HAPPY new year.

A very impromptu party = lots of fun. Hope this is a very Happy New Year for you all.
I see big things for 2012... I can't wait.

from our home to yours.

May your holiday be full of love.

wrapped up {almost}

wrap:
Ikea drawing paper
bakers twine
jute twine
candy canes
Delphine Press tags

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Just 12 more days... we are half way there on the Advent calendar. Christmas is going to be magical this year ~ I can feel it ~ bike under the tree magical.

wings + popcorn

Rarely do my stars align to have a quiet moment to myself, so I thought I would take the opportunity to photograph and post these wings I made for a friend. Miss you all out there in blogland. I hope someday soon I will be back. My creative energies have been given to my two little guys for the last 4 1/2 months. I guess I look at them and think, "Should I make Popcorn and play or Post?" Popcorn always wins.

*wing tutorial found here.

No shortcuts.

10 years ago Julie and I were two early 20 somethings on the way home from Vegas after 12 wild hours on New Years Eve. Julie convinced me that she knew a 'short cut.' The grueling and boring 6 hour drive home turned into 9 hours. No doubt we listened to country and some offensive rap the entire way home. Reminiscing about the ridiculous adventures from the night before. Today we have 5 boys between us and the idea of a 'short cut' has new meaning. Like Julie said "In those days we were consumed with how much fun we could have in lieu of sleep and now we can't figure out how to sleep enough!" My impulse is to say... 'those were the days' but I am sure in 10 years I will say that about the stage we are in now.

Here is to dear friendships & sleeping babies.

show & tell

I thought I would share some items that have been my absolute favorite things during this newborn stage, top to bottom.
Voluspa Vervaine Olive Leaf Candle - Have you smelt this one? Oh my! it is so clean and fresh and wonderful.
Eddie Vedder Ukulele Songs - This has been on heavy, heavy rotation since Ross gave it to me for my birthday. I am pretty much obsessed with it. Eddie Vedder is so incredible and the sound of the ukulele takes me away. Most of the songs EV wrote but a few of them are old ditties from the 30's and 40's there is a duet with Chan Marshall (Cat Power) that is so sweet.
A Sequoia Tree Pine Cone - When my grandmother passed away my aunt gave one of these to all of us. My grandmother was an amazing outdoors-woman and always took a souvenir from her backpacking trips {I think this is against the law but really she only took little things :)}. I held this pine cone through my labor and now it sits on the windowsill next to Conrad's crib.
Wee Gallery Art Cards - I was given these cards when Henry was born and now both of my boys have loved them. I set them in Conrad's crib or on the changing table and he just stares at them. They are especially brilliant when I need a shower.
The NoseFrida - This thing is amazing. Really I want one for myself. The tag line is "The Snotsucker" and it is true. It gets everything and is not as scary as that blue bulb that they send you home with at the hospital.
Bossypants - Funniest. Book. Ever. Since having Conrad I haven't been reading much but this book has been great for a chapter here and there. Ross actually read parts of it to me in the labor and delivery room and we had to stop because I was laughing so hard that the nurses couldn't monitor my contractions.
Bamboo Swaddle Blankets - These are so amazing, so incredibly soft and cozy. Perfect for a good swaddle and a cuddle.

dan + grace wed

This weekend we went to a wedding that I will never forget. Ever. Everything about it was pure magic. The setting was breathtaking we were at the grooms family ranch. From the moment that we pulled into the property I was teary thinking about the love that was poured into this event. Friends had been camping out for days helping with the wedding. The bride and her friends were making jam for months, pies for weeks, everything was handmade so beautifully and with so much love. There were 400 people there; everyone was drinking out of jelly jars, dancing to blue grass and having the time of their life. Dan, Grace and their entire family are some of the most amazing people you ever want to know. Ross and I don't get to see them all very often but whenever we do it has always become a highlight into our story together. In fact one of our first dates was spent watching the sunset in the spot that they were married. We love this family so much and we could not be happier for them with the addition of Grace. She is the real thing... humble, strong, beautiful, wise and madly in love with Dan. Grace, Carla and Erin {who I just met this weekend and think she is the bees knees too} have a farmstand {Jalama Road Family Farmstand} that is so incredibly special.

