Love, laughter & Larsens

2012...catch up sesh.

2012-01-10T11:50:00.009-05:00

Oh my days! It has been a busy last few months. Mostly due to hubby's business getting off the ground.. :) So it's a good busy. He is on a business trip again this week so i'm taking some time to get a blog out there and catch y'all up on life.

In the last couple months my birthday happened. Urgh. I'm 26 and resent it. I hate that i'm approaching 30. I just feel like once you're 30, you've run out of excuses to explain bad choices. Haha. Is that bad that I hate that? Probably. At least I'm honest, right?

Thanksgiving happened, which was lovely as usual. It's an American holiday i've grown to look forward to and love because of all it stands for. It's also a great excuse to teach the little ones about being thankful and grateful for the people and things that surround them.

Christmas of course came and went far to fast. :( It's my very favourite Holiday. It is a time to celebrate one of the main things our home life revolves around, and that is our Saviour, Jesus Christ. It was so fun this year since the twins were finally old enough to start to grasp the idea of the Nativity. We even had a little dress up sesh with them that their Grammie organized. SO precious.

Lots of traditions have been started and i'm sure will continue to grow with the years. We had lots of family time and enjoyed my mum staying with us which is always awesome. The kids adore spending time with her and were entirely spoiled as per usual with gifts from some of my favourite stores back home in England. Who knew i'd miss Marks and Spencers and Tesco so much!?!? ;)

Here's a little sneaky peek at our house Christmas morning!

(Disclaimer: the jammies pic is from Grammie's house, as much as i'd love to claim the beautifully decorated tree...mine was a rather disheveled looking pine tree with decorations more "thrown" in it's general direction.

4 little "helpers" don't always help in the most desirable way... ;) It was more of an accomplishment just having one up than needing it to be beautiful. haha.

Thus, Grammie's was our model tree where we took pics!)

My mum was still in town for New Years Eve and hubby and I got to spend it in our beloved city, Pittsburgh. It seriously is such a cool place, and anyone who lives close and hasn't explored it needs to get out there!! Contact me if you're looking for advice on places to go that are kid friendly or even not so kid friendly...we know a bunch of fun places to go and are always discovering new ones. Specially good places to munch! (We try not to be a chain restaurant kinda couple...it's all about supporting Local businesses!) We too are open to new suggestions!

I definitely suggest putting aside some date money and purchasing a VIP pass for Pittsburgh First Night for 2012/13. It gets you fantastic parking, accessibility, good seats to shows, complimentary hot choc and snack bar that is available most of the night and the donation you pay goes to help put on the whole experience. I love the idea of supporting our city and the good seats to the shows definitely made our experience even more exciting! :)

This year has been mostly just getting finished up with our house building permits and all the loose ends tied up. We are now just waiting for the telephone company to move a pole that is in the middle of our property and then WE DIG!! Eeeeeeep! So much excitement. I can't wait to finally get a start on it. It feel like it's taking forever. At least I know we'll be in by Spring this year and that gives me some hope. Must keep pinning on Pinterest in the meantime. So many awesome decorating ideas for the interior and exterior. I'll do a few future posts on some of my most loved ideas. If you want to follow me on Pinterest my link is:

http://pinterest.com/british_mummy/

(here are our exterior house plans...how cute is this house??....

i'll do a post later on the before and after plans and all the interior stuff too....but that's a whole other post for a whole other day!)

Last bit of news, our little munchkin had her first cheerleading class last night. :) Oh my gosh, so much cuteness it was unreal. I was clearly more nervous than she as, her new friends came up to her and she left me without looking back. I could hear the class going on (we're not allowed in as we'd be a distraction) and as soon as I had "aaannnnnnd shake your butts.." I knew she'd be fine. ;)

Well thats about it for updates...back to regular blogging this month. Too much slacking due to feeling sorry for myself having very little "me-time".

Happy New Year to everyone. I hope it's a blessed one for everyone and that we achieve all that we hope to achieve... keep those goals and stick to them! :)

This will be one of my first non-pregnant years for a while now so let's see

what i'm capable of accomplishing sans bump!

Homemade baby/makeup removal wipes...IT WORKS!!

2011-10-20T13:25:00.004-04:00

Ok...I'm a busy bee today with trying to get lots of odds and ends tied up, but I had to share this with you! So this will just be a super quick blog today.

While spending a lazy half hour browsing Pinterest (I know there are more of you guilty of this!!) I found this idea and I was so intrigued I just had to try it. Honestly I thought, there's no way it could be that easy and work that well, but nevertheless I was willing to give it a go.

It is a tut. on how to make homemade organic baby/makeup removing wipes.

I am SO glad I did. It is an awesome alternative to a neccessity in a house with babies, or even just girls who wear makeup. {Maybe EVEN for men who have a slight femi side and like to have baby soft skin...not that I know any men like that...right, babe!? ;) }

Anyways...Following are the results of my version of homemade wipes using Organic Coconut Oil and Organic baby wash and water. Seriously. That's it. :) Go HERE for the actual tutorial. She is very clear and every step worked perfectly for me. My one hint would be to get a good smelling Baby Wash as the coconut oil doesn't smell coconutty...and i'm a girl who likes yummy smelling things!

I found my coconut oil at Krogers for around $12. But this pot will last me a good while! Coconut oil is naturally anti-bacterial/microbial/fungal and will leave your skin feeling moisterized. At first it feels a little greasy but once it soaks in after about a minute it just feels soft and quenched. I would have no problem using these on my littles!

As far as what kitchen towels to use I followed her advice and did one with Bounty and then I followed my own hunch and did the Viva towels (the cloth-like ones) and in my humble opinion, I preferred the Viva. But both worked just fine!

It really is such an easy thing to do and will save money, while being beneficial to yours and babies skin. Hurah for bonuses!!

Hope some of you give it a go!! :)

Nutella granola bespoke no-bakes.

2011-10-18T21:31:00.006-04:00

We had SUCH fun with our littles for FHE {family home evening} the other evening and I wanted to share what we made for the treat because it really was pretty scrumptious!

We wanted to make something that was safe and fun for the kiddos to join in with. We have a mini kitchen and so getting everyone in there is simply not possible, so it had to be something that we could do at the table in the dining room. We invented a treat together and now I'm going to share it with you (I had minimum prep to do before everyone could join in!)

Here is the lowdown on what you'll need for this treat:

Nutella granola bespoke no-bakes.

A bag of Ghiradelli chocolate chips (either milk/semi-sweet...whichever is your preference...but that brand is simply the BEST.)

Nutella (a good dollop!)

Butter 1/4 cup

Granola (We used Cascadian Farm Organic Oats & Honey granola) However much you need!

The granola makes them super crunchy rather than chewy, and i'm all about a bit of crunch.

Optional: Raisins/nuts/Mini marshmallows {Hence the "bespoke" part. You decide what fun you add! Tailored to YOU :)}

Melt using a double boiler, the chocolate, nutella and butter together. (this is the part to leave the little ones out of...just do it right before you plan to start the activity)

Put this in a cool bowl when liquid and be sure that no-one touches this when it's placed in front of young ones.

We had the little ones add granola a little at a time, and take turns stirring. They all got to throw handfuls of marshmallows in too, to keep them from whining while the others got to stir. {Yes, we have tantrums in our house over nonsense issues too!!! :) }

I would have liked raisins but hubby hates them, (apparently they are just rotton fruit!? *gasp*) also some crushed nuts might be tasty too.

Just keep an eye on the consistency and make sure it stays a little sticky so it can cool off and remain as a solid.

We poured ours out onto greaseproof paper and smushed it flat and dense (using another sheet of greaseproof and a cake pan to smush it with....is that clear?! Perhaps not. :/ ) Then popped it into the fridge.

By the time you finish your FHE with songs/spiritual thought/lesson/family debate (whatever fun you had planned) etc. said a blessing on the treat it will be chilled and ready to break apart and get stuck in!!

After all, what's Family Home Evening without a treat??? Even more fun when you get to join in and make the treat.

Just make sure Mum doesn't get left to clear up, everyone must get stuck in and help ~~lick the bowl~~ wash the dishes!! ;)

A treasured keepsake...

2011-10-18T13:16:00.004-04:00

I wanted to share with you something that my Dad gave to me when I was home (England) visiting a couple months ago.

This is a recipe/household book that my Grandmother put together. She was my namesake and sadly I never got to meet her, but every time I hear little snippets about her personality, I can't help but think we must have been quite alike. When I read this little book, I KNEW we were alike. She snipped out articles in the paper that she loved, recipes that her family would enjoy and fun tips for making her house a home. Even her corset size is scribbled in it! How fun! My husband pointed out it was kind of like her version of Pinterest! (which I'm OBSESSED with.)

I wanted to share some of the cute bits of this book with you. I feel so lucky to have it, and it will be treasured for sure.

{Click on the images to see them enlarged/to read the text clearly}

There are some delicious looking recipes in there and i'm excited to try a few of them...there are also, however, some less delicious looking ones.....

Brains on toast, anyone?? Wowzas! They were brave back then. Keep in mind this was during the World Wars and the women from those times were some of the most resourceful and strong women ever, all while staying beautiful, elegant and classy!
How fun is this idea? I'm sure it's not something that would technically be ok today, but a whole generation survived with ideas like this (and some even more eyebrow raising techniques!), so that's saying something, right? :)
TLC's Extreme Couponers could take some tips from the spending savvy girls in the 40's!

Lastly...there was this and I thought it was quite appropriate at this time of year!

~xoxo~

Bananas for bananas....

2011-09-29T21:58:00.006-04:00

I put a spin on an idea that I heard the other day here, for my kiddos...and although it's my worst nightmare, since I despise bananas, i'm fairly certain it will be most peoples idea of heaven...so I had to share.

It is an awesome way to make a dessert that tastes {apparently} like an ah-may-zing choco- banana soft serve ice-cream but that is ~~totally~~ almost perfectly good for you! Specially for those of you with kiddos that are hard to sneak the good stuff to...We all have those days. :)

If i've got your attention then follow meeeee.......

(Unfortunately it's not instant gratification the first time due to freezing time issues, but at least you'll know for next time, to plan ahead!)

1. Slice a banana or 3 and lay out on freezer/parchment paper {I lay them out on a cutting board, not bag them, so they don't get stuck together at this stage} and place them in the freezer. I keep a few layers in my freezer so this treat is always available.

2. When frozen, take the slices and dump into a blender. Mine is a kinda crappy cheapy one, and it still works for this, so don't be sadly thinking..."oh, but my blender is rubbish", like I did, and just try anyways! :)

3.Now comes the slight naughty part...take a spoonful of NUTELLA

and {shamelessy} dollop it on top! Eeeeeep!

4. Add a splash of milk. Just a splash. You can continue to add a little more as needed once you start blendning.

5. Hit GO!! If you have a crappy blender like mine you need patience {and a spoon}. I just keep pulsing and give it a good shake around and stir to get it all moving.

Blend until completely smooth.

6. Now normally I would stick it back in the freezer for 15 mins or so just to harden up a little, but for the sake of slipping in a quick tutorial while I made this for the kiddos,

I just snapped pics while it was pre-freezer, so yours will be a little more firm looking. But I guess if you like your ice-cream more "soft-servey", you will probs like it this way!

If you're not counting calories: Drop on some sprinkles, choc chips or syrup to make this treat extra exciting!

If you are counting calories: In place of the nutella, add a teaspoon of honey to sweeten and sprinkle with some crushed nuts or granola!

All you people bananas for bananas, eat your heart out! :)

Wreaths and ties...oh my!

2011-09-29T15:53:00.004-04:00

My *FINISHED* grey & yellow wreath....{finally!!}

I used a couple inspirations for this one. One was a cute frayed flower tut. from HERE and the other was a wreath I saw on Etsy (via Pinterest) HERE. I knew I had all the supplies so it seemed cheaper to just make myself. Plus I could personalize it somewhat. What do y'all think?!

*********

Also had to share a link to make these adorable ties. I made 3 for my little boys and have one more to make for my "big" boy! :) They match the cute little rag skirt I made my little girl for our Fall photo shoot. Here is a quick shot of the ties I took on my iphone and the link on how to make them underneath. They were super easy to make, even for the novice! Go on, be brave!

Click HERE to make them.

Happy Fall everyone! :)

The twins 3rd birthday *sob!* pics to come.

(along with my self pity story of sheer disappointment in my

capabilities while having 4 very young little ones.)

Life's just peachy...so let's make cobbler!

2011-08-27T21:35:00.005-04:00

Some may think it's easier to just stay home and have activities when you have 4 children. FH and I think it's more fun watching people feel sorry for us while we chase around our ridiculous bunch and listen to the murmers of "They must be triplets....AND a newborn! All those babies! They must be exhausted." followed by LOTS of questionable opinions. Lots.

We continue to go out on our adventures, and i'm starting to fear the unexpected a little less. Children will be children and that's all we need to remember. Now I just wish others would remember this.

This weekends adventure was a trip to the local organic farm to pick some peaches and have a general "run around". They loved every minute.

He is such a little dumpling boy. So round and chunky.

His big sister calls him: "Chunkyboy"...how appropriate.

Daddy got a bit "arty"...woaha!

When we got home I had to give the poor flowers the kiss of life as they had wilted in the car when we made a quick stop to the playground on the way home. I added a couple drops of bleach and am hoping they hang around at least a couple days for us to enjoy. HERE are some great tips for extending the life of your flowers.

When you pick a whole peck of peaches, what else can you do other than make cobbler! :)

I make a very simple recipe but it guarantees lots of grateful responses, I promise. Fresh organic fruit is the key.

Set oven to 375 degrees.

Slice your peaches (about 6 cups worth) and lay in the bottom of a baking dish.

Mix togther 1/4 cup brown sugar, 3 tbls flour, dash of cinnamon, and a squeeze of lemon.

Sprinkle over the peaches.

Then make up a combo of 1 cup flour, 1 cup brown sugar, 1tsp baking powder,

1/4tsp salt, dash of cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg.

