High Five

1. I seriously can't believe how big Charlotte is getting! In the past few weeks she has learned a handful of words, can respond to questions (with her actions) and is now properly using a fork?! I love how she learns something new everyday!
2. In case anyone was worried, Milo is still getting attention. It's not always when he wants it, but I think he's slowly learning that after Charlotte goes to bed, he gets us to himself. You can tell it's his favorite time of day....being held like a baby.
3. Charlotte has discovered Minnie Mouse this week and I can't handle how sweet she is when she gives that over-sized stuffed animal a big squeeze as if they are best friends.
4. Alex and Ani released a Disney Vacation Club bracelet that sells out within hours. This was the second release and I missed it again! Lucky for me, I found someone who bought two and sold me her extra. Talk about my lucky day! Most people are selling their extras on ebay at over $100, so you can only imagine how happy I was to hear she would give it to me at retail! 
5. I've always wanted to try my hand at the fun vinyl letters that you see everywhere now. If I can't embroider it, I should sticker it, right?! So my mom gave me her old Cricut machine to give it a try. I haven't had time to test it out just yet, but you better believe I'll be busting this baby out over the weekend.

High Five

I know I've been MIA this week, but so many things have thrown me off my normal routine! Monday was a holiday, then we had a snow day on Tuesday and Wednesday I left for Disney World to run walk  the Disney Princess Half Marathon! But don't worry, even if my blog is looking sparse, you can always see what I'm up to on my Instagram.

1. So excited to show you our costumes for the Disney Princess Half Marathon! We finally got the finishing touches done today and I couldn't be happier with how they turned out!
2. As part of all my crafting projects for the race, I thought I would try my hand at a MagicBand bow. I thought they added to our awesome race day outfits!
3. Charlotte had her first experience with a balloon....it's the little things. Of course I couldn't help but snap this little selfie of her playing with her balloon and our matching duck faces. Again, it's the little things. :)
4. We have been so lucky to have a baby that isn't really picky when it comes to food. But I must say, she definitely favors fruit over meat, that is until now. We went out to lunch and she demanded that she eat a hamburger slider. 
5. This picture just cracks me up. When Charlotte sees herself in the camera, instead of smiling, she makes this face.....such a ham!

High Five for Friday!

1. Like most people in our area, we took advantage of the beautiful weather we had last weekend. We had so much fun playing outside and now that she's at an age where she can play on a play-set, it's even more fun!
2. I went to lunch at a local resort this week and it was amazing! The library was my favorite room with wall to wall bookshelves full of books to borrow and this luxury Monopoly game. I could have spent hours just sitting by the fire, sipping a glass (or two) of wine and playing board games.
3. I took some much needed time off my little side business of embroidering, but am slowly getting back into it with some special requests for friends that have come in this week. I especially loved these little Frozen ears I did for a friend's upcoming trip!
4. Charlotte was styling in her gold moccs and bow that I couldn't resist snapping a picture. Of course within 5 seconds of the bow being placed on her head, she decided it needed to go. 
5. With Valentine's Day being tomorrow, I just had to share this little applique design I did for another friend. I liked it so much, that I made a Valentine's Day shirt for Charlotte just like it!

High Five for Friday!

1. We had so much fun last weekend just by staying in and playing around the house. Listening to Charlotte giggle uncontrollably is one of my favorite parts about being a mom. In that moment, nothing can be wrong. All my worries, fears, anxiety and stresses disappear and I get to laugh with this little girl.
2. My (new) selfie stick came! My husband got me a selfie stick for Christmas and it broke due to the weight of my phone (stupid iPhone 6 plus). So I sent an email to their support department and they sent me a new and improved one that was meant to hold the phone, and guess what?! It's PINK! 
3. This little girl needs to seriously stop growing up! She drinks out of cups with straws and doesn't even need me to hold it for her!
4. How stinkin' cute are these?! I've been eyeing gold moccasins since before Charlotte was born, but when I saw these little beauties with bows on them I just knew they were for me (er, I mean Charlotte)! BriellaBo does such a nice job making these! Oh and if you use code JAN15 at checkout by Jan 31st, you get 15% off your order!
5. I don't think I've mentioned it on here yet, but next month my friend and I are headed to Disney to run the Princess Half Marathon! (I know what you're thinking, "OMG, I had no idea you were even training!" Unfortunately, I haven't, but it will still be fun right?....this should be interesting!) Here is a start on my costume, can you guess who I'm going to be?! Stay tuned for the tutu! 

