Monthly Photo Project: 2 Months Old

Can you believe this little guy is TWO months old already? He's gotten so big. I had a lot of fun with this picture this time around because he was making all kinds of cute faces. He is just downright delightful!

Why?!!? This is me on my soapbox... again...

I had a conversation today that got me thinking about why I blog or post on Facebook about certain things. Why open myself up like that. Last week I put up a post on Facebook about how Miss. S was picked on by some older kids and how sad that made me. It got a lot of responses and I thought it was really interesting to read all the comments. Whether we agree or disagree on a topic I love a good discussion. I think that social media has opened up a lot of doors to have a more open dialogue about the things that effect our daily lives. Certain things I would never post about here or on Facebook. Politics being one of them. But things like how to handle a bully, or breast feeding are things that I feel ok bringing up in a public forum such as this. I feel like there is a lot to gain from starting a discussion on some of the issues we face in our lives. You can get a lot of great suggestions and help from what other people have gone through. Also by sharing our experiences with others we may be helping and supporting someone with something that they are dealing with in their life at that moment with out even knowing. When I posted about Breast feeding it wasn't to gain sympathy from others (although all the out pouring of support was amazing). I thought by sharing my experience maybe someone else could gain something from it. Also I felt it was important to breach a subject about how woman should support one another and not be so judgmental. When I did the book review on Baby Wise it wasn't to say that one way of parenting a newborn is better than others. It was to share what worked for us and to get feed back from others about what worked for them (BTW Baby #2 is doing quite well on Baby Wise so far). I'll say it again. I love a good discussion. I love reading your comments (so please leave more). Usually when I bring something up it's because it's something I am struggling with or need help with. I love seeing everyone's different views. I learn so much from it. I will never post something with the intention to offend anyone. So if you are offended by a topic, post or comment then I apologize. I try to be very respectful toward the views of others. I feel like most people are really respectful and contribute to a good healthy dialogue. We live in a time where we are lucky to have the technology that gives us a platform for discussion. I hope that I can continue to have these moments of great learning from those of you who read this blog or who I'm friends with on Facebook. It has enriched my life and I plan to continue posting about things that matter to me. Thanks for all your wonderful feedback. I hope that you gain as much from it as I do.

Shopping Vintage

If you couldn't tell I've been on the look out for cute skirts lately. I do this every spring. The weather starts getting warmer and I know the dreadful summer temperatures are just around the corner. Skirts just seem like a great way to combat the heat. I really love vintage clothing. I haven't found any great vintage shops here in San Antonio so my go to is to look on Etsy. It is a great place to look for good vintage finds. I just bought this beauty a couple days ago and I'm so excited to get it! I really would love to take a trip out to Austin right now to browse the Vintage shops on South Congress Ave. but I don't think I'll be able to any time soon. So Etsy it is. I think it was a pretty good find!

Recycled T-Shirt Flower Brooch

I know. I know. I said this would be up by Saturday. What I really meant was Monday. Life is a little unpredictable right now. This week I'm working hard on getting this baby on a schedule. Then my blogging will be back to normal I promise.

So the tutorial. I had some fun with this one. In the picture I showed last week I had made a turquoise brooch. This time though I wanted to play around with pattern. So I went with a striped shirt that I got for $5 at Kohl's that I loved on the rack just not on me.

Materials

Old T-Shirt

Pin Back

Small square of felt

Rotary Cutter or Scissors

Cutting Mat

Needle and Thread

Glue Gun

Directions

1. Lay T-shirt flat on cutting board. Cut off bottom hem of shirt. Cut 2-3 1 inch wide strips from the bottom of your t-shirt. Cut out side seams.

2. Give the ends of your strips a good tug. This will make them curl up at the edges. The more you pull the more they curl.

3. While holding the strips taut cut into smaller sections. For this flower I did 4 inch sections. The knit is very light weight so if they were longer it might have looked a little limp. If your knit is heavier you can do them longer. For the turquoise flower I did 5 inches.

4. Create a base for your flower by crossing 6 "petals" to form a circle. Bring your needle and thread up through the bottom and back down to stitch in place.

5. This next part is a little tricky to explain. Working one by one take a petal and pinch it in half stitch to the center of the base. Work around the circle until you have desired fullness. Make sure to stitch each one individually as close to the center as possible. When you reach desired fullness pull on the ends again and fluff up a little.

6. Glue pin back to the back of your flower then glue felt square on top of that for added support.

7. Your done! Pin to a sweater or jacket and enjoy!

I've forgotten how time consuming even the simplest tutorial can be. Especially when you don't have a helper to take pictures with you. So I'm sorry this is so late in getting up here. Hopefully I explained myself well enough. If you do decide to make one for yourself and you have questions please drop me an e-mail!

