Domestic Diva FAIL

Well all in one day I went from being Domestic Diva to Domestic Disaster!!!

Please don't laugh at me too much as I honestly share with you my domestic fiasco with you.

I had planned on getting up on time today (Dowe and I have been sleeping in a little the last few days.)  so that way I could shower, feed Monkey, then go do grocery shopping. I hadn't been shopping in a while and I wanted to know I had time to do everything I needed and wanted to do while I was gone. Well that didn't go so well. I've been having horrible nightmares again and last night was no different. This one was so bad I will not even tell Dowe about it. Blah. 

So instead of getting up I took comfort in my husband's arms. (Thank you sweetie!)

When I finally got up, showered, dressed, fed Monkey, and headed out the door I had less than 2 hours. So I drove across town, got cash from the ATM and made my first stop. Old Navy. 

Dangerous place for me as I use to work there. So its easy to get chatting with the people that still work there that I know as well as the fact that there was a 50% off clearance sale going on! The whole reason I went in there was to exchange a few things of Monkey's that I wanted to get in a bigger size for him. (crossing my fingers that we can get two summers out of these clothes...)

So I did what all I needed to do there without too much of a problem and without taking toooo much time.  Then to Walmart where I needed to get two things for Monkey's birthday aquarium, thread for husband's pants so I can finish hemming them, and shampoo for me. 

I grabbed the stuff for monkey and checked out totally forgetting the other two items...Dowe called me about the thread thankfully and I went back in to get it but still forgot the shampoo. :(  I then went to  get groceries and ran back home. I did pretty good with all of the groceries but I got back home with only around 15 minutes to make lunch, have Dowe eat, and leave for work on time. I planned on making taco salads which wouldn't take any longer than the meat to cook and throw everything together. Dowe worked on unloading the groceries while I started cooking. Monkey desperately wanted mommy so I threw him in the Mei Tai Carrier and away we went executing my plan for lunch. I had the ground beef cooking, Monkey was trying to watch daddy walk in and out of the house unloading groceries, and I was working on cutting up a tomato when *SLICE!!!* I cut my thumb wide open! UGH! I was using a serrated  knife and I wasn't using a cutting board. Then to top it off the juices from the tomato burned inside my cut. Dowe got monkey off my back and dealt with him while I tried to get the bleeding to stop. He then got me all bandaged up and asked if I was going to need stitches (still no real verdict on that but I don't THINK I will need any) and ended up leaving late for work. Blah! 

Then Monkey didn't nap well at all and was fussy pretty much all day long. Thankfully he loves being in the Mei Tai and was happy to be in there more than not today. We walked to the park and played for a while. He's now in bed and I have to go make dinner...oh yeah...another fail on my part tonight...Because of the sliced thumb I didn't have time to make dinner to send with hubby for at work so I'm off to make some dinner now. ugh.... ready for this day to be over with and to just go lay down in bed.

Tootles Blogspot World.

A Few Things I Love....

.....baby feet....


......spring time and getting to play outside.....


.....getting dirty......

....old navy $1 baby flip flops.....

.....walking in my son's room to wake him up for the day and finding him in a little ball in the corner, uncovered, and laying on top of his Tigger that he CANNOT sleep without.....

....my boys.....

...my husband and best friend....this picture from our wedding day....and the source of strength he has been to me over the past 21 months of being married......

....how crazy we were to drive from NY to Arizona when I was 36.5 weeks pregnant.....
...don't worry...I didn't have Monkey somewhere between here and there....we got back and I didn't have him till I was 41.5 weeks pregnant....11 days over due...


.....my family.

Domestic Diva

A few friends of mine have this little mini contest between themselves as to which one is a Domestic Diva. Bek, Biz, Rah, and Rebe who happen to all be related (first three are sisters last one is their cousin) are constantly trying to out Diva each other. I find this little contest a total riot! But today I am a Domestic Diva! I completed my first major sewing project since like 5th grade all on my own! WOHOO!!! Also I hemmed 2.5 of 6 pairs of Dowe's work pants. I ran out of the right color thread so I have to finish that yet but at least he wont get in any kind of trouble for not wearing his work pants now that he has 2 pairs hemmed.



