{ the papyrus basket }

juice box valentines

2012-02-13T09:32:00.004-06:00

So, I wanted to do something for my almost-2-year-old daughter's Mom's Day Out class for their Valentine's Day party tomorrow. What do you do for a bunch of 2-year-olds? Candy hearts...crackers...goldfish...hmmm. Juice boxes! So I bought some juice boxes & got to work. Here's what I came up with. Not too bad for an almost-last-minute toddler Valentine. :-)

Want those Valentine circles in a pdf? Click here: Valentine Juice Box Circles

returning to the papyrus basket

2012-01-27T09:19:00.012-06:00

If you read this post, you know that we had "started to start" the adoption process again. :-) Well, I suppose at this point, we've officially started it! We are in the process of updating our home study, which the second time around includes:

1) getting updated medicals for Baron, Natalie, and me;

2) updating our adoption profile to include Natalie [and the bazillion pictures I have of her :-)]; and of course, 3) more paperwork. :-)

We have decided to go through the agency we used to adopt Natalie, Nightlight Christian Adoptions. We loved working with them, and we love the work they do with birthmothers and for orphan care around the world. If we're going to save up a bunch of money & use it for an adoption, these are the folks we want to have our money. And speaking of money...we're officially SAVING and fundraising! Which for me translates as, no more eating out during the week, and way fewer stops at McDonald's for a $1 tea. :-) We have an adoption fund set up at our bank, and hope to soon actually start putting more money in it. The cost of a domestic adoption typically ranges from about $20,000 - $30,000. We expect ours to be about $20,000, including legal fees and travel expenses. Would you like to help us? Guess what? You can!! We have arranged with our church to be able to accept donations through them, so that they can be tax-deductible. If you would like to simply write a check to help, you can make it out to Vaughn Park Church of Christ, and in the memo line, mark it as Family Care - Goins Adoption. You can mail your check directly to Baron & me. [Please email me at lauragoins828@gmail.com for our address, as I don't want that published on the www. :-)]

Stay tuned to my blog for our upcoming adoption fundraisers. We hope to be able to raise the money for this adoption without having to borrow. There are adoption grants to apply for, and there are also loans out there, and we will pursue whatever avenues we feel we need to, in order to bring our next baby home! If you have a fundraiser idea, please leave it in the comments or shoot me an email at lauragoins828@gmail.com. I appreciate your input!

{Curious about the title of this post,

or the name of my blog? Read this!}

the Natalie diaries...

2012-01-23T09:29:00.006-06:00

So, I'm not sure I ever actually finished my writings about our adoption. Did I? I can't even remember. And I'm too lazy right now to go back & look. ;-) I also haven't written about Natalie in awhile. The truth is, as you mommies know, she is the very reason I haven't had time to write about her. :-) I was reminded yesterday by my MIL that I need to be writing things down that Nat is doing, so that, years from now, I can look back & remember the little things. Because those are the things we tend to forget. Sitting up, walking, first words, etc...those things we remember. But the things I'm about to list here are things I just know I won't remember months from now, much less years from now. So, I'm going to try to be better about recording tidbits of Natalie's life here. Feel free to join me in reading about her mannerisms, or feel free to ignore this post. :-)

At 22 Months Old, Natalie:

Speaks in full sentences, even though it's mostly jibber jabber that we can't understand, with a few actual words mixed in.

Says so many words that I can't even count.

LOVES Elmo, Mickey, Minnie, puppies, kitties, balloons, bubbles, keys, & her blankey.

Calls her Mimi {my mom} by name, her Granmama {Baron's mom} by "Mama", her Paparoxy {my dad} by "Papa", Tata {my grandmother} by name, and Izzie {her cousin} by "Ishee".

Identifies family members in pictures.

Feeds herself with a spoon, if it's something like pasta that sticks easily to the spoon.

Goes to Mom's Day Out 3 days a week, naps for about an hour while there, and LOVES her class & teachers.

Is obsessed with coloring. And not just on the paper! :-/

Identifies when I point out to her the coloring on the table, and calls it a "no, no".

Can put on socks & shoes herself...not always on the right feet, but still.

Knows these animals & the sounds they make: cow, dog/puppy, kitty, chicken, pig, bird, owl, tiger {although sometimes it is also a kitty}, sheep, goat, horse, snake, frog.

Loves to play with her friends, even though she hasn't quite grasped the concept of sharing.

Likes to play on the keyboard at Granmama's house, and loves to dance along to music.

Dances in the kitchen with Mommy & Daddy when we play music on the iPod.

Puts her baby "night-night" in her stroller or crib, and covers her with a blanket.

Says "hey!" to strangers in stores.

Pronounces sock as "fock"; TV remote as "fifi mote"; coffee as "foffee"; blankey as "tackey" {or something of the like, I can't quite identify}; sorry as "fowwy".

Asks me "you ok?" every time I cough, and pats me on the back.

Says "oh, fowwy!" when she bumps into someone or even when she bumps into something herself.

Sometimes calls me "Mom" instead of "Mommy", thereby making me feel like I have a teenager instead of a toddler. :-/

Is such a good sleeper. She willingly goes to bed at night and sleeps about 10.5-11 hours, and typically takes about a 2 hour nap with no resistance. {SUCH a blessing!}

Likes to help with the laundry.

Loves her baby cousin London.

Wants a napkin to clean up when her milk splatters on the coffee table.

Blows her nose...into her hands.

Mimics. A lot. Both actions AND words, so "be careful little mouth what you say..." :-)

Likes to watch Sesame Street, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Sid the Science Kid, Bubble Guppies., and Wipeout.

Has gone both tee-tee and poopie on the potty, although she doesn't do it regularly at all.

Cheered for me for going tee-tee on the potty in the restroom at church. :-)

Occasionally complains when I take her picture by whining. {Ok so maybe I take her picture too much.}

Loved to pass out the gifts at Christmas time.

Did not care much for Santa ("Tanta").

Is not a big fan of sitting in a high chair in a restaurant for an extended period of time.

Likes to eat: chicken nuggets, peas, apples, mandarin oranges, Cheerios (duh), fruit snacks, Snapea Crisps, chili, macaroni & cheese, french fries, sweet potato fries, hot dogs, sausage, pizza, crackers, chips, yogurt, Quaker Oatmeal Squares cereal, cookies (duh), most of mommy's pasta casseroles, applesauce (mommy gets the kind with veggies mixed in!), steak (if it's tender), jelly beans, fish sticks.

Does NOT like to eat: scrambled eggs, bananas, bread, grilled chicken (sigh), carrots, broccoli, green beans, mashed potatoes.

Does this cute little almost-fake laugh where she snickers & covers her mouth.

Is petite, but looks huge to us because she's grown so fast. She is wearing size 24 months clothes.

Has the most awesome hair ever. It hangs to the middle of her back, and has a little wave to it. Mommy might be a little jealous of it. ;-)

I hope this is an adequate snapshot of her life right now. I can't write into words how incredible her personality is! She loves to laugh, loves people, and is thrilled to be able to play with other kids, especially bigger kids. She is a social butterfly, and adapts well to new situations like her new class at Mom's Day Out, and staying with a babysitter (other than family) for the first time at 21 months old.

deck the halls!

2011-12-14T13:11:00.007-06:00

Just a few glimpses of our Christmas decor this year...I just love how my house looks at Christmas! Well, except for the mass chaos on the kitchen counters & breakfast room table, as those are my dumping ground for various crafts, gifts, etc...

but the living room is a sanctuary! ;-)

christmas wreath: the simple edition.

2011-11-30T15:19:00.003-06:00

Wow. It's been almost a month since I last posted, and that post was also about a wreath. I'm the best blogger EVER. [insert sarcasm here]

Anyway...I was browsing Pinterest for Christmas wreath ideas, and I was totally inspired by this lovely yarn Christmas wreath. However, I have made a few yarn-wrapped wreaths, and I DESPISE the wrapping. It's simple, yes. But very time-consuming. So, I decided to make my own version using fabric.

I found some glittery felt fabric at Hobby Lobby, cut it into strips, and wrapped my 18" wreath form. Then I wrapped some red yarn around for a simple stripe, cut my holly leaves from green felt, and stuck some shimmery poms on for holly berries. Voila! My easy Christmas wreath! I may add a cute painted "G" later, just for kicks. We'll see. Also, it's a shame you can't see the glitter in the fabric in this picture, but I assure you, it makes for a happy moment when standing at my front door. :-)

simple fall-ish wreath

2011-11-08T15:46:00.003-06:00

For the fall, I wanted a good transitional wreath. Something for September-November, and possibly even for Christmas with a few added touches. I found this on Pinterest courtesy of Our Celebrated Life, and I LOVE it. So, here it is, my simple fall-ish wreath:

{wrapped with upholstery webbing, which I got from Hobby Lobby}

{felt flowers same as my houndstooth wreath; tutorial courtesy of Little Things Bring Smiles}

Thanks for stopping by!

the second time...

2011-11-02T16:07:00.003-05:00

"When are you going to have another baby?"

"Are you going to adopt again?"

"Natalie is about ready for a little brother or sister!"

Those are the comments you get when you have one kid. I'm sure when you have two, you probably still get them. :) Well, we actually had it in our plans to start the adoption process again toward the end of this year. Guess what? It's NOVEMBER. That's "toward the end of this year". :) We had planned to use a local agency that has strong ties to our home church. Agape of Central Alabama is an awesome organization that focuses on foster care, adoption, and crisis pregnancy counseling. We used them to conduct our home study when we were preparing to adopt Natalie. We wanted to use them for our next adoption for two reasons: 1) They are local, and 2) Their adoption expenses are lower than that of the agency we used the first time. So, the other day I decided to email their Adoption Specialist & ask what we need to do to get the process started. Her reply felt like a door shut in my face. They are not accepting applications for adoptive families right now, due to a lack of birthmothers coming to them. While I realize this is somewhat good news, that there aren't many birthmothers who need or want to place their child in another home, it's not good news for adoptive families. I'll be honest: I got upset when I got this news. You would think that by now, I would realize that my plans aren't always what God's plans are, but I guess my thick skull hasn't quite let it sink in yet. MY PLANS were to go through this agency; it would just be so much simpler that way.

So, that's where we stand right now. We have to decide if we want to use another agency, or if we want to raise the funds to be able to use Nightlight in South Carolina {who we used for Natalie's adoption}, or if maybe God just wants us to wait. We shall see!

Please join us in praying for God's will to be revealed to us as we decide how to grow our family.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. ~1 John 5:14

an adoption fundraiser

2011-10-20T13:49:00.002-05:00

My friend Robin over at Blessed Beyond Belief has shared some wonderful news on her blog today! Go read her post, please...and consider her plea!

creamy chicken & spinach casserole

2011-10-19T09:00:00.001-05:00

Hold the phone.

I decided to make up a recipe.

I know, I know...it's scary!

Here's the thing: I have a picky 18-month-old who doesn't like a lot of veggies. She loves casseroles with pasta; aka, baked spaghetti, etc, so I try to make a lot of those with whole wheat pasta & sneak veggies into them. I've made baked spaghetti with chopped up carrots, baked chicken cheesy casserole with peas, chopped bell peppers & onions, and...that's about it. It's hard to come up with stuff with different veggies that she will approve. So I was thinking the other day about trying to sneak some spinach into a casserole, and this is what I came up with! The hubs & I loved it, and...wait for it...SO DID NATALIE! Kid-tested. Mother-approved. :)

Creamy Chicken & Spinach Casserole

1 box whole wheat pasta

2 large cans chunk chicken (I am lazy & used canned; obviously you can cook chicken breasts if you want)

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (if I'd had more in the fridge, I would have totally used up to 2 cups! I love cheese. You can add as much or as little as you'd like.)

1 pkg Bird's Eye Steamfresh Lightly Sauced Cream Spinach (frozen)

1 pkg Pictsweet Seasoning Blend (frozen)

Cook pasta. Cook seasoning blend in skillet as directed on bag. Prepare cream spinach as directed on bag. In large mixing bowl, mix chicken, cream of chicken soup, cheese, spinach, & seasoning blend. Add pasta & mix well. Pour into 9x13 baking dish & cook at 350 for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

(I know, it's not the most appetizing picture. Just trust me, it tastes good!)

the secret.

2011-10-18T09:47:00.006-05:00

"...for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." ~Paul, in Philippians Chapter 4

I am dealing right now with a major case of the discontentments. No, that is not a word. But it's what's up. I read lots of blogs, and browse Pinterest, and see friends' things, and I want. I want my house to be cleaner, I want the list of projects to be done, I want those new pillows, and I want a prettier home office. I want my daughter to obey me, I want more money each week for groceries, and I want a garage for all the stuff overflowing my house. I want to get the van fixed, I want to go back to the doctor so maybe my ear won't be stopped up anymore, and I want to have money to go eat lunch at McAlister's on any given day. I want to be a better mommy, I want to be a better wife, and I want to love God more.

That is a LOT of wants. And that's just the short list. Well...no wonder I feel so overwhelmed! I expend a lot of energy wanting things that I don't have. They are not necessarily bad things, but constantly wanting things is leaving me feeling in a state of disarray. I am a busy mom of an 18-month-old, trying to maintain some semblance of a proper household, while working a part-time job and still trying to make time for family & friends. I don't need to add to that stress, the energy it takes to want all of this stuff. I am tired. I am way too tired to do all of this extra wanting.

So, I am turning to God, to show me the secret. Paul said in Philippians that he had learned the secret of being content in any situation, whether in plenty or in want. Wait...hold on. You can be content while also "in want"? Evidently so! I need to learn this secret. I need to work on being content while I am in want, and stop using up my much-needed energy on all of the wanting.

What I need to want, is God. I need to just want God.

cute & easy roll tide wreath

2011-10-11T21:21:00.005-05:00

My sister-&-brother-in-law are moving soon from Tennessee to Arizona, and we went to visit them this weekend. I wanted to give them something to represent The South over in the desert, and they are big Bama fans, so I decided to make this super easy Roll Tide wreath! I got the idea from Jamie at Two Plus Jilly, just doing a random Google search. I made the felt flowers using a tutorial from Katie at Little Things Bring Smiles, also found through a Google search. I realize everyone's been making these flowers forever, but I'm always late to jump on the bandwagon. :) I also decided to print a little Roll Tide banner and string it across with yarn. I love how it turned out, and it was so quick & easy to make!

living room semi-redo

2011-09-18T15:27:00.002-05:00

I've always had a thing for rearranging furniture. I'm pretty sure I get it from my mom. We would come home from school on frequent occasions to find the den completely rearranged. I always thought it was fun - it kind of freshens up a room, ya know?