Beat an egg and add to mixture. Mix until a crumby texture.

Sprinkle over peaches. This is your topping.

Melt a stick of butter (1/2 cup) and drizzle over the cobbler.

It look a little alarming i'll admit. I felt a little guilty of potentially clogging arteries.

Not so guilty that I didn't continue.

Bake at 375 for 35mins. Keep checking as all ovens are different. You don't it to be

undercooked and certainly not burned.

I happened to have one of these bad boys in my cupboard {thanks mum}.

I highly suggest you add custard. It is naked without it.

I'm sure there are lots of great recipes for it out there. Or order from a British store!

It was a definite success and maybe even too good.

There's seriously no better way to welcome in Fall, than

a hot dessert with custard.

Now i've been talking about it so much I feel inclined to go get 2nds....

Must go and distract myself and stop dwelling on this post.

Blessing our {last} blessing....

2011-08-21T22:08:00.005-04:00

Our little man was blessed today.

I can't believe this was my last baby to be blessed :(.

*heart breaks*

But...all that aside, it was a beautiful day despite him screaming through the entire blessing. Haha. But that's just his personality in a nutshell. FH couldn't have said it better in his blessing as the words "Tenacious" & "strong willed" were used ;) As tough as it was to know this was {probably} my last, it was, as always, lovely to just be surrounded by family. His great-grandparents were able to be there with us which was very special.

My mum was also able to make it from London, so we were excited to know she

would have been with us for all 4 of our babies blessing days.

His grammie made this gorgeous cake. It was a perfect surprise.

All the little bears represented the kiddos. How cute is that?

Winner winner chicken dinner...

2011-08-11T22:00:00.006-04:00

Anyone needing a quick, healthy chicken recipe?

Well....guess what? I have one! {and it happens to be DEEEEE-lish!} I made it for dinner this evening for myself and FH, but didn't think it would fly with the kiddos so I just had them eat a mexican, kidney bean rice dish. How wrong I was! I didn't get to eat much of my own share as I was being badgered by my twins to share the love. They enjoyed it as much as we did, so don't count out the kids on this one people!

Herby, lemony chicken kebabs.

Ok, so here's the DL on how to make it:

Put the oven to 350 degrees. Set aside some wooden sticks/XL size toothpicks (don't judge me! I'm not a chef, I don't know the name of them) and have them soak in water. This is mainly for those who choose to BBQ them, but I do it because I can't bear the idea of splinters and it seems less likely to happen when they're wet...right? *awkward silence*

Ok, now chop up some chicken breast into bite size pieces, and do a chunky chop on any veggies in your fridge that you think might taste good roasted. I had a little bit of a bare fridge so only managed to scrounge peppers and onion. Snore.

Leave them to marinate for a little or as long as you like in this little concoction:

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt, 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, a squeezed lemon, 2 tablespoons olive oil

Once they've been allowed to mingle with all the flavours start to arrange them on the sticks. Do NOT push them too close to each other otherwise you may get uneven cooking etc. I laid my sticks on my cookie sheet and they conveniently rested on the edges so I wasn't in any danger of them sticking to the bottom.

Cook them for roughly 30 mins, but keep an eye on them. If you want a more charry feel then crank the heat up a little. Basically, I eye-balled it and cranked it up at the end to get a little burning action going on. Yum. {Even better: Stick it on the grill!}

Here they are cooked. FH apparently couldn't wait to dig in and so that explains the empty sticks. Please excuse his bad manners. He backs me up and agrees these are delish and you definately forget they're healthy, and they stand alone as a good dinner! No need for extra cals!

Bon appetite my bloggy friends!

Poisonous grapes?

2011-08-10T19:20:00.004-04:00

I promise i'm working on a CUTE craft to show y'all, things just take a little longer with 4 little ones. Not to mention the sick little doggy we had this week! {Urgh, I shan't bore you with a rant about how flippin' expensive ER vets are...but seriously, HOW EXPENSIVE ARE ER VETS!?!? *shudder* Max is lucky we love him ;) } He is on the mend now but we learnt an ~~expensive~~ important lesson:

Grapes are actually super poisonous to dogs! Whhaaaat!? I hear you exclaim! Exactly! Who knew!?!? But yes, they can cause renal failure. There are numbers etc that go along with this, so I will link you to a site HERE where you can read the ins and outs of it all. Luckily Max didn't consume a whole bunch (scuse the pun), just what FS2 threw off of his high chair when he thought Mummy wasn't looking. So he escaped with just a little food poisoning. Now he is locked up during meal times so he isn't tempted by all the stray food that tends to appear with 3 little kiddos. Just thought it might be a bit of useful info for you all.

Well here is proof of the cuteness i'm in the middle of crafting, hold tight for the finished masterpiece! A full circle of yellow and grey deliciousness...*yum*

My little contradiction....

2011-08-03T12:21:00.002-04:00

Ok, so I know i only just posted a sleepy pic of this little guy, but this was irresistable. He has taken an interest in Summer's baby doll just lately because of his baby brother. He loves to put it in the stroller and take him for a {very fast/dangerous} ride, and burps him when I'm burping the baby, and when he wanted to take him to go "nighnights" we nearly died of the cuteness. He laid the baby down and shh'd her and basically repeated all the things we say to him at night. We went in to get him after his nap and this is what we found. Surrounded by his favourite things. His sleep sac that he doesn't wear anymore, but no other blanket will do! His giraffe, binky and the new friend baby doll. lol. I just love our tough little guy in his football shirt with baby doll next to him...*melts with cuteness*... had to share with y'all. :)

Homemade outdoor play paint!

2011-07-29T15:44:00.011-04:00

Todays activity was super FUN {AND FREE} and we have fellow toddler Mummy, Lauren, to thank! She put up pics of her little guy having fun with paint outside and we had to find out what she used. With recipe in hand we made up some paint and following an antsy lunch {because we knew we were going outdoors to have fun} I was pushed and pulled out of the front door with baby in one arm, paints balanced on the other, all whilst yelling at the older 3 to go straight to the back end of the garden and to stay away from the road. {We have a pretty antisocial garden as it has no fences and is on a street. But we make the best of what we have, right?}

Anyways.. I used the same recipe that my friend gave us and wanted to share with all the rest of you so you can play too!

All you need for this homemade paint is: Flour, water and food colouring.

Use as many bowls as you have colours for!

Add flour. As much as you need. I used about 2 cups.

Slowly add water whilst stirring and get to a thickish liquidy consistency. <- Don't judge my English....it's my blog....so my words ;)

Add whatever colours take your fancy. I used just a few drops as I was a

bit nervous of staining with too strong colours.

I set them out and just let them discover. It took a little while to get the guts to

just go ahead and make a mess, but that's probably a good thing.

Just keep the hose handy for any "in eye" situations etc.

We found all sorts of ways to make a mess!

Staying safe from a distance. Sensible chap. :)

Discovering that it doesn't taste that good. I guess you could do it with frosting

if you want it to taste good. But that would be all kinds of sticky.

(not to mention crazy sugared up kiddos bouncing off walls.)

Taddaaaaaaaa!

It didn't stain anyone. It's safe if you do get it in mouths, eyes etc. Just wash out with water.

A nice shower of rain will make sure any remaining paint gets washed away.

My friend took paper outside and had him create artwork with that too, which would have been fun too. I just couldn't deal with 4 kids AND paper flying everywhere whilst watching the road incase of escapees etc.

So, in short, thanks Lauren for a fab afternoon activity. After a quick rinse off in the bath and a big drink each, I now have 4 sleeping babies! I call that a success, don't you?!

Let us know if y'all get a chance to make this paint, we'd love to hear of other ideas to add to it!

~xoxo

These are a few familiar things...

2011-07-28T21:35:00.006-04:00

...the little faces and things I see throughout my daily life...

{my tiny princess}

{my baby boy}

{my goofy oldest boy}

{who is incidentally the bestest big brother. Ever.}

{My messy middle child. I wuv him.}

{Pandora radio. Usually on broadway or Adele. Sometimes Dixie chicks.

If you live in the US and you've not heard of it, look it up. You NEED it in your life.}

{..and of course my chores. I see this basket at least 3 times every day.

I load and unload the dishwasher over and over and THIS is why I need Pandora

to sing along to and lift my spirits. Plus it drowns out the constant bickering that

is inevitable with 3 children so close in age. ;) }

PLEASE let me be able to get to work on one of my crafts tomorrow....pleeeaaasse??

Where did my baby go?

2011-07-28T14:45:00.005-04:00

3 months....my baby is 3 months old! Are you kidding me?? ....I mean i'd rather forget the whole birth thing, so I've kind of forced that bad boy memory out, but the rest i'd quite like to slow down...please!?

He is the sweetest little baby. He has awful reflux (like the twins did) but in the last week we just got him on some meds and he seems to have calmed down. He was in constant pain, and feeding him felt like you were torturing him. Luckily it hasn't seem to have affected his appetite and he's a healthy bouncing 15lbs now! Wowzas!

I'm making sure I drink in every precious moment with this little guy as he's our {probably/most likely/there better not be anymore right hunny?} last one. I used to wonder if I'd be able to fit anymore room in my heart to love another one, but with 4 little ones i've come to learn that you don't have to squeeze them in... Your heart simply expands and makes room for extras. With each child you become a little less selfish. My "me" time is pretty much non-existant but at least I know my time will come when they're all at school and i'm at home wondering where the time went?! Babies grow so fast. Hang on to every second. I know it's hard, but it's so worth it. Celebrate the little things, don't sweat the silly things, and most of all, please PLEASE don't get caught up in this "Best Mummy" competition. In your child's eyes, you already won that one, so it's not even in the equation... ~xoxo

Editing my life away...

2011-07-22T16:33:00.004-04:00

I wanted to give y'all a sneak peek of the shoot i've been working on. This shoot was so fun to do as it was my little niece, and she was a doll!

However I have only just got my computer back and so we've had to reload all my editing software etc and as a result of getting a new hard drive all my previously recorded actions etc were deleted, so it has been real trial and error figuring out all my old habits and replacing them. I think i'm finally on my way with it all and i'm grateful to have had such a fun set of photos to work it all out with.

She's a beautiful baby girl and hopefully i'll get to photograph her again. :)

A sneaky Mummy...

2011-07-22T16:11:00.002-04:00

I took my two youngest to get their shots today. FS2 completely sacked out when we got home. All that being a brave boy stuff tired him out. He was so sound asleep that when I realised he didn't feel my presence in the room I hot-footed it outta there to grab my camera. Much to my delight he stayed sleeping while I snook around his crib snapping all the details that make my heart melt. I wish the twins would let me do the same, but unfortunately they know the click of my camera all too well.

Well wanted to make a quick appearance on here before I get back to melting in this H.O.T weather. Holy heat!

Countdown to real life reunion!

2011-07-13T13:59:00.002-04:00

Only a little longer for you to sit tight. My Macbook is out of action and has been for a month now. Urgh.
I am expecting it back in the next couple days and am ready and raring to go. This "maternity/new mum" leave has been fabulous and all, but I'm chomping at the bit to get back into my "me" time. Funnily enough, I feel better when i'm working!
I have a few shoots coming up too which i'm excited about. I've been seperated from editing pictures since my hard drive died and i'm having serious seperation anxiety from photoshop. My little niece is awaiting her pics from our photoshoot the other week. She is an absolute doll and was a perfect little model!
My oven is due to be fixed this week as that too has been out of action :/ but I have a few recipes I tried recently and they are too good not to share, and of course I have a few new crafts to share with y'all too.
My title The Forever Mummy has never seemed so literal. Don't believe the rumours. 4 children are SO much more work/stress than 3, but life is s-l-o-w-l-y starting to allow me time for things other than nappie changing, mouth filling, sleep inducing activities, so watch this space.
~xoxo

Our li'l Buc!

2011-06-11T08:28:00.004-04:00

Wanted to share pics from our night last night. FS3 got his first baseball from the Pittsburgh Pirates stadium! Granted, we didn't actually catch it. But there is the sweetest *very* old man who works there and he stopped to check out the newest Bucs fan. FH said, "So, is he going to get his first ball or what?" and the guy laughed and disappeared. No jokes, like a minute later he was back and on the sly handed FH a ball they used in practice. How sweet was that? So our little date crasher slept through the entire night but still came up trumps! Shows how far being cute can get you, huh?!

Anyways...enjoy the pics. Baseball games are my all time favourite American thing. Seriously.

Advice from Finding Nemo...

2011-06-10T13:07:00.005-04:00

In the words of Dori from Finding Nemo..."Just keep swimming".
This has been my motto for the last couple weeks. If I totally think about what has been going on in our lives I think I might drown. So, instead I will just keep pushing on and convincing myself we CAN do this! Without going into details, I don't think I've had a harder time in my life ever. But rumour has it, what doesn't kill us makes us stronger...{in that case, watch out for me on Worlds Strongest Woman soon.}
However, I will not ever be one to admit doing things without cutting corners. It feels like so many Mummys are "perfect" these days, and NEVER cut corners and life is all one big competition. I'll be honest here and say, there are days when just getting the kids out of jammies, fed breakfast, lunch and dinner and having less than 100 timeouts is reason to celebrate! NOT JOKING. :)
I think with all this media we have to connect to one another we've regretfully become very judgemental. We give each other sneak peeks into our lives through social networks and as a result end up judging those very things someone is sharing with us. It's quite sad I think. One day I will get the guts up to post about my experience of bullying Mummys who have this ridiculous notion that they are somehow better than others because of choices they "appear" to be making. Heaven knows how many of them actually stick to their long laundry list of perfection behind closed doors. lol.
For now...just know that as Mothers I think we are all wonderful if our children are taken care of and feel loved. Of course I have dreams I like to chase {Shameless plug coming up}...Jamie Olivers food revolution is one of them! It's pretty funny how many Mums claim to feed their babies wonderful, perfect diets from day 1...but somehow we end up with an overweight/unhealthy nation. I'm all for the odd Wendy's or MaccyD's...but I also have a grip on what i'm being cajoled into and know that these things should be one-off treats. I hope that Jamie's show gets watched and that people react to it. Even if it helps some of us add an extra veggie into meals, or to even encourage a family to cook together!
Go HERE to read about what he's doing and make sure you sign his petition!
Annnyyywaayyyysss....I shall stop my rant for now as my children are pinching each other and yelling. I need to go break it up.