I promised pictures so here they are! I am sorry that I didn't take more as I was working on the project. I will have to upload a picture of Monkey in it a little later.



Fabric Cut and Ready to Sew!



Completed Mei Tai. Outside.



Complete Mei Tai Inside.




Totally loving this already. I wasn't sure how Monkey would do being "worn"as he hasn't fit in the sling my mom made for me in quite some time. However, he did great! He actually really enjoyed himself "dancing" with mommy while I did some dishes. We put on some loud crazy up beat music and I bounced slightly while I washed the dishes and he wiggled around with me :)  Looking to maybe eventually put these up on my Etsy shop as well. :) 
(still unsure as to when my launch date will be but trust me I will let you all know!)

Sew-Sew Excited!!!! =)

I have to tell you all how super excited I am!
A friend of mine from church has graciously offered her sewing machine to me for use over the weekend. *insert happy dance here!* And is bring it over to me TODAY!!!!!!


This could not be any better timing! 
Yes, I am super excited because I can finish Monkey's Mei Tai Carrier but Dowe just got his new uniforms in the other day and the pants are all toooo long.
Having a sewing machine here will save me from having to hand hem 6 pairs of pants. 
It really wouldn't be a huge deal but I'm just afraid it wouldn't be a good enough hem and that I would be redoing them at least once a month. My wonderful husband is 5'10" so his inseam normally is around a 32 or 33. His work pants however came as a 34 but are SOOO long! 
He asked his boss if it would be alright if I just hemmed them for him and his boss told him he would MUCH rather have me hem them than have to reorder them. (They're costly pants let me tell you!)


AHH! I am so super excited. I am going to stop blogging for now so I can go clean like a mad woman...that way once the sewing machine is here I am free to play!!! :) haha 
And don't worry....I will be sure to take LOTS of pictures of my sewing project as I'm going so I can post a whole blog about the Mei Tai. 

First Major Sewing Project!!!

AHH! I'm so excited! I have officially started my first major sewing project! I think the last time I did any sort of sewing project that was more than hemming my pants (I'm super short and have to hem almost everything) or fixing a seam was probably back in 4th or 5th grade. (I've been out of school for 4 years....Do the math.)
I spent the evening cutting this adorable fabric apart that my mom gave me.
She was going to make a ring sling for me but then I would have had two of them and with how big my son is its hard to carry him in a ring sing anymore.

How cute is that?! The best part is my mom bought it before my baby boy was born but we started calling him Monkey way before my mom gave me this fabric!

I am making a Mei Tai baby carrier. Heres an example of one.




Its basically like a Baby Backpack. I'll be able to carry my Monkey in this on my hip, back. or front as this picture shows. I am SUPER excited! I have to get some batting in order to make it so the straps will be more comfortable for me as well as another fabric to put on the back side of this but I'm hoping to do that some time really soon. (like in the next few days I hope...*crosses fingers*)

Once I have the rest of the stuff cut out and ready to be sewn together I just have to find someone who will be willing to let me use their sewing machine... :) I am really super excited and am hoping to eventually make more of these to put up on my Etsy Shop?! (this will require me having my own sewing machine first though I'm afraid.) I'll post more pictures soon on this project and of course let you all know how it turns out! :)

Etsy

I've been checking out several different friend's blogs and a lot of them have Etsy Shops.

Now I'm not trying to be like everyone else here but I LOVE to do crafts!!

Beading, Knitting, Crocheting, Scrapbooking......OH MY!!! 

You name it and I HAVE to at least try it!

I love to just sit and crochet or knit something. In fact I have to date made more things than I can honestly count, including the afghan that is currently on Dowe's and my bed. It is so relaxing and makes me feel closer to the two loved ones who taught these crafts to me who are no longer here. Like their legacy's will still live on through my hands. 

