Merry Christmas, Love the Clark's

(Put detailed letter about 2010 right here.)

Hey if you read my blog you already know it all anyway. We're happy. We're in Georgia.

thanks for reading!

Henry: The Typist

Henry loves the computer. And by love I mean he likes to play with the key board. And sometimes standing by the computer desk is pretty tiring so I can understand why the above ensued. The smirk under the binky gets me every time.

The Christmas Tree

Taking a family picture ala tripod is not so successful with a baby. So I chose the one where Steve and I looked the best. There it is. The real tree I had to have and have given away since we're out of town for another family to enjoy.

Family Pictures 2010

Family pictures by Chelsea Johnson. If you're in Athens, she is highly recommended.

And Christmas card spoiler alert.

Simple Christmas Wreath

Remember this wreath? Well thanks to a comment from you guys, I thought I would add these felt roses to a christmas wreath I already had.

Then I hand embroidered this wreath banner to go with it.

Not So Simple Idea: Gold Pine Cone Garland

So I wanted to use pine cones this year in our decor for two reasons.

1. They are free
2. I think they are pretty

Henry and I walked down to the neighboring elementary school one Sunday afternoon and picked up a whole reusable grocery shopping bag full.

Then I spray painted them all gold with some paint I had in my stash.

Then I attempted to create a garland. This is not easy to do. I couldn't find a tutorial online so I pressed on alone with my glue gun, twine and high hopes. Well the high hopes quickly faded into dogged perserverance and after pricking myself (natural cones are sharp) and burning myself (glue gun) I came up with the above. Twisting the twine around the cones only worked for a few of them, then I had to glue the rest in place.

If I were you I would not try to make this garland. Instead I would gather a few pine cones, spray paint them gold and them put them in a shallow bowl on a coffee table.

Simple Idea: Advent Stockings

I was on the hunt for a cute advent calendar and couldn't really find one that I liked (go figure.) Growing up we had this awesome flannel wall hanging with Santa's house and each day had an ornament you would hang on the picture and by christmas it was full of felt toys and candies. We also had that wooden christmas with the pegs that you would hang life savers on. You know the one where the last life savers would be dusty by the time it was to eat them?

Anyway, I thought of this idea a couple of years ago and we used to have it hanging on our tree but I liked it as a wall display. 25 mini stockings, 25 pieces of candy. Yum. Stockings were made with scrap fabric but you could do it with 1/2 yard of festive fabric. Backs are felt. They are decorated with appliqued numbers and ribbon and rickrack bits. This could be fun to do with children.

My stockings are the even numbers so I get to eat the one for my birthday and they are filled with almond roca.

Steve's are the odd's and he has mini twix.

8 days until Christmas!

Ho Ho AHHHHH!

My mom sure can deliver. See, this is what I wanted from Henry. I love the first one where I am literally lunging to get out of there. I think its because the Santa has just one slit for his eyes in all that hair.

Ha ha ha.

Merry Christmas!

Henry and Santa

So our ward Christmas party was kind of a dud but there was a Santa and some mediocre treats. Henry didn't like Santa but he didn't hate him. I was hoping for that quintessential baby crying in Santa's lap shot but no luck. Instead we have blank stare...
And we realize that Steve is floating above us. And that I look like someone having their picture taken at Sears. Like when we were kids. Remember, Mom? Composition, composition.

355 Days Into Motherhood

So as I'm wrapping up my first year of motherhood, I thought I would add one more post about it since its been so long.

Tonight Steve went to basketball, I put Henry in pajamas and I breastfed him for the last time. I have to say, it shook me up a little. I am happy to be done but sad as well. Since we have moved to Georgia, I have been successfully weaning him down to one breastfeeding a day. So far it has worked beautifully. As this day has approached it has caused some reflection. And here is the truth.

The truth is: Breastfeeding is hard.

While pregnant you might dream of the hours immediately following the birth of your child. Both mother and baby glowing with love and bonding as the baby perfectly latches on and the connection is made. Ha.

Yeah right. Even if the experience for both of you goes pretty smoothly, it is hard. Henry and I got it down within days. Yeah it hurt but he latched on well and ate steadily. But then comes the reality. It hurts like crazy and then when your milk comes in you are so full and tender. And then you want the baby to eat for some release but it hurts. It is a lose lose situation.

The key is to never give up. Don't give up. This is the best gift you can give your child. Everyone, books, people will tell you that breast milk is mother's best gift. And they are right. But all that brainwashing makes you think that if for some reason breastfeeding doesn't work, you are a bad mother. Maybe not a bad mother but a mother who isn't willing to sacrifice for their child. Of course this is just guilt ingrained in you for reading too many books.

