Raddest Cover Ever!

Friendly Bugs, Blogging, Time, and Crafting.....

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There is a ladybug crawling across my bed. I have been spotting them all over my house lately, and I am on the fence about it. I love ladybugs, but as beautiful as they are they are still bugs. Bugs that have seemingly found a good place to nest in my little home. They are harmless, and for now I am just letting them roam. Perhaps I need not look at them as bugs. Bugs are pests, but Ladybugs aren't, right? I will look at them as little friends and roommates.

This blog has become a little bit of project for me. In the past I posted now and then, but I'm sure you have noticed the regularity here lately. I set a lot of goals that usually fall by the wayside, and I didn't necessarily set a goal to write here more often, but that's just what has happened and I am going to stick with it. It feels good. It's therapeutic. It's a more productive way of spending all of this nursing time than just surfing the web (which I do plenty of). I feel like I could be up doing something else like cleaning or sewing, but too often Hazel wakes up as soon as I sneak away, and I have to hurry down the ladder and cuddle back up next to her. All she wants right now is for me to be there when she wakes up, so I am trying harder to be there. That means a lot more cuddling, and a lot more internet time.

I just collected all of the supplies I need to make a little white Easter dress to go under the beautiful pink and yellow sweater my mother just finished knitting for Hazel. I'm also preparing to make a Birthday dress, and a doll with a matching Birthday dress. I have no Idea when I will find the time to complete those things. It seems that in all of my spare time I just want to be with Mike. I miss him. He works and works, and I don't want to waste any of the time I have with him. Perhaps I will send him on a little Hike with Hazel tomorrow and I will make a game plan for these little projects of mine. I have two months. It seems like a lot of time, but with how quickly the past ten months have flown, I'm sure that next two will go by in the blink of an eye.

  Dress inspiration: 

Definitely  peter pan collar, and the linen I got is close to this color. A little more coral I think.

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And I'm thinking short so she can crawl around without getting her knees caught up, and I have some crocheted, vintage-style lace that I want to put near the bottom, and on each sleeve. I'm also loving the little pleats that you cn barely see on the front of this dress.

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 And perhaps for the white Easter dress, something like this with tiny fluttery sleeves:

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Friday Finds

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Lovely heart nesting bowls
Sweetest little baby shirt
This little vintage clothing shop inside of a robins egg blue camping trailer
My Midwife has the cutest daughters. This one started an etsy shop selling the most darling bracelets ever. 
The most fabulous nature inspired doll house!
Wasn't Audrey so classy?

Becoming a Mother....

Stumbled upon some beautiful writing. You should read it. 

And. that is the moment it all changes. You don't trust anymore. You don't have faith that your body will look after this precious life. Because you have to. You fall desperately in love, and you feel the responsibility like a sharp pain in your side. Not because you don't want it, but because you feel you don't deserve it. And if she falls asleep on a surface that isn't your own body, you will check to see if she is breathing every 10 minutes for the next four months, because not doing that feels unfathomable. And you don't care if it seems unreasonable. You will leap up when she cries in fright, you will spend hours lying sprawled across your bed with your breast in her mouth.......

Read the complete post here

Wise Words

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The sun is shining. So, so pretty.

Delightful

 My Dear Hazel

Today you were delightful, from sun up til sun down. Your squeals and giggles brightened my day, and my life. You're energy, your speedy little crawl, how you use your feet more than your knees, and the way you balance in a crouch, almost standing. You waddle to my side on feet and hands, and you don't stop until you have clawed and climbed your way all the way up to my chest. Your mouth open wide, you yell, and slobber, and bite at me. My arms, my shoulders my face. I let you, because I simply cannot resist. You reached for daddy when you saw him and I know it mad his day. We swam, you splished, and splashed, and tried to drink the water. You watch other children with wonder and longing. You cannot wait to run and play along with them.  You are the dearest, sweetest little being that I have ever known. Thank you for today.

Lately...

I've had  lot less showers, but a lot more clothes changes.There is always some crusty baby-food on my left shoulder where Hazel like to nibble my shirt. I'm not good at keeping that little mouth clean.
My girl probably eats more paper than food. I've given up on fishing it out of her mouth.
I'm officially that mom with the snot-nosed kid that all kid-less people despise. I just can't keep up with that mucus machine!
I continue to ignore the fact that Hazel enjoys peeing when her diaper is not on, and I let her have naked time in the mornings.

We have been spending a lot more time at home, and I'm more okay with that than I thought I would be. In fact for the first time in my life I would rather spend the day at home.
I'm settling into this cozy winter routine, just as it's on it's way out.
Accepting that the cleaning will never be finished.
Wondering where the time has gone. Seriously, I just had this baby and she is almost ready to walk.
Soooo ready to get this next tattoo started!

I'm feeling the need to go out for a night on the town with the girls....But I don't really have "girls". Just a few here and there.
Wanting to rearrange things. Paint rooms. Build benches. Reorganize. Remove walls. 
Camping. April. Can't wait!

On Slowing Down

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It's funny how often I read a blog post and think I wish my life was like that. The truth is that when I take the time to notice, and stop being so hard on myself my life is like that.

My morning cup of tea would be a peaceful, spiritual moment to reflect and appreciate life if I would slow down and pause for a moment. Just sip, and feel the warmth spread throughout my body, and be happy.

I do marvel at the beautiful skin, and the rising and falling of my sleeping baby's belly as she breathes. I hold her and snuggle her, skin to skin, and it is better that any human contact I have ever experienced before.

When My husband comes home from work I am so happy to see him, and I do enjoy watching him be a good daddy to Hazel It's hilarious how much my all of my friends children adore him, and how he just lets them climb all over him like a jungle gym

I notice the look in Hazel's little eyes, the wonder when she is discovering something new, I see that little brain working away, and I am happy. 

It's all about noticing those moments, and recording them. I recently heard the quote "Comparison is the thief of joy" and I guess in some ways it's true. When you turn it around and instead of wishing for those experiences, you commit to appreciating the moments in your own life that are wonderful and beautiful and amazing, then it is lovely to read about other people's experiences and think, Yeah I feel that too.

Shaker Hymns

Friday Finds

This illustrator's cheeky blog about daily life in london in hand drawn pictures!!!

Learn how to make this all natural skin toner, which apparently works wonders.

A fun musical instrument to make for your kiddos.

These crazy pants and these rad toys from Nicole Balch over at Babble.