I'll leave you with a prop I made for Colt's photoshoot. I'm going to use it in his nursery when we're done too. So it's a super cheap but a cute looking decoration you can use after a photo shoot too! Bonus. :) I made a piece of framed art with the leftovers. I don't have a picture so for now i'll explain real quick. I just cut a piece of the burlap to fit the size of frame we had lying around, and then drew a silhouette of a bird on paper and cut around some black felt. I glued it onto the burlap and then mounted it in the frame. It looks SO adorable and chic, and cost next to nothing! Next time you're planning to go buy some decor, consider whether you could do something similar yourself. Usually it will be cheaper and mean much more to you if it's hand crafted. Plus you can personalize things this way.

Well...I hope y'all have a fabulous weekend. I promise I am working on lots of projects and when life has settled entirely i'll be back for good with all my tutorials and fun ideas! ~xoxo

Likeable lyrics...

2011-06-02T21:55:00.002-04:00

So, on my drive today I was loudly and proudly singing (Yes, the babies DO mind, but if I turn it loud enough up I don't hear them complaining....lol) This song is really one of my very favourites, lyrics and melody.
It is from one of my most beloved musicals, Wicked. If you have not seen it, you MUST. It is coming to Pittsburgh in September and we are taking my parents-in-law. The tickets haven't gone on sale yet...but when they do, I shall be first in line.
This song is actually sang as a duet between Elphaba and Glinda, and has a lot of meaning to it as far as their relationship goes. But as a song itself, it stands alone. I attempt to belt it out when i'm alone, but pretty much every time I get choked up and can't finish. lol. Please feel free to imagine this pathetic site. Me driving, sobbing my heart out, whilst trying to desperately sing through it and finish the song, with 3 toddlers looking on with despair at their tragic mother. Sad.

Anyways....here are the lyrics. By all means go to itunes and download the actual song too. It really is gorge. I like Kristin Chenoweth's version the best! :) The song is called For Good :

I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you...

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good

It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me
Is made from what I learned from you
You'll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend...

Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a skybird
In a distant wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you

And just to clear the air
I ask forgiveness
For the things I've done you blame me for
But then, I guess we know
There's blame to share
And none of it seems to matter anymore

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood

Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a bird in the wood

Who can say if I've been
Changed for the better?
I do believe I have been
Changed for the better

And because I knew you...
I have been changed for good...

Fashionable inspiration...

2011-05-18T20:17:00.005-04:00

So I wanted to share something with y'all today. Coco Chanel. She is someone whose words have inspired me for years. She is someone who could be so intimidating but for some reason I simply find her "likeable" and encouraging. She entertains ideas that I wouldn't normally think, as a mummy of 4 were appropriate, but she reminds us how femininity is beautiful and something to stand up for.

My mum bought me a vintage Chanel handbag when I was 18 and I will never forget her buying it for me. I think every girl should have something in her closet that means something more than what it is. Whether it's $1 or $1000.... regardless of price, it's what it stands for. When I take that purse out {it's been a while since it doesn't hold diapers for 4!} I feel an extra pep in my step and i'm reminded of who my mummy raised me to be and what she wanted for me, which I always understood to be elegance, class and self-worth. I will pass that handbag onto FD in hope she takes from it what I did. Is there anything in your wardrobe that inspires you day to day? Clothes, jewellry, accessories etc? Some people love handed down items from family/friends like wedding dresses, blessing outfits, or vintage items by respected designers. I know a group of people who have a necklace each that was made from things that meant something to them therefore not only is it a beautiful item, but it holds intrinsic value to each of them. It may not seem like much more than a pretty accessory to onlookers, but to them it is special and stands for much more than just a necklace.... just like my old leather handbag.

{It looks similar to this one below for those wondering....}

Anyways, I just wanted to share a collection of her quotes in hope that one of them is somewhat inspirational to one of you. I put up a fair few as it was hard to leave them off the list. I'm aware that not all these things will apply to everyone, but I can almost guarantee at least one should & will be beautiful to you. I'd love to hear what you favourite ones were and why so don't be afraid to comment! ~Enjoy!

“In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.”

Coco Chanel when asked about elegance, says that she finds that women are often too dressed up and not elegant enough…

"A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous." "Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman."
“Nobody is young after 40 but one can be irresistible at any age.”

"How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something, but to be someone”

"You live but once; you might as well be amusing."

"The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud."

"Don't spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door."

"Fashion changes, but style endures."

"If you were born without wings, do nothing to prevent them from growing."

"A woman who doesn't wear perfume has no future."

"Success is most often achieved by those who don't know that failure is inevitable."

"As long as you know men are like children, you know everything!"

"Where should one use perfume?" a young woman asked.
Coco Chanel replied "Wherever one wants to be kissed"

"Some people think luxury is the opposite of poverty. It is not.
It is the opposite of vulgarity."

"I don't understand how a woman can leave the house without fixing herself up a little - if only out of politeness. And then, you never know, maybe that's the day she has a date with destiny. And it's best to be as pretty as possible for destiny."

"Only those with no memory insist on their originality."

"I don't care what you think about me. I don't think about you at all."

"There is nothing more comfortable than a caterpillar and nothing more made for love than a butterfly. We need dresses that crawl and dresses that fly. Fashion is at once a captapillar and a butterfly, caterpillar by day, butterfly by night"

The fastest knock off ever!

2011-05-17T23:21:00.004-04:00

So who loved the beautiful wedding gown Kate Middleton wore!? Well guess what? Nordstrom is carrying a knock off version for less than $700!! WoAh!! I had to check this one out... sadly I was pretty disappointed. The waist looks like it fits awkwardly and the lace is obviously nothing on hers...all in all, it looks like a knock off. Enough said. :( But for those girls who fell in love with it I guess it's an option at least. I can't speak for everyone as I think that's obnoxious, it's just i'm silly and can never seem to look past the real one and settle for the copy. lol.
Here's a link to the dress: Nordstrom
Take a sneaky peek! :)

And Yes, the knock off rings are out there too. Which I can't say I don't hate...so shoot me! haha. I think the ring is gorgeous, and I have ever since Diana wore it.
This isnt that great, but it's a popular one: Go here to QVC to see it! and a steal at under $45!

On another note...who has seen the picture below? Don't get me wrong...I was an absolute fan of the whole day. It made me proud of my home country. It was beautiful and quintessentially British. They look like a lovely couple and will hopefully do well for our Royal family and all that it's history and charm brings to our country. Without that history we wouldn't be half as interesting...good and bad!

Anyways...enjoy a good giggle at these fun comparisons...

Have a royally fabulous night ~xoxo

Fringe blanket modelled...

2011-05-17T13:48:00.004-04:00

{Product reminder}
Here is my little bubby modelling the fringe blanket i'm now offering in my store.
Keep in mind it is to be used ONLY as a photographers prop, or interior decorating.
Children must never be left unattended with this blanket.
For prices please visit The Contrary Fairy or my Etsy listing HERE.

New business...the early days.

2011-05-16T17:17:00.007-04:00

Well here is our news, as promised!

FH and I since we dated have always wanted to start our own company up, FH especially. We have thought and prayed for years now as to what and how. Things started to come together and after lots of heart ache, late nights and heated discussions (!!) our company was born. It is something that FH is passionate about. His previous job involved similar ideas and it's where lots of his new ideas were born. We are grateful for all the lessons learned over the last few years and watching another family succeed together was reassuring to us and made us even more determined to do this. We wanted a job where we could remain as a family unit and something we could be proud of creating together. I saw my mother-in-law and father-in-law spend their days together (even the long work days!) and it's what I wanted too. They got to share their days, and understand eachothers work load, know and meet all the same people etc. and I admired the step they took to create a job where they could support their family and strengthen their marriage too. FH and I genuinely enjoy being around one another and are not the types who want our own separate lives, so doing this together just seemed to make sense. I would love to build a business where we worked together at the same place {get in a sneaky kiss on the cheek here and there ;) } I think it will be beneficial for us and our little ones to see our family grow and survive these first few years. It has NOT been easy so far, but it has been extremely exciting and fulfilling.

I am so proud of my husband. He took a huge leap of faith and it was a big risk and adventure for us but something we both knew we had to do. I know he will succeed and that this business will be fantabulous! His business partner is someone who is very dear to me and has become very close to our family. He is from the UK and his whole family is one of my most favourite families i've been lucky to meet. We are truely blessed to have his support and belief. He is an extremely successful man himself and so his advice and words of wisdom have been a great help to us with starting this all up.

Well before I bored you all to death with my ramblings about this I will just pass on the website etc for you all to take a gander at. It will explain better than I could what we actually do as a company!

Ok...well here are a few pictures of our building right after we signed the lease. We are with my little brother and our business partner who flew into Pitt for the day. We loved having him here and it was so fun that he got to meet our children and see my home.

Thanks to all the people who have supported our family during this time {you know who you are}...life has been overwhelming and would have swallowed me up no doubt without the outpouring of love we've gotten. Thank you thank you thank you.

These pics are the before pics...we've had all the renovations done now and I need to go ahead and take pics...I'll post those as soon as I get them taken! :)

The kiddos love all the treasures in the garage. Yes...that's now our car too! Swweeeett!

Me and our business partner, Pete. I adore this man and his wonderful family back in the UK.

Please note: I was 9months preggo here....not just fat.

This is FH and I outside the front door, at the very start of our dream....
Here's to a successful & happy road ahead of us.
I couldn't be doing it with any one I love or admire more hunny....
(The sign was just temporary for an application we needed...not the real sign! lol)

The Bluefoot crew!

Business partners.

FD and her uncle Crippy who joined in in all the Bluefoot excitement with us.

Running riot in the office before demolition....little pickles.

Surveying the site...

Here's to the new chapter for us Larsens....it's going to be a busy year, but a blessed one too.

Don't forget to visit our facebook page HERE and "LIKE" us...pretty please!?

~xoxo

Meeting the family...welcome home to our baby!

2011-05-13T13:15:00.003-04:00

The day our little guy got to come home.... What lucky and blessed parents we are. Our family is now complete at home and we took these last couple weeks to just settle down. I will update y'all soon with our HUGE new project our family took on this month and give you baby updates too in the next week. I have set aside time to do my blog so I will be most definitely catching up. Please stick with me. :)

I have made a bunch of crafts recently so I need to put up the tuts to those. Lots involving burlap sack {which I'm OBSESSED with!}} so check back for that too.

Well for now, I will leave you with a picture diary of the day out little man came home with us. He is just a doll. I can't say the usual "he is SUCH a good baby!!" because I don't believe any baby is bad. haha. Newborns are so easy to take care of and a joy to be around, so I think they're all good! Life with 4 little ones is certainly a challenge but most of all...it's fun!

Welcome home baby boy...

We couldn't resist.

Bonding with his new brother.

The best of friends.

{P.S... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MAMA!-----> My mum has been with us these last few weeks. It was her birthday today. She is such an amazing lady. She treats our family with so much love it's overwhelming. She does things for us all without being asked, but just because she knows us. She knows Clyde like a son and that's something I always wanted for my husband. I wanted him to fit in my family and as it turned out....they all adore him. My mum has 100% spoiled my children rotton. They have a whole bunch of outdoor toys now, like a sandpit, water table and lots more fun stuff! :) Needless to say we've been outside as much as poss despite this heinous weather. She knows all of FD's favourite songs and characters, FS's praticular cars he likes to go to bed with, FS2's favourite snacks and naptimes and FS3's various cries and their meanings! It feels so special to have her here with me experiencing them all. I hate that she lives SOOO far away. My babies all adore their Nanma. They call her name every morning to make sure she's still here and hasn't flown back to England yet...I dread when they have to say buhbye :( She has supported us so much with our latest project. We have had to change our lives drastically to accommodate some big changes, but we've never felt so ready for something! We knew doing it alone would be tough, so having her support has been amazing...even just the genuine words of encouragement and love. I know that her being here for FS3's birth and our big project would be ideal, but I didn't realise how indispensable she would be as far as making sure we eat well during this time, remembering to take care of ourselves, and making sure FH and I are spending much needed time outs together so we don't get too caught up in the day to day stresses. Thank you Mama for your unwavering love and support. She is one of the best people I know...she never boasts of being anyone or anything special, but she's exactly that. Extremely special and one in a million...and I could find a ton of people who would back me up with that statement. :) We love her. Ok....sentimental gushiness done!

Look out for the next post which will be up tomorrow or the next day...CHECK BACK! -xoxo

All is well....

2011-04-25T22:34:00.006-04:00

His eyes are open! :) Things are progressing...
I am keeping a diary and will put up all our
excitement soon. Things are still pretty
emotional right now, so please hang tight
and know that in the next few days i'll be
back and in full force.
~xoxo

Introducing.....

2011-04-23T21:35:00.011-04:00

Our precious baby FS3!

I can' t write too much right now, and will explain shortly.
FS3 is doing well but he is in the NICU having trouble with his lungs.
I'm having a rough time myself and so I can't keep up too
much with my blog for the next few days.
I hope you will all bear with me and understand.
For now however, I did have some pics to get you all by...
my birth story will be coming shortly...
Thank you for the support, ~xoxo

Even monsters need friends...

2011-04-18T23:37:00.003-04:00

We added a new little one to the bunch!

It took a couple trial and errors to get this one just right as I had to discover the difficulties you come across with designing your own pattern and trying to execute it when you're not an experienced "sew-er" (I don't know the word for that...but "sewer" looks weird and i'm pretty sure means something else...lol.) ...anyways....back to my thoughts...I had some problems sewing things too tight and not being able to turn it right-side out as a result, and then sewing too close the edge and getting holes as I stuffed. But I refuse to pretend my projects are flawless! It's what makes this blog what it is. I enjoy doing all of this crafty stuff, and I will not claim to be an expert. It's how we learn right? Through mistakes!

