My 12 loves of Etsy....

I am so already in Christmas mode. It is a good thing I feel thankful at Christmas as well as Thanksgiving because I am so already done with Thanksgiving. "It's the most wonderful time of the year..."
{to the 12 days of Christmas} {loosely}

My first love of Etsy I sure would love to own someday a Texas Shaped Cutting Board.



My second love of Etsy I sure would love to own someday are Carmel and Candy Apple Crochet Patterns.



My third love of Etsy I sure would love to own someday Turkey Dinner Felt Food Pattern.



My fourth love of Etsy I sure would love to own someday An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly Story time Felt Pattern.



My fifth love of Etsy I sure would love to own someday, FIVE Rag Dolls.



My sixth love of Etsy I sure would love someday A vintage print of Alice in Wonderland.




My seventh love of Etsy I sure would love to own someday a vinyl wall quote of Serve the Lord.



My eighth love of Etsy I sure would love to own someday, the complete set of Far Far Away 2.



My ninth love of Etsy I sure would love to own someday, a Princess Playhouse Castle.



My tenth love of Etsy I sure would love to own someday, a beautiful Christmas Wreath.



My eleventh love of Etsy I sure would love to won someday, sweet girlie ruffles for Lilly.



My twelfth love of Etsy I sure would love to own someday, twelve vibrant sheets of Felt.


There was so much more I loved. Maybe I will have to think of another fun Holiday song to put them to.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving Blogland.

I WON a giveaway!!!

I have never won a giveaway in over a year of blogging!

P.S. Yes my year was alomst two months ago but I feel with my long hiatus I have nothing to celebrate. Back to the giveaway.

Punkin Patterns hosted a giveaway of Dana from MADE. She gave away two patterns. One of the Sweater Stocking and another of the winner's choice. I chose the Rollie Pollie.

I am just soooo super stoked to receive this. It made my week and got me jump started in the bloggy world again.

See ya soon.

All ups and downs then some ups

So here lately we as a family have had some ups and downs.

I have been in the search for a job for over a year now, though the first 6 to 8 months were quietly looking for a job. I am teacher and we definitely have a "hiring season" and it is over this year already. I busted my hump trying to get a job. Ok a little back story...

December 2007 I graduated from Texas A&M University with a BA in History and English. I jumped right back in at A&M to get my M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction. This also got me my Teacher's certification and a job at the 3rd largest district in Texas, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD. I taught 10th grade World History at the ripe old age of 22. Some of my students were the same age as my younger, still in college, husband. I loved my job and took pride in it.

Along comes November and guess what?!?! Lilly is on her way and will be here the next summer. So my mom and other family member express they would like us to move home now that Clayton will be graduating in December and I can get a teaching position anywhere. (sure!)

We move 5 hours back home when I am 33 weeks. I have to find a new dr and everything is crazy mode. I look back and can't even believe we did it. Neither of us had jobs and we ended up moving into the in-laws quarters behind Clayton's dad's house. It was supposed to be only for a few months till things took off. Things still haven't taken off. Clayton has worked at Alcon 9great company) as a temp for almost 18 months and I have been on the job hunt.

I absolutely took it as a blessing that I was ablse to stay home with Lilly her first year of life. Now it is time for us to grow as a family though. We need our own house and we want to have some brothers and sisters for Lilly soon.

So this was our plight....

School has started and still no teaching job even though I have 3! certifications now! Nothing.

But on the good side is I got hired yesterday to be a long term sub for a teacher here where we are from. It is not a teaching position but it is a foot in the door they say.

Dang "they". They never have anything good to say do they.

Sorry for all the whining and "woe is me" because really this is me being happy and grateful and blessed that I have something!

A Quilt and a Book Challenge

Ok so I have completely finished my very first quilt top! It went sooooo fast.

I took 20 minutes to cut all the peices and another 30 minutes the next night to put it all together and sew it together. It is machine done even though I was gonna do it by hand I just had no patience. I wanted instant gratification. I love love it though. My big computer has a virus so no pic today but asap I promise.

I went and got the batting and the backing and the saftey pins so now on to basting!

