The Mini Wallet Miracle

Okay, so some of you requested to see my mini wallet when it arrived so here it is...

So adorable and it has been awesome! I received it last Wednesday and have only taken my purse with me once (when I went by myself to the Dr.). Having my hands free and no purse falling off my shoulder while I'm carrying B has been great!

I'll give a shoutout to the Etsy shop where I purchased my wallet, Ms Nizbit. I have not been asked to review this product. I searched for and purchased this item. It's a great handmade piece and very inexpensive so why not share the love?! It was hard to choose a fabric because there were a lot of pretty ones but I chose the black figuring it wouldn't show dirt as easily. They are washable though.

I'd love to hear of products you found that made your life easier! No self promoting please.

(mostly) WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

MOVIE NIGHT

TUTU GIVEAWAY WINNER

Thanks to everyone who participated!

If you didn't win, don't fret! Got to my shop, Sweet Baby Tutus, and enter the code SBTBLOG for a 10% discount on all items, including my birthday sets!! See, you can still have your favorite!

AND THE WINNER IS...

LISA D.

CONGRATULATIONS!

She will receive a Sweet Baby Tutus Pink & White Princess Tutu!

This giveaway was a great success and there will be more giveaways in the future. If you would like for me to host a giveaway for you, just send an email. Family friendly items only please.

GIVEAWAY TIME!

ENTRIES ACCEPTED NOW - JANUARY 24, 2011 - CLOSED

To celebrate the 100th sale in my Etsy shop, Sweet Baby Tutus, I have decided to give away one of my Pink and White Princess Tutus! It features pink and white tulle hand tied on a white ribbon. The giveaway is for sizes Newborn-5T and is open to residents in the U.S. and Canada.

Sweet Baby Tutus are great for pictures, birthday parties or for dress up! They are big hits at baby showers!

HOW TO ENTER

Very simple! Leave a comment under this post. You may earn additional entries by becoming a Facebook Fan and a follower of this blog. For each entry leave an additional comment. Ex: "I became a FB fan too!" I will check to make sure the additional entries are valid. This gives you a total of three chances to win!!

The last day for entries will be Monday, January 24th (midnite EST). The winner will be selected on Tuesday, January 25th. using Random.org. The tutu will be shipped via USPS within 5 business days of receiving the size needed. If I have not heard from the winner within 48 hours of contacting them I will select another winner.

Feel free to tweet, post on FB or blog about this contest.

Thank you to all my wonderful customers for the awesome support since my shop opened!

Busy Weekend

I had a very busy weekend!

I have a goal of increasing my inventory and styles as well as listing my new spring designs. Unfortunately, the weather has been REALLY cold so I haven't been able to take my baby girl out to model them. So, I have tried my best with a busy toddler inside. When I take photos outside she can run around and I follow snapping pics. When we are inside she must sit or stand in one spot so I can avoid having a pile of toys or laundry behind her :)

So, here are the newest designs in the Sweet Baby Tutu line!

The first, Cupcake Princess, is my new favorite! When I put this on my daughter she exclaimed, "Pretty!" It just screams spring pictures! It's made with aqua, pink, lavender, white, yellow and light blue tulle hand tied on a white satin ribbon. Just FYI: elastic waists are available upon request on all my designs and are recommended if your little princess is walking.



Cupcake Princess Tutu

Next we have my Purple Princess Tutu! All purple tulle hand tied on a white satin ribbon. So cute!!

Purple Princess Tutu

And finally we have the Birthday Pink Tutu and Onesie Set. This set comes with a matching crochet style headband and flower clip. It features and all fushia tutu hand tied on a fushia ribbon with white polka dots. So great for a birthday party or pictures!

Birthday Pink Tutu and Onesie Set

That will be all of the new styles for a few days. I have a couple more in mind but have a few orders I must get out first!

If you have any questions about ordering or have a custom order you would like to discuss, please email me or leave a comment.

New Stuff!!

Happy Sunday!! Since this blog is also a way for me to promote my Etsy shop, Sweet Baby Tutus I will share the newest listings with you.  It's too cold to have my baby girl model them so I had to improvise ;)

This is my new Hot Pink Tutu and Onesie Set.  The tutu is made with fushia and a touch of white to add dimension.  The set comes with the numbered onesie, tutu and matching headband and flower clip.

