perfect for his *at 2* album!)

elliana's *angry* face.

this one took my breath away.

when did she grow up?

such a poser. whenever the camera out, she turns her shoulders, tilts her head with her hand on her hip and smiles. she's a natural.

my cutie patootie.

these ones of elliana made me cry as i was uploading them. she just looks so grown up. is my baby really going into kindergarten? i see glimpes of a big girl. (her behavior sometimes contradicts that) but something in her eyes came out in those pictures that made me see her in a different light.

that is what photos should do.

its making me feel like i want to capture everything on film. i mean digital images. film sounds better. i don't want to miss anything because they grow up so fast.

capture memories. there. you know what i mean. i love the pictures that capture a day of play and dirty sandy toes and toys played with and lined up, the everyday of life. not the posed "say cheese" everybody is happy and smiley. i even take pictures of temper tantrums (which by the way slightly enhances said temper tantrum. don't try this one.) and of the cry face. feet and hands are my favorite though. :)

i'm pretty much thrilled with my camera and learning about it. its more than a new toy for me. i've always wanted one, and to learn more about photography and ISO and white balance and aperture. i love learning new things, its the student in me, so i can't wait to figure it all out.

****

so for mother's day this weekend we are going to the zoo! perfect timing for my new camera! (i know, enough camera talk) we are going with my parents, my sis and niece, and our friend brody and danna and their little guy clayton. it should be super fun.

i already received my mother's day gift, an adorable necklace from Lisa Leonard Designs with tucker and elliana stamped on each heart. and i LOVE LOVE LOVE it! this is my second purchase from Lisa and she does amazing work! i also have the simple and sweet birdie necklace and sometimes she has "free earring friday" where you get a free pair of earrings with each order. both times i ordered it was on free earring friday. totally worth it. her stuff is gorgeous, well made, and i wear them every day.

****

1 more week til our creative getaway!!! can't wait!!

****

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

the sickies

i've decided i'm not posting pictures until my new camera arrives. so there. so until then i'll recap my weekend.....
barf.
umm....the other end.
achey.
sleep.
tucker no!
more...other end.
all 4 of us have had a nasty flu.
i'm wiped, (no pun intended.) ew. sorry.
its exhausting being sick when you have sick kids and a sick hubby. its no fun actually.
and now everyone is asleep and instead of sewing (like i should be doing) i am on the computer, playing on facebook (its like a time warp) and buying new music in itunes (its way too easy, and dangerous. i've just figured it out).
i'm hoping tomorrow we are all back to normal.
on a high note, our brand new washer and dryer works like a dream! 2 loads in the middle of the night came out squeaky clean! yay!
is it monday?

mindspace for friday

1. i don't have a lot to post about. twittering is fulfilling my need to update my randonmess. sorry!
2. tucker is sick with a cold and a fever, poor guy. he's so clingy and lovey though, i kinda like that. missing him being a little wubbykins.
3. i've been sewing a lot. orders, new products, smocked dresses and skirts, purses. i just need like an entire day to just sew. for me.
4. i bought a new camera!!!! it should arrive on wednesday and i'm super excited to learn how to take awesome pictures!
5. i realized after the whole camera research, that i love researching products online. finding the best reviews, best deals, comparison shopping. i did this when we purchased our car too. and i'm pretty good at it.
6. now we are on the hunt for wooden bunk beds for the kids. not sure if i should wait until i find a set at a garage sale. although i've been looking on craigslist for the past 6 months. tucker is still in his crib, thankfully, but i thought it would be a good idea to get it now and let elliana adjust to the top bunk first, that way once we move him over we just have him to worry about instead of both of them. one at a time i tell ya, one at a time.
7. ujjghgggfhnm (from tucker) little sicky always wants to be on mama's lap when he's sick.
8. 2 more weeks until our craft weekend! can't wait! my SIL kate and i are going to santa cruz for a weekend of crafting, beach laying, thrifting and girly fun! she has a photography business and seriously takes awesome pictures! check her out!
9. we are going to the zoo for mother's day and i'm excited to try out my new camera next weekend!
10. for elliana's 5th birthday this year we are planning a trip to disneyland. i'm so excited! she will be the perfect age. last time she was still to young and too overwhelmed. this year will be perfect. she talks about it all the time and says, "i won't cry this time mommy!" thank goodness. i know she will have a blast. and hopefully tucker will too. we are going with my parents so that will be fun!
11. ewww. tucker just sneezed a snot rocket down to his mouth. *bleeuueue* while he was eating his cereal. nasty.
12. i ordered the books Sewing Green and Weekend Sewing and i can't wait to get them! ( i was on a roll the othernight with my online shopping!) they are all over blogland and i've seen some really great things made from these books.
13. i think that's about it. i haven't been good about blogging lately. all that online researching ya know. i'm sure once i get my new camera i'll get back on the ball.
14. happy weekend!

