Elizabeth Mary is here... And so is my new camera!

My daughter finally made it into the world on Tuesday, September 6th at 2:39 p.m.  She was 7 lbs 15 oz and 19 1/4 inches.  The labor went so well!  Checked into the hospital at 9 am and she was here a couple of hours later!  It was insane!  

I can't explain how happy I have been these past couple of days.  Even though I have had barely any sleep (and when I do, it only lasting 3 hours) its been wonderful.  My older daughter Maggie has been really sweet to Lizzy and has been pretty patient for a 2 1/2 year old.  I'm trying really hard to get back into the swing of things, catch up on my blog, keeping up with my projects, and doing school.  So far it hasn't worked!  I've only been home since Thursday, so I'll give myself a break. Just know I haven't forgotten about my blog!  I've missed it!  

My mom kept Maggie at home while I was in labor and stayed with her the two days I was in the hospital.  I don't know what I would do without my mom.  She is only an hour and a half away and has helped my little family so many times I can't keep count.  I don't know what I'm going to do when I move to Minnesota.  I'm going to miss her so much!  


Wednesday I got a package in the mail.  It was my new camera!  I finally broke down and bought it.  Sigh.  I know I shouldn't have, but I'm so glad I did.  I got it on Ebay for $250 and it turned out to be an awesome purchase.  I made sure I bought from someone who had 100% positive feedback as well as a refund policy.  I got a Canon Rebel XT that included a memory card and lens.  I've been playing with it for a little bit and am trying to learn how to do everything on it.  I thought I was going to have time in the hospital to read the manual, but I was sleeping whenever I had a chance.  I'll get around to it...  I hope!





These were just a few shots from this week that I have taken.  I really love it.  Its very easy to use and takes amazing pictures compared to my last one.  They're so clear!  No more grainy images!


I hope everyone's week was as good as mine.  I'm going to get back to doing the lists everyday.  Hopefully I'll be able to manage more than that!  Have a good weekend! 

Finished Projects: Cinderella Doll and Foofa Backpatch

I know I haven't been blogging much, but I have been working on a couple of projects.  Its really helped me to stay calm and not start bawling that Lizzy hasn't showed up, yet!  Plus, sitting at this desk is not the most comfortable position right now.  I cannot wait to have my own body back!!!  Hopefully, this time tomorrow she will be here!


A couple of posts ago I showed you the Cinderella fabric that had directions and cutouts to make a Cinderella doll.  This was such an awesome way to learn a couple of more techniques, and it was pretty fun.  I finally finished the doll and my daughter loved it!


I also had some extra felt left over from a purse I made her awhile back.  I had no idea what to make, but I remembered she had a jean jacket that had NO patches on it, yet.  One of her favorite shows is Yo Gabba Gabba, so I had to sew on one of the characters.  The majority of the felt was pink, so Foofa was it! 


I still have so many things to do.  I have a whole pile of jeans and shorts my husband wants me to put buttons on or hem, I really want to make my daughter an apron and mitt for her kitchen, a bunch of projects in my Stitch by Stitch book that I'm using to learn to sew, finish knitting my daughter's robe/jacket that I've been working on FOREVER, and I wanted to try to sell some drawings that I haven't even started yet!  Its a great time to start wanting to do all this stuff with a baby coming.  I don't think I'm going to get too far on it in the near future.  Hopefully, I will be able to find time for myself...  I still have to work out and finish school!  Its going to be a busy end of the year!


I don't know when I will be posting next since I have to be at the hospital at 8am tomorrow morning.  I also don't know how long I will have to stay in there.  With my first it was 48 hours after the baby was born.  Ugh.  I hate hospitals!


I hope everyone's long weekend was good!  Have a good rest of the week if I don't talk to you before then!

Blog Break

I am going to be taking a little blog break for the next couple of days.  Its almost impossible to sleep at night, so I will be resting most of the days.  I really want to have some energy when I go into labor.  I can't imagine doing it exhausted!  I hope everyone has a good week, and I will talk to you whenever this baby is out of me!  I'm due TODAY so hopefully its soon!

