A Halloween Costume for Gracie

There's a little pink monster in our house!

But this monster isn't scary. 

She has cute little ears, and pointy green horns. Googly eyes and a pretty pink polka dot bow.

She has a big green belly, and soft cuffed sleeves...showing off those cutest little baby hands!

And she has pointy clawed feet...

But no, this monster isn't scary...

We think she's pretty cute!!

(I made the basic shell of the costume using Simplicity 5720 as a rough pattern. I added the monster details...clawed feed, cuffs, green belly, hood, horns, ears, eyes, and bow...which I kind of made up as I went along! More pictures will probably follow after the big event...Happy Halloween!)

baby sweater dress

I was looking through Gracie's closet the other day and realized that she doesn't have any fall dresses. A little girl without dresses is like a day without chocolate. (What? Everyone doesn't eat chocolate every day?) So during that glorious thing we call naptime, I got to work.

I pulled out this old sweater from my closet. It's probably ten years old. (Wow, how did I get old enough to have clothes that old in my closet?) Anyway, the orange-y color is perfect for fall, the sweater-y softness is perfect for my little baby.

 I followed Ashley's tutorial at one of my favorite blogs, make it and love it to recreate the sweater to a pint sized sweater dress for my little lady. I only used the old sweater and a short strand of elastic..basically free!

 I love how the neckline (which is cinched with elastic) looks all ruffly. So girly. So cute!

And I love how soft and cozy it is!

The perfect dress to wear with these super cute bloomers that my mom sent down for Miss G...

Pop over to make it and love it to learn how to make your own!

Being Enough

Hello old friends. I miss this little blog. But as I'm sure all you Moms out there know, it's just SO. DAMN. HARD. to find time for yourself with a newborn around. (I'm guessing this doesn't change much when the newborn grows up, either...) 

Yes, this little lady has occupied quite a lot of my time lately.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I absolutely love being her Mom, I feel so blessed to have such a healthy baby girl and that I am able to stay home with her all day. But there are times where I miss a little "me" time. You know what I'm talking about....right?

Like when I asked Greg to take a cute little picture of Gracie and I, because we hadn't gotten one since we left the hospital...and this was the best shot we got.

And then 3 minutes later, this happened:

Oh the glamour of being a Mom! But in all seriousness, it's times like these when I wonder if I'm doing this whole Mama thing right? Am I being the best Mom I can for her? Is she healthy? Is she learning?

Is she happy?

A few weeks ago I attended a moms group, where there was a speaker who was talking about just this same topic...is what we do, as moms, enough? And she said something that stuck with me.

"Being a Mom IS enough."

We may not have all the time in the world to devote to our children. Jobs and spouses and chores and the simple human necessity that I need to eat and shower every day tend to get in the way. But I've come to realize that I shouldn't feel guilty if I want to steal a few minutes here and there for this little blog, for some sewing, for myself. Gracie will still be fed, she'll still be loved, she'll still be happy.

Because I'm her Mom, and that is enough.

2 weeks and counting

Today is my little lady's 2 week birthday. Where does the time go?

Being a new parent is a funny thing I think. For nine months (or your whole life, if you're like me) you spend thinking about what your new baby will look like, smell like, act like, what her little personality will develop into. And then she's suddenly here.

And her daddy and I wonder what we ever did with ourselves before we knew her.

She's as sweet as pie, an expert snuggler, a serious eater, and a not so serious sleeper. I can already notice that her little cheeks are getting a little chunkier. Her newborn onesies are getting a little snugger.

And I can't help but be a little sad. Every parent wants their child to grow and thrive...and I am so thankful and blessed to have a healthy child. But knowing that she'll never be this tiny & small again breaks my heart a little. Is that weird? Does this make me a crazy Mama?

It does make me wish I had a photographic memory. I know that before I know it, she'll be running around the house, talking my ear off, getting ready for her first day of school.

But for now, I just stare at her tiny little toes & fingers & every little wrinkle and roll...

And hope that I don't forget a moment of her precious newborn stage.

and Gracie makes three

I know I've been a little MIA lately...but I've had a good excuse, I promise.

This sweet little lady joined our family last Monday afternoon. Yes, she's even more precious in person. 

So please forgive me if I spend all my crafting hours in the next few weeks snuggling this little girl. 

But can you really blame me? She's pretty irresistible.

Welcome to the world, Gracie girl. I'm so lucky to be your Mama!

Gracie's DIY Nursery Reveal!

Drumroll anyone? Ok, so maybe this isn't that dramatic of a post. But I have been hounded by friends & family to post Baby G's nursery pics...so here they finally are! (BEWARE...there are a lot of pictures!)