And then once you finally have a system in place other problems roll along. The baby falls asleep while eating and it takes hours to get in a good feeding. Once you start a meal, the baby has to eat three hours later even if the first meal takes 45 minutes. You're feeding him again in two hours. Or the baby scratches the heck out of your breasts with his razor sharp nails. You might get infections or your baby might be allergic to your milk or your supply might never be enough.

And then its time to go back to work. I started pumping extra milk to store in the freezer weeks in advance but only after one month my surplus supply was gone. I remember vividly one night Steve looking in the freezer and saying that there wasn't enough milk for Henry for the next day. I was ridiculously disappointed and upset. I had been trying so hard to pump at the office and at home and I just couldn't keep up.

But then Henry started eating solids, I was staying at home with him and everything was working out well. I was able to wean away one meal at a time and Henry seemed to adjust well. He loves solids and loves drinking milk and juice.

And tonight, was the last time. I'm only sad because it is the end. He's my first child and now it is over. Although I am happy to be able to wear normal dresses and bras again. And as hard as it is, it really has been so wonderful. Being able to spend this time with him and the bonding. It has been a blessing.

the big 28

Today I just have some random thoughts for you. No pictures.

-Tomorrow I turn 28 years old. I'm totally fine with it. The passing of years is nothing special for me. I feel like if you are happy with your life then why be depressed about getting older? And overall, I am happy with my life. So tomorrow I will be enjoying time with Steve for our matinee/lunch date. Harry Potter here I come!

-Its funny to think that this time last year I was on bedrest. Bedrest is not as fun as it sounds. In fact, it pretty much sucked. You just lay there. I didn't set foot in our kitchen for almost two weeks. I actually lost 5 lbs. the last week of pregnancy. Physically it is bad but emotionally it is worse, it really wears you down. I was a total wreck. I remember Steve and I sneaking out to eat dinner at Tepanyaki even though I probably shouldn't have. Oh well, who can resist those noodles?

-We finally got an entertainment center for our tv. Picture to come. Its nice not having it ghetto-ala-cardtable anymore.

-My serger semi-broke yesterday and is in the shop today for a tune up. I think she needed a rest and pulled a fast one on me for a week off. (Would a serger be a girl or a boy? I'm thinking girl.) On that note, I have been plugging away at lots of new stuff for after the holidays. I have some cool new fabrics and pretty designs in store. Sneak peeks to come.

-Tomorrow for my birthday I am having a 28% off sale in my etsy shop. So stop on by!

Okay back to work. And by work I mean playing with my Cricut. I've only gotten it out once so since my serger is out of commission I guess that means I am at liberty to play.

Bye.

Under the Mistletoe

How precious is this print by etsy seller belleandboo? So my decorations are up, the tree is in place and I am trying to muster the energy to make us some pillows. Funny huh? Anyway, pictures to come.

Have a great weekend!

Tutorial: Jewelry As Art

My jewelry is being stored in three white plastic boxes in the back of our bathroom closet. See.

I hate it. Since we have been in Georgia I have been accessorizing with the same three necklaces and five pairs of earrings I brought with me for the trip. Now don't get me wrong, that is plenty of jewelry but I have so much more. So I needed a plan. (A plan to get over my man. And what's the opposite of man? Jam.) I needed something to help me get organized. So this is what I came up with. Its pretty and it keeps everything visible and tangle free.

Framed Jewelry Displays

What you'll need:

1. frame-I bought each of mine for less than $1 at thrift stores. Also think of the size of what you are going to be displaying. Bigger for necklaces, smaller for earrings.

2. foam board-can be bought anywhere, big enough to fit in your frame

3. fabric-enough to cover foam board, simpler pattern or no pattern is best. Remember, anything placed over a busy pattern will disappear

4. hot glue and glue gun

5. scissors or exacto knife

6. pretty push pins-I made mine with plastic push pins and fimo clay. I don't know if baking plastic push pins is the best idea but oh well. You could probably find some pretty ones on etsy too.

How-To:

1. Gather supplies and jewelry to be hung*.

2. Cut foam board to size.

3. Cut fabric to size, 1-2 inches larger than foam board on all sides.

4. Adhere fabric to foam board with hot glue. You only need to glue on the back, pulling tight as you work around each side.

5. Place foam board in frame, make sure it is secure.

6. Can you believe it? You're done. Lay jewelry on board where you want it and insert pins. Hang frame and then hang jewelry on pins. Don't try to place the jewelry and then hang frame, everything will come crashing down and you'll have to do it all over again anyway.

*Note: Heavy jewelry won't really work unless you screw hooks into the foam board, so all my heavy jewelry is organized in one drawer of my vanity. And by organized, I mean thrown in in a ball. Baby steps.

The Stockings Were Hung...

Growing up, we all had our own stockings, hand quilted, beautiful and made by my mom. Each was unique and since none of them had names on them, it was an annual struggle for whichever one we thought was the best (usually the all green one, MINE). I have since wanted to make stockings for Steve and I and our family but haven't had the time. Last year at this time I was in full pregnant mode but nevertheless I managed to make this quilt top. I was going through a quilting phase and thought I could make a piece large enough to cut into many stockings for Steve, our unnamed baby and myself plus extra for any children to come.