i got new shoes today.....

happy friday:)

bad bloggy blog *easter* (that's a weird title)

easter weekend was a blast. we had fun with both sides of our family and got our fill of food, eggs, candy, and family! tucker got the egg hunting down. he realized that each egg had candy in it so instead of collecting the most eggs, he opened up each one as he found it. silly boy. (aren't those teva's cute on him! gotta love Ross!)

elliana loved collecting lizards at mame and papa's house easter sunday. she even found a baby lizard. i was so surprised she touched it! but everyone else was doing it. when in rome? right?the kids and their loot from egg hunt #1 at the gonzales family annual easter picnic.

justin showing tucker how to hit the ball. lately tucker has been all into softball. ever since justin started playing this season, he carries his glove and ball and bat everywhere. its so cute. he's a great cheerer. its in his blood.

this is my favorite picture. he was cheering for daddy as he was cracking the ball over everyone's head. "go daddy!"

i was getting those butterflies in me as i watched him hit the ball. i always had a thing for hot baseball players. good thing i married one!

tonight both of the kids are staying with my parents. BOTH of them! and what's a girl to do when there are no kids at home? why, clean of course! i feel like i never get to clean like i used to. and i mean really clean. sure i try and pick upand put things away, but nothing ever gets clean all at the same time. so i'm so excited to clean.

justin has a softball game tonite and it will be weird to be there without the kids, so i'll stay home and clean and when he gets home we are gonna have a date! ANNNNND! we get to sleep in! past 6am! no tucker! i'm thrilled!

and i put in my request to sew all day long tomorrow while justin does yard work with the kids.

i'm working on a new tattoo design. ;) for our creative escape. girls weekend. kate, what should we call it?

ok, gotta feed these little munchkins. apparantly food is important when you are little....

it's a list

1. i started running again. i used to run in high school and in college. it was my agression getter-outer, release, exercise, and moments alone with my thoughts. i've missed it. i don't have great knees. its hard to run with a double jogging stroller pushing 70 lbs. worth of children. its a great workout that way, but i'm used to running alone, in the zone. i got new shoes, new running shorts (the kind with "underwear" in them, i've never had these before) and i just need to get a little arm band thingie for my ipod and i'm all set.
2. seriously, smore's ice cream. wow.
3. i've been coming up with way too much stuff to sew. so many ideas. i love it. i just wish i had more time to sew. and i love being at home with my kids, i am so lucky on so many levels, and i feel like it sounds selfish to say "i wish i had more time to do what *I* want to do". but i do. ;)
4. i haven't done any easter related crafts/baking this week. i'm totally not into it. not easter, i'm all over easter, i mean c'mon. the guy resurrects after 3 days and is alive! jesus rocks! but just all the hype, and easter bunny *crap*. bleh. i did get stuff for our easter baskets, and we've been practicing for the egg hunts (2 to be exact. one on saturday with my side of the fam....like the giant family reunion with tons of kids and family! and another on sunday with justins fam) but i just can't stand all the commercialism of it all.
5. as i sit and eat my reese's chocolate peanut butter easter bunny. nice.
6. tucker is getting his 2 year molars. and its a doosy. doosie? how do you spell that? anyways, he's soooooo emotional about ev.ry.thing. glad he's not a fussy guy, but its so noticeable because that's so not how he is. elliana was very fussy and high maitenence and always needing something. so i never really noticed when she was cranky from teething because that was just how she was.
7. elliana is on her 3rd sticker chart since we started last month? end of feb? and its been awesome. we added this round "manners' and bathtime. for some odd reason she refuses to bathe. hates washing her hair. will not put soap on a rag and wipe the face. she likes to play, but won't wash. the teenage years are gonna suck huh?
8. we are thinking about disneyland for elliana's 5th bday in november. i can't wait.
9. she also wants her ears pierced.
10. you know what i love about these list posts, is that i can put all the unrelated thoughts in my head in one place and not have to dedicate a whole blog post to a thought, because it might not be "blog worthy".
11. seriously, how often do you think about things that are "blogworthy?" or take pictures "just because" so you can blog about it?
12. i am totally using way to many "quotation marks". i talk that way too. ;)
13. GCWA (girls crafty weekend away) to santa cruz is in 5 weeks! i so need this. i am soooo excited. booked our hotel this week and ordered a new suit from VS. i can't wait!
14. elliana and i were trying on clothes at old navy this evening and as i was trying on top, she asks me, "is that top gonna show all your bizniz?" i couldn't stop laughing. i always tell her, "you better wear shorts under your skirt (she lives in skirts and dresses) because you don't want to show everyone your bizniz!" i thought it was hillarious that she used it in her own sentence.. love that girl.
15. i've been pulling some really late nights. its gonna catch up with me soon.
16. Lord, can you please let my son sleep at least until 8 maybe 9, for like forever? thanks. jen

