At my fingertips

One of the daunting tasks on my to-do while on bed rest list is finally complete. I had a folder full of recipes that had been printed from websites, ripped from magazines, cut from labels and even some handwritten ones from my momma. I could never find the recipe I wanted when I needed it. I needed organization. A couple of months ago, I attended a Longaberger party hosted by a very dear friend and purchased a recipe basket (at an unbelievable sale price!) with the thought of someday organizing my recipes.

Well someday finally came (thanks to bed rest)...

...and I now have all my recipes at my fingertips. Plus the basket looks so darn cute sitting on the little shelf in my kitchen.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

[The dogwood in our yard...the snow has a little ice mixed in with it and it sounds lovely as it hits the tree branches]
[A fishbowl of coral and shells from our honeymoon in Anguilla that sits on our back porch...love the combination of snow and shells]

So our meteorologist was waaaayyy off the mark. Figures. The one time I listen to a forecast (cause I typically don't) it is wrong. We were supposed to wake up to a "dusting" and some "light snow." What did I wake up to? Heavy snow and lets just say a dusting plus 4 inches! It is still coming down like crazy out there. I don't mind. I actually love the snow as long as I don't have anywhere to go...and today I don't. However, a heat wave needs to come through our area tomorrow because I have my first baby shower on Sunday and I don't want to miss it!

Perfect Playmats

These little boxes delivered by Mr. Mailman always make even the dreariest of days (like the one we are having today) a bit brighter.

Remember this post by Jennifer? I was floored when I found out I won the giveaway and flabbergasted when I found out Jennifer was going to make TWO of them for me since I am having twins! Don't you just love that packaging? The day keeps getting brighter and brighter.

This one is for little miss Baby A. It is so perfect. And yes, that is a sneak peak of her crib!

And this one is for little mister Baby B. Again, it can be summed up in one word - perfect!

I just love the design, the fabrics, the quilting (freehand!!!), the snugglieness...

...the detail! The backing is beautiful and both quilts have this adorable little square in the middle - one girl, one boy!

Each playmat has it's own personality while mixing some of the same elements...just like my two little ones. I love that!

How many more times can I say perfect in one post? Let me get by with one more time...they are so me, so what I have in mind for their rooms and just so perfect!

Thank you so much Jennifer! You really did an amazing job - I admire your skill and creativity! My day is bright as can be now!!!

Grapelicious

A little fruity grape hat for my little girly...

This is the first knitted project that I finished that required me to really follow the pattern. I was so proud of myself when I finished it. This little hat is well...quite little...yet it took forever (it seemed) to complete. Perhaps it was the very fine yarn and itsy needles. However, I did learn quite a few new skills while making this hat...knitting with both circular needles and then double point needles at the end, increasing and decreasing! I can't wait to see it on her little head.

Also, nursery furniture arrived late Monday night. Actually, I should say early Tuesday morning because they carried it in around 12:30am. The delivery man of the furniture store where we purchased it wanted to come down a day in advance because of a snow storm predicted in his area on the original date of delivery. He asked if we would mind a late delivery. Of course not! It was odd to have furniture delivered in the middle of the night but honestly we didn't mind! DH and my father-in-law put the furniture together last night and DH washed some of the bedding. We plan to put things together tonight! I will have pictures soon. I do have to say though...I love this furniture even more than I remembered and I am so glad we bought it regardless of the price!

Now, off to start a veggie hat for my little boy...

Don't you love it when...

...you have had a really long day taking an exam (yes, I had to sit for 8 hours and take a standardized test in all my pregnant glory - hence my absence this week due to studying - ANYWAY...) and you come home to a big Priority Mail box stuffed with goodies like this????

Needless to say, I was more than excited. It was like Christmas in January at my house this evening!

Fellow pregnant blogger Stefanie of Artsy Momma sent me this care package full of goodies. She is 38 weeks this week yet found the time to put together this package for me! She is just too sweet! I cannot wait to get started with all of this stuff. I already have lots of projects lined out in my mind.

Wanna hear more about the goodies in my box from Stefanie???

ADORABLE his and her matching hat and booties sets and some super cute iron ons...I can't wait to put this on some little onesies. It will make an adorable complete outfit for each of them!

Yarn! Yarn! Yarn! All super soft! Can't wait to use it all! Also included in the box but not pictured are a couple skeins of Cotton Ease in a lovely taupe and blue...those are already being wound on the yarn winder...I didn't even wait long enough to take a picture of them before I started using them!

All supplies necessary for hand embroidery! 72 colors of embroidery thread, oh my! I'm in heaven. DH is going to have to wash some onesies because this super cute pattern will make some adorable baby clothes!

