'Twas the season to be crafty

This Christmas we attempted to save money while still making everyone on our Christmas list feel as extra special as they are by making gifts ourselves. We had to buy a few gifts (I have no idea how to make a cigar cutter) and hit up the craft and discount stores to get everything we needed for our projects but we kept things as DIY as possible.  It was really fun to get creative and I felt invested in the gifts we were giving this year in a way I never had before by simply buying gifts for people.

On our recent trip to the Ft. Worth Zoo, Brandon's mom Barbara shared with us that her very favorite animals have always been penguins. When we stopped by their exhibit, toward the end of our visit, she was practically giddy. It was hard to not be tickled by the little dressed up guys. There is something about them just makes you smile. So, when I came across this adorable project on Pinterest, I thought -- we have to make this! 

www.meetthedubians.com

I decided to make a framed set of penguins uising a frame I already owned. I spray-painted my silver frame using a black lacquer that we also already owned (double score) and got to painting Jackson's adorable feet. He giggled the entire time -- so ticklish and cute. We pressed his feet, heels up, to regular computer paper (I think next time I would use card stock just to fancy it up a bit). While the black paint was out, I added on the little penguin wings and then let it air dry for a day before going over it with white paint to create the tummy area -- once this dried, I glued on googly eyes and painted their little orange beaks. Voila!

I am really happy with how they turned out and Barbara was very touched with our homemade gift. I think I'm going to make another set for our home. They just make me smile.

In the business of the hoiday season, I didn't get a chance/forgot to take pictures of each gift that was made -- whoops. Bare with me and I will do my best to fill in the holes. :) I recently purchased a plaster kit to memorialize Jackson's baby handprint and try as I may -- it just didn't turn out well at all. I kept the plaster print in a ziploc and dated it but it wasn't something I would want to hang up or anything so I'm keeping it in a time capsule that Laura (Gigi) gifted to us. I decided to make my own "plaster" out of salt-dough so that we could have an ornament for our home and also gift them to loved ones. I painted them with silver glitter acrylic paint for a little pizazz and then tied twine through to hang them. They turned out precious and it is a tradition I think I will do as long as their little hands allow. I will definitely treasure ours forever and judging from the reactions of the Nana, Gigi, Gromimi and great Grandmothers, I think they will too.

Jackson's handprint -- 15 months

My mom, after seeing a canvas that Jackson and I had been working on at our home, requested a painting of her very own by zee little ar-teest. So what better time to gift her with her request than Christmas? I set Jackson out on the kitchen floor with a blank canvas, some non-toxic paints and a couple paint brushes. Over four our five seperate sittings of Jackson painting all by himself, this is what transpired:

I had to redirect him from painting on the floor or eating the paint (he did, twice) but once he understood where the paint was supposed to go, he went to town. He actually went over it one last time with a bit of purple and the finished version was really beautiful and cool looking buuuut I forgot to take a picture so, the next time I visit my mom and dad's home, I'll be sure to take a snap shot of it. Jackson's painting is already sitting on top of their mantle in the living room next to all of the ceramics my sister and I have created over the years.

We worked on several other projects -- a few of which have inspired the start of an exciting business endeavor which is part of the reason I haven't been blogging much lately. Stay tuned and I will try and get my act together in the mean time and do a better job at staying up to date. Happy living.

Little hands

We have been so blessed to have the family and friends that we do in our life. Jackson has been received with an unbelievable amount of love since the day he was born and the love just continues to grow. It is truly amazing.
After we celebrated his birthday, four different ways, we had quite a few thank you cards to send to all of the wonderful loved ones who helped us celebrate. I thought of a cute way to incorporate his handprint as a personal touch from Jackson himself. They turned out pretty adorable and our family members were really happy to get a little love from Jackson right back via their mailbox. I know "snail mail" is quickly losing popularity but I feel that there is nothing more charming than placing a thank you card in the mail... except maybe when there is an adorable little guy's handprint on said thank you card.

If you're interested in trying this for yourself here's a step-by-step guide at how to make your very own personalized handprint thank you cards with your little ones:

First, pick your paint color and stationary. I found multi-colored blank stationary at Wal-Mart for four jelly beans.