the new *mega* diaper bag!

here it is! i'm so excited about my new diaper bag! it has everything i think the ultimate diaper bag should have. let me take you through a little tour, shall we?

1. generously sized at 16"x10" with two cup holders on each side. 2. zippered top to keep everything inside your bag and not all over the floor when your toddler digs through it looking for you gum that he eats like candy. (TMI?)

3. 2 large pockets on the inside for diapers and wipes, or your *Diaper clutch* or mommy stuff.

3. two elastic straps to hold 2 more bottles, sippy cups, or water bottles. (4 drink holders in all)this was a necessity because in a recent vacation, elliana's water bottle was not secure and leaked ALL. OVER. MY. JOURNAL. my art, painting, drawing, inspiration journal. i was NOT happy. if i had these handy little holders for her water bottle this *happy little uh-oh* wouldn't have happened.

4. my two favorite mommy pockets on the front for keys and phone. *the two things i had fishing around my bag for!

5. an interior zippered pocket to hold more *mommy stuff*

6. this bag got me over my fear of zippers, and i must say....i rock at zippers now!

7. i haven't named or priced it yet.

8. i'm going to sell it with a zippered wristlet so it can be like a "mini purse" when you have to drop off your diaper bag with your little one. you just take your wristlet and go. its like the opposite of a diaper clutch. with a diaper clutch you drop the clutch off and keep your purse. cute huh?

9. i think i am going to make the final one (this bag is mine, like a prototype) but i am going to revise the pattern and make a large diaper bag like this one, just an inch or two taller. and then i want to make a smaller one, (like the size of the mini mommy bag) that is the same height as this, just shorter.

10. hopefully a few of these will be in the shop soon!

11. tell me what you think? :)

some *sewy* stuff

Here is a custom order Mommy bag in ZuZu's Petals with a matching zippered pouch. I really like how this bag turned out with this fabric. And i'm totally loving zippered pouches. I've figured out that i can't live with out mine! Ithrow in all the things that tucker gets into (gum, lipstick, business cards, hand sanitizer, tissue) and its all in one little pouch to transfer from bag to bag. LOVE it! more of those to come in the shop soon! Another custom order in Gothic Rose. This was an entire gift set, Mommy Bag, Diaper Clutch, Nursing Cover, and Snuggle Blankie. Bummer thing is that my bolt of this fabric has run out. not sure if I will reorder it or get some new stuff. Still comtemplating....
Here is a picture of Grammy's finished tea towel. I'm pretty sure I need to make some for myself, ya know, in my *spare* time.

