Baby Shower Projects

In keeping with my last post about quick projects-- here are some easy baby shower items/gifts that I created for my sister's baby shower gift bags.


Candy bag filled with Hershey kisses. I stamped the label with a Michael's $1 stamp and water color penciled the image. I used a scallop punch and eyelet to add a little color to the tag.

Post it note holder. Stamped the image, water color penciled it in, and some fancy folding. Super easy, super cute.

Chocolate bar cover. Very easy-- just paper, scallop and circle punch and ribbon. I created stickers with my niece's name and stuck them on some tags for an even more personal touch.

Customized candles. I ran tissue paper through the computer printer with Eva's name, cut it out and used a heat gun to adhere it to the candle. The heat gun melts the wax and the tissue paper just blends right in. Very cool. Also stamped some images on tissue paper and did the same thing.

The whole package-- complete with a Target $1 scrapbook (colors matched, so I couldn't resist).

And last but not least-- I just had to match the cake to the invitation. It was so cute and I'm glad I drove all the way to Virginia to get it (really, it was only an hour drive and I knew the woman who was going to do it, so it was totally worth it)!!!

So, all in all, I thought this turned out really cute and all the projects were so easy to create. I just love to add handmade items to gifts or baby showers.

Quick Sewing Project

I decided that I had to try to copy the too-cute-for-words burp cloths that I see in boutique shops. Rather than use half my salary for the month to buy a set, I thought I would try to make some of my own.



I made a set of six for my sister-in-law and her new baby Addison. I thought they turned out cute. Maybe a little on the narrow side (might not fold them as much next time), but cute still.

It was a surprisingly easy and quick project.

Grant and Andrea

Here we are on our anniversary.

518 (restaurant) here we come!

6 Years

It has been six years today that Grant and I have been married! Have to say they have been some pretty fun six years.


Grant and I met when we were 15 at Providence Baptist Church's annual Christmas concert. I was dancing in the concert and Grant was playing the drums in the orchestra.

Oh my, here we are going to a school dance. We were both 15. Check out the bangs. Wow. Seriously, wow and why?

We dated all through high school. Here we are at the senior prom. At least there are no bangs here.

Broke up for a couple of years while I was in college. Met back up in 2000. Here we are shortly after getting engaged.

And here we are six years earlier to the day

Happy anniversary you crazy, sweet man.

7 things you probably did not know about me . . .

I am taking Nate's suggestion and posting 7 things you may not know about me.

1. I cannot handle most drinks with caffeine. Caffeine makes me crazy, absolutely crazy. Ask my husband-- he does not allow me to have any caffeine after 8:00 at night because I will sing at the top of my lungs, try risky dance moves on my bed, run around the house and create lively situations wherever I may go!!! Seriously, caffeine makes my heart race so regular coffee is absolutely out of the question.

2. I clean with only natural products such as vinegar, baking soda and borax. Regular cleaning products are so toxic to the system and make me feel sick, so I've abandoned them all (except for Windex wipes for the bathroom mirror- still trying to figure out a good natural cleaning system for mirrors). Grant thinks our kitchen smells like sea salt and vinegar chips (trust me, the smell goes away after a few minutes, and that is when you know the germs have been killed). I've even gotten Grant to use vinegar in the kitchen.

3. I hate taking medicine and try to avoid going to the doctor as much as possible. (Um, my post is looking a little "crunchy." Sorry, hang with me). I didn't grow up on medicine (we used homeopathic remedies as much as possible), so I try not to take medicine to this day. My own remedies include peppermint oil for stomachaches, garlic for colds and just about anything else, and lavender oil for headaches. I've even chopped up raw onions and put it on my chest when I had a lot of congestion-- I think it worked! I will go to the doctor for some things, but mostly I weather sicknesses out at home. To be honest, I rarely get sick (maybe once every two years), so this is not a big issue.

4. Okay, something less crunchy. I love modern dance. You probably did know that about me. What you probably didn't know is that I have not been trained in dance very much at all. I took a few ballet classes growing up (I'm talking like classes from the YMCA and in a church, not a serious studio). Amazingly, I've been able to get myself into a few different companies/ministries throughout the years despite my lack of technique and have sort of self taught myself. It is only the past three years that I've taken modern technique class. Currently, I'm in the Rainbow Modern Dance Company and Windsong and taking technique classes! This is a testimony to going after something you really want (and perfecting your art). Go after your dreams, you never know where it might take you!

5. I'm really not a swim-in-the-water person. I will not swim in lakes. Lakes freak me out to no end (it's muddy, fishy and you can't see the bottom). The ocean is daunting and scary. I like pools best, but have been in maybe 5 times in the last 5 years. I think I'll stick to land. Strangely enough, I decided to take a 8:15 swim class with my suitemate in college during the winter season. Not sure why, but we did have fun! Only 8:15 class I ever took in college.