Also, I have been meaning to photograph and share my other bed rest gift from bloggy friend Jennifer of JCasa Handmade (if you haven't seen her blog...you must go check out her handy work. Bee-u-tee-ful!). She sent me this skein of lovely 100% merino wool vesper sock yarn and a pattern for footies she has recently made/posted on her blog.

Since seeing her footies I have been obsessed with wanting to knit socks. I have purchased 2 books on knitting socks as well as 2 general knitting books. I have been practicing and practicing with my ultimate goal being to gain the skills necessary to knit these socks! I cannot wait to use this yarn...I'm getting a lot closer to feeling confident enough to give it a try!

I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. Since my announcement about my bed rest (which was posted while I was actually an inpatient at the hospital- thank goodness for wireless patient internet!) I have received nothing but well wishes and support from all of you, my blog-y friends. I never realized how much starting this blog would enrich my life...I know it sounds corny...but you all are awesome. You have become my "friends" though we have never met...your comments make my day and I have appreciated all of your kind thoughts and prayers throughout all of this. I cannot say thank you enough!

For my Dad...

I am so proud of this project for many reasons. I made it for my Dad. When I was visiting them last weekend he watched me working on another scarf and was quite interested. With the recent cold snap we have been having here we decided he needed a nice woolly warm scarf. So, a couple of nights later when I cast off the other scarf I had some free needles and a desire for a new project for Dad. This scarf actually was completed in one sitting. Two movies later and Dad had a brand new scarf made of some handsome burnt red and brown woolly yarn. I still can't believe I can actually knit.

This is actually completed knitting project #4 - where is #3? Well, that one is a scarf similar to this one but is mega long...so I need to model it for a good picture. Maybe DH will be available to help with that over the weekend.

Some exciting news: The nursery furniture will be delivered on Tuesday!!! Also, you have to sneak a peek at this. I am soooo excited!

Have a great weekend everyone!

So pleased.

(photo from JCPenny)

The bedding for the nursery arrived! I was so incredibly pleased with the quality of this bedding set. Plus, it is even more beautiful in person! I have been struggling with the baby bedding situation for quite some time. I didn't know if I wanted to have their cribs outfitted in coordinating but not exactly the same sets (like chocolate and brown polka dots for him and chocolate and pink for her) or if I wanted something neutral. Ultimately, I decided I wanted to use the colors chocolate, khaki and sage - nice and neutral for both. I searched high and low and could not find a set I liked.

Then, I found this one at Pottery Barn. I loved it. I wanted it. However, I could not justify spending $592 (not counting shipping) for 2 sets of the bedding. I just couldn't spend that much.

Then, thanks to some help from my sister I found the above set at JCPenny.com. It is very similar and I ended up getting 2 sets of the bedding and 2 valences for half the price! ($300 with a coupon) It is a super soft, 100% cotton and the stitching detail is excellent.

Very pleased indeed.

I can't wait until our nursery furniture arrives. I think this will look beautiful against the fruitwood stained oak. Plus, there are so many possibilities to add the colors I want (in additional quilts as wall hangings, art, different crib sheets, etc). I love it.

Knitting Project #2 Complete

Yeah! I finished my 2nd ever "real needles" knitting project! I used this pattern to make this dish/wash cloth and 100% cotton yarn Lily Sugar'n Cream yarn. The photo really does not do this one justice! The colors are so much prettier in person! This was so easy to work up (and I read a pattern!!!) and really quick. I will definitely be making more of these with this pattern.

So, with all my new found pattern reading wisdom, I have already cast on my next project. I am attempting circular knitting (all of my projects have a purpose - I need to learn circular knitting so I can ultimately make these socks!) using a pattern kit from my local yarn shop. It is the most adorable hat for baby girl. Don't worry...I have an equally adorable one for baby boy that will be knit as soon as the one for baby girl is completed. I'll keep the details of the hats a secret for now but they will be posted here as soon as they are off the needles!

All wound up and ready to go...

In an attempt to practice my knitting pattern reading skills while not wasting/ruining expensive beautiful yarn, I have decided my next little knitting project will be to use up more of my cute 100% cotton yarn from my stash. I'm going to attempt this pattern. Yeah, another dish/wash cloth... Wish me luck...off to cast on tonight!

Happy, Happy 28 weeks!

28 weeks!!!

Yesterday was a huge milestone! Babies born after 28 weeks do much better than those born before 28 weeks (95% intact survival rate at our hospital over the last 7 years). The perinatologist at our hospital always says the month of 24 weeks - 28 weeks is the biggest month in a babies life. My babies made that mark! Now, we have our eyes set on the next prize milestone - 34 weeks here we come!