When we built our current house, part of the draw to the floor plan was the openness. The living room is open to the kitchen & breakfast room. We love the high ceilings & the airy feel. The one drawback is that an open floor plan limits furniture placement. Especially when you own an 8' couch that may or may not have been purchased solely for the fact that the 6'4" husband can stretch out on it. So, by default, we've had our couch on the same wall since we moved in: the one wall that wasn't (a) 6' long (too short) or (b) consumed by 2 windows & a fireplace.

I recently got the itch to move that crazy couch. I considered "floating" it in the open space, with the back of it to the opening of the breakfast room/kitchen. Well, that got the buzzer when I measured out how far it would stick out, almost completely blocking the entrance to the room. The only other option was to put it in front of the fireplace, which is just weird. Right? Is it weird? At first the consideration was just a joke, but then I started thinking, we don't ever use the fireplace anyway. We've lived here for 5 years & haven't once used it. It's a gas fireplace, but we don't have gas logs in it. We bought gas logs but then found out we'd have to have someone cap the gas line in order to get the existing grate out, yadda yadda yadda...pretty sure all that will never happen. {Side note: anyone want to buy some gas logs?? Never used!}

Anyway, to make a long story even longer, I did it. I put the couch in front of the fireplace. I don't like that it's blocking the fireplace, of course, because that just seems weird. But I do LOVE the placement of it in the room. It's actually facing the TV now instead of to the side of it, and it makes the open room seem more cozy. {Do any of you have an open floor plan & sometimes feel like it's TOO open??} We've still got to work on the wall that the couch used to be on; I plan to get another accent chair to go with the one we have, and put a small table between the two. But for now, it works.

Here are some pics of the new placement:

view from the hallway

{yes I still have my summer mantel up! I'll work on it.}

view from the entry

view from the breakfast room

Natalie approves :)

How do you feel about blocking the fireplace?

Do you have furniture placement in your house that is "against the rules"?

that time of year again...purge time!

2011-08-25T15:21:00.005-05:00

Wow. I have become pretty horrible at updating this blog! I'm sure y'all have been checking every single day for a new post, right? ;)

It's getting close to the time of year when I traditionally purge my home of STUFF & have a yard sale. This year, I thought I'd try to sell some stuff via word of mouth before our yard sale, just because I want to. So, here are a few items I have for sale. If you're local, & you're interested, let me know! {Sorry, no shipping...}

the tale of a dining room who longs to become a study

2011-07-15T15:48:00.005-05:00

It's been a long time a-comin'.

We started converting our dining room into a home office months ago, when we gave away our dining room table & chairs. Since then, we've moved the computer desk into the new home office...and that's about it. Why? Because we have no money. :) However, eventually, the 3rd bedroom, which used to be the study, will hopefully be another nursery {PLEASE note that I said EVENTUALLY :)}. So we want to get the ball rolling to have that room empty before we actually NEED to have it empty. Make sense?

We have a bit of a decorating dilemma. This is the room that will be the study:

{See that wall there? Yeah that's the only full wall we have in this room.}

{that door goes into the kitchen. thus the fridge. :) perhaps a curtain would make for a good divider...}

{this is the view of the room from the kitchen}

The room is located to your left as you walk in the front door, so it kinda needs to look presentable. Which is not the case currently, obviously. I work from home, so the computer + desk is functional, but it's not a feasible long-term set-up, because my husband will need to also have a work space in this room eventually. {Check out his hobby here!} Also, one "wall" is actually an opening to the room from the entry, one wall has a double window taking up most of it, and a 3rd wall has the doorway to the kitchen. We have one complete wall for furniture placement, and two slivers of a wall on either side of the kitchen doorway. Fun.

I'd like to do this room with an industrial feel. I think that is a good way to combine my husband's taste with mine. First of all, a desk unit like this would be perfect along that window wall:

Then, we'll need some storage, and I'm diggin' on the idea of some old school lockers. We'll actually need a whole lot more storage than this, since we're losing a closet that's currently holding a bunch-o-stuff, but we'll figure that out later. :)

And the hubs has a lot of sports figures in his own personal collection that he likes to display, which I tend to oppose, but it would make him happy. So I'm considering something like this, up high on the one long wall we have:

For the color scheme, I'm thinking of yellow/gray/blue. Think old globe/school map. {Is this room turning into an old classroom??}

So there ya have it. My ideas for our hopefully-soon-to-be study. If you're on Pinterest {or even if you're not}, check out my inspiration board {and my sources for the above photos} here:

Thoughts? Suggestions? Do tell!

favorite things: the baby edition

2011-07-01T16:44:00.001-05:00

When it comes to baby gear, we all know that the bumbo, bottles, boppy & bibs are a necessity. But sometimes it can get a bit confusing when it comes time to choose amongst the plethora of gadgets for little ones. Here are a few of my personal favorite baby items that have made my life with a little one a ton easier & a tad more fun...

A friend of ours gave Natalie these orbit labels from inchbug for her birthday, and they are a great find! These would be especially handy for daycare kids. They fit on bottles and sippy cups as well.

Natalie was a formula baby, and for all formula babies, a formula dispenser is a must-have. Let me save you time and money: go with the Avent formula dispenser. I tried 3 different kinds, and this one is by far the best. I had one other brand warp when I boiled it (even though the directions say to boil it before first use to sterilize it), and neither of the other two brands were as good about emptying all of the formula easily. And also...with the Avent one, the dividers are removable, making it into a snack cup for later. Ours now houses Cheerios. :)

There are a plethora of strollers out there, and I made the mistake of not researching & thinking ahead when I registered. The travel system stroller is awesome when baby is little & still fits in the carrier, but they quickly outgrow it. I bought an older version of this stroller for a plane flight, since this folds up compact like an umbrella stroller. It still has the height of a regular sized stroller, and it's super easy to steer and comfortable to push. This one looks WAY cooler than the one we have, being that ours came from a flea market for $10. :)

And when do you do order that awesome stroller...you'll quickly notice there is no cup holder. Enter this. {Available at TJ Maxx, Baby Depot, and I think Wal-Mart as well.}

Natalie got a super awesome wagon for her birthday, courtesy of her Mimi & Paparoxy. We added this clip-on canopy for some shade, and I've decided it's a must-have if you have a wagon!

Evenflo BabyGo High Chair. This thing folds up almost as compact as a camping chair, and let me tell you, we have already gotten our money's worth from it, and we just got it for Christmas. Ours came from Amazon, but I don't see it on their site anymore. Find it here. This might be the #1 baby gear item I recommend because it's just not very well known.

**UPDATE: This chair has been discontinued by Evenflo. I know, it's DEVASTATING. :) Every time I use this chair in public, I get comments on how awesome it is. I know several moms who would love to have this chair. And it's not available. I called Evenflo, and the best thing we can do as consumers is call or email them & let them know you want this product on the market again. Call Evenflo at 800-233-5921 & just tell them you would LOVE to have this chair. It only takes a couple of minutes, so DO IT. Or you can email them by visiting their website here & filling out the form. {It asks for model # & manufacture date. You can use the info from my chair if you want; the model # is 25703917 and date 10/08.} Thanks!**

What are your favorite baby items? Please share!

free instant art

2011-06-22T10:30:00.005-05:00

So I tend to tell people that I'm a "blogger"...but if you look at how (in)frequently I write, I'm not so sure I can label myself as such. :) I need to work on that! That's my disclaimer: I realize I haven't blogged in forever, and here I am, and I'll try better, yadda yadda yadda.

Anyway, I wanted to change the wall above our bed in the master bedroom, but alas, I have no money for decorating right now. There are lots of cheap-o options out there, but I needed something FREE, not just cheap. So I decided to just hang some quick prints, and this is what I came up with... {sorry for the poor quality photos. camera phone + bad lighting.}

{PLEASE ignore the hideous bedside lamps. I painted them white to get rid of the Kirkland's-esque feel, and haven't replaced the shades yet. White drumshades, please?}

{Also ignore the bedside tables that are in disarray. Another soon-to-be project, hopefully...I digress...}

I got most of the prints from The Graphics Fairy, and I hate to admit this, but 1 or 2 of the prints came from elsewhere on the web & I failed to save the source. My bad. Anyway, this was a super quick, free way to change up the space. I hope to one day do a board & batten project in that space between the windows, much like this:

I'd love to do this, but with the top a little lower so I can use it as a ledge for frames, cutesy knick-knacks, and what not. {Knick-knacks & what not? Is that redundant?} Jenny at Evolution of Style has a complete tutorial. Gorgeous.

So that's about the extent of the decorating I've done around here lately. No money + summer vacation + 15-month-old = tiny changes here & there. :)

Have a good week!

the 'dos

2011-05-04T12:56:00.003-05:00

So...I may have had a few different hairstyles over the years.

I've been trying to grow out the super-short cut I got last summer. {re: bottom right pic above} Growing out a short haircut is NOT fun. I'm getting much-needed highlights & a trim next Friday, and I'm indecisive about what I want to do with the cut. The whole growing-out phase is about to drive me CRAZY. I can't stand for my hair to be on my neck when it's hot, and it's too short to wear in a ponytail. So the question is...do I keep trying to grow it out, or cut it short in the back again?? {re: bottom middle & top right pics above} Decisions, decisions...

mousepad makeover

2011-04-17T14:05:00.002-05:00

As much as I would prefer to just not have a mousepad, our mouse doesn't work without one. I've been resenting the Dell mousepad that we've had for years, and I finally did something about it. The Graphics Fairy has all kinds of cute vintage graphics over on her site, and I snagged this one because it sounds like our house. :) If you need a mousepad makeover, consider heading over to her site for a cute image to print & glue to your existing mousepad!

adoptive families contest

2011-04-12T15:26:00.004-05:00

So, I realize I'm intertwining social media sites by posting on my blog about facebook, but I want to recruit as many voters as I can for this contest. :)

We are entered in an "adoptive families" contest sponsored by Allison Hilyer Photography on facebook, and I really need your votes! It's easy to vote; just follow these 3 steps:

Visit her facebook page {here}

Like her facebook page

Find the 'Goins' photo in her 'Adoptive Families Contest' album, and "like" our photo.

Each "like" for our photo counts as a vote. The contest ends Tuesday, April 19th at 9:00pm. PLEASE vote for us, and tell your friends to vote for us too! Don't forget, you must like her page before you can like our photo.

THANK YOU ALL!!!

{ And when you're done voting for us, go visit her website

& check out her awesome photography skillz! }

I spy...

2011-04-07T10:50:00.010-05:00

A few goodies I've been spying online lately...

definitely over the glass-top dining table, with a 1-year-old. and this one comes with a leaf! think: old mismatched dining chairs and a wooden bench, all painted white to contrast the gray-brown table. ahhhh. from ikea.

simple elegance for our entryway. from ikea.

I work from home, and my work space is super inefficient. this antique white desk would help me get organized, while looking cute at the same time. from CSN stores.

this indoor/outdoor rug would definitely brighten up our deck! from World Market.

this white quilt would definitely simplify the bed-making in the mornings...and it's machine washable. yes please. from Target.

DIY yarn + pinwheel wreath

2011-04-05T18:08:00.009-05:00

I was inspired by Kimba of A Soft Place to Land to do a yarn-wrapped wreath for spring. Since doing my daughter's pinwheel-themed birthday party a couple of weeks ago, I've been kind of obsessed with pinwheels, so I wanted to include pinwheels on mine...I mean, who doesn't love pinwheels, right?

So here's how I did it:

I bought a wreath form {for some reason Hobby Lobby only had these straw ones, and none of the styrofoam kind, but whatever...it was 50% off of $3.99, and I was ready to get started instead of shopping around}, a skein of this fun green & turquoise yarn {ok I bought two, just in case, but I only used one}, and 3 pinwheel picks {also 50% off right now at HobLob}. Total cost: under $7! Holla.

Tape the end of the yarn to the wreath, and start wrapping the yarn around the wreath. Recruite help from an adorable 1-year-old if you can.

You will begin to think it will take all day to finish, but it won't, I promise. Keep wrapping. Distract 1-year-old with puffs if necessary.

Whew! Finally finished.

I wanted my pinwheels to still turn once I attached them, so I cut off the sticks but left the pinwheels intact. I then glued them to floral pins so I could stick them into the wreath. {Sorry I didn't include the floral pins in the "ingredients" pic above...they were an afterthought. :)}

Attach the pinwheels to the wreath and hang. I decided to use regular ole twine instead of cute ribbon, just to keep it simple. Voila!

It makes me smile as I walk up to the door! Especially when Natalie starts "blowing" the pinwheels. :)

pinwheels + pennants

2011-04-03T17:21:00.000-05:00

So, our little Nat turned one.

{insert cliche, "they grow up so fast" here.}

I seriously can't believe that this little angel:

Is now THIS little angel:

To celebrate, we had a birthday bash at her Granmama's house. I got the inspiration for the party from Hostess with the Mostess, mainly from this party, but also from lots of other pinwheel-inspired parties on the site.

I found some adorable invitations from Sweet Papers, and got her to customize the colors & layout just for us:

I loved that I could print them myself & save money! Sweet Papers also customized the coordinating tags & toppers, which I printed on cardstock for the cupcake toppers and label paper for the cup stickers. Inexpensive, and easy!

Here are a few more pics of the party. It was such a fun time, and we were so blessed to have so many friends and family come out to celebrate our sweet Natalie!

{cupcake toppers designed by Sweet Papers & assembled by me}

{pink pinwheel from Hobby Lobby}

{stickers on cups designed by Sweet Papers}

{small pinwheels from Hobby Lobby}

{free printable alphabet bunting from Ruffled - this is so cute, I may need to make one for the house!}

{free printable small bunting from Daily Suze}

{enormous pinwheel from Hobby Lobby}

{yeah...didn't get a "before" pic of the smash cake, but it was ADORABLY decorated by my mom's co-worker to coordinate with the pinwheel design from Sweet Papers}

{also didn't get a good pic of the birthday girl's sweet getup, but we made her a t-shirt from transfer paper that coordinated with the pinwheel design from Sweet Papers}

{So apparently, we owe a good deal of our party stuff to the awesome work of Sweet Papers! Go check them out for birthday party invitations, baby announcements, shower invitations, and more!}

featured in Southern Child Magazine!

