Merry Christmas Eve!

From our house to yours! Hope your holidays are spent just how you like them! We are happily celebrating Christmas here in Michigan surrounded by many generations of family and friends. Enjoy and Merry Christmas to all!

Thoughts on the season

I can't believe football is behind us and the holiday season is upon us. Whew! It was a blast and long winded! Three teams in the playoffs made the season stretch into early November and made sure we put that cold weather gear into heavy use.
One came out on top making his last year with the league a memorable one for sure. Everyone else unfortunately didn't fair as well but in the end they have so much to be proud of. What a commitment each of my 4 kids made from summer thru late fall. 4-5 days a week of practice plus games, I am so proud! They learned team work and put it to practice on the field and off. As siblings they will always fight but these times help them learn how to support each other. My favorite picture from the season,  captured by one of the team Mom's, is my youngest two horsing around on the sideline during their big brother's game.
My daughter loves to keep up with them and its great to see them all out in the backyard playing football together.
We are into the next sport season already with wrestling and competitive cheer, but life seems to have finally settled into a manageable speed. Hope to be back soon with all the recent projects I have been working on between dropping off and picking up kids and watching games! Hope you all are enjoying getting ready for the season!

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Homecoming Game Day!

My little one is so excited for his first Homecoming game. What fun! The parade floats and candy, pep rally, and halftime show and ofcourse the personalized announcement of each player as they rush the field! LETS GO STEELERS!

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Three Cedars Farm

What a perfect day for a trip to the cider mill! Cool, crisp, and sunny! Three Cedars makes the best cinnamon donuts and a family rides on the hay wagon for $5. What a bargain for a family of 6! The scenery is picture perfect quaint. Can't wait to go back for the Christmas barn shop!

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Here we go!

Our newest Steeler! He's ready to play and couldn't look cuter! We now have 3 football players in the house so you know our Saturday's will be spent at the field from 9 - 6. Lots of fun and what a way to learn commitment, and being a team player! The volunteer coaches are outstanding and I know my kids will remember these times forever.
I can't  beleive we are heading into our final weeks of summer but I guess I am ready too for school to start back up. I find it a struggle to balance kids and Laurie Lou Studio in the summer. Have to say the kids always win and probably the laundry and driving them here and there for sports and friends. Wouldn't change a thing, well maybe the money to reduce the stress for my husband!
I knew life would go fast once the kids were all old enough for activities and that is beyond true so I don't sweat the small stuff and concentrate on living in the here and now. My husband on the other hand can't help worrying about the future and I hope I am helping him live in the present atleast with the kids. My fear is that he will look back and realize all he missed. This fall however he is in his glory with his boys all on the field and the coaches all raving about their skills. He couldn't be prouder and neither can I.
Off soon to meet our new niece in Chicago so I will post pictures of all my adventures in the Studio for her and her soon to be 2 year old sister! Have a great end of summer!

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Back to School?

Well not really, but isn't this fabric cute? I am so excited to make something with it! Hope to be back soon with the after pictures!

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Happy 4th!

Waiting for the parade to start! Everyone else is too crabby to pose for a picture. Oh well this is a 15 year tradition watching the Plymouth 4th of July parade! The rest will perk up when the marching bands come thru and the monster truck at the end! Hope you are having a great 4th and making great memories!

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It's a Crime

I can't believe someone used this beautiful spread as a dropcloth but I am saving it from a tragic end and using it for sweet baby accessories!

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Enter this Giveaway!

Cool enamel sign giveaway on the Life on Walnut Street Blog! Check it out! The signs are made by Ramsign and the are so classic. Perfect for anywhere. Good luck!

Ahhhhhhh

He's so thrilled! The pool is ready and its the last few days of school, we have dug out the summer favorites and stacked away the winter bins. Can't wait to get the yard completely summer ready and to have all the kids home underfoot!

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Made these fun totes from a customers own material recently and I think they turned out just great and best of all she loves them! I think I will make some for me too to use when I go grocery shopping. Now if someone can tell me how to remember them when I actually head into the store that would be great! Even sticking them in the car hasn't helped I climb right out of the car and forget all about them until I am in the checkout line. Hmmmmm.

Welcome Surprise

Came home today to find a little package at my door. Couldn't think of what it could be and when I opened it there inside was my prize from Lauren Bird's giveaway on her blog. Aren't they cute? Stickers from Print Runner Inc. for free! Can't wait to use these when I am sending out orders! Don't you love it when you win things!