High Five for Friday!

I typically don't miss a High Five for Friday post, but last week was beyond my control. Our entire family came down with a terrible stomach bug. The only good thing about bugs like that is they are usually gone within 24 hours. Needless to say, I missed my high fives. So to make up for it, I am doing one big high five to cover the last two weeks. Enjoy!

1. Charlotte enjoys feeding herself at dinner, but I think her favorite part of dinner is licking the plate. She started this little trick the other night and I just HAD to document it.
2. We of course had her 1 year check up last week and just as I was trying to take a picture of her stats, her little fingers crept in. Maybe it's just me, but those two little chubby fingers sneaking in just cracks me up!
3. I've shared this picture on Instagram and in her Birthday post, but it's still one of my favorites right now. The pure joy on her face can make a bad day instantly better.
4. Here is another one of my favorites. Charlotte insists upon brushing her teeth whenever she sees me with a toothbrush. She will fuss and cry until I give her hers.
5. I made this perfect little Disney decomesh wreath for Charlotte's birthday and I've decided that it will now be my everyday wreath.
6. One of my wardrobe staples as of late is this amazing onsie by OnePiece (don't worry I got mine on super sale!). It's made of sweatshirt material, so no static and doesn't have feet, which makes it absolutely perfect. As soon as I get home, I change into this for the evening. Can we say obsessed?!
7. This is a little snapshot of how my mornings go. When I'm trying to get ready, she insists on being as close as humanly possible to me. It makes doing my hair with a 400 degree flat iron interesting to say the least. 
8. On Monday I spent the afternoon making food for the week. I cannot say enough how much this helped us this week. I managed to make chicken pot pies, chili, cornbread and baked ziti. 
9. One of Charlotte's birthday presents was this awesome little talking chair complete with a remote control on the armrest. From time to time I will catch her watching TV in it and suddenly she is no longer a baby!

It's going to be a nasty weekend with rain/snow/sleet so you will find my family in their jammies all day tomorrow and I can't wait! Have a great weekend and stay dry!

High Five for Charlotte's Birthday!

Today is a big day for our little family....it's Charlotte's birthday! This year has brought us so much joy with our little girl and we can't wait to celebrate her on Sunday with our families. But for now, I will continue with a recap from my week! Happy Friday, y'all!

1. I couldn't resist. Apparently you can now play Oregon Trail online! Yes, my friends, it is the real deal. I was so excited to play until of course Charlotte died from dysentery....
2. As I mentioned before, today is the day! Charlotte is 1! This was the best picture we were going to get this morning in her birthday outfit for daycare (she hates the hat). Don't worry, Monday there will be a full update!
3. Believe it or not I wasn't going to do a Minnie Mouse themed birthday and then I saw this dress at H&M, I had no choice! Isn't it the most perfect party dress?!
4. We had our first snow day of the season and even though Charlotte has technically seen snow, this time she was far more aware of the white stuff and spent the morning just looking out the window and pointing.
5. I can never resist a good Lilly sale and these two items were just too perfect to pass up! 

High Five for 2015!

First high five of 2015! I can't wait to see what 2015 brings. I already know it's going to be a fun year watching Charlotte go from a baby to a little girl. 

1. My view on Christmas Eve. Wee enjoyed a nice quiet Christmas Eve at home starting new traditions for Charlotte's first Christmas.
2. Big news! Charlotte starting walking! We took her to Stride Rite this week to get fitted for big girl shoes. I really can't believe how fast all of this is happening!
3. On New Year's Eve we went to dinner with my parents and I caught my dad and Charlotte coloring together. Moment's like that just melt my heart.
4. Milo hasn't been part of a high five in a while so I thought I would share this picture of him in his Christmas tie. He's been doing really well with Charlotte and I think has even started to like her a little bit (it only took a year).
5. Our little almost one year old has such a big personality! I got a faux fur scarf for Christmas and she proceeded to snatch it from me, wrap it around her neck and pose (this comes way too naturally). I have a feeling her teen years will be interesting!