Well...here is my little "mistake" monster! I just know FD will love it. We were brought up to be the children who dug to the bottom of the barrel of teddies when picking one out, so that we would get the one with dodgy eyes, snubby nose, etc. because we felt bad for it. We would pick the one that no-one else would want...the "imperfect" ones that most would want for "sale" price. It still pulls at my heart strings now when I'm buying things for our little ones, and i guess now it's crept on to even my sewing skills. (Yes...that's my excuse, and i'm sticking to it!)

Ok..well for now...enjoy our newest addition. Let's see who makes it as the next newest.. FS2's monster, or Larsen baby #4! Can't believe i'm sooooo close now.... *breathe in* *breathe out* *breathe in* *breathe out*....

Little monsters....

2011-04-17T01:34:00.003-04:00

Prepare for your worst nightmare....

mwahahahahaha....*evil laugh*....

Here he is.....!

Haha...oh dear, not so scary after all. huh?

Anyways.....I've been getting together a hospital bag for each of the kiddos. Nothing extravagant, just a few cute things to get them excited about where they are and so they don't feel left out.
This evening, I made one of the little monsters I had planned on making. I've seen some similar things out there and decided to design my very own for my 3 little monsters!
So far I have FS's done...wanted to share the pics...what do you think? I had such fun designing him and think he turned out super cute...in a ugly kinda way! ;)
I'm excited to make a girly monster, and then finally another boysish one. It is all hand sewn apart from joining the body part.
Cute or not cute?? My vote....CUUUUTE!! Would love to hear feedback. I think i'm going to make the girly one goofy, and theboy one a little more babyish, like FS2 :)
Well anyways, it's past bedtime...just wanted to share... ~xoxo

Simple step-by-step ruffley butt onesie...

2011-04-15T15:10:00.008-04:00

Ok...so this is something slightly new. A good friend of mine is just starting sewing too and she has read a couple of my simple tutorials and from that she decided to make a request! :) I love her for this as because of it it got my pregnant butt into gear and made me get something on here for y'all.

The request was for ruffley butt bloomers, but to make it super super simple. I had a good think and decided that to make it as simple as poss we needed to start with a onesie and luckily, she liked the look of what the plan was. So here goes:

Start with a plain white/coloured onesie in whatever size you needed. I used newborn as it's the only size I had in the house. I think that 3+ months would be cute as babies are starting to sit up at that point and look a little chunkier. Ruffles look awesome on little chubby bubbies!

Right...you need to measure the width of your onesie. Mine was 6". So here is your little bit of maths to do. Depending on how big your onesie is, you will need to decide how many rows of ruffles you need. The newborn size would obviously need less (approx. 3) and add 1 as the size gets bigger. For all your ruffle strips except one, times your number by 2.5.

{Mine would be 6 x 2.5 = 15"}
Then you need one seperate strip that is 3 x the width of just below the butt. It gets slightly narrower at the bottom so you need to make sure you adjust one ruffle for this width too.
{I had one at 10" long}

Mark out your strips (1.5" x your lengths we just figured out). Everyone has their own ways of measuring and cutting. I know this probably isn't the best method, but I don't have a fancy ruler or anything so I figured this would work great too! I accordian folded the fabric in 1.5" sections, pressed along the lines with an iron to make sure all the sections were perfectly measured. I cut along each of the folds and then repressed the strips to make sure they were all nice and flat ready to be ruffled!!

TIMEOUT: Urrrrgghh...just reading over this sounds confusing. This is why I haven't been
blogging for the last week. 9 months pregnant does something to your brain I swear.
Ok...well, anyways. Don't say I didn't warn you. Let's keep going!

Now you should have all your pieces. For me that was: 3 strips 15" long and 1 strip 10" long and the onesie.

Fold over the edges by a 1/4" and press them flat. This is so you have a nice clean ruffle. Unless of course you have a serger, in which case, you'll already know how that works and is a much quicker option. I am not blessed to have one, so we're going to be doing this the long way :/

Once you have pressed all the edges, sew down all 4 sides of each strip. Make sure you double back on your stitches so they don't come undone.

Now on the ruffle making part. I'm going to show you how to do a simple basting stictch with your machine. You can of course do it by hand, but I think this method is a lot tidier and less labor intensive. Let's get the machine ready first.
Flick your stitch length to the longest setting possible on your machine and make the stitch tension slightly slack.

Now take each of your strips and down the center of each of them make a line of stitches. Once you get to the end make sure you've left yourself enough thread to have a grip on. Don't snip either end yet. Seperate the top piece of cotton and the bottom. The bottom will be your bobbin thread. When you have a hold of your bottom thread, slowly slide the fabric up. You will see your ruffle start to form. Now do the same on the other side. Try to do it evenly as it helps make the ruffle symmetrical in my opinion. You want to make your ruffle the number that you first measure. So the original width of the onesie {in my case 6") Once you are done with making your ruffle, tie the cotton off at both ends so that the ruffle doesn't come undone. Snip the ends off to keep it all tidy.

Now you have your ruffle, pin it to your onesie, making sure you only pin it to the backside. Don't push the pins clear through to the front! Try to keep the ruffling even. You can manipulate it still at this point so do any aesthetic fixes now. Once its sewn on you can't make any changes, keep in mind.

Once it is pinned into place, take your time (remember to take out pins as you go) and sew over the top of the basting stitch and voila! First ruffle done. PHEW! That wasn't too bad, was it??

Now repeat for the other ruffles. Remember the shorter one goes on the bottom. I kept the center of my ruffles about 1"-1.5" apart so they overlapped somewhat, creating that more froufrou look.

Ok...so now your onesie is all done! I like to have a little extra to match the onesie with. I have seen one too many headbands as of late, and I think we've all seen enough tuts. for a little while. So I tried my brain with something new. I had seen on a couple tv shows little girls wearing little scrunchy bands around their ankles with some of their fancy outfits and i've wanted to make FD one for the Summer. So I figured i'd give it a go.

Take a strip of matching fabric (prepared the same way as the ruffle...but NOT baste stitched) and a piece of elastic. I put the elastic dead center on the reverse side of the strip and once the needle was piercing them both I pulled relatively tightly on JUST the elastic. With a regular straight stitch I began to sew all the way down the middle, all the while pulling on the elastic (not too tight though...be careful with your machine!).

Once I had reached the length I wanted, I snipped the end off. I then joined the two ends together and created a full circle.

Tadaaa...a cute little anklet accessory to match the ruffley butt onesie. Of course FD had to immediately try it on and perform a few pirouettes in it!

Ok...for now I think that is it. I tried to make this as basic as I could. My English may seem like jargon however with the amount of pregnancy brain I currently have. My sense of humour seems also to have failed me, so altogether I feel this is an adorable product with a questionable tutorial. I hope however it has helped out a friend, and maybe one or two others of you. Please, PLEASE ask any questions that I may have left unanswered and as always, I would LOVE to see any finished products made by using this tutorial, so email pics to me. See my "contact" tab at the top. :)

I will be accepting new tutorial requests. All my tutorials at this stage will be beginners as that is what i am. You essentially are learning along with me! So keep in mind, any tuts. you may want need to be something you think we can both manage. I will contact you back if you make a suggestion to discuss details!

If you do want to share my tutorial on a blog etc., feel free but please be sure to reference back to my blog. If you are copying it onto your blog pictures may be used, but again, please refer back to my blog. I love sharing all this, but as you know, these take a lot of work (spesh at 9monthd pregnant...!)

Well...until next time... {I wonder if the baby will come before my next post!?!}

A slight bump in the road....

2011-04-09T09:21:00.004-04:00

Just stopping in to apologise and let you all know I may be MIA for a bit. I will really try and get on and put up the things I promised, but I have really been struggling with the pregnancy at this point. I was in hospital getting terbutaline shots to stop the contractions i've been getting. They made me feel really awful. Shakey and just rotton, but at least we were able to put off any early baby!
I've been in a lot of discomfort as of late and really been trying to over power them with positivity and distractions, but unfortunately they've been winning. :( Either way, I wanted to let you all know, over these next couple weeks I will be a little quieter on here as I need to take time to relax when I can. With 3 children, that is virtually impossible, so I'm trying to eliminate the things that make it even harder. I will be back in full force when this baby arrives, but for now, things will be a little "here and there".
Thanks for you understanding and I really hope you stand by me through this little break...Let's call it what is is, right?...I'm on maternity leave! I won't abandon you though, so please look out for a few posts between now and then..i'll make sure they're worth the visit :)
Much love....

Time flies when you're having fun...

2011-04-06T00:24:00.008-04:00

Ok, ok...I know y'all are probably waiting for an exciting tutorial post...and I PROMISE i'm working on one right now. I think that being 2 weeks off of giving birth grants me some kind of "free pass"...yes? I'm posting a picture to just prove that i'm in the middle of a tut. project. It is SUPER cute and for all the sewing freaks out there. It is *not* easy, hence i'm taking my sweet time getting it finished. I had every intention of getting it all done this evening as I started yesterday, but apparently this project is slightly harder than I thought {Wow...how encouraging do I sound??} Here is a little snippet of what's to come for you...HINT: It's a 50's Housewife style apron! Cuuuuuuuuttte! (So my hint was slightly revealing, but I feel I owe it to you!)

Right...that's enough of that! But I hope you believe me now that I AM indeed working on a tut. for you all! I'm trying to dummy it down as much as I can so even the beginners (like me!!) can follow along. {Remember, if making something that takes this much work doesn't appeal to you, I do sell versions of everything I make so either look out for it on The Contrary Fairy OR contact me about getting me to do the work for you! I'd love to!}

My brother came to visit this last week and we had SO much fun watching the babies all interact with him. they all just loved him to pieces. We wish we had longer with him, but unfortunately we all had busy schedules right now, so it was just a quick visit.

I wanted to put up a few pics for you to keep updated with the Larsen Lot's news.

{FD with her Uncle. She is so stinking cute with him...she just loves him to pieces}

{FS2 with his newly "blonded" Mama...thanks to my fab hairstylin' SIL.}

{FS is fascinated by his Mama's belly. I know some people hate belly pics...but not us!
So since this is MY blog, you don't get to choose! ;)
My belly looks SO vast in this pic, huh?!
I love how he pulls his shirt up first, then pulls up mine and will knock on both of our bellies and ask for baby. So sweet.

{"What do you meeeeeaaan another baby!?!?!"}


{It sure can be hard being the only sister.
She was doing ring around a  rosie, and "fell down" and the boys held off their "falling down" until  after FD's and then bundled her! Needless to say there was a LOT of  giggling! Sillies.}

{Waving buh bye to their Uncle}

Well....hope they were fun to look at. Just some pics to keep you entertained until the actual tut. post gets put up tomorrow. :)

KEEP WATCHING THIS SPACE! ~xoxo

Please can I have?

2011-04-02T11:36:00.002-04:00

I *want* this pink vintage cruiser bike.
(with a basket for my doggy & pretty handpicked flowers)
That is all.
~xoxo

{Cutey baby cousin "H"}

2011-04-01T21:12:00.004-04:00

This is our little niece "H" {Clyde's sisters baby}.
We just got to meet her this last week!
She is 3 1/2 months I think...i'm awful with dates.
We had so much fun meeting her and getting to see all her cuteness up close.
{I had even more fun snapping pics of those cute little features!}
We have planned a photo shoot for her, but i'm awaiting my little studio
set up so until then, a few snapshots on the couch will do.
{That's FD on there with her in a couple of them ♥ Cuties.}

It's apparently sleepy work being a baby....

See you in a few with a tutorial.
There is a lot going on with our little family right now,
so life has been insane to say the least.
I'm sure we'll let you in on it all soon, but for now...
I just wanted to share this li'l cutie with you...
Watch this space. ~xoxo

THE CONTRARY FAIRY IS HAVING A GIVEAWAY

2011-03-28T21:20:00.003-04:00

{WIN A VINTAGE STYLE ROSETTE HEADBAND DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY
FOR THIS EVENT & 15% OFF A FUTURE TCF PURCHASE}

In order to drum up a little excitement about The Contrary Fairy, I have put together a little giveaway. I am just trying to stir the pot a little and get some new fans. It seems this is a popular way of getting people interested ;) I know it does me! I'm always up for passing on news of small crafty businesses and I know a freebie goes a long way with me....

Here are my SIMPLE rules. {I'm playing easy in these early days, but don't expect it to always be this straight forward...I'm hoping to become a little more popular at some point, and then i'll make you work! ;) }

Visit my TCF facebook page HERE and make sure you "Like" it. Go ahead and suggest to 5 friends to "Like" TCF too. When you have done these 2 little things, go ahead and comment under the status where I gave the giveaway rules that you have done them. That is important as the winner will be chosen by post number using random.org. There is no need for proof. I trust if you have entered that you will have made sure you kept your end of the deal!

Winner will be chosen Wednesday evening. I will announce the exact time nearer the close of the giveaway.

(I'd love for you to pass on news of the giveaway out of the goodness of your own hearts too, but this is NOT a requirement)

THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR THE SUPPORT. I APPRECIATE YOU!

~XOXO

A {hard to find} Free NO SEW fringe PROP blanket tutorial!

2011-03-27T21:04:00.013-04:00

I must first apologise (wow I do a whole lot of that in this blog)....I ended up having a slightly different order for this weeks tutorials. My mind doesn't slow down and being pregnant, it often gets confused. I got all caught up with this obsession of mine with Fringe blankets that I just couldn't think about anything else, so it took over. So please pop back for the scarf, but for now, the Fringe blanket won!

