Busy Little Ladybug Dress and Ladybug Tutu

A quick look at where I have been this week.  I've done these and about 50 other things!  So busy!

Forgive the terrible pictures...it's late, and I don't have time to edit.

 It's for a little cutie from California.

For her 1st Birthday Party.

It is exactly like Lotte's first birthday dress, but for a ladybug party.

I have to say that because this was the first dress I made for someone other than my child, it took me a lot longer.  I didn't skip any corners and every seam is perfectly finished.  The inside looks just as pretty as the outside, I wish I could say that for my daughter's homemade clothes!

I made a headband/facinator and a matching bow.

HALLOWEEN costumes are next! Sigh...so busy!

100th Post

I feel very accomplished today.  I feel as if I have hit a milestone in my personal life.  When I first started posting back in late winter, I honestly didn't dream that I would kept up with posting long enough to hit 100.  I have been dedicated, and it is paying off.

I don't have 100's of followers and people aren't flocking to my blog to see my latest ramblings or creations, but I am very pleased with where I am.  I would love to continue growing and continue reaching new people, and I am bound and determined to do that!

Every small accomplishment with "Lotte Lu and Brother Too" has brought a certain joy to my life.  It is  so refreshing to wake up in the morning and see a new comment.  When I am featured on another blog it makes my heart jump with excitement.  There have been many validating moments in my blogging experience.

My first feature was The Elephants that I made using The Little Birdie Blog tutorial, and Rachael became my very first follower.

I did a guest post Headband Holder for Couturier Mommy who did a feature of my Chick Shirt.

I love visiting and linking up to the gracious women who host link parties!  My Chick Shirt was a feature on several blogs including Somewhat Simple, my Whale Cookies were featured on Tatertots and Jello and my cookie IDOL Sugarbelle commented about how great my platter looked, and my Rainbow Mobile was featured on KoJo Designs (in all of those instances I was so excited I called everyone I know).

Some of my favorite posts have been the Party Posts.  I really think that my creativity sparked with Lotte's First Birthday.  I look forward to all the planning that goes into a big shindig, and I look forward to sharing all my hard work on my blog.  Lotte's Second Sesame Party, Brother's Little Man Luncheon,  and Our Friend Cardin's Party were all so much fun to do and to share.

Over the course of the next 100 posts, I plan on developing my own talents and really pushing myself to create more.  Being a full time employee and a full time momma makes it hard for me to get off the couch and away from the computer during my down time.  I have accomplished 100 posts, and now I want to accomplish a new goal.  I want to spend more time making and doing and creating.  

Hopefully in a few months I will be back with a 200th post that shows even more accomplishments.

Thank you for reading and for making my day!

What are you doing this weekend?

I've been crafting, sewing, creating up a storm this week!

I can't wait for the weekend so that it can continue...here is a look at my busy weekend.

Tonight: Cutting out dress pieces for a customer.  Finishing knit hats for another customer.

Friday Night:  Pumpkin patch clothes for my kids.  Bows for customer.  Finish birthday onesie.

Saturday Night:  Sew customer dress.  Possibly get started on costumes.

Sunday Night: Finish birthday party order.  Costumes for my kiddos.

Monday:  Mail California birthday dress/tutu order.  Mail 2 baby gifts.

And that is just the projects at night!

Friday:  Movie night with the little girl "Happy Feet" or as she calls it Pin-gins.

Saturday: Market, River Road, Grafton shops and food, Pumpkin Patch, YMCA Halloween Party.

Sunday: Church, Leclaire Park Festival, Party planning for my niece's AWESOME spa birthday party.

Wow...I need some coffee!  Or a weekend to recover from my weekend.

Falling in LOVE

It is officially FALL and it finally feels like it outside.  It was a rough summer and I'm glad to get into a new season.  And the best part is decorating!  Summer seems to be so boring when it comes to dolling up the house.  There is really only so much you can do.

Fall is when you get to break out all the fun decorations.  Here are a few things that I hope to get around to sometime.  They would be great additions to my fall decor!  I found all of them on PINTEREST.

Better Home & Gardens has this AMAZING table scape!  I am in LOVE with the table runners.  The houndstooth and the ruffles!  Perfect color combo in my book.  Go to their site and look at all the details.  They also use hedge apples for decorating!  LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

Lolly Jane Boutique used funkins and painted them with an awesome argyle pattern.  Nothing says fall like argyle!

The ever inspiring HGTV  has used lentils, beans and dried corn to embellish funkins and candles.  It makes it VERY harvesty!

I think these papier mache pumpkins from THIS Etsy Shop are too adorable.  With all the decoupaged pumpkins around the blogs it would be super cute to do one with recycled book pages.

Poppies and Sunshine posted this on her blog.  I'm not sure where the actual source is because she didn't link it up, but these lighted pumpkins are amazing.  They would be super easy to do with a drill and Christmas lights.  I hope I can try these this season.

And finally, Girlyme's Tumbler  has these beautiful autumn cookies.  The colors are amazing and I love the way they all work together to make an inspiring fall cookie platter.

If only I had more time in my day....SIGH.

Kid's Clothing Week Challenge

Here is a little fun-ness.

I'm going to attempt to participate in this year's Kid's Clothes Week Challenge.

Elsie Marley has motivated me to start an amazing challenge...sew clothes for your children for 1 hour a day for 7 days.

I know there are women out there who are going to sew complete wardrobes for their 6 children, but I'm not going to set a goal to get {x} amount of things completed, but instead I will...

JUST TAKE SOME TIME EACH DAY TO SEW FOR THE KIDS.

{I'm definitely going to use some of this time to work on halloween costumes and some refashions/embellishments}

It is going to be rough, but I'm going to have to be organized.  Especially because I'm going to do this on a shoestring budget.  By that, I mean I'm not going to buy any fabric at all.  Everything is going to be made of something in my stash, or it is going to be upcycled from already on hand {or in drawer} items.

I would like to make at least one new piece for each kid...a Ragland Tee from Jess @ Craftiness is not Optional.

She is one talented seamstress, and her blog is probably one of my most favorite ever.  She has a new tutorial almost every week.  SERIOUS TALENT!


And for Brother...a 90 minute Tee from Dana @ Made.

Dana has soo many variations of this shirt.  It is so cute in every variety!

Heads up on those HORMONES

--Has anyone else had these sort of problems?  I'd love to hear that I'm not the only one.--

Hormones.  SIGH.

I have been living with baby hormones for the past THREE years of my life.  {I know there are people out there that have literally had baby, nursed baby, had baby, nursed baby... but I never expected to be one of them}

I got pregnant right around the 17th of October 2008
Gave birth 11th of July 2009
Lotte finished nursing in June 2010, when I got pregnant with Brother
Gave birth 25th of February 2011
Nursed Brother up until 2 weeks ago.

He is done nursing.  I honestly can't say that I was finished, but he made it very clear that he was giving up on me.  I tried to keep up by full time pumping, but being a mommy of two and having a full time job is hard work.  I know it isn't an excuse, but I couldn't do it all.

I have been having some issues since Brother quit the breast.  I don't know if I would call it full out baby blues, but I just don't feel like myself.  I'm very distant and not emotional but almost emotionless.  Am I addicted to baby hormones?

So anyway, that is the reason why I have been absent this week.  I'm having trouble motivating myself do much of anything outside of my daily duties.

I know it will get better as my body adjusts, and I know I need some time.  Here's hoping it gets better soon!