H54F

I'm not going to lie, my posts are going to continue to be sparse until after the New Year. We have soooo much going on right now that certain things have had to take a back seat, this little blog being one of them. I promise I'm not going completely rogue, just only posting when I have time or something blog worthy to write about. 

In other news, WE'RE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD TONIGHT! I'm so excited for a full week away from the real world to visit my happy place! Not to mention, there will be Christmas decorations and lights everywhere! It seems like it's been forever (Ok, forever to me is three years) since we've been able to visit during the season!

Enough of that....let's get to the best part of my Friday! High five time!

1. Charlotte went to visit Santa for the first time with her cousin and I think it's safe to say neither of them cared for the jolly old man in the red suit. This picture needs no words....
2. Just in time for our trip to Disney, these little magnets came in the mail. I love that they even sent two so we don't have to fight over who's car it goes on. Yes, I'm going to be that girl with a DVC magnet on my care...feel free to judge.
3. Charlotte's favorite thing is the phone. Not the phone locked, it has to have pictures on it. She likes to swipe and scroll through pictures of herself and on occasion she takes a selfie. I have a feeling we are going to be in big trouble in 15 years or so.
4. This week has been crazy for a number of reasons so when my friends surprise me with gifts that I haven't had time to make for myself, I get so touched. This picture is an iPad case that attaches to the headrest for Charlotte. Since we are driving, I had mentioned needing a way to attach the iPad to the backseat so we can keep Charlotte entertained. Then my brilliant friend came up with this design and surprised me with it one day at work. It's absolutely perfect and I can't wait to use it!
5. As I was packing a few nights ago, I told my husband that I was so mad at myself for not having the time to make cute family shirts for our trip. He of course told me it wasn't a big deal, but to me it really was. So you can only imagine when another great friend of mine took it upon herself to make shirts for our family for our trip! The crazy thing about this is she doesn't even have an embroidery machine. She did all this by hand! 

I think it's safe to say that I have some of the best friends and family a girl could ask for. When life gets crazy, it's so good to know that there are people who want to help (without even being asked!). I hope everyone has a great weekend, and I'll be thinking of you in sunny, warm Florida!

Linking up with Lauren Elizabeth for H54F!

High Five for Friday

It's Friday and not just any other Friday, but the Friday before a holiday! Time to bust out the stretchy pants! Who's ready for Thanksgiving?

1. These little easy bake cookies are my guilty pleasure. I try to only buy them a few times a year or else I would eat them all day every day. I made the mistake of letting Charlotte try one and now she begs for them.
2. Our first Christmas decoration we put out was this adorable little Elf on The Shelf ornament I found at the mall. It was fate that they had her name, so of course it was purchased! And then I realized that this was her first ornament
3. We went to a friend's house for dinner on Saturday and Charlotte might have partied too hard. As soon as we got in the car she passed out, hat and all.
4. My friend took me to this adorable little bakery over lunch this week and I couldn't help but purchase a few festive cookies (I'm starting to realize that this week involved way too many cookies....oops).
5. And of course, no weekend is complete without a few chores. On the plus side, this little Ninja Turtle makes doing laundry so much more fun. 

Time to deck the halls! I hope everyone enjoys their weekend and the short week that follows! As always, I'm linking up with Lauren Elizabeth for H54F.

High Five for Friday!

1. A sweet and dear friend of mine sent me this picture from her baby's first birthday party. They had a professional photographer who managed to get some great shots of Charlotte. She knew I was having a rough week and wanted to see if passing along these pictures would help...yes!
2. My hunt for Charlotte's first Christmas dress is officially over. I found this adorable boutique style dress at Kohls! It was marked down from $40 to $24, then 30% off plus $5 off which brought it down to $11! You can't beat that deal! 
3. This smile is my favorite. I love how she scrunches up her whole face when she smiles. It can instantly turn a bad day good; for those few moments, nothing else in the world matters. 
4. My brother-in-law's sister got married over the weekend so my sister ad her family came home from Texas to attend the wedding. I can't remember the last time the four of us took a picture together (matching was pure coincidental)! The original four!
5. Charlotte has been a little under the weather this week so she's been fussier than usual. I stayed home from work on Tuesday since she had a fever and boy, was that hard work! Silly me thought I would be super productive, so when she finally fell asleep the dishes got done and all bottles got cleaned, I rewarded myself with a celebratory glass of wine. 

