Hepburn and Houndstooth

1. There aren’t words for how much Iooking forward to a weekend getaway with Dustin the weekend of September 4. It is both Dustin’s birthday weekend and our 6-month anniversary. We are so in need of relaxation and this is just the thing for us. We are getting a hotel and just relaxing.

2. This past weekend, we had 2 baby deer and a rattlesnake visit our house. The rattlesnake found himself decapitated by my hero husband. The first baby deer was chased into our yard by our dog Raleigh. The second was brought by one of my cousins. The boys loved the deer.

3. The more I think about St. Louis, the more it sounds like somewhere I want to live. More to come on that later.

4. I have two distinctly different sides of my work ethic: The Quitter and The Determined One. This especially comes into play with my Etsy shop. I want to quit sometimes, because things aren’t selling the way I’d like for them to. But I’m determined to make it work. I actually have identified what the problems are, I just need to put some structure into my day to make sure I can work it all out.

5. Harper had his first haircut yesterday! I cut it in the bathtub, so the back is crooked and a little too short because of the weird angle from which I was cutting. It still turned out so cute and I can’t believe what a little handsome man he is now!

6. It looks like I’ve picked up my boys’ summer cold, so naturally, they are being harder on me than usual. They couldn’t possibly cut me a break.

7. I am testing a few things this week in preparation to begin very informal preschool homeschooling with Nick next week. The kid loves to learn and he’s a little ahead in some areas, but a little behind in others. My goal is to catch him up on the areas where he is behind. He isn’t so great with writing, mostly because he isn’t interested in trying. I need to work on that with him for sure.

8. I am not getting anywhere with my weight loss and considering I have thirty pounds to lose, that’s a little discouraging. Now, I can admit it’s my own fault. I’m not working out and I’m eating. A lot. I just lack motivation when exhausted.

9. So many ideas, so little time.

10. I am dying to go back to school for the first time since I quit like 8 years ago. Of course, now I don’t have the time or money.

I am proud to introduce the first item in my OpenSky shop… these great heart-shaped cookie cutters.  I love cookie cutters and have a slight addiction to buying them.  I don’t just use them for cookies, but also for shaping playdoh, pancakes, and cutting shapes into the kids’ sandwiches.  My 4-year-old really loves heart-shaped grilled cheese.

They are made of tinned steel, which makes for really clean cuts and durability. They come in a boxed set of four, and at $12, they are perfect for gift-giving. Showers, teacher gifts, Christmas, or just because!

A couple weeks ago, I ran across this felt play mat on A Girl and a Glue Gun and knew it would be the perfect birthday gift for my stepson Jude.  Nick wants one as well, but after making Jude’s, I have delegated the task to my mom.  Honestly, this was very tedious and I spent a total of about 7 hours on it.  I wish I was kidding.  The results are wonderful though, and it did take me longer than it should have.  I was working with a mini glue gun and usually on the phone with my friend Nicole.

Mat from A Girl and a Glue Gun:

My version:

The park is my favorite part

I pleated the pockets to hold larger cars.

I have to say, I’m super proud of myself!  This is my largest craft project ever.  I will probably never make one on this scale again, but maybe smaller ones for travel and such.

I linked this on Fireflies and Jellybeans Show Off Your Stuff Party and Show and Tell Wednesdays at Blue Cricket Design. My first link-ups!

Now, no discipline method works for every kid and my kids are so well-behaved that I rarely have to do anything other than correct them.  However, my 4-year-old is not perfect and is prone to whining in an attempt to get his way.  When I saw a blog post about paper behavior charts (well, was going to link to the source here, but i’ve lost it. if this is yours, please tell me!), I was inspired to create one.

I realized that I had more colorful fabric than paper, so I made my own version with stuff I had around the house.  Love a free craft project, especially when it works to help discipline my kids!

I know, my art skills are astounding.