DIY Accessories Round Up

I've been searching for fun, easy DIY accessories for a while now. Here are some of my favorites that I've found.

image found via Green Wedding Shoes

1. The most beautiful shoe clips out there. Shown above.

2. You would never guess what this bracelet is made out of. LOVE IT!

3. I'm dying to make this belt. Such a great way to add interest to your little black dress.

4. I've always been a fan of turquoise and I love braids. Therefore I love this necklace.

5. There is nothing more girlie than glittery bows. This headband would add a touch of whimsy to any outfit.

6. A perfect linen summer scarf. Light weight for warmer weather.

I'm trying to get the tutorial done for tomorrow so check back. If not tomorrow then Saturday for sure. I'm still trying to figure out how to manage my time with two kids. Bare with me!

Hot Skirt

Are my eyes playing tricks on me or is this the same skirt? Found on three different websites Downeast Basics, Mod Cloth & Ruche. Apparently it's the hot skirt right now. I just thought that was interesting. Just in case you want to jump on the skirt bandwagon Downeast has the best price.

Sneak Peek

I was inspired by the Emerson Made flower to create my own version. Right now I'm working on putting together a tutorial for this recycled T-Shirt Flower Brooch for later this week. I really like how it turned out and I'm excited to share it with you. So bright and cheerful. I don't know about you but I'm always looking for ways to reuse items I don't use anymore. I have loads of t-shirts that I donate every year but I always keep a few to use in different ways. Keep a look for this on Thursday or Friday.

If I had a Million Dollars...

And some place fancy to go.

I guess if I had a million dollars I would have plenty of fancy places to go to right? Actual retail price $2,500 from JCrew.

Style Watch: Long Skirts

Usually when I see a new trend emerge it will take me a little while to come around to it. I remember when I first saw someone with skinny jeans on. I wanted to barf. I just didn't get it. Now I own 3 pairs. It took me a while to embrace that one. This is one trend that I didn't need to warm up to.

All images found via Pinterest

I loved the longer skirt instantly. You might think the one on the left isn't really a long skirt, but it's longer than most out there and she is wearing it high on her waist so I'm including it. I especially love the tea length skirt on the right. All of these girls seem to be shaped the same though. So I wonder if a more curvy girl like myself could pull off a long skirt or if it would just look like a big blob of fabric walking around. I still think I'll give it a shot. It's the perfect summer outfit for San Antonio. It's so dang hot here skirts are actually ideal.

Deep Discussion: Breast Feeding

I know I promised a DIY accessory a couple days ago and I didn’t deliver. I’m really sad about it but I came down with another killer bout of mastitis. Which brings me to this post about Breast Feeding. I've had a lot of thoughts on this subject the last couple days and I just want to vent a moment.

When I was preparing to have Miss. S I remember having a conversation with Denny about whether I was going to breast feed or not. I told him I didn’t care either way. That I would try breast feeding but if it didn’t work out then I would go to formula. After she was born it was a whole different story. I all of a sudden felt this over whelming desire to breast feed exclusively. Like it was my duty to give this little girl the best nutrition possible for her. There were a lot of other reasons why it was important to me also. However she did not take to it very easily. It took her two weeks of crying, sleepless nights, appointments with lactation consultants, over a pound of weight lost, but she eventually got it. I breast feed her for a year. Those first two weeks though were probably two of the hardest weeks I have ever experienced. It wasn’t smooth sailing after that, but it did get easier. Unfortunately in that year I got mastitis probably 8 times. I know that you are thinking I’m straight up crazy for continuing to breast feed after having mastitis even twice. It really feels like your dying. But I was determined and I felt like I had to.

Now I have this new little boy. He’s six weeks old and already I have had mastitis twice. It’s like nothing I ever experienced with Miss. S. It is so much worse. A couple nights ago I had a break down because of this internal war over to keep breast feeding or to stop. I was feeling overwhelming guilt over wanting to stop. I was in so much pain and I was so very sick that it just seemed like I couldn’t go on with it. There was a lot to consider though with the decision. We already know that he is sensitive to milk. His pediatrician told us to use a specific formula if we choose to go that route. That formula costs $21 for a 12 ounce can. That right there made me think that I had to keep on going with breast feeding. There are so many reasons though as to why I wanted to keep going, but the cost was a big part. Also the knowledge that breast is best. I didn’t want to compromise and give him something that isn’t as nutritious.

