crafternoon loveliness

My saucy little child has decided to be a napper. Thank the glorious heavens above. She literally woke up one day and decided to be really good at taking naps. Who knew life got so much better when babies took naps?! When she's not napping, she loves to hang out with me and "talk" to me while I work on various projects. She seriously got her talking skills from her her mama. I'm already looking forward to parent teacher conferences when they inform me how miss priss won't keep her mouth shut....

Anyways. Tangent. Sorry.

Project #1

Welcome to my dining room. This dining room set was my grandma's. My mom grew up eating around this table. I grew up eating around it at holiday time. I LOVE this set. So much so that when I was a bit younger and my grandma was still around I asked to have it when she died. She said sure. 

And that's how it came to be mine. 

It's ancient. And gorgeous. 

Anyways, I found some burlap coffee bags at a craft yard sale a few weeks ago

and decided my chairs needed a boost. 

Each one is a little different. And I love them. 

Add's a bit of character, don't you think?

Project #2

I love fall. LOVE it. 

I have always wanted to make a wreath but had nightmares of

fake dusty silk flowers.

And I had no idea what I was doing.

My friend Kristin recently posted one that I loved, but didn't want to be a 

total copycat so I found one on etsy and copied that one instead. 

That wreath was going for $60.

I paid less than $10 at Hobby Crapola. 

And the leaves? They're in Spanish. 

Because we're diverse like that.

And just because she's cute...

my saucy little helper.

Hello cuteness...a Halloween photo shoot

This past weekend I had the honor of taking pictures of this cutie-patootie. Absolute preciousness. This little guy was born to be a model. His mama came prepared with his halloween costume and pumpkins. We had a blast taking pics.... in a stranger's font yard. (Yeah - I pretty much love this location and their lot is so big they can't really see it from their house that I figure it's no big deal...right?)

Anyways - thanks for letting me take E's pics! He was so fun to work with - can't wait to take more of him in the future!!

PS: Is he not the cutest kangaroo EVER?!

{embrace} the Camera & stuff...

So miss priss decided to start laughing this week. 

And my #1 goal every day is to make her laugh.

Have I mentioned lately how much I love my new job?

I know, it's a bit blurry...but you get the drift.

Oh? And the extra blur in the top 2 images? 

That's Dirvs. 

To know Dirvs is to love Dirvs.

She's a rescue pug with some issues.

In the words of our vet, "Mam, your dog is weird as hell"

She is. And we love her dearly. 

Dirvs=whirling dirvish. Get it? She spins. Constantly.

Oh and just because she's cute...

In the words of my homeland, Texas, "Happy Fall, y'all".

I stole this pumpkin onesie idea from my friend (& fellow Texan) Annalee. Cute huh?

Thanks for tweetin' it Annalee! 

{embrace} the camera

Neighborhood watch ...

It's my self appointed job as a SAHM.

Its been kind of scary week in our neck of the woods. 

I won't go into detail, but we've all been checking over our shoulders, 

double triple locking our doors

carrying mace

signing up for self defense classes

etc etc etc

or was that just me?

Anyways.  I guess I did such a good job in my new position as 

NW queen

that I locked my little lady and I outside.

Oops.

Well when life gives you lemons...

get your embrace on...

It's just not possible.

When the nights were long and the crying was loud,

friends would say, "just wait until 3 months."

I thought yeah right. That's forever away.

It's here and they were right.

It has gotten a lot better.

And easier.

I continue to fall deeper in love with this little lady. 

Feisty.

Smiley.

Cuddly.

Silly.

Strong.

Dramatic.

Determined.

Just about perfect if you ask me...but I'm not partial.

Her current loves include:

"talking"

her octopus

stroller rides

cuddling

playing dress up (well maybe that's my current love)

The Today Show (again, mine - but she's obsessed with TV)

Can't wait to see what the next 3 months bring!

I remember...

This isn't supposed to be some sappy 9-11 post. Maybe it's my "bobby fisher" memory - but today I've been flooded by the events that surrounded that horrific day. 

I was eating oatmeal in my kitchen at 80 University Circle in Stillwater, OK.

I was wearing jean capris & a hot pink shirt. 

I was getting ready to head to work at Fire Service Training, my college job.

It was a Tuesday. 

My dad called and told me to turn on the TV, right as one of the planes flew into the towers. 