Anyway, the way it works is this:  Nick (or Bob, as he prefers to be called) starts the day with his clothespin on the brown square.  Each time he does a favor for me or something nice for someone, he moves up a spot (this does not include his normal chores that are required of him).  Each time he breaks a house rule or does something he was warned not to do, he moves down a spot (there are some offenses that send him straight to time out, such as hitting or blatantly telling me “no!” which he does sometimes).  At the end of the day, after his bath and before bed, if he has reached the top square, he gets a treat (candy, small trinket, or an activity of some kind).  If he has reached the bottom, he gets either a toy or a privilege taken away.

Yesterday was our first time to try this and it worked GREAT.  He did everything I asked of him without batting an eyelash and as a result, gets to spend a few days with Grammy!

What is the reward/punishment system in your home?  Do you use the same method with each child?

My friend Hanna’s daughter Abigail just turned the big ONE and her birthday party was amazing!  She allowed me to share the details with you.  You’re going to love it!

Little Miss July?!  Are you kidding me?  How cute is that? LOVE!

Hanna made all these precious decorations herself!

The outfit she wore home was displayed.  How sweet!

Sundae bar? Sign me up!

So loving this chandelier!

Ok, now here’s for the main attraction, Little Miss July’s birthday gift…

OH yes, the Cupcake Express is just for Abigail!  This is no rental folks.  Hannah says she rides it every day and loves it!  She’ll have this for years to come!

Last week, I decided to challenge myself to shower and get fully dressed each morning for a week, hoping to be more productive.  You can read more about that HERE.  How did I do?

Day 1 – Saturday

The Day’s Agenda: My mom and I were taking Nick to his first movie, followed by lunch and some light shopping.  I started on this day because I knew I would be getting up early and doing hair and makeup.

Sunglasses: CATO | Tee: Faded Glory (WalMart), iron-on transfer by me | Tank: Eddie Bauer | Jeans: CATO | Purse: Gadzooks (circa 2003) | Sandals: CATO | Nail polish: Sally Hansen XTreme Wear in Blue Me Away

Productivity: Well, I had a day out planned, so I was away from home all day doing fun things.  I think I did dishes when I got home.  This whole weekend is a blur so I can’t say for sure!  But I definitely felt motivated all day.

Day 2 – Sunday

The Day’s Agenda: It was Independence Day, with plans for swimming and BBQ.  I knew I’d be just getting in my swimsuit, and I had an eye infection, so I did the best I could to be put-together.

Lucky for you, there are no shots in my swimsuit.  Instead, I snapped (in a very off-centered way) my hair to show that I didn’t do my usual sloppy pony.  I incorporated some braids and twists to ensure I kept up the “doing something with myself” thing.

Productivity: I was productive if you count getting some sun, eating a lot, and cleaning up the mess.  I was wiped out by time we got home, but still managed to do a sinkful of dishes.

Day 3 – Monday

The Day’s Agenda: Do some laundry, jewelry making, and blogging. This day ended with a date night, which meant I’d be getting all done up in the afternoon.  However, if I really wanted to stick with the challenge, I’d have to get dressed earlier in the day.

Day – Eyeglasses: Hilary Duff | Tee: Eddie Bauer | Jeans: Converse One Star | Flip Flops: American Eagle

Night – Top: F21 (circa 2007) | Cami: CATO | Jeans: CATO | Wedges: CATO | Vintage purse was my great-grandmother’s

Productivity: During the day, I did a lot of laundry, blog work, and made a couple of bracelets.  I then had a great date with my husband where I accomplished getting a slight beer buzz and consuming a week’s worth of fat and calories.

Day 4: Tuesday

The Day’s Agenda: Grocery shop, do some things in the yard, do laundry, organize living room play area, work out.

Tank: Eddie Bauer | Jeans: Eddie Bauer | Flip Flops: CATO

Productivity: This day went nothing as planned.  It had nothing to do with lack of motivation though and had everything to do with Harper Atticus.  The little guy just wanted to be right ON me every moment (as you can see in the picture).  After grocery shopping in the morning, I came home and chased (and ran from) him until his bedtime.  Literally, all I did around the house was wash dishes and cook.

