Weekend Snapshot

Here is a brief synopsis of our weekend. We worked...

Style #2 of the grocery store bag...

The shed looked like this on Saturday:And like this by Monday:
And we played...

Mini and Conner...how sweet is this picture?

Under the Weather

Mini and I, along with the Patch kids headed back to the doctor Friday for a follow-up. Mini's tonsils are still enlarged and I wanted reassurance that it wasn't anything to be concerned with...reassurance is not exactly what I received. The rapid acting Strep test came back negative, and thus I told the doctor that I was still concerned about the size of her tonsils, she had a look and shared the same concern. Although the redness in her tonsils has diminished, her glands are still very swollen, and the doctor did a lot of poking around in the abdomen area, so I am left to assume she was feeling around for her spleen. The doctor said, that the enlarged tonsils could be caused by Mono, which there is not a lot of ways to treat except for rest (with a 2 year old...yeah right?!). The next thing the doctor told us to start looking for is sleep apnea, because if her tonsils are causing sleep apnea, as she stated, "we will have to do something about that." I can only assume that means Mini will have to have her tonsils removed. The doctor did order the longer version of the strep test before we left. At this point, both Will and I are praying for Strep...it is definitely the lesser of the 3 possible diagnosis.

Here a few pictures of our "sick" child chasing bubbles. She doesn't look sick or act sick, but if you were to see her tonsils, you would be saying something different.

Fashion Friday

Sorry for the late post...it has been a busy day, but I will fill you in on that later. Here is the dress that I made for Mini for Memorial Day...this fabric is actually red, but it's hard to tell in the picture. This tutorial inspired the dress...of course, I kind of made it my own, but you can follow this tutorial to get the same effect.

Mini was asleep before she could model it for me!

Thankful Thursday

I'm so thankful to have the sweetest little girl in the world...I may be a little partial ;)! She also has TONS of personality and is quick witted! Check out our conversation last night:

Bella: Mommy, you lay down with me.
Me: Okay. I will, but only for a minute.

After prayers and singing Twinkle, Twinkle:
Me: Okay, Bella, mommy has to go night, night.
Bella: No mommy, you lay down right HERE!
Me: Bella, I need to go to bed in my bed.
Bella: Your bed is broke.
Me: My bed is not broke. I need to go night, night.
Bella: You stay here...I give you M&M's in the morning.
Me: You will?
Bella: Yes. I give you M&M's in the morning. You lay with me!

Bone "Ti-red"

Is it Friday yet??? I've been very light on the posts this week because honestly I am exhausted...Will and I both are. I have been sick for about 2 weeks now and it is depleting all of my energy, not to mention causing me to wake up numerous times throughout the night. I, a person who NEVER visits the doctor unless I have a severe allergic reaction to a bug bite, actually decided to bite the bullet and head to the doctor this past Saturday...so you know I felt REALLY bad. One hundred dollars later, I was told I had a virus and would just have to let it run it's course; hence the reason I don't visit the doctor. I'm starting to feel a little better, but have had some issues at work, which have not helped the situation. Here are a few things Will and I have accomplished this week:

Will finished the walls and roof on the shed and has purchased the siding.
I have fulfilled 5 orders for the scrappy ribbon belts that I received after wearing mine.

I still have 5 more to complete, but am at a standstill because the fabric stores around town have run out of the belting material I need.

I completed the grocery bag for the Super Cooper Giveaway Winner.

Check out the lining...I love the different coordinating patterns!

Super Cooper Giveaway Closed

The Super Cooper Giveaway is closed! Thank you all for all your awesome ideas. It was hard to pick, so I let Will do the honors.

The winner is...Shawnee who said, "we have SO many stuffed animals around the house that never get played with...what can they be turned into?"

My first answer to the stuffed animal dilemma is you can borrow Frosty for a week...my dog tends to LOVE stuffed animals to DEATH! Several of Mini's stuffed animals have fallen victim to Frosty's love.

My second answer is much more suitable and civil, so look for a tutorial to reuse stuffed animals within the next two weeks.

Good news...since there were so many good suggestions/challenges, I will be posting numerous tutorials for those requested, so stay be on the lookout.

Fashion Friday...Superhero Style

What is a "Super" household without a Superhero??!! Introducing....my Shero...Mini Cooper...Ta, Ta, Ta-Ta! She is the toughest little girl I know. Her Superhero strengths include, but are not limited to: Lighting up any room with her laughter and smile, completely turning your terrible day around, and withstanding lots of pain with minimal tears.

Mini was too busy saving the world to pose for pictures.

I wanted a diamond emblem so that it was a little more "girly!"

Mini Cooper's official emblem on her cape!

Super Cooper Giveaway

This is totally new so bare with me! The winner of this weeks giveaway, will be the person who can challenge/inspire me! I'm always looking for challenge or inspiration for my next project. Thus this week's challenge/giveaway is for anyone who leaves a comment with a theme or idea that inspires me the most; they will also be the winner of a custom grocery bag! You can even list something you would like to see or would like me to create for you or your child. For those of you who are followers, but don't know how to leave a comment, all you have to do is have a google account, which is free to create!! The giveaway will close Saturday night at midnight!

Sick Day=Work Day

I stayed home with Mini yesterday so that she could have at least 24 hours of antibiotics in her system before she went back to school...I'm trying to do the right thing by not exposing anyone else. While Mini was playing upstairs, I went to work on a few things I've been wanting to do for a while. Here is a scrap ribbon belt that I made for myself and then one for Mini inspired by Lilblueboo and this tutorial.

