Today was one of those magical days, filled with snowmen (even a snowcat), baked cookies, hot chocolate and time well spent together.

We had a snow storm last night that left us with just enough snow, of the sticky sort to roll some snowmen! Our neighbor had started before we headed out this morning and the kids had a blast playing with her. She has to be the coolest 12 year old ever! She always plays and entertains the kids with her amazing ideas.

Cordelia even came out, riding on my back. Hurray for babywearing! She was all comfy and cozy, giggling like crazy at the kids and the neighbor’s dog that came out to play. It was fun to be able to include her.

This afternoon, as I stitched like mad to finish up some Christmas presents we are delivering tomorrow to friends, J & Becca baked up some cookies for us to share. Ethan and Cordelia kept me company and I finally completed the handmade gifts. I hope the kids like them. I get so nervous! Hopefully before we head out tomorrow I can take some pictures (’cause you know I still have to wrap them!)

It was truly a great day.

Tomorrow we head to friends and J escapes to work for a few hours. I am so excited for Christmas this year. We have our three amazing children, each other, a great house and so so much love.

Are you ready for the holidays? Enjoying the time so far?

It however, all quickly approaching the big DAY! I am sadly disorganized. I am knitting, sewing wrapping, humming, cleaning, cooking, baking (hopefully soon) all in a frenzy. I call it Christmas High. It is fun and stressful.

I vow not to leave so much to the month of December.

I want to be able to sit back and enjoy the season with the kids rather than feeling frenzied.

This is Becca’s last week till her Christmas vacation starts. I can hardly wait to have her home! Two weeks of all of us being together, going for walks, reading, playing and enjoying each other. J will be able to take some time off too so it is an extra bonus.

Are you still creating presents for Christmas? Still shopping?

Have fun with more Wordless Wednesday.

We received a cord of firewood this weekend. I attempted to help my husband move said wood, from the front of our yard to our wood shed. Poor guy. It was hard work. I helped, but barely.

I have a cold. Ethan has a cold. Becca is on the verge of having a cold.

We are boring. It is raining. Or cloudy. So we snuggle read stories, play on the wii, build blanket forts and chill out. I have little motivation. Correction. I have no motivation. I do not even take pictures. ugh.

I did finish sewing the baby’s play mat. Have been puttering about a little. Truly just want to curl up  in a ball and veg right out.

We are looking forward to Canada Day (if it doesn’t rain hard all day)! Becca really wants to stay up and see the fireworks.

How was your weekend?

*Do you know where that quote is from? I will give you a hit, it is from a television series that was on for 7 years

The dolls are very retro, very unique and very inspiring. As I have mention only a zillion times, I live to create and creating for a Blythe is just another avenue. Unfortunately my obsession is an expensive hobby. So I was sort of content to admire her from afar, drool while looking at Flickr, fantasize about sewing her clothes, and taking her out on photo shoots.

One would think have two and a half kids I would have enough to photograph right? Well dolls, never have boogers, don’t run away or give me fake cheesy grins nor do they get annoyed

So for my birthday rather than being practical, J went whimsical and bought me a BLYTHE DOLL! I was so excited!!!!! SO I started knitting and sewing outfits for even before my birthday, but unfortunately I am kinda busy with being a mom, wife, painter, booger wiper, play date organizer, swimmer, uber pregnant sometimes cranky, housekeeper extraordinaire, so it took me a while to get her all set for her first photo shoot. Btw I was so spoiled on my birthday. I received CABLE (my generous in-laws gave money that covers the cost difference for cable tv for a year … WEEEE!), a wicked cool scarf from my SIL, awesome stuff from lush and a book from my kids and the coolest, coming soon in the mail camera strap from Holly. So spoiled. I love it

Without further ado, I give you Eve …

… who still needs some attention to her hair, but otherwise is perfect for now. I sewed her outfit and want to sew so many more! There are a ton of clothes and accessories on Etsy and ebay, but I would like to try to create most of her wardrobe myself, as part of the creative process. Beside most of her clothes I can make from scraps from other sewing projects (note to self sew more for kids, so one has left over for doll) or purchase very small amounts. Knitting has been great, although slow since the items are so tiny, great for stash busting (note to self knit more socks, so one has more yarn for doll.)

If you ever stop by my Flickr, you will see a lot more of Eve as I attempt to create with her as a medium. I hope to hone my photography skills, getting off the automatic settings and challenge myself in the future. Again she makes an excellent non-moving teaching guide. There is such craziness in this whole affair. Once you have one Blythe your need for a second is so intense. Christmas isn’t that far away right?

Now I have officially gone geek, confusing the majority with my insanity for coding, gaming, design, sewing, knitting, running and now a doll. You’ll still adore me right?

Do you have any obsessions hobbies that you cannot live without?

Supplies:

• Stretchy knit fabric (I bought mine from the bargain bin at my fabric store for $2/metre)
  
• Sewing Machine
• Measuring tape
• Scissors
• Thread
• Iron & Board.
  

Step 1 – Take some measurements. I prefer to have a full panel on my maternity jean so I knew I would want a wide band (one can always fold it down). So I decided on 14″ so I doubled that to make 24″. Then I grabbed my measuring tape and measured the top of my belly (so the band would be snug and not move around too much), add 1/2 an inch for a seem allowance.I used about 1/2 the metre I bought (a metre is a little more than a yard)

Step 2 – Cut out the fabric according to your measurements (note which way the fabric stretches, you want the fabric to stretch across your belly not up and down).

Step 3 - Once I cut out my fabric (24″ long x 40″ wide), I put right side together and stitched up the length of the fabric, using a 1/2 inch seam allowance. Always back stitch as both ends it secures your stitches.

