Grateful Friday

What a week this has been with all the preparations for vacation. I cannot wait to hit Lake Michigan and temperatures below 102! I am looking forward to learning new cooking techniques from Grandma R. and going on shopping adventures with Grandma K. I love, love, love Hubby's grandmothers. They could not be more different but are oh so special. We are also going to swing by Lansing so that Miss Mia can meet her name sake, (Well, her middle name's sake) in Hubby's Great-Aunt Violet.

Here is one of the pictures of Lake Michigan a few steps from the K's cottage in Whitehall! I can't wait to get back!

So on this Friday, hours before we leave for vacation, here is what I am grateful for:

-Air conditioning! With temperatures averaging 100 this week, praise Jesus for the cool air in my house!

-The time and funds to actually go on vacation. This is Miss Mia's first family vacation, & mine and Hubby's first vacation in three years. (Last vacation was to England in March of 2006!)

-Great friends and a fantastic fish fry! We had the opportunity to go out to our friends' farm and had a big fish fry with a lot of good company. The food was so fantastic, the kids played in the grass...ahh summer!

-So grateful that puppy let me give him a haircut. For those of you who have actually met Bentley, the kamikaze schnauzer, you know what a feat this is!

-I am ever so grateful for my little girl. She's everything we always wanted and I thank the Lord everyday for the new surprises she gives us that she is healthy. This past week, while perusing the Belle & Boo website (oh how I love her site!) I came across the Superprincess Ava illustrations. A story accompanied the drawings that told of a young girl, Ava, who had passed away unexpectedly. Her mother and Mandy of Belle & Boo had gotten together to commission the drawings. Ava's mother, Sheye is a photographer and has a beautiful blog. You can find Sheye's blog here. I recommend reading her blog, especially to any mother. I have cried so many times reading her daily life after losing her young child, but can't seem to stop reading. I have held Miss Mia tighter all week, took more pictures, and according to Hubby been so sappy! = )

My Water Baby

My beautiful girl's fun day outside with her water table had to be posted. Plus with vacation, I wanted to be sure to get these posted while I'm overly sentimental!
It's amazing how a small sand and water table, a diaper, a little shovel, and a little plastic fish equal a fantastic evening. She played for over an hour almost completely by herself. She did, however, like a good sister, offer the puppy a refreshing drink from her water table. He gladly took her up on the offer! It's been a little hot in Norman these last few days.


Oh, she is just so precious sometimes that I don't know what to do with myself!
When I found out we were having a girl, I was fairly sure I'd have a brown-eyed, brunette girl. I got something even better in that she has Hubby's Beauty Full blue eyes, both of our brown hair, but Hubby's curls. Hubby's family, particularly the men, all have very thick and very curly hair. I never even envisioned just how cute and curly her hair could be. The curls are one of my favorite things about our little Mia Bugs..
We have officially learned to say "cheese" when the camera is produced. She usually stops whatever she's doing to say cheese, so many times I have to sneak up to get a cute, "original" shot. This shot, however, was too cute to pass up.
Moments later, I luckily caught this shot of Miss Mia splashing herself with water and enjoying it so! She got to play in the water even more later when we took her in for her bath. She played in the tub with her duckies for over half an ...Lots of water for the water baby. I can't wait to see her eyes when she sees Lake Michigan!

Crazy Chicken...

I have been running around this week like a crazy chicken with no head. I have lists upon lists of what needs to get done this week but it feels like I'm making little progress. We leave tomorrow evening for vacation to Michigan. I am so excited to see Hubby's family and for many of them to FINALLY get to meet Miss Mia. We were gone last weekend to Texas to see my family and friends and now are turning around and leaving for 9 days! That is a lot of packing, planning, list making, cleaning, and laundry for this Mommy.
So here is the early attempts at packing early. I would like to note that MY bag is the big maroon one. Miss Mia's bag is the red one. The one with the flower is our our play bag with fun items for the trip (books, magna doodle, toys, etc)..the rest are Hubby's! That's right..those other 3 bags, (not to mention he has a fourth in the bathroom) are all his bags. I better not here anymore how I over pack! = )

