In the works {Pieces of Patsy}

My mom will be gone 13 years this April. I still remember her sewing shop - It was the store front of a building her friend owned in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. There was a clogging studio in the back that her friend taught out of. Ever see the cloggers at Dolly Wood?!? Years ago that is where they would practice.  I used to play in the store window people watching, or talking to all the cloggers who came in and out while I listened to the hum of my moms machine. We moved and she gave up having her own shop when buying clothes were cheaper than having them made. I never learned how to sew from her and I still regret it. BUT when she passed away I proudly kept her Kenmore machine. I learned to sew on it and was ever so blessed to have a mother-in-law who is...you guessed it, a wonderful {seamstress} to help me when I couldn't figure things out. God sure gave me the cake and icing on that one :) My mother-in-law bought me a new machine a couple of months ago - SEW surprised and SEW excited!

Now that I have a machine I can depend on, I'm opening up my own shop. It may not have a store front window for my kids to people watch out of but I'll love it just the same :) I'm sewing items to stock my selves and will hopefully have it up and running within a week or two. 

The name Pieces of Patsy is to honor my mother as her nickname growing up was Patsy. Hopefully this little venture will bless my family with a little extra income as it did for our family growing up.

Here is my daughter in the first items made. Isn't she a sweet little thing?!?

A little fun with {Bin}

Gunnar can't say Quinn,  when he tries it comes out Bin {hence the title} 

We had such nice bright light today that I snapped some photos of Miss Quinn Ellen - while I was supposed to be folding laundry - oops! There were some surprise guests that made an appearance. Oh how I love these babes...

From earlier in the day

This moment in time

So busy lately

This sweet little thing made her appearance

We celebrated the birth of Jesus

Did some family baking 

and...you get the idea.

Time is going by way too fast and I am trying to soak up every minute. I snap photos all the time, some get posted to facebook, the rest sit in my computer. Projects are getting done but more are being added to the list because playing with my little man or nursing a baby is far more important. Even though I stay at home, I always feel {busy}. Hopefully I will be setting a schedule guide and can start sticking to it by February. The house runs so much smoother with a routine :) Blogging will be given a  "time slot" simply because I enjoy it and want to have these memories written down  typed out to look back on.

Flower Wreath

My son and daughter will be sharing a room once she arrives. I didn't really have a decorated nursery for my son - just a few classic winnie-the-pooh items from Haily's room (now 13yrs old) when she was a baby and a few prints that my sister-in-law sent to me from her son's room. It's simple and gender neutral BUT I wanted to put something a little girly above her crib...I just like girly things :) I found a shelf at salvo for 2 bucks that just needed a coat of off white paint. I also made a wreath to put below the shelf. I have the same sort of set up above my sons toddler bed so it will be a nice balance and will define their "own" space.

I started off my spray painting the $1 grapevine wreath that I found in the front bins at Target. What? You've never browsed that section? You must check it out. I've found many inexpensive gifts and craft projects there :) I did it right on our grass outside because it will soon be blanketed with snow.

Then I made a couple of fabric flowers from my scrap pile. I just sewed a basting stitch, gathered them, used hot glue to secure them as I rolled them up. Because this was flannel fabric it frayed pretty easily. Just pull at the edge and cut off the extra strings. Add a dollop of hot glue and start adding to the wreath. I can't wait to see everything completed and over her crib.

This is what it looks like before pulling the strings. I liked this but decided I liked the messy way better

Add a big dollop of hot glue

Start adding them to the wreath

Tuckered out {39 weeks}

So as you see I didn't complete the entire 31 Days of Autumn. Somehow life whizzed by and here it is almost Thanksgiving. My little guy has been keeping me busy along with making lots of little baby girl things. I just can't help myself.

I am 39+ weeks and my midwife says she could arrive anytime :) I went 10 days over with my other two babes and was induced both times. I fully expected the same to happen this time around but early consistent contractions starting at just past 35 weeks had me thinking differently. Then I made a trip to L&D a week later and was sent home. I've also had other labor impending signs that have me thinking any day now but she still hasn't made her appearance. Sleep is almost non-existent since I have to roll over every 45 min and this usually takes me 3 to do. On a brighter note, I still have feet and ankles of normal size!!! Here is what my belly looks like - totally nixed the head because it's been a loooooong day...

 

31 Days of Autumn : Day 24 - A note

My parents divorced when I was pretty young, 3 1/2 I think. I did not see my father much for various reason and my parents relationship was strained so I never heard many good things about their marriage. My mother died when I was 17 and my father the next year. While going through their things I found a card. It was written when I was born, just a few short years after my father had a stroke. I'm not sure if anyone will ever truly know what this card has meant to me. I was never able to ask them about the good years, I never heard their "falling in love" story, but this card has given me a glimpse into the love they once shared and the joy that my brothers and I brought them.

On the outside of the envelope it reads:
"For my dearest Mattie Ellen on a very special day,
On this day you life as a mother came one step closer to being complete. You bore a daughter. I wish with all my heart that she will grow up to become very close to you. To share your joys, sorrows, and thoughts as a close and trusting friend and to do things together. I give you this simple red rose a representation of my love and devotion and to say thank you for our children. With all my love Mike" 

The inside of the card reads:
"My dearest Darling,
On this day you bore us our third child. It was a girl. God had on this day fulfilled our hopes and dreams and rounded our family out with two boys and a girl. We both cried as we did with our sons. It was a very special day also in many other ways too! The need to be expressed by me. Our decision and your acceptance to bear us a third child was one of remarkable courage, strength, and unselfish giving on your part. For only you knew the pain, hurt, and scares that would be endured. Fully knowing this you gave yourself joyfully. For this act of unselfishness and many others over the years I will always love and cherish your very presence and existence.
With all my love and undying devotion---I will always remain only yours, Mike"

I will forever be grateful that this card was spared through the many moves. It gives me a glimpse of the love that they shared once and how much they love my brothers and I.

Side note update: My husband called me from work to tell me I need to proof read this post better. Gotta love him! He finds mistakes in Haily's letters that come home from school-makes big red circles around them-HA! Truth is about 1/4 of the words on the card were misspelled due to my fathers stroke and it was hard typing the correct spellings and not the way I was reading it. I think I have them all fixed now :)

31 Days of Autumn : Day 23 - Kairos

From Wikipedia Kairos (καιρός) is an ancient Greek word meaning the right or opportune moment (the supreme moment). The ancient Greeks had two words for time, chronos and kairos. While the former refers to chronological or sequential time, the latter signifies a time in between, a moment of indeterminate time in which something special happens. What the special something is depends on who is using the word. While chronos is quantitative, kairos has a qualitative nature.^[1] Kairos (καιρός) also means weather in both ancient and modern Greek. The plural, καιροι (kairoi or keri) means the times.

Today I started the day with some Kairos