I'm working on a super cute fabulous new diaper bag design. It's top secret, but hopefully I will get the prototype started this weekend. I"m sooooo excited about it. As well as a few new cute purses for the *non-mommy* ;)

So much to sew and so little time.

(story of my life. i should totally put THAT on a shirt too huh?)

giveaway!

Celeste over at Etsy it up! is having a giveaway for one of my Diaper clutches!

go visit Etsy it up! for lots of great giveaways every week!
you have until thursday 4/2 to enter so go now!

the winner gets to choose any diaper clutch from my shop!

good luck!

morning crafting projects

elliana did a *mixed media* watercolor and crayon card for grammy's birthday this weekend. she's turning 80! and doesn't seem a day over 70. ;) grammy is justin's dad's mom and i've completely adopted her as my own gramma. my grandma (nana) died when i was in college very unexpectedly so when justin's gramma came into my life, i was so happy to have a grammy again! she is so sweet and loving and crafty! she is an amazing quilter, embroiderer and appliquer. i have to learn her expert techniques!

elliana referred to her *special journal* to recall a past drawing for inspiration for grammy's card. i LOVE that! i totally do that and love that its rubbed off on her. i asked her what she wanted to be when she grows up and she said, "i want to be an art painter. with real paints. and then i'll get to paint every day!" last night at justin's soft ball game elliana asked if she could paint the softball field. "and i'll use green and blue and brown and make these lines (making line gestures) for the seats and i'll draw people too!" my little artist. i embroidered this little birdy to patchwork onto a dishtowel. i alwayws forget how much i love embroidery. i have a few other projects i want to do (of course). i should just always have something in the hoop ya know?
nothing better than crafting with my girl.
now if we could just get tucker to be a wee bit more *productive* i'd be set!

back from the coast...

we had such a wonderful time in fort bragg last weekend. the weather was odd, sunny then rainy then hailing! and super windy. but it was beautiful! we stayed in a hotel with ocean view rooms and it was such a nice vacation. relaxing, peaceful, renewing. perfect.
the kids had a blast. elliana loved being a hotel! tucker loved puddle jumping and running all around. i love this picture of them.

this is my favorite shot of wubbers. i love this boy so much.

this picture captures it all. elliana loved chasing the waves, and tucker wasn't so sure at first. but then he joined in and was laughing and running. the water was ice cold and it was soooo windy!

this is my "ode to tara whitney" photo. love the reflections.

this one is great too. she really loves the beach. playing in the sand, chasing the waves. she had a great time with mame and papa (justin's parents) and wanted us to leave so she could just be with them.

i love these sandy little toes.

and of course my infamous sandy feet portraits. i think i've taken these every time we've gone to a beach since we started dating. i even have one of us and chessa's paw. seriously. i love feet and hand pictures. except i don't really love feet persay, just the photos in the sand. ;)

all our shoes lined up on the shoe log. this was the beach right by our hotel the beachcomber it was great hotel and i totally want to go back!

the waves are calming and majestic. we didn't see many whales. a few blow holes spraying, and a few fins rolling, but that's about it. i was disappointed. but the waiting and watching was fun..

family shot by the beach.

this was a little inlet off the ocean we saw as we were crossing a long bridge. it was so still and quiet. i took this picture with tucker in the ergo pack kicking and pulling my hair. its a miracle its not all blurry. i realized that i do miss wearing him, he's sort of outgrown it. not outgrown it, its just that he always want to be off and going.

it was so nice to breathe the ocean air. to gaze into a body of water that is larger than what i can see. to realize that god is might and big and powerful. he is bigger than any ocean. i am so thankful that he is bigger than my life. and i am even more thankful that he knows the plans he has for me.

thursday's mindspace:

1. 8 years ago on St. Patricks day, i gave a boy my phone number (and my mardi gras beads because he was cute) and the rest was history.
2. i went running yesterday and i can barely walk today. i've never really been one to physically push myself. but my sister sure helped me yesterday. gee, thanks michelle.
3. i really want to go do this craft weekend. but its half way across the u.s. boo.
4. kate and hopefully danna (so glad she started a blog)and i are having our own craft weekend/girls weekend/creative escape to santa cruz in 2 weeks! woohoo! a weekend of crafting, thrifting, laying on the beach, dancin it up and creative bliss!
5. i'm back on the tattoo train and i think on our craftastic escape i am adding to my existing tattoo. justin hates this. ever since i met him his thought on tattoos are that they are a.)ugly, b.) your body is a temple and putting tattoos on them is sinful c.) they are lame.
6. elliana and i are getting a plain wooden dollhouse from michael's to paint together as an ongoing art project. this dollhouse inspired me with its simplicity and creativity. the one they have is a pretty good size and will perfect for our little painted wooden family, all the fisher price little people we have (tucker loves these!), and even for pollies. i think im a little bit more excited than elliana. i never had a dollhouse growing up but always wanted one. so i guess this is my chance!
7. we are going to fort bragg this weekend for a whale festival. i'm excited to visit the ocean, its been calling me lately. its been a while since we've gotten away, i am really looking forward to it.
8. i want to get a new camera but it feels so frivilous right now. its hard for me to justify it, and i'm pretty good at justifying a purchase. i might just NEED it for our girls weekend though. ;)
9. i've been exploring advertising/sponsorships on blogs lately and i'm excited to see what sort of opportunities may be out there. if any of my readers are interested in having my Sweet Baby Creations button on their blog please contact me and I can send it to you!
10. the dishes have crawled up out of the sink onto our counter and are taunting me. i'm desperately trying to avoid them (by writing this post), but they are looming over my shoulder. *sigh* duty calls.

elliana's sticker chart

we have finally turned a corner with elliana's behavior. things have been going pretty well lately (i hesitate to even post this for fear i will have to edit it later.) with elliana. she has really responded to our new and improved sticker chart. we have used a sticker chart in the past for staying in her bed at bedtime and its worked so-so, but nothing consistently. and last month was really really really rough. i was ready to call nanny 911. seriously. like, i went to the website desperate for a hotline or something. (they really should have an oncall person there to give advice.) and after our all time low point, i won't go into details, but its on video tape for both her and i, i got on my knees and prayed with everything i have inside of me. this battle is not just of our wills, but this is for her soul. there has always been a power struggle with her, about anything and everything. but i believe this power struggle is a spiritual one, and i'm not giving up. not now. so i came up with a new sticker chart. one for positive behavior. she and i sat down together and thought of behaviors we wanted to implement. we choose of course "bedtime" (meaning, not whining or crying about bedtime and staying in her room once we've said goodnight). there was "obeying" (this is a BIGGIE for obvious reasons), "love and kindness" (i was pretty generous here, just wanted to give her reminders of when she was being thoughtful, or loving and kind towards others), "helping" (she's great at this one, putting toys away and folding laundry and putting it away), and "eating her dinner without a battle." (she wrote that one on the chart. and its not that we force her to eat all of her meal. we've recognized this is a power struggle and some times it doesn't matter what's for dinner, she just refuses. it can be something she loved last week, and this week she wont' eat a bite. we do make meals that our whole family eats, and also have things that are new and enforce a "no thank you bite" policy: if you don't want to eat it, or think you might not like it, you must take a bite of it to try it. 9 times out of 10 they like it and eat it. tonight we had a battle of the green beans and a refusal of a thank you bite. screaming and yelling and shouting at the table, until finally she took a taste and said, "i like it a little bit" silly girl.)

so back to the sticker chart. it only took her about 3 weeks to fill up that chart and like i said, i was generous about giving stickers. she got to choose the stickers and put each one on. it was also a good letter/phonics game too because i would tell her, "elliana, good job! you just earned a sticker for obeying!" and she would say "o o obeying. obeying starts with o!" this gave her such confidence and sense of control, of which i know she is craving. she's told me before she can't wait until she's the mommy and is the boss.

so we filled up the chart and she got to choose a special treat. in the past when she filled up a row of 5, she could get a special lollipop, or maybe a little dollar store toy, something small but special. i wanted this to be a big deal, because it is. so i let her choose a toy that i probably would've ever bought her. its more than i wanted to pay, but it was worth it to me. it was a barbie endangered species animal doctor thing where you take care of the animal and have doctor tools to fix it and it purrs and cries and eats from a bottle. its actually really cool. she plays this animal doctor game on barbie.com. she earned it with all her hard work and excellent behavior. she felt so good and proud and accomplished that day.

