Layla

My heart is heavy today, and I can't think of a thing to blog about that is light. So I will bare it here and hope you bear with me. I have followed the journey for some time now of a beautiful little girl named Layla Grace. She is only about 10 months older than Halle, so in some ways I think I have identified with her family. Layla has cancer, stage 4 high risk neuroblastoma. And right now, today, she is fighting for her little life. Last week her mother wrote a blog post on Layla's website about regrets and what she would do differently if she knew. She wrote about moments in raising her 3 children when she relished nap time and would have the thought 'if I could just get some quiet time to work'... and now her house is all too quiet. Layla is fighting but is now mostly in her bed asleep, and her mom would kill to have her sweet baby under her feet, slowing down every day activities.

I have had a huge knot in my stomach for this family. For this mom. Just the other day I was working at the table trying to balance my checkbook online, and Remy came to me asking for his milk from the fridge. I told him 'just a minute' and he said 'I promise I'll leave you alone if you will just get my cup for me'. Ugh. My heart sank as I realized that I had given my sweet angel the impression that I didn't want him to bother me. What will I regret about these days? Today I hold my littles a bit tighter. My kisses linger a bit longer. And I pray for the battle that sweet Layla is fighting and doesn't seem to be winning by our worldly standards. But she will win. And I love that her parents know this. Whether the cancer miraculously leaves her body, or her little body is healed in the arms of Jesus, she will win.

This week I have been confronted with a strange sense of emptiness in my life. I have identified with the author of Ecclesiastes when he wrote of it all being 'meaningless', and the big questions of life have been plaguing me. I have been literally in constant prayer for Layla, and I've had a hard time doing anything, as it all seems so trivial. So I have played with my kids. I let Halle 'help' unload the dishwasher even though it took twice as long as normal. I have let laundry pile up and played one more game of Cootie with Remy. And I have cried.

Sorry this isn't my typical Friday Love post, but I just don't have it in me. I hope that you will join me in praying for Layla and so many other little ones who are fighting such an awful disease.

Wordless Wednesday

4

There is something magical about these early years. Toys can become treasured friends, a box can become a castle, and a house can become a party with the addition of balloons. Remy's birthday was actually yesterday, but the lines began to blur as he celebrated on Friday in his class at school, and then Saturday his party, and finally Sunday by taking donuts to his class at church. Now that the weekend is over he is 4. My sweet baby boy is no longer quite a baby, and I'm feeling a bit sentimental about the whole thing. Quick, Mandy, move on to talking about something else... !

I thought I would share a bit about the party, now that the panic and preparations are over and I can breath a little bit. Everything went off pretty much without a hitch, and we had a wonderful group of friends and family descend upon the house. I always struggle with the menu at our kids' parties because though the party is for a little one, we typically invite quite a few adults. I really strive for the food to be a bit more sophisticated in taste while appealing to the wee ones. Remy's theme this year was dinosaurs, so we went with a bit stack of cupcakes (devil's food with buttercream), dirt pudding with bone 'spoons', and 'pterodactyl wings' (buffalo wings for the adults and chicken nuggets for the littles) were the foundations of the spread.

Cupcake with fondant dinos (from this previous post) and chocolate 'dinosaur eggs'

Dirt pudding with bone 'spoons'~ I really wasn't thrilled with doing the traditional dirt pudding, so I went with my own recipe that included cream cheese, powdered sugar, whipped cream, pudding, and Oreos. It really tasted a bit more like cheesecake, and I was really happy with it! The cookies were crunchy sugar cookies with sanding sugar on top.

 Goody bags~ This was the one thing that Remy requested for his party aside from balloons. Thankfully Easter is fast approaching, so 'dinosaur' eggs are out in full force. We also included some fake bugs, yoyos, glow bracelets, poppers, and various other small treats.

The Boy Wonder had a wonderful time, though having the party in the afternoon meant for a long day. I found myself struggling for things to keep the littles occupied, but in the end it translated into an early and quick bed time routine. Remy and Halle were equally exhausted and fell asleep with almost no coaxing~ I love that! It was a great day, and we are so thankful to everyone who shared the day with us. My only 'complaint' is that we clearly stated NO presents on the invitations and EVERY SINGLE GUEST brought a gift. Late in the day Remy told me that he 'must be really special to have such a great birthday', and I assured him that it's true. My boy is so special, and we are so blessed. Happy Monday!

