Fall 2010

HELLO!~

(This tree and park have been a little slice of peace amidst all of the chaos I have been experiencing)

Well as always there seems to be something keeping me away from blogging. This time it is our move across several states. Our move wasn't planned but Mr. Papitag got a great job that was too good to pass up, especially given these economic times of our nation. Looks like we will be heading to the nations capitol folks! Let me tell you this entire process has been nothing but a headache but I am FINALLY starting to realize that this will be really good for our family!

(My two munchkins...they are growing so fast)!
In between all of the fuss Ms. Pea turned 25 weeks and Gizzy turned 3 years old. Phew, never a dull moment over here! Somehow in the midst of packing, taking care of an almost 6 month old, walking the dog, keeping sane and sleeping (somewhat) I have managed to spark my craftiness again. I buckled down and purchased a brand new baby (Brother SQ9000) and I am absolutely in love! She sure beats my garage sale find my mom bought me for 25 bucks that was over 20 years old. Don't get me wrong my old brother is still kicking and I do plan on still using her as a back- up machine but the new brothers sure do make sewing a heck of a lot simpler.

I don't know how often I will be able to blog since we will be transitioning to our new place but I hope its better than what I was doing before =)

Hugs!

Low Key Weekend

(Miss Pea and I)

Since I have been out of work and have primarily been at home caring for "Pea" (her nickname) my weekends have been low key and my weekdays have been everything but scheduled. We had planned to get a bunch of stuff done around the house since we might be making a sudden move here in the near future (will talk about later), but with a fussy 15 week old it doesn't appear that anything on the "list" will get done this weekend. We did manage to start Pea on baby cereal mixed with breast milk, yea I can hear some of you saying that she is too young, but you have to seriously know my baby to understand why she is already eating cereal...I am telling you, she is not the typical 15 week old. I realize that every parent thinks their child is advanced but seriously this girl is not the typical drooling, dazed staring 3 month old, she is ahead of her time....anyhow she loves the cereal and seems to be adjusting to it quite well.

I did manage to escape a couple weekends ago ( to a bachelorette party) which happened to be my first time leaving my baby for an extended period of time. I knew Mr. papitag could handle it though, I just made sure that I had enough milk pumped and all the other necessities on hand in order for him to have a smooth time with her.

(The Barchelorette party group)

The party was a success and it was great to see my pal Caroline and the rest of the ladies from the track club...I haven't seen them in months (almost 10 to be exact) since club nationals. I had such a great time but was missing little Pea so I sped home from Boston back to might bright eyed baby girl who refused to go to sleep for her dad (lol)...she can't get away from mommies boobies for bed time ( she loves to be breastfed to sleep).

Well, tomorrow is the usual, cutting out coupons from the Sunday paper, catching up on some blogs I love to read...especially (moneysavingmom.com) for all the great upcoming sales and freebies out there.... Mr. Papitag doesn't call me couponlady for nothing =) Possibly going to the park and the rest is just random. Sewing and all craftiness is on hold until we get things figured out on the move !!!

Keep it crafty!

Its been 4 months

Its been 4 months and so much has changed in my life since I last posted. I cannot wait to share with you the journey that my life has taken in such a short amount of time. One of the biggest changes is the birth of our wonderful daughter!!!!

blogging woes

Blogging hasn't gone as intended but that is life isn't it! With the soon to be birth of our first child, blogging just hasn't seemed that important lately but I did want to update a bit before I went into labor and life as I have known it doesn't exist anymore. As you can see from the pic below I have been growing and growing and so has our little one. I am happy to say we both are doing well and are healthy as far as we know.

(Me and my belly above at 35 weeks pregnant)

Mr. Papitag and I have been steadily finishing up projects here and there around the house. Our list seems endless and ever growing. I am happy to say that this past weekend our washer and dryer was delivered so no more lugging clothes back and forth to the laundry mat! YES! I never thought I would be so excited to wash clothes....but it brings such joy to actually have things clean when I need them without having to hop into the car to wash them =)

Our projects that we have finished lately: Purchasing a new washer & Dryer, having the washer and dryer installed, painting the dinning room and built in hutches, taking apart our full sized bed and upgrading to a king size bed, building our king size platform bed from scratch, building matching night stands, taking down wall paper, organizing our guest room for family when they come visit, the list goes on and on and on!

(Mr. Papitag and I taking apart our Ikea full-size bed to start the construction on our King Size bed...more pics to come)

well, this is just a bit of insight on what I have been up to. I hope to update more frequently but seeing that I am 35 weeks already the likelihood of it isn't too bright....

Stay Crafty... for me too!

