Final Countdown

Well folks, I have 1 week till my due date, and it's time to cast your votes! So take a guess for what day, time (if you want), inches, pounds, etc etc etc!

Okay, just so we're all on the same page...

Due Date: July 1

my Size...hunormous~(yes that's a word, just ask my niece Lily)

So far zero percent effaced, and not at all dilated

Patience is waning, I can't sleep I am so anxious...I know I know, get sleep now, while you can! Well, I can't!!!

He is measuring a few days ahead of schedule in size according to the latest ultrasound, which was a week and a half ago, BUT the doctor doesn't think he'll be that big. We'll see, so what are your guesses??? Winner gets...to win! oh and bragging rights :)

Diaper bag, onesies, and John

OKay first of all...JOHN CAME HOME EARLY!!!!! YEAH!!! I am so excited! Now this baby can come any time...so go right ahead and switch the prayers you were sending my way to please let us meet our baby soon!

Okay secondly, I have been having a blast crafting up a storm. A friend is having a baby girl, so I got to indulge in some girly things that I otherwise wouldn't have been able to... so that's why some of these are girly...if they aren't, then they are for our baby :)

LOL...okay it's like iPod...only iPood...ha ha ha ha ha...not my original idea, but I love it!!! I also learned to freezer paper stencil and fabric paint, LOVE it, so easy peasy, and fast!

Another freezer paper stencil, love these whimsical birdies, don't you???

I have a thing for elephants....

HEY did I mention I got all these onesies on clearance at Walmart for $1.50??? LOVE it!

Oh man, this has to be the favorite, who doesn't LOVE a ruffle bum??? It was very easy too, if you can't tell, there are tiny pink hearts on the onesie...too cute!

Okay, I LOVE this image. Also, I learned something SO cool about the fabric paint I used. It was my first time, so when I bought it at JoAnnes, I just grabbed the only white one I saw. When I got home I noticed it said "Velveteen finish" on the bottle. WTH...I just wanted normal! BUT I wasn't about to take it back right away, plus I was anxious to try out freezer paper stenciling for the first time, so I used it anyway. It went on totally normal, dried totally normal, then I read the directions, and it said "to give it the velveteen finish, put your iron on "steam" and hold 1/2 inch above painted surface, and it will "Puff up"...so I gave it a shot. IT IS SO COOL!!! It turned it totally THICK, and kind of SOFT, and really bold, can you see how it looks embossed or something? I love it! What a happy accident! Try it, you won't regret it! The only thing is, it kind of gets ripple-ie...but I think with a chubby baby wearing it, that won't be an issue :)

This tree is just Applique, I wish I could take credit for the design, but I kinda copied it off of one I saw on Etsy...I like mine better though :)

Okay, now THIS, is my diaper bag. I wanted to make one that didn't look like...um, how do I say this...well, I didn't like any at the stores because they all LOOKED like a diaper bag! I wanted one that would double as a purse and be super stylish....

I used a simplicity pattern, but modified it quite a bit, make it much wider, added ALL the pockets, etc....

I have to say I am really proud of myself, I don't do that well following patterns, but I did it, AND I didn't have to fix any mistakes I made. It took a LONG time, so I hope I never have to make another one again...but I am so tickled with how it turned out!

Welp, there it is, all of my labors the past few days. I'm on a roll though, so stay tuned!

Garage Sale LOVE

So recently I have been LOVING garage sale deal hunting!!! It even gets me out of bed early on Saturday mornings...yeah...it's a big deal. I used to like garage sale-ing when I was a student, always looking for something for the apartment or whatever, but NOW I LOVE it so much, because people are practically giving away their junk for pennies! I have found so many baby clothes at garage sales, good stuff too, I'm talking Gymboree, Children's place, baby Gap, old Navy, you know the GOODS!!! All for like nothing! This baby is going to be stylin'...and I don't have to spend much money!!! PLus, the thrill of finding just the right item, and at such a STEAL is priceless...it's an addiction!

When I go garage sale-ing i usually scout out the ads on KSL or craigslist Friday night, and I make a list of addresses of garage sales that look promising, and that aren't too far away, like multi-family yard sales, neighborhood yard sales, fund raiser yard sales et...I figure I get more to choose from with more people combining all their junk in one place :) Then I make a set of directions on Google maps, print it out, and then I am ready on Saturday morning. I always bring my change jar with, and when I approach a sale, I always have a few bucks in quarters in my pocket, in case all I want is something small...plus I feel like I'm not even paying anything if it came out of the change jar! :) Do you think I am ridiculous yet??? LOL!!! My Grandma Ruth would be SO proud!!!

So this week was especially rewarding, so I wanted to share some of my favorite finds :)

Vintage golden books, I ADORE vintage books, and other things, but especially books! The Bambi was printed in 1941, and the Pinnochio (tiny in the bottom left corner) was 1939!!! The Pooh was in the fifties, and I forgot to look at the Saggy Baggy Elephant and Tawny Scawny Lion, but those two were some personal favs of mine...

Color stacker, a bit sad on the scratches, but worth .50 cents to me!

Wooden Blocks!!! These babies are SO expensive to buy new!!! I remember playing with these very kind at the Arnolds house growing up! I LOVE them! I didn't even mind paying 2 whole dollarsfor all of them!