Friday Love~ Remember when this was fun?

I am so excited that the weekend is here! The cupcake baking is almost finished, other party foods are in the fridge, and my in-laws are on their way... this all adds up to a super-duper weekend for my birthday boy!

Happy Fine Art Print by Ginger Lee Photography

My Scoutie Girl 'homework' for the blog this week is to write about how I fell in love with creating. I have been chewing on this one since Monday and have been having a hard time putting into words. Then, as I was working on Rem's birthday banner last night it kind of came to me: I'm not so in love with creating at the moment. It sort of took me by surprise because I have had such a great week making things for the party. And that's the point! When I first started this blog it didn't have an agenda. I was living life, making with my kids and taking pictures. This journal just followed and has grown to bigger than I thought it would be. And I do love that! I love getting your emails and comments. I love the conversation around the web with my 'bloggy' friends. And I love the community~ y'all have made some hard times bearable and this outlet keeps me sane (sometimes).

So what I am thinking is that it's the pressure I put on myself that takes the life out of this. I love creating something with my two hands. I have loved it since before I can remember, I think it's just part of how God made me. But I so love my family and that is also in my makeup. I look at the Proverbs 31 woman and see who she is, and I strive to be like her. And what that translates into for me right now is doing less. Less goal setting. Less pressure for more inventory. Less advertising. Less fears that I might not be the Next Big Thing.

I want to love this life. I want to be more. I want to breath in everything that God has placed in front of me to enjoy. I want to make more with my kids. I want to make more inspired things out of joy, not some self-imposed goal. This life is too precious.

Thanks for listening to my rant. I think what this translates to is that much won't change around here, but I will. I still plan on keeping my shop. I love that little spot! But what you may see is different kinds of inventory because I really want to allow myself the freedom to create whatever it is that's in my heart & head.

Happy Friday, lovelies! I am loving this life. Right here. Today. I hope you have a weekend filled with the people and things that you love!

Anticipation

Well, you can't be around this place for more than a few seconds without hearing that someone has a birthday coming up. Or maybe it's not the actual birthday you would hear of but rather the dinosaur party... We are in full party prep mode, and it's getting more chaotic by the minute. Remy really wanted dinosaur everything, and the first thing I wanted to figure out was the cupcakes. I did a bunch of searching online and found a really cute picture of a tiny little dino standing on top of a layer of buttercream 'grass' that I thought would be perfect. 

In my limited cake decorating experience, I thought that the dinosaur looked like fondant, and I. Hate. Fondant. Not so much working with it, but I detest the taste. And before I get swarmed with the chorus of 'Oh, you haven't tasted mine! and 'You just haven't had it my way' just let me tell you that I have tried lots of it. And I have never found one that tastes as good as it looks. So anyway, my sister consulted with her friend who makes the most amazing cakes, and she suggested that I try marshmallow fondant. I found the recipe here at wilton.com, and not only was it super easy, but it tastes great. I had to practically tear Remy and Halle away from the counter to put it away! I'll show you the finished products next week, but here's a pic of my little helper in action.

This girl hates to miss a party!

In other news, Halle has decided to start talking in sentences. 'Hello, puppy!' and so many other fun things are pouring out of her little mouth. The fondant even prompted her to say the tricky 3 syllable 'marshmallow'. I love this echoing stage, but the other day I happened to say that her wild hair made her look like a mental patient, and what does she say but 'mental patient' with perfect clarity. I am going to scar these sweet children for life, I'm afraid!

A Boy and His Dog

Monday Monday

Happy Monday, lovelies! We are running on very little sleep due to a crazy, barking puppy. It seems now that he's out of the shelter and has found a family to constantly love on him, he doesn't want us out of his sight, even at night.  I'm thankful that it's Trace's day off and we are just staying in today. I have been listing new things all day and am excited to show you a couple of finished pieces that are new in the shop! 

This capelet is one of my absolute favorite things! I love the idea of not having to mess with sleeves, especially as the days get warmer and heavy layers aren't as necessary. 

As soon as I saw this print, the idea for this dress came into my mind. I love everything about it, and I can almost guarantee that Halle will soon have one, maybe in time for Easter! This dress has a fairly simple basic construction, but the detailing is what makes it so special. The neck and hem have a sweet ruffle, and it ties in the back.

