Weekend Christmas projects

 I have never put up Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving, but this year, I can't resist.
I found a super cute wreath project online and had to do it. I have been eyeing a rosewood wreath at Target from Smith and Hawken, but it is $40 bucks, and I just can't bring myself to buy it. I guess $40 bucks isn't a ton of money, but when you add it to everything else I am usually buying at Target, it adds up! So, I settled for a DIY ( which I actually like better), and it only cost me $15.

I got some cheap felt at Jo-Ann's with a coupon, plus the felt was 30% off. You can do any shape wreath, but I personally liked the one with a flat surface. I chose cream for my wreath color, but red, gray or even hot pink would be
gorgeous also!
layered the felt 3 times and made a circle template by tracing the bottom of a bread crumbs can, and started cutting :)

FYI: I did not cut perfect circles. I actually went as fast as I could. You are folding up the felt and making it look wavy so it is okay if some circles are different sizes slightly or not perfectly round.

Fold the circle in half

Then, fold it in half again

Then, start pinning. It maybe took me an hour total of actual pinning.
Totally worth it in my opinion.

There is no correct way to pin necessarily. Just don't over think it. The great thing about felt is that its totally "moldable". Pin your pieces, then go around and spread them out to get the final look you want!

I pinned a piece of leftover ribbon on the back to hang it with. If you don't like the plain felt, be creative and add some pinecones, berries or something that sparkles :)

Then, you will get a final product to be proud of.... TADAA!!

As for my second weekend project......I decided to add a color to my Christmas Tree and mantle decor (bronzey-silverish-gold)....yup, that is the name of the color. Changing out Christmas decorations can be expensive, and I didn't want to get rid of the stockings that I got on sale from West Elm, so I tried to think of something to add to them to incorporate my new color. I have never gotten our stockings monogrammed, but I thought this year it would be cute to personalize them a little bit....on a budget!

I picked up some ribbon from Jo-Ann's and a stamp set that was 40% off. I knew I wanted to stamp the names on my gift tags this year also. I got an opaque white chalk stamp pad and decided to stamp our names on the ribbons that I added to the stockings. Such a CHEAP way to personalize something. It was definitely time consuming, but only because each stamp had to be mounted onto the stamp handle. Other than that, it was a breeze and I am super thrilled that I had an idea in my own head ( not from a blog).

2 months of baby bliss!

It is time for Amara and I to reflect on her 2nd month...as she sits in my lap and keeps turning red from trying to hard to poop.....here goes...

Amara has continued to be such a joy to our family. I am already amazed at how much she has changed our family dynamic and how much she has changed me as a person. I can speak for Gabe and I both when I say that she is our world now, and we actually LOVE it. She is smiling now, which is the biggest news at the moment. She still looks at us like we are crazy most of the time, but smiles are coming more and more often. My favorite time with her are mornings. God says His mercies are new every morning....that goes right along with a mother and her child. We both wake up happy to see each other and ready to face to day no matter what happened the day before...I have forgotten any frustration. The nights are getting MUCH better, as she is starting to sleep longer and fall back to sleep with a paci.

She is becoming very "talkative." I could sit and listen to her "coo" all day long. I am so anxious to hear her little voice and see more of her personality come out. She is a joyful baby, and she shines from the inside out. She also seems to be very contemplative also ( like Gabe). We have endured the first of our diaper explosions this month....gross :)

All in all, we are thriving and our little one gets cute by the day ( to us anyway)

These are the many things Amara is doing at 2 months.....

First Bus trip to daddy's show! 

Napping in her big girl crib :)

Drooling and blowing spit bubbles

Throwing fits....yes.....she throws fits only when  I am around

LOVING her pacis

Making a poop face in almost every picture

Actually pooping silently all over herself, then just chillin

Sharing space with Sadie

Shopping

aaaand SMILING...

Don't be Tardy for the Party....

 So, I am realizing that I have NEVER posted any pics of my amazing baby shower on here!?! This post will give me a chance to do just that. Amara got invited to her very first birthday party!!! It was for her BFF, Ari! He turned ONE on 11.11.11, and his party is totally blog worthy, so I had to share.

Leah, Ari's mommy, rolled out the red carpet for her little man. There was a black, white and red theme, and Leah made the whole party happen on a dime! I knew that I would be blown away when I walked in because I know Leah. Below are some pics of my shower that she took part in hosting. You will notice very quickly that she is gifted when it comes to throwing an amazing soiree.

The hosts with the mosts!!!

NOW.....onto Ari's bash.......

A picture for every month of Ari's first year in his  glider....stole that idea for Amara. It really is a good way to see how they grow! I loved going back and looking at these!

The birthday boy with mom and dad...

The whole gang!

