Crafty Mommy

It's no secret that I enjoy a good craft. Maybe I get it from my mom who was a kindergarten teacher for 20-some years or maybe it's from my grandma who was a painter and seamstress. Wherever it's from, I love to make things. I may not be the best at it, but I really do love to have something and give something that was hand made by ME. My dear husband always chuckles when I see something I like and say "I could make that!". For as long as I cam remember I have been buying things that are less than perfect (usually because it was the right price) and with a touch of paint here or a piece of fabric there, I can make it just right.

Before Lea was born, I made the birdie mobile that's now hanging over her crib, I painted the chest in her room that holds her blankets and I created two artwork pieces that coordinate with her nursery decor. I like thinking that she could have these things when she's older and know that her mommy made them especially for her. Not only that, but I am also incredibly thrifty so the idea of making something half the price of buying it really makes me happy.

Given the time, tools and supplies I am convinced that I could make pretty much anything. That being said, the things I make are usually copies. I have a good eye to reproduce things... hence, when I see something I like, I usually say "I could make that." For example, Lea's first birthday is coming up and there are so many things I want to make for her. I am currently looking for the perfect tutu (I don't think I want to attempt that one) and I have seen baby bloomers with little bows and cute sayings on the heiny... now, THAT I could totally make! How hard could it be to sew some little bows and have initials embroidered on some bloomers? I am also designing a cute little headband in my mind to match. I'll let you know how it turns out!

Where's my baby?

Lea is TEN months old today. She is definitely her own little person now... laughing at jokes, making her own jokes, deciding when/if she wants to do/eat something, "talking" more and more, pointing at things, waving at anyone/anything and standing unassisted for a few seconds at a time. She loves the water, loves to be chased, hums along when you sing, claps her hands, dances to music, loves to play with the phone and remote, loves bath time and has learned how to climb up the bottom of the stairs.

It's very hard for me to comprehend that my baby is no longer a baby. She is approaching toddler hood faster than the blink of an eye. I cherish every crawling moment, every gummy smile and every little babble because I don't know when it may be the last... she could take her first steps, cut a first tooth or say her first word any day now! While it totally breaks my heart to realize that my baby is growing up, I am also aching with anticipation for what's to come.

Lea had so much fun this past weekend with her very first trip to the beach. The first day there, she wasn't sure what to think... the sand felt weird and the water was loud. By the second day, the sand was pretty cool but the water was still kinda scary. But by the third day, the sand was so fun to throw around and the water was fun to splash in! Besides the awesome crab dinners we had each night, my very favorite moment was watching Lea early Sunday morning as she chased a seagull down the beach. I kid you not... my 10 month old daughter literally chased a seagull down the beach... far away... not looking back once to see where mommy and daddy were!

People stopped to watch! She actually kept going for awhile after I stopped recording. :) I couldn't have asked for a better birthday. This time last year, I was 30 weeks pregnant and while I knew that Lea was going to change our lives for the better, I had no clue that it would be THIS much better. I am so blessed.

Here are a few favorite pics from our weekend...

What's for dinner?...

Pizza! But not just pizza... zpizza. Who doesn't love a good pizza for dinner? It's fast, it's easy... but healthy doesn't always come to mind. So not the case with zpizza. Founded in Laguna Beach, California, zpizza takes quality to a whole new level. They start out with 100% organic whole wheat flour (made fresh every day), organic tomato sauce and fresh produce. Topping choices are amazing, ranging from Shiitake mushrooms & roasted eggplant to caramelized onions & truffle oil. YUM! Also available are gourmet salads and sandwiches.

zpizza not only addresses the needs of the health conscious consumer, they also take the environment into consideration. By supporting organic agriculture and practicing in an eco-friendly approach to daily operations zpizza does their part to support the preservation and improvement of our environment.

Head on down to the Cary location this Tuesday night from 4 to 7 pm for their Summer Tour event. You'll get a family fun night with free samples and chances to win prizes (including gift certificates, t-shirts and free pizza for a year!). zpizza staff will be on-hand to answer your questions about their healthy ingredients, too.

With all that zpizza has to offer, what's not to love?! For more info. about their delicious food and to find a location near you, check them out at zpizza.com. You can also find them on Twitter and Facebook.

As part of promoting the zpizza Summer Tour stop in Cary, I received a $10 zpizza certificate.  

A Day in the Life...

"What do 9 1/2 month olds do all day?" you ask? Well, wonder no more... here's a little video of Lea from the other day. As you can see, she has learned to "bark" like our dog, Bailey, she has learned how to climb the bottom step of the stairs and she loves playing with magazines. :)



She's a busy little girl. Just this morning she learned how to clap her hands! We've been working on it for awhile... playing patty-cake and singing "if you're happy and you know it clap your hands". She was really concentrating; making a clap motion with one hand first, then both hands but with one hand in a fist, and then finally a real clap! After she figured it out, she wouldn't stop. She's been clapping all day.

So, what to master next? A HUG! She already gives great kisses, but I want a hug.

Super Cool Kid

Have I mentioned all the super-cool things Lea is doing now?!

She waves at everyone... all you have to do is say "Hi" or "Bye" and she flaps her little arm like crazy. Sometimes she doesn't even look at you, she just waves. I hope she continues to be this friendly. I keep hearing that around this age "stranger anxiety" can kick in but I haven't seen it, yet.

Another cool thing she does is "yelp" when she hears a dog bark (specifically Bailey). It's like she's imitating the bark but without the "ruff" and "woof" words that we use... she simply makes a high-pitched "ah-ah" sound. ADORABLE!

I know I have mentioned how much she loves music. Really... any type of music... but she really likes songs with a nice, strong baseline. As soon as she hears a good song, she starts bouncing in her knees. And if she's sitting down, she rocks back and forth. You can even tell her to dance when there's no music playing and she'll do it! Where do they learn this stuff?!

Finally, Lea LOVES water. It doesn't matter if it's in the dog bowl, a pond, the pool, bathtub, sink or even water residue in the dishwasher. If she can get to it, she will play with (and in) it. Bath time is one of her favorite times but we also take her to the neighborhood pool often. As soon as she sees where we are, she starts squirming to get down. The kiddie pool is just the right depth that she can crawl around and keep her head above water. She would stay in the water for hours on end if I let her!

At 9 1/2 months old, Lea is really becoming her own person. It is amazing to watch her grow and learn. I can only pray and hope that I am doing her justice as I teach her about the world.

"Daddy's home!"

Playing with the neighbors (huge) dog. She has no fear!

Beautiful Utah

It's been four days since we returned from Utah and while the trip was so worthwhile, I have to say that it feels tremendous to be home again. Grandma and Lea tagged along behind me as I attended the EVO '10 social media conference for work. I had an amazing time, met so many inspiring women, ate delicious food, learned valuable life lessons and made instant connections. It's hard to sum everything up into words so I will share some of my favorite pictures from our trip...

View from our suite!

Spending a few min. by the pool before heading back to work.

Jess & Erin ~ SCI Marketing Team!

Dragging our carts up the mountain to ride the Alpine Slide!

Love the Aspen trees

Kate & Jess getting ready for the Alpine Coaster!

(If you're my friend on Facebook, check out all the other pics I have been tagged in. Some are pretty funny!)