My Great Grandmother taught me how to crochet. 

My Great Grandma is the lovely lady standing on the right hand side of this picture. 

(also have to point out my mom is the cute little kid at the end of the table on the left.)

Over the years of family vacations visiting my Great Grandparents down south, I grew to love sitting and watching my great grandma crocheting for hours on end. The fluid motions she would make with her hands, the way that the project she was working on had to be perfect in order to give it to whomever she was making it for, and seeing her "rip out" hours and hours worth of work because of realizing a mistake she made earlier and hadn't caught sooner. I never asked her to teach me over the years, just was happy to sit and watch. Then the very last trip we made before she passed away she handed me the project she was in the middle of working on and with great love and patience taught me the thing I had loved watching her do for so long. I don't remember ever asking her or her ever asking me if I wanted to learn, I just remember her handing me this beautiful thing she was in the process of making. From that moment on I was  "Hooked". I went out that night to Walmart with my parents and bought a small kit that was a "Learn to Crochet" book and a few crocheting hooks, as well as a couple of my favorite yarns in the same weight that she was using and the same size hook. It was a treasure...this gift she gave me.  Now if you knew this wonderful woman you would also know that she HATED her picture being taken. She would yell at my mom (who is a photographer at heart) every time she saw the camera was out. Now my mom is a very clever woman and was able to sneak a few special photos of my Great Grandma (her grandma) over the years. This time however was different. My Great Uncle J.P. was there (her son) and he asked her if my mom could have her permission to take a photo of us together. He told her how special that would be to me in years to come and though she wasn't thrilled about it, she agreed. I will forever be thankful for J.P. being there that day. This was the last picture that was ever taken of my great grandma.

There are times when I'm working on a project and I look down I see Her hands instead of mine.
The first time I had this happen I found it creepy and then wonderful. It now makes me smile thinking that maybe in some little way I'm a little like her. 

I learned how to knit because of KayLyn, a girl I use to babysit. She was learning how to knit from someone else and accidentally unraveled her whole project. Not knowing how to start it on her own and knowing she wasn't going to be seeing the woman who was teaching her for a while, I decided I would try to figure out how to "Cast on" for her. I started looking for directions on the internet and asked a friend to show me how to get started and it just went from there. I don't think that KayLyn ever got real far with knitting but because of her I learned how to knit and I made scarves for her and her younger brother and older sister for Christmas that year. :) 

Just look at that beautiful smile! Oh how I miss it.

KayLyn unexpectedly passed away just shy of her 11th birthday. 

She lit up the whole world with her presence. No matter how rotten of a day you were having she would make it better. KayLyn loved God with her whole heart and showed love to everyone around her better than anyone else I have ever known. KayLyn even knew that Dowe and I would get married even before we started dating. *smiles remembering that day* We had all gone to this park together with a big group of people. Dowe and I were still in high school and were just best friends at the time and weren't even talking about dating yet. (this was all back in 2005) KayLyn attached herself to us that day as we walked the park. She would come over to me and whisper in my ear that he liked me and how cute she thought he was. (She was quite the girl let me tell you! with FANTASTIC taste in men ;) haha) When Dowe and I started dating in 2007 the only thing she said to me when I told her was "I Knew it! I told you he liked you!"  She then told me a little while later that she knew we were going to get married. When Dowe proposed to me on March 15th 2008 I could not WAIT to tell her. I waited to tell KayLyn in person that Dowe and I were going to get married. She threw her arms around me and hugged me so tightly. Oh to feel that tight sweet embrace again...(some day...in heaven I will.)  KayLyn sadly was not at our wedding in person as she passed away less than a  year before our wedding. Her mother and I shared a very emotional moment together at my wedding missing our beautiful KayLyn. Yes, everyone was very happy and excited for us for our wedding...but no one was quite as happy about it as KayLyn.  She also told Dowe and I that we would have beautiful babies together. She was right about that too. Our son was born 1 year and 9 months after KayLyn passed away and has an identical dimple to the one she had. He brings such joy to our lives like she did.