Super Bowl Sunday

HELLO!!!
I am so excited to share that I finally went ahead and purchased a new camera, and yup I went with the Kodak Z915 and I absolutely Love it. I bought it on Friday and have been obsessed with snapping pictures of everything =) I soooo missed being able to capture things via pics. Well its super bowl time and I don't think I am going to make it to the end. I am extremely tired from working upstairs in our house all day. We finally have the upstairs carpeted and its exciting to be able to actually use our "entire" house! Well my eyes are getting heavy and I need to rest for the baby! hugs!

Oh if you have time check out this cute tutorial I found online for some simple lined curtains...it beats paying hefty store prices for something you can make on our own! http://modernquiltlove.wordpress.com/2009/05/16/simple-lined-curtains/

Broken Promises

(couple weeks old pic of the belly)
So, its finally February and my January went by way too fast. I haven't posted in ages because my camera bit the dust after all the abuse of dropping it I put it through. Due to not having a camera, there aren't any new pics (I feel lost without my camera)!!! I did find the camera that I do plan on getting though (the Kodak Z915) not an SLR camera but an upgrade for me and not too expensive at all. I hope to purchase it sometime in the near future. Well, like I was saying January went by so fast and I swear I keep growing as the days speed by. We have been under a lot of stress at home with remodeling and trying to slowly put ourselves on some form of a schedule. The baby will be here in 3 months and our house is still in shambles. We are having the carpet installed upstairs this weekend so we can finally start to utilize our full house after 6 months of living here....YES! well...I hope to keep updating you on whats been going on in my world.



Smiles...oh and stay crafty because I haven't been crafting too much due to my lack of energy lately!

Hugs~

Stressed

Life always has a way of taking funny turns this way and that. Lately it seems like that good old money tree has not been in our favor as a family. We had the recent vet bills with Gizzy on New Years eve, now it seems like that may have just kicked in the new Year for us! Mr. Papitags car is about to shit the bed. We have no one to turn to and no one that is close that can help us out with a new car! ERRRR! What next? There is just no way that we can get by with just one car with me working locally and Mr. Papitag working out of town unless I started to use the bus. The bus wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't 6 months pregnant! I don't know what we are going to do! We also have a crap load of housing construction that needs to be completed before the baby gets here which also requires money....and then there is of course the daily or monthly expenses of just "living." Speaking of just living...how could I forget to mention that Friday I locked my keys in my car and had to shell out $70 bucks to update me and Mr. Papitags AAA membership. RRRRRRRRRRR! I have a goal for 2010 to stay positive so I am going to try to do just that even in the face of all of these financial woes..... =(
I hate for this post to be a downer but I thought I would share what has been happening in my world. I haven't had time to post anything on etsy or even break out much of my craft supplies. I am in need of some therapeutic recreation though so I think I will crack out the whip and get to crafting again...even if it is just for our new addition to come.

(above me at an antique shop in Georgia)

2010 Census Categories

Have you seen or heard about the 2010 census categories? No, well if not you should be totally T'd off about them, especially if you are a person of color. Can you believe "they" who in the heck knows who "they" really are have the nerve to ask whether you are: black, African American or Negro. Come on now..."Negro." Are we seriously living in the 1920's! Who's stupid idea was it to add this category. I am truly disappointed in the US Government for allowing this! RRRRRRRRRRR~! I had to vent this one out!

Hello,

Somehow I failed to mention that we spent a huge chunk of our New Years Eve in the Pet ER! Gizzy was having something like a coughing attack almost like something was lodged in his throat. After a few minutes pacing hoping that what ever it was would go away or he would cough up what was lodged in his throat if anything....it didn't stop so to the Vet ER we were headed.

Gizzy at the Vet Er on New Years Eve

Gizzy and Mr. Papitag (above) falling asleep in the exam room

(Me looking like a goonie and super busted after crying hoping that my baby was ok).

So after about 3 hours at the emergency vet, Gizzy was given a clean bill of health. $300 bucks later the vet that was on call told us that the little guy probably had an allergic reaction to something or either he is developing asthma....what the hell....dogs can get asthma! Ok, so I was definitely educated and told not to use any harsh chemicals in the house (which we don't besides disinfectant) and no burning of candles or anything aeromatic. I swear this little guy is going to be the ruins of me (lol). I am just thrilled to pieces that we decided to get the VPI pet insurance now I can only cross my fingers that they will reimburse us some of what we paid. In the long run I would do it all again as long as my little guy is OK.....We love you Gizzy!

On another note I am sure you have heard the saying that it takes a village to raise a child. Well, that saying is so true...I have been completely astonished how many people are lending us a hand with clothing, furniture, etc for our baby on the way. We aren't they type of materialistic people who care about whether something is a hand me down as long as it is in good shape and condition and is safe!!! Yah...this means less money out of our pockets and less things that will go to waste by others.

