Quick!

Anybody have any book recommendations? I'm going to be taking The Book Thief on the ship with me, but will probably finish it and want to pick up a couple more reads from the library before I leave (umm...like at the library SATURDAY-think fast!).

It's supposed to be a time for RELAXATION so I'm looking for something mindless, but not too mindless, preferably historical fiction, but not too heavy on the historical---more on the fiction side. Capeesh?

Clear as mud.

Oh heck, just give me a couple good book titles.

BTW- If you comment with Twilight or any of its counterparts, I will be forced to kick you in the shins next time I see you. I apologize ahead of time. It's an involuntary reaction.

Murphy's Law

Of course.

I should have known.

Sniffles, headache, sore throat.

Just in time for my much needed vacation.

This cold is on a deadline-only three more days.

Praying that it gets the memo.

Dear Daddy,

Grandma and Grandpa have a lot of fun toys and give good hugs, but no one throws me around like you do. I miss you.

Love, Jakson (and The Demented Frogs)

New gig

I just finished posting my first of many blog entries as the Lesson Plan blog editor over at Craft Gossip! I'll be linking up to creative arts and crafts projects and lessons for parents and teachers. If you know of any great sites or links I should take a look at, please feel free to let me know!! I will be hosting giveaways over there as well, so be sure to bookmark the page or subscribe to the site feed. See you over there!

Seven days

In one week I will be lounging herereading thismidnight buffeting it with himand missing them.

Little Fashionista

I had a fabulous birthday made complete by a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, Zak-made yellow curry, and a kidless trip to shop Target clearance (I know-thrilling).

And because it was my birthday, I picked up theseUnfortunately, they didn't come in my size, so I bought them for Storey. She's going to look so hot.

Happy Birthday to me!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY BETH!!

Join with me in celebrating year ??? of the anniversary of Beth's 25th birthday!!!

Congratulations Beth to have made it this far and still maintain your sanity!

The cake I would have made if I had any talent or artistic ability at all!

Big News

I'll start off by saying, NO, I'm not pregnant. Why do you always think that?!?

And I never even said whether it was good news-just BIG news. Though being pregnant while also raising Jakson and a five month old may not be everyone's idea of good news anyway. And when I'm pregnant and I AM big.... But I digress.

I have two newses (not a word, just go with it). A good news and a bad news. I'm not sure which to give you first, so I have labeled them with big bold letters and I will let you decide which to read first. And if you don't feel like hearing bad news today (or vice versa-maybe you're having a crappy day and don't want to read anything happy), I'm allowing you the option of skipping that section altogether. That should suit everyone.

Good News
Today I received an email informing me that I have been chosen as the new kid craft editor on Craftgossip-a website that compiles craft and DIY ideas from all over the internet!! The most exciting part is the name of the new blog I will be in charge of----Teacher's Lessons! Perfect combination-crafting and education. It will include ideas for parents, professional teachers and homeschoolers to use for hands on and craft ideas that integrate into curriculum. I'm not exactly sure when my first post will go up, but I will let all of you know! I've found some great ideas and planning some fun kid craft giveaways. Stay tuned!!

Bad News
Our family is leaving next week for a little vacation (not the bad news-this is actually VERY good news), so I will be setting my shop to Vacation Mode starting this Friday so that I can get all the orders shipped out before we leave.

As the CPSIA law has not been revised, when I reopen in February, I will do so without any baby/children items in my shop. This includes pouch slings, tutus, capes, onesies and anything else intended for children 12 and under---in other words, most of my shop. If there is something in the shop that you have had your eye on, purchase it before Friday because, unless some MAJOR changes are made in the next two weeks, those products will no longer be available.

Needless to say, I am frustrated, annoyed and sad that this law has not been revised or revoked as I watch many of the other Etsy shops with fabulous children's items get ready to close as well.

In order to get the word out, many of us have added listings to our shops with the post Feb 10th prices, including the cost of the ridiculous lead/phthalate testing, should we decide to continue selling. It is very eye opening. Here's a link to my otherwise $18 shirt and some other children's items. And the prices are very real, based on the actual cost to the creator to get the components tested. If you want to know more about this ridiculous and far reaching law, read here or here or here.