I loved to do crafts and have always enjoyed doing things with my hands anyways but having this little piece of these two loved ones with me when I knit or crochet makes it that much more special and enjoyable.
The biggest problem I have with doing crafts of any sort though is trying to figure out what to do with the things I make when they are done.... This is where my Etsy Shop will come in to place. With being on this new schedule and having so much more free time to be able to sit down and enjoy these crafts I am going to begin to sell them on Etsy. It will be a little while before my shop is up and running as I want to get a little bit of a stock pile of items to upload all at once to have a "grand opening".
The best part...I have Dowe's FULL support on this! He is also loving this idea. I brought it up rather cautiously a few nights ago telling him about Etsy and what I would like to do and he loved the idea!
I'm not looking to make a fortune on my Etsy shop but I would however love to make enough to be able to buy a sewing machine. I am not planning on having just one type of item on my shop either. I would love to have a wide variety of things. (Like I have said several times...I LOVE doing all sorts of crafts!) I am hoping to eventually also be able to take special orders and customize/personalize others. This will probably be down the road a little ways but I am so very excited! I hope you are too. :)

The End in the Beginning.

Well this concludes the first week of the new start.
Hubby is off for the weekend from work, Monkey and I are slowly starting to adjust to the new schedule, and I am looking forward to being back on Second Shift.

Who would have thought that the one thing I hated most (being on second shift for the past two years) would be the one thing I would look forward to most!

When Dowe was applying for supervisor we thought we had two options. Stay on Second or move to Third. After much prayer and consideration, along with a pro-con list, we had decided to make the move to Third. We asked God to do his will and that we knew that whatever happened we knew it was His best for us.

Just before the factory made a decision I began to realize how difficult Third would really be. I would no longer have my husband in bed beside me every night. A time I have really come to cherish with him. We tend to do a lot of our best talking just before drifting off to sleep together...plus I LOVE to snuggle. I love laying in bed with my head on his chest getting to listen to his heart beating and the rhythmic sound of his breathing when he has fallen asleep. He usually falls asleep before me but laying there in the quite listening to him more often than not puts me to sleep.

I began to question our decision to make the move to Third.
But then, God always has a plan.

Dowe's Brother, AirBear, also works at the factory. They both worked on Second together for a long time just with different roles and responsibilities. Then back around two months ago AirBear took another position that landed him on Third. Dowe questioned if his brother would really like being on Third and reminded him that once he had moved to Third he would be there for a year. This was all before there was even any thought that the Second or Third shift supervisors would be leaving.
Because AirBear and Dowe are brothers, Dowe can not be his boss. Thus making it so Dowe could not go to Third.

 I am thankful. God had a plan. He always has a plan. We just don't always realize what those plans are and need to learn to trust that He has our best in mind. He knows the desires of our heart even when we do not realize what those desires fully entail.

I am looking forward to the new schedule and how it works with being back on Second.
Monkey has been in bed and asleep the last TWO nights in a row by 10:10pm!!! (our goal again is to have him in bed at 10pm.) I am of course up a little later tonight as I am finishing up this recap of the first week of new beginnings but am headed to bed myself shortly.

A few goals for this up and coming week are as follows:

• Spend Good Quality time with God EVERY DAY
• Make Mother's Day Cards for my mom and my mother in-law
• Make my "Baby Backpack" (Monkey has been very clingy lately and wants me to hold/carry him all the time but he is already half my height and weighs 23lbs at 11 months...So it gets very tiring.)
• Continue working on Chaos Cleaning
• Put in as much time for work as possible this week (I need to make up for the lack of working I did this week...ugh.)
• Continue planning Monkey's Birthday Party and begin to buy things for it