a new place...

i'm so excited about this...

after 8 years in our little one bedroom apartment...

we're moving.

we're MOVING!

just a few blocks away, to a perfect little fourplex.  we'll have a yard!  while that's definitely the most exciting part of it, almost equally exciting is we'll have our OWN washer and dryer!  i can do laundry WHENEVER I WANT!  WITHOUT QUARTERS!!!  oh...the excitement is uncontainable! 

my mind is constantly going...what colors will we paint?  how will we set everything up?  who's going to be the first to visit and stay in the second bedroom?  how fast can we make vegetables grow?  how much is leo going to LOVE the backyard?!?!?!  

all of that is completely overshadowing the fact that we have to pack.  and have a garage sale.  in the next couple of weeks.

did i mention the yard???

the wee hours...

sometimes i find that i look for things to do in the wee hours of the night.  it's almost as if i have an aversion of going to bed before 1am.  i think it's just that i know it's my quiet time.  the boys are fast asleep, my day is done (there are still dishes in the sink, but hey...the clock says the day is done), and i can do what i want to do.

so here i am...bouncing around to different blogs...looking for a tent...checking out freecycle for the 10th time today...

and it's just so quiet...

preschoolers 101...final post :(

so, the series has come to an end :(  i can't believe it!  the last post is up, and wraps things up with a couple more suggestions.  it was so much fun using the educator part of my brain...and sharing some juicy information!  if you're here visiting from the southern institute, welcome! 

thank you, again, jenny for having me over...and for all the wonderful feedback.  it was such a pleasure!

some new creations...

this first shirt was for a good friend of mine who just finalized the adoption of her beautiful little girl... congratulations!

 these next two some custom orders...

and this one for leo's good friend who was the first of the clan to turn two...leo's next!

preschoolers 101...

it's monday!  well, it's actually tuesday...very early in the morning...it was a loooong day.  regardless, that means another round of preschoolers 101 at the southern institute for domestic arts and crafts.  today's topic is what to do after the trying times...visit jenny's wonderful site and see what strategies might work for you!

a camping trip...

with some moral support, a lot of borrowed equipment, a seasoned camper, and a sense of adventure, this family finally went on their first camping trip.  

it was wonderful.  

my favorite part (other than the s'mores) was the lack of a clock.  we just went on what we needed...physically, mentally, emotionally.  woke up when we woke up.  slept when we were tired.  ate when we were hungry.  there was no questioning of if it was leo's naptime...if he was tired, he fell asleep.  there really wasn't any thought to it.  just being in tune with our bodies and minds...and following along.

we came across some beautiful sites...

 ate some yummy food...

and just enjoyed ourselves...

now is good...

at what point am i satisfied with now?  i'm not dissatisfied, but it seems like there's always the next step.  a bigger place.  another child.  a new career.  

but what about now?  sometimes i need to step back, and see how good it is.  

because it is good.

really good.

preschoolers 101...

don't forget to check out today's post over at the southern institute!  this week i covered what to do in the midst of the difficult times you might have with your preschool-aged child.  head on over and get some good strategies!

sparrow...

i came across a great little store...sparrow. if i had a store...this would be it. it's everything i'd want in a great little space...

first off, the look of it is absolutely adorable! crisp, and clean, but with a little bit of a quirky edge to it.

then, there's the items sold there...many items are eco-friendly, handmade, or local. there's great toys, clothing, even stainless steel food containers. (this is particularly exciting to me...i recently spent many hours researching stainless steel containers...like i have all the time in the world :) )

i had the pleasure of meeting terrie, the owner to discuss selling some of my items there. she was so pleasant and easy going. she even patiently waited as i frantically labeled (on her labels) all of my items that i was leaving there. (lesson #1 when doing consignment...have your own hang tags.) she's also doing a really great recycled line of kids' clothing...she uses thrift store finds and spruces them up with some funky appliques. what a great idea!

by the end of the visit, i left a good handful of items that will hopefully sell there! (notice my lack of items now in my etsy shop!)

a good book for daddy...

i found a perfect little book...for both leo and brian.

it's full of trucks...perfect for leo.

and just touching enough to tug on brian's heartstrings.

and each time i hear them sing it together in the bedroom before bed, my heart skips a beat.

inspiration is wonderful...

i love being inspired.

what's even better, is being inspired enough to get motivated.

once again, there was a great tutorial on made.  this time for an adorable dress.  i was headed east to see family, and couldn't go empty handed.  it was perfect for my niece.

plus, i've had a skirt with a butterfly print on it...and the skirt was stained.  i've saved it for years.  i'm not sure if i thought by saving it the stain would miraculously disappear or if i knew someday the pattern for the warhol dress would call my name and i'd need that cute little butterfly.  regardless...the dress was made in the wee hours of the night, and turned out exactly as i imagined it.

don't you love it when that happens?

this is why we are here...

"remember...that there is only one important time, and that time is now.  the most important one is always the one you are with.  and the most important thing is to do good for the one who is standing at your side.  for these...are the answers to what is most important in this world.

and this is why we are here."

--an excerpt...by Jon J. Muth

my sister got leo this book, the three questions, quite some time ago.  it's a bit long for him right now, but he continues to ask for it at night.  he calls it the "kite" book because of the little boy that holds a bright red kite in it.  we often look at the pictures, and talk about the animals in the book, but last night we read the whole thing...word for word.  and he sat perfectly still through the whole thing.

it's a very touching and beautiful story, based on a story by leo tolstoy.

the message is simple.  and reminds me to be present...which sometimes i need reminding to do.

preschoolers 101...

the next installment of preschoolers 101 is up over at the southern institute!  head on over to find some more helpful strategies to use with preschool aged kiddos.

and when you have a chance, check out jenny's new etsy shop, called chopstix...her creations are absolutely adorable!

who's that handsome fella???

it's my hubby!

he's the wheat thins guy!

i can't even express how proud of him i am.  he deserved this in the biggest way.

check him out...(and there's two more on youtube!)

weehooo!!!

you know how you start to look at one blog...and then there's a pretty cool link...so you go there...and then it leads you to another...and another...and another...

well...i was lead here to lori danelle's blog...

she has an absolutely adorable tutorial on making a toddler bed by recycling wooden pallets!  look how cute this is...

and in addition to the excitement of finding a great new blog...full of creativity (and beautiful pictures!)...she mentioned my guest series at the southern institute on preschoolers!  yay!  thanks, lori!

jerz!!!

a fellow jersian put in a custom order for this...

now i think leo needs one...

cousin lovin' in nj...