Happy Birthday Isabel

Saturday, October 31, 2015

We celebrated Isabel's birthday last weekend with friends and family. I have to admit, I was never much into planning parties or get togethers, so before I had Isabel I was a little nervous I'd be disappointing in the Birthday Party Department. Turns out, planning parties is pretty fun, and a great excuse to make CRAFTS!

Cake topper from Cuts of Confetti

It was also a nice chance to get people together in our house for one last time before we move. It's feeling a little bittersweet; on to bigger, better things, but leaving behind a cute, little house I love!



I had a bit of a food-fiasco with my icing. I attempted a Martha Stewart recipe and failed miserably... I ended up sending Dan to the grocery store for several tins of icing. I should have just done that in the first place. I'm good at making lots of things, baking (besides the basics) is not really my forte.  Regardless, it was still delicious and I have eaten WAY TOO MUCH left over cake.

"I can walk if you hold my hand!"

I made Isabel a dress for her big day using Rabbit Rabbit Creation's Hummingbird Dress.  I made it pretty fancy, with a lined sequin top and full cut chiffon skirt. I edged the top in fold over elastic so that the sequins wouldn't rub against her skin. I really like this dress. It took hardly any time to sew and looks so cute on. I plunked Isabel down in front of a mirror while she was wearing it and her eyes went wide, she started giggling and fluffing the skirt around. My kid already loves to play dress up (which is great, because it's one of those silly things I love about having a kid).



Proud parents!

So, I made quite a few things for her party, but the thing I'm most proud of is this little time capsule I've put together for her to open on her 18th birthday. I asked guests to write little notes or memories for Isabel, included some family photos, the sleeper the wore home from the hospital, the dress she wore to the party (which I made) and her party hat (also made by me), among other little momentos.  I think it will be a nice way for us to reflect when she is older, especially since she will not have any memory of this first year of her life! 


The other fun thing I did was set up a photo booth. I happen to have a backdrop stand and tripod, which I use for my business. So, I set it up with some dark blue batik and glittery gold, pink and silver stars. It was a nice way to get photos with (most of) our family.


And of course, Isabel got to have some cake....



 I honestly don't know where this year has gone! When people say "they grow up fast" they really mean it. It feels like just yesterday she did nothing but want to nap in my arms. Now she barely stays still! I kind of miss those newborn days, but it is so much fun watching her grow up. Thanks for humouring me with all of my baby posts. I'm terribly proud and love to share!




A Podcast + Getting Personal

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

I get really nervous about the thought of actually talking to people, which is funny because I'm pretty much an open book. Not much is off limits with me... But once the initial jitters wear off, it can sometimes be hard to stop talking! A while back I had the opportunity to do an interview with Reyna Lay, for The Reyna Lay Designs Podcast. It was so much fun chatting with her, I could have gone on for hours! I'd love it if you had a listen to our discussion. I talk a bit about juggling business + baby, plans for the future, and some tips on sewing lingerie.  Reyna is also having a pattern give away and is offering a coupon code for my Pattern Shop... But you've got to visit her site for all of that info!


On the topic of Podcasts... Have I told you yet how obsessed I am with Podcasts? When Isabel was a few months old she was having some serious nap issues, so I would put her in the stroller or the carrier and I would walk her all around the city... To keep my very tired mind occupied I started listening to Podcasts. First, I got hooked on Skeptoid. I'm a bit of a science nerd and skeptic (but I also love the paranormal and Bigfoot), so I devoured every single episode. Then I binged on Skeptics Guide... Then onto Criminal, Quackcast, Stuff You Missed in History Class, Sawbones, Oh No Ross and Carrie (MY FAVOURITE! I LOVE THEM!), Limetown, Nightvale, Lore, Stuff Your Mother Never Told You, Grown Ups Read Things They Wrote as Kids... I am constantly listening.  If you follow me on twitter, you may know that I suffer from insomnia. Well, there's a podcast for that. Ok, it doesn't stop me from waking up at 2am, but Sleep With Me Podcast does actually get me to go to sleep most of the time (and even when it doesn't, at least I get a good laugh). Anyone else listen to any of these? Podcasts have seriously saved my sanity. Being a mom involves a lot of not-exactly-exciting moments (I love you, Izzy). Podcasts are an excellent way to feel mentally stimulated while also tending to a drooling, biting, maniacal little human. I'm excited about Reyna's Podcast, as there aren't really a lot of sewing related podcasts.

Life as a whole has been extremely busy lately. Today is Isabel's birthday (my little girl is one already!) and I've been planning a birthday and doing lots of crafting. We've been busy with lots of projects around the house, and business has been very good. To make life a little more challenging, we also decided to buy a house and sell ours, kind of impulsively. Things were going really smoothly at first, but we've run into a few bumps over the last few days that have me second guessing the whole thing...  I'm at that point where I've been going-going-going, and just reaching my breaking limit. As I've learned with our first foray into real estate,  there are a million things that can go wrong with a sale and purchase, so I'm trying to not count my chickens before they hatch.  But it's hard.

One of the other things we managed to squeeze in was a family photoshoot. Dan surprised me for our anniversary by hiring a photographer to take some candid photos of us! It was such a nice surprise and I am so happy to have these momentos of this special time with Isabel. It really is true, the first year flies by. I saw a newborn baby while I was out with Isabel today, and I can hardly even remember what that was like. It's like it goes by in the blink of an eye... now my girl is starting to walk, pointing at the dog and shouting "DOH!", and giving big, wet kisses.  I want to give a big, heartfelt thanks to Naomi from Shutter Owl Photography for spending the afternoon with us and capturing us in all of our glory. Isn't Oliver a ham? He loves to model.

Oliver is in the midst of "crazy pug" (if you have a pug you know exactly what I'm talking about).

Oliver strikes a pose.

My handsome man and beautiful daughter

My mini-me! The most important person in the world.

Blog Design by Nudge Media Design | Powered by Blogger