Today after finishing up packing Miss Mia, I finally finished her new blanket. I made it two sided for her in her favorite color of pink. (or ping as she calls it!) Its super duper soft..I put two battings inside.
One of the other highlights of the trip is that I actually get to go to one of Hubby's cousin's wedding showers. Being 13 hours away, we rarely get to share these memories, and with her wedding coming on one of my Comps days in October, we sadly won't even get to go. Luckily, however, I will get to go to the wedding, so I've been putting together a special present for her. I got a few things off her registry (pizza pan, colander and glass oil bottle) and then filled the rest with fabulous Italian accessories to help make yummy Italian cusine and the best pizza crust!
In this envelope, I added several recipes, including my pizza crust, chicken soup, peanut butter cookies, and some great Southern and Texas recipes. With the couple being from Michigan they've always marveled at our spicy cuisine. I hope they love the gift and make many of the fabulous recipes!
Hubby has also been quite crafty for Miss Mia. He made her these two water tables and sand tables. She loves them so dearly. They are a perfect height, and have lids that actually snap shut!

Next time she plays out in them, I'll have to take her picture. The puppy also loves these tables height as he can drink from the water table when no one is looking. = )

Feeling Crafty

I have been feeling rather crafty. Sewing in my office has become the therapy I need to create something, anything really, that has nothing to do with studying for COMPS or dealing with ulcers. I have been finding so many cute ideas to make easy stuff for babies, and of course Miss Mia needs them all! Pillow monster is still a hit. Helga the doll sleeps with the Pillow Monster next to Mia every night.

Here are a few more things I have whipped up in the last few days. This is a place mat diaper-bag-to-go. This is my second one and I just loved this placemat. I bought all that my Target. (So going to the next girl I know who has a girl!) I got the idea from Unnecessary Necessities and the tutorial can be found here. The only thing I did differently was add velcro to keep mine shut. I have so much stick-on or sew on velcro and felt that kept the bag closed better. I use the one I made for Miss Mia as an insert to her diaper bag as well as by itself when are just running to the store. It easily holds a few diapers and wipes along with my wallet. When Miss Mia outgrows it, I'll probably use it for a tolietree case.


I have also been wanting to try my hand at covering a baby wipe case. One of my friends asked if I would try and make her one to go along with the small diaper bag I made. I had left over fabric from making the bag. The case was really easy. I googled "how to make a baby wipe case" and many tutorials came up. All it really takes is hot glue gun, fabric, wipes case, and some trim. I did the case in way less than an hour. Yet another easy and frugal gift to give your friend or to jazz up your own diaper bag!

A Day in the Life..

I found this print today and it was absolutely a perfect portrayal of my day. I have ironed, done the dishes (more sippy cups than dishes), put laundry out on the line, hand-sewn a project for Mia, cleaned the bathroom, and swiffered the floor! Just a day in the life. If only the print showed the housewife studying for COMPs, then it would have been my entire day!

Here is the "pillow monster" that I finished for Miss Mia today. The monster was not supposed to be a pillow, but Mia kept putting her favorite doll Helga on it to go "night night." So the monster became a pillow with eyes and a crooked smile. Of course, that is how all truly great creations begin! Pillow monster has yet to be named...but for now he's just pillow monster..and Helga's night night toy.

Grateful Friday

This week I have had much to be grateful for, especially today. Today marks Hubby and my 5th Wedding Anniversary. Thus with such a busy week and today's anniversary my 'grateful Friday' is more of a 'Grateful 5 Years....'

-The opportunity to travel around the world and the country with my best friend
-Making truly amazing friends
-Welcoming the world's cutest kid ever!
-New adventures, hiking trips, camp outs
-Around the house projects that didn't always go well but were funny to witness
-Many tears from laughing too hard
- Thousands of movie's watched
-So grateful for 5 wonderful years...they have gone back so quickly!
Hubby & Me at Leeds Castle (Weekend home of Henry VIII) outside London

A Look Inside...

Confession- I LOVE open windows. I love open houses, visiting friends houses, house tours, etc. I want to look in every cabinet, see how people decorate, open every box. I am so the friend that could possibly look in your bathroom cabinet when I visit your house. I won't read your prescriptions (b/c THAT would be too far, hehe). I really just want to see how you organize it. I'm a bit obsessed with organization.

So, since I love looking in others houses, I thought I'd do a little revealing of my home. I thought I'd start with my office desk. My desk is a bit multi-functional in that it is where I craft and study for my Comprehensive Exams (which are coming up in October...eek!)

