Saturday, May 30, 2009

Who can it be?

Wow! What happened to 10 am!!!
It's a beautiful, sunny Saturday and my head is in the clouds.
That, and I rushed out at 8 am this morning to have a hair boo boo fixed... have I told you before that I'm silly that way?

Anyhoo...
You seven have been waiting so patiently, and now for the reveal!

I had my trusty assistant (my 6 year old) draw a number out of the hat and she drew number...

7 !!!!!!!!!

Seven is a great number! Seven is the number of God. Seven is the day my baby boy was born.

Seven is Anonymous (aka Tawnie). Yay!!!

Thanks for playing and for looking at my sister's shop and for you sweet person who bought something too. You guys are the best!

Monday, May 25, 2009

Featured Artist... Hookable Designs

GIVEAWAY UPDATE!
I am extending the time a bit to let a few more people squeeze in a comment...
The winner will be announced tomorrow (Sat. 30th) morning at 10 am.
I know there are more of you out there who want to win!!!

I'm excited to introduce you to one crafty lady!
You'll be hooked when you see the irresistable items in her etsy shop!

This is my crafty sister...




Don't you just want one of these?!!!

{doesn't she look ravishing?}

You can have one!

Hookable Designs is offering this delicate green headband to one of my readers! What do you have to do to win this? Just leave a comment!

I will announce the winner on Friday.

While you are waiting in suspense, pop over to her shop and check out her goodies! She is offering free shipping for all her headbands right now. And, if you are a friend or family member, you get a discount! How cool is that?!

Wouldn't it be so cool if we bought them all up? That would totally make her week!

Thanks for supporting one fellow mom shop.

Now leave a comment people!!!

~christa jean

Thursday, May 21, 2009

I Lied.

I'm sorry y'all.
I didn't do it on purpose!
I promised that I wouldn't make you wait very long for the next part of my story...

I feel like my days have been sucked into the vortex of the time continuum and that time is continuing without me!
I sit down to write about myself and I get all agitated and think, "I don't wanna!" ~ all whiny like.
But, for some reason I feel like I'm supposed to.

I will.

Look forward to a give-away next week!
And some more deep blogging, slogging through the past.
In the meantime, have a lovely weekend!
Smile a lot!

~christa jean

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Happy Happy Joy Joy


My youngest darling daughter turned 3 yesterday!!!

Pink is the color of the day.

She got a new swimsuit, or in her words, a "simmin'coolwado". Don't even ask me. She calls waterfalls "waddymountain". Yup.


We got to put her new swimsuit to use and she loved it!!!



Here is the cake that I slaved over. Yes, those are white chocolate shavings on the side. Alright, alright, the only thing I did was put raspberries and Starbursts on it. She specifically wanted Starbursts on her cake. Silly girl.


It was getting late and we started getting a little kooky.



After all that pampering and special treatment...


this little girl started to get, well, a little full of herself.

Bed time was welcome when it came.

What sweet memories.

Joy Sprinkles all around!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Take me down

It was Saturday morning when my daughter burst into the kitchen with a pretty envelope in hand. "It's for you Momma!" Does anyone else get a little thrill when something other than a bill comes in the mail with your name on it?!

The envelope had my name in gorgeous calligraphy scrawled on the front and was sealed with a big and beautiful wax seal on the back. Oooooh.
I opened it gingerly, so as to not ruin the seal and slid the card out. I began to read and the tears began to fall down my cheeks.
It was a letter from my baby,
the one who flew away.

What a sweet Mother's Day gift from one who has also suffered, although I deem that my suffering pales in comparison with one who has birthed a still-born child, full term. Megan from The Greatest Blessing was the thoughtful one who sent this to me and you can click
here to view the letter.

That wasn't the only time I cried last weekend. I cried on Mother's day.

I cried because, alongside the cards and love also come memories. And I remember what kind of a mother I used to be. I say "used to be" because I believe that those days are history and I know with all my heart that I have turned over a new leaf, begun a new chapter in my story. That belief doesn't lessen the
pain. Or sometimes the shame.
To understand this, I must take you back.
Let me tell you, ladies (and Dave ;-), I have been dreading this part! I almost chickened out. But I will share the darkness that I have come through so that the Light will seem brighter.