Then, using a paint brush, paint your sprout's hand or foot -- whichever you're feeling -- and press down on the paper. Make sure to press those fingers and toes too for the best print. Jackson loves the feeling of paint on his hand and giggles when the brush touches him.

Allow to dry for ten minutes or so. It's ok if the print's not perfect. I think it adds to the card's childlike charm. After the paint has dried -- you're ready to write. I used a black Sharpie and wrote for Jackson -- he's only one!! I was very happy with how they turned out.

These have me inspired for some thumbprint holiday cards I saw on Pinterest. Have you made any handprint or footprint crafts lately? I think they make the cutest gifts and keepsakes. We're working on a couple for Christmas. I will be sure to post as soon as we're done. Happy living, everyone.





Two families, two turkeys and two sons

The holidays are a magical and beautiful time of the year -- time for getting together with family, cooking comforting favorites like apple pie and cornbread dressing and making the home look festive; however the holidays can also be a bit stressful with traveling, traffic, a tired toddler and attempting to split time as fairly as possible between three families.

Brandon and I try to alternate spending holidays with our extended families each year. This Thanksgiving week, we excitedly made our way up to Ft. Worth to visit his dad, Rod and step-mom, Laura as well as his mom, Barbara and step-dad, Mike. It's always a great time getting to see everyone though things can get a little hairy, unloading and packing and unloading and packing and unloading again between two homes -- the traveling is most hard on Jackson who has to readjust just as he seems to settle in which can make for a very cranky boy -- especially when he's simultaneously cutting his second molar. It's difficult not to inevitably and unintentionally hurt someone's feelings because we can't be everywhere at once. Brandon's parents live fairly close to one another but my parents are seven hours away from Ft. Worth in south Texas. It would be virtually impossible to see all three for any one holiday but we do the best we can. We had an absolutely fantastic week -- hanging out with Rod and Laura, taking Jackson with them to meet Santa for the first time (he cried, of course), seeing Ice at the Gaylord Texan, running errands, helping to decorate one of the beautiful Christmas trees in their home and a ton of football and delicious food. Laura is an out of this world cook.

Over at Barbara and Mike's we took Jackson to the zoo (his favorite animals were the sloth bears), played in the falling leaves and Jackson gorged himself on blueberries. He's nutty for berries.

It was wonderful to get a block of time to spend up there -- even if the actual traveling process is less than easy. Did I tell you we had a fish and a pumpkin in tow?! Time with family is worth the butt cramps (5 hour car ride) and curse words (Brandon and traffic, ah thank you). While we were visiting, Sara, my best friend and fellow new momma, came by with her adorable little spud Jude. Talk about a personality! That little guy is flirting with those big brown eyes of his like he's been at it for years -- and he's only three months old! Jackson was giving him kisses and very into him though I caught some definite attitude once Jude had gone. It will be interesting to see how he reacts to his new little brother in a few months. That's right! We're having another BOY! We're all so happy and excited -- Brandon practically did a backflip in the doctor's office. We're thinking of naming him Preston but we're a little stuck on the middle name. Help us? I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving. Did you try any new recipes? Brandon made the best turkey I have ever had. He smoked it... Delicious. I made a couple apple pies with crumb toppings that seemed to be crowd pleasers. I'll post the recipe soon with pictures! I think I'm making it again for my parents' families come Christmas. I'm glad we have a couple weeks before we have to pack the baby (and the fish) back up to hit the road... Though I do love me an open road. Happy living.

Halloweenies

I hope everyone had a fantasticly spooky Halloween. It's a little crazy that we're already gearing toward Thanksgiving and Christmas but I thought I'd take a look back on the past couple of weeks and relish in a few things October.
Brandon's mom sent us a wonderful fall care package filled with all sorts of goodies including a knitted baby blanket for Bean and caramel chews and green apples to make caramel apples. I had never made caramel apples but it was a ton of fun and they turned out delicious -- though Brandon did get a minor burn picking out a piece of plastic from the melted caramel. Ouch! I suggest mixing and matching different kinds of apples to find your favorite combination. I used three Granny Smith apples and two Fuji. I preferred the Fuji but Brandon is a Granny Smith man. Here are a few pictures from our caramel apple making. I followed the recipe on the back of the bag of Kraft caramels and they turned out perfectly. I'm thinking of coming up with a recipe for salted caramel apples. Yum.