$34.50

I also have just the Hot Pink Tutu available. It comes with a matching headband and flower clip as well!

$21.00

The birthday set is available in sizes 12 months to 4T. The tutu is available in sizes Newborn - 5T.

Finally, (at least for today) I have my Chocolate and Pink Tutu available in sizes newborn to 5T.

$19.50

If you are interested in ordering any of my tutus just visit my shop. You can also send me an email if you have questions or special requests.

A Cop, Minister and McGruff the Crime Dog



Our first Christmas



The title of this post sounds like the beginning of a really bad joke but believe it or not, a cop, a minister and McGruff the Crime Dog were instrumental in my husband and I meeting.



As a new college graduate I took a job at our local police department as a non-sworn employee working in the Crime Prevention Unit.  I was basically a liasion between the department and community groups like community watches and civic organizations. I also threw in some safety presentation and security surveys here and there.  Anyway, I loved my job and one of the things we did was bring along "McGruff" to schools. Since I am about six feet tall and was the youngest in the group, I was tapped to dress as McGruff.  See folks, having a college degree doesn't mean you get to do all the glamourous stuff!



My first week on the job they took me to a concert at a local elementary school. The police department had a band made up of police officers that went to elementary schools in the city and performed. They delivered an anti-drug message during the intermission where McGruff made an appearance. Fortunately, since it was my first week, I didn't put the dog suit on, I just observed the McGruff performance.

After the performance ended my new co-workers and I were helping load everything up and they were introducing me to the officers in the band. The youngest officer, a very tall dark and handsome guy (with an awesome singing voice) said, "Hey, I know you from somewhere." We went through the usual, where we grew up, went to high school, etc., but never figured out where he knew me from.



Many of my co-workers (well all of them) were old enough to be my parents and had warned me, "Don't date a cop!" So after we left the performance, they joked with me about the "line" the officer threw at me.  See, being a new 22 year-old woman in a very much majority male workplace means you are going to get hit on by every single (and not so single) guy there.



Months went by and I started dressing up as McGruff during these bi-weekly performances. Each week the young officer and I exchanged pleasantries but never had a real conversation because there was always so much going on.

During this time I was going through the "God please send me a good Christian man" phase of life. One night I was very frustrated and decided to give this part over to God. I asked God to please help me find the man meant for me.



A few weeks later I was at the performance speaking with the police supervisor who worked with the band. He mentioned that I should visit his church that Saturday, they were having a big fundraiser. After the band performance he called the tall, dark and handsome young officer over and said, "Here, Bradley can tell you where our church is, he is our part-time youth minister." WHAT?!! Cue ray of lights shining down and the heavens opening.

I didn't go that Saturday (still working up the nerve) but I talked my sister into going with me the next Sunday and a few Sundays after that but, Bradley did not ask me out. I told my sister that I wasn't going back, he wasn't interested.

The next week at work I found a note on my desk. Bradley had stopped by and he had some news for me. Well thankfully, one of my co-workers (my on the job mom) saw him walk by, grabbed him, closed her door and wanted to know if he was going to ask me out. I know very high schoolish, but before he left she had given him my number and made him promise to call me.



Today



His big news was that he was leaving the police department and a few days later he asked me out to lunch and we went on our first official date that Friday. For the next three months, we didn't go one day without seeing each other.



One year and almost one month to the day of our first date, we were married.  It's always a kick to tell people that I was McGruff when we met and he sang in the band.



Oh, and Bradley did know me from somewhere, it wasn't just a "line." During Christmas break of my freshman year in college, I was traveling to the mall to do some shopping when I witnessed a pretty bad wreck. I pulled over since I had a cell phone to call the police (these were the days when very few people had cell phones with them all the time). A car with two young college guys also pulled over to help. We waited for the cops to get there and then left.

Fast forward six years. Bradley and I drive past that intersection and he says, "I stopped at a really bad wreck here one day." Me, "I stopped at one here before too." Ding! Ding! Ding! We had stopped at the same wreck.  See, God does have a sense of humor!





Our National Lampoon Christmas Vacation

Yes, this is my husband's favorite Christmas movie (mine is A Christmas Story). This year we lived our very own version of the iconic movie. Unfortunately, it was real life and we didn't make the money the actors did in the original.