Linking up with Lauren Elizabeth for H54F!

High Five for Friday!

1. Charlotte's first Halloween was a success! Since she was Olaf (costume tutorial here), I couldn't resist being Anna. Even though we only went to a few houses, we still had a great time!
2. My mom made me a fall table runner and I LOVE it! This picture doesn't do it justice, but it's absolutely perfect! Now I need her to make me a Christmas one just like it!
3. Charlotte barely squeezed into her first Halloween shirt that I bought for her last year. Good thing we only had to wear it for one day. Silly me bought a nine month shirt for my nine month baby. 
4. So. Much. Candy! My work collected leftover Halloween candy for the troops overseas. This was part of the 26lb stash we donated. I just wanted to swim in it! 
5. Charlotte is spending more time on her feet than sitting or crawling and she gets stronger every day! Sometimes I catch her for about 5 seconds standing without holding onto anything. We are going to be in trouble when she starts to walk.

Linking up with Lauren Elizabeth for H54F!

High Five for Friday!

1. Monograms, monograms and more monograms. Who wants one of these awesome monogrammed vests?! Check my Instagram tonight for a flash sale of my entire inventory of vests! I will monogram and ship for $45!
2. Who doesn't love a fire-pit on a nice cool fall night?! We spent some quality time with our family over the weekend and it's moments like this, under the stars with a warm fire and a drink in my hand that makes all my problems insignificant.
3. Charlotte is already looking up to her older cousin. He is so sweet to her by making sure she has all her toys and books. 
4. We had so much fun celebrating my mother-in-law's birthday at Tides Inn. Charlotte got a special souvenir (the stuffed crab hanging from her mouth), and it hasn't left her sight since.
5. We had donuts in the office yesterday, so of course I had to wear my matching donut sweater!

Linking up with Lauren Elizabeth for H54F!

High Five for Friday - Back for Real This Time!

I really appreciate all the emails and texts asking if everything is ok because I haven't blogged in so long. Everything is perfect! I've just been focusing on trying to keep a healthy balance of work, blogging, embroidering and family. And when doing so, I found that blogging was the one thing that wasn't making the cut every day. Plus, I didn't have any new tutorials, outfits or fun updates to share since my focus was keeping my head above water. 

Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about this past week!

1. My mom went to a quilt show and grabbed some treats for me! It may look boring to you, but this is gold in my house. Sticky stabilizer, 14 spools of thread and a spool holder for the larger spools.
2. This past week I was in Baltimore for work and this was the view from the hotel! Too bad the Oriole's didn't play while I was there.
3. Charlotte loves running around the house while sitting on Daddy's shoulders. It's so fun to watch the two of them play!
4. Even though we were watching the Nats play, since we were in Baltimore we were drinking Natty Boh from Oriole's cans. When in Rome....
5. Saturday was an impromptu girls day where Charlotte and I met my friend and her daughter for lunch. Charlotte enjoyed herself, even though she looks unimpressed in this picture.

Thanks for sticking around during my crazy month of no blogging. I promise to be back in full swing with Charlotte's 9 month update on Monday!

Linking up with Lauren Elizabeth for H54F!

High Five for Friday

It's so hard to find the positive when it seems like so many negative things are happening all at once. Never have I needed this high five for Friday post more than I do right now. Until I was gathering my pictures together to capture my week, I was only dwelling on the bad things that happened and forgot all the great memories we made in just a few short days! Sure, over the course of a few weeks, life has given us two cars that aren't running, a broken garage door, AC that needs repair and a child with pink eye, but it by no means will define my week. I want to remember the good things, the things that matter years from now. It's time to celebrate the highs and bury the lows with four simple words: High Five for Friday!