We also spent a few days in October getting a bit artsy and painting pumpkins. Our first time around we went ahead and let Jackson get crazy finger painting the large pumpkin that Laura, Brandon's awesome step-mom, gifted to Jackson. (We have some pretty great ladies in our family.) With some encouragement and a little help, Jackson painted his pumpkin and then I glittered it. It looked magical on our front porch.

Sadly though, I forgot I needed to spray that bad boy with lacquer and its beautiful paint job was washed away during a particularly rainy weekend AND our pumpkin ended up getting rain rot very quickly afterward. We had to pitch him. (Moment of silence.) But, a few days later my mom came to visit us and brought with her two more pumpkins! What luck!! We got a little more creative with these and added painters tape to create neat-o designs.

This time, Jackson was not at all interested in painting and kept trying to escape from the sunroom to play in the backyard. He settled for some time on the swing, reluctantly, while Brandon and I took turns painting our pumpkins. The larger one got a "P" for Pitzer and our handprints on the reverse side and Brandon designed a face for little bit, after which I "tie-dyed" him.

Brandon's handprint :

My handprint:

Jackson's handprint? (I'm telling you, he was NOT into it!) :

To keep them from the same fate as our first pumpkin, Brandon sprayed them both with lacquer. We were really happy with the results and loved how they looked on our front porch with the nifty wreath I made following an inspirational post on Pinterest.

The larger pumpkin and wreath are still up on our front stoop but next week we'll start transitioning decor into Christmas mode. I don't think I've ever been this excited to decorate in ma' life. Pinterest has helped me gather and organize so many great ideas -- it's really easy to feel inspired after a few minutes on their site. Currently resisting addiction. I've also found a few really sweet themes for Bean's nursery. Speaking of Bean... We find out tomorrow if we're having a boy bean or a girl bean!! Ah!! Right now, I feel like we're having another boy but I guess we shall see. I'm getting ridiculously excited. I'm also getting antsy for Thanksgiving next week. We're heading to Colleyville for the holiday and spending the week with family. I get to see a few of my girlfriends and their little ones which is always so fun too. I'm looking forward to getting in the kitchen, catching up with family and eating unnecessary amounts of cornbread dressing, sweet potatoes and anything else I can get my (not yet swollen) hands on. Hello, I'm pregnant!! This is going to be the best Thanksgiving ever!! Oh, and we have two -- TWO -- Thanksgiving dinners to attend next week. Who lucked out? This girl. Jackson was too young to partake in the yummy spread at our house last year so I can't wait to see his reaction to all of the different foods. I'll be sure to take some pictures.
What are your plans for the upcoming holiday? Any recipes your looking forward to trying? I have a few up my sleeve and I can't wait to share!
Happy living.

Ti-i-i-ime is on my side, yes it is.

It is utterly amazing the amount of things I can get done with this new "no sock left behind" mindset in an hour or less... And my house is looking... dare I say it? Neat. Brandon and I are also crossing to-do's off of our list like it's our job. Productivity feels good. I have to say that for a while taking care of a home rather than an apartment was really overwhelming and intimidating to me but I'm getting into the swing of things and Jackson is playing on his own for periods of time which allows me to be able to do much more. Cleaning/straightening/crafting is much more difficult and time-consuming when you only have one free hand and a precious little guy on your hip. Though, I will say motherhood has a special way of lighting a little jet fuel pack under your butt. I think I just combined two metaphors. Like Milli Vanilli once lip-synched, "Blame It on the Rain"... or the pregnancy brain. I remember before Jackson, it used to take me at least an hour to get dressed everyday -- when I was in a rush for work or school, I could swing it in 45 minutes but these days a good ten to fifteen is all I need and I'm not talking about just throwing on sweats. This is including applying a bit of make-up and taming my coif... if I'm straightening my hair (which I rarely do) that takes a bit longer. Thank you motherhood for improving my sloth-like ways. I know Brandon thanks you too. How are you making your time count? I'd love to hear it.