Cicada Invasion

I have lived in North Carolina most of my life.  At night you can here cicadas where ever you live in the state, but you rarely see them alive.  I have only ever seen their molted exoskeletons stuck to trees or fences or dead carcuses on the ground.  For some reason this area we live in has then EVERYWHERE.  I see 2 or 3 new exoskeletons right outside our house every day.  Then, yesterday afternoon when I was bringing in my laundry, a spotted a cicada sitting on the fence.

They are so adorable!  I don't know what it is.  Maybe cause they're so ugly they're cute.  I was so excited about seeing alive one, but my husband did not share the same enthusiasm. He had never seen a live one either!  I don't know why he was freaking out like I was!
Later in the night we went outside to sit on our deck and talk and sitting on my deck shelf was ANOTHER live cicada!



Could not believe I saw two in one day.  It was awesome.  Its crazy.  Their heads look like praying mantis heads.
I was curious if they had any stuff on Etsy that dealt with them, and I now may have to get this...

Its made by sandrandan and its $20.00 in her store!


Just a couple of more days and my pregnancy will be over!  A couple of more days and the hurricane will be here also.  Sigh.  Hopefully not the same day.  Everyone be safe if you're on the East Coast!

Pretty Pictures

I've been looking for a new camera.  Well, I think I found one, I'm just trying to get it off Ebay for pretty cheap. It hasn't been working out too since the price is about $200 on the last day of bidding, then goes up 150 in a couple of hours.  I'm trying to upgrade to a Canon 40D.  I've never owned a digital SLR camera before, so I don't want to go all out and get a fancy one.  Aaaand the fact that I don't have over a grand adds to it also.  A brand new Canon 40D costs $1,300, but I've found just the bodies on Ebay for as low as $300.  Hopefully, I'll be able to get one that's between 2 and 300 bucks.  That would be awesome!  Most likely, I'm just going to have to wait and save more money.  I'm so impatient!


Since I've been looking at cameras, I have also been looking at a lot of photography.  I can't believe some of the pictures people capture with these cameras.  They're amazing.  Here's a couple that really caught my eye.

[via iiiinspired blog]

[via Pinterest]

[via even cleveland blog]

[via Jean Barard on one eyeland}

[via Sandro on one eyeland]

[via Tina Patni on one eyeland]

[via Pinterest]

The colors in all of these are so beautiful.  I wish my camera could capture them.  It always seems like mine are all washed out.  Oh well, one day.  


By the way, how much would you like to be the waitress in the photo with Joaquin Phoenix?  Ummm, yes please.

Attack Dog, Projects, and Thrift Finds

This week has been pretty good.  Hit the 38 week mark with my pregnancy, working on a lot of sewing (well, a lot for me), and found out because I am due the 30th of August, my husband won't have to go to a month long training event in September!  Woo!


Our dog Brutus is in love with Dan.  He doesn't really get the licking fits with me or Maggie...  Just Dan.  And he really likes licking his head.  I think it might be rough and feel good on his tongue since Dan always shaves his head.  Well, here's a picture of Brutus going to town.

My projects this week haven't been too exciting.  They are ones that go along with the book I bought, Stitch by Stitch.  One I had to use the applique method of sewing.  It was good to learn, though, because I might use it in the future on some crafts I come up with.  


This next one turned out to be a failure.  I was supposed to draw a picture on a piece of fabric and then freestyle sew with the feeder dogs down.  This was really hard.  Because the presser feet were down they held the fabric so tight I could barely move the fabric at all!  In the middle of it I just ended up putting the feeder dogs back up and sewing VERY slowly.  


My husband has also been asking me to fix a couple of pair of jeans he has laying around that he doesn't wear because they're too long or have holes in them.  Luckily I was able to fix them!  I'm turning out to be a pretty awesome housewife!


