one month.

I know mustaches are a big fad right now, but I don't care. I have a BOY and I like the fad, so I bought some sweet months 'stache stickers via Etsy. 

And since I'm joining in on a fad, let me sound all cliche too and say ohmahgah, where did the last month go?!

Here's a little about Linc at one month old...

The rolls are starting to form. This kid can eat. Like all the time. I couldn't tell you how often he eats or how long he sleeps, because I very, very rarely look at a clock. I just feed him when he needs to be, it's been nice not to feel like he has to fit to a certain time schedule like the baby books say. He is becoming aware of sounds--I absolutely love when he stares right at me when I talk to him. It's hard to tell from the pictures, but I think his eyes may remain blue. The consensus seems to be that he looks like my side, but I think he is another good mix of both of us. He LOVES to be worn, which is a good thing, since I need to be hands free a lot for the other two littles. He likes to be swaddled, but I get lazy with it and usually just put him on his belly, which is his favorite sleeping position. He loves bath time, not a peep out of him while he is being sprinkled with water. Overall, he is an easy going baby, I don't think he really has a choice in this matter being the third, but you know. 

He is such a stud. 

His sisters adore him. Audrey has the gentle touching down, Naomi on the other hand is still learning how to go in for a kiss without head-butting him. This is usually what happens...

Happy One Month to my little Linc also known as Buster 

(for no reason at all, I just started calling him that)!

P.S. I started cloth diapering again--how adorable is that Flip Albert diaper in the last picture?!

valentines.

I'm a sucker for holidays. I know some people think Valentine's Day is silly. But I love any excuse to decorate, throw a little party, and eat a cupcake. Plus, it's a like a built-in-must-go-on-a-date day. I'll take it. This morning we started out with pink heart shape pancakes. Lunch included a heart shape sandwich and then before nap we had a tea party in our living room and watched Alice in Wonderland. I bought the girls a couple of small gifts and put them in their stockings to open when they woke up. Yup, in their Christmas stockings. Ha. In January I ordered some custom Christmas stockings via My Cherry Tree on Etsy. They are so stinking adorable, and when I posted a picture on Facebook of them, someone suggested using them on Valentine's Day. Genius, they aren't traditional Christmas colors and even have hearts on them!

See, aren't they so cute? Works for Christmas and Valentine's!

My "mantle." I have been packing up a lot of things in the house, but I couldn't take down these decorations quite yet. 

After a homemade dinner at home, the hubs and I hit the movies. We did the most cliche thing--saw The Vow. Another thing I'm a sucker for, hopeless romantic movies. And I may or may not have gotten teary-eyed during the preview for The Titantic. Not even kidding. When the song "My Heart Will Go On" started to play I went straight back to sophomore year in high school. I'm blaming it on the pregnancy hormones, though. Speaking of pregnancy, I've entered my third trimester. You guys, I'm only three months away from my due date! 

[Blog note: Andrew took action today and sent my DSLR in to get repaired. I told him I wasn't blogging because I didn't have my real camera and he said he was tired of checking everyday and not seeing a new post. How cute is that?! Yay for a fixed camera soon!]

small style {tea collection}.

Ahhh, I'm finally getting back to linking up with Small Style over at Mama Loves Papa. Small Style is so fun because you get to see a bunch of cuties.

I tend to put the same thing on the girls over and over. If it is comfortable for them and layerable. [Kids get hot and cold so quickly, don't they?] Especially now that Audrey has an opinion about what she wears-- 75% of the time she wears princess dress up clothes. But sometimes I can talk her into something I little bit warmer for these winter months. She never complains about the Tea Collection dresses she has. I bought them about a month ago when they were on sale. And now they are even at a better discount-- you can get an extra 25% off the sale prices by using the code 25OFFSALE at check-out! It ends on Sunday so be sure to check it out. I even bought baby boy a couple of super cute t-shirts.

[Please excuse the super grainy photos. I'm using a camera that is about 8 years old since I broke my DSLR on Sunday!]

Audrey is wearing:
Hairclip: Zuzii Etsy
Dress: Tea Collection
Leggings: Crew Cuts
Socks: Target
Boots: Thrifted, Osh Kosh

 Naomi is wearing:
Dress: Tea Collection
Leggings: Misha Lulu via the Surplus Store
Socks: Target
Shoes: Target
Bracelet: Sophie's Closest Etsy

Sisterly love.

