Taking a Break

As our sweet little baby Cameron prepares to turn 6 weeks old tomorrow, I've finally made the decision to take a break from blogging. I know my posting has been scarce lately anyway but I figured it's time to make it official. Other than working on his scrap book while he is sleeping, I haven't had time to think about crafting and that's fine by me. I am enjoying every second with this little guy and while my hubby has been great about keeping up with the house and doing most of the cooking, I am finally getting back into the swing of things (and only needing to wake up for one overnight feeding!) and crafting just doesn't fit in right this second.

I'm hoping the tutorials I've posted will continue to help others with their own crafty projects and gift ideas. And I promise to post any news or baby projects as soon as I have time to start working on them again...

Until then, I leave you with this adorable picture - this kid really is a good sport about my constant photo taking!

Happy Baby Cameron

Can you blame me for not exactly thinking about crafting lately? Look at this face! 

  
This little guy is changing our lives for the better, each and every day. I plan on working on his scrapbook some more this weekend and will post an update soon. Hope you are all having a great 2012 so far - can't believe it's already February! 

Welcome Baby Cameron

I'm sure you will forgive me for the brief break I'll be taking from the blog - I'm happy to introduce the newest addition to our family...

Cameron Austin

Born: 1/14/12

Weight: 7 lbs, 3 oz

Length: 19.5 in

Pregnancy Update - Winding Down

I guess it's obvious that I haven't been as crafty as normal lately. Don't get me wrong, I have all kinds of great ideas and inspiration but my brain has been in full-on baby mode! With only 4 days until my due date, I'm getting increasingly anxious...

The last couple weeks of pregnancy seem to be taking forever, it's hard to sleep and every time we go out, I can't help but think "what if it happens while I'm in line at Kohls, or the bakery, etc" Luckily everyone around me has been very understanding and is humoring my neurotic tendencies, especially my wonderful hubby.

I know this little guy will join the outside world when he's good and ready but it doesn't make me any more relaxed.

So, thank you for understanding my lack of posting lately - I'll be sure to update as soon as there is any baby news and also share any projects I come across from my fellow, talented crafty friends.

Hope 2012 is starting off great for all of you!

Happy New Year!

Here's wishing you all a happy, crafty and healthy 2012! May the new year bring you much joy - I know I can't wait for the new year and our first child to get here - 11 days and counting! I'm sure he'll give me much inspiration for new craft projects to share with you all. 

(Image source: www.crafts.kaboose.com)

Crafty Christmas Gifts

While I'm taking some time to slow down and get ready for baby - here are a few Christmas gifts that I'll be unwinding with...

I can't wait to use my Babycakes Cupcake Maker now that I have this...

I am feeling creative and ready to get some new projects started with The Big Ass Book of Crafts 2, which I know I will love because I have the first one too!

And finally, something that would have come in very handy while I was slaving away over Homemade Peppermint Patties last week - we finally have a Kitchen Aid!!

What new gifts are keeping you busy this week?

(Less than 2 weeks to baby is keeping us pretty busy too!!)

Lack of Posting - I Can Explain!

Hello all - I guess it's not a big secret that my posting has been a little lax lately. As I round the 6 week Countdown-to-Baby, I'm getting slower all around. Not only am I getting winded when I walk up the stairs too quickly (sad but true) but my craft projects have slowed to a halt. The craft fair that I attended a couple of weeks ago went well, although I was surprised that my newest creation, the Ice Skate Centerpiece did not sell, despite a lot of compliments. Oh well, it will look great in our front window this holiday season!

The most creative thing I've done this week is to start some hand-made Christmas cards (I typically do half homemade and half out of the box) and try to come up with some fun and easy little craft projects that I can add onto the gifts I've already bought. Yes, I'm that person - my shopping has been done for weeks.

One of the projects I would like to attempt this week, since I should have some extra time, is a Reindeer Car Costume, like this one: 

I haven't found many tutorials online so I would like to try and make this with items I already have in the house and post the process for others to try as well.

All I can say is that it's a good thing this baby is due after the first of the year or I would definitely be making him wear this to match the car: 

Thanks for your patience while I get back to crafting, in the midst of packing my hospital bag, washing a million baby clothes and linens in Dreft and training my replacement for maternity leave.

How are all your holiday projects coming along? Can you believe it's only 25 days until Christmas?

Baby Shower Celebration

It's Tuesday and I'm still recovering from my baby shower celebration! A big thank you to all my family and friends for making it a lovely day. There is more baby stuff around the house than I could ever imagine - how are babies so small but yet they need so much big stuff? :)

Raspberry cake - made by my mom

 

Love these decorations - wrapped pictures on the wall with outfits & bows

Spoiled little guy!

Crib - all set up and ready for his arrival...

Baby's first Red Sox outfit - that's a must!!

Elf on the Shelf - I might be more excited about this than the baby will be!

Teeny-tiny sneaker socks - love these

 Just about 8 weeks left - hard to believe!

Beautiful Baby Card from A Fellow Blogger

One of the best things about writing a blog and maintaining a social presence for my craft hobby is all the wonderful people I've met and talked to. One of my favorite fellow bloggers is Rachel from Prescription: Craft Often. Not only was she kind enough to send me a congratulations package when I announced my pregnancy but she recently sent me this adorable, handmade card for my little guy. 

Be sure to check out Rachel's blog - she has some amazing tutorials, like How to Make Paper Rosettes. 

I was excited to have an outlet for my craft projects but I never imagined how much I'd enjoy meeting new people and sharing in their crafting fun as well.

Hawaii 5-0 Party Weekend

This weekend left little time for crafting around here. Between baby preparations, appliance shopping and birthday celebrations - I was exhausted! 

