Shutterfly Fan: Helping to Spread the Love

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

It is not a secret. I am a huge fan of Shutterfly. Each year a huge majority of presents to Aunts & Uncles, parents, grandparents, etc. are from Shutterfly. I have a family share site (yes mom I know it needs updating) and Jackie has a family share site (her's needs updating too). I love to order prints, calendars, mugs, magnets, and have been eyeing up the canvas print and the throw blanket. How neat would it be to have a blanket with your favorite photo of all time for each of the kids?

Why am I sharing this? Not a normal blog topic. Yeah. I know. But you know I like taking pictures and so does Jackie. Here is where we get the majority of them printed. I also took the plunge and ordered Christmas cards this year and got 10 FREE. I can't send them to everyone so I thought I would share it here as well. Isn't it lovely?

Special thanks to Jen & Byron for taking the awesome family photos of us. I feel just a little bit trendier now and sometimes that is OK. Why would you like Shutterfly? I think they offer GREAT deals at GREAT prices. Wait for the deals like I do. I won't buy without a very good deal. In in an effort for full disclosure. I get $10 dollars for sharing this with you that will go towards Nana and GiGi's Christmas presents. If you have a blog look into Shutterfly's "help spread the word" program and see if you can't get $10 for sharing your projects on your blog. Best of all it didn't hurt to share how I save money and get great gifts.

Happy shopping. Where ever you shop and for whatever you shop for.

Sisterly Love

My first daughter will be joining her brothers in the fall on that long daily trek to and from the bus stop.  Could it be that teeniest tiniest of my babies will be in school come this fall?  Just four short months left with my baby girl.  This fact hit hardest last Friday when she got dressed early and went in for her kindergarten assessment.

And I was left with just one bird in the nest.

Boy, her little sister is sure going to miss her. And I will miss capturing sweet little sister moments like these.

Big sister helping little sister.  Makes me want to cuddle a little longer in the morning, make French toast more often (Eden's favorite!), spend more afternoons reading books on the trampoline and in general make this time go by so slow.  What am I going to do without this pair this fall?

What we do...

Everyone knows that I spend a lot of time in the kitchen.  That is most likely the reason I received five (yes, five) crock pots for my birthday last year!  But all on my time spent in the kitchen, is not really spent in the kitchen.

Confused?

I make bread dough.  But it has to rise.

Twice.

And beans need to soak overnight.

And then sit simmering on the stove for two hours.

See.. so a lot of my time is not spent in the kitchen.

This is what do we do while the bread is rising... or the beans are simmering...

My girls and me.  They are my little shadows.  Always following.  Always asking if they can help.  Yes, they help.  Wearing crowns.  Dressing up.  Cuddling.  Reading books until Lettie falls asleep.  Tea parties with baby dolls and teddy bears.  Making secret places with sheets and blankets.  Sliding.  Swinging.  And taking lots of silly pictures!

Oh, and sometimes we dress the dog in baby clothes...

She took off her hoodie and left it on the back porch in the rain, by the way... 

I don't think she was very happy with us.

Preparations...

Christmas Eve preparations, my favorite day of getting ready.  Today at our blue house we are busy...

rolling 100's of tiny meatballs (from one of our cows)...

packaging foods to give as hostess gifts...

(I think they are going to love them!)

enjoying an Americano, cream, no sugar, ...

making cookies for "Santa"... at his father's request...

helping, or as I call it NOT helping... but she is so darn cute...

and paper wreaths all stacked in a row...

Whew!

Today's and tomorrow's advent cards all have to do with visiting family.  Last night we camped out under the tree.  And when I say "we" I mean the kids.  I slept in my bed just around the corner.   The kids have been counting down the days and now the final hours until Christmas morning.  I know they are excited for the gifts, they are children.  But I hope that in time the emphasis on the presents will fade and the special gift of Jesus born on the silent night so long ago will bring them even greater joy.  

... and if I don't see you tomorrow... 

Merry Christmas, dear friends!

Good Morning, Monday!

Hope you have a swell day friend....

Baby Dresser / Party Pics

When my friend Heather found out she was just barely pregnant she immediately requested that my gift to her be a refinished dresser. Goodness does she know me. I have a basement with half empty paint cans and a garage full of quality wood furniture that simply needed attention. She peered into the packed room and pointed to this little treasure.

Well it wasn't exactly a treasure in that state. Maybe it takes a mother's eye to appreciate that kind of beauty and potential. Yellow greasy finish and sticker residue? I saw through that...

I sanded it to the bare wood and covered it with two coats of a dark blue grey.

While this would be super for a baby bachelor pad, the coastal blues and sea greens she wanted in her nursery would not mesh well with this dark dresser. Back to the basement to mix some paint.

After a thin coat of a light blue grey, I sanded some of the top coat off to reveal the dark underneath. Then I applied stain in a mahogany satin with a foam brush, let it sit a minute and then rubbed it off with a clean towel. The look?

Much better. A quick coat of black flat spray paint on the bronze hardware and the transition was complete. Yes, I lightly sanded the hardware after painting too.

I wrestled a lot with the colors and finish of this piece. Overall I love the look. Its cool blues is a great pop of color for a neutral nursery but the shade and style can grow with the child.

Ahem... Please ignore the lawn mower, kite, saw horses, bike trailer, random rusty items and other dilapidated furniture in the background of these pictures.  Is this the best ta-da I can do?  If I ever plan on selling anything ever I need to learn to stage better.  

.............................................................................................................................................

I'm finally going to do it!

Post pictures from a party that I made something for... I know, you are shocked.  Don't worry, I'm sure I'll get around to posting pictures I promised from summer parties during the frigid and dark winter months when all I have to to is sit inside and stare at this computer screen.  Sigh. 

Just last week I posted a bunch of things I was putting together for a very special baby shower for a very special friend and her very special sister.  Yep, a double shower.  Two sisters due just days apart.   Here are a few pics from the occasion...

big sister


little sister

It was such a simple beautiful shower.  There was so much love and support for the girls.  So glad I could be a part of it.  Those are some lucky kids!