Who dat is

A breakthrough.
I am now "Bobby".
Poor kid can't say his MMMMMMs.

Finally.
No longer She-who-shall-not-be named.

I wonder if he'll shorten it to "Bob" when he's a teenager.

Card Organizer-Tutorial

My mother has always been very good at sending cards to family members and friends for their birthdays. Getting a handwritten card is special, but I have never been very good at remembering to send them in time. To solve this problem, I decided to create a card organizer that can be used year after year.Here's what you'll need to make your own:

• Six pages of double sided 12 x 12 cardstock (scrapbooking paper)
• Three 1 1/2 inch binder rings (available at office supply stores)
  
• Hole punch
• Glue stick
• Calendar pages from SplitCoast Stampers printed on white printer paper
• Two pieces of solid cardstock cut to 8 1/4" x 6 1/4" for the front and back cover
• A score attachment for your paper cutter (for you fancy people) or flat edge for pressing the folds (for us less fancy)

Instructions:

1. To create a pocket, measure one side of the 12 x 12 cardstock up 4 inches from the edge and fold (or score at 4 inches and fold).
2. Use your flat edge (a popsicle stick will do. I used the tool that came with my letter rub-ons) to thoroughly crease your fold so it is completely flat.
3. This is what your 12 x 12 paper should look like
4. Then, fold the 12 x 12 length in half, so that the "pocket" is on the outside. This will create two pockets, one on either side of the fold.
5. Repeat steps 1 through 4 on all five pieces of 12 x 12 cardstock
6. Put the pages in the order that you want them in your organizer. Then center one month page on each pocket and glue.
7. Punch three holes in each page. One hole 3/4" from the bottom, one 3/4" from the top and one 4" down (in the middle). These should all be about 1/3" from the left edge. Make sure you punch holes through the cover as well.
8. Add your cover to the top (In case you are wondering, I ran my cover through the printer first to add the word "celebrate" to the front-you could also use rub ons or leave it blank). Feed the three rings through the holes. The rings will look a little big to begin with, but once you fill your organizer with cards, you'll see why the rings need to be large.
9. Voila! Problem solved. Now if I can just remember to use it....
   

If you love this idea, but don't feel like making it yourself, I have a couple listed in the shop.

GAM update and a project

I figured since it's halfway through the month, I should be halfway done with my goal, right? Unfortunately, the only thing I've actually completed is the crib bumper. And that was last night. So hopefully the remaining parts of this project (quilt, crib skirt, crib paint) won't take as long or Storey won't have a place to sleep until July.

Mainly, I've been working on the crib bedding and Zak has been in charge of the painting. Painting isn't my strong point and sewing isn't his, so it works out. I said before that I had the perfect red and NAVY fabric for the crib bedding, but then we went to IKEA and I fell in love with a different print. Change of plans.The finished crib bumper!! I completed something!!

The quilt backing will be this same fabric as well as the skirt. I guess I could go with something coordinating for the skirt, but it has taken me long enough to finally settle on a fabric and I'm afraid to try and get more creative. More decision making=longer time. And this baby needs someplace to lay her cute, though balding, head.
I've also been trying to clean up and get organized around the house. We have made quite a few changes in the kitchen (pictures and details to come), making fewer places to stash random junk/papers--this is a good thing. As a result, I needed to find a more suitable place for all of the memorabilia that I am saving for the kids. I wanted something that could hold treasures, artwork and certificates, like Jak's "report card" from swimming lessons in an organized way, but a regular file box seemed too small. Instead, I picked up mailing boxes at Staples, labeled one for each kid and stuck a picture on the outside. For quick reference, I put the first letter of each child's name on the side and the years. That way, I can see whose and what at a quick glance when they are on a shelf. I filled them with a copy of their baby announcement, hospital bands, handwritten cards, and that sort of thing. I'm not going to have a separate one for every year (that would be a lot of boxes!), but combine two or three years into a box. Once the kids are older, I'll let them help me decide what special things to keep.

Now if I can only get the 1023 other things done on my To Do list.