Here are some pictures from my uncle's 50th birthday party this weekend. You can see that I am sporting one serious baby bump too...

Gorgeous tropical handmade centerpieces

Live entertainment including Hula lessons and fire dancing!

Tiki cake - pineapple flavored, of course

And finally, me & my honey and our bundle of joy

We've just hit the six-month mark in this pregnancy and it definitely feels strange to see myself looking so different! But I've been feeling great and I'm sure the next 3 months will fly by with the holidays and all, so I'm trying to enjoy it. We had a wonderful time celebrating with family this weekend. I'm hoping to get back to crafting this week...I do have a craft fair coming up and all. Yikes! :)

Big Weekend - New Car

As I've mentioned a few times in the last month - we have been on the hunt for a new vehicle. We finally found the perfect car, thanks to some patience on our part and the fantastic service at CarMax. We decided that we needed something a little roomier in preparation for our new addition and found that in a Ford Escape. 

I hope you can forgive me for my lack of crafting this weekend but we spent most of Saturday purchasing the car, along with the assorted paperwork that was involved. And Sunday was spent cleaning the garage so we can fit both vehicles inside. I'm sure my hubby would have liked to skip that part!

Hope you all had a lovely weekend, no matter what you did...

Babycakes Baby Announcement

Despite all the stress of this hurricane and the residual effects, Bunch and I found out some incredibly exciting news this week...

We secretly had a feeling that this little bean was a boy and it was truly amazing to see the baby moving around on the sonogram. Everything is going smoothly so far - hooray!

Addicted to Baby Clothes!

I'm just past my 18 week marker which means we've got a little over two weeks until we find out the gender of this little peanut but I've found myself already buying cute little outfits. My friend Allison said it's a slippery slope and boy was she right!

Last week, I found this snuggley sleeper...

And just today, I felt the need to pick up this little newborn outfit, since it'll be pretty cold when he or she finally makes an arrival. 

Next weekend, we're going to start looking at nursery furniture. It's a bit early still but we'd like to have the nursery ready before my third trimester because I've heard my energy level might not be so high at that point. I'll be sure to post before and after pictures as my husband's office becomes the baby nursery. It's already painted blue so keep your fingers crossed that we don't have to repaint. Ha!

Happy National Breastfeeding Week

Being pregnant means I have become aware of all kinds of things I would have never otherwise known.  For example, August 1st - 7th is National Breastfeeding Week. Started by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA); "a global network of individuals and organizations concerned with the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding worldwide."

Another thing I've learned from being pregnant is that each mother and mother-to-be should be entitled to make her own decisions. Whether she decides to breastfeed or not, organizations like this encourage the promotion of choices when it comes to parenting. 

In the spirit of this week, here is a free pattern for how to sew your own nursing cover, from Bliss Tree.  

Lovely Card Creations from a Fellow Crafty Blogger

Today I experienced one of the most touching moments since I've started this blog. A routine trip to the mailbox turned up a package from one of my Twitter friends, Rachel from TwitterRWCrafts. Since I recently shared my pregnancy news, she sent this adorable, handmade baby card.

Also in the package were these cute Thank You cards, which will surely come in handy over the next few months, since we've already started receiving baby gifts!

 

Rachel also used her crafty skills to create this cute photo album - I can't wait to put some pictures of this little one in there. 

It's funny, we went from talking about getting pregnant to actually getting the house ready for a baby! While some of my friends are excited to get their baby stuff out of the house and pass it along to us, I love seeing the house slowly transform. Even though it means I have to start moving all the breakables to higher shelves ;)

A heartfelt thank you again to Rachel - be sure to visit her blog often, for some amazing projects and gorgeous photos. 

Wedding Weekend

I hope you all understand that I took the weekend off from blogging to attend the wedding of two of our good friends, Ron and Becky. My tailor was able to work her magic and take a little bit out of the top of my bridesmaid dress to make sure it fit. I haven't gained much pregnancy weight but my mid-section is definitely changing shape to make room for this baby!

Here's me and Bunch - it was our first time in a wedding together and despite the steamy temperatures, we had a blast! The bride was beautiful as always, the food was delicious and a good time was had by all. 

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend too - crafty posts will be coming soon...

Hypnobirthing - Am I Crazy?

I had planned to do my weekly Crafty Links blog post but the night kind of got away from me. So instead I figured I would give a quick update on what I've been up to pregnancy-wise. Today, I received the book I ordered from Amazon.com about hypnobirthing. I've heard that this is a great pain management tool for natural delivery, which is my plan - despite the fact that everyone around me thinks I'm nuts! I even tweeted Ricki Lake about it yesterday, as I consider her quite the natural-birth guru.

I've been feeling pretty good lately, even though temperatures in New England, and actually around the country, have been extremely warm this week. 

I also found a great craft project for this little peanut that I will post tomorrow. Not only will it keep me busy and be a cute gift for the baby when he or she finally arrives but it was a fabulous deal - my favorite!

So as I approach 15 weeks and find myself looking more round in the belly, I'm getting increasingly more excited. Of course, with this new growth in my middle section, I realized last weekend that my bridesmaids dress for our friends' wedding on the 23rd doesn't want to zip easily so it is currently at the tailors. Fingers crossed that she is able to take it out about an inch in the back... Bunch is so lucky, he just has to rent a tuxedo. I'm pretty sure he was measured and paid within 20 minutes of walking into Men's Wearhouse. 

I hope you all don't mind my non-crafty posts but I'm glad to share some other parts of my life on this blog as well. Here's wishing you all a great rest of the week and a crafty entry will be posted tomorrow, I promise!