So here is my desk area complete with new sewing machine that was my 5 year anniversary gift from hubby. I needed a lamp to read by and so I stole hubby's Texas Tech stained glass lamp that I bought him 6 years ago for his birthday! On the wall I have favorite photos, my summer study schedule, inspirational photos to spark creativity or calmness, and a Winston Churchill poster my hubby took for me off a bulletin board when we were students at Tech. (The poster is Churchill's famous quote, "Never, ever Give Up." He took it for me when I was working on my master's thesis. = )

A closer look at my inspiration wall. Things that provide me inspiration & motivation to go on. Picture of Mia & me at her first picnic, my favorite paint sample, an old postcard of London, and a picture of my niece & nephew.


I got this sign at Hobby Lobby for $2. I thought I needed the inspiration when I'm studying...as in "believe you will pass your exams."
New 10" Laptop that I really love, along with my Rosetta stone paperweight from the British Museum, an old sugar jar that I use to store misc buttons, and some of my current favorite books. My latest favorite is What Would Jackie Do? Love it!

Grateful Friday

One of my favorite blogs is Artsy-Crafty Babe. She sews really adorable stuff for her etsy shop and on has "gratitude Fridays." I thought it was such a wonderful way to wrap up ones week and put it into perspective. Thus on my "Grateful Friday..."
I am grateful for:
-Some truly delicious summer moments alone with Mia this week clapping our hands, dancing to Backyardigans theme song, and falling on the floor and laughing (Oh if I can remember this moment forever!)
-Getting to eat non-clear food! Yay!
-Having a sweet hubby who gave me my anniversary present early so that I could craft while sick
-Getting my office finally organized
-Chatting with good girlfriends on the phone
-Reality TV to be there for me when I'm sick! (My TiVo was so considerate of me during my sickness and recorded all my shows plus new ones it thought I might like...they were all ready and waiting on me when I literally couldn't get out of bed.)
-Fabulous finds at Target (including $1.50 placemats that I converted into small on-the-go diaper or travel caddies for future gifts!)
Diaper case idea and how-to at Unnecessary Necessities

The Weekend

What a last few days it has been. To start off with, on Wednesday I finally broke down and went to the doctor after 5 weeks of being sick. I had previously thought I had some horrid virus, but after 5 weeks, I knew it must be something else. So I went to the doctor here in Norman who diagnosed me with 3 ulcers but did not want to give me any medication. He asked, are you stressed? I told him, I am a Ph.D student, with an 18 month old, I am about to take a language proficiency exam, and my Comprehensive exams in October. If I fail them, I have to start all over...yes, I am stressed. So I call my parents, who recommend that I go to a stomach specialist back in Tx. Mom calls them and gets me an appointment for Friday morning. So I drop off Miss Mia, drive over 2.5 hours to Texas, see the specialist. He tells me that I do not have 3 ulcers...whew (I thought)...I have 5 with 60% stomach damage!! He says that I most definitely need some medicine. I also find out that my T-5 and T-6 vertebrae are out of whack. What vertebrae send the nerves to the stomach? 5&6! He asks me if I have had an acidic stomach for awhile. I tell him, almost my entire life! So he gives me medicine, I drive back to Oklahoma, pick up Miss Mia..and then crash.

Saturday, I woke up for the first day in weeks and was not sick! So hubby suggested we hit the lake, which we haven't been it since before Mia was born. When I was pregnant, we went to Lake Murray almost every weekend. I was 8 months pregnant and still kayaking! Mia has yet to be on the water, so we drove down and rented a canoe so we could all be together. Lake Murray is so beautiful, clear enough to see fish swimming below and to collect shells. It also has a great beach and place to swim.
Miss Mia LOVED the water! She was so good. She sat in the bottom of the canoe almost by herself and loved it. We paddled into a few coves, sat in the shade, and Mia put her feet or hands in the water. After canoeing and a small bite of lunch, we took Mia to the beach to play with her new shovel and buckets and swim. She loved it! She sat in the sand for over 2 hours and didn't say a word. She played and dug with me while hubby found beautiful rocks.
Miss Mia slept the entire way home, woke up for supper, and then went back to sleep until 8:30 the next morning! What a weekend!