Step 4 - Turn the fabric right side out, then take it over to the ironing board. I used a Seamstress Gauge to measure and iron 1 inch all around the seam, then I folded that in half (to hide the raw edge). Then take the other raw edge seam and tuck it into the folded side. I pinned like crazy since knit fabric can be a little slick to work with.

Step 5 - Sew along the folded edge, fairly close to the edge. I lined the fabric up to the edge of my presser foot. I like to double stitch, giving it the appearance of a top stitch. I just moved my needle to the left and still lined the fabric to the edge of the presser foot.

Step 6 - Wear your belly band with pride! Seriously took me an hour with interuptions. I would like mine a little snugger next time (I did my measurements over my clothes tsk tsk)

(excuse the dirty mirror *blush* I was totally ready to be done)

A couple of notes. This would have been way useful earlier on in my pregnancy, however I totally see myself wearing older T’s around the house with this on. Or even with my regular PJ’s just so they do not slip down. I can totally envision these to be comfy postpartum when  you want everything to suck back in yet you are still not wearing your old jeans!

I wore it all day today with my sweatpants, and it worked great! I never had to pull up my pants! I am so excited! It is totally cozy to wear. I have fabric for another one in a tan colour that i will totally sew up. I am by far a pro sewer, yet it only took me about an hour from start to finish!

Here are some links for some awesome tutorials. I so could not done it without them!

• Christy’s Creations
• AmityMama.com
• A Peaceful Serenity
• Diaper Swappers Dot Com Forums

Good luck and make sure to tell me if you make one! I have a friend that may have another baby (#5! OMG I KNOW!) and I so hope to make her one!

Any plans for your weekend? I am heading out with the girls to a movie tonight then we are painting and doing stuff around our gorgeous home all weekend!

Tomorrow we are heading to the hospital for our 20 week ultrasound. I am trying to be excited even though we cannot find out the gender nor do we get a picture of the sweet bean growing inside me. The kids are coming along with J. Normally Becca would be at her preschool swimming class, but the times conflict. She is so much more excited about this baby. She is older so she can understand more, I suppose. Becca really ignored Ethan’s existence until he could reach her toys. Yet this baby she is making pictures for the baby, and talks about it all the time. She kisses my tummy and vows she will help out lots!

I am still getting tired easily and coughing up a lot of phelm. It is annoying but I am happy that I am not as ill as I was. I am really looking forward to spring weather. I need more sunshine and warmer temperatures! This winter I have read so many books. Revisiting favourites and reading new ones. More than I have read in a long time. It has been nice, however i am reading a scary one by Stephen King and Peter Straub called the “Black House” that is giving me nightmares. My dreams are always more vivid when I am pregnant. I have to be sure not to read that one right before bed

I have been busy sewing too. Ethan’s birthday is coming up and I am creating all his presents myself. Becca wants to purchase something for him from a store, but I hope I can get her to help me make something as well.

Have you read any good fiction lately? Any recommendations for a girl with a vivid imagination?

There is something about my children, that I cannot seem to say no to them. I am not talking about candy, snacks, or stuff, I am quite good at squashing those things. Rather when they request an activity, I can never bring myself to say no. I always find a way to make it work no matter how I may feel about it in that moment. Rarely do I regret following their lead, although sometimes it is exhausting.

Maybe it comes down to me wanting to be the mom I never had. The disappointment in knowing no one was watching me swim (My Grandma always did, but once I moved with my Dad and his wife they were working), play baseball, take me to art class, or just play with me. I watch Becca swim twice a week, because she wants me to. There are moms there that roll their eyes at me and state they would never stay no matter how much their kids begged (and do beg!) That makes me sad. I get me time, I do not need to deny my kids my attention for HALF AN HOUR, while they swim.

So when Becca asked if I could sew her a cat with wings on Thursday, rather than grumble an excuse, we went to work cuting, sewing and stitching. She watched me through the whole process (that took the entire day), helping when she could.

The end result is pretty cute, if I do say so myself

Friday I was tired, but there were things to do, cleaning and settling that for my own mental stability had to be done. I was grumpy and tired, looking forward to a movie in the afternoon so I could be grumpy quietly. Instead Becca insisted on painting. *sigh* A preschooler and a toddler painting really means A LOT of clean up. I had a headache (works for my husband yet never on the kids!) So we painted. But I was a grouch about it. In tears in fact, so not wanting to allow painting.

J came home and relief washed over me. I made homemade pizza while he bathed the monsters children and cleaned up after their painting time. I still feel cranky yet I am glad I am the mom that I am.

I am the mom that will be there (want me or not!). I am the mom that will be cheering. I am the mom that will let you get dirty. I am the mom that no matter how i feel my kids always come first.

I am that mom.

And I am proud (not about the grouchy part, I really need to work on that!)

Yesterday I saw our baby. The doctor was concerned that I was measuring large. pfft I knew it was just that it was roomy in there So one little heartbeat beating away. Perfect. I am 11 weeks and 2 days. Making July 28 the due date. I was a little nervous since I have been to an ultrasound that was not so perfect. In March I go back for the diagnostic ultrasound.

Here in Nova Scotia, due to funding and their desire to focus on diagnostic rather than gender, they take NO PHOTOS or reveal the sex. I was totally bummed about the no photos. I have Becca’s and Ethan’s tucked away in their baby books. One could in theory, go to the mall and get an ultrasound, but I am so not paying $200 for an ultrasound. So greens and neutral colours it is!

It is not really my thing, not knowing. I am trying to grasp the excitement of not knowing. I plan on knitting a sage green blanket and maybe (time permitting) quilt a little blanket for the little bean.

yuck. I have to go. I so need a pajama day My time on the computer has been so limited this week. grrr.

The long awaited costume reveal!

Have fun with more Wordless Wednesday.