Hola!

I have some new things in the store... =)

a one of a kind Fairy Door

and I am now making Little Nook Fairy Doors, 

perfect for staircases and tiny spaces.

I love the Happily Ever After Door. 

It makes me smile with the sunshiney yellow color!

I have another crazy week coming up, 

last of the dance photo shoots but 10 hr days,

kids to care for,

plus a teething baby...

so forgive me if I'm not around too much....

I will be thankful to get through these next 3 days with all my sanity

and my hair free of greys! 

Are you looking forward to the upcoming week?

Happy 6 Months Baby Girl

Dear Miss Moira,
 You are now 6 months old and what a difference 6 very short months make! You have not only grown physically but you are figuring out this world faster than Mama and Daddy can keep up. All in one day you figured out how to roll both ways, scoot on your belly, and transfer things from one hand to another. Amazing!
  Your personality is really shining these days. With strangers you will maybe* flash a smile and then coyly hide your face. No one can really pick you up yet aside from us. But with your family you are one VERY happy baby. Gabby and AJ get the biggest smiles from you of all, you looooove your sisters! With mama you love to cuddle, pull hair, and of course nurse. (Your appetite is wonderful!)
  I love watching you take in this world, see you reach for the cats and dog, smile when Daddy comes home from work, and explore everything you can. You are especially sweet at night, when you wrap your fingers in my tee shirt, and cuddle close to snuggle. I never thought I would enjoy co-sleeping as much as this!
 Moira Marie, or Fuzz Head (as you have no hair) as Daddy calls you, you are a wonderfully perfect addition to our family and we are all so lucky to have you. I can't wait to see what these next 6 months bring!!!

Happy 6 months baby girl!

Love,
 Mama

Whew!

Oh my goodness. what a week! I had some crazy hours assisting at the photography studio and then the dance recital for Rock City Dance. But now I get a week off and can catch up on my housework, blogging, and get my craft room in some semblance of order.

Gabby had her photos taken for T-Ball this past Saturday. She looked so cute and grown up with her new haircut! (Her hair was reallllly long but was constantly snarled and icky, so I chopped it off for her!)

We went to a community event called Meet the Trucks, a very popular annual family funtime where all the trucks from the community gather to let kids see them up close and even sit in them! Everything from SWAT cars to city wood chippers, along with local services and schools join in on the fun. AJ got really excited about the Roller Derby girls and Junior Roller Derby Girls. I do believe that it would be the perfect sport for my little bruiser- fun names and beating girls up!

Miss Moira has been having a great time, riding on the hip in our favorite ring sling. I can't believe that she is officially 6 months old today! (Official pictures to follow!)

Well, that's about it. Some other pretty cool things are in the works, but more about that once I get the details finalized. Talk to you all later- have a GREAT day!

101 Bits of Summer Fun

Wondering what to do with the kids this summer? 

Well check out this free printable list of fun summer activities- 

everything from dancing to washing the car!

Get your copy here and leave some love!

And if you like to take photos here are two nifty printables to get you thinking about those awesome summer photos. There is list of 10 can't miss photo ideas for each month as well as a checklist if you have traditions and events that you know you want to capture. 

Happy Day Friends!!!

:Wordless Wednesday:

We had our first photo shoot and it was lovely! 

All the photos were taken by Klint and then edited by me.... 

tons of fun and I can't wait to do it again.

(if you are in NE Ohio and want photos taken email me, 

we are building up our portfolio so sessions are FREE!)

When Morning Has Broken

Sorry it has been a few days friends.... life got a little crazy for me and I had to take a few days to sort myself out. Between the dance studio recital, photo shoots, and some stuff going on at home... my thoughts are like the waves on a stormy sea.

It is in times like these that I rely heavily on meditation, my friends, and my "silver-lining" outlook on life to keep me from running for the hills. I can easily get too caught up trying to perfect everything, keep everyone happy, be the super-mom that is expected, and then I find myself in the midst of a mental breakdown. I have to remember to take a deep breathe, remember that I have had so much more placed on my shoulders and was just fine, and take everything one item at a time.

I really appreciate all the kind words you all leave me, the thoughts, inspiration, and love that I feel from my friends. Right now, my life is weighing down on me and I am struggling to figure out how to untangle the strings. In a way I am thankful for the craziness of dance recital time because once again my craft is helping me through the rough patches! Thank you and the normal, ever-cheerful Connie will be back tomorrow. Kisses, hugs, and well wishes to all!

Pinterest, How I Love Thee!