2011-04-03T13:51:00.004-05:00

Southern Child Magazine included our adoption story in their April/May 2011 issue. Check it out!

the "toy bench": a CSN stores product review

2011-03-28T09:25:00.003-05:00

So for all 2 of you who keep up with my blog, you may remember awhile back when I mentioned I'd be doing another CSN Stores product review. Well, I decided to get this Linon Anna storage bench, but we had to save up for it, so that took awhile. :) We got the bench a couple of weeks ago, and I love it! It's the perfect size to store Natalie's smaller toys, a collection of which I am sure will continue to grow. The assembly instructions were a little confusing, but I was able to do most of it by myself when Baron was out of town. I left some of it for him to finish once he got back. :) Anyway, as always, shopping with CSN Stores was a breeze. Ordering was easy, shipping on this particular item was FREE, and I got the bench within less than 2 weeks of ordering it. If you haven't shopped CSN Stores before, check them out for home decor, furniture, luggage, baby stuff, and more!

So, my question for y'all is this:

How should I decorate the bench? Two small rectangle pillows? A long bolster pillow?

I need input!

I fought the wasp, and I won.

2011-03-22T10:09:00.004-05:00

I am utterly terrified of stinging insects. As in, I completely spaz out whenever one comes within a 3-foot radius of me. I am creeped out by spiders, disgusted by roaches, but HORRIFIED of wasps, bees, etc. Even the semi-harmless cicada killer freaks me out with its giant stinger & creepy stalker hovering. {after posting that cicada killer link, I am now realizing how many insect-related posts I have. nice.}

Naturally, springtime brings these fierce insects to the forefront of our yards. Every time I venture outside these days, there is a bumblebee or wasp lurking around my flowerbed. This causes me to always be on the lookout, of course. I generally make a beeline {har, har} for the car, to avoid said stinging stalkers. So yesterday, as I put Natalie in her carseat, I was breathing a sigh of relief, since of course the car itself provided a safe haven for us. I strapped her in, and proceeded to the driver seat...where I heard the ever-ominous buzzing sound. I started to quickly enter the safety of the car, when I saw it.

The Wasp. Stinger = death trap. And this sucker was hovering around, just inside my car door. What do I do? Close the door? No wait...he would then be trapped inside the car, with my BABY. I left the door open & stepped back to think. Is this like when you come across a bear, and you play dead? Or a mountain lion, and you run for it? Or wait...am I supposed to grab a coat & make myself appear larger? All of these deadly creatures are so confusing. In the meantime, while I am picturing myself as large as a grizzly bear in an effort to scare off the wasp, he is creeping FURTHER into my car. OH. NO. HE. DIDN'T. Get away from my baby!! At this point I am torn between survival instincts, and maternal protective instincts. {Ok maybe that's a LITTLE dramatic.} I walked around the car and opened the other door, to provide another way out for the little bugger. {pun intended.} Our car doors are wacko heavy, and it closed itself as I swung it open & ran back around the car. UGH. I walked back around to open the passenger door again, and as I did, I saw him COMING FOR ME. I swung the door open so fast that, of course, it closed again. STUPID DOOR. Wait...what just happened? Is that...the wasp? In the door?

BOOYAH.

shabby apple giveaway

2011-02-26T10:36:00.004-06:00

My friend Ashley over at pure + lovely is hosting a super awesome giveaway for Shabby Apple. Go check it out & enter!! This dress is adorable!!

family photo frame

2011-02-24T16:57:00.004-06:00

So, I recently decided my fridge was WAY too cluttered. Pictures, appointment cards, etc. I'm in the process of a small project to rid the appointment cards {& the "etc"}, but this is what I came up with for the pics, and I love it! It's easy to change them out, and it's way more fun to look at. :)

the love day

2011-02-07T21:00:00.011-06:00

I've been eyeballing a few lovelies that sure would make for a sweet V-day...

vintage silver charms necklace by the vintage pearl

once upon a time ring by luxe adornments

coasters from shine your light studios

I'm kind of obsessed with headbands right now. how cute is this one from betwixxt?

love mugs by simply pretty prints

"lovebirds" by Lucky Bluebird Art

you can't get much more Valentine-y than a heart-shaped locket. by armelle jewelry

another upcoming product review

2011-01-25T16:58:00.003-06:00

So, you've heard me talk before about my love for CSN Stores. I've mentioned that they have a kazillion different things to shop for...from modern dining room furniture to baby & kids stuff to sweet cookware. They really do have SO much stuff, and at great prices!

I'll be doing another product review soon, so stay tuned! Now, I've got to decide what I'm gonna get from their 200+ stores...decisions, decisions....

Nat's Stats

2011-01-18T16:52:00.007-06:00

Ok, so I had every intention of using my blog to document Natalie's milestones, but of course, the very fact that Natalie exists sort of interfered with that. :) I used to be such an organized person, and she has totally turned my world upside down! In a good way, of course. :) The quickest & easiest way for me to keep up with what she does has been by posting pics on Facebook, so if you're friends with me over there, then you know how obsessed I am with posting pics of her. Sure, most of them are just because I think she's so darn cute, but some of them are actually so I can go back & remember the important milestones during her first year. I haven't posted any updates on the blog since she was 7 months old. Yeah, bad mom here. Holla.

Having said all that...here's a little {or not so little...} recap of the past 2.5 months of her life...

Natalie is now 9 months old {ok, almost 10. I like to round down; 10 months sounds WAY too close to 1 year}.
She sat up by herself in her crib at 7 months.
At 7.5 months old, she got her first tooth, shortly followed by her second.
Her first Thanksgiving was spent in Albany, GA, with Mimi's family. We then came back home & spent the day after Thanksgiving at Granmama's house with her side of the family.
She started pulling up at 8 months old, which is also when she started crawling!
We taught her to "gimme five" at 8 months old. {I say that like she's a dog we're teaching tricks...}
Her first Christmas was a blast! We had our "local Wishum Christmas" on December 20th at Mimi & Paparoxy's house; then Christmas at home with mommy & daddy on December 23rd; went to Americus, GA, on Christmas Eve to see Gigi & the rest of the Wishums for Christmas Day; and finally took a trip to Athens, TN for Christmas with Baron's family during New Year's. It was a busy 2-week-long Christmas & it was lots of fun!
At her 9-month check-up, she weighed 20.6 lbs & was 27.75 in tall.
We have lots of playdates with our other baby friends from church. They will have so much fun growing up together!She is now eating just about any fruit or veggie available as baby food, and she loves her oatmeal at breakfast & rice at supper. She is not a fan of meat yet, and I have yet to get her to drink juice or drink anything from a sippy cup. She loves puffs and yogurt melts & started eating them by herself at around 8 months.She loves to "talk"! She says "mama" {although she definitely does not associate that word with me :)}, "bye bye" {she will even wave, if you catch her on a good day!}, and she tries to say "puppy" when Toby is around {it comes out as "puh puh"}.She loves music, and will "dance" whenever she hears a beat.
Other than a little cold {no fever} and the usual teething symptoms, Natalie hasn't gotten sick yet. {Knock on wood}

I think I just about covered everything. :) Here are a few pics to sum up the past couple of months...of course with Thanksgiving & Christmas, there were LOTS more pics so it's hard to narrow it down. :)

Side note: Ok. These pics are in backwards order. Blogger does that. {I hate blogger.} And I have spent WAY too much time on this post, and I really need to go fix dinner, so instead of putting these in the correct order...just use your imagination. :)

{at the mall with Harris & Alexa}

{I love my daddy!}

{not so sure about this Santa fella}

{Merry Christmas!}

{photo by Shannon Grissett}

{playing with cousin Ean at Thanksgiving}

{first tooth!}

scripture wallpapers

2011-01-06T20:31:00.006-06:00

For me, the years 2006 - 2009 were what I refer to as my "wilderness experience". Baron & I were struggling with infertility, my friends were having babies & I wasn't, we experienced the awful pain of a miscarriage, and I was unhappy at my job. I needed constant encouragement from scripture, especially while I was at work since that was where I spent 40 hours each week. So, I plastered scriptures on notes all around my desk, and I made some desktop wallpapers for my computer at work. As simple as it may seem, these encouraging reminders from God really helped me stay positive. I was a very negative person, which I still struggle with, and God used these words to brighten my days. Anyway, long story short, I came across these wallpapers again today, so I thought I'd share them with you. If you'd like to use the image as a desktop wallpaper, or a screensaver, or to print or whatever, follow the directions below. Most of the images were taken by either me or family members, but a couple of them I can't remember the source. Therefore, please only use these for personal use, so I don't get sued or anything. :)

1. Click here to browse through the images.
2. Click on an image to enlarge it.
3. Right click on the enlarged image, and click "save as", or "copy", or whatever else you want to do with it.

I hope these can be an encouragement to you like they have been for me! I will continue to add more as I create them. You can click on the "scripture wallpapers" tab at the top any time to view all of them.

john 16:33

2011-01-06T20:31:00.002-06:00

colossians 3:23

2011-01-06T20:30:00.002-06:00

psalm 113:3

2011-01-06T20:29:00.002-06:00

romans 12:2

2011-01-06T20:28:00.002-06:00

romans 8:28

2011-01-06T20:27:00.000-06:00

psalm 93:3,4

2011-01-06T20:26:00.000-06:00

psalm 27:14

2011-01-06T20:25:00.000-06:00

philippians 4:8

2011-01-06T20:24:00.002-06:00

philippians 4:6,7

2011-01-06T20:23:00.001-06:00

jeremiah 29:11

2011-01-06T20:22:00.000-06:00

habakkuk 3:4

2011-01-06T20:21:00.001-06:00

blessed be the name

2011-01-06T20:19:00.001-06:00

merry christmas!

2010-12-22T16:38:00.002-06:00

merry christmas!

2010-12-07T20:03:00.001-06:00

Holly And Jolly Christmas Card

Make a statement with Shutterfly Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

christmas photo cards - because everybody's doing it!

2010-12-01T16:31:00.003-06:00

So, now that we have a little one in our family, we feel the pressure to send out photo cards for Christmas. {Ok really we just want to show off how cute she is. Isn't that why everyone does photo cards anyway? :) } This is the first year we have done Christmas cards at all, much less photo cards. So of course we're going with the old tried and true Shutterfly! We have used Shutterfly before for photo books, and of course we love them. They have a KAZILLION designs to choose from, and of course I'm having a hard time choosing the one I want! I probably should get on that pretty soon since it is now DECEMBER. :) Anyway, not only do I love Shutterfly's holiday card designs, they are upping the ante and doing a Holiday Card Promotion: 50 free cards for blogging about it! Free? Yes please!

What's great about Shutterfly is that they have so many products to choose from. Here are a few of my favorite products that they offer:

Christmas photo cards {duh}
Personalized calendars {this would make a great Christmas present!}
Holiday party invitations {and don't forget them for your birthday & other party invites!}

So what are you waiting for? Go shop there now!

{And if you want to participate in the Holiday Card Promotion, click here!}

wowza!

2010-11-15T14:33:00.002-06:00

Check out this giveaway over at pure + lovely!!

easy peazy tabletop semi-makeover

2010-11-10T16:47:00.005-06:00

So I was reading Ashley's post over at pure + lovely on putting colorful/textured backdrops on furniture. The whole time I was reading it, I was thinking about how we did that with Natalie's bookshelf in her room; painted the back in a different color from the rest of the case. And then, I got to the end of Ashley's post, where she references Dallas, a lovely side table with super cool grasscloth underneath the glass top. And it hit me...hey, I have a table with a glass top! We inherited this table from Baron's grandmother when she passed away last year. It's a gorgeous table & it's just the right height for an end table for our sofa. It does, however, lack a certain...pop. So when I was reading about lovely Dallas, I decided to do this little number on our table. I've been trying to add this robin's egg blue color to our living room in small doses. I already have a lot of color in this room, so I'm trying to be subtle. Anyway, I cut this fabric from some old curtains I was hanging onto for just such an occasion. I literally did this in 15 minutes! No, it's not spectacular. Yes, I will probably add to it or change it. {I do hope to paint the table in the near future.} But that's the beauty of it. It's a quick, simple upgrade that I can do NOW, and that can easily be changed or improved upon. Voila!

Before:

After, with some accessory changes, cause that's how I roll:

{keepin' it real with the baby junk on the lower level of the table...please excuse! ;) }

an adoption fundraiser!

2010-11-03T16:06:00.006-05:00

As you all know, I have a heart for adoption...and yes, it's mostly just because we have recently adopted. :) Through our own experience, Baron & I have had our eyes opened to how wonderful is the ministry of adoption. Seriously, we can't brag on it enough. If you're remotely considering adoption...please research, pray, and ask questions! If you're not remotely considering adoption, you can still pray for all of those involved in adoption - adoptive families, birthmothers, adoptive children, orphans, social workers, etc. Prayer is the #1 fuel for ministries!

A sweet friend of mine, Abbie Greer, recently announced her & her husband's plans to adopt. Of course, I was THRILLED to hear this exciting news! In my opinion, announcing adoption plans is the same as announcing a pregnancy. The only difference is you don't know how long it will be before you have the baby. :) Anyway...as most of you know (or maybe you don't?), adoptions can be very expensive. Each adoption agency has its own fees, which can vary due to expenses within the agency, state or local government fees, legal fees, etc. But even the LEAST expensive adoption agencies still cost a wad of money. Which is why many adoptive families choose to use fundraisers for their adoptions. Baron & I were SO BLESSED to be able to pay cash for Natalie's adoption, all due to EXTREMELY generous donations, participation in our own fundraisers, and lots of cutting back on expenses. Anyway, back to the Greers. Abbie & Ben are getting creative with their fundraising, and they've gotten Chick-fil-A involved! On Monday, November 8th, the Chick-fil-A in Prattville will donate 10% of all sales to the Greers' adoption fund! How awesome is that? I love that they thought of this idea, and I am so thankful that Chick-fil-A is graciously agreeing to help this family bring a precious child into their home.

So, if you're in Prattville on Monday, PLEASE buy something from Chick-fil-A to support this sweet family's adoption! On second thought...even if you're not in Prattville on Monday - do it anyway! It's just a short drive from Montgomery, Millbrook, Wetumpka, etc. You don't even have to commit to a whole meal if you can't; just drive through & get some sweet tea or a yummy milkshake! You know you want it anyway; so go on Monday & help this family out!! DO IT.

unintentional leave of absence.

2010-10-27T14:50:00.009-05:00

So, you may have noticed my absence in the blogosphere lately. Ok, fine...in reality, it's most likely that no one has noticed. :) Anyway...I have been super busy lately, and the blog has just been put on the back burner. Trust me, I haven't forgotten about it - I've just been busy being a full-time mommy, a football coach's wife, and a part-time employee...all while still attempting to maintain some semblance of a social life. Anyway I just wanted to post a quick update on our fam jam, just to keep everyone from waiting on the edge of your seats to find out what's going on with the Goins clan. Cause I know you're all waiting with baited breath. ;)

Natalie is now 7 months old. I can't believe she is getting so big!
At 4 months, we started feeding her solids: cereal, then veggies, then fruit. She's a pro now, of course. :)
She started sitting up really well on her own when she was about 5 1/2 months old.
At her 6-month appointment, she weighed 17lbs, 10oz and was 26" long. She's a little chunker. :)
She hasn't officially said her first word yet, although of course I like to count "ma ma ma ma" as "Mama". She loves to babble in "b" and "p" sounds. She has discovered how loudly she can holler & squeal. It's cute most of the time; not so much during the prayer at church.