Also I decided to join a book challenge even though there are only 4 months left in it!

It is hosted by Crazy Book Slut. Horrible name for a family friendly site but what can ya do? It is the Once Upon A Time Challenge where I am to read 5 fairy Tales from another perspective.
Ok so I am officially in and now so accountable.

My first book will be Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley, then Mirror, Mirror by Greogry Macguire and my last planned book is Thornspell by McKinley as well. Then I would like to read one on The Princess and the Pea, The Twelve Dancing Princesses and maybe even Rumpelstiltskin. I will keep you updated.

For Now

I had a post all loaded and ready to go a few days ago with like 15 or so pictures from Lilly's One year old photo shoot BUT blogger had different plans and I have no idea what happened to it. Someday I will get around to doing it again.

Also I have made a ton of crochet food for Lilly and I want to post all of that.

I made an Elmo beanie hat for possibly Lilly's Halloween costume but IDK if so then I will be abby and Clayton will be Oscar the Grouch. Lol.

I cut and I am now hand sewing a Halloween table runner.

Lastly but certainly not least on the crafting front I have finished my first quilt top. Way faster than I expected, though it is not hard. It is a crib/ toddler bed size for when Lilly transitions but I dont think that will be for a while. I have already started thinking about y next but since I wont give her this one till she needs a new type of bed what about the other ones maybe I will give her a dew for Christmas. I also have plans in the works for a dollie. That will look like her! I am thrilled.

Another important aspect of my life... the blasted job hunt. I have been busting my rump to get a teaching job this year. I started looking in the winter and have had no luck. Finally last night I got an email for a half-time position I applied for. The principal narrowed it down from the 140 that applied to 12 and we are supposed to email an essay of sorts to her and she and the teacher will narrow it down to say 3 for the interview process. Let's just say I have to get an interview and then I have to get this position. We need a house and we can't get one till I have an income.

Please Lord give me the words to say and the knowledge to give. Amen.

Lilly's One Year Pictures

Allee's ruffle dress

I did it I finally finished this outfit. It is a dress for my 3 year old Sis-in-law.
Its probably not great work and may not make it through the wash but a few times BUT I did it! From start to finish I made this dress. I am so pleased. She is sick today like Lilly but as soon as she wants to try it on we will have pictures of her in it!

Lilly's 1st Birthday

It is hard to believe that what was a year ago 6 lbs 4 oz is now 19 lbs of full energy.



This week was Lilly's first Birthday and her party. I can't believe that she is already 1. A toddler! Gosh a year went by quickly.


This is the fabric Birthday Banner I made for her. It says Happy 1st Birthday and the 1 is velcro so it grow with her. The ST was supposed to be too but I was still sewing it the morning of the party so I will just have to pick it out later and make it velcro as well. It turned out really cute.

There are a lot of tutorials out there so I won't even try to do one but I did just kind of do it on my own. Others just seemed to make it harder than it was.
This is the second thing I made. Well an upclose version of it.
I made tons of those tiny fabric rosettes and glued them all together to make....
Lilly a birthday wreath. The 1 is not attached so it will find a home on her bedroom door. I love love it I want to make one just like it for every holiday and in every color scheme. i got the idea and tut from A Little Lovely. Here she is on her actual birthday with her Daddy in front of the wreath.
On her birthday my parents and brother wanted to see her so we went to lunch and she had a ball. Here she is with Grandma.
Grandma and Granddaddy. It was so fun because every time we would sing Happy Birthday she would start to sing too....though it sounded nothing like "Happy Birthday".
At her party in her Birthday outfit...just loved every bit of it.
The highchair decked out with a shot of the wreath in the back ground.
The cake for the guests. A family friend Donna made it for us and she is amazing this is her 3rd cake for me and all have been gorgeous and yummy!
Her 4th for me was Lilly's smash cake. Lilly loves Elmo and she sure loved this cake.
Lighting her musical candle and singing to her!
Digging in!
After she "kissed" Elmo many times.
Then there was swimming and Lilly is a waterbug!





Overall it was a very blessed day it was wonderful to have everyone there to share our joy at our precious gift from God turning 1.