(Cute knitted slipers the neighbor made for me for the hospital)
(A cute little electric cooker that my Mommy sent to us)

(The wonderful changing table and dresser that my Mom sent to us (above in the box)

(new and hand me down clothes from my Mom and Brother...thank you Turtle)

There will be more boxes and stuff to come...yeah! Well, it is time to go and eat dinner. I am working on a few craft projects that I will have to post soon.

Hugs!

Happy start to the New Year

Hello!!!
So, I decided to get to my goal list for 2010 and started things off right by deep cleaning our freezer and fridge. I am happy that it is all spiffy clean and organized now and I can find things that I need. We typically have a tendency of just putting stuff in there without any rhyme or rhythm, but now things are organized and I plan to keep it that way! The next on the list will be to tackle the pantry, which is going to be a challenge. I hate throwing away good food so this year I promised myself that we would try to eat what we have on hand instead of buying buying buying unnecessary items or items just because they are on sale.

(Above: our clean fridge)

For Lunch today Mr. Papitag and I got to use one of our Christmas pressies (gift card to Cheesecake Factory). Lunch was so scrumptious and there were even left overs that we both took home (along with a slice of cheesecake each) for dinner later. Wow, the portion sizes even for lunch were enormous! As a matter of fact I think it is time for me to go and eat some more of my snickers cheesecake right now. Other than that today was a low key day...I did a bit of laundry and we finally took down the Christmas tree. We had plans to go to the dollar cinema (trying to save money) to see paranormal activity since most of the block busters here went out of business and it is apparently hard to rent the movie at the "redboxes," but the plans fell though and I took a nap instead. Maybe tomorrow I might be a little bit more productive and get a few more things accomplished. Until then...enjoy your night...I am going to get my cheesecake! Nummm Yummy!

Nite Nite!

Goodbye 2009!!!

Well, it is time to say goodbye to 2009 and all the joys and tears it has brought. Goodbye Christmas tree which to me symbolizes the end of the year.....

(Family Tree with all the pressies)
I had a great Christmas....as usual Mr. Papitag, Gizzy and I went to visit my Mom and Brother down south! Too bad we didn't have a bundle of that warm southern weather this year....it was actually pretty chilly but it surely beat New England weather that is for sure. Gizzy did great on the plane ride to and from thanks in part to the most wonderful stewardesses we could ask for that let us cater to his cries and nervousness by letting us hold him the majority of the flight. As always there was a bit of drama around the holidays.... but who doesn't have drama with family? It was a blessing to get to spend my nephews (turtle) first Christmas with him:

(Turtle...our little Christmas Elf)
Gizzy enjoyed spending time with the family too....he especially loved hanging out with his cousin Turtle:

(Gizzy couldn't stop himself from trying to steal Turtles bottle, as you can see Turtle wasn't too thrilled...but Gizzy sure was happy)

(Gizzy knocked out from all the excitement)

(Gizzy enjoying warmer weather and also a fenced in yard)
(The two peas in a pod: Gizzy and Turtle playing with one another)
We had family card night, IHOP breakfast, drinks galore (not me of course) oh and not to forget one of the most unusaual items....I got to eat fried pickles....boy what a trip!

(Mmm...fried pickles)

(Mommy and Turtle eating Christmas Eve cookies)

(The family on our last day down south....back to new England we go)
(IHOP breakfast: the three amigos)
(Me opening my pressies...)
(Daddy (My brother) and Turtle)
(The family at Card night)
********************************************************************
Goals for 2010 (no particular order):

- Birth of our first child
- Save more money
-Buy less unnecessary items
-loose the baby weight after her arrival
- visit family and friends more
- live more green and Eco friendly
- cook more at home...

- find a career I absolutely love
on and on.... the list continues...

well, I hope you have a wonderful start to 2010....HAPPY NEW YEAR!

(Me.... ready for a new year...Happy 2010)

Happy Snow Day

We woke up to about 10" of snow this morning. It was so beautiful....we just couldn't help ourselves and had to go play in it. Needless to say Gizzy didn't last that long even bundled up with two sweaters and his winter coat. I kind-of....key word is kind-of felt bad for Mr. Paitag who had to shovel our driveway and walkway this morning...he seemed to like it though. He actually ended up making a few bucks here and there helping our elderly neighbors even though he wasn't looking for any monetary gain out of it...just being a good neighbor...but they kept insisting (lol). Well I hope it is warm where ever you are and if you happen to be in this fluffy white stuff you are nice and bundled warm!

Cheers!