I feel like a lot of times woman feel like they have to breast feed no matter what and if they don’t then they feel like they are looked down upon. I know a lot of woman feel guilty if they don’t or they can’t. I know that these feelings are wrong. Formula fed babies are just as healthy and happy as breast fed babies. My sister has fed all three of her children soy (Gasp!) formula and they are super healthy, smart, talented kids. Mothers should not feel guilty about the decision to go to formula. I do feel like there is a lot of pressure to breast feed. From doctor’s, from birthing classes, from the media (yeah not every woman is blessed to have perfect boobs like you Giselle), certain social circles, family members or friends. I think the pressure is pretty unfair. If a mother gives breast feeding a good try and it just doesn’t work for them they shouldn’t be judged in a negative light. There really is no reason to feel guilty… but I did feel guilty…

Until I went to the doctor yesterday. She made the decision really easy for me. She told me flat out to stop. She related her own struggles with mastitis. How with her first child she had it three times the final time landing her in the hospital for surgery. How she almost lost her breast. She highly encouraged me to pump exclusively. Honestly when she said that my heart sunk a little. I hate pumping. She made a good case for it though. Your baby still gets all the benefits of breast milk. Instead of feeding for 40 min. every three hours you pump for 20 every three hours. Anyone can help with feedings. So Denny can take a night time shift every now and then and we can leave him with Grandma if we want a date night. She also pointed out that $21 a can is a lot cheaper than a hospital stay and surgery. So if we needed to supplement with formula then we need to keep that in mind. She said I needed to consider my safety and happiness. If I’m constantly sick or struggling with breast feeding I’m not going to be a very happy Mom. So that’s it. I was sold. Every other Doctor or lactation consultant told me there wasn’t anything I could do. I just had to tough it out. I appreciated her advice so much. Toughing it out was just not working any longer. And you know what I don’t feel the slightest bit of guilt.

So I'm sorry about the lack of posting this week. I could hardly hold my baby let alone type out post. I'll get caught up over the weekend though and hopefully I'll have those DIY's ready for Monday!

Favorite Accessories: Sunnies

Every woman should have a great pair of sun glasses. Last summer I snagged a great pair of Michael Kors Sunglasses at Nordstrom Rack for $20. They look kinda like these. I love them and wear them all the time and they were a true steal. However I've always really really wanted a pair of Ray Ban Aviators. I've had Aviators in the past just not my dream Ray Bans. They are so classic and cool. Not to mention they look fantastic on just about anyone.

Sorry posting is still slow. I'm just trying to get my feet wet again after having Mr. Z. It's been a little harder than I expected. I've been so tired. I'll be back tomorrow though with another DIY accessory!

Favorite Accessories: Shoes

Are shoes considered accessories? Or are they a category all their own? Either way what woman doesn't love shoes? I have a love hate relationship with them. I love to look at them and own as many pairs as possible. However I have the worst feet in the world. Both of my feet have really bad bunions so shoes are really hard for me to wear. They just hurt my feet so badly. Hence why I'm always in some sort of sandal. Usually a flip flop. I have only had a few pairs of shoes that are cute and are actually comfortable for me to wear. Several years ago I had a cute pair of wedges by BC Footwear. I loved those shoes and I wore them out. I still have them. They are really really well worn and pretty darn stinky. I really should throw them out but I just can't bring myself to. I always told myself I would buy them again in a heartbeat if they ever carried them again. Well guess what folks. I was on Zappos today and what do you know? My favorite shoes have returned.

And in my favorite color too. I'm pretty sure I deserve a pair. What do you think?

I'm Dying

Is this bed not the most amazing thing you have ever seen? What little girl wouldn't love sleeping in this beauty? Now if only I had $2,278.

Make Me Pretty May: Fabric Scrap Necklace

This was the perfect little project to get me back in the swing of things. It required no money, no trip to the store and very little time & effort. I have a nice big box full of fabric scraps that I raided and about an hour later I have a fun colorful springy necklace. I wish I had someone here who could take a picture of me wearing it but I don't and I generally don't like to take pictures of myself in a mirror. They never turn out good. So this will have to do. I used this tutorial by Rubyellen from Cakies. There is a great picture of it being worn with that tutorial. The one pictured is three strands I only did two because they seemed a lot fatter than the ones pictured. I think it still works though either way. It's a fun way to jazz up a t-shirt. I love how it feels really casual for everyday wear.

Here are a few more tutorials for braided fabric accessories.

Braided Fabric Headband #1

Braided Fabric Headband #2

Braided Fabric Bracelets

Make Me Pretty May

Photo Found on Emerson Made. I LOVE Big Flowers!

I'm making that the theme of this month. I'm in the in between stage after having a baby. The I have nothing that fits yet stage. The I feel really gross and flabby and fat stage. The I wish I could put my favorite pair of jeans on but I can't fit them up past my thigh stage. I know those of you who have had a baby know this stage (and if you don't we are no longer friends). A lot of you have just had a baby recently as well or are about to have a baby. Have I mentioned here that I had about 15 friends who were pregnant at the same time as me. I know... crazy. Don't you think we need something to make us feel pretty? I do. I think the best way to do that is through accessories. Really great statement accessories. Not only will they make you feel pretty and special but they will distract people from our wobbly bits. Keep the eyes away from our muffin tops and on our hair or neck or arms. So for Make Me Pretty May I'm going to be spending extra attention on great accessories. Starting with a simple DIY tomorrow. I can't wait to share it with you! If you have any great accessory ideas let me know!