I'm definitely not being compensated for mentioning Tea Collection. But when I see a great sale, I love to share! 

merry christmas forever late.

I almost decided with the New Year that I would just throw in the towel with blogging. So much has happened since the last time I posted with all the holidays that I feel sort of lost. But once again, I have to remind myself this little ol'blog is for me and my family. I love looking back at old posts and seeing the pictures and reading the words. Also? Occasionally I will run into people (or the hubs will) and they will say they read this little ol'blog. It's super sweet when I hear that, and it also keeps me wanting to share here.

I went on a blog hiatus because I left my camera at my sister's house on Christmas and just got it back on Saturday. Then on Sunday I dropped it and BROKE my DSLR. So, I will be whipping out my very old camera for the time being till I send my camera off to get fixed. But I do have good news! Tomorrow my new Mac Notebook should be arriving! The hubs won it through his business and is giving it to me. I'm slightly nervous about switching to a Mac. But rumor has it, once you go Mac you never go back. We shall see.

So, I guess I need to play catch up now. Let's start with Christmas. It was {as corny as it sounds} so magical watching the girls that morning open gifts. They slept in until 8:45, in fact we had to wake them up, I couldn't wait any longer! Audrey was pretty much speechless the entire time and Naomi was just so cheerful. My very favorite gifts to them were handmade dolls I bought from Miss Baker Stitches on Etsy. I ordered these dolls just a week before Christmas and Tracy had them made and shipped within days to me! They were custom made to "look-like" the girls and had their initials embroidered on the front; I also got to pick the fabric for each one.

Christmas Eve ready in the stockings.

Christmas morning. The girls also got a mini-trampoline which has already been so nice with the winter weather.

After a quick morning bath, it didn't take Audrey long to get in her ballerina outfit she got. I cannot wait to take her to the Nutcracker in a couple of years. She already loves the story.

Look at that sleepy face, holding a cow she got in her stocking.

[I just noticed a horse sticker on the trampoline. That didn't take long for Audrey to decorate it. Ha!]

Family shot Christmas morning. It's hard to tell from the picture, but Audrey's dress has Hello Kitty all over it. She picked it out herself at H&M. It was $12, I couldn't say no.

Those last two pictures were taken a few days before Christmas on our way to a family get together. It was almost impossible to get Naomi to sit still. Also? Audrey looks so, so big to me here! And I did not tell her to put her hands on her lap like that.

There you have it, folks. Christmas in a nutshell and some pictures. I seriously can't believe it has come and gone. I do hope you had a lovely Christmas too!

baby {boy} wishlist.

[Here is my boy wishlist I created two days before I knew we were actually having a boy. Also, I have already made first boy purchase! A super adorable Mad Boy cowboy pj set and a Bambino Land comfy outfit via Zulily.]

With each consective baby you realize what you need and really don't need {which is quite a bit}. But you also learn that sometimes it's okay, and even better to invest in a piece that is more durable and will last through multiple kids (or have good resale value or keep as a keepsake).

That's where I am at. Thinking about what I really do need/wish  for baby #3, our BOY!  I would rather have less and love, love the baby items. Then buy something because it's on sale. [Don't get me wrong, I am a true sucker for sales.]

I received so, so many blankets for the girls. Blankets are great- for play, laying on, picture backdrops, swaddling, and of course keeping warm. Most of them are however, pink. This time around I would love to get some Aden and Anais Muslin Swaddle Blankets for my little man. [These aren't over the top screaming boy, but I love the orange and grey combo and think they would be perfect.]

Amazon, $40

If it has cowboy print on it, I'm all for it. I love this blanket- which makes a great playmat too!

Etsy, Peppermint Pinwheels, $35



Now, I know babies do not need shoes until they are learning to walk and even then I'm a fan of soft sole ones like Robeez. But, I can't resist these adorable mustache booties.

Etsy, Charlie's Giraffe, $20

I love looking at baby carriers and slings. There are so many beautiful, well-crafted ones out there. And hello, they work magic. I'm thinking this time around, I might need a couple of new ones, like this gorgeous floral blue and orange ring sling, it's a great price too!