Have a great afternoon! Homemade waffles have been requested for dinner, so I'd better get on it!

Rescued

I WAS RESCUED Pet ID tag by Poochy Couture

We survived night one of puppy-training. Perhaps barely, but survived nonetheless. Much coffee will do a world of good today, but overall we are finding Starbucks to be a good little guy.

My hands-down favorite part of yesterday was hearing Remy tell Starbucks that he didn't need to be sad because he 'wasn't homeless anymore'. My eyes tear up just typing it. I can't help but look at the situation through 'Christ-colored lenses' and see the direct correlation to my life. Rescued. It has such huge implications, that word. Ephesians 5:8 says 'For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God...' I saw our new puppy cuddled up on the couch, looking so content, and I caught myself just wondering what was running through his mind. We aren't sure how long he was in the shelter system, but he's only 14 months old. He'd been at the shelter where we found him since November and was nearly euthanized in the shelter previous to that, so we're assuming that it's been most of his life. Can you imagine what this first day of snuggling on the couch and being loved on by 4 people, petted by 8 eager hands, has been like?!

I can only hope that at the end of the day I am so thankful towards my Master, grateful for the gift of this life in Him. I found this in my Bible and thought it fit perfectly with today:

"While I was a sinner, lost and hopeless, without purpose or value, You saved me. I did nothing to earn this salvation. It was only by Your power and for Your pleasure that You saved me. You crafted my into a new creation full of divine purpose and value, I have been transformed from death to life, from hopelessness to purposefulness, from ashes to beauty, and all by the power and prerogative of Your grace. What can I do in response but to thank You for living in me and to seek with all my heart to live in You?"

Happy Thursday!

What were we thinking!?

We'd like for you to meet Starbucks, the newest member of our family. No, we didn't give him that name~ it is practically against our religion as lovers of real coffee and a lover of 'the little guy' and small businesses, but that's the name the shelter gave him, and Remy refuses to let us change it. So Starbucks it is. (And apparently I was going for the longest run-on sentence in blog history?)

We picked him up today, and he's quickly making himself at home. I had forgotten how trying it can be to house-train a dog, but we're doing our best. But I don't have much time, so I should go... a few more pics and then it's off to pick up some messes, I'm sure.

From Bored to Busy

Well in the time since my last post, we have gone from boredom to a near frantic pace, getting ready for a new arrival. About 2 weeks ago, we were doing our regular walk through the local pet store to look at the fish and reptiles. On this particular day they happened to have several dogs from a no-kill animal shelter that is in a nearby town. I CANNOT resist puppies. I just can't. And my sweet Dr. Dolittle, Remy, has the same affliction. There was one puppy in particular that we haven't been able to stop thinking about. Remy wakes up talking about this dog, pretends to be this dog all day, and he and his daddy have prayed relentlessly for this pooch at night. This pup has gotten way under our skin.

Fast-forward to yesterday, Trace's day off, when Remy and I convinced him that we should travel the 30 minute distance to visit the animal shelter. (There are closer shelters, but our sweet boy was at this one!) We petted and played with several, but in the end, the same little guy won our hearts. We left empty-handed because there was still a little arm twisting to do to get The Boss to say yes. But after a zillion times of Remy sighing and saying 'I sure do wish we could bring him home to our house...' Trace finally gave in.

So tomorrow is the day! We spent the afternoon/evening getting things in order (as much as one can in this house!), and tomorrow we go to pick up our little guy... So excited! I'll keep you posted~ I know you are dying to see him!

Bored

Happy Tuesday, sweet bloggy friends! We had a lovely weekend, and I'm trying to get back into the swing of things this week. Why is it that every week I feel like it's tough to get going?! It reminds me of how people always say 'how quickly Christmas came this year'... and I want to say, "Come on, people, it comes at the same time every year!". Such a hypocrite, I guess. This time of year is a bit annoying, I think. The thrill of snow has long gone away (for me and Trace, at least~ as you can see, the novelty hasn't worn off yet for the wee ones), and now I am just itching to get outside. Now that we're in a house and not an apartment I am longing to throw open the windows and let the littles run in the yard. I'm mentally planning our garden and what wonderful things we'll be able to dig up- Oh, the possibilies!

But back to this snowy February day... at this point we are running out of options... and our sanity!

