Project 365: {31/365}

Yet again, I can't pick just one. I wanted to eat her up in these overalls and bandana today. :) 

I love new discoveries...

We had a lovely morning spent with friends and another blessed afternoon spent outdoors. We moved all the plants we had been protecting from the chilly nights out to soak up some sun. And of course my helper was not about to miss out on this fun new task.

This bandana was my mom's in high school, then I wore it and now my Mimi-girl get's a turn. 


One month behind me for Project 365 and I am feeling quite accomplished. I am going to get a better format going since this project has turned into more than just a picture posting for me. I have learned a little more about my camera and oddly, it has slowed down time for me a bit. I love that, more moments to soak up all the sweet baby goodness of my little lamb. 

Project 365: {30/365}

Playing hostess did not allow for much picture taking but I snapped a few to share tonight. :) It was magical. Mostly because of the marvelous company and beautiful babies, but a little ambiance never hurt. ;) 


This is part of the mantle and the pom garland that zigzagged across the living room. 

We did a snow globe craft. Naturally, if I'm throwing a party there needs to be a good dose of fairy tale and a dash of imagination. {Two of the key fundamentals of life in my book.} :) I love that the girls wore party dresses and I didn't even ask!

Ah, the details, I live for them. :)

The birthday girl, drinking pink lemonade out of a straw and throwing one of her famous parade waves. :) 


I keep saying it, but I could not have done today without all the friends that helped. It was perfection. The amazing Kara Stewart captured the day and I will blog it in length soon. 


I'm happy, I have a very full love tank from all the people I got to share today with. Thank you to all who attended and made our day simply magical.

Project 365: {29/365}

Burning the midnight oil. Isn't that what us mommies do best? Here it is midnight and I'm frosting her little heart-shaped, no sugar cake. I could not be pulling off this party without help from my dear friends Jillian, Kara, and Katie. Thank you ladies! I'm sure she will always remember her first birthday. ;) Carli and Ari you will be missed! ♥

Project 365: {28/365}

This is my go to/no fail beverage. It is pretty much a no calorie Arnold Palmer {half tea/half lemonade}. I discovered this tea last summer and fell in love. It is an all fruit tea {I don't do caffeine} with stevia leaves added to the tea bag. 


I usually make a strong sun tea and keep in the refrigerator. To make a glass I put a few tablespoons of lemon juice to about a half a cup of tea. I fill the glass the rest of the way with water and if it needs a little sweetener I will add a few extra drops of the Sweet Leaf stevia.  You can make it weaker or stronger depending on your taste.


For those of you that don't know, stevia is not an artificial sweetener and it will not cause fluctuations in your blood sugar. It is a plant you can grow in your garden to use the leaves to sweeten tea or other beverages. It is very potent so a few drops of the liquid stevia goes a long way {as does the powdered}. If you use too much it can have a slight licorice taste. 


I often use just the lemon juice and a few drops of stevia to help me with my water consumption. It tricks my brain into thinking I'm drinking lemonade. Obviously, you can use any tea when making this but I have found this to be my favorite combination. I promise it will satisfy a sweet tooth and quench your thirst. :) Enjoy!

Project 365: {27/365}

Busy day! Frousin Chloe came to play for a couple hours this morning. Chloe brought me two spray bottles she found outside so I could fill them with water. {They like to "water" the plants.} Meirabel caught on in no time and all I could see for the next hour was the tops of their heads and they were busy watering. {Now I know why people have a second child soon after the first.} ;) 


My brother came down from Ashland this afternoon to help me with yard work and to visit with our mom. {Today's photo is of Mimi watching us work. She was unsure of the blower.} :) I got our grocery shopping done for the next couple weeks and made a trip to the Dollar Store. I love that store {minus the chaos and the weirdos}. I completely scored on a few items for Meirabel's party, who would have thought.  I'm so excited to celebrate her this weekend.

Project 365: {26/365}

Today's photo is by no means a great photo but I think you can tell why it needed to be captured. :) "Mom-mom", as Mimi calls her, made it outside for a few minutes today. 


Poor thing does not understand why she can't go in the back bedroom and why her Grammy can't hold her. She sits by her closed door and they chat back in forth throughout the day. On chemo days when the door is left open Mimi will wander in and talk to the empty bed hoping for a response. Those are the times I tear up the most. :(


She was delighted to get in a couple squeezes as was her Grammy. ♥

Project 365: {25/365}

Thank you Auntie Carli for the fleece hat and mittens. {sarcastic tone ;)} Oh, about 1 this morning these were the only items that made Meirabel happy which eventually led to her passing out. She slept with them on and wore them a good portion of the day. {Who needs the use of their hands, better yet, who wants to fight with a one year old?} She walked around with her hands in front of her like a bunny, so adorable I had to grab the camera. 

Fast forward to snack time. She wanted cheesh, big surprise. Moments after clutching it in her "paw" it fell to the ground.

After numerous attempts she managed to get it to stick to her glove so she could take a few bites. It didn't stick for long...

and she got frustrated. Mom had to play the bad guy and pry those little mittens off. Of course, the pearls where close on hand for a quick trade. 

After her nap we went outside to read and soak up the last of the sunshine. 

We took our evening walk and I hurried home to grab my camera to capture the incredible sunset. 


My Mimi is thirteen months today. Funny how thirteen months isn't very long, yet you can't really remember life without them. All that you can recollect doesn't even compare to the sweetness of life now. 

She is so bright and spicy with an ever growing vocabulary. She surprised me today by pointing to my eyes, mouth, nose and ears and told me what each of them were. All the months of repeating them over and over with no response and voila, she knew them. 


Goodness, I am blessed.