The backdrop for the photo booth were curtains I made a few years ago. They worked perfectly!
It was my tiny contribution :)

Last, but certainly not least.....Amara in her party outfit. Tutu with leggings and a dog w/ a cupcake on its head on her shirt. Compliments of babyGap!

Such a FABULOUS party!  It makes me super excited to plan Amara's first bash, but sad to see how quickly time flies. It feels like Ari just entered the world.....crazy!!

Halloween faces.....

Our little girls on Halloween....all for the sake of a picture! :)

Halloween Extravaganza!

So, this weekend Gabe got to be home and I took full advantage. Saturday was Pumpkin Fest in downtown Franklin so we met up with some friends and walked around for a while. It was PERFECT weather! I DID come to the conclusion that I need new sunglasses btw. We got to see all of the little kids, dogs, and some odd teenagers dressed up ( which helps us further conclude that we are giving Amara up for adoption on her 13th birthday). I am actually not really a Halloween person. It is too short of a holiday for me to fully invest in it, but I will totally partake in a stroll down Main Street on a beautiful day!




Our friends Leah and Jeffrey have the cutest little kid, Ari ( Amara's bestie) who was Harry Potter. Leah is so extremely crafty and talented, so of course she knitted Ari's scarf so he could attend Pumpkin Fest in style! Amara just went as herself ......cuteness. Her Monkey ears had not arrived in the mail yet! The best part of the day was eating home made pumpkin donuts with hot apple cider. There was some Irish dancing going on and having a donut in one and hand and hot apple cider in the other will ironically allow you to enjoy that type of a performance. :)

First time in her "big girl" stroller

I mean......seriously!?!?! The cutest ever!!

Good Times!!

ONE MONTH!!!

I am officially a mom. As if birthing a child isn't enough to give you that title....I have gone even further by embracing a "mom hair cut." I eat my meals standing up ( usually with a baby in my arms), I shower at night mostly, I find myself whispering a lot, I am constantly thinking of the next chore I need to complete and at what point should I attempt it, I no longer carry a purse, but I rock a super cool mustard yellow diapy bag ;).......all of these things plus many more are becoming the norm for me.

I am really embracing my house still looking like a married couple's home, not a married couple with a kid's home. There aren't toys everywhere YET!! All of this to say, I am enjoying every bit of motherhood. Gabe just returned home this week from a two week tour in Canada. We get to be a family again, and it feels great to have him home to help with a nightly feeding ( which is the best) and give her lots of kisses. I missed him so much. I have got to get my energy up to have some special time with my husband. It has already been a month....it is time to have a date night.

Did I just say ONE MONTH!?! Crazy huh? Amara is growing and changing everyday. We went back to the doctor ( who was my pediatrician when I was a child) for her check up and she is 8 lbs and 4.4 oz. Perfectly healthy doc says!  She is starting to look around more and focus her eyes. We have seen a couple of smiles, but still mainly when she is pooping or dreaming. They absolutely melt my heart!! She loves to eat and snuggle. Overall, she is a super happy baby! Time is already flying by and I just want to take in every moment. I want to take pics of her every second of the day. :) Gabe leaves for another tour the first week of Novemeber.....she will change so much in that time! I can't wait to see what the next month holds for our little family. I am looking forward to her first Halloween and Thanksgiving.

Amara's ONE MONTH "photo shoot" below.....Happy one month baby girl!

You can see here why we needed the paci in the other pics :)

Some other sweet moments we have been able to capture....

Bringing home baby!

So, here we are......day 9 of life with Amara Claire......day 7 of being home together. It has been such an amazing time for me personally. I am definitely still adjusting to the flood of emotions that come with having a baby, but they are all good emotions for the most part :)

Gabe has been amazing at helping out, although, he definitely gets more sleep at night than mommy :) Even on my worst night ( which was last night), I am still overjoyed to wake up to my daughter when I hear her little cry. We are getting the hang of breastfeeding and I am enjoying it so much more than I thought. She is a healthy little eater :)

Sadie is adjusting well. She has taken the backseat, and I thought that would NEVER happen. Sadie is my world, but she has been so patient with Gabe and I. She doesn't seem jealous in the least.....just really curious. She is DYING to kiss Amara. We are still trying to give her as much attention as possible, but it is hard at times.

All in all, we are doing very well. Gabe leaves this weekend for Canada for two weeks. Tears well up in my eyes anytime that thought crosses my mind or is spoken about in our house, but it is part of our life. I know Gabe's job is a calling, and that is what we have to remember. It is going to be one of the hardest things for us. I am not ready for our family to be apart yet, but I am praying that God just blesses our time apart and makes the two weeks FLY by.

Below are SOME pics of our first week at home! First bath, nap times and other cute moments we could capture! We have already taken so many pictures of her, but I won't overload the page!