My awesome husband and I had a plan. Be married for two years and then try for a baby. We stuck to the plan. A few months after we celebrated our second anniversary, we were pregnant. We have found that we are quite good at that! ;-D

I was so excited to be pregnant! I was also excited that my child was going to be different, not like those other bratty, disobedient kids I always heard screaming in the store. So, I prepared myself. I read every book on parenting that I could and began forming my opinions and values. I was ready. I had the tools. I knew what the right things to do were and I was convinced that I'd be good at doing those things, like everything else in my life.


My first born came into the world. What a glorious day! But on that day I began a journey that I could have never imagined.

For the first two weeks, I was a wreck. Who was this little, demanding creature who wanted to suck all.day.long and then keep me up at night! A dear friend came to my aid and brought me a book that helped me begin to regulate and schedule my baby. With these changes, my baby cried a lot but we began getting more sleep and that was good for me. Do I believe in the basic principles of routine? Yes. Did I take it to the extreme? Yes. I didn't realize that till later, of course.

Now, here was one more area in which I had gained somewhat of an expertise and I had no qualms about sharing my views with others.

Grace grew and with that came the increased feelings that I was doing a good job. Because, well, she was good. Extremely good. I had been putting into practice all my knowledge and it was paying off. She was well trained. She was obedient. Do I believe in the basics and principles of training a child to obey? Yes. Do I believe in practicing good behaviour? Yes. Did I take it to the extreme? Yes. Teaching and training without love and joy is tyranny and I will say more about that in a later post.

I began receiving many compliments. Other moms asked me for advice. The accolades were comin' my way, and make no mistake, I liked it. To say that I was being put up on pedestal for all to "worship" would be somewhat accurate. Others didn't realize they were doing that and I didn't realize what was happening in my heart. I didn't actually want to become full of pride. I knew pride was wrong... yet, I was still proud of my excellent accomplishments as a mom, somewhat naively, for is it not a known fact in the universe that "pride goeth before a fall"?

I was well into my pregnancy with babe #2 when things started to go wrong.

I really hate to do this to you again, but it's past midnight, and this post is getting stinkin' long, which means I had to pull your tooth for you to read it all! I must pause here and resume later... I promise that I won't make you wait as long! Pinky swear!

From here it only gets darker. Bring your flashlight.

~christa jean




Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Give me a can of spray paint and watch me smile!

Or, more accurately, give my husband a can of spray paint and watch me smile as I stand there watching him do my every bidding. ;-D
My husband ROCKS! I love that we love to do projects and decorate together.

I wanted to show off some of the projects "we've" been busyin' our crafty selves with!

So, I was just a-wanderin' down the aisle at Goodwill, when my eye landed on this little beauty. Now you may be thinkin' what I first thought, and that is...

"You UGLY, you UGLY, you U-and-G-and-L-and-Y! You UGLY!" And you stinky!But as I studied it in all it's ugliness, a small spark of vision grew. "This thang could be beautiful" I thought.

Feast your eyes on this! Uh Huh, Oh Yeah, see what I'm talkin' 'bout?!


Black makes all the nasty 70's disappear!

This is the flourish that caught my eye in the first place. Especially because it looks an awful lot like this...

These mirrors, I also found at Goodwill and were also a nasty wood grain look. I spent 5 bucks a piece on these beauties!


I just couldn't get the whole effect together with my camera... oh well. Come see it in person!

I was feeling a spring in my step and had to do a little sumpin' on my table. Green and white and critters are cute on a cake stand!
Inspired by The Nester, of course.

This little cutie was always peeking out at me from a plant in my Grandma's house. I got the plant after she passed away and didn't see the bunny for a loooong time. When I found it again, my heart was filled with joy! Sentimental.


Just wait till you see what "we're" doing with this mirror!!!

What do you like to do with spray paint?

~christa jean