Not good when it happens to you!



It started innocently enough. We traveled four hours from the mountains of VA to visit our families in NC on Christmas Day. When we left we knew there was a chance for snow in NC (which very rarely gets more than a dusting) so we loaded up the kid's snow attire.  About two hours into our trip I look at my husband and ask, "Did you pack the kids coats?" Yep, heading to NC for one of the coldest weekends so far and we left their coats sitting in the foyer. We had their snow boots, hats and gloves, but no coats. So, we formulated a plan for borrowing coats once we arrived and continued on with our trip. Crisis averted.

We arrive in NC and celebrate Christmas with my in-laws Saturday night. We had a great time watching the kids tear into their presents and eating great food! Fast forward to about 5:00 a.m. We are all asleep and hear a big "THUD" around this time. I think my husband put one of our kids in the bed with him (we had to sleep in separate room with the kids) and they fell out of the bed. When I got up to check I noticed his grandmother in the kitchen so I assumed she had made the noise and went back to bed. We all wake up a few hours later. My husband comes into the bedroom and says, "A huge tree branch fell on my car!"

During the night it had started snowing and the "THUD" we heard at 5 a.m. was the branch falling on our car due to the weight of the snow! It caused LOTS of damage but fortunately it was still safe to drive, no towing required. To put this into a little perspective, we've had this car for less than a year and my husband takes very good care of it. So, to say he was a little upset is an understatement. Let's just say my assurances of, "that's why we have insurance," did not help.

We were also supposed to travel into town to celebrate Christmas with my mom and sister and have dinner. But, thanks to the snow, we couldn't get out and missed an awesome dinner at my moms.

That evening I started feeling a little nauseated. Yep, you guessed it. Around 11 that night I was hit with a wonderful stomach bug that kept me up all night throwing up. I finally, stopped around 5 the next morning and got a little sleep.  About an hour after waking up, the power at the house we were staying in goes out. Thankfully, the roads were better so we packed up (in our PJs) and headed to my mom's for hot showers and gifts. I felt rotten the entire day so I did not get to enjoy the leftovers from the night before.

Needless to say, we were ready to go home early. On our way home we stopped to get gas only to find out that we couldn't get the door to the gas knob open thanks to a nice dent from the tree branch. We went to the local dealership and they had pity on us and fixed it quickly to we could fill up and get home.

We finally made it home and it never felt so good!

We will not travel again for a looooong time!

How the meaning of Christmas has changed

My husband has a beautiful voice and would sing "Joseph's Song" each Christmas. The Christmas I was pregnant with Alex was the last Christmas he sang it. He got choked up that year because he could relate to Joseph's love for the son he raised. He didn't think he could ever make it through the whole song again. Read the lyrics and you will understand why.

Son of our love...

Chorus 1
How could it be this baby in my arms
Sleeping now, so peacefully
The Son of God, the angel said
How could it be
Lord I know He's not my own
Not of my flesh, not of my bone
Still Father let this baby be
The son of my loveChorus 2
Father show me where I fit into this plan of yours
How can a man be father to the Son of God
Lord for all my life I've been a simple carpenter
How can I raise a king, How can I raise a king
He looks so small, His face and hands so fair
And when He cries the sun just seems to disappear
But when He laughs it shines again
How could it be

- Michael Card

I started thinking about how the meaning of Christmas has changed for me over the years. As a young child it's all about the gifts and the anticipation of what Santa will bring.  For me, it was also what my Aunt Dixie would get us. She didn't have children of her own so she always spoiled my sister, me and my cousin at Christmas.  She always gave us the best stuff! Of course, baby Jesus' birthday was also thrown in there.

As I entered my 'tweens and teenage years I understood more of the special birth of Jesus and the true meaning of the Holiday but gifts were still a huge part of the celebration.  In my early twenties, the meaning was still the same and the Holiday became a little bit of a hassle because now I was an adult and couldn't just add my name to my mom's on the family gifts.  I actually had to go out and figure out what to get everyone.

Then I got married and we had our son. Personally, I have tried to put myself in Mary 's shoes. How unreal to know that you were pregnant with the son of God. How would you even begin to tell your soon-to-be husband? How scared she must have been! Today being pregnant without being married isn't such a big deal, but she could have been dragged into the streets and stoned to death! Then her realization later on that he would have to die to fulfill God's plan. I get choked up thinking about it! God had to have been with both of them for such a miraculous thing to occur.