Here are a few pics of her...in case you've forgotten what she looks like. If you're friends with me on facebook, then I KNOW you haven't forgotten what she looks like, because I obsessively post pics of her. Almost annoyingly often. :) But I can't help it...she's just so darn cute!

{almost sitting up! (she fell over shortly after I took this)}

{somebody loves to eat}

{first time sitting up!}

{go UGA!}

{Natalie's birthmother came to visit & we had lots of fun!}

{yummm...leaves}

{she loves her daddy}

{eating some of Mimi's baked potato at McAlister's}

{I may not be crawling yet, but I am definitely mobile}

{this is her favorite face to make}

And in other news...we've started on the conversion of the dining room into a study. And by "started", I mean we got rid of the dining table & chairs, and that's it. Today I worked from home, so I decided to set up the laptop in the new study to see how it feels. How do you like the TV trays as a desk? And the chair stolen from the breakfast room? ;) Hopefully soon we'll get started on this project for real!

incredible testimony

2010-09-29T21:10:00.003-05:00

This young lady has an incredible story. Her birthmother tried to abort her & {obviously} failed. This is no only a pro-life story, but a pro-adoption story, and most of all a pro-God story. Please take the time to watch these two videos {part 1 & 2}. I wish I was as passionate about sharing Christ as she is! We all should be so bold in declaring God's glory. Love this.

purge & merge

2010-09-29T13:56:00.009-05:00

I've been reading/hearing/seeing a lot about purging lately. The Nester has been writing about purging her home of stuff, along with her sister Emily, and also Kimba and Thrifty Decor Chick. And the other day, I was watching The Nate Berkus show and this chick was talking about only buying things for your home that you LOVE. So I started looking around my house thinking, "do I really LOVE that piece?" There are a lot of things in my home to which I just respond with a "meh". Those things need to go.

So, all of this talk about decluttering & simplifying & purging has been inspiring me, so I contacted my fam jam to see if they were ready to combine forces to host our annual multi-family yard sale. Hopefully, we'll be having this yard sale extravaganza in November...which means I better get crackin' on this purgin'! I haven't even started yet. Unless you count sorting things in my mind. :)

On a slightly related note, the hubs & I have decided to transform our dining room into a study. For several reasons: 1) We hardly ever use our dining room. We have a breakfast room where we eat as a family, and we rarely have guests over for dinner. When we do, our dining room really isn't big enough anyway. 2) Our dining room is more a part of our "living space" than our current study, which is in a bedroom. It would be nice to be a part of the "living space" when I'm on the computer, or when the hubs is painting his customized sports figures {shameless plug}. 3) Disclaimer: I am not pregnant, nor do I expect to be any time soon. However, should we find ourselves with child #2 before we can afford to sell our current house & build the house of our dreams {ha!}, we will need the current study to be a bedroom for said child. And of course since my mind has already started thinking about this, I'm ready to start the transformation, like, yesterday.

Anyway here are some before pics of the two spaces. Yes, the current study is an absolute MESS. I can't believe I'm actually revealing its current condition to the www. Yet another reason to move it out into the open - so that we don't have the excuse of just closing the door to hide the mess; we will be forced to keep it clean! {Yeah we'll see about that.} Our study serves multiple functions: 1) Computer desk area, 2) The hubs' painting workstation, 3) storage, storage, and more storage, 4) display area for the hubs' sports figures. Now, I know what you're thinking. "Laura, are you really gonna let your husband display his sports junk - I mean, memorabilia - in the open area of what is now your dining room?" Well, the answer is a resounding...kinda. I'm looking for a way to do it in a sophisticated manner. Of course not ALL of these figures will be able to be displayed; some will have to be put away. But really, who needs like 173 Atlanta Braves dudes or 347 Alabama football dudes on display? No one. {Baron, are you reading this? If so, sorry to rain on your parade.}

So...soon, Baron...you will have to say goodbye to your man cave. Go give it a kiss & hug. You had your one room to decorate for a good 4 years, and now I'm taking over. Maybe someday, when we have our dream house, you will once again have a man cave where you can proudly display your letter from Bear Bryant, and your 3D Jaws movie poster, and your 1,568 sports figures.

Here are the before pics. Stay tuned for pics of the progress we've made, and to help me make some decisions regarding the new space!

{ the study }

{ I'm having an anxiety attack over here because I can't believe I'm actually showing these pics...I mean I could have at least straightened up before taking them. sheesh. }

{ does anyone have a good suggestion for how to store an exercise ball? I mean really...it doesn't go ANYWHERE. }

{ the dining room }

{ p.s. anyone wanna buy a dining table + six chairs?? }

falootin' palooza giveaway!!

2010-09-22T22:48:00.003-05:00

Ok, I absolutely love the stylin' children's clothing over at Falootin'!! It is adorable. If you haven't checked it out before, GO NOW. And then, head over to pure + lovely for the Falootin' giveaway!! For reals y'all!!

and the winner is...

2010-09-15T12:39:00.003-05:00

The winner of the $35 gift certificate for CSN Stores is...

drumroll please...

Stephanie Hall!!!
And all because of her last entry telling me she blogged about it. :)

Thanks to all of you for entering! Keep reading...I plan to have more giveaways in the future!

Special thanks to CSN Stores for sponsoring this giveaway!

the great escape

2010-09-10T09:37:00.005-05:00

I've been longing for this weekend for awhile now.

Baron & I, along with another couple-friend of ours, are going to the beach. This has been a long-awaited vacation for me, for sure! I cannot WAIT. {Side note: we are leaving Natalie with my parents. For the whole weekend. Three hours away from ME. Of course I am SO looking forward to the break...but I know I will miss my baby girl while I'm gone! I digress.}

Pre-kiddo, it took me all of about 20 minutes to get ready for a weekend trip. Now, it takes me a full week of mental preparation, along with several days of laundry/packing/1,000-trips-to-WalMart-because-I-keep-forgetting-stuff. Natalie is not going with us, so I don't have to pack beach stuff for her...but she is going to my parents' house {Mimi & Paparoxy}, so her packing is for an entirely different trip. In all this preparation, I've noticed the difference between Baron getting ready to leave, and me getting ready to leave. It goes something like this:

Daddy's prep:
Thursday night, he is playing PS3. I kindly point out to him that he should probably pack. {Friday night is game night & we are leaving directly after the game, and this leaves him no time to pack on Friday, as he is at the school all day on Fridays.}
Spend all of about 15 minutes packing.
Pay bills. {He likes to do this whenever we go out of town...in case we die while we're gone? I'm not sure why.}

Mommy's prep:
Type up Baby's schedule, because I'm OCD mom & feel the need to tell my parents how to take care of a baby even though they've raised 3 of their own. {Ok, fine...it's not just a schedule. It's a schedule, with directions on how to mix formula & cereal, and tips for how Baby likes to spend her play time, etc. Gimme a break, it's my first kid. :)} Revise Baby's schedule because it changes about once a week & I typed it too early.
Laundry.
Bathe Dog so he's not disgustingly skanky when visiting Mimi & Paparoxy's. {Hmmm...guess same goes for Baby, too... ;) }
Trip to WalMart #1 - items forgotten from weekly grocery trip.
Get oil changed in car. {Or, as the oil dude said, "Gettin' that erl changed?"}
Laundry.
Mental prep: how much of this baby junk will Baby "need" at Mimi & Paparoxy's house?
Trip to WalMart #2 - need more baby food so we won't be depleted when we come back.
Print coupons for outlet mall trip on the way back. {Baby desperately needs some clothes that fit!}
Laundry.
Pack Baby's bag. Don't forget sound machine & monitor, to be packed later, since they are in use during the day. OCD moment #2: measure out cereal into bowls for 2 breakfasts & 2 lunches. Label each bowl "breakfast" or "lunch", of course.
Call Mimi: Do you need the Bumbo? Do you want her playmat? Should I bring her bath seat? {Note: reserve U-Haul next time to lug baby crap to g-parents' house.}
Clean out trunk to make room for 4 adults' luggage.
Stop to blog about all this. {Seriously...why am I blogging? Procrastination much?}
Pack my OWN bag.
Pack the DOG'S stuff.
Put address for beach condo into GPS.
Wash & pack baby bottles.
Make bed, finish putting away laundry, etc. {I can't stand coming home to a messy house!}
Trip to WalMart #3 - how did I not know we were out of baby food veggies? And also, we will need some sort of breakfast food for tomorrow morning at the beach. Thank you, Pop-tarts, for existing. And also...being the kind wife that I am, purchase major caffeine/sugar supplies for late-night drive to the beach tonight.
Kick myself over & over for not getting baby food veggies at WalMart YESTERDAY. UGH. It's not like I can just run to the store & back anymore! Geez Louise.
Take Baby & Dog to Mimi & Paparoxy's house.
Cry. {I know, I know. Baby will be fine. But it's not HER I'm worried about! :)}
{Insert whatever I've forgotten to do HERE. Because there is always inevitably something that's been forgotten.}

Shew. I only thought I needed a vacation before, but after all this preparation, the beach is looking more & more desirable! Catch y'all on the flip side!

it's a giveaway, y'all!!

2010-09-08T08:37:00.004-05:00

If you've been reading my blog, you may remember the two product reviews I've done for CSN Stores. Well, now I have the chance to offer one lucky reader a $35 gift certificate to CSN Stores! CSN Stores has so many products, from Corelle dinnerware (which I just got some for Christmas last year and I LOVE, BTW) to bean bag chairs & other furniture to luggage. Check them out today!! Seriously, they have so many different stores - there's something for everyone!

Here's how you can enter for the giveaway:

1. Leave a comment on this post. (1 entry)

2. Visit CSN Stores, browse their 200+ online stores, & leave another comment telling me what you would get with your $35. (1 entry)

3. Post a link to this giveaway post on your Facebook page, and leave another comment telling me you did. (1 entry)

4. Tweet about this giveaway, and leave another comment telling me you did. (1 entry)

5. Blog about this giveaway, and leave another comment with a link to your post. (1 entry)

**Limit 5 entries per person**

Entries will be accepted until noon on Wednesday, September 15th. That gives you a whole week to get all of your entries in! The winner will be chosen from random.org & I will post the winner on this blog. Please remember to leave your email address in your comment so I can contact you if you win. Good luck!!

sike!

2010-09-01T20:25:00.004-05:00

Recently I revamped my entry table, using suggestions that y'all gave me. Well, when I posted the "after pic", I was just kidding. Really I was waiting for Natalie's 3-month portraits to come in, so that I could do this:

I'm not sure if the pics/frames on the table will stay as-is, but I just had to share that canvas with you because I just love how it turned out!

Baron's mom wanted to get 3, 6, 9, & 12 month portraits of Natalie from Stan Foster Photography, so obviously we let her. ;) They turned out great!

And Ashley, I do still plan to paint that table, just for you! ;) Say goodbye to the honey-colored stain!

a pure + lovely giveaway!!

2010-09-01T19:47:00.003-05:00

Hey, check out this awesome giveaway over at pure + lovely!! These would look so good in my house... :)

Go enter! Now!

5 months old?!

2010-08-30T10:02:00.008-05:00

When you have a baby, everyone tells you that time flies. And you believe it, but you don't REALLY get it until it starts happening. I can't believe that next month, Natalie will be half a year old. It seems like just yesterday we were up in South Carolina waiting to bring her home!

{ 4 months }

{ 4 months ~ ready for the PCA game! }

{ at the PCA game with Paparoxy & Izzie }

{ first time to sit in a high chair in a restaurant @ 5 months }

{ my hair is getting so long! }

Anyway, I tend to neglect updating my blog on Natalie's milestones because it's so much easier to do it on Facebook. So, I decided to do a quick little update, just to summarize what she's learned in her short 5 months of life. Someday I will get a baby book & write these down. :) I'm sure I'm forgetting some important milestone, but I hopefully will remember it later!

First smile - 1 month

Slept through the night - 12 weeks

First laugh - 3 months { ~ish? See, this is why you should write things down.}

Started eating cereal - 4 months

First vegetable - green beans

Rolled from front to back - 4 months

Rolled from back to front - 5 months

And our newest trick...growling. Yes, growling. She just started this trick this week, and here's some footage of the little monster. I guess she is getting ready for Halloween a little early! :)

8:28

2010-08-27T23:26:00.002-05:00

{ 8:28 / a marriage montage }

{8/28/04}

{August -September 2004 / honeymoon at Disney World, with Hurricane Frances}

{September 2004 / Hurricane Ivan busts right through our neighborhood}

{ August 2005 / 1-year anniversary in Destin...with Hurricane Katrina }

{ August 2006 / we dared vacation at the beach & luck was on our side this time! }

{ August 2007 / 3-year anniversary / decided not to chance the beach & went to Callaway Gardens }

{ February 2008 / tornado ransacks our house / Happy Valentine's Day! ;) }

{ August 2008 / 4-year anniversary / played it safe in Atlanta }

{ February 2009 / 1 month after finding out we're pregnant after trying for 2.5 years / 1 month before losing "Zippy" to miscarriage }

{ March 2010 / trip to South Carolina for the birth & adoption of our daughter / the most beautiful rainbow after all the storms!!!}

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. ~Romans 8:28

Happy 6th anniversary to the most wonderful husband I could have prayed for, the best friend I have ever had, and the most awesome daddy in the world. There is no one on earth I'd rather weather the storms with! {har har.}

I love you, Baron!

The Mom Juice.

2010-08-25T09:09:00.003-05:00

I've never been a morning person.

I remember when I was in junior high, and the school I attended started at the ungodly hour of 7:15 a.m. How did I even survive those 3 years? To this day I have no idea. I would wake up & stumble to the shower, mumbling something incoherent in response to my dad's "Good morning! How are you today? [insert I've-been-awake-for-3-hours smile here]" At that point in my life, I simply needed a shower to wake me up, and I was good to go.

I don't even remember mornings in high school. They are simply a blur to me. I didn't drink coffee then - it wasn't cool back then for teenagers. It was just something grown-ups did. Starbucks hadn't become the temple that it is today, and my caffeine addiction was just showing on the horizon.

