Our Maternity Photos

Last week, one of my dearest (dearest, dearest) friends, Dawn, gifted us a maternity photo shoot. We were super stoked to have her photograph us because, 1) she rocks 2) we knew we'd be comfortable with her 3) we probably wouldn't have done maternity photos otherwise and 4) now we'll always have these to cherish :) She dropped the photos off last night and I just can't quit going through them and smiling. Thank you, thank you, thank you Dawn!

Here are a few of our favorites.

Tulsa Etsy Craft Party

Last Friday night was our Tulsa Etsy Craft Party!  Basically, it's just a gathering of people who support handmade and who want to make things for an evening!  Etsy, of course, sponsors the event which is held all over the world on the same day.  You can see photos from various parties here and you can see photos from our party here!

Since I had just recorded the segment for Good Day Tulsa on how to make Vintage Map Magnets (which will air next Tuesday), I volunteered to man that table and teach folks the ropes!  From the moment the event started until well after the ending time, people were making goodies nonstop.  I had SUCH a good time helping folks with their magnets and loved seeing what images they chose to work with.  I made six of my own for our house and couldn't be happier with them :)

This event would not have been possible without the fantastic Holly.  She seriously worked her tail off on coming up with our crafts, organizing and publicizing the event, and having everything there for us to use!  Pictured with her below is the gal that even my grandma thinks I look related to, Somer. :)

I was situated right next to the photobooth which was entertaining to watch.  How cute and effective was the door as a prop?

It was a great way to spend the evening.  I always enjoy time I spend with my make:Tulsa friends though, party or no party :)

One of Those Outfits: 36 Weeks & Made by Me!

Today is our 36 week mark!  Just four weeks left to go!  I have a feeling that when September 1st rolls around, I just might have a mini heart attack since the likelihood of her coming within that month is so high!  It's exciting and terrifying all wrapped up into one!  I can't wait to put a face to a name and to have my body back to myself again.

 My doctor confirmed last week that she has already started to drop which is why I'm SO uncomfortable in my hips and pelvis.  You should see me walk nowadays - I've got the waddle down.  I used to think pregnant women waddled because of the weight gain but now I know (at least for me) it's because of your bones moving this way and that!  So bizarre!  I cannot wait until I can move normally again and not wince in pain when I have to move!

I've had many people ask if I'm still working.  I am, kinda.  I'm working full-time for my folks still but am not teaching this semester which I'm already missing!  I plan on working up until she arrives unless I just can't move.  Once the little lady arrives, I'll be staying at home until the new year, working on Alliday and perhaps going into my folks' shop every once in a while.  After the new year, I plan to get back into the swing of things by teaching 1 or 2 classes and working at the shop again.  I'm incredibly fortunate that I'll be able to bring Rio to work with me and my mom will watch her while I teach.  SUPER lucky.

 Last night, some of my mom's friends threw a 'shower' for me which was more of an excuse for them to get together and gab, I believe ;)  They all pitched in and got our stroller and car seat for us which means we now have all the necessities!  The mister *may* have given some of the cats rides in the stroller around the house after I got home.  :)

 Months ago (while the Thunder were still playing!) I started working on a maternity dress from a mid-sixties pattern I had.  Pattern working is quite new to me but I've been having fun with learning.  I was rolling right along with this number until I needed to put in a zipper.  I froze.  And I shelved the dress for a few months until this past weekend.  I was scared of nothing!  The zipper was a breeze to put in!  Once I got the body of the dress assembled and tried on, I found that I GREATLY overestimated how big I would be by this time (nice surprise!).  From that point on, I abandoned the pattern and did my best at winging it.  I took out a large piece of fabric right down the middle, made a v-neck and completely changed the collar.  I am SO happy with it and proud of myself!  It's not perfect but neither am I :) This is what I wore to last night's shower. There's still room to grow in it and I hope that after she's born and there's no bump, I'm able to reconfigure it a bit more to continue to wear!

Have I told you that this little lady is due one day after my birthday?  I'm so antsy to see when she chooses to come!  Will we share the same birthday?  Will she be three weeks late like my sister and I were?  Will she be here next week?  Ahhhhh!!!!  :)

Pre-Baby Cook-A-Thon!

I know that we can't prepare for what life with baby will be like but we CAN do some preparations to make our life flow a bit more smoothly once she's here, including preparing meals beforehand!  

