New designs in my etsy shop!

Bun in the Oven Pregnancy/Maternity Necklace

Two hammered sterling silver discs hand stamped "Bun in the Oven" and the small disc is personalized with baby's due date. They are hand molded into a little bit of a bowl shape and embellished with a pretty fresh water pearl. This is a sweet gift for mommy to be (this would also be a fun way to make the announcement)




Pea in the Pod Pregnancy/Maternity Necklace

Two sterling silver discs hand stamped "Pea in the Pod" and the small disc is personalized with baby's due date. These 2 discs and hand hammered and embellished with a pretty pea-sized glass green bead. This is a sweet gift for mommy to be (this would also be a fun way to make the announcement)



I also made this one for the kids "Nana" for her birthday.




It is a 7/8 inch Silver disc, slightly hammered with the words "Hayden & Jack love Nana on it, and it's embellished with a sweet red heart glass bead.

I am having so much fun making these, and I am thrilled at how well they are selling. Those pea size initial ones have been going "like hotcakes"! And, not even people I know! (so, I know they are not just being nice to me :) Yahoo!

New baby pics!

I got the privelege of shooting my new neice yesterday! What a sweet girl, I wanted to bring her home with me.

I love the one of mommy holding her and the up close one of her sparkley eyes...Love that little girl!

Drumroll, please....

The winner is...DysFunctionalmom! I used www.random.org to pick a random number (between all of you commenters) and it picked her! Thanks everyone for stopping by! It was awesome to see all the new faces! I will continue to put up my new designs on my etsy shop here for all of you to see! :) Thanks again...sorry to all my friends who didn't win...You're still winners to me! :)

Giveaway! My Etsy Shop is up and running!

EDITED: I will accept entries until 3pm today!

I am so excited to finally launch my Etsy shop, EK Inspired! I am now selling my personalized hand stamped silver jewelry.

To celebrate my kickoff, I'm having a giveaway! Yahoo, my first giveaway! I will be giving away one of my hand stamped pea sized initial necklaces, customized to your kiddos (or whomever you want). The big drawing will be held on Wednesday, June 18th. I'll randomly select a winner and post the winner by 10pm on Wednesday.

Here's what you have to do:
Post a link on your blog back to this post, and leave me a comment telling me you did so (with your email address). Can't wait to see who the big winner is!

Get your tissue

And then read this Letter to my Daughter.
Disclaimer: It's a mommy's letter to her baby that she lost just after birth (she knew baby had fatal problems). It'a beautiful letter and picture of what God taught her through her experience.

Seriously, get a hankie. Isn't it interesting the vulnerable things we will put on our blog? It's such an outlet, for me, too. We can broadcast our most embarrassing, our most spiritual, our most significant moments that would not be able to express sometimes in a face to face conversation.

For instance...today, my kids dumped out the humidifier in thier room (water everywhere). Then they filled it up in the bathroom and Hayden dumped it on Jack's head.


Then, later today, Hayden snuck an half a loaf of bread into thier room, where they shredded it and happily spread the crumbs around the room. Then went back to the bathroom and pumped my delicious B & B foamy handsoap all over the counter with water. Then he pooped on the little potty seat and smeared junk all over it. I was so mad, all I could do was put him to bed (it was 7). I knew if I spanked him, it would be too hard because i was so ticked. It's amazing the damage that can be done in 5 minutes, of what I thought, was finally a moment of peace and quiet! I should know better.

Several times in the past 2 days, I've just been praying, Lord, help me to show them grace when they dont' deserve it. Help me not to completely loose it. Thankfully, I've got my moment of peace and quiet now, and the dudes are ASLEEP. Tomorrow, is a fresh start. Thank goodness for the Grace the Lord extends to me, that he has not abandoned me, but walks with me as I figure this mommy thing out.

My fave verse of the day, "I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins are like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you." Praise God for that! Please sweep my junk away like a cloud! Not only does he do that, but He invites me to come back to him and refuel. He embraces me and reminds me that He's already taken care of my garbage. I get to reconnect, know that I'm loved, and that He's redeemed me! And, the truth is, He's redeemed my little monsters, too. I pray that someday, they'll get that because of the kind of mommy I am to them. Lord, help me be a good picture of you to my babies!

For you SNL fans...

This is so funny! Hubby and I laughed so hard when we saw this on SNL...

Por Que No? Post #100!

Wow, I feel like I should have a party for my 100th post! (you know, like the 100th episode of your favorite sitcom...)

Anyhow...Tonight my hubby and I had a much needed and long awaited date night! We decided to swap date nights with some friends of ours with kiddos the same ages as ours, and they live pretty close (Thanks Jeff and Jennifer!). So, we had 3 fabulous hours all to ourselves!

We went to portland and went to Por Que No? (it's supposed to have an upside down question mark at the beginning, but my mac doesn't have that) and had the stinking tastiest tacos ever! Seriously, I wanted to lick the paper in my little taco basket! I had pork carnitas...matt had chopped steak. We had delicious rice and beans...they were not your average beans and rice. They were so flavorful and yummmmy. We talked, and ate, and walked around Mississippi Ave window shopping and then to our fave coffee shop, Albina Press. It was so nice...Ah, date nights should really happen more often!

Love you honey! Looking forward to next time!

I'm a Winner!!

I just found out that a won a $50 Gift Certificate to Christa-Taylor.com! yahoo!

It's a cool site, a local christian family started a clothing boutique online, with fashion trends and modesty in mind. Check it out! I won it from her sister's blog, www.passionatehomemaking.com. Thanks Lindsey!

He still needs a mommy

The preschooler has been working on his getting dressed skills, and although his taste and mine differ greatly on what makes a suitable outfit, I am loving that he will get dressed on his own (see photo in my banner above!). I was complimenting him on his awesome skills "getting his dressed on" (as he calls it). I said what a big boy he was becoming, and he said, "Yah, but I still need a mommy." I said I was glad, and he said, "For a little while"-as in, don't get too attached to the idea lady. Stinkin' big boy, that one.


My littlest man, on the other hand is mama's boy. He wants to touch me all the time. He's had a nasty diaper rash the past few days (I think from Orange Juice)...seriously, blisters, peeling skin...yuck. Diaper changes have become a 2 man job, and my job is to be super close to his face. He is so comforted by my cheek touching his. He just puts is little weepy face next to mine and squeezes my neck. In the morning when he wakes up and we're snuggling in bed, he literally lays on me and rubs his chunky cheeks against mine. Sweet, but slightly annoying at 7am :). I do love that he loves me.