Etsy, Zmunki, $45

I've been coveting an AngelPack Carrier for a while now, ever since my cousin, Erin, raved about one. I just haven't been able to justify buying one because I own an Ergo, which I absolutely love. The Ergo is super comfortable, easy to use, and works with babies all the way up to 40 lbs (Audrey can still be worn!). But the downfall to my Ergo is it isn't very compatible for babies less than 3 or 4 months without the newborn insert (which I don't own and can get rather toasty-- I will be having a summer baby).  I think the AngelPack has the extra head support needed for wee little ones. And not to mention the fabric!? Gorgeous. When I bought the Ergo, I had in mind that my husband would use it (which he certainly does), so that means the look is pretty basic. I'm ready for some super cute! I love the Cherry Blossom print.

AngelPack, $139

I'm so excited to be shopping for boy clothes! I like the challenge of finding unique boy pieces, that aren't all sporty {the hubs is all about the sports, it's already a funny discussion on how to dress our boy}. I love this sleeper gown I found, these are terrific for those middle of night diaper changes.

Etsy, Aimee Sharp, $18

There are so many adorable and SAFER teething toys out there. I could get lost on Etsy looking at all the beautiful handcrafted wooden ones. And I think my boy needs this one.

Etsy, Teeth Me, $8

There is my first wishlist. I'm sure to create more- ha! Tell me, if you have a boy, what is an essential, must-have? Brands that last?

P.S. We have a name! Some of you that know me well, know the name already. I'm looking forward to sharing it very soon! I'm thinking I should get Audrey on video saying it.

the binding bee.

I'm happy to say, I'm almost done with Christmas shopping. And most of it was done from the comfort of my couch. I do believe, online shopping was made for moms. Also, the anticipation of waiting for something to arrive in the mail is almost addicting, even if the present is for someone else. I hate checking the mail normally (I have to walk across the street and I'm lazy), but lately I have been going out there as soon as I can to see what fun package has come next.

Today, one of my very favorite Christmas presents arrived. My dad, whom I'm really close with (especially after losing my mom 5 years ago), is getting ready for a six week journey to Africa. SIX WEEKS! I'm so happy he is able to do this. He will be doing missionary work with his brother, who is a pastor. They will be traveling all over and hopefully get to go on a safari. (that is on my bucket list). So, I wanted his Christmas present this year to be purposeful for his trip. After visiting a local art show in my town, I came across an awesome Etsy seller, Megan Winn. Her online store, The Binding Bee, sells custom, handmade journals. You guys, these journals are gorgeous. I knew the moment I saw her journals, that was what I was going to get my dad.

So Megan worked with me and created a beautiful leather journal, with an antique key closing and an African map on the inside. How cool is that?! She made sure there was leather that covered all sides, since she knew this journal would be traveling a lot. Durability, yes.

Today I spent time filling some of the pages with pictures of my dad's grandkids and devotions, so when he is traveling he will be encouraged and have sweet pictures to look at.

I can't wait for my dad to open it on Christmas. It's not the newest fishing pole or latest gadget, but sometimes gifts like this speak so much more to us.

['m not getting compensated for this post and I purchased the journal myself; when I find an awesome store that sells handmade unique stuff, I want to share. I love that she has a variety of prices in her journals too.]

You really must go and check out her store, The Binding Bee.

small style.

Hi ya, friends! I didn't mean to be m.i.a for the last couple of days but between mickey mouse pancake making, rock painting, house show cleaning, traveling about 13 hours over the weekend, work meetings, and the usual beauty shop play, the days have been pretty jammed packed. I must say, though, I'm so excited that it is September. I loooooove the fall. And although it's not technically fall yet, I always go out and buy a nice smelly fall candle on the first of September, and today will be no exception. Oh, and I can't wait to buy mums. [A very sweet reminder of my mama. Oh, how she loved those flowers.]

I'm happy to say, I'm back, linking up with the lovely Morgan over at Mama Loves Papa for Small Style Thursday. Audrey has entered the I'm going to dress how I want stage, which I didn't think started till way later, but apparently two is the new ten. Somedays it's a Snow White costume or a towel on her head as Rapunzel's hair. [Not even kidding. Like a hooded baby towel. She will wear it everywhere too. Like she owns the place in it.] Almost every morning the first thing she wants to do is go to her closest and pick out a dress [she has a lot of dresses, but it is usually one of the four chosen ones.] But yesterday, watch out folks, I had a teeny tiny say in her outfit. Like, I talked her into leggings instead of a dress.