 About a month or so ago, my mom and I picked a day on the calendar to have a cooking fest where we would cook meals upon meals to freeze.  I had found some meals here and there on the internet, tweaked them to our liking (many adapted from this link), added in a family classic and we had our plan!  Yesterday was the big cooking day so we got up while the rest of the world was at church, spent about $120 on groceries and went back to my folks' house to get our chef on!  

On the menu we had:

Three-Way Spaghetti (a family fave) 

Bathtub Chicken Casserole

Breakfast Burritos

Chicken Enchiladas

Beef Enchiladas

 Three Way Spaghetti 

Spaghetti

2 cans Pinto Beans 

1 large can Diced Tomatoes

1 large can Tomato Sauce

Approx. 2 lbs Ground Beef

Chili Seasoning

Bathtub Chicken Casserole

Spaghetti

4-5 Breasts Oven Roasted Chicken (you could cook the chicken however you want)

1 White Onion

1 Green Bell Pepper

Seasoned Salt

Salt/Pepper

Cayenne Pepper

1 Package Shredded Cheese

Breakfast Burritos

30-40 Medium Tortillas (we had to go back and get more!)

2 Dozen Eggs

60 oz Black Beans

1 Bunch Green Onion

Approx. 1 Package Cheese

Salsa

Chicken Enchiladas

4-5 Breasts Oven Roasted Chicken

1 Can Enchilada Sauce

Whipping Cream (to dip tortillas in and to mix with enchilada sauce at the end)

Cheese

Green Onions (for a little color :)

Taco Seasoning (we just used half a package)

8 Large Tortillas

Beef Enchiladas

Approx 2 lbs Ground Beef

1 Package Taco Seasoning

1 Can Enchilada Sauce

Cheese

Green Onions

8 Large Tortillas

More or less, these are all just cook, mix together and assemble type dishes.  The enchiladas and casserole are reheated by first thawing and then sticking in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.  The breakfast burritos (which we individually wrapped) thaw in the microwave for 2 minutes and then reheat for 1 and a half minutes.  The three-way (which we store in sandwich size freezer bags that you can lay on top of another) reheat in the microwave or on the stove, depending on your time frame!  I know these aren't the most exact recipes but you must remember two things - 1) I'm the world's worst at following a recipe so relaying them isn't my forte and 2) you have to make these for YOU!  Store however you see fit, throw in whatever tickles your fancy and have fun with it!

*I do recommend writing on your foiled/bagged dishes when you are done.  Note the contents, when it was made and the reheating instructions.  Or if there is something special about that one dish, note it!  We had one tray of enchiladas where there were only 3, not 4, so we noted that.  You will thank yourself for that later :)  

*Make your grocery list beforehand and organize it.  Veggies, Dairy, Meat, Miscellaneous...  Many recipes will share ingredients too making things that much easier!

*I also suggest to have a friend/family member to help and to multitask!  We had multiple dishes at various stages cooking at the same time.  

*Wear comfy shoes or pull up a chair to the counter if you easily tire physically (much like I do lately) and wear clothes that you don't mind getting a little food on :)

*Finally, make sure you have adequate freezer space!  We're lucky enough to have a small deep freeze that we hadn't utilized to its fullest potential yet so we are able to fill that puppy up!   

So what did we get out of $120 and four-ish hours of cooking and preparing?

8 heaping servings of Three-Way

5 Bathtub Chicken Casseroles

2 Meals of Chicken Enchiladas

2 Meals of Beef Enchiladas

34 Breakfast Burritos

Add all of that to the three loaves of banana bread I cooked and froze a few weeks ago and I'd say we're ready on the food side of things!

It was fun, productive and helped me feel a bit more prepared for what's to come.  I'd love to do a bit more if I have time in the next few weeks!  Any suggestions of good meals to freeze?  

Crafty News!

I figured I'd break up some of these incessant baby-related posts and bring you some crafty goodness!  First off, tonight is the Etsy Craft Party!  Many cities in the world will be hosting these parties, Tulsa included!  We did this a few years ago and it was a blast!  There will be lots of fun craft projects to make and learn which only cost $1 each.  I'll be teaching one of them, one that I actually filmed for a local morning news show last week!  (I know, what sane 8-month pregnant woman willingly goes on TV?! ;)  The event runs from 6:30-8:30 tonight at Made in downtown Tulsa.  

