Wall hanging

Hey!  I've been busy on a little project that I first saw in an open house for a house my parents have for sale. I loved the look of it and decided I had to have it hanging over my bed, as I've been wanting to switch things up in our bedroom anyway.  Here's the finished product.  I still haven't decided if I like the frames "scattered" and crooked like this, or if I want to connect them on the backs so they all hang straight.  Right now, this will do.



It's cute, right?  So if you want to make one, here is what you need:

Hooks of your choice.  I used 4 and got them from Hobby Lobby on sale for $1.99 each.

You'll also need a 2 X 4.  I used one we had in the shed and just painted it white.  It's a little under 3.5 feet long.  You'll need the same amount of frames as hooks.  I used 8 X 10 frames and 5 X 7 pictures.

I got this rope at Lowes for hanging the pictures.  It's 50ft and was about $6.  You can have them cut some off a big roll for much cheaper, but I just went this route because I knew I would use the leftovers for another project.  Oh-and because I had Walker with me and he was freaking out in the cart and I wanted a quick exit.

                                You'll need a drill and screws to secure the hooks to the board.

I attached 2 of these hooky things to the back of the board to hang it on the wall.

So basically just line up your frames under the board to get your spacing right.  Then center the hook on the board above each frame and screw them in with your drill.  Measure how far you want the frames to hang under the board and cut your rope.  I actually taped the rope to the back of each frame! haha!

So there ya have it! A quick and easy way to display some pictures! :)  Hope you're all having a great week!

Oh me oh my!!!

Oh hi?  Remember me?  I hope so!  I am so overwhelmed with constant thoughts/ideas/plans in my head that I'm barely sleeping!! So let's see what I've been up to, shall we?

1.  We started a new school year.


No, I don't have school aged children, but I watch 2 children whose mothers work in schools.  So, we measure our years from August-July instead of January-December!  This year I have my Audrey (3.5), my Walker (1.5), boy #1 (almost 2), and boy #2 (1.5).  Four little ones 3 and under.  Oh, and 3 of them are boys.  I could just stop my list here with the reasons I've been overwhelmed! :)  (honestly...the babies I keep are very sweet and have become part of our family....it's just very little "me" time!.. ok NO me time....but I digress...)

2. I've started a real homeschooling curriculum with Audrey.  Right now, I'm still on the fence about whether or not we will homeschool.  I do know that while I have her home with me, I want her to learn as much as possible so that if/when she goes to public school, she will knock their socks off!  :)


3. We've been sick.

Walker had a random fever last Sunday that turned into an upper respiratory infection, which then passed to Audrey...and then Ben...and then me...and then the other baby I keep.  It's been rough folks.

4.  Cleaning/organizing.  With so many kids in here, organization is crucial.  I have 3 different sets of diapers.  3 different napping areas.  3 different boosters/highchairs.  Countless amounts of sippy cups. I HAVE to have things in order, or my day is even more chaotic than normal.  And that's bad.  I've been doing my best to get up early and get things in order for the day, and then keep up with them as we go.  It's a learning process, people.

5. Weight loss.  Some of you may know one of the wonderful things about breastfeeding is that you burn a ton of calories everyday just by feeding your baby.  Both of my babies were great eaters, and I never had trouble getting rid of the "baby" weight.  However, Walker stopped nursing almost 2 months ago, and man oh man, my body is really feeling the extra calories no longer being burned!!! I think I have gained about 10lbs in the last 2-3 months.  I hate it.  It makes me grumpy.  So....it's back to the treadmill I go.  

6.  This is probably the biggest reason for the thoughts spinning in my head.  My sister and I have started a sewing business.  I am SO excited.  And SO overwhelmed!!!!  This is something I have been thinking about for a long long time, and I've finally pulled the trigger!!!  I have SO many ideas and dreams for this business, but considering I watch 4 children during the day, there's not a whole lot of extra time to get those ideas done.  So, I've been staying up late and working my little fingers to the bone.  We are working on getting a website up and running, and I do hope you'll all venture over there to check out our stuff!!  The business is called Southern-Sewn, and we make boutique style children's clothing, burp cloths, bibs, appliquéd items, aprons, tea towels, and more!!  We are just getting things started...so look for more info on this to come!!

I'll do my best to update again soon!

A memory card

I wish my heart had a memory card,

an internal hard drive, if you will.

So one day I could click "open memory,"

and feel the sweetness of it still.

These days are passing way too quickly,

blowing past me in a blur.

Although right now they're crazy,

I'll miss them one day I'm sure.

The way her hair sticks straight up

when she first climbs out of bed.

She loves to sneak up on me sipping my coffee,

and kiss me on my head.

That sweet sound of him yelling, "mamamama" from his crib,

where he sleeps like such a big boy,

and then we sit and share breakfast,

speaking of sunshine, birdies, and toys.

The way she asks me everyday 

if I'll "snuggle her a while."

Oh, how I long to save that feeling

in my heart's own special file.

The way he toddles around the house

like he just got off a horse.

One day he'll run right by me,

chasing another girl of course.

And oh the way my babies love 

and hold each other tight.

These days of playing and snuggling will soon be

"he's annoying me" fights.

The way they squeal and their faces light up

when daddy comes home at last.

One day I'll be his only greeter,

and it's coming all too fast.

Dinner time consists of sharing my food

and wiping ketchup off a squishy face,

but one day soon our table will surely become

a very quiet place.

The way they love to take a bath,

they splash and have a ball.

Soon they'll take 3 showers a day,

and won't need my help at all.

And then the way I hold them

as we all prepare for bed.

She has to have my arm around her,

and he likes me rubbing his head.

I'm trying so desperately to soak it up

and really take them in.

But oh, to have that memory card,

so I could feel this way once again.

School time!

Hey y'all!  We are back from the beach once again!  We decided to make one last weekend trip to wrap up the season for us.  No more beach until next year. :(  I can't even believe it's AUGUST already!! I have to say, I'm pretty excited about it!  As much as I love the beach and swimming with the kiddos, I am much more a fall/winter girl than summer.  I hate being hot, and hot is definitely something that the south does well!  I'm ready for the heat of summer to move along...

In other news, I am excited about August because I will officially start Audrey on a homeschooling routine.  Let me add that we have NOT decided we are homeschooling when our kids get to school age, but it is something that is on my mind more and more lately.  Because she is only 3 1/2, I have ordered a little junior K curriculum and we will also be doing Handwriting Without Tears.  I am SO excited.  She loves learning and doing her "school work."  It will be nice to get into a routine again.  We will also be welcoming back our little friend that I watch during the week!  We have missed our little buddy!

I've also been doing lots of sewing lately, and starting to think of different outfits to make for the kiddos for the fun holidays coming up!  Right now I have planned a Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas outfit for each child, so I need to get started now!! I am also making their Halloween costumes this year- Jessie and Woody from Toy Story. :)  It's safe to say this mama will be in full force sewing mode very soon!  I've started scouring Pinterest for some homemade Christmas gifts as well! Am I the only one thinking about this already?  LOL!  I'll be sure to share my creations!

I did take some pictures of the playroom before we left for the beach, and was going to share them, but I'm just not happy with them.  The room is still too unorganized, and I took them in the early evening and the lighting is terrible.  Give me a few more days and I promise I'll post them.

So what have you all been up to?  Anyone else starting to think about the holidays?? hehehehe! :)