Awhile ago when I was in Minnesota we went to a couple of antique shops.  I said i was going to post my stuff I bought, but I never did.  Whoops!  Here's two of the things I got.  An old 50s ad for Pyrex and two 70's jelly jars with the Archie characters on them.  I used to buy those comics any chance I got.  Especially at the grocery check out line.



I hope everyone's week was good, and that you are going to have an awesome weekend!  Doing anything fun?

Crazy Hello Kitty Stuff

I don't know what it is about Hello Kitty that makes almost every woman in the world turn into a 10-year-old again.  I wouldn't consider myself a huge Hello Kitty fan, but whenever I see something with her face on it, I start "awwwing" and "oh my goding!"  There is something about that incredibly simple and adorable design that melts my heart.  And my daughter will FREAK OUT if she sees Hello Kitty anywhere, and she is only 2.  


I was looking around the internet for something.  I cannot remember what it is at all now, because I got sucked into the world of insane Hello Kitty products and could not stop.  Here's a couple of the crazy things I found.

These phone booths are so cute!!!

I really wish these were an option to get issued in the Army.  Hello Kitty M-16's!  I also found an AK-47 on the same page.

I don't think I could take any obsession this far to ruin this Chevelle!  Poor car!

I don't know how cars run without this motor oil.

I want to build a mini version of this house for my daughter's playhouse.

I do not know anything more emasculating than these boxer briefs.  Haha.

I know of at least one cat lady with braces that might appreciate these rubber bands.

I know that there are plenty other crazy hello kitty items out there!  Have you found any lately?

Random Stuff Going On

This week has been crazy.  If you don't know, I'm going to school for medical transcription. Its very boring.  Haha, I'm just doing it to make some money while staying at home with the kids.  But I finished my last assessment before my break until Lizzy is born!  Woo!  It will be nice not to have to worry about that.  We also found out this week that Dan's date to get out of the Army was moved 3 months...  earlier.  So that means, we won't be moving in March, We'll be moving in December!  I can't believe it!  We have so much to do until then, and having a newborn is not going to help!  What's also not going to help is the weather.  I'm so scared of the winters there!  Especially having to move during one!  Hopefully it goes well.  I need to find a house!!!


Here's a couple of pictures from this week...

Can you guess what this is?  Haha, I took this picture as a joke cause it looked like a butt.  Its just my husband's knee.  


Maggie and I getting ready to go to dinner with my older sister and mom.  Its sad that I won't be able to do this for much longer.  And that I will pretty much be stuck in my house not able to give a good farewell to my friends before we move.


Maggie ready to go with her awesome mob glasses and Yo Gabba Gabba dress.




A little black rat snake hanging in our backyard.  I think it was pretty scared because it was kind of backed into a corner and had no where to run when I got close.  When I knelt down to get one of those pictures it's tail started shaking like a rattlesnake's.  I had never seen one of them do that before.  I got a little freaked out and backed away.  I did not want to to turn out to be a baby rattlesnake or something!  I don't think it was because the head wasn't triangular and the body had no patterns on it, but I left just to be safe.


I taught Maggie how to sing with a brush.  Everytime I raised the camera, she would lower the brush.  Sigh.  One day I will get it!


I have been wanting a new camera lately.  The one I have is pretty old, and I would really like a better one.  Does anyone have any suggestions?  Also, has anyone ever bought a camera from Ebay before?  I have seen a lot of really awesome cameras for pretty cheap, but I'm scared of buying them used.  It would suck if I bought it and something broke on it right away and I had no warranty!


I joined the 30 Days of Lists for September!  You can preregister (TODAY is the final day!) to get into the drawing for a toy camera!  You will also receive some awesome tutorials to make your own homemade journals out of household items.  


I hope everyone's weekend is going alright.  I'm just sitting around the house relaxing and getting through these "practice" contractions before the baby comes!

I was Featured!

What an excited part of the day!  Just found out For the Love of Blogs featured me today!  