6. I have emetophobia. That is the fear of throwing up and being around it. I can't handle it at all. You can ask anyone of my family members. I haven't gotten sick since I was about 11 years old and one time when I was 20 because I drank a little to much of the fun stuff! I read that people with this phobia can sort of will themselves enough times not to get sick that it turns something on in their brains that won't allow them to get sick. I think that is true. And I'm not worried about morning sickness, because I can totally will myself not to get sick. Now, do not ask me how I intend to handle my future kids. I will trust the Lord that he will give me enough sense to be able to deal with it, because I know its coming. BTW- I can handle my cat's who throw up at least once a week and I can handle spit up from a baby (I consider these baby steps). Anything else, I will flee the room or blast the tv or stereo to ear numbing volumes. Needless to say, sharing a hall bathroom with 20 other girls in college was no picnic.

7. I like to bake when I am bored. One time Grant came home to 3 different types of cookies. Needless to say, he had to share them with his co-workers, because we couldn't eat all of them between the two of us!

That is 7 things you probably didn't know about me. If you do this on your blog, let me know so I can read them!

Homemade Yogurt

I adore my homemade yogurt. It makes me happy, no really it does. I get a little giddy knowing that I have a new batch of yogurt waiting for me. I'm weird like that. It is so easy to make and so not full of sugar and preservatives!! I use organic milk and a starter yogurt and a mere 15 hours later I have 7 individual containers of yogurt. Add a little honey and granola and I have a lovely, healthy breakfast.

Here is my yogurt slowly fermenting in my yogurt maker.

Wool Soakers

I know, I know. I don't have kids and I'm not pregnant, but I couldn't resist knitting a wool soaker. Partly, because I want to know if I can do it and partly because if I do want to make more of these, I should make them now rather than wait until I do have babies (knitting takes a long time and it makes my hands hurt)!





I plan to cloth diaper my babies and wool soakers are just one of the many cloth diapering products. It is a type of diaper cover that fits over a cloth diaper. Wool soakers go for $30 or so-- I can make mine for $9 or so.


Here is my first attempt at a wool soaker. These are the instructions I used. The leg holes turned out a little small in my opinion. But maybe it will fit for a week or two (I have seen how chunky my little nieces and nephews legs got)!!!

The Office

Both Grant and I love the tv show The Office. It is absolutely hilarious, witty and intelligent (writing that is). And it makes me laugh-- and I mean really laugh-- at all the shenanigans Michael Scott gets himself into. (And to think I resisted watching this show for the first two seasons)? I am not really a fan of most of the comedy sitcoms that are on now days-- but I have definitely taken a likin' to The Office. So much so that I have visited their official website and checked out the myspace pages of the actors/actresses that blog live when they are shooting scenes. Maybe I'm a little obsessed. Maybe. I'll deny it though.

So, what is your favorite comedy sitcom???

In case you were wondering . . .

Our ceiling has been completely fixed. I know, I hear the collective sigh from everyone. You were holding your breath on this one. Yes, the ceiling is 100% fixed and looks like new.

This is an in-between picture of the process.

I haven't taken a picture of the finished product, because, quite frankly, that would be a boring picture.

Kitchen Magic

So, while I wait to see if Hurricane Hanna will blow me away tonight, I decided to post a recent dish I made with vegetables from my garden and some lovely organic peaches (not from my garden).

Oh, how I love picking vegetables from my garden! These are the peppers and tomatoes that I picked for use in a mexican lasagna recipe (which can be found here). Don't they look fantastically juicy and lovely and all things pretty? Almost too pretty to eat. Almost.

This is what happens when I chop the suckers up and saute them with some onions.

Now, I mix the little babies up with some rice. This would be great just as a side dish. So colorful.

Now that lovely mixture was introduced to the rest of the ingredients: ground turkey, flour tortillas, corn, salsa and cheese . . . lots of cheese.

Yum!!!!

Now these are some beautiful, organic, locally grown peaches.

I chopped them up and mixed the lovelies with some butter, maple syrup and cinnamon.

Threw some granola, flour, butter (lots and lots of butter) and sugar on top and voila . . . a sinfully delicious peach cobbler (here is the recipe).

He seemed to enjoy the entire meal. And really, that is what is most important. The enjoyment of cooking for your loved ones . . . not worrying about all the fat and calories that you just put into your mouth, nor the fact that you just gained an extra love handle. No, it's all about family!

I'm an Aunt again!

Lauren, Grant's sister, had her second baby yesterday. My new niece is beautiful, adorable, cute, pink, etc. (and this is all from the one picture I saw of her)! Check here for updates on the new family!

On a completely unrelated note, I am extremely sore from all the AFRICAN dancing that I did yesterday. This was my first experience with African dance. I was afraid to look at myself in the mirror, so I didn't. Little 'ole white girl trying to get down and dirty with the real live African drums-- couldn't have been pretty. But, I survived it and now my neck, shoulders, hamstrings and tongue (??) hurt. Next up, swing and traditional Chinese dance. Glad there are no cameras at my dance studio.

Photography Project

I am the designated photo keeper for our family. And since discovering Photoshop and the amazing things it can do to old photographs, I got the great idea to scan all our old (non-digital) photos, run them through Photoshop and save them to the computer. Great idea, Absolutely. Crazy, will probably get bored half-way through this long project . . . yes.

Here is a sample of the amazing things Photoshop can do to old Polaroids.

My mom and me in 1981.

The photo after running it through Photoshop.

The photo is now slightly defined and the colors are enhanced.

Pretty amazing to me. Now check back with me in 247 days to see if I've finished my project.