1. We spent last weekend in Minneapolis for my husband's American Idol audition. Even though he didn't make it to the next round, it was still a great experience! Here is a fun family picture of us in front of the American Idol backdrop!
2. Minneapolis is home the the Mall of America, so you better believe we went and checked it out. The entire center f the mall is an amusement park. I knew there were rides, but never expected 5 roller coasters and other rides! 
3. I will talk more about the trip in detail next week, but while we were there, we got tickets to a Twins game. And even though it was cooler than we would have liked, we all still had a great time!
4. Couldn't leave Mall of America without a family picture. :)
5. After a long weekend and some craziness near the end of the trip, it was only fitting that we end on a high note with dinner outside in the city accompanied by a bottle of wine. 

High Five for Friday - Disney Edition

Since we were in Disney for part of last week and this week, I thought I'd share some of the highlights of our trip for this week's H54F! 

1. Even though we weren't home for the first official football Sunday of the year, Charlotte still rocked her team with a little Disney flare. 
2. So far Charlotte LOVES the Disney characters. One of the first things we did when we got to Disney was have breakfast with Pooh and friends and she loved every character! I wish I could say the same thing for her and our servers while we were there. Every male server or male in general that stopped to talk to her freaked her out so much and she would cry and scream to be held. 
3. I couldn't resist having matching outfits at least once with her! So who better to dress up with than Minnie Mouse! As you can see, she's a little less than thrilled about this, but I promise she warmed up to it later. :) 
4. One of the things I was looking forward to most was the Epcot After Hours Wind Down Event. It was a wine tasting and food pairing after the park closed. Next week I'll post about the whole event if you're interested.
5. I couldn't help but get this last picture of the ball as we were leaving the park one night. We were one of the last people left so it gave me the perfect opportunity to get an unobstructed shot.

All in all it was a great trip and we are already counting down the days until our December trip! Now it's time for a nice relaxing weekend. TGIF!

Linking up with Lauren Elizabeth for H54F!

High Five for Friday!

It's Friday AND a long weekend! Life doesn't get much better than this. Oh wait, it does! We are going to Disney in less than a week! I am so looking forward to a long relaxing weekend followed by a short work week that leads to another long weekend in Disney. Life is good.

1. Over the weekend I had both machines running at the same time. I was so worried that while I was tending to one machine would mess up, so needless to say this lasted a whole five minutes.
2. Tomorrow is Notre Dame's first game of the season so of course, Charlotte needed a shirt to show her team spirit!
3. Charlotte got all dressed up to have dinner with her Mimi and PopPop
4. Candy corn is here!!! The girls I work with and I can crush bags upon bags of candy corn during the fall months. It's so bad but oh so good!
5. Since we are going to Disney next week, I have been pulling out Disney outfits to help make packing easier. Of course, sometimes we have to play dress up, like when I found this adorable Tigger outfit complete with a Tigger hat and tail!

Linking up with Lauren Elizabeth for H54F!

High Five for Friday

I have no idea where this week went. Last time I checked it was Monday, now all of a sudden it's Friday?! I'm definitely not complaining, but I because of this I seemed to have very few pictures from this past week, so I apologize in advance for the lack luster high fives.

1. In case you missed it from my Instagram or yesterday's post. I had a little flash sale on Wednesday night featuring a few things I made using my leftover Lilly fabric. There are still fun things left, so stop by Instagram to check it out!
2. Charlotte and I played dress up with some tutus that she can finally fit into. Of course our little photo sesh was Disney themed to practice for our trip in two weeks!
3. I LOVE getting my Darby Smart DIY boxes. These little chandelier earrings are super fun and super easy to make too.
4. If you know me, then you know I'm a huge diet coke fan. So of course when Coke launched their Share A Coke campaign, I couldn't wait to get my hands on a DC with my name on it! I was quickly disappointed when I found out they didn't make them with my name. However, while I was at Target, I saw a Mel and right behind it was a Chris. Day. Made.
5. The Redskins played on Monday night and we went over to a friend's house to watch the game. Always love an opportunity to dress Charlotte up in her football leggings.

