My little Baby Beep is going to be one.  Not soon soon but in almost three months.  In the eight months that I have been a mom, I have come to realize that it takes me forever to do the simplest of projects that I used to be able to knock out in an afternoon.  It's because of this, that I started to plan Baby Beep's birthday party.  This first birthday is not so much for the child (because what are they going to remember), but I feel like it's more of a celebration for the parents (super excited we all made it out of this year alive). 
The first order of business was to pick a theme.  I hate picking themes for anything....but at the end of 2016 I received an e-mail ad for Chatbooks (check them out they make baby photo albums or any photo album a breeze) and they had this really pretty cover and theme to showcase your year of 2016.  It was by Rifle Paper co.  For those of you who have never seen Rifle Paper or don't know what it is, don't be ashamed because neither did I at the time, it is mostly beautiful vintage hand drawings.  I fell in love with everything Rifle Paper after that ad.  The vintage graphic flowers are to die for.  The hard part for me was picking a pattern that I wanted to follow and stick to but I figured it out today (I may leave this as a surprise).  Here are a couple of my favorite patterns...head over to Rifle Paper co to see what other wonderful items they have (they even sell fabric)

Next up, brainstorming décor ideas.  I had actually started this process before I decided on the Rifle Paper pattern.  A couple of weeks back I went to the Goodwill and purchase a bunch of larger picture frames and I wanted to utilize them in the décor...I just wasn't sure what I wanted to do with them.  So, I did what any party planning momma does, I started googling and pinteresting.  There was just so much pretty and so little time.  I'll try to keep you all posted on the progress as I go

Probably cricketsville

it's been so long since I have been on here.  Of course so much has happened.  I finished up school and graduated top of my class as a radiographer (glorified photographer).  I got a job at my number one pick of hospitals in my area.  The biggest most recent event was that I had a baby last June!  This is monumentous because I never really wanted to have a baby until recently. My husband has always said he wanted kids but I just couldn't get on board.  Then the thought started to slowly drill its way into my brain.  What made my switch flip was talking to my father in law.  He had many things left to him when his parents passed away.  I don't know why this was the one thing that made me start to question whether or not to have children.  To get morbid...the thought of dying and not having anyone to leave our belongings to, let alone no one to remember us, really hit home. It was for selfish reasons but aren't most reasons selfish?  So we called up our family in February of 2014 to let them know we were going to try to have a baby.  By March I found out that I was pregnant. We were ecstatic.  We were in shock.  We were scared.  How does that happen so fast.  I had been able to not get pregnant for 36 years and bam pregnant after trying for a month.  Luckily we quickly lost the jitters and started planning for our little bundle.  We started to buy big items.  We had our crib, changing table, and pack-n-play by the time I was only 10 weeks out.  My dad came to visit and we painted the baby's room. Then I went to my first ultrasound when I was 12 weeks along and my world came crashing down on me.  No heart beat.  I have never experienced anything like it.  I went from such a high and utter excitement to rock bottom within seconds.  My husband was the best.  He was my rock. After that, life happened.  I started to work at the hospital along with my previous retail job.  What should have been two part time jobs turned into working 40 hours at both jobs per week.  When I finally got a guaranteed full time job at the hospital and quick my other job, my husband got a promotion and was sent out for training.  He was gone so much for the first three months of his new position. It was once again a major shock to the system to find out in September 2016 that I was pregnant again.  I told the two girls I worked with and my boss (since I work with radiation).  Other than that, we didn't tell a sole until I was 13 weeks pregnant.  Even then I didn't want to let anyone know.  One of the hardest things the first time was telling people that I was no longer  pregnant.  I didn't want to have to go through that again if I miscarried.  We didn't buy anything for the baby until I was 6 month pregnant (we still had everything from the first pregnancy).  I didn't want to get my hopes up.  Even after every movement, hiccup or kick. I had a miserable pregnancy.  I was so sick that I lost 20 pounds in my first 8 weeks and I never did gain all of it back before I had my little girl.  She arrived on June 7 2016 (our anniversary).  She was so tiny 5 pounds 13 oz and 18 inches long.  But she was healthy and beautiful and a crying little thing. The last 8 months we have had our ups and downs, lack of sleep, breast feeding issues, food issues, and pooping issues.  But I would not give them up for anything.  Her and I, we are two peas in a pod. I love that there are days that the only thing that she wants is to be held in my arms.  And kissed by my lips. I've been asked if we are going to have another baby and I honestly don't know.  I feel myself saying no because I don't want to love anyone else as much as I love her.  

Two weeks

Just a heads up, I am alive!  The next two weeks are going to be very crazy busy for me because I am nearing the end of this semester.  So....don't be worried about me, I'll be back very soon!  Hopefully with great projects.  So, catch you later!

Party like it's your what?

yeah, the sun is in my eyes...please ignore my neighbors ugly building in the background.!

Action picture!  LOL!  I was trying to run into place!  Yup, big dork!

My new favorite bracelet.  

• Shirt from 599fashion.com and yeah, it was $5.99 (first item I have ever bought from here and I was actually pleased with the quality of this shirt)
• Jeans from Body Central $24

So this last Saturday was my birthday! (I like candy if you want to send my anything, lol).  I heard a study a little while ago that said your 33rd year is supposed to be the best, sadly, I just turned 34.  So, what does that mean?  Well, I agree my 33rd year was a great year but I am fully planning on making this year a great one too!  So, to start off my 34th year, my husband, my friend Brooke and her husband took me out for dinner and then we went bowling.  I have to say it has been such a long time since I have gone bowling.  It was a great night.  I won't lie I do feel like I am getting so old, but Brooke had a great idea.  In order to stay feeling young, we need to do something we did when we were younger, like bowling.  Next year, drunk hide-n-seek!  Yeah, I've actually done that.

Yeah pretty much

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Hungering For A Messenger Bag

On the evening of March 22nd, I went to the movie The Hunger Games with my friend Brooke and posted about it here.  I promised a tutorial on how I made my Hunger Games messenger Bag and I am finally following through.

 So, here is the sizing I cut my fabric up in.  The fabric by the way was a thick canvas with a thick plastic backing.  I used the plastic backing as the lining of the bag.

You can add a 1/4" seam around it, I didn't.  So, my actual bag came out a little smaller than the measurements here.  I pinned the front piece and the side pieces canvas side's together on my first stitching and sewed them together.  

I then turned this piece right side out and sewed the bottom of the back piece on.  

Now, this is going to sound confusing, but I turned the bag right side out again and sewed the two sides of the back piece onto the bag. 

After this, I cleaned up the flaps edges and folded them under and sewed.  

bag finished without straps

For the strap I folded it in half and ironed in on the canvas side....and yes it was ok to iron, even with the other side being plastic. Then I folded it again (quartered it) so that the sides were touching in the middle and ironed it again.  Keeping the sides touching in the middle I folding the whole thing in half and sewed along the edge.  

I used gromets to attach the strap to the bag.  Then using the fabric transfer paper I transfered my image (google image search) onto the front of the flap.  

And it was complete!  Keep in mind this can be done for anything.  It can be left plain for everyday or different themes for children.