Ok? Apology accepted? I hope so as this is by far my most complicated {yet weirdly easy} tut.! Lots and lots of pics for you to help explain myself and lots of wordiness to make sure you get my ramblings....It has taken me literally hours to get this bad boy up, so please, any comments or any finished items shared would be SO appreciated. Please show me some support, as if I don't get any feedback, then how do I know I should continue my creative efforts while juggling my family times etc. ? See what I mean? I'd love to interact with my readers!

Ok, so here goes.....

So you may or may not know that I'm aspiring to go into photography. I have a course set up and ready to go with NYIP (amazing Christmas gift from FH!), but I'm waiting for this baby to arrive and things calm down a little before I really get rolling. I am fully aware of how expensive this hobby can be and so I have been busying myself with preparing for my future with the camera. I have fallen in love with so many of the gorgeous props out there, but with where we are right now in our life, I cannot be forking out any money on all these fun things. However, I decided to get inspired instead!

{I do want to stress that I DO NOT think that the majority of props being sold are over priced (maybe some...but mostly not!) it is simply that I cannot personally afford them at this stage in our life, with 4 children. These items take a lot of time, talent, tools and raw materials. It is often WAHM's making them and so they are juggling their family time etc to make the best quality products possible to send to your door! So they are worth the money and I would love to order lots of the beautiful things made by hugely talented people that I see out there on the www, and one day I will...but for now, I try to figure out an inexpensive way to create something that would work in a similar fashion. If you have the resources, then I strongly urge you to look for local crafters or turn to sites like Etsy, or even Facebook has become a great network for crafters, and support their hard work.} ---Needless to say I will be offering these on The Contrary Fairy in the next few weeks in order specific colours. Let me know if you're interested in this particular style.

Ok..so onto the tutorial. Please keep in mind this is ONLY to be used as a prop! It is NOT a blanket, and must NEVER be used as such. It must always be used under adult supervision.
I have seen these fringe blankets in alsorts of styles and desperately trawled the internet for a {free} tutorial, but alas....no such luck. I would have to put my brain to use *sigh*.

I studied out a bunch of different blankets and decided which one would work best for my needs. I have seen some beautiful crocheted and weaved versions, but so far, I am not that blessed in the talent department that those would be in my repertoire. I am hoping to use this placed inside a basket/bowl so the center wasn't as important to me to look fabulous. I decided simple would be my best bet.

I went to JoAnns (check out their new mobile app for coupons here ....so cool!) and put together a bunch of yarns that I felt blended well together and would be gender neutral. I had an AWESOME coupon (25% off my ENTIRE order~ thank you to my Sister-in-law Lacey!) then a 40% off my most expensive item coupon and on top of that my yarn was all 50% off...wowza, what a deal!!
I came home and looked around for something to wrap my yarn around that would help me make the fringe the right length for my personal needs. I looked at my chairs first but they are curved and I didn't want to fight with the varying width and then *BAM* it hit me! The kiddos slide!! (Yes...we, along with a few of my girlfriends I have just seen on facebook, keep a slide in our front rooms for the littles...if you let them and want them to be happy, then children have somewhat of an influence on your decor sooner than later!)

So that is how the idea was born. Let's finally get going....

My beautiful stack of gender neutral yarns. Lots of different textures!
I would have liked a few more, but this was the best I could do in my time limits.

*Insert angelic music here*...the prop that inspired my blanket making method. I love how the sun was beaming through the window as I took this picture, further backing up how thrilled I was to think of this. I couldn't help but study out the design and how else this piece of would-be eye sore could be a God send to me. With all the parts on it, it is literally a crafters heaven...the babies may have to watch out how many times Mummy has this baby "Out of order"!

I decided to just get wrapping. I didn't tie any knots, just tucked the end in and started wrapping. We stuck a movie on which ended up being AWESOME. If you haven't seen Next Three Days then ohmigosh go get it! Soooo good.Watch the trailer HERE. As a bonus, it was set in our fave American city...Pitt!(oh and girls...LOTS of eye candy too, which in my opinion always helps when being forced to watch a guy movie.... ;)}Anyways....side tracking. Back to the task in hand.

Keeeeeeep wrapping....don't pull too tight but make sure it is nice and firm.

I decided, to keep my blanket looking haphazard, that I would interchange the yarn according to colours and textures. So keep a feel for what looks right with your yarn choices, and change when you feel is right.(Isn't this next texture gorgeous. I can't wait to see all these colours etc under my actual lighting set up and with my backdrops etc...delish!)

Keeeeeep going.....don't forget to change the yarn!

Ok...so here's the important part. Ideally you want something to wrap on that allows you to have space either side of the yarn, as it makes this whole step a LOT easier. If you don't have that luxury, then keep in mind not wrapping too tight, as you will have a really hard time getting behind the yarn in this step. If you don't have this convenient kiddy slide in your front room, then a chair would work great as you can fish your fingers between the slats etc.

I used a weaving technique. I knotted the first few pieces together to make sure I had a good grip on the end. Then started a long weave (maybe 2") and wove back and forth twice. I pulled slightly to keep it nice and firm.

I then wrapped around my weave in about 1cm gaps all the way up,
and then criss-crossed back down. This method was the best/easiest way
to create a solid immovable NO SEW way to create this blanket.

Once you have done all the weaving part, tie a couple knots at the end
to make sure that it is completely secure and will not unravel.

Set up your crafting tool so that you can get to the backside of your yarn(that meant flipping the slide upside down for me.)

Then {bravely} take your scissors on the backside of where you had been
working up till now,  and snip, snip SNIP...allll the way.
It feels scary as you've just spent FOREVER wrapping and you don't want to mess up all your hard work.But I promise...if you've followed my instructions, you are completely safe and this should be the exciting part :) Relax. You're almost done!
{Fabulous *new* fabric cutting scissors are not necessary,but strongly encouraged...just because.}



Remove (or try not to let drop to the floor) your blanket!!
Now sit back admire your handiwork.
I cannot wait to get this in the studio and show off the colours in all their glory. I am currently working on my biggest masterpiece of all to go with this prop, and he has a due date of April 29th...so until then, these pics will have to do!
I can 100% guarantee the next pics you see are going to top trumps these ones, you won't want to miss them ;)

This is my laundry basket, so please so not be alarmed at the huge basket
I have modeled this on. It is simply to show the finished product. 


Try to keep this prop draped over something at all times to avoid any tangling.If you need to wash it (which I strongly suggest doing every so often as it could be a potential germ trap!) then hand wash in a very gentle detergent and lay flat to dry.

{Please remember my warnings, and never leave a child unattended with this prop, and NEVER use it as anything other than a photography prop.}

If you want to see these props in action, then simply visit www.etsy.com and search for fringe blankets. You will see a whole lot of adorableness that I hope to recreate with our very own little newborn in just over a month.
You may understand my obsession when you see all this cuteness displayed! There are endless possibilities to work with various colours and different vessels. Let your imagination run girls....and don't forget to share your ideas!!

Ok...i'm done..it is past midnight here and I need my bed. I'll give you a sneak peek at what you have to look forward to for the rest of the week, not neccessarily in this order:
old t-shirt revamp scarf
Paper bag wreath (it's beautiful, don't panic!)
Nursing cover
Crochet challenge! BEGINNERS

Finally...Bon Nuit mon cheris! Je suis tres fatigues, and I WANT MY BED! ~xoxo

Weathering the storm....

2011-03-24T15:24:00.003-04:00

When the going gets tough, the tough get's going.....(and drinks some calming herbal tea)

{the nail/mug coordination was purely coincidental and in no way planned.
I am A: not THAT organised and B:fabulous}

To say it has been a rough day is to put it mildly. I'm wishing I had my Dr. Stuarts tea (Ah.may.zing.) but for now this will do. To calm my nerves I have been doing the 2
things I know are most reliable:

Sipping on my herbal tea (Dr Stuarts preferably)

AND

Praying.

I'll report back to let y'all know if either worked.
It's just been one of those days.
(Disclaimer: I am so grateful for all our current blessings but will never claim to be perfect, and will openly admit that
it is MY weakness to let bad days happen...but it's ok, we all have them but since this blog is MY space that
gives me license to openly whinge and whine all I like about irrelevant nonsense.
I will however promise I am praying for strength to be better and not praying to complain.
I have too many blessings in this life to complain...it is amazing how a beautiful, healthy family can help put things in perspective.
But seriously....when you ARE having a human moment of weakness...try the 2 above mentioned things...I guarantee them. ;)

Weekend tutorial teaser...mwahaha!

2011-03-23T22:59:00.005-04:00

Ok, heads up to you girls. Tutorial coming *this weekend* for a cute accessory scarf made from, wait for it..... your old t-shirts! Hurah!! Most probably a craft you can do all without having to take a trip to the store. BONUS!! It is so super cute and worth checking back for. I will be starting on it Saturday morning and then depending on all the kiddo's behavior and nap times we should be up and running by after lunch so you can get your craft on too :)

For now I will leave you with a few pics of some cute creations from this evening, if you're not already a fan on my Facebook page, please go ahead and click "like" to show your support :) I appreciate you bucket loads!!

{Green Goddess Headband 1yr+}

{Crimson crystal 0-1yr}

Don't forget to stop by HERE and show some love. Comments are SOOO welcome. They make me think that people are actually coming to have a peek and liking what they see. Don't worry, by "liking" something, you're not commiting to buying. It's just nice to have a little love! I will be dong a giveaway in the next week or so, so keep a look out for this if that tickles your fancy too!

Anyways....i'm exhausted and must waddle me and my fat pregnant butt to bed so i'm all bright eyes and bushy tailed to prep for the deliciousness that is the old t-shirt scarf (don't tell FH i'm doing this, as he maaayyyy be the one who is missing some shirts...perhaps...)

Bon Soir!

The Contrary Fairy re-launch...

2011-03-21T09:39:00.005-04:00

Good Morning!! So...we have some progress with The Contrary Fairy website, but we're not there just yet. I have refreshed my facebook page to give you all a sneak peak into what's coming on the website. Just wanted to post the link today so you can have a little look-see!

How about a couple pics of what's for sale to entice you over there?? ;)

I designed a whole new logo too...what do you all think? (click on the logo to take you to the page!)

Or please click HERE and then pleeeeeaaaaase "Like" the page to show me some love! Comments are always welcome too :)

Happy St. Patty's Day ~ now let's get crafting!

2011-03-17T17:10:00.007-04:00

I hope you all are having a wonderfully GREEN day and enjoying a few family traditions. I know it's not a "big deal" holiday for most, but come on, making all your food green and pinching unsuspecting people ;) {TIP: Never remind anyone to wear green today- you give up your chance of getting to pinch them!!}
Well I did do a little festive crafting to celebrate. It is just a basic boutique style bow, but I did manage to get a little tut. in for y'all that literally takes minutes to make, so it's fab for even just that reason! ;) I didn't want to make anything to St. Patty's themed as it's kind of useless after today, so I just stuck with a festive colour and made something more helpful for once the day is over. Ok? Plus, once you have the basics down for making a basic boutique bow your options are endless. I have made some extremely fancy looking bows in the past and it all stems from learning what comes first. So, even though it may all seem very simple for now, you're actually opening up all sorts of ideas by trying out one of these! Hurah!

Here goes you're tutorial for the basic boutique bow: {Please note: If you add any embellishments to your design keep in mind they can be choking hazards and so you should never leave any bow or accessory on a child that is unattended.}

Take a strip of ribbon. I chose to cut it 28" for a 4" boutique bow. Heat seal the ends with a regular lighter. (Be sure not to leave the flame on for too long or it will catch fire!)

Fold in half and squeeze the halfway point to leave a slight indent for a reference point.

Create a "figure 8"shape with the ribbon and pin to hold in position. I keep about 2" overlap of ribbon past the center point on both sides. (does this make sense? It sounds confusing but I promise it's not. Just study the pic!)

Bend in each loop again, remove previous pin and re-pin in place.

Take a needle and thread and sew through the center. Pull tight and wrap the thread around a few times and knot securely. Make sure you really make this part solid. You don't want it unraveling!
Nearly done... all you need now is a cute center piece! You can either tie a thin piece of ribbon around the middle to keep it all fabric, add a button, or gem (like mine!)...options are endless of course! I adore anything vintage right now too. So keep a look out at thrift stores or antique sales for little vintage embellisments that could be used in crafting. Remember you can take things apart to use seperately in lots of projects!

All done!! Well done you! See, that wasn't hard was it?? No more spending $5 at a drug store buying poorly made bows. If you still can't figure out how to make them, or they just never turn out the way you like then my suggestion is to find a crafter to make you one. If you're going to spend any money on one it's much better to invest in a home crafter who takes pride in their work and puts heart into what they do. I know that every bow I make has been individually designed, I've taken every caution to make sure each one is made with quality and love. I would never sell anything that I wouldn't put on my own daughter, and I know this is true for the majority of crafters out there. A fabulous stop for all things homemade is Etsy. I will be putting my own store back up on there in the very near future, so you can look out for me soon too! :)

I couldn't resist making a couple other little pieces while I had my needle and thread out {Plus, it's always nice to make yourself something new to add to your own accessory box that doesn't have to come out of this months grocery store budget!} Please feel free to take inspiration from these pieces and make your own versions. I will happily help anyone with "how to" questions. They were both so simple to make. I adore adding feathers to accessories right now...a little bit of frou-frou goes a long way :) So whenever you see a new bit of "fluffiness" at the craft store on sale, my advice, GRAB IT! You never know when it will be the perfect accent to a piece you make. You can never have too much in my opinion.

Ok...enough crafty talk for today...enjoy the tut. and remember to keep me posted on anything you get to make too :) Happy St. Patty's Day! Now go and make some green crepes with green grapes and green jello!! ~xoxo

Crayon roll...perfect for toting scribblers around neatly!