If you've never visited that blog before, you should go check it out.  I have found a lot of really awesome blogs through their website.  They also do link parties where you can link up with other bloggers!  Every Sunday is comment love.  I find A LOT of blogs this way since so many people participate.  


Just wanted to share the news with everyone!  And thank For the Love of Blogs!

Bulldogs are Cute

Happy Anniversary to Me!

Well, four years ago today, it was the second day I knew my husband (in real life and not on the internet) and we got married!  I can't believe it has been that long.  Although, two of those years were spent apart since we were both deployed.  I can't believe since then we are about to have our second little girl, and we will be moving to Minnesota at the end of the year!  Time seems like it has gone by so fast, but at the same time slow.  

This was taken on his 30th birthday celebration with two of his friends.  He was pretty much wasted at this point and they did a rendition of a Genesis song.  It was pretty amazing.

I love this guy so much, and I really hope we will beat those divorce odds through our lives and stay together!  I think we will.  I don't think I could stand anyone else frustrating and annoying me like he does, haha.  He'll probably be pissed that I said that, but I get the inspiration from a Californication quote, "I want to spend the rest of my life annoying the shit out of you."  

I love you so much, darling.  Happy Anniversary!

Busy, busy, busy!

Things around here are really busy!  We only have a limited time to look for neighborhoods, get in time with friends and family, and look for places for Dan to work!  So, posting has been put on the back burner.  Sorry!  Hopefully, I will get time to do some soon.  I went to a couple of antique shops and have pictures to post.  There are so many here!  I cannot wait to move!  Even went to one in someone's garage!

Hope everyone's weekend is going good!  I'm already tired!

A Terrible Tuesday!

Today started off as such a good day.  My husband, Dan, had to jump out of an airplane today, so Maggie and I went to watch.  He bumped his head a little on his landing but turned out okay!  Here's a small series of pictures that show the sequence of events:

Dan with all his gear on standing with Maggie.  It was so hot out there.  Maggie made a good decision to bring an umbrella!

Dan before the jump.

C-130 landing to pick up Dan and the rest of the paratroopers.

Landed fine!

Shot of all the guys that will be boarding the plane.

Waiting to board.

Maggie and I trying to stay cool under her Hello Kitty umbrella.

Getting ready to take off with all the guys on board!

Takin' off.

Takin' off still...  Its crazy how slow these things move and still manage to get off the ground!

About to fly around and drop the troops.

Almost time!

Here's a video of all the guys jumping.  Dan is somewhere after the truck.  Haha.

We got to hang out with Dan a little bit after his jump.  I picked up some lunch and we ate with him in his office before he had to start working again.  Maggie and I drove back home and my E.L.F. cosmetics package was at the front door!!!  I was so excited!  Thanks to Chaplinn's post over at Mini Penny about the 70% sale E.L.F. was having, I got $45 worth of stuff for $19!!!  

My Stash!  From the top, left to right:  Two pigment eye shadows, a dual eye shadow pack, 4 pack of eye shadow, lip plumping gloss, Beauty Book:  Bright Eyes Edition, 100 palette eye shadow (this wasn't on sale, but it was only $10!  This is still the price today!), and a make-up brush set.

So, I was pretty much on cloud 9 trying out my new shadows and stuff.  I started doing some laundry and sat on the couch to rest a little since I had been out all day.  All of a sudden I start hearing water coming from my hallway bathroom.  I go in and discover sewage spilling all over my bathroom floor from the toilet!  Then it starts coming out of the tub!!!  Both of my bathrooms were like this!  It was absolutely awful.  Since I'm so emotional right now I just started bawling while I was on the phone with the maintenance manager at our rental agency.  I didn't think anything would be fixed since we had this problem last week and it took forever for someone to come out, but they sent someone right away!  Luckily, it will be fine until tomorrow when someone else will bring a camera to look and see what the real problem is so they can permanently fix it this time.  I will be so happy when this happens.  This house has been such a nightmare!

I hope everyone had a better day than I did!  I will be back to posting normally tomorrow.