I'll reveal more "sick day/work day" projects later on the week.

Mother of the Year Monday

So it has been a while since I've had one of these posts, but this situation warranted "Mother of the Year" status. Last week, Mini ate some paper so I asked her to open up and spit it out...it was then that I noticed how incredibly large her tonsils were. Will looked and thought they were huge too, but Mini had no other symptoms: no fever, no complaints, no loss of appetite, no moodiness, or irrability...NOTHING! Saturday, her eyes were gunky, which was no surprise because she had a runny nose. That night we went see our good friends, Robert and Kim's new beautiful house and then went to dinner afterwards. I asked Kim, who is a nurse at Mini's doctor's office to peak at her tonsils and she was equally shocked at their size and couldn't believe that Mini actually ate her dinner...yes, they were/are that big. Today we went to the doctor more for my sake, because Mini still only had the enlarged tonsils, runny nose, and gunky eyes...NO FEVER! The doctor was also equally as impressed with the size of Mini's tonsils! The verdict is...double ear infections and a bad case of strep throat. There is no telling how many kids Mini infected at daycare, so for that, I am very sorry...I really had NO idea!

So my new note to self is when my child's tonsils are the size of small golf balls, touching, and the uvula can barely be seen...it is probably strep, even without any other symptoms! This note is in addition to the previous note that when Mini says "boo-boo" numerous times, she should be taken to the Emergency Department at the nearest hospital.

Working Weekend

We had a busy, busy, busy weekend this weekend. I had a bow holder order to fill and Will decided to start our shed. Here are a few pictures from this weekend.

My work...a bow holder: Will's work:

My work...I love the flamingo ribbon:

Will's work...note the attempt at a tarp was made as a monsoon came:

My work...new bows for Mini!

Will's work...let's cross our fingers that all the wood purchased and the frame of our new shed is not ruined!

My work, another bow holder:

I did help Will build the shed, so Will's work could be labeled "Our Work," well maybe 70/30, but I DID help him!!

Fashion Friday

So I've been feeling very guilty lately. You see, I have been teaching my students about the 3 R's...reduce, reuse, and recycle, but haven't exactly been practicing what I've been preaching; thus I decided to make a grocery store bag that not only holds other bags, but also looks somewhat cute. I used some fabric that I have had for a LONG time. The outer part is a burlap and the inner shell is a canvas print, both very strong fabrics! Who says you can't be cute an sassy while grocery shopping...or at least your bag can ;)!

There are 6 pockets, perfect for storing reusable grocery bags!

Do you like my version of the reusable grocery bag? If so, then you can have your very own custom grocery bag...look for details next week as the Super Coopers will host their very first giveaway!

Thankful Thursday

I am so thankful that Mini seems to love the beach as much as I do. Let me preface this by saying that I was certified to scuba dive at 12, on a swim team, a lifeguard at 15, and taught swimming lessons shortly after. Will was also on a swim team, a lifeguard at both a pool and the ocean, and his parents live on a boat; thus if Mini didn't like the ocean or the water, we were going to be in a predicament! Luckily, she LOVES the water, the ocean, and the beach, so we are golden!!!

On the walkway to our private beach get-away, which is actually a Public Beach Access that apparently not many people know about, which we LOVE!

Mini enjoying her lunch at the kid's picnic table that Will won!

She decided to get IN her bucket full of water!

Mini met a boy on the beach...hopefully this is not a sign of things to come!

The whole family enjoying the beautiful day in the ocean!

Ticked-off Tuesday

So last week, I walked into daycare to find Mini playing with legos that were built into the shape of a gun, while saying "Pow, Pow!" Grrrrrrr!!!! I'm sure I might offend many people with this post, but why in the world would you let your 2 year old play "guns!" We have never exposed Mini to any shows or anything that involve guns, so I know it is coming from daycare. Again...grrrrrrrr! I used this moment as a teaching moment, and explained to her that guns can hurt people and we do not play "guns." Since then, she has made a gun with her fingers, and said "Pow, Pow;" I then look at her with my mean mommy face and she says to me, "shhh, don't do that," so she does know it's wrong. Hopefully she will stop, because it is soooo not appropriate for a 2 year old to even play "guns!"

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Mini's latest saying is "Mama, do you hear dat?" She is referring to the sounds of transportation around us. We are fortunate enough to live in an area that is about 15 minutes from a small commercial airport, 45 minutes from an Air Force base, and about 1/4 of mile from railroad tracks. Mini is fascinated by all modes of transportation especially the "school bus, airpane, and helitopter!" Every time she hears a car, plane, or train she says, "Mama, do you hear dat?" I reply, "what is that?" She says, "I don't know." If I can find it or she can find it, we make it a point of conversation. On afternoon walks, we enjoy watching the military planes fly overhead in their formations, as well as the military helicopters! She also really enjoys hearing trains, she states, "chug-a-chug-a-choo-choo!" Then of course every bus, no matter the kind is a "school bus." She is also into tractors, and states, "tractors eat dirt, but Bella don't eat dirt"...yeah right! Mini continues to amaze me everyday as her knowledge expands...it is a joy to watch!

Fashion Friday - Home Edition

Here are my latest projects...just in time for Mother's Day and gifts for Mini's "Nana" and great grandmothers. I still have one left to make, but it can wait a while as Mini's other grandmother is out of the country. If you would like your very own silhouette pillow, you can go HERE to learn how.

All three of them have different fabrics!

A close up.

I LOVE this color...this is my mom's or Mini's "Nana."

I also love the yummy fabric on the back of the pillow.