We have a busy but fun month ahead of us and even though summer is on its way out, I welcome fall with open arms. It's my favorite time of the year! Have a great weekend, everyone!

Linking up with Lauren Elizabeth for H54F!

High Five!

Super late today, but better late than never! This week has been such a whirlwind with tons of ups and downs, but I always love Fridays because it's a time to celebrate the ups and forget the downs. Have a great weekend, everyone!

1. Probably one of my favorite pictures of Charlotte to date. We HAD to go back to Burnside in her Lilly again to get some more pictures before they closed for the season. I mean really, how cute is this baby Adirondack chair?!
2. Milo's life in a nutshell. He loves just lounging around and still seems to be adjusting fairly well to Charlotte. He now likes to rub heads with her (his way of showing affection).
3. While at the farm I couldn't' resist such a sweet father/daughter moment. This is how she always is with her Daddy. She is such a Daddy's girl, it's not even funny!
4. I was super busy over the weekend fulfilling orders. I'm pretty much in love with all of these. Now I just need to find some time to make some stuff for Charlie's upcoming Disney trips!
5. Charlotte turned 7 months over the weekend and apparently it's very tiring growing up so fast so she took a nap with her Dumbo so Mommy could sew.

Linking up with Lauren Elizabeth for H54F!

High Five, Y'all

1. Gymboree was having an awesome sale so I couldn't resist picking up this little sailor outfit for Charlotte. I've decided she looks like a little Donald Duck and will have to wear this in Disney next month!
2. I am the worst about refilling my water bottle at work during the day, so I got this awesome pitcher to keep at my desk. I definitely drink more water but have yet to drink the entire thing in one day....it's 148 ounces!
3. Football season is finally here!!!!! My friend and I went to the preseason game last night against the Patriots and we won! Even better news - since we scored more than 20 points and it was a home game, you can get a free sub at Subway today! Get the coupon and enjoy an almost free lunch (still have to purchase a drink and chips).
4. My weakness....a giant chocolate chip cookie! Ordered pizza with my family earlier in the week and somehow was convinced this was a good idea. ooops, oh well, it was delicious!
5. I spent a few late nights this week implementing a new blog design! I love change and was itching for something different....what do you think? 

Linking up with Lauren Elizabeth for H54F!

High Five for Friday!

I seriously have no idea where this week went. I've been so busy getting stuff done and yet I still feel super behind on stuff. The work days are flying by and I find myself wishing I had at least two more hours a night to work on blogging and crafting. The truth is, I don't have that kind of time, so I'm working on prioritizing and learning to let some things go. It's ok if my house isn't clean and if I didn't have a blog post written for the next day. What is important is that I'm putting my family first and taking time out of each day to do something for myself. So in a nutshell, that's why posts have been a little thin lately.

Regardless of all that nonsense, I will always have my five highlights from the week to share because I find that even if life is crazy and not all the time good, it's important to dig down (sometimes really deep) and find the things that made you happy. And suddenly the rest of the stuff seems to not be so bad.

1. Part of being so busy this week was because my friend and I made 80 koozies for our company team day! I thought we would never finish! It was super nice to take a day off work and team build with our our company as we hosted our first ever Olympics! 
2. Ulta haul - I may or may not have gotten a little carried away but I was way overdue for a makeup revamp. I spent a few hours over the weekend watching various makeup tutorials to see what I could do differently. It of course lead me to my closest Ulta to pick up a few necessities. ;) 
3. By far the highlight of my week was getting to see Billy Joel in concert! My friend invited me along and we had a blast. Our pictures aren't the greatest, but I have some pretty awesome memories that will be hard to forget.
4. I love watching Charlotte grow every single day. She gets sweeter and sweeter as her little personality develops. I finally found an outfit and a use for my Ariel bow that I've had for 4 years! 
5. I was perusing Pinterest and stumbled across this little gem; Disney Jamberry nails! I have been hearing a lot about Jamberry these days and decided these would be the perfect ones to try. Melissa over at Jamberry designs and sells these ones in particular. She also customizes so many other patterns that you won't find on the basic website.

Linking up with Lauren Elizabeth for H54F!