Project 365: {24/365}

My dear friend Jillian came over tonight and helped me with all the details for Meirabel's party. I can't wait to show you all. I seriously could not be doing this without her, she is simply amazing! Love you lady!

Project 365: {23/365}

Today I finished making some baby legs. I guess I don't really "make" them but at least I feel frugal and crafty for a minute. Not only are they great for crawling babies but perfect for the kind of weather we are experiencing. I use them often as arm warmers so they can be pulled off/put on as it warms up/cools down. They take up hardly any room in a diaper bag and are really cute!

I purchase most of the socks I find at Target on clearance. {Women's thigh high socks are better to use for older girls.} They mark them down to like a dollar a piece at the end of each season. All you do is cut them straight across at the heel. You can surge or zig zag stitch the unfinished edge but it won't fray in the wash if you leave it the way it is. 


I get asked often where I buy Meirabel's clothes or get complimented on how I dress her. Fashion tip: Stick with solid colored clothing that can travel season to season and add flare with inexpensive touches like baby legs! {Thanks to my crafty sister for teaching me how to do this.}

Project 365: {22/365}

After waking up at 10 am {Yes, we sleep late around here.} We started our Saturday with an outdoor breakfast of sprouted grain french toast with blueberry butter and maple syrup. It is divine!

The rest of day was pretty much all about dress up and playing outdoors.

The next time you doubt if you should wear your rabbit fur shawl and pearls to mow the lawn, just go for it. {It seems she has traded my bra for her fur shawl this week.} I guess you would call this look, "a vision in pink hippie elegance"? :)

This is my whinny face and point. {Pick me up.}

And the scrunch with a closed fist. {I'm frustrated.}

Eyelashes...


After our nap we took our first 6 mile walk of the year. {Did you know carrying a baby in a front pack while walking burns an extra 250 calories per half hour?} Meirabel loved it! I have been hesitant because I didn't know if she could last that long without wanting out. 

{Someone is starting to rock a Euro hairdo...} :) 


I let her walk when we got close to home. This is her saying, "Ohhh, mama!" Her expression when she adores something. {Typically it's used when she sees a cat, finds an article of clothing she loves or a photograph of someone she knows.} It's precious, she has been doing it since about 10 months and I have yet to get it on video. 

We spent the last few minutes of sunshine collecting pine needles and treasures before turning in for the night. Can't wait to do it all over again tomorrow. I love this life I get to live.

Project 365: {21/365}

Blueberries + butter = pretty much heaven. This has been a favorite of mine for a while. It pairs well with everything from pancakes to a piece of toast. Any type of berry can be substituted for the blueberries. Enjoy!


Blueberry Butter


Ingredients:


1 stick salted butter, softened
1 1/2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
3/4 cup fresh blueberries


Preparation:


Combine all ingredients. Mash the blueberries into the butter until it is lightly colored from the blueberry skins. You want to leave large chunks of blueberries, careful to not over mash. 


It will store in the refrigerator for a week.

Project 365: {20/365}

Sometimes it's the small things... not that modern technology is a small thing. I often miss scheduled play dates due to my mom's condition. Today, Carli had the fantastic idea to connect me through iChat. What a riot! I'm still laughing and it will keep me sane, at least for a few days. Thank you for your brilliance Carli, love you! 

Project 365: {19/365}

My sister and 3 nieces were in town as our mom was in the hospital having chemotherapy. With these warm temperatures our days were spent outdoors soaking in the rays before the rain shows its face again. We went to Turtle Bay this morning and I was excited to take pictures of the cousins. {You can't really take pictures when you leave your SD card at home.} So, I had to settle for a few during backyard play.

Blurry, but the nappy hair blowing in the breeze makes me smile in this picture.

Lots of giggles and shrieks as she pushed her around.

I did not grow up with cousins around so it thrills my heart to see these girls together. Meirabel and Gwyneth have such a sweet bond. {Gwynie cried when she had to leave her tonight.} ♥


What a crazy past few days! I am exhausted but my heart is full.

Project 365: {18/365}

Today was one of those fairytale kinda days. Largely in part to the spring-like weather and a backyard full of giggling little girls. 

This is my niece Gwyneth and her friend Shailen. The love these two share for each other is a precious and beautiful thing. I watched them through the window as I was making dinner and reminisced to my childhood and my own ya ya friendships. Life, as it does, has gotten so busy for each of us but I want more times like this with each of you.  

I've been seeing more vividly the community we all dream of sharing. I can see us as old ladies laying in the grass, linked arm-in-arm, talking and giggling about the good ol' days. {I'm tearing up right about now.}  I don't want to wait until then so as soon as we get more of this weather we have a date ladies. :) ♥

Project 365: {17/365}

{Melt} I love this girl. This is today during the usual cat-and-mouse routine to get in the car. We were off to her 1 year checkup. 

Waiting for our turn... Cousin Gwyneth {aka, Mimi's big sister} came along. 

Waiting for the doctor. 

She is feeling proud from all the applause from the nurses. She is one healthy girl. 20 lbs 3 oz and 30 in long! What an honor to get to watch her grow up. ♥


Praise report: My mom's PET scan came back very positive. Her doctor was giddy. {He has never treated a stage IV cancer such as hers. Internet searches have turned up one other survivor of this type and stage of cancer.} The treatment is working and if all goes well she should be able to have surgery in the spring. :)

Project 365: {16/365}

Hunger can drive one to take matters into their own hands. :) This is quite possibly my favorite picture I have ever taken of her. This is life and my girl in a nutshell. {She decided two days ago the bra went well with her outfits and has worn it since.} 


We are gearing up for a busy week. My sister and nieces will be here and my mom has chemotherapy and PET scan results tomorrow. If you all could send some prayers our way it would be much appreciated. Hope you are enjoying your weekend and this glorious weather.