Also, I've been busy updating the ol' shop and putting some goodies on sale!  Since I won't be doing anymore shows until Alliday, I have made it a goal to be more proactive with my online shop!  I've added my last crewel bag, the famous bank bag bags, loads of pillow coverings and have put all of my apron bags on sale!  I'm looking to move things, folks :)

If you're busy scheduling your fall/winter show season, be aware that Alliday applications are due in just a week!  Get those puppies in by Saturday, September 1st!!  Tell everyone you know!  :)

And finally, something new I've been having fun with - bed sheet dresses!  I have made these for myself for years (here's an old outfit shot of one) and decided this summer to try out a few for outdoor shows...and they sold like hotcakes!  They are made from vintage sheets so they have killer patterns and are SUPER soft.  I have stitched up a few more and have taken them to Made just for you :)  I've got a few more in the works, once my sewing machine and I quit fighting :)

So there you go, something other than baby business!  ;)

Gettin' Showered

My friends kick ass.  Seriously.  I've had loads of support from them through my 'condition' (what I jokingly call my pregnancy ;) in addition to hand-me-downs, invaluable advice and just being there when I want to run away screaming ;)  

A few weeks ago, two groups of close friends felt like little Rio needed a little showering so two showers were had.  And they were awesome.  And I was beyond honored.

One of the greatest surprises of the weekend was walking into my first shower and seeing one of my dearest friends from high school who had flown in from Chicago just for the shower!  BLOWN AWAY!  It had been over a year since I had last seen her so you can imagine my elation :)  And her gifts, well they were EPIC....and slightly embarrassing :)

They organized a few games that did not involve touching my belly (per my request :), had Wacky Wednesday as the guest book (one of my faves), had super cute decorations (highlighted here...with a sneak peek of my maternity photos!) and showered us with some stellar gifts including some gifts that made me laugh until I cried!  They know me well :)  It was perfection.

The following day, my dear Make:Tulsa friends threw us a handmade baby shower!  I am constantly amazed at what this group can creatively throw together.  Upon entering, my first sight was this fruit baby which made me bust out one of my loud, surprising laughs!  SO funny!  I may have pigged out a bit at this shindig ;)

Not only were there handmade gifts that took my breath away but there were also crafts for us to do at the shower!  I LOVED it!  We all sat around the table, gave some bland baby clothes a bit more personality and gabbed for hours.  I can't express how much I enjoyed that afternoon with them :)  Oh!  And we decorated wooden letters that spell out her name for the nursery!  Even the mister digs them ;)

I'm quite blessed to have all of these people in my life.  They give me encouragement when I need it most, snap me back to reality when I'm loony and make me feel like the luckiest gal in the world.  Our little lady will be beyond lucky to know them, just as we are.  

So thanks, guys, for making us feel special :)

One of Those Outfits: 35 Weeks

Not much to report here except that WE'RE ALMOST DONE!  Just five more weeks to go, if she stays in that long.  During this whole thing, I've had a feeling that she'll be early.  Who knows though!  She'll come when she's ready...and hopefully we'll be ready too!  There are times though when I feel like she's trying to bust through my stomach so maybe she's more ready than we think!  ;)

 I realize the ol' blog is quickly filling up with baby-related post after baby-related post but when you're growing a little person inside of you and are preparing for a life with them, well, it's a bit hard to focus on other things!  The nursery is 99% done.  Kiddo clothes are cleaned, organized and put away.  Kitchen is purged and organized.  Hospital has been toured.  Maternity photos have been taken.  This week is FULL of meetings for all sorts of aspects of my life.  I'm working on finishing up projects, tying up loose ends and just trying to get my ducks in a row before all hell breaks loose ;)  We have our hospital birthing class this weekend and one more tiny shower next week and then my life is unplanned.  September is wiiiiiiiide open and I plan for it to remain that way.

 I'm doing pretty good for the most part.  I'm not going to lie though - I will be VERY happy to get my body back to myself again.  I'm pretty uncomfortable the majority of the time now, with even walking being a chore.  I have a feeling she's started to drop already based on pressure changing and such which, I think, is also adding to walking being a bit more painful than I expected.  I'm no expert though!  I want to eat a bit every few hours now and, as the mister puts it, I have a drinking problem.  My water intake has more than doubled which is quite astounding if you knew how much water I drank before.  I'm basically a fish.  But I have yet to swell (knock on wood!) and I fully attribute my crazy water addiction to that fact.  I also have to pee constantly, crazy water intake or not.  

