Snow, snow and more snow

We had a fun weekend!



DR has been very interested in sitting up and grasping at toys lately. It is so fun to watch him study something new.




And we got almost 20 inches of snow!!! M purchased this snow blower from the previous owner's of our house and it is honestly worth it's weight in gold! It only took him about 30 minutes to clear our entire (long) driveway. No back pain at all!




Here you can kind of see how deep it was.



I didn't want DR to feel left out so I bundled him up and sat him in the bouncy chair outside with us. He seemed pretty content! After a few minutes I got worried about his exposed face so I took him back inside.





M and AF had lots of fun saying "1....2....3.... JUMP!" and then diving in.







And I thought I would share a few more of her recent outfit choices. Here you see the au naturale look again (her favorite by far), with church shoes of course, plus a bow and two necklaces.




And we went to a really fun Superbowl party last night and she sported high heels, a backpack, binoculars, and sunglasses.




We are expected to get yet another storm on Wednesday that is suppose to bring another 12 to 18 inches! These are the times when I praise God for a warm house and lots of warm clothes. My heart aches for those who don't have such luxuries.

Stay warm everyone!


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She Did It!

Just when I thought we weren't even going to get to use the cute new snowsuit we got her, she did it! She asked to go out in the snow and play!



She wasn't out for long, but I think after the big storm we are suppose to get this weekend, perhaps she'll learn to love Pennsylvania winters afterall.









She didn't like getting snow on her gloves though. This could be a problem if ever she wants to actually have any fun ....like making snowballs or snowmen.



So...we came inside to talk about snowmen and create one that doesn't require getting snow on your gloves.

Stay tuned for more snowy pictures early next week!


And I will spare you all the smaller details of how I locked myself out of the house yesterday...or should I say...how AF locked me out. It was not on purpose of course. She had no idea she had locked me out. She just thought the dead bolt was a new found gadget to play with. Anyway, after a sprint over to the neighbors house to use their phone, I was able to call M for help. However, it took a good 15 minutes to get a hold of him. Luckily, we have some doors in the back of our house that look into the family room so I was able to stand there and see the kids and talk to them too. I had to come up with my best impression of a Mom who was not panicked at all. "Not to worry kids! Mommy's not cold at all and it's kind of fun standing out here trying to reach your father using the neighbor's cell phone! No biggie! Want to sing Itsy Bitsy Spider?!"

Meanwhile, I am frantically calling M's number over and over and watching my daughter climb up into my desk chair where she knows she's not allowed and start to pound away on my keyboard. I then saw her pick up a pen which is never good news for a 2 year old. Then she decided to pick up my prized digital camera that she's not allowed to touch. Yep. ...all while I stood there and watched.

Thankfully, M informed me of a key that I was unaware of and I was reunited with my fussy & confused 3 month old and my mischievous 2 year old.

I could use a nap & and a massage please.

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SuperMommy

Typically, I can handle getting through my days on little to no sleep. Afterall, mothers don't really have a choice. You just do it. You get up in the middle of the night when they need you. Heck, you get up in the middle of the night even when they don't need you because you just want to look at them and make sure they are still breathing (I'm not the only one, right?).

But this week was tougher than usual.



This little guy (who is all smiles all the time), decided that he does not want to sleep through the night anymore. Yes, I know I know! I had it easy for the first few months and some of you are wanting to punch me right now because I'm complaining that my 3.5 month old is no longer sleeping well. I know I've been lucky when it comes to having easy babies.




This little guy has been waking up 5 or 6 times at night for the past week. He's not unhappy when he wakes up.....and usually he isn't even hungry. He just wakes up fussing because his paci fell out and then when I come in to put it back in his mouth he sees me and then smiles and wants to be held. Can ya blame him? That's when my superhero mommy strength kicks in and I tell myself that sleep is overrated.




But it's also nice to have a hubby who will come home from work and not care that our daughter is wearing nothing but a diaper and I didn't have the energy to make dinner. And tells me that I look beautiful even though I look like I was just run over by a truck. And then he lets me go take a long shower and be alone with my thoughts for the first time all day. That is my recharge.





And let me tell you about this child. She has been picking out some very interesting outfits lately.



And it's all about the shoes. She calls these her "church shoes".



They go nicely with her footy pajamas. And she insists on wearing them all day every day...even when she's sleeping, and even though they have given her blisters.

And she is really enjoying pushing the limits lately. I'm realizing that I am now entering a phase of parenthood that is not fun or easy, but also so critical....discipline. I've been recommended some good books to read about raising and disciplining children from a biblical perspective to I am anxious to read those and put a few things into practice. I want to honor the specific personality that God has given her, but also ensure that she knows there are choices and consequences in life.

Parenthood is definitely the hardest job I've ever had. Cliche but true.

Now I must go and start getting dinner ready. Tomorrow I will update you on how I locked myself out of my house in the freezing cold with my two helpless children inside. Yep. It's been that kind of week.


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Let's Play Tent!

Anyone else sick of the cold weather? I don't know about you but I am just itching to get outside and play in the fresh air. But until that's an option, I've been trying to get creative with indoor activities. AF's favorite thing to do lately is "Play Tent!", which is what she squeals over and over until you join her inside.




I should probably buy her a cute real tent with fun accessories but she is just so satisfied with this homemade one I don't see the point. A sheet draped across the dining room chairs works just as well!



Even DR is allowed in.








And just because I love looking back at old posts, here's one from March of 2009 where I built a similar tent at our house in Charlotte.