Thank you kindly

A big thank you to all of my fabulous blog readers, friends, and family who voted for Storey's dress over at A Fabric Queen's Christmas contest!!! Because of you, I won $100 worth of fabric! Nice job!

Here's a virtual pat on the back. And, since it's virtual, have some chocolate for breakfast to celebrate.Go ahead, bathe in it.

You deserve it.

If you want to read my little interview on A Fabric Queen's blog, here ya go.

A special day

We tried it last night-before the "U" in "We love you" was erased by little backs rubbing up against it, but Jakson wasn't cooperating.
We love yo!! Love, Jakson, Storey, Zak, and Beth

Another post in which I attempt to come up with lame superhero names

Yesterday's surgery went smoothly. Thank you to everyone who wrote emails or called to ask about his status and prayed for us. We are grateful to have so many loving friends!

Interestingly, when the surgery was over, the ENT came out for a consultation and said that Jak has been functioning with a 40 decibel hearing loss due to all the fluid in his ears!! Apparently, anything up to 40 decibels he wasn't even hearing---a clock ticking or whisper. In fact, normal conversation is only 60 decibels (Unless you are a member of the Zak's immediate family. Then it's more like 80)--no wonder he wasn't very obedient!!

Well, that's probably not the only reason.

I wish he could talk better so I could find out if he hears everything exponentially louder now. I guess I'll never know.

Completely unrelated.
I realize it's only January, but I think this would make a great Halloween costume for the man in your life. The Tamponitor? Tambo? The possibilities are endless. And he'll defend mankind with his tampon shooter. I always wondered what women did with all those extra tampons laying around when menopause hit.... Mystery solved.

Give and take

Jakson is scheduled for surgery tomorrow morning to have tubes put in and his adenoids taken out. He will have one less useless body part. Maybe we can come up with a superhero name for him based on this fact. Adenoideless Man?

Terrible. Which is why I leave those types of duties up to the Writers.

While searching for an image to go with this post, I came across surgery how-to diagrams. I'll spare you the details. Trust me, it wasn't pretty.

So instead, I will leave you with this adorable picture of my adorable five month old (today!) daughter. Doesn't that line of droll dribbling from her chin just melt your heart? I want you to know that Storey and I had this little one-on-one photo session yesterday while Jakson was upstairs shut (notice, I did not say LOCKED-no need to call CPS) in his room for a period of time that shall remain undisclosed. It was definitely a Two Year Old Day.

On the walls

As I've mentioned before, the only art on the walls of our house is photography. Pictures of us. How vain.

Really though, it's photos of the kids. Because they are cute and aren't screaming at me from pictures. In times of tantrums, the photos help remind me why I like my children.

And I want my home to reflect what is important to me--my family, books, 6th grade poetry....Now you know the real reason behind Miss V wanting to keep your work as "an example for next year's class." She really wanted to use it for home decor.

Unfortunately, Storey hadn't been added to any of our wall art. I had good intentions about ordering prints and hanging them, but just never could find the time. After seeing this I was inspired and re-invigorated to finally get our photo displays changed to reflect our growing family (I just want you to know that I really hesitated using the word growING for fear that it might infer we are continuing to add family members, which is not the case--I'm most definitely NOT pregnant).

The wall going up the stairs was especially in need of a makeover. The larger than life photos would go there. And the rest of the frames just needed updates.

Result of the updated frames on the collage wall--I noticed once I took a picture of the frames, that some of them are a little crooked and I know this is causing some of you to go into conniptions. Rest assured that in real life I have straightened them:
Hallway Before--so drab and boring
After--BAM! They really are larger than life-we compared Jakson photo to Jakson human and Jakson photo definitely has a bigger head.
And just in case you are interested, here's the scoop:

• IKEA clip frames-they are $5.99 each-I love the simplicity of no visible frame. Bigger impact from the actual photo.
  
• 20x20 prints from Bay Photo-I HIGHLY recommend this company-HIGHLY!!! Your first order is 1/2 off which made these photos around $10 each, more than half of what I would have paid anywhere else AND shipping was only $1.50 for two day UPS!! Fabulous customer service-just wonderful all around. Here's the link again.
• I had to cut the pictures down a little because the clip frames are actually only 19 3/4" by 19 3/4". No big deal.
• Super easy and not too expensive!
  