I wore this outfit two days in a row.  You're guilty of that too, admit it.  When you're not moving around too much, clothes don't seem to get as dirty :)  I wore it Sunday to a make:Tulsa meeting and yesterday to work and a StreetCats meeting. Would have been a good napping outfit too if only I'd had a moment to nap!

I know I said that I wasn't going to buy maternity clothing (aside from two pairs of shorts and two undershirts) BUT while the mister and I were cleaning out Target's shelves last weekend, I found this blue maternity dress on clearance...which I later discovered was a bathing suit cover up.  There's nothing really maternity-ish about it except that it's oversized and shapeless!  Anywho, I snagged it, paired it with an old Cold Water Creek jacket my mom gifted me a few years back, ollllllllld belt and a handmade necklace from a college friend who brought it back from a New Orleans trip a decade or so ago.  It is meant to ward off negativity and bad spirits; it's a protector.  Perhaps I should wear it during labor...

Her Name Is...

...Rio and she dances on the sand.  Remember that song?  It's a song that's is sung quite often in our house lately.  Why?  Well, it's the name we're giving our little lady!  

Ever since I can remember hearing that song, I have loved it.  It has always pumped me up and made me happy in ways I really can't explain.  I've always kept it in the back of my head, honestly thinking I'd use it as a name for a pet one of these days since babydom wasn't always on my radar!  When we found our we were expecting, we had nothing on the boy name front but this was number one on my list for a girl...and amazingly, the mister readily agreed so when we found out we were having a little lady, we knew she'd be Rio.  Rio Rae, that is.  Rae is my middle name, my mom's, my papa's and so on and so forth.  It's also the mister's grandpa's name so it just made sense.  

 So a little while after we found out the bump was Rio, we heard that Duran Duran was coming to town.  We were dead set on going.  That is until we saw the ticket prices.  We quickly abandoned those hopes until one night after listening to some of their tunes, I started to get mighty bummed about not going so I decided to see if my sister could use any of her connections to help us out.

Some emails were exchanged and before we knew it, we were ensured that we'd be at the show for free but just a few days before the show, we hadn't gotten a firm confirmation so I wasn't counting my eggs before they were hatched.  We decided to go on out to the show and if they didn't have tickets for us, then we'd gamble, get some grub and head home and if they did have tickets, well then we'd enjoy the show!  

We hit the will call desk a few hours before the show and there were no tickets.  They looked high and low for our names somewhere but nothing was found.  We told them our story and how we were connected to the band (which, when told, sounds like quite the tall tale!) but I suppose someone believed us.  They contacted production for the band while we stood aside and waited.  I really didn't think we'd be seeing any live music that night by that point.  Finally, a woman came back to us and said that production 'had no idea' about us but that they were just going to give us tickets and put us in a private suite for the show.  Uh, WHAT?!  We were floored.  We later heard that our connection (DD's bassist) had 'spaced' on our tickets until AFTER the show but apparently we didn't need his help that night!  

So with some time to kill before the show, we did a little gambling and I won a nice bit of cash!  When they finally opened the doors for the show, we headed up to our suite to be wined and dined all for FREE!  The food was fantastic and the dessert table, well, let's just say that I made a dent in that dessert table ;)  Drinks were complementary so I had them keep the water a-flowin'!  We had our own private waitress who was a doll and a half.  We were simply spoiled.  And the show, oh man, the show was amazing.  They seriously impressed us.  But get this - they played every single hit they ever had EXCEPT for Rio.  People were even chanting 'Rio' at the very end!  We were a bit bummed but have made up for it by continuously singing it ourselves :)

I have really had some unbelievable experiences in regards to luck and concerts.  Maybe one day I'll get around to sharing more of them.  This one sure ranks up there though, for so many reasons.  I can't wait to share this story with our Rio :)

So there you have it - our lady's name and a song to have stuck in your head for the rest of the day :)

One of Those Outfits: 33 Weeks

I've had a relatively easy pregnancy thus far.  This past week though, hasn't been my favorite.  I do realize that I still have it much easier than many though so I'm trying not to complain too much.  

 A week ago today, my gallbladder decided to go a little haywire which happens to some ladies during pregnancy.  I've had to adjust my diet to weed out the fat which honestly, kinda sucks when you want to eat pretty much anything!  But on the flipside, it's keeping me honest and healthy and isn't too different than my diet before.  No more BLTs or fried okra which is slightly depressing ;)  I'm crossing my fingers as tight as possible that I don't have another gallbladder attack during this pregnancy and that it continues to be my friend after she's here.  Time will tell.