Well, then high blood pressure entered our lives, bed rest ensued and the stockings never got finished. This weekend I found the quilt in our decorations, made a pattern, cut, machine quilted each differently and done. I love them. I wish I could say how much but I love them enough to annoy Steve with all my exclamations. I lined each with quilt batting for texture, they are backed with white flannel I had in my stash and topped with colorful wool felt also from my stash.

Steve's is green, mine turquoise and Henry's red. I love the way Henry's quilting turned out. All we need now is our tree and let the holidays roll out.

Thankful Hearts

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving break/holiday. Steve and I celebrated all week with lots of movie watching, Dr. Mario, eating and sleeping in and not enough being productive. For Thanksgiving, we ate dinner with friends from our ward and there was plenty of yummy food plus lots of new recipes to share. Then the turkey coma set in and we revived enough to skype with family and eat more pie with our new neighbors. Friday left us black friday shopping at 12:01 AM (NBA Jam and my new Cricut Expression!) plus we enjoyed an authentic Cuban dinner I won in a ward service auction. Saturday was tailgating with friends for the last home game which we won and a matinee date to see Inception. I loved the movie and I loved how they styled Ellen Page, she really is quite lovely. And now, thankfully the leftovers are gone, the desserts have been gobbled up and we have less than two weeks until christmas break. Man, where has this year gone? Somehow at Thanksgiving, Henry took off his pants. He loved this tricycle even though it was pink.

Steve rocking a beard. I love it.

Different Like Coco

I always have an eye open for interesting children's books. I loved this one.

I am totally wanting this fantastic children's book Different Like Coco by Elizabeth Matthews about the life of Coco Chanel. Not only does the art look fantastic Matthews but it has memorable quotes from Chanel that I love and would love to impress on the minds of young readers. "The most courageous act is to think for yourself. Aloud."

P.S. The movie, Coco Before Chanel with Audrey Tautou was wonderful too but much darker than I thought it would be.

Henry: 11 Months

Henry is 11 months and a couple of days. I can't believe that next month he will be one year old! We finally got into a doctor and he is 19 lbs and 28 inches. Right in the middle. Average. Totally healthy except for an ear infection which we are currently fighting off with bubble gum flavored antibiotics. Here are some shots of Henry I managed to take while I was photographing the table. He wandered over to the deck while I was out there and proceeded to play with and eat the screen door. I think they are hilarious especially the one with his tongue pressed against the screen! Funny guy.





P.S. Thanks grandma and grandpa g for the box of warm early birthday pj's.

Christmas Shop Update

So this week the last of my christmas inventory will be posted in the shop. I stayed up until 12:45 am last night photographing. I have to say I am happy to finally be done and have it out there. Hopefully by Friday I won't be so sick of it that I don't want to decorate our apartment. But who am I kidding? I will be more than thrilled to go get our tree and hang garlands. Can you believe it is that time already?

Here are some of my favorites.

And the Winner is...

So there were 194 books in the case. Tina is the winner with a guess of 193. Thanks everyone for guessing. It was fun having so many comments and seeing who would be the closest. I'll probably do this again in the future.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Clark: Table for 6

Don't forget to enter the giveaway. Today is the last day!

So when we first got married we borrowed a table and chairs and then eventually had to buy our own. We bought the standard newlywed table with white legs and tan top for $15 at DI. Mismatched chairs, black paint and new upholstery got us a complete set for a relatively inexpensive price tag. Our table was fine. But every time we had guests over for dinner or I wanted to throw a party, I found its small size very limiting. You can fit 4 dinner plates, cups and one bread bowl on our table. Food had to be served buffet style in the kitchen and everything felt super cramped.

Once in Georgia, I was scouting out other furniture needs and stumbled across this table buried in the back of a consignment shop. It had all the things I love: mid century lines, 6 chairs including one captain's chair and it needed lots of love. And for $125 it was a steal. But I didn't get it. It wasn't a need but I kept thinking about it.

So Happy (early) Birthday and a little bit of Christmas to ME!

Yesterday we went and picked up this table and since it was still there and no one wanted it, the lady gave it to me for $75, table and chairs! Hooray! Isn't it lovely?

I love the base. And it came with 3 leaves (not pictured) so it can grow to 8 feet long. It does need some work, one of the base legs is loose and it needs refinishing or painting. Also the chairs need work too, look at that hot quilted upholstery! but I love a challenge and I can see the potential.

You better believe I am already dreaming of dinner parties, table runners and warm conversation over good food. But first things first, I need to get to work. Updates to come.

P.S. Now don't you think I need to get this couch? Wouldn't the person who owns this table also have that couch?