31 August 2010

21 August 2010

Pincushions

I made these for a swap at Sacrapgal (well, the pink one, I kept the other)...
I think they came out pretty cute.
Here's a link to the directions I (mostly) followed: How to Make a Yo-Yo Pincushion

18 August 2010

Nine months...

It's crazy to think that Peter and Sadie have now been 'out' for as long as they were 'in'--longer, actually, since they were 5 weeks early! People say "I don't know how you do it," to me all the time. When out in public with all 3 kiddos, many people comment "Well, you've got your hands full!" As if I didn't know. One guy at BJs actually said "Three babies?? I'd kill myself!" Thanks for the encouragement, dude! Sometimes I'm not sure how I do it either...things are most definitely different this time around as compared to when Chloe was a baby.

For one, we were sticklers about the "no screen time" until two years of age with Chloe. With these guys, I have no problem putting one in the exersaucer while Chloe is watching PBS so that I can have a tiny break--I had no idea it would captivate their attention as well as it does! Another big difference is feeding solids. With Chloe, I was steaming, pureeing and freezing everything for her. Since P&S started solids I have made 1, maybe 2, batches of baby food. The rest has been from a jar--so much faster and simpler, and I'm buying it by the case, we go through so much! The other big difference is getting out. When Chloe was between 3-24 months, I was doing at least 1 or 2 scheduled outings per week--varying from Sign and Sing to Little Gym, plus playgroups and visits to the Children's Museum and the like. Getting out with all 3 right now is a little daunting--it can be done, but we haven't braved any museums yet. And as for classes, I did a Moms-of-Twins class when they were newborns, and then tried another with singletons, and there was just no way of handling 2 babies--someone was always getting short changed! Given, they couldn't even sit up at that point, so if I wasn't holding them both, one was lying flat on his or her back staring at the ceiling. Not so fun...
So, here we are, at 9 months. Peter had graduated from Mr. Trouble to Mr. Death Wish. He has an almost magnetic attraction to cords, is a pro at getting his fingers pinched, and can crawl up the stairs faster than you can say "I need more baby gates." He is always on the go, exploring the nooks and crannies of the world. at floor level. And putting everything in his mouth--damn you pincher grasp! He is also super cuddly and cute, and has started to vocalize more, especially as he crawls around (and around and around). He has the sweetest way of coming up to me, pulling himself up on my leg and reaching up just for a quick hug, before he is off again.
Sadie is just as squishy and sweet as ever--only now she looks so grown up with her 2 bottom teeth! She is starting to wiggle more on her tummy, sometimes even moving backwards, and will get up on all fours and rock back and forth like she wishes she were crawling. I catch her studying her the parts of her toys and surroundings quite earnestly. She also has a great laugh, and is always blowing raspberries, so it's hard to take her too seriously. She loves to be pulled to standing, and will hang on for dear life if you prop her up on her feet. It's such a relief to know she'll mostly stay where I put her though, because Peter is SO busy--I don't know what I'll do once they're both moving!
Chloe is the resident artist and storyteller; she'll narrate and act out the adventures of her dolls and trucks. She loves being outdoors, and is pretty good at entertaining herself in the sandbox or on her playset.
She is slowly adapting to having P&S in her life, and shows both her adoring big sister and jealous older sibling inclinations--it's a little Jekyll and Hyde at times. I can't wait for the 3 of them to be able to play together--I know Chloe will lead them on many adventures!

16 August 2010

So I 'auditioned'...

...for a spot writing/crafting over at the May Arts blog. Go check it out here!
A project and little tutorial--if you like it, you can comment here and win yourself some ribbon!

10 August 2010

Free Kid

Which one do you want...?
The one that's 2 steps away from walking and already nicknamed "Mr. Trouble"?

Or the one that's cutting 2 teeth and has been up at night all week?

Sorry, you can't have the one that's potty trained...I'm keeping her :)

04 August 2010

Distressed Paper Frame

Here's a Prima layout, made using the gorgeous Sew Cute pre-stitched patterned paper. I love that it is so detailed and artsy looking right out of the package--makes it hard to go wrong no matter what!I'm going to show you how I made the inset frame on this page for a distressed and slightly shabby look. First, I cut a piece of paper to fit behind the picture about two inches larger that the photo itself.
Then I sewed that paper, face down, to the back of the patterned paper using my sewing machine and going around several times.On the right side of the patterned paper, I cut an X using my exacto knife.
Then I could begin to peel up the background paper revealing the underlying later beneath. You can see I used a bit of adhesive to hold the papers in place while I sewed, but this is probably not necessary.
Continue tearing away at the top layer of paper, being sure to leave a small margin close to your sewed line.
Add your picture, embellish and fold/tear the paper to create your frame. The nice thing about tearing the mulberry paper that the Prima Sew Cute line is made out of is that it leaves a really nice feathery edge with a lot of texture!


Products used:
Prima Paper - Sew Cute - On Stage

Pink Paislee Ribbon Pleats - Bayberry Cottage - Bayberry

Prima Flowers - Fairytale Roses - Buttercup

My Little Shoebox Mini Alphabet Sticker - Butter

American Crafts Thickers - Dear Lizzy Berry - Marigold

Prima Say it in Pearls Swirls

03 August 2010

August is here





You'd think it'd be my favorite month, what with having my birthday in it and all, but really August kinda gets me down. Too much heat+humidity will do that to a girl...

This is my *first* Peter layout...I think I have been so excited to scrap some boy pages I got "scrappers block" so to speak. Anyways, I just think he's adorable, and I have so many great pictures just dying to be made into scrapbook pages--this is just the beginning!
And some kiddo pictures, since they are growing so fast and I gotta keep track somewhere! These are from our vaca at the lake:

Pretty typical scene--Peter on-the-move crawling, Sadie sitting and playing.
Another typical scene--big Sadie smiles!
Yup...she's got style :)