Then came college. Ah, college. Theoretically, the college student plans his/her own classes, so that no early mornings exist. However, I had to work while I was in college, and my schedule planning wasn't as flexible as one would hope. This is when I started my Dr. Pepper addiction. I remember quitting caffeine a couple of times while I was in college, only to come back to it. At that time, my metabolism was all gung-ho, so I didn't have to worry about the calories consumed from all those Dr. Peppers. Those were the glory days, when a Dr. Pepper & a couple of doughnut sticks was the breakfast of champions.

From the time I graduated from college, through my "dating Baron" years, and into married life, I've had off-and-on relationships with Diet Coke, coffee, tea...anything with caffeine to get me going. I haven't really needed the strong stuff; just something to kick-start my day.

Before I became a mom, people kept telling me, "Oh, you'll be a morning person when you have to, once you're a mommy!" Incorrect. I really never got used to those middle-of-the-night feedings. {SO thankful those are in the past!} And during the summer, Baron got up with Natalie to feed her while I slept in. {Could I ask for a better husband?!}

Well, then school started, and it was my job to get up every morning with the cutie pie. Initially, I would just sleep until she woke up, which is what makes the most sense. When she was about 4.5 months, we started giving her cereal in the mornings. Well...that's a horse of a different color. Mommy doesn't have the patience to feed cereal to an easily distracted 4.5-month-old...and it took me a few mornings to grasp the fact that this just was. not. happening. I was too impatient, and it was just not fun.

So, I hesitantly made the decision that probably sounds crazy to you moms. I decided I desperately needed to get up earlier than my baby, to have some time to enjoy The Mom Juice. That's right, I now wake up to the sound of my alarm going off about 20 minutes before my baby wakes {if I'm lucky}. It was a decision that was essential to the sanity of our whole family. Some mornings I sit & sip my coffee as I listen to her babble in her crib, awaiting the moment when the babbles turn to whines, which would eventually turn to screams if no action is taken, at which point I set The Juice aside, only to finish an hour later once The Babe has finished her breakfast. Today was a particularly pleasant morning - I actually FINISHED my cup o' joe BEFORE she woke up!

That, my friends, is how you know it will be a good day.

{maybe someday I will look like this when I wake up}

{the cause for my growing addiction. totally worth it. ;) }

glass menagerie

2010-08-23T09:19:00.003-05:00

Recently, my friend Ashley over at pure + lovely wrote about the loveliness of glass pieces used as decor. Her post reminded me of how much I LOVE these old glass bottles I have around my house, so I decided to share them with you. These are who-knows-how-old bottles that my grandmother collected, and pulled out of storage when she moved here from Georgia. She didn't want them anymore...so naturally, I rummaged the collection and took as many as I could!

Our house has fantastically high ceilings in the entry/living rooms, and we have these great small windows up near the ceiling. These things can be fun, or they can be a pain. The best solution in the living room for energy effeciency/glareless TV viewing would be to install dramatic floor-to-ceiling drapes, but since I neglected to consider that option when we first moved in, the windows remained naked. That is, until I confiscated these lovely bottles that now sit nicely in the windowsills. Cuteness! I also have them in the window above our front door, and there are also miniature versions of some of the larger bottles. I just love these little treasures! And the best part is, they didn't cost me a dime!

{that blue bottle on the far left is shaped like a fish!}

{the purple bottle looks like it has a turkey foot holding a ball. And the blue one is a horseshoe shape!
How fun is that?}

{I'm pretty sure the bottle with the cross once held holy water. At least that's the story I prefer.}

{This interesting bottle has a "nubbin" with a metal screw or something in it.}

Thanks for reading!

take 2.

2010-08-15T18:48:00.005-05:00

Almost there with the entry table. Not quite, but better. I feel like the color scheme isn't right...we'll see. I always have to set things up & then walk away for awhile & think about it more. This area is hard for me because it opens up to two different rooms with two different color schemes going on, so I'm trying to marry the two rooms with this area. And without spending any money. ;)

Thanks for all of the input! Still open to suggestions!

P.S. I take horrible pics of my house. I'm not even sure why the edge of the table is cut off. Also, in real life, the candlesticks & flowers are NOT the same color as the wall. And why does this pic look so yellow? Whatev.

I need help!

2010-08-14T21:19:00.003-05:00

Sometimes I get the hankerin' to change up a nook in the house, but I don't have any money to buy new stuff. Generally that means two things: 1) moving stuff around that I already have, and 2) spray paint. This happened yesterday with our entry table. I decided it was just too blah, or maybe I was just bored with it, so I started tinkering. This table previously housed most of our family pics. Instead of scattering them all over the living room/dining room/entry/hallway, I put them all together on this one table, underneath the obligatory Olan Mills church directory photo of me & Baron, taken right after our honeymoon so we're all tan & junk. {I refused to take this pic down for the past almost-6-years because I look so tan & skinny. Livin' the glory days much?}

{helloooo, awkwardly placed light switch, outlet, & A/C closet...}

Well, I decided I wanted to brighten it up, and also get rid of some of the pics of just me & Baron. After all, we pretty much look the same in all the pics, with the exception of my ever-changing hairstyles, and my gradual decrease in golden tan as I quit going to the tanning bed. Anyway, I replaced some of the pics with prints, and I spray painted some of the frames white to brighten things up.

I also used some scrapbook paper & Mod Podge to brighten up this shadow box that houses some roses that Baron gave me while we were dating:
Anyway, here is the entry table now, but I'm not happy with it. Sometimes I get stuck when I'm changing things up, especially with arranging tables (and the mantle too, for that matter). It just looks awkward. So...suggestions? Anyone? Be honest!

{BTW, there is a print in that frame on the wall...it's just really light.
My camera does not take good pics indoors. :( }

feed your soul: fresh {free} art prints

2010-08-12T21:10:00.011-05:00

I just found out about Feed Your Soul via Oh My! Handmade via Nesting Place. Feed Your Soul is an art project that features free downloadable prints from lots of artists. This is such a great idea, and I am lovin' some of these prints! Some of these would look fabulous in a nursery or kid's room! Go browse. NOW.

Here are a few of my faves:

{ I realized after I picked my faves that most of them feature birds. Yes, apparently I'm on THAT bandwagon right now. ;) }

flower bows

2010-08-11T08:51:00.005-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, I got a hankerin' to make some bows for my daughter's headbands. Of course, I wanted her to wear one to church Sunday morning, and this was Saturday when I got the hankerin'. So I was looking for something in my house that I could use to make a bow. So, I found this green ribbon & went to town. Here's the how-to:

1. Cut up your ribbon into different sized pieces. I used wired ribbon, because it's easier to shape (you'll see later). I cut the edges all curvy-like in an effort to make it cuter.

2. Stack the pieces with the largest on bottom, and turn them every whichaway. (Is that how you spell "whichaway"?)

3. Sew a button in the middle to hold the pieces together, and to serve as the center of the flower.

4. Trim the edges to round out the flower.

5. Shape the flower to make it...flowery. Or whatever.

5. Spray the flower to keep the edges from unraveling. I used FolkArt Hi-Shine Glaze, because that's how I roll. I guess any kind of clear sealant will work. I put about 3 coats on & then let it dry before the next step.

6. Glue a ribbon to the back of the barrette you'll be using. (The back being the part that touches the head, not the part we're gluing to the flower later.) This step is optional. I did it because I have a baby & I'm overly protective of her scalp. No metal on my baby's head, please. :) Also...your choice as to what kind of barrette you want to use. This is the snappy-bendy kind, only because I was impatient at Hobby Lobby & they were out of the good kind so I just got these. Oh, and that glue...awesome. It's called Craft Goop & I love it.

7. Glue the barrette to the back of the flower. Again with the Craft Goop. Good stuff. Let dry.

8. Attach to your favorite headband or hat...or use alone as a barrette! Voila!

And here's my little model! I'm pretty sure she's in love with her flower. After all, green IS my - uh, I mean, her - favorite color.

revamp: generic florist vases

2010-08-10T17:30:00.004-05:00

Over the years, my lovely husband has sent me many a flower arrangement. I LOVE getting flowers, and I hinted/flat out told him to send me flowers for special occasions. Anyway, I've collected lots of the clear generic florist vases, and I have a small tidbit of a hoarding tendency in me, so I've kept them all. Well, awhile back I saw this centerpiece project idea on HGTV's Trash to Treasure, so I decided to try it out - and I love the outcome! It's been awhile since I did this project, but I wanted to do a post about it just for fun.

I started off with the plain glass vases, and simply spray painted them - some in the robin's egg color & some in white. On the bigger vases, I was able to spray paint the inside, keeping the "glassy" look on the vase. On the smaller vases, I painted the outside and then used a high-gloss topcoat to maintain the look of glass. Simple, cheap, easy!

Maybe someday I will put something in them... :)

I'm linking this up to pure + lovely's site...go join her linky party! Fun stuff!

help families adopt!

2010-08-09T22:20:00.003-05:00

The Vintage Pearl is doing an amazing thing over on her page. The profits from the sales of this Hope for Orphans necklace will go to help families who are waiting to adopt! Obviously this cause is special to me. The financial burden of adoption can be overwhelming, and can sometimes even prevent families from pursuing adoption. So thank you, Erin @ The Vintage Pearl, for helping!!

flea market finds: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

2010-08-08T21:14:00.008-05:00

Yesterday I managed to get the hubs to watch the baby for the afternoon so that I could do some errand-running {ok, SHOPPING :)} sans baby. I hadn't been to my fave local flea market in awhile, so I made that one of my stops. Since I had the luxury of taking my time, I decided to snag some pics of some of the, well, interesting things you might find in a flea market. And of course I also had to take some pics of some of my fave things.

{These pics were taken with my phone, so obviously they’re not that great. And I’m sure the other customers in the store were wondering what in the world I was doing, taking pics of all the merchandise…they were probably all, "This ain't no museum! Make a purchase, lady!"}

So here's your virtual flea market shopping trip...

This made me sad. This gorgeous antique vanity had been poory refinished.

Bad '80s furniture makeovers run rampant. Hey, at least it matches the rug.

I have no idea what's going on with this stand, but it made me smile. And I'm pretty sure you have to say it like "Breakfast with FAHTHA."

No, this isn't for sale. It's one of the 4 sinks in the disgustingly-creepy-unisex-no ventilation-always smells like poo-bathroom at the flea market. I didn't dare take a pic of anything else in there, lest you all vomit on your computers. The bad part is, I had to pee TWICE while I was there. Seriously Dot, makeover the bathroom already! The whole thing is original to the circa 1952 department store that the flea market was originally. I'll admit it right here - I didn't wash my hands. I'm pretty sure they would have been germier if I had. Thank you, hand sanitizer.

I love this old radio!

This pencil sharpener is similar to one we had when I was growing up.

Vintage jewelry? Yes please! {ooohhh, shiny....}

I'm really diggin' this old globe. I may have to go back & purchase it.

There were several old metal fans. This wasn't my fave, but I love the look of these. If only they had all been turned on...it was hot as blazes in there!

Uhhh...creeptastic. I know it's all, vintage-y & junk, but yikes. Apparently this one is super old though cause her price tag was a whopping $115. {But she is looking RIGHT AT ME. Nightmares much?}

This old desk is fabulous. I wonder what its history is.

The pattern on this Corning coffee pot is adorable! I almost bought this, and then I thought, "but what would I do with it?" I need a bigger house so I can buy all this stuff. :)

If you want to buy these coasters, don't. They are $15 for a set of 4. I make similar coasters, only cuter, and they're $10 for a set of 4 or $15 for a set of 6. Hopefully the vendor of this booth isn't reading my blog. :)

I seriously almost bought this clock. Baron laughed at me when I told him that. It's so cute! The only reason I didn't is because it doesn't light up or glow in the dark so it would be impractical for my bedroom. Good story.

...and then I saw this clock. How fun & retro is this? Very Brady Bunch-ish.

Lots of old cameras. And there were LOTS more in this booth.

This is a German calendar. I took a pic because my husband was born in Germany, so he's practically German. Even though he's not. Anyway I then noticed the skull at the top of the calendar. Those creepy Germans.

Ummmm...?

Ok, seriously. Old baby bottles = kinda cool. Black/cracked/smooshed bottle nipples = NOT COOL. This freaks me out every time I see it. I almost want to buy them & then throw them away just so I don't have to see them in this booth every time I'm there.

Old books are always awesome.

The tag on this one said "vintage bird print made with seashells." Ok folks, you can't just slap "vintage" on something & it's automatically cool. These birds had FEATHERS. and the branches are made of SHELLS. No.

"Hey, how should we makeover this wicker bench? I know - let's tile the top of it!" FAIL.

sweeeeet giveaway!!!

2010-08-04T10:06:00.002-05:00

Oh my goodness. Kimba over at A Soft Place to Land is doing this super cool giveaway for a Silhouette Craft Cutter!! I would DIE to win this! Go check it out. NOW!!!

awesome new diaper bag

2010-08-04T09:44:00.003-05:00

Recently, I was contacted by CSN Stores to do another product review. This time I chose to order a diaper bag, and it took me FOREVER to choose which one I wanted. I am SO happy with my choice! I got the Kalencom Medallion Midi Coated Diaper Bag, and I love it!! It's smaller than my other bag, so it's easier to carry around. I did have to reorganize my contents (yes, I'm THAT person who keeps my bag in order) but it's totally worth it. It also came with a changing pad & a small diaper/wipes bag (staples in the diaper bag, if you ask me!). I'm starting to really love the yellow/gray/white color scheme. I'd love to redo a room in my house inspired by this bag!

The ordering process was simple, and I got my bag in the mail in just a few days! I highly recommend shopping over at CSN Stores for just about anything you need!

major faux pas.

2010-08-03T09:45:00.004-05:00

So, on March 7th our awesome church held a baby shower for us, and I think we got a kazillion gifts. Seriously though, our church family is incredible, and we got so much stuff! This shower was 5 weeks before Natalie's due date, which leaves plenty of time to write thank-you notes. Theoretically. Turns out, Natalie was born 3 weeks early. Fortunately for us, we had about a week's notice that she would likely be born early; unfortunately, we were not ready. So the last week before her birth, I was running around trying to get the nursery ready, get gifts put away, etc. If you've had a baby, you know what I mean...only you probably had a little more time than a week to do this. :) Anyway...with all that, of course the thank-you notes didn't get finished before she was born. I started them while we were in South Carolina waiting to bring Natalie home.