the last sticker she needed to earn was for "love and kindness" so last friday i told her we had errands to run and to think of ways she can show love and kindness. so she would hug on me and love on me and then ask, "did i earn a sticker?" not quite. so we did our stuff and went to trader joes and she was so worried about the sticker. we were in line and she was talking to the little girl next to us who was her age also. the clerk gave tucker 2 stickers and then offered elliana some. as we were leaving the store elliana put one sticker on her shirt (Like she always does) and then said, "here tucker, do you want a sticker?" and offered him her other sticker. and i said, "elliana, that was so sweet to think of your brother! without even trying you were being thoughtful. way to go babe!" i love that picture. her heart really came out effortlessly, and that was the perfect way to finish our sticker chart.

so we are on chart #2 and together elliana and i added to our existing list "self control" this is such a big one for her. i did remind her during her little "burst out" about the green beans tonite that her behavior was not sticker earning behavior OR showing self control.

even though we still have little episodes of misbehavior, i will say that she is pulling out of it so much faster and easier. before it was a long, drug out, kicking and screaming (by all parties involved) showdown. but lately, she'll just look at me and go, "ok." and that's it.

so praise god for sticker charts and for the fruits of the spirit.

"love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, faithfulness, goodness, and self control."

-Galations 5:22

20 months!

today tucker is 20 months! i've totally stopped doing these posts, and at some point you stop telling people he's "19 and a half months". i'm almost there. ;)

so bubby wubby is like a little boy. he's not a baby, at ALL! he's totally into tractors. like BIG TIME! we have to sleep with both of our "kakka book!"s and sometimes i let the big green tractor in for nappy time. he climbs on everything and the higher it gets him the better. he loves jumping off furniture, falling and bonking stuff, chasing chessa and grabbing her tail, riding his little red trike to "go to work" (he waves at us and says bye! its so cute), he loves brushing his teeth with us, takes a shower with either justin or i each day. this kid is squeaky clean! he loves babies and shushing them and rocking and feeding them (with a bottle, not nursing!), wears sissy's dress up shoes and tries to put my fancy heels on, but i gotta draw the line somewhere! loves wearing headbands, love hitting balls and has an arm like a bullet, loves bikes and scooters, and anything with wheels. he loves music time and singing and dancing. he loves "the chessa songs" and can finish each sentence like elliana did. ( i'd sing the song and leave out the last word of the sentence and she would sing it, so does tucker). he loves playing whatever sissy is playing and they have this language that is so cute. she'll yell "ahhhhhh!! ah! ah!" and he'll come running and they'll play chase on our little playhouse. today she was watching a show and he runs in the room and says "sissy.....ahhhh!" and went running waiting for her to chase him. so cute.

he loves playing with little people sets we have and is starting to pretend play with them. he loves cooking in our play kitchen. yesterday he had a pot with stuff in it and a spoon and he brought the spoon up to my mouth and made a tasting sound (i can't type it but you know what i mean when you smack your lips like you're pretend eating?). he loves doing anything we are doing in our kitchen too. he pulls up a chair and grabs a spoon and has it in whatever we are making. not always so "helpful" but he loves being nosy about food. just like his daddy!

i made tucker this tractor shirt the other day and he absolutely LOVED it! of course that always makes a mama feel good. he wanted to bring the shirt to bed with him. so i let him and i spread it out so he could look at it and then he buried his face in it and snuggled with it. i was thinking i could make him a tractor softy or something? i guess i could do a pillow. i think i'm gonna piece together these tractors to make a quilt for him. i think he just likes looking at them, his last thoughts before he drifts off to sleep.