2011-03-16T13:21:00.005-04:00

I made this awesome little number this morning and HAD to share since it was so successful. Sorry, no tut. but if enough requests show up in my inbox I will definitely consider it!
I created it because of FD being our little crayon critter. She just adores art and we'll find her sketching with anything she can get her hands on. Sundays are her real quiet time to draw with no boys interrupting her. When we sit through sacrament at church she will have a note pad on her lap to scribble in and will be juggling a carton of crayons. I had seen these in lots of different designs around the place and thought how perfect they would be to throw in a diaper bag for Church, Dr's offices etc etc..but they seemed SO expensive for what they were. I figured I'd most likely have enough scrappy material hanging about to make one and that it can't be TOO hard. My pattern worked out really well. The hardest part was figuring out the placement of the individual pockets for each crayon, but I think I eye-balled it pretty well, lol. After LOTS of pencil marks and getting to the end and realising it was wrong AGAIN, I just figured I would freehand it....as life goes, of course that's how it worked best, haha! They all ended up just over 1" wide and there were 20 spots for crayons. Perfect.
Well here's the finished product. She fell in love with it {to the point of throwing a MASSIVE tantrum when I took it off her to eat lunch...of course the package from Nanma that arrived in impeccable timing seemed to diffuse that tantrum somewhat}
Let me know what you think :)

Cutesy camera strap cover

2011-03-15T19:53:00.007-04:00

This is such a cute {easy} project for anyone who has a heavy, cumberson DSLR camera! Let me tell you first that there are lots and lots of versions of there circling blog world and i'm not claiming to have the perfect/best tut. at all! Keep in mind i'm not a seamstress and am learning everytime I put my foot on that pedal, so these are just for fun and not too technical yet. {remember anything in RED can be clicked on and will take you to a relevant link that I added for you :) }

I chose to use a flannel and minky fabric for softness around my neck but you can really choose whatever materials you like. Keep in mind when sewing what fabric you are using though when it comes to stitch type and stretch etc. My camera (Canon 60D *swooooon*) is FABULOUS, but at 26.6 oz it's also pretty heavy, so that signature Canon strap can get a bit itchy scratchy on my neck after carrying it around for a while. The other bonus? It looks totally cute! There seems to be a whole lot of cameras floating about and so why not create something to add a little pizazz!

So have I convinced you that you need one yet?
Ok....let's go!

You will need:

2 strips of fabric measuring 2 3/4"wide and 27" long. (this may seem a little long but you will see we double over the ends so it ends up being perfect!)
and...A sewing machine! That's all! (a super cheap project...HURAH!)
{depending on your fabric choice you may choose to make the extra step of adding a little batting to keep it soft. Since I used minky fabric I already had quite a cushy feel so there was no need for anything extra. If you want to then just add the batting as an extra layer when you are sewing it all together. A fleecey heat & bond type interfacing is perfect for this as it will be much easier to work with. An example of this is found here)

Place the 2 strips facing eachother and pin.

Sew one side about 1/4" in and then cut off the excess so there is no bulk
when you turn it inside out. Flatten out the two sewn together pieces and iron
to make the next steps easier.

Next, fold the ends over 1" TWICE (so collectively 2" will be lost)
to create a nice edge appearance and hide the seam.
Sew a few lines of straight stick, or use a cute decorative stitch like I did,
along with a straight stitch to make sure it remains a nice and strong edge.

I was trying this pretty new stitch so I apologize for the awful lack of neatness.

Repeat this for both ends and then sew the other side together with a straight stitch.
(remember to trim)

Once finished, turn in the correct way and tadaaaaa! You are all done!
All you need to do now is slip on over your current strap and
I guarantee you will notice a difference in comfort (and maybe feel a little snazzier)!

I hope this all made sense. It has been a l-o-n-g day and I desperately tried to make sure
I got this done for you today as promised, so it was a slight
rush for me (I am also dealing with pain from my hydronephrosis which I MUST
write about soon, in case anyone else has found themselves suffering from this too.)
I'm just pleased to have got it up for you! Enjoy, and please PLEASE pass-along
anything you get to make....I would LOVE to see :)

Spring=Playing outside again!

2011-03-14T23:25:00.006-04:00

We had SUCH a {fun} day today! Thank YOU Mr. Sunshine for shining enough today that we could GO OUTSIDE :) I got to snap some delicious pictures of our beautiful children and I wanted to share. For my facebook friends~I apologise for the premature announcement of my camera strap tutorial. I had all intentions to post it today, but due to hospital appointments and spontaneous park trips, I had to postpone. Our {family} time is precious and so we'll take whatever we can get ♥. It will be up tomorrow...and for those snap happy {amateur} photogs like me it's DEF one to have a go at!

For now...enjoy the {over-indulgent} pics of my children. FD as you will see was SO shy when I was trying to paparazzi her. She would NOT look at me and kept waving me off, so for now we just have a lot of candid not looking at the camera shots of her. I suppose her bashfulness is something I adore about her sweet personality though, so I shan't complain.

We are SO blessed to have such healthy happy children. I just love them all SO much
{and my amazingly supportive, not to mention HANDSOME husband ♥}
Bring on more Spring days where we can play outside together.

~xoxo~

Grape Juice on our carpet!? Nooooo!

2011-03-09T20:23:00.006-05:00

I'm so sorry to have not been on lately! I am trying to catch up after a really wild week where being a family of 5 really shows it's true colours... ;) We were all sick in one way or another and it felt like I didn't get a spare moment to myself at all. One perk of the week was a great tip I learned after a RED grape juice on the WHITE carpet incident (sickness is the least of my troubles at many points of the day) and I wanted to get on here and share real quick while I'm catching up on emails and bloggyness. I'll admit..being a bloggy Mummy is hard when you have lots of little ones, but it's a challenge and I love the constant support that i'm getting.
So....drum rolllllll please....here is my tip (my FIL will be so pleased that i'm using one of his most loved products that he swears by):

If you have an incident where perhaps, you're little angelic 1yr old may or may not have stolen Daddy's glass of grape juice and may or may not have sprinkled it all over the white carpet!!!!! Well DON'T PANIC. I have a solution for you.
As soon as the spillage happens grab a wad of kitchen towels and take it to the floor. Blot up as much as you can to begin with and watch the colour drain a fair bit.
Then make up a little bowl of 1/2 cup carpet cleaner (or a squirt of dawn) and then add 1/2.cup of hydrogen peroxide.
Stir this together and then take a rag to the spot and slowly work the stain out with the rag.It seriously worked so awesomely. Like the stain was never there in the first place. We've had to reuse that combo at least 3 times this week in and around the house and every time I feel the same thrill I felt the first time when realised I was successful! It's a heck of a lot cheaper than getting the professionals or buy the equipment.
Anyways....next stain that you have....just remember: Don't panic, It only makes it worse...you'll jump up in a panic and want to just scrub, but you must resist!!! Just follow those rules.

Our stain has completely vanished! Phew! Now to do the rest of the house...hahaha!
Well, I just wanted to share this tip to those who hadn't seen/heard of it before.

I will be back on with a great post tomorrow, hang tight to my followers. I have SO much to show you all and things are coming together so I just need to snap some pics and get the tuts. writen up. Who has some more tips? I'm going to be have a Tuesday Tips section on the blog, so anyone wanting to participate, please let me know! Tips can be from house cleaning, gardening tips for Spring, toddler training, photography, craft tips etc etc... I just love hearing from anyone and everyone. I would be having you be a guest poster for the day. So please let me know!!! I'd love to hear from you all.

Looking forward to the excited things to follow....stay with me! :)

Onesie tutorial, as promised...

2011-03-03T15:09:00.006-05:00

Here is the tutorial as promised. It is pretty straight forward and to the point as I had 3 sick/ sickening little ones under my feet so I couldn't take too much time (and I apologise prefusely for the lack of ironing...those are some serious creases, ick!)

For this project you will need:

A onesie appropriately sized for whoever you are making this for. (I used newborn)
A cut out piece of fabric in any shape you desire. I chose something different from the bird I originally cut out just to change things up a bit. Don't worry about making it perfect as I think that is part of the charm of this cute little project.
A strip for your rosette you will be making. I like to fray the edges just to give a little pizazz. Leave them straight if you prefer the cleaner look.
Teeny tiny pearl beads (or whatevver kind of bead goes with the fabric you've chosen)
Embroidery thread, cotton and needles.
1/4 inch wide elastic fit to whatever size you need. I suggest measuring the head of whoever you are making this for.

Pin your shape onto the onesie and then sew chunky (I doubled the thread) stitches around it. I like it looking a little more hap-hazard than perfect so don't worry too much about the exact distance between etc.

I wrapped the fabric round itself and as I went added stitches to keep it all together. Google a rosette tutorial if you need one, but I kind of like to find my own rythmn with things like this as we all work a little differently. The frayed edges give you a little wiggle room to get it looking the right shape in my opinion.

Add the pearls/beads and sew onto the elastic. I like a little cluster, or you could use a bigger size and just use one. I didn't have any but I will be reinforicing with Liquid stitch. I think it's nice to double up with things for babies as they get pulled and tugged on.

See, how easy was that?? You look at something like this and think WOAH, i'd never have time! Yes you do!! If I can at 7 months pregnant with 3 children under 3 then so can you. :) I really dumbed this down too as there's lots of things I do differently when selling these in the way of backing the sewn on fabric so it doesn't pull etc, the liquid stitch stage etc etc. but I wanted to make this something that would be simple to follow for busy Mama's. Oh, but do remember to wash everything before you start so no shrinking happens...with the combo of the two types of fabric, without washing it first you could have a real mess. I also suggest if you follow this tutorial and skip the backing part etc, then try to just hand wash this little onesie as I would worry the stitches (and beads if you added them like I did with the previous bird design) wouldn't hold up to a washing machine.

Ok...well if any of y'all make one PLEASE share it! I'd love to see finished items.

I had one more question. At the top of my blog is a "Contact me" tab, click on this and let me know if any of you would be interested on doing a mini link-up party where we would share our blogs and a craft/exciting blog we have written that week. It would just be to get us reading one anothers blogs and sharing out talents. I love to see tutorials of things, and seeing others ways of teaching us to do clever things. Homemade gifts or home decor is so much more fabulous that store bought, right? So pleeeeease take a moment and email me your thoughts. Please???

I LOVE seeing comments on here, and know for a fact there's lots of you who visit me but not many who comment and i'd love to hear from you all. I promise I won't accuse you of stalking.... ;) I can guarentee i'm a worse stalker. I also love getting followers so I can go and find your blog and follow and support you too, so consider clicking on the follow button...it really only takes like 30seconds!

I'm off to primp for my date now...who knows, maybe we'll actually get to a restaurant tonight instead of having to go grocery shopping or get baby supplies... Fingers crossed.

{Linked to Craft eNYy with this tutorial. Click here to see this cute blog!}

A very tweet onsie ♥

2011-03-02T21:48:00.007-05:00

{Twitter in Pink}
This is an adorable NB onesie with matching headband with pearl accents.

This is just a teaser as the tutorial will be put up tomorrow for all you to snag if you want it!

I had a few moments to get my craft on this afternoon and after chatting to my friend who shall remain nameless, I got inspired to design a girly onesie and matching accessory. I only had just over an hour to pull this one off, so these are what I came up with.

I am OBSESSED with these birds that are all over right now, with their dainty little beaks, and sweet little feet! (So obsessed in fact it is my new baby's nursery theme...but that's a whole other post!!) I used pearl style beads to accent the headband and played it in with a cute subtle pearl eye on the twitter bird . I hand sewed all the pieces to this as I love that vintagey soft imperfect stich for some things. I will also be doing a few more with neater, cleaner pristine feel to them with the sewing machine if you're not a fan of the hand stitched look. The tutorial for the vintage bird one will be up in the next day or so, so keep a look out for that if you're interested in making one too! (Or of course, I sell them, just contact me for info on any of my products, while my site is still under construction I work through email contact as far as ordering goes, and am very happy to hear from you and see if I can produce whatever it is that you are interested in. I'm open to lots of new ideas, fabrics and techniques so keep me on my toes )

I hope you like this little creation..I fell in love with it, and am now stuck with what to do with it since i'm 90% having a boy (???) I'm not sure my FH would be to thrilled if I stuck that pink headband on him...lol.

I hope if any of you manage to make one, then link back to here so we can see them all! I love seeing new designs/ideas.

~ xoxo

Steal away with strawberrys...

2011-02-28T22:00:00.000-05:00

I seriously have the BESTEST man there is out there! Sorry ladies....it's true. There isn't a thing he wouldn't do for me and I appreciate him for all he does for us. Right now he is snowed under with a lot of work for school and work in town. He really is a trooper, specially in the way of helping me out with the children too. We are most definitely a team and work together with everything. Even our individual school work we make sure one another knows where we're at and how we can help. It's so important to support spouses in my opinion. When FH was ready to finish his school, I was right behind him and ready to read up on anything I needed to know that might help. He has been the same with me, including enrolling me in the New York institute of photography because he knew my confidence needed a boost and I loved that he took that leap of faith for me to show me that he believed I COULD do it.
As a family, we've made goals, some we have already met, others we're still working on and that's ok. Never set a time limit on the goals you know you need to be a little more lenient with. Just keep them in the forefront of your minds and talk through them. Goals make you grow together.
Ok..so that's my little inspired spiel for today. Stick by one another, support one another and help each other be the person they always dreamed of becoming then there will be no bitterness or regret that can be traced back to bad decisions as a couple. Why wouldn't you want the best for each other?
FH and I have had lots going on just lately and have felt pretty stressed, but we know what helps us! So tonight we had Martinellis on ice, and a bingey caloric dessert ready for us to munch on in front of the Bachelor! and BOY did we binge!!!
It consisted of 2 cream cheese streusel muffins *to.die.for* cut up punnet of strawbs and of course extra creamy Cool Whip! An easy one to whip up and a definite mood lifter at that! I highly reccommend.... It's also one good to take upstairs with you for any of you ladies looking for ideas like that ;) I'll leave it there! If I had a biiiig bath i'd totally be hitting it up with my snacks!..FH might get an invite too I suppose, haha.
well i'll leave you with some pics I snapped real quick before I shoveled it down me despite them being a little overexposed due to light problems that I was too tired to fix ;) I figure you'll get the picture anyways...
I dare you to go to your fridge, check out the contents and see what romantic snack you can whip up between you (or as a surprise) and have a spontaneous living room picnic and just chit chat about when you first met and goofy memories. I guarantee you by the end of it you'll be giggling like high school kids and in high spirits. It's enough to give you that mid-week boost we sometimes need as couples. Remember each other, that's the bottom line. Put your spouse first, and they'll do the same for you and I know you'll find yourselves getting along a lot better. Not sure why I felt so inspired to write this. I just felt really grateful for my supportive guy and wanted him to know I notice every little thing he does for me and I hope vice versa. I also want him to know that these rare stolen moments we get just us are etched into my memory because they're some of my faves. (even as I type I have a little Croupy girl laid out on my lap She just missed the strawbs and cream...phew!) So these moments are precious when it's just you two.... make time for them and set rules to keep them being no work, no stress moments. Just the two of you. Good luck and let me know if anyone found time to do something similar this week. ;) xoxo

The best type of black & white picture....