On the flip side, our kids are in the presents stage! They are so excited! It is great to see the joy in their eyes and their innocence. My son always wants to put money in the kettles, "To help the kids who don't get presents."  It is fun to see them so excited and grateful. My son is very good about saying "thank you!" over and over again. We are still throwing in a little bit of Jesus here and there but I am realistic of what will stick at their ages.

A few days ago my son asked, "Mom, what do you want for Christmas?" My answer, "For you and your sister to be happy." It wasn't the dutiful mommy answer. It really is what I want for Christmas. To see the surprised, happy looks on Alex and Brooklyn's faces on Christmas morning will be more than enough for me. Seeing their little happy faces all year long also does the trick too!

How has the meaning Christmas changed over the years for you?

Christmas Pics On a Budget

Since our son was born we have sent out picture cards at Christmas. These are usually pictures I take right after Thanksgiving, upload to my favorite one hour photo site, choose one of their designs and I'm done.

This year things were a little harder. I picked out very cute outfits for my little ones. My oldest, Alex has always been pretty easy to handle, eager to make mommy happy. Pictures with him have been pretty easy. Last year was Brooklyn's first Christmas. She wasn't able to crawl or walk yet so things went pretty smoothly.

Then, enter the Christmas picture fiasco of 2010!

First, it was cold so I needed to do this quickly. Fortunately, there is nice open field next to our house with a few hay bales hanging out so I thought this would be a great spot. So I drag the kids out, stand them together and immediately Brooklyn begins walking toward me. I ask her to stop, she keeps walking. Big brother is following behind her because I told him to put his hands on her shoulders and keep them there, "no matter what." Little sister is getting mad because he won't let go. I kept trying unsuccessfully to get them to stand together. Both were walking around taking in the great outdoors. I tried bringing out a chair. What made me think she would sit in it?

Then a low flying airplane decided to fly by taking it's sweet time. Then a helicopter (thanks to living next to a hospital with a trauma center). After those disctractions, I got what I thought was a good picture but quickly noticed both of their noses were running thanks to the cold. Finally I realized if I made silly faces (duh!) they would laugh and look at me. So I was able to get a few quick decent shots. I hope I have a job by Christmas next year so I can happily pay a professional to have the headache. They still look cute enough to eat and I will not delete any of the "bad" pictures becuase they still captured a great "mommy" moment.

Here is what we ended up with:

Tag Along

So I am a proud tag along! What is a tag along? It is someone who tagged along to church with a friend, relative or caring neighbor. Gowing up, my parents didn't attend church regularly. We went off and on when I was small but never on a regular basis. My parents didn't grow up going to church so they were trying their best to instill some sort of religion and the importance of church to my sister and me.

When I was about 9 years old my best friend Daina and her mother invited me to go to church. They were trying to find one they liked and looking back her mother probably thought bringing me along would make it easier for her daughter. It's always easier when you a have a friend! Well, they liked the church and kept going and kept inviting me along. I eventually became involved in Sunday School, and Sunday and Wednesday night activities. I often came with Daina but my parents also dropped me off and picked me up whenever I wanted to go.

I found a second family at this church (some actually turned out to be distant aunts and uncles) they took me in and showed interest in my life outside of church. I enjoyed being in plays, attending camp and hanging out with the great friends I made there.

I became a Christian at 12 and continued on the path of trying to live my life the way God wanted me to. I faced the same issues as everyone through high school but church, my family and my friends helped keep me on the right path.  When my Dad died suddenly when I was 19 it was my pastor, his wife and the members there that helped organize and conduct the service. They visited and called to make sure my family was okay.

Once in college I stopped attending church regularly. I was away from home and wanted to have fun.

I found my way back shortly after college. Married a man who was a former cop turned minister and now help raise our family while we serve our church.

Some people think it's too much trouble to ask the little girl next door or a child's friend if she wants to go to Vacation Bible School, a church social gathering or just to Sunday School. I am an example of what that simple act can do. I serve my church with my husband and am raising two children to know God's love so they will not need to be a tag along. I don't think Daina or her mom realize the impact of their act. We lost contact years ago. Maybe one day I can pass it forward.

At our son's dedication