lately he has been standing on everything especially his red trike, which is the best little bike i scored at the consignment shop for $10! it manuevers around so good and he gets going fast! anyways in this picture he's standing on one foot and you can't tell but he's bouncing on the seat too! seriously crazy. justin thinks he'll be a motorcycle stunt tricker. riiiiight. you know those guys who do big jumps on their bikes and kick their legs off and let go so they can clap behind their backs and then do a handstand on the seat all while floating 20 feet in the air. yah. no thanks.
oh my sweet bubs. and he's been going potty, like every day! what? i wish i could take credit for it, but its been all him. some days he goes 2 and 3 times in it. i've been trying to keep track and he's pretty consistent. he never ceases to amaze me.

bubkins, little wubbers. wubkins (this is our fav lately, we all call him this), elliana calls him handsome prince, wubster, tuckeroo, tuck, tuckerucker, wubbykins, little bubby wubkins.

he's so sweet. he just melts my heart.

"where i come from...."

this is the painting that i was feverishly working on. it was constantly on my brain, invading my thoughts, inspiring me to create.

elliana is in love with it. it hangs above our fireplace mantle in our living room. i asked her who she thought it was and she said, "its me." "what is she thinking about?" "she's thinking about.....dancing."well actually my dear, its me. when i got out of high school, i went through a bit of a hippie period. not so much a smelly stoner hippie, but just a very natural, no makeup, no animal byproducts, nothing on my body that had a product that promoted animal testing or cruelty. my hair was long and untouched, no hair products (my dad being a hair dresser was mortified), and i was an art student. i painted. i created. i was messy, always had paint on my hands, always. i wore non-leather birkenstocks, recycled corduroy bell bottoms and nature conservancy t-shirts. this painting reminds me of that. "with flowers in her hair."

where i worked downtown in college, i would walk to a little bush on the corner that had amazing smelling gardenias. i would always pick one when i passed by and put it in my hair with a bobby pin.

and of course a butterfly was just so me. delicate and spreading her wings to fly.

i cut the butterflies out on a die cut machine at the craft store and just taped them to the wall.

you can barely see but i've added a nest to my hair. a nest seems to be so fitting now that i'm a mother. mama bird. my home. my eggs. comfort and nurture.

elliana thinks she needs eyes, or eye lashes. so what do you think? do you keep focusing on the fact she has no eyes? it doesn't bother me but i don't want it to be too distracting....it IS in our living room and the main focus. justin didn't notice it! after i installed it but elliana did and she said, "oh mommy i LOVE it!" and justin looked up (we have 12 foot ceilings) "oh yeah, it looks nice. its pretty girly."

word to the wise, don't tell artist painting is girly when she clearly is not seeking that sort of approval. i forgot to put on my hard candy shell when exposing my art to the public. but the hard candy shell is on now.

does she need eyes/lashes? i'm thinking maybe a little swirly lash? i do lovva da swirls.

whats been cookin....

i've been sewing a lot lately and here's a taste of what i've ben up to.

deluxe gift sets: mommy bag, diaper clutch, nursing cover and designer burpies. new zuzu's petals nursing covers:
and introducing...
da da da daaaaah
super new *snuggle blankies*!!


super soft minky dots backed with sweet baby fabrics!

they measure a generous crib size 36"x30" and are machine washable.

perfect for baby, toddler and even as a throw blanket for your couch!

*in our house we all have a "snuggle blankie". we don't use top sheets, just our snuggle blankie. its the softest, most snuggly blankie to sleep with. elliana's is purple, tucker's is a new green camo that i just made for him, and ours is a tan colored one. they are soft and plush and super snuggly. so i wanted to make blankies that were "snuggle blankie" worthy and coordinate with the rest of my sweet baby stuff.

i will be adding them to the shop soon!

also a few new diaper clutch fabrics and zippered pouches! i will be offering the zippered pouches as "add-ons" to the mommy bags at a discounted price as well as sold individually. they are perfect for "mommy things" and for holding money, makeup, and anything else you don't want rolling out of your bag *ahem* ;)

i'm on a roll folks. athena (my new sewing machine) has been properly broken in and has been accepted into the family. i even put my old machine *sniff* under the table with a cover on her. just in case, ya know.

tucker's tractors

this past thanksgiving tucker rode on papa's tractor for the first time.

and something in him shifted. you can see it in his eyes. he was serious. something was born.