Then...mommyhood sunk in. How is it that someone so small can demand so much of your time? I continued to work on the thank-you notes, but it sure was slow going. And this brings me to my major faux pas. At some point I pushed the "thank-you note writing setup" aside while cleaning up. And for me, something like this leads to "out of sight, out of mind". I totally forgot to finish them!! Oh my goodness, my child just turned 4 months old & I haven't finished writing my thank-you notes. If you are reading this, and you got us a gift but haven't received a thank-you note, I am SO SORRY! We truly are so grateful for all of the gifts we have received. At this point, I want to write the notes but I'm so embarrassed that they're so late. {I mean, can I just send these people messages on facebook or something? Geez.} At any rate, hopefully I'm not the only person in the world who has been THIS late to write thank-you notes. {Right? Someone humor me & just LIE and say you did the same thing...}

A word of advice for you expecting mothers: don't wait until after the baby is born to write your thank-you notes! And also...don't put them out of your sight or you'll forget about them!

P.S. Why am I blogging? I should be working on those notes RIGHT NOW. Geeeeezzzz.

to conceive or not to conceive...

2010-07-29T21:59:00.002-05:00

So, I came across this article today which discusses whether or not contraception is a sin. I had already been thinking about this a little...well, not so much whether it's a SIN or not, but whether or not God wants Christians to use contraception for our "family planning". {BTW, I just retyped that sentence like 5 times, in an effort to seem unbiased and to also not step on any toes. I'm still not sure if I succeeded.} I haven't quite come to a conclusion yet on what I believe, except that I'm pretty sure He's not gonna send us to hell based on our choice in the matter. I can see both sides of the argument, so I plan to do some more studying on the subject. ANYWAY...I had already been thinking about it some when I came across this article. What do you think? No, really...I want your opinions! Just keep it friendly please. :)

Christians Reexamine Morality of Birth Control

by Kristen Moulton
Religion News Service

same blog, new face.

2010-07-28T23:03:00.003-05:00

For all five of you who actually read my blog {if YOU are even still reading...}, yes, it's still me. I changed the whole look of my blog...cause that's how I roll. I also changed the name of the blog to The Papyrus Basket. You may be wondering what in the world this means. Well...I would be happy to tell you!

Back when the hubs & I were saving up for the adoption of our daughter, I started making & selling some handmade items. I had originally intended to make a huge fundraiser ordeal out of it, so I was trying to think of a name for the fundraiser. Something catchy that represented the purpose of the fundraising, and yet something that would be timeless & still make sense later. I wanted to use something from a biblical story about adoption, but there aren't many to choose from. It's pretty much just Moses & Esther. {Am I forgetting anyone else?} Anyway, long story short, I came up with The Papyrus Basket, because Moses' mom placed him in a basket made of papyrus, and then the king's daughter found him & adopted him, and then he was all famous in the bible all because of God & this wonderful thing called adoption, yadda yadda yadda. {I fully expect my daughter to live up to the hype of Moses, yes.} The only problem I had with this new business name was it's sorta hard to say. {Say it. Now. Papyrus Basket, Papyrus Basket, Paproosebbsskkt. See?} Needless to say, I never "named" my "business" because I didn't have time to make it into the huge fundraising ordeal that I intended...ironically, I was too busy placing orders for Christmas to organize an official fundraiser. :)

So, that brings us back to the blog. I was tired of "learning the facts of life" as my blog title, because it bored me. And it's too abstract. I finally decided that The Papyrus Basket makes sense. I blog about our adoption a lot. Also, if you don't realize that fact, & you just so happen across my blog, you may think that the title is in reference to papyrus paper that people used to write on back in olden days. {And here I am writing on my blog? Get it? Like instead of the papyrus paper?} Well, that's not the meaning, but it also sounds nice, so...double jeopardy. Wait, that's not what that means...

Welcome to The Papyrus Basket. Thanks for stopping by, and please come back! And bring a friend!

the Natalie diaries - part 4: the hospital.

2010-07-26T17:45:00.001-05:00

{for the Natalie diaries - parts 1, 2, & 3...click here}

Around lunchtime on Tuesday, March 23, Baron's mom and my parents got to our rental house in Greenville. Obviously they were oozing with excitement & about to jump out of their skin to see Natalie. :) Baron & I ate some lunch and then headed to the hospital, and the grandparents followed us shortly. Their first view of Natalie was through the nursery window as we visited with her. Fortunately, the nursery at the hospital there had a private room {read: closet} set aside that they called the "bonding room". That was where Baron & I did most of our snuggling with Natalie on her first day in this world. We also got to take the grandparents into the room one at a time to hold her.

{holding my daughter for the first time!}

{Baron holding Natalie for the first time}

{Natalie and Granmama (Baron's mom)}

{Natalie and Mimi (my mom)}

{Natalie and Paparoxy (my dad)}

The rest of that day is sort of a blur. We changed, fed, and held Natalie, but all of that took place in the nursery/bonding room. That night we headed back to the house for some much-needed rest.

On Wednesday, we started visiting Georgia in her hospital room, with Natalie. It was awesome to be able to visit with Natalie's birthmother, with Natalie there too. No more tiny bonding room for us; we visited & relaxed in Georgia's room instead. The grandparents were thrilled to be able to meet Georgia too; and the feeling was mutual. We were all like family there in that tiny hospital room. It was an experience I'll never forget! Thankfully we got lots of pictures. :) Georgia's cousin Kelley was especially fond of Natalie. Natalie has several gifts from her Aunt Kelley that she will treasure.

The days spent in the hospital were kind of a blur to us. They all seemed to run together. Georgia's release day was set to be Friday, which meant that was also the day she would sign the relinquishment papers, giving custody of Natalie to me & Baron. That Friday was an emotional day. We were bringing home this tiny life, who we would forever be responsible for here on this earth; we were excited to be able to have Natalie in a more relaxed environment; we were in the midst of leaving our rental house for another one for the second portion of our stay; and we were anxiously awaiting the signing of "The Papers". There was a lot going on this day. I remember the butterflies in my stomach. I remember the mix of emotions in the hospital room while Aunt Kelley fed Natalie for the last time. I remember the overwhelming sense of gratitude I felt for Georgia, who selflessly chose a different mother to raise her child. I remember how strange it felt to hear that Georgia's hospital bracelet for Natalie would be cut once she signed the papers, which would no longer allow her to visit with Natalie alone in her room. And I remember walking Natalie down the hallway from Georgia's room, and breaking down in tears because I felt as if I were taking this woman's child from her. It truly was an emotional time, but overall, so incredible. It was an amazing experience that I will definitely never forget!

{for more pics from our adoption trip, visit my Facebook photo album}

a pure & lovely giveaway!! pun intended.

2010-07-26T11:22:00.003-05:00

My friend Ashley over at pure + lovely is having an awesome giveaway! If you haven't seen her stuff, GO THERE NOW. She is such a talented artist. I have lots of her creations in my house, and she even designed the fabric & made prints/frames for my daughter's nursery! Anyway now's your chance to enter her big giveaway and win some cool stuff!! {Ok really I want to win the stuff myself, but you can enter too...I GUESS...} The winner will be chosen Wednesday night, so hurry!!

another upcoming product review!

2010-07-19T16:15:00.003-05:00

I recently did a product review for CSN Stores. For those of you not familiar with CSN Stores, they have over 200 online stores where you can find everything from luggage to LED lighting to cookware to baby gear! It's all the buzz in the blog world these days, and for just reason. You can just about find anything you would need to buy online. So, stay tuned for my product review of what's bound to be an excellent purchase! In the meantime, go shop at CSN Stores now!!

yes please.

2010-07-17T13:56:00.004-05:00

I am almost certain I need this bag from Amy Kathryn. Diaper bag? Yes. Purse (for whenever I get to carry one again)? Yes. Better still...I can get it on sale through Totsy!! Something to think about & spring on Baron later... ;)

Natalie's favorite mobile!

2010-07-08T18:15:00.007-05:00

Remember when I told you that CSN stores contacted me to do a product review? Well, I chose this adorable Sevi B My Prince mobile for Natalie's nursery, and it is so cute! It took me awhile to choose a product, because CSN has SO many to choose from that I wanted. I finally settled on this lovely little mobile, and it is perfect.

The only negative thing I have to say about my shopping experience is that the mobile was on backorder, so it took two months to get here. When I placed the order, the site said it was in stock, but turns out it wasn't. As far as the Sevi line is concerned, they have the cutest stuff! It's a tad pricey, but a lot of their items have free shipping.

As for the B My Prince mobile...I LOVE the product! It's so cute in Natalie's nursery! Check out CSN Stores for more great products, including an entire line of Sevi toys for your little one. {I'll take one of each, please! :)}

{mobile above the changing table}

{Natalie loves her new mobile!}

anyone out there?

2010-07-03T09:37:00.008-05:00

Does anyone still read my blog? Doubtful. Sorry I've been neglecting you. It's just easier to post short snippets & pics on facebook than blogger. So, if you're on facebook & you're friends with me, check out all my pics of Natalie over there. If you're on facebook & you're not friends with me, shame on you! :) Friend request me. If I know you, congratulations. If I don't...sorry, no offense but I don't befriend strangers. :) Anyway here are just a few pics of Natalie to show how much she's grown in her short 3 months of life! {Also, I promise to eventually finish writing "The Natalie Diaries". No, really. I will.}

{2 weeks}

{4 weeks}

{6 weeks}

{8 weeks}

{9 weeks, with new cousin Izzie}

{3 months...Daddy's tickling me!}

Qik - Natalie giggling by Laura Goins

2010-06-29T11:25:00.001-05:00

yum.

2010-05-27T15:18:00.001-05:00

Arby's new steakhouse sub. Try it. It's yummm.

Target's customer disservice.

2010-05-21T11:45:00.005-05:00

I love Target. I mean, I really love Target. Even when I don't intend on purchasing anything, I will sometimes just go & walk around. It's a relaxing place to be. Much less stressful than Wal-Mart, that's for sure!

That's why it pains me to complain about them. If I didn't care about Target, it wouldn't bother me so much that their customer service STINKS.

I have a baby registry at Target. Why? Because I love them, duh. Well, as those of you with babies know, you get a lot of duplicate gifts, or gifts that were the wrong item. So, you return a lot of stuff. Well, at Target, if you make any return without a receipt, you provide your driver's license, and they keep up with how many returns you've made. There is a limit to how many returns without a receipt you can make. I reached my limit with all of the baby stuff I returned. As I made my last return allowed against my license, the customer service rep informed me that I could have had them scan my gift purchase log from my registry, to avoid having those returns go against my license. Yeah...thanks for telling me that NOW. Too late. So now I can't return anything else to Target. Which doesn't sound so bad; I really don't return stuff there very often.

I recently bought some curtains from Target at the AWESOME price of just $24.99 for 2 panels. I love the curtains, so naturally I hung them as soon as I got home. Perfect! They are hanging on the two windows in our bedroom, next to the bed and...behind the nightstands. Behind the nightstands...which means I did not initially notice that one of the curtain panels is about 2-3 inches too short. Great. So, I called the manufacturer to see what they could do, since I had thrown out the receipt and packaging for the curtains. They told me to contact Target. Yay.

That brings me to the problem. I can't return the curtains, because I don't have a receipt, and I have reached my limit for returns without a receipt. Which doesn't sound too bad; I'll just get Baron to return them for me. Problem solved? Here's the root of the issue: I went to the Target store & talked to customer service. I asked her if she could apply those returns to my registry instead of my license, so that I could again return items against my license. She couldn't help me, but she seemed optimistic that if I called Guest Relations, they would be able to help. She gave me the number. So...today I called Guest Relations & explained the issue. They transferred me to the Gift Registry department, to see if they could apply the returns to my registry. They couldn't. So they transferred me to the Refund Authorization department, where I spoke with Cassandra. This is when I first got upset. Not that Cassandra couldn't do what I was asking, although that was disappointing, but because I told Cassandra that I was unhappy with Target because of this situation, and she didn't care. I asked if there was anything she could do to help me to be satisfied with Target again, and she said no. Really? Really, Cassandra? Cause if there's nothing you can do, then you're supposed to see if a supervisor can help. I hung up with Cassandra, and called Guest Relations again, to complain about Cassandra. I had to completely explain my entire situation again, of course, and they transferred me back to the Refund Authorization department to speak to a supervisor. Enter Stephanie. Stephanie was very nice. Completely unhelpful, but nice. She transferred me back to Guest Relations. Yikes. All the transferring got me dizzy. Anyway, I finally spoke with Derek, a supervisor in Guest Relations. Again, not helpful. He made sure I knew that this whole situation was my own fault, because I didn't know the return policy, and I didn't know that I should have been scanning my gift purchase log with those returns. It was my fault. I gave him several pieces of my mind, not angrily but very straightforward, and he didn't care. He didn't care about my unhappiness one bit. Even when he "apologized", it went something like this: "I'm sorry that you didn't know about the refund policy & that now you can't make any more returns." Thanks Derek! You should NOT be working in "Guest Relations". No sir. I also asked if there was anything he could do to make me happy with Target again, and he said no. I asked him if he really didn't care that I was unhappy with Target. He asked me what I wanted him to do. I told him that he is a supervisor, and he should know how to remedy these situations with customers. He informed me that Target is not in the business of reconciliation for unhappy customers. What?!

You're probably bored with this post, but that's ok. It's not for entertainment purposes. It's to get the word out about the bad experience I had at Target, and to let everyone realize that when it comes to customer service at Target, they do not care about the customer. They do not make exceptions for their rules, no matter the circumstances. I bought a DEFECTIVE product, and I can't take it back. That's messed up stuff, Target. I understand the refund policy; I really do. But there should be a way to remedy my particular situation. I'm not trying to return a skirt that doesn't fit, or a TV that I realized is the wrong brand. It's a product that was made incorrectly. Everyone I spoke with told me that it was IMPOSSIBLE to help me out. Impossible? Nothing is impossible. Maybe that's why they call it "guest relations" instead of "customer service". Don't want to fool anyone into thinking they might actually be able to help us out!

So there ya go. My love for Target has been varnished. I'm sure I'll go back eventually, but I will not be shopping there for awhile. {Which I'm sure Baron isn't upset about. :) }

Note: If you have a baby registry there, which I no longer recommend just because of the horrible service I got, just know that you need to print your Gift Purchase Log and have them scan it whenever you return baby items. Otherwise you'll be in the same boat as me!

the Natalie diaries - part 3: the birthday.

2010-05-03T14:54:00.011-05:00

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2:45 a.m.

My phone rings. The caller ID says it's Georgia, so I quickly answer.

Me: Hello?
Georgia: Did I wake you up?? {at this point I realized it's actually Georgia's friend Jackie.}
Me: Well, yeah, but that's ok.
Jackie: We're having a c-section!
Me: What??
J: Yep, she's gonna have a c-section. They're taking her back now.
Me: NOW?! What happened?
J: She was having contractions, and her water broke, but she wasn't dilated so the baby was in distress. So she's got to have a c-section.
Me: Uhhh...{still waking up} ok, we'll be there in a little while!!