If you are anything like me, you are always finding really cool things on the web. Images that strike your fancy, crafts to make, cute things to add to your home. Usually I share these things with you, my lovely readers, via a blog post. And I still will... but for myself I have found an easier way to keep track of all the coolness I see online- 

Pinterest is a cool site that lets you "pin" images that you see online to boards that you create. They can be any theme from crafting to a certain color, fashion to design inspiration. And no matter what site you are on, you can pin the images to your boards. Cool right? Well this is also a community, which adds an additional layer of coolness.

Personally, I love seeing what other people like. It's like people watching, only better. And as you look more, you can see trends in fashion, design, and even photography styles. For instance, I am seeing tons of braided hair and tutus....

If you look at my sidebar you can see a link to my boards. I believe you need an invitation sent to you still to join Pinterest, but it is 100% worth it. Especially if you are in a creative field and sometimes need a little inspiration!


Here are some really lovely things that I have found, just from browsing other people's boards:

Aren't they wonderful?! I am so excited to think about what I will find tomorrow! I love any site that makes virtual inspiration boards at the tips of my fingers... (which I would love to have painted like this:

My lil girl...

Words can't describe how much I love this little girl...

She is obsessed with my hair, and even though it hurts,

I wear it down so that she can play with it and pat it.

At night, she twines her fingers in my shirt and reaches for me,

making sure that I am near, 

and snuggles closer until we are one.

Today I am....

:digging: this Ultimate Lego Roundup! I love playing with Legos and the girls!
:watching: Gnomeo and Juliet and remembering my first encounters with this famous play... I cried at the end...
:dancing: to this song. I want to not like her music but I just can't help myself! 
:reading: this book that I totally picked up because of the cover. I am addicted to Russian ballet stories that take place during the Romanov era!
:loving: this swim suit! I think it would flatter any figure... even curvy, " recently had a baby" ones!
:eating: french toast and mango- yummo!
:wishing: that the days would stay this springy, the kids would stay this little, and time would stop marching on across my face!
:hoping: that my knees hold out with all the dancing I am going to be doing cause it's a lot but I love it!
:making: some pop up cards thanks to this tutorial
:browsing: over this new website, lots of kid-related eye candy to see!
:cleaning: out the girls dressers and closets... seasons change and the girls are growing out of sizes so fast...
:craving: some more color in this house. I am strongly considering painting my stairs like this...
:learning: more about vaccinations and the risks they pose to our children, all starting with this website.

What are you doing today?

Plank Pulling: Courage Doesn't Always Roar

“Promise me you'll always remember: 

You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." 

                                  Christopher Robin to Pooh

A fellow blogger named Jen does a feature on her blog where she does something called plank pulling. She writes, "The one day a week that we strongly resolve to ignore the multitude of specks and sawdust around us and pull one bona fide plank from our own eye." So I am here to pull out one of my own planks- my lack of courage.

Most of my close friends can tell you that when they need someone to give them a piece of courage I am always there. Whether it is someone pushing them around, some well needed advice, or just a push in the right direction, I try to give some gusto to whomever needs it. But when it comes to myself, I don't take my own advice. I cower, defer, avoid, and generally let people walk all over me because I don't want to be disliked and do not like confrontation. 

I let parents, whose children I care for, not pay me when they pick up their kids late. I don't ask for raises that I deserve because I don't want to make waves. I avoid mentioning that we homeschool if I don't think the other person will be understanding. And I don't breastfeed in public without a cover because I don't want to deal with the stares and disapproving looks, especially because Miss M is a casual drinker and likes to drink then look around a lot. 

But I know I NEED to stand up for myself and our family values. I am so very proud to nurse my baby because I know that it is best for her and me,  I love homeschooling Gabby and AJ- I wish people did not have the stereotypes that they do about it, and I need to stop letting other people take advantage of me. Sigh... my head knows all these things but my gusto goes with the wind when push comes to shove. 

I realize a lot of people would say that I actually have a lot of courage- I stood up for my daughter's education and despite a lack of support from most friends I did what I had to do to make sure she was happy and loved learning. I was the one who told my teachers that we were being abused at home and needed to get out. And I stood up to my OB/GYN and left her practice when I was being forced into a c-section based on convenience instead of need. But... it is all the little things that I lack the courage for, things that aren't really hurting anyone unless you add them all up. Then they do matter...

So I guess that I need to start taking my own advice, strap on some cajones, and realize that the only person I am hurting is myself when I don't stand up for my beliefs and values. Cheers!