2011-02-24T15:46:00.006-05:00

We had an ultrasound yesterday :)
Our little boy is growing extremely well and look SO cute it's unreal. It's the first appointment where it's felt real. Isn't it so bizarre how much we can fall in love a black and white image on a screen wriggling around? Our lovely u/s tech as usual printed out a stack of pics for us to take home and stick in the bump journal.

Do you see his face? He kept swallowing so we would watch his little mouth open and close like he was sucking. I'm thinking he'll be a paci boy, just like his brother FS2! He actually had the same little nose, chin and cheeks as him too. I know that sounds silly that I saw that in a grainy u/s, but I swear, both Clyde and I thought the same thing...and we're the parents, so we're allowed to be overindulgent and say things like that ;)
I cannot get enough baby feet!! Look at that pure cuteness. Trust me, he puts his kickers to use in my belly. I'm kicked multiple times a day and made to feel like i'm going to pee myself with about 70% of those kicks! lol. Oh the joys!

I love this shot! It's from under his chin, looking up his little nostrils. How cute! His little snubby nose.
Needless to say all the pics are ready to be stuck in the journal and my {and Daddys} thoughts to be written down. Trust me...I need to write these things down, not much stays in my head these days...the whole losing brain cells thing during childbirth is SO true.

This was an hour I had when the babies went down for a nap. Bliss. ME TIME. {the cup is frm Joanns but you can buy them all over the place (amazon.com too) it is Copco brand, and I adore it. They do reusable hot drink/coffee cups too...I never have mine more than a few feet from me!

Thanks for letting me share these things with y'all. I'm so overwhelmed with happy feelings for this little baby right now, thank goodness I can gush on here :)

A blessing worth every trial....pics!

2011-02-23T21:34:00.009-05:00

Well...despite every effort to get my blogger to work....no such luck. I hate to go ahead and post anyways, but I think, as opposed to it being a permanent problem, it's more of a "glitch" and one of those moments where you really want something to work and as a result...it doesn't. Everything is in place like it should be, but a error message keeps recurring, so I though, SOD IT! Haha. I'm not claiming this as a "photography blog"...(*sigh* one day when I get to really sit down and knuckle down into my new camera I will add photography to be one of the perks of this blog) but for now...it's more just fun moments I manage to capture in our hectic life. So screen shots of my edited pictures are all I can get you today~ and i'm pleased for at least that, since I wanted to throw my computer out of the window for causing all this dramarama.

I have a whole other blog post to write, but since it's so off topic of this particular post, I'm going to keep them separate and just let this be pictures of some of the cutest little bubbies I know! (oh, and a few big people too...who are no way near as cute, but we still love them :)

FS was basically just interested in all the new toys...he also liked his new friend
Sierra, who is the same age as him. He totally thought she was cute ;)

This little pickle spent most of his time running from Mama into
other rooms and finding treasures like a hairdryer...I love this "Busted" pic!!

FD was thrilled to meet her cousin and loved giving kisses!

{Silly Daddy}

{Feeling a little overwhelmed at having to be so gentle, but he got it in the end}

{My big bro and his 3rd baby. Our gorge niece is #1 of course, closely followed
by Henry their dachshund and then the Nikon... ;) }

{Here she is!...she has the most beautiful big brown eyes you ever saw}

{She was the perfect model and only right at the end did
Auntie Jess push her too far...sorry little one!}

{Cousins comparing feet ♥}

{Quality time with her Uncle}

{A very proud Mommy}

{An even prouder Auntie!}

We had such a lovely time with our family. It was a fab weekend spent with even fabber people! We wish we lived closer so we could raise our families together, but we appreciate these precious times we do get to have with one another.
Our niece is the most beautiful little girl, and was given such a special and perfect blessing by her Daddy. I know she will live up to everything she was blessed with and more. She is going to be adored ♥. Thank you to my brother and his wife (and her lovely family) for letting us share in this with them. It was awesome. xoxo

A few teaser pics...xoxo

2011-02-22T22:44:00.006-05:00

Oh no! Blogger is not working for me! I can't upload all my cute new edited pics :( Boooo.....
I will have to try again tomorrow to get everything uploaded.
I spent so long trying to fix this problem and achieved...NADA. I'm exhausted after our day, so just keep an eye out tomorrow as I WIIILLLLLL have it done. Anyone with mad photoshop skills? I'm learning but am sometimes SO overwhelmed with all the dramarama involved with using it. I'd love to hear/have some support from anyone who's willing to throw some advice in my direction!
I must get to bed, but I will try, one last time to upload at least a couple pics so you can meet our darling little niece.

Ahhhaaaaa...SUCCESS. But only with a few and they are just screen shots of my edits, because I couldn't upload the original. So in short the quality is pretty crappy...but i'm sure for now, you will all love these pics. Please don't think these were lighted portraits or planned photography. They were snap shots of the families together as it was all a big rush and no time to organise a shoot. Maybe one day though :( For now, please enjoy a few snaps of our family and see how amazingly cute this little peanut is! We just ADORE her. She chit chatted to Clyde loads and loved laying in his hands. They def got to bond together. Cuteness. I love these pics of the 2 of them ♥

A weekend not for the feint of heart....

2011-02-22T15:06:00.002-05:00

Arrrggghhh!! What a week{never}end! ;) We went to visit with my brother, his wife and new baby in Maryland. Their little daughter was being blessed so we decided the 5 hour trip (with 3 children under 2yrs) was a definite must! In the process we had multiple toddler melt downs, ran out of diapers (twice), ran out of formula (just once), missed naps and heard about it...ALOT, gained an extra person in our bed (how do little girls wrap you so easily around their little fingers), a chihuahua who dug so hard in his crate, who knows what for, with his nose that it got a sore on it and bled all in his bed, I had intermittent contractions the entire weekend and then finally, on the way home we got forced off the road by dreadful snow, with resulted in us spending an unplanned night in a PA hotel. It really was a challenge and thoroughly exhausting...but every bit worth getting to see family and enjoy their company. I will most definitely expand on all this later.
I, needless to say am now currently trying to catch up with everything needed to be done in the house before I sit down to edit some pictures of my adorable new niece and her lovely Mummy & Daddy and then I promise I will get a post up for y'all. I have lots to share.
This week was going to be a little manic for me with everything going on but this is where things calm down and I can get working on content for this blog.
Things are mostly near finito as far as the blog design process goes for a while. I will go into depth with all that hullaballoo later so keep eyes peeled for those posts too.
Well, everything is unpacked and put away now, but I need to get a few loads of laundry done. Joy! But, aren't you always so pleased when you've taken the extra moment to clean before you leave on vaca?? We came home, super stressed, with grumpy children, after a lonnnngg drive, but it was lovely and clean, no dishes to be done, clean beds and vacuumed carpets etc. Bliss. I would always ALWAYS encourage to tidy up and clean before you leave for a holiday! I can't imagine having to clean when we got back with how tired I feel. I'm also having BH contractions (which I'm timing now since they haven't seemed to have calmed down....hopefully they do!! I'm not too worried as I know I have over-worked this weekend so it's probably just my body complaining)
So for now, until this evening, I bid you adieu! I'm excited to get this next post up, so watch out. Too many CUTENESS pics of bonding cousins to be seen ;)

Sit tight

2011-02-17T20:04:00.003-05:00

I'm coding my blogs template right now and changing to 3 columns...it is NO easy task, so please sit tight for me while I play around. I'm not a computer nerd in any way, shape or form. So it's kind of like learning a new language. I appreciate all your patience. I cannot believe all the FABULOUS places that I am getting blog visits from right now. My world map is filling up and i'm feeling very grateful to all the people supporting me! This new layout design will make the blog a lot easier to read and i'll be able to get started on the exciting new things I've been planning. My plans involve YOU, so keep checking back ;)

Let a little love in!

2011-02-14T15:39:00.003-05:00

What is up with all this Valentines hating nonsense??? This is my view and simply that, (and after seeing a friend post a status similar to how I'm feeling on her facebook, I felt it was justified)...we spend lots of days out of the year celebrating things. We celebrate spooky Halloween and I very rarely hear complaints about the hideous spending habits during THAT holiday, we celebrate Mothers day, Fathers Day, St. Patricks Day all of our individual religious holidays...but one that is to simply celebrate "love"...forget it! *gasp*
Yes, it is over the top. Yes, it can make you feel a bit rotten when you're single, but that won't last forever. Yes, some people are better romantics that you and WILL make you look bad if you stay bitter and make no effort. Yes, it is commercial...but what isn't? It is just a bit of fun. It is not meant to be taken so literally. I think things are what we make them. If you don't want to celebrate, then don't, but it is ok that lots of us enjoy the silliness of it all. I think we all have different traditions just like other holidays, and that makes it even more special for us.
I've enjoyed reading gushy, goofy statuses all day, and seeing pictures of little handmade gifts, or decorations...spesh the little ones who are loving the random day of fun! The twins have loved having a few treats today and trying to learn how to say "Be my Valentine". Clyde asked FD if she would be his Valentine when she woke up this morning and her reply was "Umm.....huh?.... ummm....ok, Yes" (well, more of a "Yeth" with her little lisp)...despite a slight tinge of jealousy that I lost my Valentine for the day, I nearly cried from the cuteness :)
I wrote a little note for each of our bubs and they loved reading them with me this morning. I am keeping them in their personal journals as I wrote in them the little things Daddy and I adore about them. I plan to do this every year and keep them all together. It will be fun to be reminded of all the silly things they did that made us melt over the years!
The argument that we shouldn't put aside just ONE day to say we love each other is just silly. Of course we shouldn't, but who does??? My family are constantly reminded how much I love them (ask them...they would probably agree and roll their eyes!) but I love making heart pancakes and putting confetti on the table, re-watching our wedding video and planning a carpet picnic.
Basically my thoughts are....RELAX. It's a holiday that is used to celebrate LOVE, don't let the negative side of yourself take over and be a party pooper. If you don't like it, don't celebrate it. If you hate the candy and gifts that are just "money makers"...don't buy them. It's not just for couples, it's for families (and pets) and anyone who can recognise LOVE.
If you don't normally celebrate, I dare you to do something sweet for someone who you think might appreciate it and see if you get a smile! I don't mean spend money...just do something selfless.
Happy Valentines Day!! Lots of LOVE to you all..from Our family to yours... xoxo

A delicious new couch!!

2011-02-12T22:13:00.006-05:00

I'm renovating..and it's NOT the blog for now! Phew!! I'm working on a post currently to show our plans for the living room flip that is about to go down tomorrow when we get done with church. We're having a painting party (well a party for 2...just me and FH but that's fun enough for me!), moving in the new sectional and giving a bit of flair here and there! So exciting. Stay tuned to see the before and after pics. Lots of tips too. I'll give you a teaser with the couch (made in USA, I might add. I feel strongly about this at the moment, since i've been noticing more and more how many things are MADE IN CHINA, and as much as I have nothing against China, I feel like USA is plenty capable of producing quality affordable items for ourselves..) and we have delicious teal blue and cream accent pillows. I can't wait to get started on this. Thank goodness for fabulous blogs that help keep these renovations cheap and chic. If any of y'all have suggestions, please, please pass them on to me, I seriously LOVE hearing opinions. Wait and see the pics when I'm done putting the couch in if you'd like and then hit me up with ideas/blog spots to check out. I won't be doing any accessories etc yet because I want to get a feel for the new room and decide what would best suit it. I hate making big decisions, and so I need to make sure I plan it out right...there is SO much out there to get inspired by. Etsy better watch out for me too!

{The sectional we chose. I cannot wait to pile everyone on and snuggle..BLISS}
{The softest scrummiest throw from Target, AND under $20...delish!}

We found 4 different design toss pillows, this is one. Lots of ruffles
and cute embroidered details..again from Target}

The couch is being picked up tomorrow when we get back from church and so we have lots to get done throughout the day. I promise to take lots of pics and journal the best bits- you KNOW there's going to be blooper moments with moments like this, right? Here's to hoping it is successful and at the very least that the couch arrives in one piece!
More is to arrive on the blog too, so stay posted for that! Things are moving slow, but they're moving at least, right? Stick with me....

These are a few of my favourite things...

2011-02-10T16:11:00.004-05:00

Still working on it y'all. Thanks for your patience. As you can see, things are starting to take shape, but are extremely time consuming. I have seriously not stopped working, other than to change diapers and entertain/feed little ones, believe it or not! There's a LOT of learning going on. But as a result, I can put up a few tutorial posts to help anyone else hoping to update your own blog. Keep in mind this is done from scratch, including using Photoshop, so you will need either PS or PS Elements to follow any tutorial I put up. I will leave you with the website I used to get these FABULOUS digital scrapbook kits now however, if you already have an idea how to do it and just want some fresh supplies. http://summertimedesigns.blogspot.com/ She is so talented. I also enjoy reading the blogs that go along with some of the kits. She is selfless and extremely sweet by doing these for FREE and often dedicating them to people/things that inspire her.