I had a hard time photographing the space, as I don't have a fancy shmancy lens that can shoot around corners...but I hope that these shots give you all a feel for the space. Because I just love it. Sometimes when I walk by the door, I just walk in and sit in here and smile. I hope it makes you all smile too!

This was a totally DIY room! Mainly everything in the space was handmade, refurbished, or recycled. Lavender & green were basically the color scheme, so we painted the walls a light lavender and kept all the furnishings white.

My refurbished glider is nestled in one corner between the big window and a little bookcase, holding baskets of toys & books. I bought the baskets at Michael's and made my own fabric liners for them.

Remember these? My Pottery Barn knock off wall plaques are neatly hung (and basically level!) over the bookcase...

A lamp, baby sock bouquet from my baby shower, and tutu bear sit on top of the bookshelf. My mama made the adorable little tutu on the bear!

The curtains panels are lavender gingham, with sheers underneath. The sheers have little embroidered dragonflies on them, with a green & lavender rick-rack border.

They sweeten up the window so much.

Opposite the glider & bookshelf is a white Hemnes dresser, from Ikea.

Except I changed out the knobs to these adorable purple polka dotted ones I found at Hobby Lobby on sale for $1.50 each. $9 well spent for the cuteness they add!

This shelf hangs over the dresser...chip board letters from Paper-Source spell out her name. I decorated them with stickers, ribbon, and the scrapbook paper left over from the PB Wall Plaques.

The tutu & booties that are hanging below were also made by my mom! Aren't they darling?!!

I also made the "bow holder" to hold all of her baby bows, and the changing pad cover (using this tutorial from Prudent Baby).

And of course...can't forget the crib! We are so fortunate to have had a family friend hand down the bedding set to us! It's from Pottery Barn and is white, lavender & green with those same sweet little embroidered dragonflies on it. (I'd link to a picture online, but I can't find it online anymore!) Of course, the bumpers & bunny will have to come out as soon as the baby goes into the crib, but they were just too sweet to not put in for the picture!

The quilt was a gift from my step mom, who bought it from a vendor on Etsy. I will have to find out who, because it's so soft & well made that I think every baby should have one!

This wall plaque hangs over her crib. It was made by my dear friend Sarah. That is fabric stretched over canvas, and each of those buttons are hand sewn on! I just love it.

And every little girl needs a sparkly "crystal" chandelier! For a very reasonable $40 from Ikea, its the room's perfect girly finishing touch! 

Don't ask me how I convinced my husband that a chandelier was a practical & necessary addition to a baby's room...but it was so worth it, it's my favorite part of the room!

 And I guess that's enough pictures for now...are you all still awake? Hopefully I didn't lose anyone due to a lavender cuteness overdose.

All that's left is to wait for the baby! 

I think it's safe to say that we're ready when you are, Little Gracie. Mama can't wait to meet you!

 

My Baby Shower

Oh my, how is it August already? I can officially say that I'm having a baby THIS MONTH! Wow...

Before the baby gets here, I thought I should get around to posting about my baby shower. When Greg and I were in Maine in July, my mom hosted a beautiful baby shower for me. I am so fortunate that my aunt is a photographer and captured these great images of the day! 

Mom filled her home with beautiful bouquets she picked from her gardens around the house. (Oh how I wish I had inherited that green thumb!)

She posted a menu by the food, which was a delicious spread of summer salads, fruit, breads, dips and other yummy dishes!

My sister in law, Sarah, made & decorated the cake, which was special because she also made our Wedding Cake, and the shower happened to be on Greg and I's year anniversary! This is the only picture I have of the cake from that day...but it was super cute. And no worries, that is non alcoholic Sangria in that wine glass. :)

She also decorated these darling "onesie" cookies...

and these adorable "baby bonnet" cake pops!

The favors were individual potted plants...my dear mother potted every one! I loved this idea that guests could take it home and continue to enjoy their pretty pots! Each pot had a butterfly skewer in it which read "Plant a little love and watch a miracle grow." So sweet, right?

And some soft & fun favors for the little girls who attended.

My mom and aunt made this adorable booty bouquet...each rose bud is made out of a little baby sock! Seriously so cute! I can't wait to "pluck" a flower each time the baby needs a sock!

It was a beautiful day which was filled with all the women I love...family, great friends, and some adorable babies! Thank you to my mom, aunt & sis in law Sarah for all the hard work you did to make the day so special! We are so blessed as a family to have such wonderful people welcoming our baby into the world.

And speaking of babies...I haven't forgot about the nursery reveal...coming soon, I promise!

PS If you're in the Northeast area and are looking for a great photographer, check out 241 South Studios!