"cahcah?" his love for tractors. last weekend tucker rode on the tractor with papa and helped him work.

but lately, they're multiplying around here.

this is all tucker. he's come up with his love for tractors all on his own. everywhere we go, he spots tractors. "bye cahcah," he says as we are passing by. this boy can't get enough.

now he's been saying, "yeee-aahhhh." like a real cowboy.

tractors and deer.

his daddy is proud.

he's trying to throw in motorcycles and baseball to the mix. (i'm vetoing the motorcycles)

i've been looking for the perfect "non-tractorish" fabric to make him a quilt for his 2nd birthday in july. i'm painting him a series of tractors to hang above his crib.

i'm thinking a tractor birthday for my little guy.

my wubkins is turning into a boy, can you believe it?

Giveaway!

There is a giveaway over at Mama Manifesto to win one of my Diaper Clutches!

Mama Manifesto is a great blog with lots of great baby and mama advice, tips, stories, and product reviews of great baby items.

You have until March 5, so go check them out and add them to your blogroll!

my mommy day!

at the beginning of the month my SIL kate gave me the best mommy day ever!

she came down to visit and hangout and surprised me with these 4 green boxes each with an envelope and instructions.

the idea of this is just awesome. she created a day for me to put myself first. to do the things that will nourish ME. everybody deserves a day like this. it was so exciting to open each box and see what was inside for me to do!

the first box said "to remember" (click on the pictures to read the card and instructions enclosed):

this box had two blank picture frames and two sheets of picture paper for me to take pictures of something for me to rememeber my life right now.

put them in the frames and reflect on them.

the second box said "to let go": in the box were plates and markers and a plastic bag and a mix cd. i was to right on the plates all the fears, frustrations, stresses, and negative things i am holding on to. then place them in the bag and smash away. love this!

the third box said "to inspire": this box had a journal, little pots of paints (in awesome colors kate!) a gessoed canvas, paint brushes and another great mix cd.

the fourth box said "to renew": this box had two yummy candles, a set of bath salts and soaks from kate's mom soap shop stoney oaks farms, two PURPLE polishes, and a great mellow mix cd. i think the mix tapes, i mean cd's were one of my favorite parts!

there were also a few envelopes that had beautifully written words of encouragement and love from kate. and a super awesome NANNY TICKET! good for one nanny for the day.

and this beautiful plant to remind me to take care of myself and nourish myself.

so after kate "released me" and all the guilt that is associated with letting someone else watch your children, i sewed for a bit, playing one of my new mix cd's, then took a shower (without someone watching me or showering with me for a change!) got ready and headed to my favorite coffee shop to journal. i brought a few of the projects with me and started them, but mostly just sad and journaled, drew on the blank pages, prayed, and met god in the pages of my journal. it was awesome. and i completely needed it. to have that uninterrupted time with god, to create, and to actually finish a thought was priceless.

*when i was in college i used to journal daily, i needed it. it was how i breathed. i have a box with journals chock full of inspirations, thoughts, prayers, dreams and hopes, words, collages, soon-to-be paintings, art projects, etc.

then after that i came home and painted. i hadn't painted in a while.

and something released in me. it sparked a new fire of creativity and inspiration that i had been longing for.

then justin and i went out on a date to sierra nevada brewery (my fav!) and it was wonderful.

elliana picked out my entire outfit. the dress, sweater, jewelry, shoes and even my purse! she loves it when we go out on dates i think because she can "get rid of us!"

it was a wonderful day and i am so thankful that my wonderful sister in law and best friend was so thoughtful to do something like this for me. it meant so much to me. thanks again kate!

:)

creative update:

*i've been working on two paintings, one i will share soon.

*have several new purses in the works,

*new ideas for the Green Baby Expo in june and

*some ideas for a quilt for tucker.

do you love Vintage Pearl Jewelry?

then go over here and enter into this giveaway to win this necklace! a winner will be chosen on saturday so go enter this giveaway!

i bought a necklace from the Vintage Pearl for Elliana's birthday last year and i love it! this heart necklace is one that i've had my eye on for myself and now its up for a free giveaway! woot!