Stay warm, everyone!



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My Guys

Just practicing some portraits with my camera. What better subjects to use than my two favorite guys??!

Starting an Etsy shop?

A lot of people have asked me how to get started as a seller on Etsy and I always enjoy helping out if I can. I am far from being an expert though. If you want to study some really amazing high volume Etsy shops, be sure to visit Crystal's shop at Little Bit Funky or Shelly's shop at Lemon Tree Studio. Talk about successful!!! Whew, those ladies are so talented.

If you've been pondering the idea of opening your own shop, I think you should go for it! But it's always a good idea to do some research first. And most importantly, make sure that the products you plan to offer are unique, authentic (i.e. no copycats!), and of course...handmade. I did tons of prep work before opening my shop. I love Etsy because it's a great way to get lots of traffic to your shop without spending thousands of dollars on a stand-alone e-commerce site.

I was honored to have contributed to an eBook written especially for new Etsy Sellers called "Secrets of Savvy Etsy Sellers". The eBook was put together by Julie at On The Dot Creations. And best of all....it's FREE! Download the eBook here.








I contributed Tip #14 under the "Marketing Secrets" section if you're interested. :)

Another great resource for Etsy newbies is a blog called Fine Tooth Comb. It's got tons of great tips and information on how to make the most of your Etsy business.

Achieving success on Etsy is a bit of an art, in and of itself. Keeping your listings fresh, making sure your product photos stand out, and even knowing how to effectively tag each of your items can make a huge difference. It's HIGHLY competitive out there so you have to make sure you're offering something that differentiates you from all the rest.

Like I said, I am not the best person in the world to ask advice on this particular topic. But I do remember what it was like when I first set up my shop. I had a million questions and it's always helpful to reach out to someone who's already done it. I hope the resources above will help get you started if in fact you are considering taking the plunge and wanting to offer your special creations for all the world to see.

I also wanted to make sure I linked you to Craft Hope For Haiti. All proceeds of the Craft Hope Etsy shop will benefit Doctors Without Borders in Haiti. All items have been generously donated by the crafting community. If you'd like to donate an item please visit the Craft Hope website. You can also contribute by simply shopping here!

Mod Memento back in action

After a lonnnnnng hiatus due a few tiny life changes (like moving 500 miles to another state and having a baby)...... Mod Memento is back up and running!

Here are just few things from my current collection. As always, all my prints are 100% custom and one-of-a-kind. You choose the colors, the words, everything!


Mod Monogram Print found here.
Perfect for a new baby! Send me a photo of your nursery colors or baby bedding and I will match the Print to your color scheme.






Mod Birth Story Print, found here.
Send me all the details of your baby's birth day and I will create this special keepsake for the walls of your home or nursery.





Mod Definition Print, found here.
Get creative and write your own definition of your loved one, or use my sample definition (seen in the example at my shop).







Mod Love Story Print, found here.
Want to give your special someone a truly unique gift? Send me all the details of your personal love story and I will create a one-of-a-kind Print to hang proudly in your home. Whether you've been together 1 year or 50 years, this Print commemorates every special moment you've shared together. Makes a great wedding or anniversary gift!







Another Mod Birth Story Print, found here.
This is a variation of my classic Birth Story Print. It includes all the important stats of your baby's birth day + their very own monogram.







Mod City Love Print, found here.
Want to show off how much you love and miss your favorite city. This Print is the perfect piece of colorful art to add to your collection.




It feels great to get my creative juices flowing again. I'm looking forward to creating lots of new keepsakes for my customers. I'll keep you posted on new items in the shop as they are added. It may be s...l...o....w.... going on that one, but I'm going to try my best!

If you're interested in featuring Mod Memento on your blog or website, please contact me at press@modmemento.com.


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Branches

3 Months Old!

I am quite a bit late on this one but better late than never! My guy is 3 months old and getting more alert as each day passes! He loves to be in the center of the action so we try and keep him involved in everything that AF and I do during the day.




We really enjoyed our three day weekend.





The weather was so beautiful so we actually got to play (and nap) outside for a while.





M & AF got some exercise.



We headed out for lunch together and then came back home to relax some more.



DR loves to "fly".



M pointed out that he's only this small once!!!


And I want to dedicate this post to my Grandfather who is currently in the hospital battling some fluid in his lungs. He is a bit more stable today than yesterday but it has been pretty scary for the past few days not knowing if his condition would get worse. However, he has been covered in prayer all weekend and I truly believe his improvements are a result of those prayers being lifted up. He is in his late 70's but reads my blog all the time and emails me often. I am so proud of him for that! I don't know many people his age who even know what a blog is! I love you Popaw...come home soon!!!!!


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Princesses & Footballs

Have I ever mentioned that I love having a girl?... I love that her room is full of pink, and princesses, and all things pretty.






And have I mentioned that I love having a boy?....I love that I can use a Steelers helmet and a football as book ends.



Somedays I feel like the luckiest momma in the world!




I am trying to take a few photos of just me and DR. So far I think I have managed to take just as many photos of my second born as I did of my first born! Don't most people say that never happens?




And I am so excited about the new Bible Study group that I just joined. We are doing the book, "Soul Revolution; How Imperfect People Become All God Intended" by John Burke. I think it's going to rock my world! The author introduces a concept called the 60-60 experiment where he challenges you to stay connected to God every 60 minutes for 60 days straight. Talk about a challenge! I can imagine how drastically my inclination to hearing and communicating with God would progress after committing to something like that. You can read more about this book here.


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