Like most Americans, I remember the events of 911 in amazing clarity - almost as if it were yesterday. I will never forget that day or the days that unfolded after it. The next few hours are forever imprinted in my memory. Waking up my roommate Rachel who is from NY - telling her the horrible news. Seeing her transition from sleep to utter shock in seconds.  Talking to my dad on the phone several times throughout the day as we both watched the news. Waiting to hear if my uncle, a Col in the Air Force at Langley Field,  who frequently attended meetings at the Pentagon was safe. Skipping class to watch the news. Watching the death toll rise on the screen as they continued to pull bodies from the rubble. Feeling skiddish as I walked across campus and heard loud noises.  Listening to President Bush address the nation at my roommate Carissa's boyfriend's house.  (thinking it was "funny" that he pronounced terror as "terra") 

The incredible sadness I felt. The feeling of vulnerability - realizing life was forever different. Knowing an irreplaceable feeling of security had been taken away.

911 is no doubt the JFK assassination of our generation. We will be telling our kids where we were the day the planes hit the towers. It's a day that links people together. It's forever linked my college roommates and me together.

And every year on this day I think of them and miss them dearly. 

(Yes. I did it girls. I posted "the" picture.

 Don't hate me.

Its okay because its a 9-11 memory post.)

Carissa, Suz, me & Rach (not a blogger, but should be). 

In the "How can anyone walk in this room and not be happy?"

living room...

Ignore the extra 20 lbs we were all carrying. 

This was the year we 

discovered Lighthouse pink iced cookies.

yum.

We ate several a day.

Gross.

Any idea how many calories are in one?

Thus the extra pounds...

(Sorry ladies - I only did it because we've all improved with age.

Love ya. )

What are your memories? Where were you?

A hidden treasure... redone

A few weeks ago, my friend Kristin and I loaded up our baby girls and headed to - in my opinion - the greatest antique mall ever. I'm not much into "real" antiques - just more the fun vintage-y junk treasures. Our babies did great - they even both took naps (maybe I just need to take my little nap striker shopping more often??).

Among a few other treasures I found this box-shelf type thing. I immediately loved it because it's the color of the nursery and I was needing a shelf - table type thing for the end of the crib. At $12, I couldn't turn it down, even if it just ended up collecting glass bottles in the garage.

I immediately liked it. I know, I know, it looks like an "old piece of crap" (according to my husband) but I knew it would be cute once I worked my magic on it. And all it took was a can of chalkboard spray paint. I mean seriously folks - it's the best stuff on earth. I'm mildly obsessed with it right now and feel like I could chalkboard half my house. It might hurt the resale value, but heck, it's good stuff.

And presto chango - here's what I got...

Not too shabby for an "old piece of crap", huh?

I also found this "old piece of crap"... 

Is it bad that  my baby's toy box advertises whiskey? 

Clarity

Ever have one of those moments when you are overwhelmed with gratitude that life turned out the way it did? When you keep thanking God that things went the way they did even though at points in your life you felt like your prayers were being ignored? I had one of those moments tonight. I looked around at my small, cluttered house.... Evidence of a long day strewn everywhere...pacifiers, laundry, dishes, books, laptops, magazines, bottles. My baby (the day long nap strike has ended) is sleeping peacefully. My husband is in the middle of his fantasy football draft. Dinner is cooking in the oven. And I am content. Utterly content. More than content. Blessed. Cup-runneth-over-blessed. I love my life - every stinkin' moment of it. And I pray daily that I don't take what I have for granted.

So what if my baby spent a little extra time on her Einstein mat today. If we didn't get a walk in. If I let her cry a little bit longer than usual while I was finishing my yoga (relax it was 8 1/2 minutes). If we didn't read 2 books before bedtime.

I am blessed. Blessed beyond measure.

And this my blog friends is a scene from cooking dinner tonight. I cross my heart that this was the song playing on itunes when I filmed this. I couldn't make this stuff up.

My sweet little girl, rocking in her bumbo. On the kitchen floor.

{embrace} the Camera

#10

When I hung this onesie up in the bathroom
11 months ago today 

announcing a little "surprise" to Mat, 

we had no idea the little person
that would some day wear it.

So we just called "it" #10 for awhile.

Catchy, right?

Now #10's little tush is a perfect fit in her onesie.

(And I love me some baby tush...)

just in time for football season.

You see at the Good house we are serious about our football.

Life is scheduled around football.

Broncos, Chiefs, Cowboys (as in OSU), Jayhawks, Buffs, 

It doesn't really matter as long as you aren't cheering for any "sooners"...

(sorry heather...)

This fall we will be cheering bumbo style.

come on Tebow... lets get a move on already!

Pass the guac would ya lady?

Geez mom, enough already. I've got a game to watch here.

And mama's happy .... as long as there is a cute bow to wear on game day.