Dan and Grace... you are both such an inspiration to all that witnessed your wedding. Thank you for being such sweet friends and for being so in love... it makes us so happy.

a month ago today

Above is a photo of Henry, Conrad and I. Just moments before Henry hopped into my lap for this shot, he met his brother, Conrad Michael. Holding both of my boys for the first time was a feeling hard to explain. My heart hurt. How am I going to be fair, consistent and loving to these two boys for as long as I live? How am I going to teach them to be good men? How am I going to last another day without sleep? Where will our first camp out be? So many thoughts have been circling my head as now I know that I am and will always be the mother of boys. There was a night when Henry hung his head over Conrad's bassinet and said "what a cutie" which melted my heart. And then there was the day that Henry went in for a hug and bit Conrad so hard that he broke the skin. Conrad was purple before he let out a wicked cry and Henry got his first spanking. It is the first of many times that they will both break my heart. Overall Henry has been a good boy. I miss him though. It used to be just us and now there is another little person taking my time and I know that it is hard on Henry. For months, way before Conrad, Henry has preferred Ross putting him down at night, but one night a couple weeks ago -in the height of postpartum emotions- Henry asked me to put him down. While I was rubbing his back he looked at me and said "Are you still my Mommy?" At that moment the realness of my 3 year old's feelings hit me... "Yes, I am your Mommy and I love being your Mommy." And Henry said "I love you too." How do I bottle up the pureness of that moment?

Having two is hard. I can't stop thinking about all of my friends with 2 or 3. My mom had 5! How do you do it? You make going to Target or a birthday party look like a snap. I am not that mom. I have been showing up to swimming lessons with blood shot eyes, nursing accidents, maternity jeans and a grandma to help. Or all of the bloggers out there with 6 kids who home school and have a new post every morning. What is that? Even this post I started 3 feeding ago.

When I think of the last month I think of smelling Conrad's breath... it is heaven. I think of all the amazing meals that our friends have given us. We still have two more! What a gift. I think of being rolled out of the hospital with Henry and Conrad on my lap. I think of my girlfriends coming over in their jammies with dinner, gifts and love on Ross's first day back to work. I think of the day I had a 104 tempature with mastitis. Ross was the most amazing nurse and my sweet friend Cara, came to the rescue. I was a mess and I really needed help. I think of having a glass of wine and Ross toasting me saying that I am his hero. It was so sweet it has gotten me through many low moments. And speaking of those. I think of crying. I remember this from Henry. I cry because I am so in love with my new baby or because I miss my big baby or because I can't imagine every wearing normal clothes again. I will think of all the times that my grandma has shown her spirit to me. I miss her but I know she is here with me. I think of calling my father in law minutes after Conrad was born to tell him that his grandson is his namesake.

It has been a month and I actually feel like I am getting a little less socially akward. You know when you are so tired that you say dumb stuff like "you too" when someone says "Congrats on the new baby" even though they don't have a new baby? I blew my hair dry {well I blew the front dry}. I turned the ringer back on my phone. I went to Costco, although I came home with 25 lbs of pinto beans so maybe I wasn't ready for that outing. I made dinner last night {cold cereal and beans}. And this weekend we are going to a wedding. A wedding I have been looking forward to since I heard "he got his knee dirty and she said yes." Life is pretty darn good.

love & light,

Alexis

ta ta for now

My wheels are falling off... the wall has officially been hit. As I get all my ducks in a row for the new little one I am feeling a serious urge to let go. Let go of all the things that I usually spend hours on. I am going to sit on the bench for a few innings maybe even a game. I want to cuddle with Henry a million more times before a new little one enters our lives. I want to be still and quiet as I steal every free moment to take a snooze. I am going to tackle a couple more Art Barn projects {which I promise to share}. I am even hoping to fit in a movie or two with the Boss. This week the theme is 'wrap up.' I have a meeting on Thursday with the client that I have spent most of my time with in the last year. I am handing over my key as the last few items have been buttoned up. And as for my blog... well... I am going to be around... popping in every once in a while to share the latest project or to shout from the roof top about this little boy or girl in my belly. But other than that I will be less consistent than I have been for the past year and a half. Because of this PLEASE PLEASE sign up for my "newsletter" {I don't really have a newsletter but my pregnant brain can not think of another thing to call it}. I promise not to share this info it is for my eyes alone. It is really just so that I can let all of you loyal readers know when I am posting more regularly. {See that little Subscribe to Newsletter go there and sign up!}. Well anyway... I hope you all have a wonderful week and don't be surprised if I pop in soon.

Love & Light. Alexis

Baby Blanket a la Eileen.

Last Thursday I got a amazingly lovely surprise in the mail from a friend of a friend who reads my blog. She sent me a box full of beautiful fabrics. Instantly my wheels where turning on what this box was going to become and of course with baby on my mind it quickly turned into a baby blanket. Thank you so much Eileen for such a thoughtful gift... the fabric will be loved by my new little one.
So I am not a technical sewer. In fact I hardly can be called a seamstress at all. I don't know how to sew in a zipper and could do a pregnant back flip before I could follow a pattern. So if you know anything about sewing hide your eyes... my technique is ugly. When I start a project like this I never really know how it will turn out. This is the first time I have every used seam binding, so again, hide your eyes {thank you so much Estelle for the tutorial!! so sweet}. Any way here is the step by step {in photos} of how I make a baby blanket. This is for all of you out there who wish you knew how to sew... if I can do it so can you.

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