I got up, and of course the first thing on my mind was taking a shower. Really? A shower? Now? But I desperately needed it to clear my head. I took the fastest shower I've ever taken, got dressed, tried to pack a diaper bag with what I thought I needed for a few hours at the hospital, and Baron & I made our way to the hospital. When we got there, we were stopped by the front desk since it was after visiting hours, and at that point I realized that I didn't really know how to quickly explain why we were there, so of course it took me like 5 minutes to explain our situation. Then the lady made us sign the visitor log, and she made nametags for us...BLAH BLAH BLAH HURRY UP WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!!

We finally made it up to the maternity floor, and then we realized we didn't know where we were going. So we found a nurses' station {after about 5 minutes of wandering around}. The nurse showed us which waiting room to sit in so that we would see the baby coming out of the operating room on the way to the nursery. We sat. My stomach fluttered. The other visitors snored. A few visitors were WAY too loud for 3:30am. I laid down & tried to rest. Then, a nurse came through "the door" with an empty baby crib. "Are you with the Walker family?" she asked. "Yes," we answered. "Wait right here - I'll be right back," she said. Like we were going somewhere else?

{us in the waiting room at the hospital at about 3:30am}

A few minutes later, "the door" opened and out walked Jackie, dressed in scrubs, with the nurse, who wheeled a baby crib with the tiniest, most beautiful baby I've ever seen. She was like a tiny porcelain doll. My heart stopped beating. She was our daughter. I didn't cry like I thought I would, but I was breathless. It happened so fast, and all of a sudden, our daughter was born.

Jackie said that Georgia was fine. She said that the moment she laid eyes on Natalie in the operating room, she told Jackie that she knew she was making the right choice. How incredible is that? For a mother to give birth, and immediately be at peace with her decision to have someone else parent her child. It's an amazing decision that she made, and she was content with her choice.

We followed the nurse to the nursery, where we looked through the window as they weighed & measured her. We couldn't go in there just yet so we waited {impatiently} outside the nursery window. At this point, I was starting to feel the fatigue - it was about 5:00am and already I'd had the most exciting morning of my life. I went on a search for ice water, and came back to Baron to wait some more. We took pictures through the nursery window. We waited. We guessed about her length...and I was WAY off. {She looks much longer than she is!} And then we waited some more.

{our first view of Natalie through the nursery window - 5lbs, 13oz; 18.75 in.}

While we were waiting, Jackie came out & said that Georgia wanted to talk to me. I walked with her back to Georgia's recovery room, and we chatted for a few minutes. She reassured me again that she knew she was making the right decision. She wanted to be sure that I knew that. She looked like she was doing well after her surgery. We talked for a few minutes, and I went back to wait with Baron.

At some point while we were sitting outside the nursery window, we called our family. We didn't want to call in the middle of the night; that was pointless, so I think we waited until about 6:00, which was 5:00 their time. They {my mom & dad, and Baron's mom} were planning to leave at 7:00 that morning to travel up to South Carolina to spend the rest of the week with us after the birth of Natalie. Of course, they weren't expecting her to already have been born by the time they left. :)

Finally, a nurse told us she would be bathing Natalie soon & we could come in for the first bath. Soon after that, we got to go in the nursery to see our daughter. The nurse gave Natalie her first bath while we watched, videoing and taking pictures the whole time. Then she put her under the warming lamp to get warm before feeding her for the first time. She showed me how to feed her while under the lamp, and I fed my daughter for the first time! It was an incredible experience. However...at this point, I had gotten so fatigued/hungry/overwhelmed/hot {under the warming lamp} that I started to feel faint. How embarassing. I had to stop feeding her to sit down because I felt so bad! The nurse actually left to get me some juice & crackers to help me out. At least I didn't pass out. :)

{Natalie's first bath}

{Natalie's first feeding}

Later, we took Natalie to the "bonding room" in the nursery - a room they have set aside for parents to privately bond with their baby. This was the first time Baron & I actually got to hold our daughter. It was a precious time for all of us!

{daddy holding Natalie in the bonding room}

Around 10:30, I decided I really needed to go back to the house & take a nap & shower. I hated to leave the hospital, but I decided that I felt so bad that I just couldn't enjoy my time there so I needed to refresh. We went back to the house, and we both took naps & showered. While we were there, our parents arrived, beginning the adventure of our week-long (plus) "vacation"!

{to be continued}

product review coming soon!

2010-04-29T08:03:00.005-05:00

Recently I was contacted by CSN Stores to do a review of one of their products on my blog. Well...of course I agreed! If you're not familiar with CSN Stores, it is an online shopping experience with several different stores from which to shop. Their 200+ sites offer the largest selection of home and office products - from bar furniture to luggage to baby products to kitchen gadgets...and much more!

So, if you haven't shopped CSN Stores before, be sure to check them out! And stay tuned to my blog for my product review...coming soon!

front door makeover

2010-04-19T12:04:00.003-05:00

I'm really not sure what possessed me to want to paint our front door, but a couple of months ago, I got the urge. And once I got the urge, I'm not sure what drew me to this color, but when I saw it, I LOVED it. So, we did it! It still needs one more coat but we have to wait for the pollen to die down a little before we can tackle that project. Otherwise the blue door will look green.

Before:

After:

the Natalie diaries - part 2: the call.

2010-04-16T17:39:00.003-05:00

It was Monday, March 22nd.

I knew this was probably "the week". Georgia (our birthmother) was going to the doctor this morning to hopefully find out what day this week she would be induced. I had planned to go to work, knowing I could very well leave after talking to her. I woke up that morning, and for some reason felt the need to stay home until after talking to her. Her appointment was at 10:30, which is 9:30 our time, so I decided to stay home until I knew what her doctor told her. I got a few things done around the house, but I was mostly relaxing. I had a lot to do before going to SC for the birth of our daughter, but I was resting a little after my nesting frenzy over the house that weekend. At about 10:45 that morning, she called me. The phone conversation went something like this:

Georgia: Well, I have good news & bad news; which do you want first? {She liked to start her updates like this ;)}

Me: Ummm...the bad news?

G: It could be up to a couple of days before I have her.

Me: Well, that's not too bad! Ok, what's the good news?

G: I'm going to the hospital right now.

Me: {can't breathe} WHAT. Right now?!?!

G: Yes, right now! I'm going to McDonald's to get a sweet tea, and then I'm going to the hospital!

Me: {pretty sure my heart stopped beating...} Uhhh...ok....{I have no idea what I said at this point, as I was in shock, even though this is the conversation I was halfway expecting.}

G: Are you packed & ready to come up here?

Me: No...I was too busy getting the nursery ready!

G: I told you to have your bags packed & ready to go! {True. She did tell me that. But I'm a procrastinator. :)}

So, after talking to Georgia for a few minutes, of course I needed to call Baron. He had about 5 minutes left in his last class of the day, so I texted him instead of calling. I made the mistake of making it seem like an emergency. I guess when you text "CALL ME ASAP!!!" then it does kinda seem like an emergency. :) He actually stepped out of class to call me, and I told him the news. Then I called my mom & got her to call the rest of our family so that I could focus {yeah right}on packing. I packed Natalie's suitcase {which, BTW, I was nearly clueless as to what I would need, so of course I overpacked}. Then I realized that we had to take a MOVIE back to BLOCKBUSTER. Of all things, the morning I'm getting ready to go out of town to adopt our daughter, I have to go to Blockbuster?! Whatever. It was New Moon, so it was worth it. ;)

The rest of that day is sort of a blur. Baron got his stuff done at school before leaving, and we finally left town about mid-afternoon. My dad was working on finding us a place to stay, and he settled on making reservations at a vacation house just 10 minutes from the hospital where Georgia would deliver. By the way, did I mention my mom & dad and Baron's mom were going with us? AWESOME help. We were so glad to have them with us!

We got to Greenville later that night, and went straight to the hospital to see Georgia. She was feeling pretty bad at that point; her head was hurting like crazy {a symptom of the preeclampsia, which is why she was being induced early} so we didn't visit long. She had been given a drug to soften her cervix {can't remember the name of the drug} to prepare to be induced on Tuesday morning, and she hadn't progressed at all that day. So we were expecting it to at least be mid-day on Tuesday before we saw any action. We left the hospital to go to the vacation house to get some rest. Little did we know what lie ahead of us that night!

{To be continued}

the Natalie diaries - part 1: nursery + nesting

2010-04-12T11:07:00.010-05:00

I am finally getting around to blogging about our adoption experience. Sorry it's taken me so long, but well, I've been busy. :) And still am, for that matter, but I'm forcing myself to document the experience before Natalie turns 13 and I can't remember what happened when she was born. Anyway, I'm putting this into a few different posts, since it would be way too long to put into one post & I would most likely lose all 4 of my readers. So to begin, I'll take you on a tour of the weeks approaching Natalie's birth, and how I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off.

We had started collecting items for the nursery months ago. {Well, technically, a couple of years ago, when I bought the awesome rocking chair that Ashley recommended to me - SO COMFORTABLE. I bought it with the last bonus check I received from my previous employer, before the economy went kaputs & bonus checks were no longer in existence.} We had the room painted "soft mint green" last year - a gender neutral color since we didn't know at that time whether we'd adopt a boy or a girl. I bought a crib at a consignment sale last fall. My awesome friends & family threw a "pre-adoption" baby shower for me last November, and I got a jump start on the "basics" that we would need in case we were to get one of those "we have a baby for you to adopt in 3 days" calls.

So we were on a good start to planning the nursery. Then, in January, we did get "the call". {Read about it here.} At this point, I'm eager to start the "real" nursery planning, and since my friend Ashley Mills over at pure + lovely {shameless plug} had offered to help me design the nursery, she was also eager to get started. I had initially thought I wanted to do owls in the nursery, because I was planning a gender neutral nursery & I started to become obsessed with retro-looking owls. But after "the call", we found out we were adopting a girl, and I just couldn't help but choose something more girly. Ashley has these awesome bird prints that I decided were totally the inspiration I needed for the room. I began searching for color/theme inspiration online, and found the perfect room that represented the exact feel I was going for:

{Norah's nursery by Caroline Armelle}

Piece by piece, the nursery started coming together. Ashley designed the fabric on spoonflower, my grandmother made the bedding from the fabric, Baron & I {ok, mostly Baron} painted a dresser & a bookshelf, and I shopped...and shopped...and spraypainted...and shopped. And finally, on Sunday, March 21st, the nursery was finished. FINISHED. The day before, I had gotten into my frantic nesting stage, cleaning the house like a mad woman, because there was a possibility of our birthmother being induced on March 22nd. I felt it coming. I don't know that nesting is necessarily a hormonal pregnancy thing, because I was totally into it that weekend. And for good cause, because...well...that's another story, for my next post. :) Here are pics of the finished nursery!

{crib from consignment sale; bedding fabric by Ashley via spoonflower & sewn by my grandmother; rug by ekra via etsy}

{beanbag ottoman from Kohl's; chandelier from ikea; round side table from ikea}

{bird fabric designed by Ashley & pillow made by my grandmother; quilt by "Mimi" (my mom); puff rocker via ebay (sorry, can't remember the seller)}

{handmade rug by ekra via etsy; bookshelf by Baron's granddad when Baron was little & painted with Valspar Laura Ashley in pale cowslip}

{shelf from local flea market & painted with Valspar Laura Ashley in pale cowslip; figurines from Hobby Lobby & my personal collection}

{fabric swatch project from The Purl Bee; wall lamp from ikea}

{part of closet turned changing station: dresser from Baron's grandmother - painted in Valspar Laura Ashley's pale cowslip; drawer knobs from Hobby Lobby; curtains from Target}

{Tweet Tweet prints & custom frames from Ashley at pure innovation}

{fabric designed by Ashley via spoonflower; bedding made by my grandmother}

{birdcage from Hobby Lobby; fabric box from Target; mirror from Baron's grandmother & painted with Krylon spraypaint in ballet slipper}

Thanks for looking! :)

welcome, Natalie!

2010-04-03T19:56:00.004-05:00

We've had quite an eventful two weeks...all revolving around the newest addition to our family. More details to come later, but I want to introduce you to Natalie Rebecca, our precious angel who is now a part of our family through the miracle of adoption. We traveled to South Carolina on Monday, March 22nd and stayed until Friday, April 2nd when the paperwork was finally approved for us to bring her home. Natalie was born on March 23, 2010, weighed 5 lbs 13 oz, and was 18.75 inches long. She is a sweet baby and already has her daddy wrapped around her tiny finger. :) I will write more about our trip later...you know, when I have time. ;)

{just arrived!}

{I love mommy}

{the apple of my daddy's eye}

{precious angel}

{happy baby}

giveaway!

2010-03-14T19:22:00.002-05:00

Check out this book review & giveaway for
The Jesus Storybook Bible - Deluxe Edition.
This looks like a great book!

a few of my favorite things

2010-03-10T12:03:00.011-06:00

I'm having a bit of a writer's block in the blogosphere, so I thought I'd just share a few things that I've been eyeballin' lately...

I love this bench from JC Penney, just right for the space between our entry & living room:

I've been into owls lately. I'm sure that will go out of style soon but until then, I'd love to donthis adorable ring:

This onesie makes me smile! I may have to get someone to make a cuter version of it for little Natalie:

And this t-shirt is for my sarcastic side. Of course I'd never have the guts to actually wear it, but it makes me laugh:

I LOVE this vintage alphabet print, and hope to soon have it for Natalie's nursery:

Another onesie for our little chosen one:

At some point in the near future I may consider subscribing to this mag:

My friend Ashley has started a new furniture refurbishing business, and this is my fave piece of hers right now...although I'd love to have any of it! Go visit the site!

And I REALLY wanted to make this mobile for the nursery, but I don't have time! Maybe someday! This thing is TOO cute:

delight. desires.

2010-02-17T14:08:00.008-06:00

"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." ~Psalm 37:4

We've all heard this passage so many times. There's even a song {or two, or three...} quoting it. It's a feel-good verse, and we like those. We think, "Yeah! That sounds good. I'll just 'delight myself in the Lord' and he'll give me whatever I want! Right?" Well, that may not be exactly what this verse means. So what does it mean?

I think that first we need to decide what exactly a "desire of the heart" is. Webster defines a desire as a "conscious impulse toward something that promises enjoyment or satisfaction in its attainment". Note the words "promises enjoyment or satisfaction". This doesn't mean something that we think we want now, but later will come to regret it or grow bored with it. It's something that promises enjoyment or satisfaction. We can argue over whether or not this means a permanent enjoyment or satisfaction, but we'll save that argument for another day. :) Webster also defines a desire as a "longing; craving". These aren't words to describe a mere "want". These are strong words. I don't just want a child; I desire a child. I long for a child. Wants are a new TV, fashionable clothes, a cute nursery; material things. Desires are for relationships, ways of life, Godly wisdom; spiritual things.