Red cowboy boots, I think they'll fit the little buckaroo when he's 3 or 4...too cute! 1.00

This play gym is BRAND NEW, still in plastic! It was only $2.00...only thing is, they never used it, but did manage to lose the toys that attach to the arches, I think I might make some...any ideas???

Baby Swing, 5 bucks....which totally rocks because I REALLY didn't want to buy one new at the store for like 80 bucks, you never even know if your baby is going to even like the swing!!! SO I'll be fine if he doesn't but thrilled and proud of my find if he does! It's also missing some hanging toys...

I don't know if I had one of these doctor kits, but I have fond memories of playing with one at the Jolleys...only .50 cents :)

Okay my next find is truly a treasure!!! I played with these little people for hours when I was little! I remember my family had the circus set with the elephant and giraffe, and the Jolleys had the farm I think, and I know the Arnolds had them too....classic. I might've had a litle too much fun reminiscing with my new friends today....

The entire set....1.00 :)

(They sell for a lot of cash on ebay, like 4.00 for one person! I'm not going to sell these though...)

SO fun right??? I am really attracted to wooden toys and vintage toys, so I just can't pass these up! I didn't even take pictures of everything I got either! Lots of clothes, a Rocking Elephant (think wooden, like a rocking horse) for a buck that needs some restoration...going to paint and fix it up! Can't WAIT!!! I brand new Johnny Jump-up, a gaint wicker clothes hamper, brand new still in the box AVENT bottles, tons of board books on the cheap....ahhh so much!

Note: When I get home, I WASH everything, even the books, like the board books...I know my baby will be gnawing them and slobbering them, I take them page by page with a clorox wipe and let them dry, I scrub all the toys in soapy water with a bit of bleach, the clothes I throw in the wash, things like the swing, I ripped the cover off, threw it in the wash too...

I do love finding great deals, BUT I do not like the potential germies that come with used toys and such.

Can't wait till next Saturday!

PS, the baby is measuring BIG and farther along than we thought I was, by 11 days...oh boy...please PRAY that he won't come before John gets home!!!

Baby Shower

WARNING: PHOTO OVERLOAD

Don't say I didn't warn you....enjoy!

So I had 2 baby showers, on the same day. One was with the ladies in my ward, and one was for my students!!! I'm not gonna lie, the one with my students was my favorite! It was so fun....take a look at the pictures...see for yourself! :)

One of my Young Women, McCall, is a Fantastically talented photographer, she just graduated from high school, and she already has a great business going! She took all these photos and edited them for me! Thanks McCall! (Check her out on Facebook: McCall Parrish)

Made this adorable banner, and I LOVE the colors, these are the colors I am using for his room :) CUTE!!!

The decorations :)

My little girls are like shadows, if I moved seats, they would all move to where I was sitting, and they ALL wanted to feel my belly!

LOL...my profile here is so funny!

Did you notice the martha tissue pom-poms??? Thanks Steph!

The boys....there were about 25 kids who came, and 5 of them were boys :) They are so cute! (The shirts they are wearing are our class t-shirts, I had them made..they have everyone's self portrait printed on them, we wear them every friday:)

Opening gifts, reading cards, trying to give everyone my undivided attention :)

Please ignore triple-chinny-face, notice the many pairs of hands on the belly...this was after I said "ooh, I think he's kicking me!"

Lot's of baby fun goodies :)

HUGS...can never have too many of these!!!

Is this not the CUTEST bunch of happy little girls, i LOVE these girlies!!!

John, he put it all together for/with me :) Such a prince!

I told my students that all I wanted was some advice on how to be a good mom, and i had them write it on a card and pin it up on the line...they were so cute! Some were practical, some were hysterical, one little girl said "If you want your kid to be a good kid, listen to him, teach him how to pray, and to always do the right things" ...too cute right??? And one boy wrote: "If you want to be the best mom in the world, give your kid lots of candy and video games...that's it." LOL....love it! I'm going to put them in the baby book :)

We played a baby food feeding game, it was so funny! I paired up students with their parents, and I had mom's sit down with their hands behind their backs, and the students behind them blindfolded, and feed their parents vanilla pudding with a baby spoon...LOL!!! On a whim I picked up some poncho's at the dollar store...good thing I did too, there was pudding everywhere!!! Click on the photo, so you can see their faces up close :)

For refreshments we had a seriously stellar ice cream bar, it was a huge hit (for BOTH showers :)) DELISH!!!

The activity for the ward ladies shower was to make an ABC book for the baby, there were baggies of all the supplies needed separated by letter...they turned out adorable!

As a party favor for the kids, I had these licorice ropes tied with matchy polka-dot fabric and a really CUTE poem my mom wrote (THANKS MOM!) In case you can't read it, it says: "Little Boys make lots of noise with cars and trucks and tinker toys, cowboy ropes and paper planes, choo choo tracks and wooden trains"

Cute no? She wrote that because I needed something cutesy to go with licorice ropes, I mean ahem, cowboy ropes, the kids LOVED them!

For the ladies, they got a bag of 2 brownie chocolately cookies, and a cute poem on the back...

Anyway, it was SO fun, and like I said that night, I feel SO sufficiently showered!!!

And John and I will be eating left-over ice cream for a couple months...YESSSSS!!!!