Audrey is wearing:

Jean vest: thrifted

Shirt: H&M

Leggings: Gap

Shoes: TOMS

Hairclip: Zuzii via Etsy

This past week, Naomi got a very early first birthday present in the mail, and I couldn't resist giving it to her. Check out her left arm. See that sweet little bracelet? Audrey received one for her first birthday and now it was Naomi's turn. It is engraved with Naomi Fae, and has a pearl bead on it. Audrey still wears hers, hasn't taken it off for, ahem, almost two years. Talk about high quality! I bought Naomi's from the same store as Audrey's, called Sophie's Closest on Etsy. I wasn't paid or compensated to write about this little store, but I love the bracelets, so I wanted to share.

 Naomi is wearing:

Shirt: hand-me-down from Audrey, Old Navy (Don't you just love the lace on the sleeves?!)

Leggings: Misha Lulu

Hair Clip: Zuzii

Big Tush:  BumGenius Cloth Diapers

changing it up.

We have spent much of our weekend checking things off our to-do list on our little bungalow remodel. [Correction: My husband has spent the majority of his weekend checking things off his honey-do-list for our house.] All these little projects have gotten me motivated to change things up at home. We have only lived here for about a year and a half. But I'm already ready to change things up. Right now our living room, hallway, and kitchen is an awesome grand hotel blue (at least that is what it is called at Lowe's).

(This picture is a couple of months ago. I don't have empty frames up anymore.

And I have sold that coffee table.)

I like it, but I'm ready for change. And I'm thinking a light grey (Jumping on the bandwagon, I know.) I kind of want to erase color from the walls so I can decorate more with colors in accessories. Like yellow. I'm digging yellow and grey. Right now I have both- color on walls and accessories, and I think I'm getting color-overloaded. [I hope that makes sense.]

My style is also changing. It does this every couple of years. For a while now I have been into the vintage 50's look and some shabby chic mixed in. But I think I'm leaning towards more of an old danish style with a hint of Scandinavian, but still some 50's. [Wow.] In other words, I have an eclectic taste. I'm currently selling our dining room table, in hopes of getting one with more modern lines.

Good-bye table.

(Another picture that is a couple of months old- hence the fall leaves in the tins.)

Lastly, I think I need to find a place for this cast iron wall hanger.

source

[See, I'm corky, I like things that are made from iron and have deer antlers on them.]
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Do you have any spring projects coming up? Also, share your wall colors- I'm curious!

happy heart.

Happy Monday, friends! I spent a nice weekend just relaxing with my family, after my husband had a 96 hour work week (not even exaggerating, I wish I was). I also spent a lot of precious time looking up online swimsuits and sandals. Filling my cart and then emptying it. I have a (sad) tendency of doing this. [Have you ever checked out or ordered from 6pm? They seem to have a lot of great shoes on clearance for kids. I just haven't made a purchase from there yet.] I'm just craving warm weather so I pretended I needed to buy sandals and swimsuits.

I have also been eyeing some prints on etsy. I want a new print to hang above our mantel shelf.

I'm thinking one of these. (Click on the picture for source.)

Pretend online retail shopping is so fun. Do you have anything you have been eyeing lately?

see ya soon.

Well, folks. It hit me. This afternoon the cold chills and the ache-y body started. I have eaten half a banana today. So, I may not be here for a couple of days. [And Naomi is still sick. And the husband is sort of starting to recover.]

But I did (thankfully) get some new items posted in my shop, before the sickness took over. Purty please go check them out- they have been so therapeutic for me to make over the last couple of days. [And if you can spread the word, it would be totally awesome. And yes, I'm trying to promote my shop. I love you guys, thanks.]

Also, I'm thinking another giveaway is in order, maybe next week when all this sickness has hit the road.
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See ya soon.

winner winner {chicken dinner.}

[I couldn't resist.]

Hot-diggity-dog we have a winner to the skirt giveaway I posted about on Monday. And let me tell you, all your sweet comments really did make my week. I had folks telling me they shared it with their friends on facebook and twitter. Multiple times. Now that's true love. Thank you, thank you! I'm really excited about the doors that could open up from this skirt thing. I already have something in mind that I want to do with it, something really good. But more on that later. On to the winner.

Using Random.org I put in the numbers 1 to 40 and it came up with comment #23 as the winner! So congrats to Shanea! She said "I absolutely love the Whale of a Tale skirt!! I will definitely spread the word. Thanks for sharing about your mom...I feel like I get know her more and more."