One more thing checked off my incredibly long list. If you decide to make a photo wall too, send me the link, I'd love to see it!! Always looking for people to copy!

I'm kidding. Sort of.

The end of an era

Until last Saturday, Jakson still slept with a pacifier. Go ahead. Judge me.

Before Storey was born, I was too pregnant to care and afterwards, I figured he had enough changes for a little while. But it's been almost five months, his violent "attention isn't all on me" phase is over and I felt it was about time. That and Zak commented that his teeth were starting to look a little buck. It's okay if his hair always sticks up, but I can't handle crazy teeth. Call me vain.

Trusty Google didn't let me down with the plethora of pacifier weaning ideas that it provided. I chose one that fit our curcumstances and began to prepare Jak for the dreaded day. Truth be told, I just took it away from him one morning without warning and said "no more". During the tantrum that followed, I thought "There has got to be a better way to do this."

My friend Holly just had a baby girl and we wasted no time exploiting her for our needs. We told Jak that he was going to give baby Eleanor his pacifier as a present. Just what she needs, right? We prepped him for two days with promises of fries and dollar store frogs-calling him big boy and reminding him about the impending "fi" separation.

At the designated time, he added his beloved pacifier to a plastic baggie (so that no one in the North family would actually have to touch the thing) and Jakson helped write on it and drew a little picture.


He gave it to baby Eleanor. Doesn't she look happy with her new present?
Jakson showing off his prized frogs.

If I would have known the whole process was going to involve so little drama, the pacifier would have been gone a long time ago. He moaned "Fi! Fi" that night for a few minutes and whines if we mention it, but nothing ridiculous like I had feared.

And I promise Eleanor will get something better than a stinky old pacifier for her next birthday!!

ridiculously shameless self promotion

On a whim, I entered Storey's Christmas dress in a sewing competition. It's not like a professional sewing competition or anything..... I do realize my limitations, but still the whole "contest" idea is a little intimidating. The competition is being hosted by a fellow Etsy seller and the prize is $100 worth of fabric!!

And yes, I have an addiction.

So wanna help me win some fabric?

Head over to A Fabric Queen's Words, scroll through the Christmas outfits, decide you like mine the best :), and leave a vote for me (Bethany) in the comments section. It would be like an early birthday present to me.

Oh, you shouldn't have. You're too kind.

GAM '09---January Goal

I don't know about you, but it was incredibly difficult to narrow it down to just ONE goal to focus on for January. Maybe I'm just abnormally flawed, therefore need a lot of improvements, but I could think of about 25 possible goals to set.

Knowing that if I set my sights too high, nothing would actually change, I decided to start the year off with a one-time goal rather than an ongoing habit goal. And it's something that needs to happen anyway--I've been talking about it for months.

January Goal-Move Storey into Jakson's room completely at night.

This may not sound like a big deal, but when you are the one getting up with the baby (not to leave Zak out-he definitely does his fair share of middle of the night shushing) every 45 minutes all night long, it is. :) We had a little talk with the pediatrician at our last visit and I've been referring to my favorite go-to baby book Baby Whisperer and both have assured me that she weighs and eats enough to sleep through the night.

And if she's sleeping in Jak's room-she'll also need a place to sleep. Currently she's in a pack and play half of the night and a bassinet in the sewing room the other half. We have a perfectly good unfinished crib sitting in our garage just waiting for a coat of red paint and fabric for navy/red bedding uncut on a shelf. I also have a quilt top that I finished before she was even born that hasn't turned into a quilt.

In other words, I have my work cut out for me this month.

Before:
"After" pictures to come!!

Now it's your turn! There are two ways to let everyone else participating in GAM know about your goal this month.

1. Write a post about your goal (this is one of the most important parts of the goal-setting process--WRITE IT DOWN!!) and leave a link below by adding your name and the actual link to the GAM '09 post.
2. If you don't have a blog or aren't going to post about it, leave your goal in the comments section, then come back to the "After" post and the end of the month and tell us about your progress!!
   

Happy New Year and happy goal setting!! Read more about GAM and what it is here.