Day 5: Wednesday

The Day’s Agenda: Usual housework, plus vacuuming, changing sheets, cleaning out fridge.  Aside from housework, work on my other blog, pack some items to ship, get some writing done.

Tunic: CSA men’s XXL sleeveless tee, altered by my mom to make a trapeze dress for me | Leggings: Mossimo (Target) | Flip Flops: American Eagle

Productivity: I got a late start because I napped right after breakfast.  I did manage to vacuum, do some laundry, and that’s about where it ends.  It wasn’t because of lack of productivity.  My kids completely lost their minds in early evening and never quite found them.

Day 6: Thursday

The Day’s Agenda: clean bathroom, post on my other blog, work out.  I woke up intending to do a lot of other things, but I felt a little under the weather, so I decided to mostly focus on basic housework.

Tee: Mossimo | Jeans: CATO | Flip Flops: American Eagle | Ring: my Etsy shop, Shop Houndstooth

Productivity:  I did get some writing done, as well as a few basic things around the house.

Day 7 – Friday

The Day’s Agenda:  All I wanted to do this day was catch up on the housework that I didn’t do the rest of the week.

Tank: Eddie Bauer | Dress: Gadzooks (circa 2006) | Belt: from a maurice’s tunic | Flower pin: ? | Sandals: CATO | Necklace: Peebles

Productivity: Um.  Yeah.  I got nothing.  OH wait!  I did a load of laundry.  Aren’t you proud?

What I Learned

Cuter, more thought-out outfits, blown out hair, or makeup won’t necessarily make me more productive.  Instead, it’s taking a shower and putting on something other than PJs.  More than that, I learned (perhaps more importantly) that I physically feel better when I start the day this way.  Aside from the productivity experiment, I learned a few embarrassing things:

1. I need new clothes.  99% of the time, I’m wearing cuffed or rolled jeans and a tank or tee.  I didn’t just wear this stuff because I wasn’t going anywhere.  That’s what I wear to the grocery store, too.

2. I HAVE to lose weight.  Like, this is ridiculous how fat my thighs and tummy are.  No more excuses.

3. No matter what, I have to get a camera.  This webcam and camera phone thing is out of control.

Now that the challenge is over, where do I go from here?  I will definitely keep up the showering in the morning routine.  I will keep putting on clothes that aren’t boxers(except maybe a day or two a week).  I definitely want to do makeup and hair on weekends when I spend more time with my husband.  I think that’s a start!

Saturday, my mom and I took Nick to his first movie, plus we went to lunch and did some light shopping.  For this momentous occasion, I made shirts with iron-on transfers.  It ws a little dorky, sure, but Nick was tickled over them.

We got into Hattiesburg over an hour before Misty Island Rescue‘s starting time.  We wanted to stop by the crafter’s mecca, Hobby Lobby, but Michael’s was way closer, so we stopped there to kill time.  I was on a mission to buy supplies for my new business.  This was my first stop:

I was debating individual sheets versus bundles when I was approached by a woman.  Out of the corner of my eye, I could feel her looking me up and down.  I looked over at her and she told me her car was out of gas, she needed to get to her next job, and she needed a few dollars.  Instead of saying, “no, sorry, I don’t have it,” I made the mistake of telling her that I don’t carry cash, only cards.  She then told me how she was cleaning floors and the chemicals on her shirt were burning her skin.  She asked me to buy her one of the $2.50 t-shirts.  I said yes and while she made her selection, I took my debit card out of my purse and hurried across the store to give my mom my purse to hold.  Maybe I was being paranoid, but I didn’t know if this woman would snatch my purse and take off.  We went to the check-out where she called the cashier by her first name and then asked me if she could try one of the truffles at the register!  In shock, I agreed and paid for it too.  She then thanked me profusely, but it didn’t stop there.  She asked if I could give her a ride to Main Street (on the other side of town).  I finally put my foot down and told her that I was killing time before an appointment and had done all I could do for her.  I am not sure if this is something she does all the time (I mean, the cashier seemed familiar with her) or if she had been in here awhile trying to help to no avail.  In any case, I did my good deed for the day!