I also noticed last week that my big toe is constantly numb.  I really didn't think much of it but have since discovered that I'm having a little sciatic nerve issue.  I can live with a numb toe as long as it doesn't get any worse!  Fingers (and numb toes!) crossed on that one as well!  

 

 My nimbleness is gone, getting up off the floor is NOT easy and I'm beginning to really hit that point of being uncomfortable but I'll survive.  Just a few more weeks is all I keep telling myself and then all of this will be a distant memory.  The little lady is ridiculously active now and at night, I'll often just watch my stomach move in these crazy ways that blow my mind.  She REALLY likes to keep her foot in my right rib, right in my gallbladder which is less than pleasing.  I've been spending much of my time with my hand wedged below my rib to keep her foot and my gallbladder separated!  Little bugger.   

I'm QUITE looking forward to getting a pedicure today, visiting my chiropractor tomorrow and getting my first (and probably only) prenatal massage on Thursday.  Getting this body (and mind) back in order!

 The nursery is coming right along and I think it's safe to say that I've officially hit my nesting stage.  Last night I deep cleaned out half of our kitchen cabinets.  I've also planned a big cook-fest with my mom in a couple of weeks to stock the freezer up on hearty, healthy meals for those first few months of life with an infant.  My night time wind-down has consisted of LOTS of reading in preparation for what's to come, list making galore and lots of quality kitty time :)

I grabbed this dress at an estate sale last week for $2.50 and love how bright and happy it is.  I may eventually take off the sleeves to accentuate the neckline but for now, it's perfect.  The belt came from Old Navy probably 10+ years ago, my trusty Birks and some old earrings I've had for eons.  Still steering clear of maternity wear and am still optimistic that I can make it to the end in 'normal' clothes.  

Optimism is the name of the game in every aspect of my life right now.  I wouldn't make it from day to day if it weren't, honestly.  Just got to keep on truckin'.  

Nursery Progress: Baby Steps

It's official.  The nursery is the nicest room in the house.  The mister has worked tirelessly to revamp this room better than I ever thought possible.  With new wall paint, new trim paint, new ceiling paint, wallpaper removed, new wall paper installed (thanks to my dad for that help!!), new can lighting, extra outlets installed, base shoe installed (someone removed it years ago when they had the house carpeted...we need to base shoe the entire house now!), and freshly cleaned floors, this room is sparkling.  It's hard for me to believe that just a little while ago it looked like this.

 There were many times that I found myself frustrated because I worried we wouldn't be ready in time and I was unable to help with this or that but I had to learn to trust.  We've still got a few things to finish up but now, it could house a little person!  Vera seems to think though that the entire room is hers ;)

 I haven't been grabbing my camera lately so phone photos it is.  All the furniture, with the exception of the crib, has been handed down, revamped from the rest of the house or sought out at antique shows.  I hand painted that dresser and changing table...let's just say I NEVER want to paint another spindle in my life!

We've been very fortunate to have friends and family who have passed along some invaluable goodies to us, in addition to heirloom blankets :)  It's been fun starting to organize things and to envision actually USING this stuff!  Very, very soon!

 The lockers are our current project.  They are almost completely installed and I am LOVING them!  Once installed, we'll be putting a few rods in between them to create our own closet!  Then the mister will make a shelf to go across the top of it all to house fun things that won't quite be good for little hands just yet.  I am VERY ready to start hanging little clothes up and decorating!

We've got 7 more weeks to go (if she stays in until 40 weeks!) and a few more showers (we are incredibly lucky, to say the least) so I trust that we'll be quite ready for her arrival (at least in terms of the nursery ;) when she decides to make her appearance!  Now to convince her to keep her foot out of my rib for the remainder of this thing....

Applying & Preparing for Indie Craft Show Class!

We're at it again!  Alliday and Indie Emporium are partnering together for the third time to bring you a FREE class FULL of tricks of the trade all about how to successfully apply and prepare for indie craft shows!  This class is THIS SUNDAY at 2 p.m. at Hardesty Library.  I honestly wish someone had offered a class like this when I first started out in the show world!  Truly!  If you're not in the Tulsa area, don't fret, we're working on creating an online course just for you :)

Application deadline for Indie Emporium is August 15th and the deadline for Alliday is September 1st!