bACk tO OuR "ROOtS"

Last weekend for husband's birthday we went on a grown-up getaway. This is something we used to do daily before we had Madelynn...

It felt good to be outside breathing the fresh mountain air we love so much.

Jesse set up a spinning rod for me while he stuck to flyfishing. We didn't catch anything, but it didn't matter...

...the scenery and uninterupted conversation more than made up for it.

We did have one slight mishap on the trip involving the following: the wrong set of car keys, a tiny desert town, no cell service, and twenty dollars (for a pair of plyers, a bucket handle, a water bottle, and a redbull). But I'll leave that story to my husband:-)

This may have been the last getaway before adding to our growing family. Here I am at 34 weeks:

Thanks for having a birthday, babe...I still love being outside with you!

bUbbLES

Madelynn learned to blow bubbles "all by myself" at YaYa's house:

tiCkLEd PiNk

I have been busy upcycling a few of Madelynn's little onesies for the new baby:

Most of these had long sleeves since she was a winter baby.

This little sleeper was a little too boring so I did a couple heart appliques. I cut them from other outfits of Madelynn's that were stained.

I cut the sleeves off off this onesie, added a flower applique, and added ruffles at the legs.

I almost didn't do this one because it has gingerbread on it (very winter-y) but it turned out to be my favorite. I made a matching hair clip to go with it (shown at the top of the picture)

I cut the sleeves off, added pink polka-dot ruffles and a ruffle-y rosette.

This one was just plain polka-dotted so I added the embroidered cupcake applique (which I cut off another onesie that was stained)

More colorful ruffles and bright stitching made this onesie a little more exciting.

My husband commented with a smile, "that sure is a lot of pink!"

I guess you just can't help it when there's going to be a house-full of mostly girls!

NAp StRikE dAYS

Miss Madelynn has been deciding to forgo most of her naps this week in exchange for some pretty silly stunts. This picture captures her energy on the first day of her nap strike:

Bouning off the walls got a little dull so the next nap strike day I opened her door to find this (after a series of grunting):

The mattress was propped up on the white cupboard and she was trying to slide sown it before it crashed down on the other side. Yes, I was looking for the little munchin that helped her flip her own mattress over the furniture...but, no. She did that all by herself!I always knew she was the type that thought outside the box...but this? I couldn't close my dropping jaw or decide what to say to her so I went and grabbed my camera instead. She obliged me by posing on the cupboard and sweetly saying, "CHEESE!"

Oh, Madelynn, (and this is such an understatement, but there are just not enough words in the dictionary for you!) you are one in a million!

How I love you!!

LaY dOWn YoUR SweEt hEAd

I recently finished making some (mostly decorative, but totally necessary:o) ) pillows for baby girl's nursery. I stitched the flower and crown appliques on by hand, then did the pillow part with machine. It was a fun, satisfying project...and they accent the room like I was hoping! Pictures of the finished room are coming, but for now I leave you with these:

AnOthER YeAR

Madelynn has grown up so much in the last year! She has gone from baby to little girl...and the change has been fun, exciting, challenging, and a learning experience! Here she is enjoying the water this year:

She has so much life and personality and always keeps us on our toes.


One thing that hasn't changed from last year is her love of the water:

31 WEekS

I had to lean really far over my belly to capture our newly painted pink toes...

...because this is what my belly looks like these days:

My word! At 31 weeks into my pregnancy I think I am bigger than the day I delivered Madelynn. The official due date is August 29th. Somehow I feel like I won't make it that long- am I listening to my body or faking myself out? Hmmm, I don't really like this saying right now, but "only time will tell" I guess. All I know is that this belly (and body) sure feels farther along than 31 weeks. After all, I was about 10 days early with Madelynn.

Anyone care to guess a date?

"LaSSO My CoWgiRL" SuMMeR ToP

Confession: before I knew that the baby was a girl, I thought it was a boy! And just in case I was right, I bought some vintage-inspired cowboy fabric for an unknown future project. It really was too cute to pass up. Well now that we know it's a girl, what to do with that fabric? I decided that Madelynn could totally pull off, given her free spirit and not-so-frilly nature. I just needed the right fabric to put with it. I had an old shirt in my project pile that would be perfect...the brown added contrast and the flowers made it girly. So I used the collar and part of the button-down edge to make the bodice...and the rest is made with the "cowboy" fabric. This was my first (and perhaps last) attempt at designing a top from scratch.

I learned three important things during the process:
1.) Next time I WILL use a pattern.
I completely made this up as I went, and ran into all sorts of problems along the way- like how to attach the straps after everything else was sewn, the ends of the fabric in the back did not quite line up, and exactly how to fasten the top in the back (buttons, snaps, elastic...)

2.) I am NOT a knowledgeable seamstress.
For instance, I hand-cut and stitched the button holes in the back because I have no idea how to do a real button hole (sad, I know.) I didn't make the bottom section of the top is not as gathered as I wanted because I didn't cut it wide enough. The straps were supposed to be parallel but didn't look right (although I do like how they ended up).

3.) I need to stop critiquing this top-because I have to admit, Madelynn looks adorable in it!
This little top seems to fit her personality just right...not every girl can wear something with lassos and pistols!

I wish she had a pair of cowboy boots to wear with it!

P.S. Yes, my little pistol CAN sit still long enough for me to double-french braid her hair! Getting her to sit still and pose for a picture is a different story...

I know, she is just too cute, huh?

Now I really appreciate all the things my mom sewed for me and my sister...and they had coordinating shorts! (I'm remembering a little shorts and tank outfit in a fly fishing theme, is that right, mom? :>)

FAbRiC FLoWErS

Baby girl's room is coming right along! The other day I whipped up these super-easy, no-sew fabric flowers (tutorial on MADE.blogspot.com). I chose three coordinating fabrics that fit in with the nursery colors...this little photo shoot will give you a little sneak peek at the nursery:

I didn't have any wooden dowels for the stems so I used some of husband's unsharpened pencils-sorry, babe!-and painted them brown.

I love them so much that I want to make some for the dining room...

...and maybe some for our bedroom...

...but for now I feel good about crossing another thing off my nesting list, and being one step closer to finishing the nursery!