Again, thank you for participating and encouraging me. And don't forget, if you see a skirt you like, but not in the size you need, I am more than happy to do custom orders.

And now, I leave you with this cutie-patootie.

(Even her tush and thighs are to die for.)

Happy weekend, folks. We are going to be crazy, crazy parents tomorrow taking Audrey to see the Dora and Diego exhibit at the Children's Museum on opening day. [I know. DUMB.] But it is going to be worth it to see her face when she sees the characters there. [Along with the other zillion number of kids that will be there as well.] Do you have any weekend plans?

i walked outside for the first time in four days.

Yesterday I spent a lot of time my time stealing things. Yup, I'm a thief. I would get on Facebook and see my friends post things they are doing with their kids and then I would proceed to do them. My friend, Jade, talked about making homemade pancakes. So what did we do? Make homemade (blueberry) pancakes. Then she talked about a tea party. And what? Yes, we had a tea party. Then my friend Mindy talked about making clean mud. And you guessed it- we made clean mud.

I'm always for sharing ideas, that's one of the many, many reasons I love blogging and just social networking in general.

So, now you may steal the clean mud recipe from me. (Which is really not my recipe at all.)

Another easy, fun, sensory activity for the kiddos. I used one bar of ivory soap, had my little sister grate it, then took about 1/3 roll of toilet paper and had Audrey tear it up. Then mixed the soap and toilet paper with hot water, a little bit at a time till it was a consistency I liked. I think I had a lot more fun playing in it then Audrey, but she did want her pigs to you know, roll in the mud.

So fresh and so clean clean

Also? We left the house for the first time today, since basically Sunday. (Besides driving around on Monday to pick up my sister.) Fresh air is amazing. It also feels good to not be wearing pajamas. What? I've been wearing pajamas for four days straight? Never. Ahem. Audrey sported her skirt that I made. I haven't posted the deer applique one yet on my shop, but do plan to.

And those of you that look really closely at pictures (like I do) will notice my super dirty floor. And a crayon randomly on the floor. Folks, this is the norm in my neck of the woods. Mmmmkay. Now come on over and have some tea, would ya.

GIVEAWAY {a skirt}.

I can't tell you enough how excited I am about these skirts I've been making. Like I get so giddy just looking at the little labels on them that say "Rosemary's Cuppa." Because, for one, I feel like it gives them that finishing professional touch. But also, more importantly, because it has my mom's name on it. I love that. A lot. If she was still here, she would probably be dancing around the room to Bob Marley and thinking that I was her favorite daughter for naming my store after her. [Okay, maybe not that last part, but I can pretend, right?]

Yesterday I posted ten skirts and I'm hoping this week to keep adding more. To celebrate this big accomplishment I thought I should do my first ever giveaway.

So, here's the deal. I'm going to be giving away one skirt of your choice from my shop. Anyone can enter. You don't have to have a daughter- think niece, birthday gift, baby shower, etc. All you have to do is go browse my shop and come back here telling me which is your favorite skirt in the comment section. Or just leave me any ol' comment. Just make sure you leave your name and email address. You do not have to have a blog to enter. Want an extra entry? Tweet about this giveaway and come back here telling me you did. Another entry you say? Facebook about this giveaway and come back here telling me you did. [Yes, I sure am trying to spread the word about my itty bitty shop.] The giveaway will close on Thursday at midnight. I will randomly choose a commenter and post about it on Friday. And heck I will open up this giveaway to U.S. residents AND anyone around the world. [I think it would be totally cool to have someone in say, Australia, wearing a skirt I made. I will just need to figure out shipping.]

Okay, ready. go. Browse. And thank you, thank you, thank you for your support!!

P.S. You might want to check the shop each day, I am hoping to add more skirts!

crushes.

I've been feeling down this week, so what better way to brighten the mood then to do some window shopping on Etsy.

Check out my latest crushes:

Gus and Lula (I need this reminder daily.)

Kaboogie (Swoon.)

Hey Yo Yo (I'm thinking I have two girly birthdays to plan for this year.)

A Little Sweetness (I  totally want to frame these.)

Hold The Wire (Love, love, love these for organizing!)

What have you been crushing on lately?

P.S. I am really hoping to get some skirts up in my shop this weekend, just waiting on my tags to arrive!