Fall Bucket List

I am a fan of lists. A huge fan. They help me with grocery shopping, with errand running, house cleaning -- JUST to name a few. When I came across this 2011 Fall Bucket List, I couldn't pass up the chance to have a little organized fun. The boys and I have already knocked off a few and those will be up soon. In the mean time, check out devineacresfarm.com. If you're in central Texas, it's a great spot to relish in all that is fall and maybe scratch a few items off your bucket list. Happy hump day and happy Fall!!

Waiting for the "Right Time"

I was talking to a girlfriend yesterday who is beyond thrilled I'm pregnant. We both have sons who are roughly a month apart in age and she is really wanting to start trying to conceive her second. I asked her when she thought that she and her man would start trying and she said that she hadn't talked to him about it but was waiting for the "right time"... "Maybe after Christmas," she shrugged. I completely understand where she's coming from, as I'm sure most of us do. Neither of my pregnancies were planned -- we found out that we were expecting our first child exactly a week after my husband had asked me to marry him. I was wanting to wait two more years before attempting to have another but about nine months after Jackson (our first son) was born, I was pregnant again. Thank you, honeymoon.

I'm absolutely thrilled about this pregnancy... now, just as thrilled as I was the first time around and Jackson is by far one of the biggest blessings in my life. Was it the way I had planned it? No. Has the past year been the best of my life? Absolutely. The order may not be traditional or conventional but it really doesn't matter. The first baby came after love and before marriage and the second is coming before my husband or I have finished school but the order of things isn't really of importance here. What does matter is that we have a happy, loving family and we're doing all we can to be the best parents we can be.

This got me thinking -- if I had decided to wait for the "right time" -- perhaps after graduation, getting my MBA and being married for at least a year (this was THE plan), Jackson wouldn't be here... not now and maybe not ever. There are certain Native American tribes that believe a mother carries the souls of her unborn children until they are given life (so says my mother-in-law). I think that's beautiful but I believe these souls are up in Heaven and God chooses when and who to send them down to. It's hard for me to think that if Brandon (my husband) and I had decided never to have a baby, that Jackson's spirit would never have been brought to this world to experience life. There was a window of limited time for Brandon, Jackson and I to have been able to be brought together and I thank my lucky stars that everything aligned just so.

In my life, and perhaps in yours too, waiting for the "right time" can lead to serious procrastination and missed opportunity. I have a terrible habit of making myself believe that I can always do something later -- not just the big stuff either. I'm talking about menial, everyday things too -- walking over a sock because my hands are full and bending down with Jackson on my hip is a workout in itself. "I'll come back later," I say... two days pass and that sock might still be there... no, it's probably totally still there. Starting this blog, for example, is something I've been talking about for at least the past four months. Reasons I put off starting the blog? I couldn't find my camera connector to save my life ( blogs need pictures, right?) then when I finally did, my lap top crashed leaving me in techno limbo for some time. I used my iPhone to attempt to start the blog via the Blogger app but it just wasn't working out. Thankfully, we received a new computer from my husband's parents as a birthday gift. They are amazing. (Shout out to Rod and Laura Pitzer.) This seemed as "right" a time as any to finally push myself into starting this thing. I would not put it off any longer -- though I'm sure I could come up with some excuses why I could.

This, in a sense, is my call to action - and if you share in my procrastination woes, it can be yours too. I am refusing to go on thinking about putting anything off till later. Later turns to never -- so unless I sit down and assign something an actual date (in my planner that I am running to Target TODAY to get), I'm doing it NOW sisters. No more walking over socks. With this plan, I will not only accomplish much more, I will inevitably have more free time for playing with Jackson and working on projects for the house and trying new recipes to share with all of you. It is a win-win-win-win-win... and I really can't think of anything more "right" than that.