By time I got finished clothing the con artists of the world, it was time to head to the theatre.  Not before checking out with my goodies though!

Grammy bought the little capsules that “grow” into dinosaurs (more about that later).  I got this awesome journal ($1!) to carry in my purse, a strand of beads to make into a bracelet ($2.99) that matches my sheets perfectly, and a “C” applique ($.49) to gussy up a boring cardigan I have.  The koozies were $1 each.  I love the dollar section at Michael’s!

At the theatre, I let Nick carry his own ticket to the usher and he was just so excited about the whole process.  We went to the concession stand and he chose some chewy Sweetarts.

We found seats in the theatre and surprisingly, Nick did really well waiting half an hour for the movie to start.  On the other hand, a grown man behind us (I’m guessing he was mentally handicapped) talked throughout the entire movie, calling out all the character’s names and narrating everything. Nick was absolutely riveted throughout the cute movie.

After the movie, we went to Chili’s for lunch.  Nick ordered his usual, chicken crispers and fries and as usual, only ate a couple of bites, then took the leftovers home and ate like he was starved.

After lunch, we headed to Target, one of my favorite places on earth. We hit the dollar spot and got stuff we didn’t need.  My prizes:

Raleigh got a new collar for summer.  Her usual kelly green collar was faded to a nasty seafoam shade.   I actually did need the ribbon because who doesn’t need ribbon?!

I also bought a new shower curtain, which I desperately needed, but always forget to pick up. I added to my collection of Sally Hansen XTreme Wear with the color Flirt.

There were two things in Target that, true to character, I fell in love with but didn’t buy.  What can I say, I’m cheap.

This swimsuit was so cute and I was dying over it.  People, I’ve been wearing the same swimsuit for FOUR YEARS.  Yes, the elastic is stretched out and no, it doesn’t fit well anymore.  The color and style of this swimsuit was sooo me, but it was $30 and I just couldn’t go there.  The wedges?  Darling.  They were perfect.  I loved everything about them, except that they weren’t on sale.  They were so, so comfy and I wear leopard as a neutral, so I would get lots of miles out of them!

By the time we left Target, my eyes were really irritated and I could barely see.  We went to Hobby Lobby, but Nick and I stayed in the car while mom ran in for some acrylic sheets.  She came out with some things for a project I’m working on.

I plan to put the alphabet on a wall for the kids once we move into our own place. The wooden letters are from Hobby Lobby and the glittery foam Q was another find from the Target dollar spot.

When we got home from Hattiesburg, Nick wanted to play with his dinosaur capsules.  Now, when we were kids, you bought these little capsules, put them in water, and they quickly grew to a large size.  Dustin even remembers having some that grow as big as the container you put it in.  These… well, they weren’t that.  They were just like small sponges and they took forever to open up.

It was such a fantastic day, one that Nick really deserved.  He has been so good about sharing his time since Harper was born and this was really the first time I have had the opportunity to take him on a date.  Dustin and I are going to take him to see Toy Story 3 next!  Can’t wait!

1. Nick’s first movie Saturday was a huge success and the entire day ended up being just for Nick.  My mom and I spoiled him all day.  It’s rare that he gets undivided attention these days, so that was nice.

2. Nick has been scared of leaving the pool steps all summer and yesterday, when nobody was paying attention, I got him to stand in the shallow end.  He was so surprised that he could touch bottom!  I’m so proud!

3. My husband and I had a date night yesterday and it was awesome!  We just did our usual thing, going to BWW.  We had blueberry beer and lots of deep fried goodness.

4. I have been trying to be such a great wife and mother, and I think I’m finally finding a balance between that and being ME.