Happy Saturday

What are you up to today? Me, just chillin. Got up this morning and cooked a huge breakfast and have been chillin most of the day. I have finally finished cutting out a couple of patterns and fabric to put together Gizzy a new winter wardrobe....I can't wait to see how it will turn out. The little guy seems to be busting out of the seams of all of his winter clothing from last year. I will have to post the pictures tomorrow of the patterns that I am making. Well, there really isn't much to post today...just a relaxing Saturday at home with my family. Hope you are enjoying your loved ones today!
Stay Crafty!!!

First New England Snow Day

Tonight we got our first glimpse of the snow to come in the near future. It is so pretty and yet so cold outside. I can completely forget about walking Gizzy outside in this weather....out comes the puppy pads, now I wish I had stocked up on them when they were on sale for $10 bucks! Speaking of Sales, last night I scored a cute purple bubble jacket (which can be seen in the pic above) at Walmart for only $7 bucks! How exciting...a coat for $7 bucks, granted its not the most fashionable coat but I'm not trying to win any fashion awards...it does it job in keeping me warm. I made sure to get the coat 2 sizes bigger than I normally am so as I continue to grow during my pregnancy I won't have to worry about finding a winter coat to fit! I also managed to score 2 $10 dollar 100% wool sweaters at Old Navy! Yes, it seems like the sales keep rolling. Old Navy has been holding it down with the sales. I hit Old Navy up on black Friday and got a whole bunch of fleecy sweaters and sweats and long sleeve shirts! An entire bag of clothing for only $25 bucks, can't beat that with a stick. Before I move on I wanted to also mention that there was 30% off already reduced items at Old Navy so I couldn't resist buying a couple more large shirts (my maternity wear)! A great bargain buts a smile on my face! =)

well, we are going to chill, watch some football, I might even brush the lint off my sewing machine and get started on a couple of things here and there....ummm....well, a nap sounds a bit better.

until I am back in the swing of things....stay crafty!!!

Its a Girl!

We are very proud to announce that we are having a Baby Girl! I am so excited. Gizzy will have a little sister and I will get to have the little girl that I have been dreaming about. I can't wait to lay my eyes on her. Finally the house will be even...two boys and two girls!

Nite Nite!

Happy Happ

Well Hello everyone!

Today we have reached 19 weeks~! I am starting to feel the weight gain in my back lately. Last night was horrible...I was literally in tears from all the pain that was shooting up and down my back. The midwife said the pain was most likely from the baby resting on my sciatic nerve. After about a good 2 hours and shifting my weight from left to right the pain subsided and I was finally able to get some rest.

Just the thought of walking around is making my back ache. I couldn't even last 1 hour walking around the mall before my lower back started to ache. As you can see from the pic above I am starting to get the "sway back" posture from all of the baby weight gain. I hope it all disappears once the baby is born! Phew....now I am going to get some rest and continue with my insane cravings which i will have to comment on later. hehehehe!

hugs and kisses!!!

Happy Birthday to ME!

Yeah today is my birthday! Next year it will fall on Thanks Giving. I couldn't be more excited to celebrate my birthday today. To start my birthday off, Mr. Papitag surprised me with flowers and a card at my office this morning (he completely tricked me and pretended like he was on his way to work this morning). He knows my favorite color is purple and they just happened to have a new line of seasonal multi-purple bouquet of purple Carnation's .....oh how I love them. I can't wait until they start to dry out a bit so I can preserve them and dry them out completely to put them in my "purple" office at work....they are so pretty. Tonight we are going to my favorite restaurant "Papparazi" (however you spell it) which you may notice I blogged about last year....I absolutely love this place, mostly for the yummy scrumptious cheesy Italian bread and dipping sauce that they have...mmmmmmmmmm I can smell it now. I will open up my gifts later on tonight. Its funny how after you hit a certain age everyone including your parents forget how old you are....I have been having a great time telling everyone that I am all different ages....hehehehehe! Well, I just got finished with work and although it is my birthday I still have to complete things that are part of my normal routine which includes walking Gizzy....

So, if it happens to be your Birthday today...many joyful wishes to you!

Smooches!

Baby bump and Muscles

So I have been trying to see the difference in my body that this pregnancy is changing so I took some pictures of me at 4 months pregnant. I was shocked by the changes in my thighs and hip areas but I completely anticipated the belly bump to grow and grow and grow. Thank goodness my "baby potions" has continued to help my skin stay smooth and healthy around my belly and hips. I will have to share my "potion" at a later date...until then...I will continue to grow and I hope you will continue to stay crafty!

Baby Baby

My Lovely Baby Bump!

Well, here it is. My ever growing belly (for now) at 4 months! We aren't sure what we are having yet, but we find out at the end of the month. The second trimester has been interesting...no one told me about the following:

the itchy skin, facial break-outs and the horrible dry hair. I guess I can't complain though because I haven't had any nausea (thank goodness)!!!

I will keep more pics coming as I keep growing (lol)

Make a Smilebox greeting