Interrobang Pin by leahmakindotcom

So my question to you is this: What do you do? when boredom set in? when you have played every game and worked every puzzle (ten million times...)? I would love to hear some of your ideas for making these cold days easier! Leave a comment, and I just might sweeten the pot with a prize for my favorite!

Friday Love

Today I am absolutely loving some girl time! (Actually today and yesterday while Remy was at school...) Halle is quite the princess, and what princess doesn't need some royal slippers?! These little pink (of course!) and fuzzy slippers seem made for dancing!

It's a pretty rough life for my little lady of leisure...

Have a wonderful weekend full of the people you love! Happy Friday!

Give a Little Love

I am lamenting the fact that Remy chose mass-produced commercial Valentines this year. The appeal of Spidey to a Super-hero-in-the-making is just too strong. So today I give you a few of my hand made favorites that I would love to give (or get!).

Hand Cut Card by Storey Shop

I wonder if Trace would believe this one!?

Plantable Heart Tags by Green Post

Pick Me Gift Tags by sweet harvey

Tea Party School Valentines by Stephanie Fizer

Matchbox Goodies by ivy lane designs

Printable cards by vol25

I'm just hoping I can still convince Halle to make something with me! Happy Wednesday!

Excuses

So I really did have an idea of a creative-type post that I was going to do today, but plans change. Let me just unpack the last 18 hours or so for you... Last night Halle, who wasn't feeling great to begin with, decides that it would be the night to test us. And I mean really TEST us. She went to bed as usual around 7. She was kind of whimpering and crying, but we chalked most of it up to her stuffy nose and cough. We continued to check on her, check on humidifier, rub on the Baby Vicks, etc... but nothing seemed to be working. We were really feeling bad for her! Around 9:30 I decided to take a big blanket in and try to get her to fall asleep on my chest. She tried it for about 5 minutes and then sat up, smiled and started talking. Happy as a clam. (Her, not me!) I wasn't going to fall for that, so I put her back in her bed. Then the screaming began. And this was trying-out-for-a-horror-film-screaming, not your average baby cries. And this went on until after midnight. Finally at some point she passed out, as did we, until she woke up bright and early at 6:30.

Now onto this morning. Trace got up with the littles, because it was his lucky day to get up early. Everyone was fed, changed, and happily watching some PBS. Trace went to work and just a few minutes later Remy tells me his ear is hurting. "Why?", I asked. "I don't know."  Then a few minutes later I hear him making some quiet pained noises and again I ask about his ear and why it's hurting. "Well, Pterodactyly (clever name for his pterodactyl, right?) may have stuck his wing in there." Hmmm. I give him a few more minutes, but I can see the pain escalating. Another trip to the ER. Fun. That makes 2 in the 4 weeks since we moved here.

We spent the next two hours waiting for a diagnosis in the ER. Let me just tell you, if you really want to inflict some torture on an unsuspecting person, your best way just might be to stick them in a filthy, tiny room in a hospital. Drop in two toddlers, one of whom is in pain and one who had no sleep and a cold. Be sure to empty the room of any toys or things that could possibly entertain them and just say "Wait.". Make certain that it is right around snack time and that the only snack she has access to is an old (thankfully still in the wrapper) granola bar in the bottom of the diaper bag.  And that this fiasco will last until after lunch time right into nap time. Said tortured person will never be the same, I guarantee it.

Thankfully Rem only has a scratch on his eardrum and not an actual tear. I am thankful for that! But let me just be honest with you that I am now in pajama pants and plan on eating a big chocolate chip pecan cookie bar (made last night before Fright Night began...) and enjoying a giant cup of hot coffee. And I won't feel guilty about it today. (Okay, in truth, I might feel a little guilty, but I know I shouldn't...)  And I apologize because a creative post will have to wait for another day. Or when my sanity returns from the hospital, which may not ever happen. I won't hold my breath.

Happy Tuesday!

Monday Quiet

A couple of shots from our weekend. I have decided that Monday is going to be quiet here on the blog, too, as it's Trace's day off and kind of a catch-up day around the house. Trace's all-nighter was a huge success on Friday, but with worship practice for him on Saturday and service yesterday, plus both kids having a nice barking cough, the weekend was a whirlwind. I am beginning to think that this will be the weekend norm for us!

Halle loves playing hide and seek, but the only way we know she wants to play is if we happen to catch her 'counting' in the corner... so cute!

Happy Monday! I'll see you all soon!