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A Hard Goodbye

Thinking and praying for a friend and her family today as she is taken off life support this afternoon. Marlo has been such an inspiration to everyone she has touched with her voice and her love of life and God. God Bless you Marlo and your son Devin. Your fight through breast cancer has been valiant and long lived. You have inspired all of us to be better children of God and you will never be forgotten. Devin is such an amazing young man and you have raised him well and our church family will continue to lift him up and support him always!

You can tell its the end of the school year because all the fun has begun. Trips to the zoo, camping trip planning for the fourth grade and this, a thank you for magazine sales. A day in the middle school gym with the bounce houses, slides and ofcourse the velcro wall!

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Pinterest Fun!

Are any of you on Pinterest? (Click on Pinterest to see my style board!)I couldn't really figure out how Pinterest was anything but a fun time waster when I started using it during Beta testing, but I have totally changed my mind. It is a time suck but I think it really helps you to clarify things you truly like and share your creative style as well as how much can I say an inspiration every time you stop in. So many how to's and the recipes.... its got me even trying new recipes with success. I hope you all are enjopying it to! Stop by and stay for some fun and inspiration!

My Shadow

Love this guy! If you haven't already met him, this is Tucket or Tuck as he is most often called. He is my right hand man, always around for a cuddle and just plain good company. He's there before I fall asleep at night, curled right behind my knees and when I wake up in the morning, right by my side, ready for the day. He waits right outside the Studio when I am working but sometimes inside if I can make room. You see, my Studio is rather small but we manage still to keep each other company. Tuck alerts me to the smallest flea moving near our yard, (sometimes this is gets annoying I have to say, but no stranger will dare to cross him). He comes complete with an arch nemisis that makes him go berserk as she walks daily along the sidewalk in front of our house. Secretly I think he wants to be more than friends but her owner is a sweet little old lady and would be overwhelmed with his love so I think he will have to covet from afar or atleast from this side of the door.

We have discovered he has a few unusual tastes that make it a little difficult to have him nearby when these foods are within his reach. Most crazy is the entire stick of butter, wrapper and all, jars of peanut butter and nutella, gogurt and the wrapper as well, pizza especially if he can devour it right out of your hand and then non food items including and most frustrating, anything stuffed animals, slippers and pillows which all thankfully are just slobbered upon. Oh well we all have our quirks. Excuse me while I go rescue my slipper from his slobbers!

Happy Drooling

Just sent off this sweet collection of bibs for a sweet 4 month old baby drooling up a flood. Now she can drool all she wants and she'll stay dry and looking cute as can be!

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Happy kids!

The sillies are coming out around here with this really awesome warm weather! I can't remember the last time we had so many days of spring weather in early March here in Michigan. Hope you are too!

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Crazy Hair Day

This boy has guts! The girls at school loved it, and he loved the attention I'm sure. So proud of him! I never had the gumption to show up with wacky hair or my least favorite was Clash Day! How could they ask us to show up to school and not match for a whole day? I should have known I would end up working with color and pattern.
Way to go Max!

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366 Days

I just realized there are 366 days this year to create and love, to wish and wonder, to stumble and fall, to get back up and try again. 366 days to plan and execute, to dream and pray, to be gracious and grateful. This year I am going to use them all and not wait. To be eager for spring to come but enjoy what the winter brings. To embrace each day as it is given and to be open to new experiences. To broaden my comfort zones, encourage new experiences and cherish one of these last few years my oldest will spend her days with us. These days that my youngest is in awe of all that he is learning, and my middle son is a boy wonder with numbers and on the gaming systems. These long yearned for times that my oldest son is finally finding the same confidence he needs to succeed at school that he has found on the ball field for all these years.

2011 helped sharpen my awareness of how fleeting time is, with the fears my Dad would succumb to illness and the amazement that he grows stonger everyday and defies the odds since having a kidney and liver transplant. This year we are given the blessing of an extra day! What are you going to do with that day? I hope it is spent loving and laughing, creating and cherishing and just plain enjoying!

Laurie Lou Bib Giveaway

Stop by Mandi's Sweet Tiny Blessings Blog for a chance to win a Laurie Lou Bib in her weekly review and giveaway. I recently had a chance to talk with her a little bit about what was behind the start of Laurie Lou and become a featured handcrafter on her blog. I'm thrilled to say she loves the bib I sent for her daughter to road test and is offering all who enter a chance to win any bib in my shop! Don't miss out!