Happy Birthday, Poesy

If you follow me on Instagram, you probably already know that last week was birthday week in our house.  My birthday is on the 6th and Poe's is on the 10th, so this specific week in January always keeps us busy-busy.  We were supposed to be out of town on Poesy's birthday for a gymnastics meet this year, but Hope ended up getting a stomach bug a couple days before and had to miss.  For Poe, this meant two days of celebration instead of just one!


We started the day with birthday pancakes and taking care of sister.  Poesy's a spunky little gal, but can be very nurturing as well.  She spent half of the day in bed with Hope watching Powerpuff Girls.  Once Hope started rallying, we took Poesy for a special bday cupcake, watched her unwrap her gifts, and ended the day at Chuck E Cheese and her favorite Japanese restaurant.  Birthday #1 was a perfect Poesy day.


On the second day, we threw Poesy a party with eight of her friends and their parents.  It was a lot of people to fit in our house, but it was a crazy/fun/chaotic time.  We played freeze dance, taped down hopscotch, and ate our weight in strawberry cake.  It was a very gloomy day outside, so thank goodness for all the different camera options.  My DSLR couldn't keep up with the low lighting for most of the party, so I snapped tons of iPhone photos, Instax photos, and even borrowed some from friends (thanks Doren and Michelle!).


Happy 4th birthday, little Poe.  I can't believe how quickly time has passed!

**You can see my birthday post from last year and Poesy's birthday post from last year.

Goals for 2015

New year resolutions.  I resisted this tradition for years.  "Why should I make goals for a whole year that I won't even remember in a couple of months?"  I was obviously missing the point.  I don't think you have to make goals at the beginning of each year to be driven or successful, but I do think it helps to write down some things you'd like to do or make happen for the coming months.  I like getting a clear picture of what I want to make time for, what risks I'd like to take, and what I want to change in the new year.  It helps me see who I am and who I want to be a little more clearly.  :)  The same thing can be accomplished by making monthly goals for yourself.  I like to do a little of both.

The topic of resolutions came up in a group of friends this week, and I realized I hadn't had a hard sit down/list making session on this particular subject yet.  My goals aren't super lofty this year, just little things to help me manage my time/over-commitment issue a little better, and doing more things for the sole purpose of leisure.  Here's a peek:

**Take at least one full day off a week.  Honestly, this is easier said than done, but I'm going to try to schedule my work time so that I have a day to let my mind rest.  I've spent the last however many months with basically no days off, and I have only myself to blame.  So now, I'll have myself to thank when I make this right.  :)

**Hobby.  You'll probably notice a theme throughout this list.  I want to make time for a hobby.  A hobby I do multiple times a week because I've made the time for leisure.  I could put "getting back to knitting, guitar playing, etc." but I want to leave it open-ended so I can change my mind throughout the year when I feel an interest in something different.

**Family Vacation.  Johnny and I haven't taken the girls on a real vacation since Poesy was 1 and too small to remember.  We want to take them somewhere super fun this year, now that they BOTH can enjoy it!

**Move into a place we love.  Johnny and I are planning on moving out of this lovely rental we've been calling home for the last 2+ years.  Initially, we thought we'd buy it when the time was right, but the thing about rentals is that you get to test drive before you buy.  There are a few things that don't work well for our family here, so as sad as it will be to say goodbye to our first Springfield home, our intention is to move.

**Daughter dates!  Hope and I love to grab a burger just the two of us when we can, but I want to be more intentional about spending time with both girls one-on-one.  This (again) goes along with being less bogged down by work and making more time for important things.  That's kind of my theme for 2015.

**Make at least 5 animals a month.  It's nothing new for a maker to start preparing in advance for a busy season, but my intention is to make at least 5 animals (or more) a month this year.  It keeps my craft sharp, and relieves stress when the holiday season approaches.  Who knows?  Maybe I could even do a Renegade this year.  I miss it!

I could ramble forever about what I've learned over the past year and what I intend to change this year, but all it comes down to is being more available for people I love (friends & family) and taking more time for myself.  You have to let that brain recharge every once-in-a-while.  That's important!