{For now, I wanted to leave a few things I adore at Valentines. Any excuse to
have a romantic weekend...right?? ;) Get planning girls!}

2011-02-09T21:26:00.004-05:00

Ok...so anyone who has a blog that is done by themselves, has SO MUCH respect from me! It is WILD how hard all these details are to figure out. I am learning a lot, but I am also a perfectionist, so this is going to take me a little while to perfect and make my "own", so PLEASE, stand by me! I will continue to work hard to get it done asap, so please, stay loyal and keep checking back. (Oh, and any words of encouragement would be fab. I love hearing from y'all! It makes me feel less like i'm talking to myself ;) )

Under Construction...

2011-02-09T16:13:00.002-05:00

For the latter part of today my blog is going to be up, down, round about etc etc. because we are going under some serious blogplasty!
Please be patient with me, it will be worth the wait. I'm learning how to do everything from scatch so it's trial and error right now. Writing HTML is an absolute riot, but i'm sticking with it..wish me luck!
Check back at the end of the day for an update and hopefully a new look. Lots of changes this week. I will be blogging about everything going on, so look out for that news-filled post too :)

Things to come...

2011-02-06T06:22:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to give y'all a quick update on the goings on of our home right now.
Clyde is suffering from an awful case of man flu, (all considering, i'm still lucky as, despite the dreadful cold he has, he does move from the couch and still help me and take care of the children etc.), I am STILL throwing up from this pregnancy. How wild is that? I'm 26 weeks and still sick!
However, on a different note, I have been trying to distract myself by keeping busy. I have made a good few ribbon tag comfort blankies with delicious fabrics, and bows etc. Can't wait to show you all. I needed to finally get somewhere to put these little things up before my FD starts feeling like she owns her very own boutique in her closet! :) So...officially, this week, my .com will be up for The Contrary Fairy. I'm building the website as we speak, and it's looking b-e-a-utiful! Keep a look out on the blog and I will announce when we finally get it all up and running. Until then, watch out for another blog post today. I have a tutorial on a Valentines wreath & decorative picture frames made with conversation hearts if I can get the pics up quick....they're so adorable!
But for now.......Being a Pitt Mummy, I have to say it,

{Let's go Steelers!}

Chupa chup cravings....

2011-02-04T15:02:00.003-05:00

I have had the SWEETEST tooth with this pregnancy, and I cannot get enough Chupa Chups! My lovely Mummy brought some over with her for me and i've been happily chomping on them ever since. The coke flavour is to die for! I may have to join Sugaholics Anon soon, my addiction is shameful...I've been going wild with not only these, but Jelly Babies, Dib Dabs, Fruitella, Nerds etc... the list goes on. This poor baby is going to be sticky when he comes out I think..if he's not already stuck ;)

~xoxo~

Ribbon tag blanket tutorial...adorable!

2011-02-03T21:13:00.007-05:00

Aren't these just the cutest little snuggly blankies for your little one?! We always loved to fiddle with the ribbon labels on the side of our teddies etc, and so this I thought would be a super cute alternative.
I have provided a rough tutorial for those who enjoy and have time to sew. But to those who just love the way they look and want one without the work, hang tight, I'm getting ready to get my little store back up, and I have a good little collection coming together, with boy patterns too :) Watch this space.

{Cut ribbon into strips, approx 4 1/2", ready to add to your snuggle blanket}

{Put together the fabrics, both facing eachother and a square of batting on the back side.
I chose approx 15"x15" square for this one}

{Between the two printed fabrics pin the folded ribbon strips and sandwich them facing
toward the center of the square. Keep each strip between 2~3" apart}

{Sew along the edge of fabrics, batting and securing the ribbon as you sew}

{This is what it will look like when you're done sewing around the edges.
The next step is to just leave a small gap in the last side, and turn the whole balnket
right side in, and then seal the last section up with a couple more strips of ribbon}

{Then...tadaaa! before I had time to press it. But cute huh? Not
too hard, and they make such a cute gift}

{A few of my blankies waiting to be pressed and sent to their new homes}

{Love this print and the minky feeling on the reverse side}

{Any fabric suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Or custom orders
I will happily fulfill! Just contact me at the top of my blog ;) }

Keep your eyes peeled for a video tutorial coming soon.....
~xoxo~

Save those stubby crayons...

2011-02-01T14:22:00.007-05:00

I adore this idea. My little girl is obsessed with colouring, and as a result we go through lots and lots of Crayola crayons. As soon as they get stumpy though we tend to have to buy new ones because sharpeners don't work so well and FD likes them sharp, to work best with.
SO... this is an idea we love, because there is no wasting good crayons!
I chose a mold that was suitable for the season of hearts, but you can use any mold you like! My advice would be to collect as many crayons are you can before you do this as the more wax you have, the more molds you can fill. It is quite laborious, so doing as many as you can at one time if definitely time-saving in my opinion.

To start, set your oven to 300 degrees in prep for melting!

I used my hubby for this part! Peeling crayons, we swear, used to be easier when we were children. lol. I couldn't get into a rhythm, so my hunny scored them all with a knive (I promise he was super careful, despite the dangerous looking pics!) and peeled them for me. As well as being an amazing hand model for me. ;)

He told me to mention to y'all that the orange and yellow were the hardest to peel. Strange, but true. The glue seemed a lot tougher on those two colours in comparison to the others.

This step depends on what you have as supplies. I wanted to make marble effect crayons in heart molds. So I melted in the silicone and then transferred the liquid into the plastic mold. If you have a silicone mold in the shape you want the finished product in, then snap the crayons directly into the mold. If you want multiple colours then snap in a few different crayons into the same mold. Either way works just as well. Silicone is the best as you can remove the wax SUPER easily because it bends, unlike metal tins. I can't imagine trying to clean out the metal tray after melting crayons in. So NO blaming me for ruined tins. ;)

After just 10 minutes in the oven the crayons were perfect consistency. Keep an eye on yours. All trays will be different with the timing and heat, so I don't want to give an exact number.

Baby spoons were a perfect size for doing small details, and the plastic was the easiest to clean.

Mix in glitter if you want a little extra something something in them. Then pour the wax into the molds to produce the effect that you want. I shook a little glitter on top too! It looks a little messy at first, but I scraped off any excess before it dried completely to keep them tidy looking.

Tadaaaa! After them chilling in the fridge for a little while I popped them out of the mold and they were perfect! So cute, and such a adorable little {inexpensive} gift for little ones on Valentines. My FD is going to adore them, especially all the "sparrrrkkkllleeeessssss"

They write perfectly too, so no worried that changing the shape of the crayon ruins the effect of them. They are just as easy to colour with and now have a cute little bit of glitter in them! Extra cuteness. ♥

Have fun recycling,
xoxo

10 things I LOVE about you....

2011-02-01T07:54:00.008-05:00

Apologies that I have been m.i.a just lately but we have had a crazy month and as a result my crafty times etc have been put on hold for a moment. But i'm thinking my personal life will be calming down here soon so please, any followers don't be discouraged by me!

I have 3 gorge crafts to show you, so I will put them up so as not to overwhelm. This was something I made for my FH on our 4 year anniversary!! Wild. Cannot believe it's been 4 years. (4 years and 4 children....wow) It was instead of a card and something to keep that we will most likely giggle at in years to come, and everything used in it I already had around the house, Extra bonus!{Happy 4 years baby}

All the crafts coming up are Valentines inspired because, this is one of my favourite holidays. Spesh since having a husband and children. (I remember it being less fun when I was single and bitter. lol) Hope you like them and get inspired to do something cute for your sweetheart.
I wanted to make sure you thought of your very own things, and sometimes seeing other peoples ideas gives you a bit of brain freeze to think up your own, so before I share ours I will leave that part out so you can think up your own. Have fun and be honest.
I'll post some of ours later today, so you can share in some of the best things
I love and appreciate about the man in our family's life!
This isn't something that everyone has to see, so keep it personal and fun! xoxo

{This is the finished project...and a quick tutorial below}

{Find something that can be used for the cover and back.
Cereal box, or a fridge pack from drinks etc, and paint over it}

{I like the extra layer and the shiny finish of Mod Podge}

{A good playlist is always a good companion to craft time.
"Grenade" is one of my faves right now!}

{Punch holes in each page for attaching it all later}

{Choose cardstock and matching papers to put together 10 pages.
I did a couple extra so I could fit in a couple more photos}

{Write in your 10 countdowns of what you "love" about that person,
and then add lots of cute little photos that relate to what you're saying}

{Create a simple front cover}

{Have fun doing random embellishments...no rules apply! I attached
the book together with lots of fun ribbon, but you can use metal rings too.
You could do sports themes, or vintage themes...let loose with your style
or His/her style, so it's really personal to you both}

{Voila! Better than a card and let's special someone know
10 wonderful things you LOVE about them! Fabulous}

I'll be checking back in v. v. soon with the next craft..
so watch this space xoxo

Who me?

2011-01-17T17:27:00.003-05:00

I was playing with the twins at the kitchen table when I suddenly thought, Brock had been pretty quiet for a few minutes. I looked into the living room and heard rustling coming from the stairs. He only has about 5 stairs he can climb before the baby gate stops him. But he had ventured up those five and fished his hand through the railings to where I keep my bag on the back of the sofa. He'd obviously had a good search through and found a ziploc bag with 2 cookies in. (Clyde had packed them for me during church as bizarrely {please believe me!!} they are something that really settle my tummy during this hideous pregnancy sickness! )
When I came around the corner his little face was just priceless. He looked totally busted, then cracked up giggling because of Mummy's shocked reaction.

{I love this little pickle.}

The contrary fairy...

2011-01-10T23:00:00.010-05:00

For any new followers I have, I had started a little business by the name of The Contrary Fairy and unfortunately I didn't get too much chance to get going on it as I realised I was pregnant a few weeks after I started and I, to say the least, got a little overwhelmed with everything going on and needed to reduce stress where I could.
Three children under 2 and one in the oven seemed a little too much to handle alongside school AND business.
However, I enjoyed making the products for it and certainly miss it. I wanted to share some of the cute infant/toddler/tween bows I was selling for a while for those who missed them. I def plan on getting back up with making them, I have some super cute felt bow holders coming out soon too. But mainly I just want to focus on helping you guys make them yourselves!
If there's anything that you see that you like, I of course do not mind selling things or custom making, but with my time allowance for these things, it's more of a hobby as opposed to a business.
{My photography is something I want to finish studying and then make into my home business. An office and studio in my home is my dream. So that comes first really}
I will post a few pics of the bows (which the photos for were pretty awful, but I didn't have my light box and beloved camera when I snapped these) and then in the next few days I will put together a couple video tutorials on how to make the big gorgeous boutique style bows so YOU can do them too. So watch out for my first video tutorials, even if it's just for a good laugh! :)

A lot of these "party style" infant/toddler bows are sold but I have plenty of ribbon, so if any of them take your fancy I would love to make a few in my spare time, so just message me and I will be happy to oblige. If you had specific ideas, then let me know too as I have a ton of cute ribbon hanging around. "Birthday girl", "Daddy's girl", "Mommy's girl", most sports and cheerleading style and holiday themes etc! My new style is more organic and earthy, with feathers and dark tulle. They are totally cute and can be worn by newborns up to Mummy too! :) So I will do 2 tutorials, one for the more party girl and another for the more neutral high fashion look ;)

I'm not ready to start up my shop again, but by all means I'm happy to produce a few special pieces for my blog "fans" ♥

{These were super popular. Covered wipees boxes to match
or look cute in your diaper bag! I love them!}

Keep in touch and make sure you FOLLOW ME ------>
I love to hear from all of you, so feel free to comment and assist
me into getting to know what it is you want to hear from me :)

I must get off to bed now...this Ducks game is dragging and
even my hubby is collapsed next to me, so I need to haul him to bed too!

Hope you enjoy seeing some of my crafts, they were fun to make,
and I appreciate the time I had to make them in the first place!
Let me know if there's any you fancy...it's no problem :)

~xoxo~

Love, laughter & Larsens

2012...catch up sesh.

Homemade baby/makeup removal wipes...IT WORKS!!

Nutella granola bespoke no-bakes.

A treasured keepsake...

Bananas for bananas....

Wreaths and ties...oh my!

Life's just peachy...so let's make cobbler!

Blessing our {last} blessing....

Winner winner chicken dinner...

Poisonous grapes?

My little contradiction....

Homemade outdoor play paint!

These are a few familiar things...

Where did my baby go?

Editing my life away...

A sneaky Mummy...

Countdown to real life reunion!

Our li'l Buc!

Advice from Finding Nemo...

Likeable lyrics...

Fashionable inspiration...

The fastest knock off ever!

Fringe blanket modelled...

New business...the early days.

Meeting the family...welcome home to our baby!

All is well....

Introducing.....

Even monsters need friends...

Little monsters....

Simple step-by-step ruffley butt onesie...

A slight bump in the road....

Time flies when you're having fun...

Please can I have?

{Cutey baby cousin "H"}

***THE CONTRARY FAIRY IS HAVING A GIVEAWAY***

A {hard to find} Free NO SEW fringe PROP blanket tutorial!

Weathering the storm....

Weekend tutorial teaser...mwahaha!

The Contrary Fairy re-launch...

Happy St. Patty's Day ~ now let's get crafting!

Crayon roll...perfect for toting scribblers around neatly!

Cutesy camera strap cover

Spring=Playing outside again!

Grape Juice on our carpet!? Nooooo!

Onesie tutorial, as promised...

A very tweet onsie ♥

Steal away with strawberrys...

The best type of black & white picture....

A blessing worth every trial....pics!

A few teaser pics...xoxo

A weekend not for the feint of heart....

*Sit tight*

Let a little love in!

A delicious new couch!!

These are a few of my favourite things...

Under Construction...

Things to come...

Chupa chup cravings....

Ribbon tag blanket tutorial...adorable!

Save those stubby crayons...

10 things I LOVE about you....

Who me?

The contrary fairy...

THE CONTRARY FAIRY IS HAVING A GIVEAWAY

Sit tight