5. Thanks to the encouragement of my friend Nicole, I am back to writing for the first time since college.  Yeah, I write a blog, but I’m talking about fiction.  I used to be really passionate about it, but when I had kids, lost the time and drive.

6. Some days I get really burned out on cooking and I just want to have ice cream for dinner.  I never do, though.

7. I have not worked out in weeks and I plan to get a work out in tonight, no matter what!  I have to do something about all the junk I consumed over the weekend.

8. Nick has gotten into this terrible habit of lying to get out of something he doesn’t want to do.  Luckily for us, he’s a horrible liar and well tell the truth with a little prodding.

9. I am on a cupcake-making kick… good for my family, not good for my waistline.

10. I did a good deed Saturday for a complete stranger and I’m still thinking about her.  Was she scamming me?  Did she really need help?  I’ll never know.

Every once in awhile, I have a day where I spend an hour salivating over material things online.  Well, this week, I’ve had several of those days.  Some of the things I’m obsessed with…

My dream is to own the Christian Louboutin Simple in both nude and black.  Who am I kidding?  My dream would be to have them in all available colors!  However, for an attainable substitute, loving Nine West Ambitious pump ($69 from Piperlime).

I love quirky things for the home and it’s important to me to remember where I came from and where I’ve been, no matter where I go.  I would love to scatter these on a huge white sectional, in all the states where either Dustin or I have lived or were born in.  These are from Etsy seller lovecalifornia.  The part is that you choose the color of the state and the location of the heart!  ($42)

We are not ready to buy a house just yet (I really need to start bringing in some money first), but this little hidden gem is just right for us.  And at $45,000, the price is right too!  I know it’s not much to look at (and you should see the inside!), but we want a bit of a fixer upper and it’s a good size in a perfect location!

Since we decided that we want one more baby, several friends and family members have announced pregnancies.  Naturally, I start obsessing over pregnancy.  We have never planned a pregnancy, so I’m really excited for the opportunity to actually try to conceive.  As much as I hated being pregnant with both of my boys, I know it’s a blessing and an honor to create new lives.  I look forward to facing the next pregnancy positively!

I have mentioned before that I don’t look like or live the life of the woman I feel I AM inside.  I have been struggling with this and I think I have come up with a solution.  I have to look the part.  This is not huge news.  Magazines and self-help experts have said for years that you are more productive, more motivated, and less depressed if you start out your day showering and getting fully dressed.  My friend and fellow stay-at-home-mom Brandy swears by it.  She dresses down to her shoes every morning and she is something like a modern-day June Cleaver.

Aside from my desires to be Supermom, I want and need a job, even if it’s part-time.  I am working on some ideas to work at home, but I could use some time outside of the home with adults.  I’d love to have a job “on the outside.” Ha.  Experts say that if you dress for the job you want, you’re far more likely to get hired.  I’m definitely willing to test that theory.  I mean, I’m not going to dress in office attire to hang with the kids, but I’ll definitely start doing my hair and makeup more and getting out of my PJs.

I am going to conduct a one-week experiment.  Beginning Saturday (because I am taking my son to the movies, I’ll be getting dressed that day anyway), for seven days I will get dressed and do something with my hair and face.  I can not promise shoes though.  Actually, all I can really promise is that I’ll try to match and brush my hair.  Sometimes the kids really are in control, sadly. Will there be pictures for proof?  You bet.  Will I sometimes crop off my head because I skipped makeup one day?  Probably.   Will there be a picture of me in my PJs one of the days?  Quite possibly.

Let’s see how this goes!  And now, the really brave part….

Here is how I’m looking as I write this post at 6:46 p.m. on Tuesday evening.

Squatting to fit into the webcam, I’m wearing robot boxers, flip flops, and a filthy t-shirt.  I have not brushed my hair (clearly) or washed my face.  After Harper goes to bed, I will shower and put on more PJs, then repeat tomorrow. I can’t wait to begin this new adventure Saturday!