Oh, and just for fun, here are Hope's resolutions:
1.  "Lose all my teeth."
2.  "Try crab."
3.  "Try playing 'Chubby Bunny'."
4.  "See Paityn and Jaelie."  --those are her best friends that live in CO.
5.  "Go to the beach."

I hope you are all having an amazing start to the new year.  Even if it hasn't been exactly what you were hoping for, there's always time to turn it around!  Happy Thursday!  xo.

P.S. I Adore You + Skunkboy

This month I'm partnering up with P.S. I Adore You to be their "Cancer Cutie" sponsor.  What does this mean exactly?  Well, every month P.S. I Adore You chooses a child who is battling cancer, and for that entire month, 10% of their flash deal site revenue goes to that child to help pay medical bills. I'm happy to be the January sponsor and share a little more about sweet Miles with you.  Here is a little bit about Miles' story from his mother:

"Our sweet baby Miles came to the pediatric emergency room after a week of fever and tummy pain. After an ultrasound found a large tumor near his kidney, we were admitted to the Pediatric Dept. at Banner Thunderbird Hospital. Through the week of tests we’ve discovered the cancer to be Neuroblastoma with a main tumor larger than a softball grown next the his adrenal gland. The tumor was too large, well supplied by blood vessels and entangled around his aorta to remove during his biopsy surgery. Further tests show his bone marrow and skull to be infected as well. Miles’ cancer is the most aggressive type with a current survival rate of 40-60%. Our Pediatric Oncologist is Dr. Graham.  He started chemo today and will have marrow transplants, radiation and other therapies once the tumor has decreased to a manageable size.

Miles is the toughest little boy, he’s so sweet, happy and active and previously so healthy. We know we have a huge battle but we will fight it. We are going to beat this and get our baby back to the little boy we all know and love."

**If you're interested in reading more about Miles, you can check out his Facebook page where updates are made frequently.  Or, if you would like to donate to Miles, you can find his Go Fund Me page here.  P.S. I Adore You will be supporting Miles all month long!  xo.

Make Your Own Clay Photo Charms

I shoot a lot of photos and I'm ever-searching for new and creative ways to use them.  I've made lacing cards, felt dolls, tote bags, a light-up shadow box, personalized post cards, Poe's gallery wall... well, you get the idea.  We have so many lovely photos, I adore seeing them in my everyday life.

As we were making charms out of polymer clay a few nights ago, I had the fun idea to turn photos into clay charms that you can wear or give as gifts.  Today I'm teaming up with Canon USA to show you how to make your own at home!

Supplies:
*polymer clay
*craft glue
*clear sealer
*jump rings
*wire or charm pins
*small photos (mine were printed with my PIXMA iP8720)

First things first: choose your photos and print them out.  I printed out several options on my PIXMA iP8720 because I didn't know exactly which ones would work the best for this craft.  This printer is my favorite I've used because the images always look sharp and I never have any troubles such as jamming or ink smudges.  It's a good little (okay, not so little) machine.


Next, I cut out my photos and got my clay ready.  You may have to work the clay in your hands for a couple of minutes before it is ready to roll out.  It just depends on how soft it is.


Once my clay was ready, I placed my photo on top of a bit of rolled out clay and trimmed around it.


When I achieved my desired shapes, I placed the charms on a piece of foil and carefully removed the photos.  I stuck my charm pins into the clay and placed the in the oven to bake.  Again, make sure you have removed your photos BEFORE these go in the oven.


When your charms have finished baking and cooled, use a paint brush or your finger to glue the photo to the charm.


When all the glue has dried, cover your charm (including the photo) in a protective sealer.  I also like to use a little dab of super glue to keep those charms pins from slipping out.


There you have it!  This was such a simple and fun way to create personalized charms.  I especially love the ones we put on Hope's charm bracelet.  Now she can wear two of her very favorite things on her wrist: her best friend and her sweet kitty.  xo.