Both babies are doing very well. We had a growth ultrasound this morning and both babies are measuring appropriately. Baby Girl is now weighing in at 2 lbs. 8 oz. and Baby Boy is 2 lbs. 11 oz! They are so beautiful (we have some nice 4D images of their cute little faces!) and we are so excited about them.

I finished my first ever knitted project - a washcloth! This one will be added to the stack for the babies since it is kinda small. I used only knit stitches in this project for practice...now I'm ready to purl! I have plenty more 100% cotton yarn for more washcloths but mama really wants a scarf for herself. I need to practice reading a knitting pattern because I am dying to make some of these socks with the beautiful yarn that JCasa (she has posted some beautiful socks lately!)sent to me...I must take a picture of that yarn to share with you all (add to the to-do list)!

Address Book? Check!

The beautiful leather bound address book was one of my stocking gifts from my DH. It was an item I had requested back when I was desperately gathering addresses to send out our Christmas cards.

I've always wanted a beautiful address book and this one is just perfect. There is plenty of space and the inside of the cover is just beautiful, isn't it?

So, this was added to my list of "Things to Do while on Bed Rest." Now that all of our addresses are neatly filled in our new address book I can mark this project off the to do list and next time I need an address I will know just where to find it.

Happiness is...

Waking up to a snow you did not expect.

Have a happy day everyone!

Multiple Bles8ings: A Review

A very sweet friend dropped off dinner & dessert on Tuesday night to give my poor DH a night off from kitchen duty. She also dropped off this book - Multiple Blessings: Surviving to Thriving with Twins and Sextuplets by Jon & Kate Gosselin (you know...of the TLC show Jon & Kate plus 8...which I must admit I have never seen a single episode). She said she had read it in just 3 days and loved it and knew that I would love it too. It seems I am always reading; however, it is not so common that I read books for pleasure. After devouring her delicious dinner that evening, I sat down in the recliner and thought I would just read a few pages. Well...a couple hours later and I was half way through the book. Last night, I repeated the routine. We finished up the left overs of her delicious meal and then I settled in and finished the book.

The verdict: It was great. The book of course tells the Gosselin's story...but she also adds in her spiritual thoughts that helped to get her through having 8 children in 4 years time. She talks about how God blessed her with all of her children after struggling with infertility and then describes the faith it took to get through the struggling times after their birth. Overall, the book really made me think about how God has blessed my life - I have the most amazing husband, a wonderful and loving family, a cozy home, two little blessings on the way, a stable job. God has always provided for me...He has lead me through tough times...He gives me the strength sometimes just to get through the day...He is the rock that I lean on. There are so many things to be thankful for.

The back jacket of the book sums it up perfectly: "This amazing story of faith provides a heartening lesson in what it means to trust the faithful hand of God to provide the strength and courage to make it through life's seemingly impossible situations."

Definitely worth your time to read (it is a fast read).

Now...off to add season 1 of Jon & Kate plus 8 to my Netflix Queue!

Goodness gracious great balls of yarn...

I'm smitten.

One of my Christmas gifts from DH was this yarn ball winder. It can all be summed up in 2 words. It rocks! No more frustration of winding balls of yarn by hand and no more tangles. Just neat, easy to work with little yarn balls made on this nifty little gadget in mere minutes.

I just love it. I took this leftover skein of yarn...

...and turned it into this in 2 minutes flat.

And...it is so fun to use. Now, I want to buy more yarn. :)

Last official day of the Christmas holiday

I took this photo during one of our snows before Christmas and before bed rest. I thought it would be appropriate to share today and say Merry Christmas for one last time. :)

First big item for babies!

Our baby furniture has been ordered (about 4 weeks ago) and at that time they told us it would probably take 8-12 weeks to arrive. We ordered these beautiful oak handmade sleigh cribs from an Amish family-owned furniture store while visiting the Amish Country. We have had the babies room painted (thanks mom!) in a very neutral color (Dusty Trail - a khaki color) and had new crown molding and baseboards put up in the room. The room has been very empty since then...containing only the rocker that my mom rocked me in when I was a babe and our hibiscus tree which was brought it for the winter season. Well now, thanks to my sister, we have something new for the babies to add to the room!

My sister and brother-in-law got us a pack-n-play with the changing station for Christmas!!! I was so super excited!

My sister picked it out...doesn't she have great taste??? I think the pattern is so cute and very boy/girl appropriate!

And the mobile that came with it is super adorable.

Slowly but surely we are getting ready for these babies...next step...I need to pick crib bedding (so hard! do I get 2 matching sets for their cribs or coordinating sets...there are so many to choose from!!!) and complete a registry!!! So much to do!