So, if a desire is something that we long for, feel an impulse to, and crave, then how does that translate in this verse? Well, I'm no biblical scholar, but my personal interpretation is that the "desires of your heart" are those things that you truly madly deeply {to quote the great Savage Garden} want, and need. I know, I know - Webster's definition of desire doesn't include anything about a need. But perhaps God's definition does. And I interpret it that way because I know that God knows what I need, and he won't give me anything that he feels would harm me. {Jeremiah 29:11} Do I need that new TV? Probably not. Do I need relationships? Most definitely so.

Ok, so if we now know what "desires of your heart" are, then what is it we're supposed to do to obtain those desires? That's the easy part. Well, easy to understand; not as easy to do. Delight yourself in the Lord. What does it mean to delight yourself in someone? As defined by Webster {who, BTW, we have great faith in to provide accurate definitions, don't we?}, to "delight" means "to take great pleasure". So what do you take great pleasure in? Watching TV? Reading a book? Playing Farmville? Decorating your house? {Ouch, I just stepped on my own toes!} There's nothing wrong with taking pleasure in these things. But the bible tells us to "take great pleasure" in the Lord. If we're not doing that, how can we expect Him to give us the desires of our heart? He wants us to enjoy Him. Imagine that! Enjoying God? Having fun with the creator of the universe? Is that allowed? Well, not only is it allowed, but it's encouraged! Commanded, even!

Take great pleasure in the Lord, and He will give you the things that you need to provide great enjoyment.

Sounds good to me!

no hablo espanol.

2010-02-08T18:32:00.001-06:00

Apparently "felt pads" in Spanish is "tacos". Hmmm.

birthmother visit

2010-01-31T20:36:00.002-06:00

I intended to post about our meeting with the birthmother as soon as we got back, but of course that didn't happen. :) I have been neglecting my blog lately, and it's hard to get back in the groove. Anyway, I wanted to write about how the trip went; partially for you all to read about it but mostly to document it for myself.

We traveled up to Greenville, South Carolina, on Friday afternoon {January 22nd}. We got to the adoption agency's office at about 6:15, and there we met the two social workers and our birthmother {hereafter referred to as G...to protect her privacy, I won't use her name}. We all sat down together in the conference room and...well, just chatted. We talked about the weather {of course}, our drive up to SC, etc. Small talk. One of the social workers asked us a few questions that G had asked her previously. It was a little awkward - forced conversation usually is. And we were sitting around a conference table, so that's not really "comfortable". Anyway, after chatting for a little while, and being very indecisive about where to go for dinner, we finally left for the restaurant {Texas Roadhouse...which we have in Montgomery but hadn't had before...YUMMY, BTW}. G went to pick up her close friend, J {obviously not naming her either :)}, on the way to the restaurant.

Baron & I got to the restaurant first, and it was super crowded. We went outside to wait for a table, where we caught up with G & J. J, who has never met a stranger, made the situation a lot more comfortable. Baron & I are not very good at chit-chat/small talk/gab. J, on the other hand, is queen of the gab. In a good way. :) We were glad she was there to lighten the mood. Anyway, we enjoyed our dinner together, and talked about so many things...football {G is a UGA fan - this is definitely meant to be! :)}; family; jobs; weather; the pregnancy; our lives; our pets; our hometowns; etc. It was great conversation, and it was not awkward one bit!

That night, we were blessed to be able to stay with some friends in Greenville - Patrick & Amanda (Palmer) Bowling. Amanda & I grew up together at church until her family moved to Atlanta. Patrick & Amanda have two adopted kids, so we enjoyed talking to them about their experiences, and asking advice for ourselves. Staying with them was WAY better than a hotel - great company, a super comfy bed, our own bathroom, and breakfast at IHOP. :)

After breakfast, we said our goodbyes to Patrick & Amanda, and then headed to Wal-Mart. We had planned to walk around downtown Greenville with G & J, and it was COLD. We were prepared to walk from indoors to the car in cold weather; not to walk around outside in cold weather. :) So we went on a mini shopping spree at the local Wal-Mart for some extra layering.

We headed to downtown Greenville, and followed the GPS to get as close to Starbucks {our meeting place} as possible to find a parking spot. There had just been a race of some sort downtown, and the runners were starting to clear out but the road was still blocked. We found a parking spot a couple of blocks from Starbucks...so we thought. It seemed like we walked 2 miles from the car to Starbucks. Maybe it was just my improper shoe choice & the bitter wind that made it seem longer. :) Anyway, we finally got there & ordered our much-needed white chocolate mochas, and waited for G & J to arrive. They got there shortly, and we chatted some more. G gave us the first of several gifts that she wanted the baby to have: a book by a local author that takes kids on a search for little mouse statues down Main Street in Greenville.

We walked around downtown Greenville, admiring the beautiful work they've done there to develop the area. They have a great park around their river, and a suspension bridge that made us all a little nervous. :) We enjoyed walking & talking together, and just enjoying each other's company. It was actually...fun! Who knew this would be a fun experience? :) We visited a small general store there that has old-fashioned toys, and admired the retro lunchboxes, tinker toys, Raggedy Ann dolls, wax lips, and bottled Cokes. After visiting the store, we grabbed lunch at a little pizzeria. There we sat & talked some more - preliminarily about our plans for when G goes into labor. Then we walked back toward the car & said our goodbyes.

We are so impressed with our birthmother. She is mature, responsible, smart, and loving. We are so fortunate to be able to have a relationship with her. She is excited to be able to bless us with a child, and I could not be more thankful for her incredible attitude. It is amazing to watch how God works out His plan in our lives!

unpregnant.

2010-01-21T19:58:00.003-06:00

When we began the adoption process, I knew it would be different. Different for us, different for those close to us, and also different for everyone else in our lives. While we know a lot of families who have adopted, the majority of the families around us are biological. I have a lot of experience watching my pregnant friends during their pregnancies, attending their baby showers at church, visiting them in the hospital when their babies are born, and taking them meals after they bring their babies home. So, while I don’t know what it’s like to be pregnant, I know how to be a friend to someone who is. I, too, am an expecting mother. But guess what? I’m not going through all of that. I’m not pregnant, so I don’t exactly know what I’m supposed to go through. People don’t rub my belly & ask how the baby is. {No, I am NOT asking you to start rubbing my belly! :)} When I go somewhere, no one can look at me & see that I am an expecting mother. I don’t get to hear my baby’s heartbeat at the doctor’s office. I don’t have weird cravings. {Ok so maybe I do. But not as a result of pregnancy. :)} I can’t feel my baby kicking in my belly. I can’t see her through the ultrasound. All of these things – experiences of a pregnant mother – help her & those around her grow to love her baby. She bonds with her baby as he/she grows inside of her, and the people close to her can see that & experience it with her.

So where does that leave me? I am expecting a baby in April, who will be born of another woman. How do I bond with that baby? How do I love her before she is even here? Well, I don’t know how. But I know I do. I love that baby girl. I have never met her, but she is mine. I have never seen her on an ultrasound, but I know she is beautiful. I haven’t heard her heartbeat, but I know it is beating. She isn’t growing underneath my heart, but she is growing in my heart. Some of you are probably thinking, “Laura, isn’t that dangerous to grow so attached? Can’t the birthmother change her mind? Isn’t there a possibility that the adoption could fail?” Yes, of course. I’m not naïve – I know the reality of failed adoptions. But would you tell a pregnant mother not to grow attached to her baby because of the possibility of a pregnancy loss? Of course not! She is expected to bond with her baby, so I should be expected to bond with mine.

Maybe adoption shouldn’t be "the new pregnant". Maybe I need to stop trying to make this adoption a pregnancy, and embrace the difference that it is. So what if I don't get to park in the "expecting mothers" parking spot. And I may not get the “awww, you’re just GLOWING!” that the pregnant moms get. People may forget that I’m expecting because they don’t have the visual reminder. But I feel that there is a baby in South Carolina right now that is my daughter. And soon, she will be here for all of you to oooh and ahhh over. And when that time comes, none of this confusion/awkwardness/emotional roller coaster/stress will matter, because it will be all worth it to have that baby girl in my arms.

If you are adopting, or considering adoption, I urge you to enjoy the differences between adoption & pregnancy. Adoption is a beautiful {and exciting!} thing, and a tremendous blessing to so many people! It saddens me when people view adoption as a "backup plan" for growing a family. I have struggled with comparing adoption with pregnancy, and it can lead to disappointment. Unrealistic expectations of other people are unmet. Negative differences are amplified. Blessings go unnoticed. The fact is, our experiences are similar, but at the same time different. Enjoy being an expecting mother; don’t pity yourself for being unpregnant.

{Side note: tomorrow (Friday), Baron & I are travelling to South Carolina to meet our birthmother. We are super excited about this trip! Please pray for our safety during the trip up there Friday & back on Saturday, and for a good meeting with her. Thanks!}

better late than never...

2010-01-16T16:46:00.006-06:00

Here are a few pics from our Christmas. Yes, it's the middle of January & I'm just now posting Christmas pics. It hasn't been at the top of my "to do" list! :)

Some of these are pics of handmade gifts & some are Christmas decorations. All of them together took lots of time. :)

{If you're friends with me on facebook, I have a few more pics on there.}

gift bags that I decided to decorate, with gift tags that I made

personalized trivets for some of the Wishum clan

Freeset bags for our nieces decorated by me

the mantle

our tree

"brown paper packages tied up with string..."

And, if you haven't read the post below, please do so because it is much more exciting than this one! :)

January 7th.

2010-01-08T16:26:00.003-06:00

January 7th, 2009:
I am in total shock. Am I really pregnant? After 2 1/2 years of trying, is this finally happening? I can't breathe. Baron gets home, and I just show him "the stick". He can't believe it either. I pee on another stick. Positive again. I think. Is it? Maybe it's negative. I'm not sure. It's a Wednesday, so we have to face people at church with our normal, "nothing is going on" faces, when in our minds we're...well...shocked. There's no better word to describe the feeling. {Side note: we had directory pics that night. You can totally see the shock on my face.} Two more pregnancy tests later, and I'm almost convinced it's true. Finally, a doctor's visit eases my mind. I'm pregnant!!! I believe it, but it doesn't really sink in. We just barely get into the planning stages before devastation hits. After just 12 weeks of pregnancy, we find out that we lost the baby at around 7 weeks.

January 7th, 2010:
I'm browsing stock photos online at the office to use in a new brochure. The search category I typed is "security". For some reason, baby pictures are peppered throughout the list. Why are BABY pictures in here? At first it's cute to see the pics, and then a twinge of sadness creeps in. A year ago, I found out I was pregnant, and then we lost the baby in March. We started back into the adoption process, and waited. At this point we've been trying/adopting/pregnant/adopting again for almost 3 1/2 years. I. WANT. A. BABY. Other people have babies. Why can't I have one? It's the usual frustrating/impatient/almost depressing thoughts that creep into my mind once in awhile. Then, Baron calls.
B: Whatcha doin?
Me: {in a slightly bored tone, because I'm late leaving for lunch & the hunger pangs are kicking in} Looking at stock photos online.
B: We've been chosen.
Me: What?
B: WE'VE. BEEN. MATCHED.
Me: Are you SERIOUS?! {of course he's serious, this is nothing to joke about!}
B: {gives the details of the birthmother} She wants to talk to us on a conference call either today or Monday.
So, we scheduled a conference call. Talk about nerves. I didn't have butterflies in my stomach, I had giant moths. You know, the scary looking furry kind of moths. And they didn't go away until after the phone call. Which, by the way, went very well, and the birthmother was convinced that she wanted us to parent her child! She is having a baby girl, due April 12th. We are so excited, it's surreal. I can honestly say I'm more excited now than I was when I got pregnant. I don't know if it's the short timeline to wait for the baby to arrive, or the fact that we've been waiting a year longer now, or just the romantic unknown that comes with this adoption process, or maybe that THIS is really what God's plan is for us so He is putting that feeling of excitement in me. But WOW. What an exciting time for us! In the next few weeks we will be going up to South Carolina to meet the birthmother.

Please pray with/for us over the next few months!!

God, thank you so much for this awesome blessing. Thank you for bringing us to this point in our lives and for choosing us to go through this wonderful process of adoption. Our prayer is that this is the baby you want us to raise. Help us to trust you to work out your will for us. Keep your hand on the birthmother & her baby. Keep them safe & healthy. And help us to show your love to them, always. Please deliver this baby to us safely in your time. Amen.

finally a winner!

2009-12-28T21:25:00.003-06:00

I rarely win a contest. When I worked at Regions, we participated in the United Way campaign, and if you were an Honor Roll donor you got put into a drawing for a bunch of different prizes. One year, I won a $500 gift certificate to Montgomery Mall. {Obviously that was back when there were actually stores worth shopping at there. } Other than that, I haven't won much. So, I was super excited to find out that I won a giveaway at Mod Podge Rocks for these super cute baby blocks from AllModern.com! Woo-hoo!! More baby stuff!! :)

marketing

2009-12-21T10:37:00.004-06:00

So, the adoption agency has added our profile to the Adoptive Parents page on their website! Not to sound belittling, but hopefully this "marketing" will "drum up some business". :)

Earl had to die.

2009-12-08T09:32:00.004-06:00

When the Dixie Chicks first became popular, I was a fan. "Goodbye Earl" was one of my faves because it just made me laugh. About the time that song came out, I was in college & my roommate & BFF, Jan, and I bought some decor for our new apartment. We bought this awesome corn plant & decided to name him Earl, because we left him in the car & it got hot and he wilted & we thought he died. Anyway, that was about 8 years ago and I still have Earl! However, over the past month or so, he has been fading fast. I have no idea what suddenly caused him to become ill, but it's not looking good. Maybe it's just old age. How long should a corn plant live? Who knows. I'm pretty sure 8 years is more than I could ask for, considering my lack of horticultural abilities. {Case in point: click here}

So, I think that soon, it will be time to bury Earl. It will be a very sad day when I finally go through with it. Right now he is hiding in my laundry room because I was embarassed to have him out in the open whilst hosting my sister's shower at the house last weekend. The next move may be to the trash can for old Earl. Sigh.

{that's Earl in the background last year at Christmas}

{This is Earl today. Note the greenery at his feet - that's the baby Earl he has grown. Perhaps I will use him to carry on the bloodline.}