J is for Joann Fabrics where everyone knows my cuts- #AZChallenge

Confession: I spend so much time at Joann fabrics that when I go for something other than fabric, people are shocked and confused.

Everyone also knows me by my fabric cuts too. I don't mean that they know I will be wanting either 1 1/2 yards or 2 yards of flannel or cotton prints, but that I like my fabric cut so it's 1 yard and then another 1/2 yard or 2 full yards. I am also, often, used as a training person in the store when new hires come to the cutting counter since they will see me often.


Before Black Friday, I had gone in several times to make lists of things that I knew I was going to want. After returning home from my scouting adventure, my favorite Joann's employee called me and asked if there was anything specific that I knew I was going to want full bolts of. They set them aside for me so that nobody would buy them since I'm such a frequent customer. That was insane and awesome at the same time. I spent nearly 3 hours at the cutting counter alone and I had 3 carts full of fabric. My receipt was so long it was almost as tall as I am (5' 2)

Seriously, there were THREE carts full!! I did it all in less than 20 minutes then spent forever cutting it.

I have to say, I really do love my Joann Fabrics. While they don't have everything I want, I've found most of it, and the sales, along with my VIP card that gives me 10% all the time makes it worth going.

H is for Hubby and I is for the INCREDIBLE sewing desk he built me ##AZChallenge

For anyone that knows me, or has talked to me for any length of time knows that one of my biggest gripes of my house is that it has ZERO storage space. It's been difficult trying to run my little shop through my house when there isn't any space to put anything. It's been even more difficult when there isn't any room to sew anything. After complaining for what is likely the 5780th time, hubby built me an incredible sewing table WITH STORAGE!!!! I was borrowing a friend's folding table that contained everything on top and it was anything but convenient. I I couldn't cut anything, I couldn't really sew anything without removing everything so I had space to do so. It was a nightmare. NOT TO MENTION Moose is tall, he's 30 inches tall and we often refer to him as "tiny terror" So when he sees something he wants, or he can reach then he does. Trying to sew something that he's yanking on is not good business practices by any means. So after much complaining, and a lot of waiting. I finally got this (sorry for the dark pic, I have horrible lighting)

The desk top itself is 3 ft. wide by 5 ft long. That gives me plenty of room to sew on, and to cut on. There are fancy cubby holes to put my machines into so I can keep them out of the way while I work on other things. The dowels to hang projects that I'm currently working on (like seen in the picture) is one of my favorite features. It makes it so much more convenient than having a huge pile of stuff waiting to be sewn sitting right next to me on the table. The last thing I want is the tiny terror to get a hold of one and eat a pin or something--- that is something he would likely do. the shelves for all the rest of my crap is also super convenient. My desk is actually more full now than this picture shows. One of the best and most odd features of it is that it's tall. The desk top is about 40 in. off the ground. Moose can't reach anything and when my back is hurting I can stand up and still sew. I used to try and do this a lot before because, lets face it, I've been pregnant for almost 2 years straight now, my back hurts a LOT. It's now convenient to do so.

This desk is INCREDIBLE!!! I love that Hubby actually listened to what I wanted and included it all. Next he's going to make me a custom chair that is actually comfortable and big enough to sit as I like to. Then the additional shelving units for fabric storage. He's gonna be busy this summer...

G is for Grange Bazaar this month!! #AZChallenge

On the 30th of this month, I have been crafting like crazy. While I wish this was one that was solely handmade, there will be some direct sales people but luckily not more than hand crafters. Several of them are my favorites like Scentsy, Jamberry, Beauty Society, and LuLa Rue, so it's not that bad since I can get the things I want while I'm there.

This is the first time that I'll be doing a bazaar in the spring, but not my first time doing a bazaar at this Grange. I was actually really amazed with how much traffic this location receives since it's on a back road and gets little traffic. It's literally a building off the side of a country-ish road. Obviously the advertising is amazing since there is so much traffic and there is plenty of help from the vendors promoting themselves. It's really nice. Last year there were a couple complications, like the fact that we ran out of toilet paper and paper towels half way through the bazaar. That was awkward. This year the vendors all said that they were donating a roll so that that wouldn't happen again. I don't know if that really is happening, but I'm going to bring my own just in case. Being 5 months pregnant, bathrooms are a necessity.

When I did the holiday bazaar, I was downstairs close-ish to the bathroom. I found out that I was pregnant again right after that one. The downstairs wasn't that great, besides the fact that I was closer to the food (not that great of an idea) But most people didn't realize that there was a downstairs so the traffic wasn't that great. This time around I'm going to be upstairs and closest to the door that I can get because I have crazy hot flashes that would kill everyone else. It's annoying to me so I can imagine how it would be for others who are over that stage in life. Most of the ladies attending are older so I don't imagine they would be impressed with me needing to take off and put on clothes all the time no matter how pregnant I am so I'm just gonna stay close to the door.

My big challenge this time around is going to be that I'm bringing both my shops. This means that I am going to have to juggle placement so things look cohesive and not like a big hot mess of just throwing things together. Im sure I'll figure it out. I'll do a mock up before I go.

F is for Flowers- #AZChallenge

Lately, Monkey, my little gardener, has been super into flowers. He needs them everywhere in the front yard and he has specific ones that he feels he wants. Sunflowers, bleeding hearts, snap dragons, strawberries, pansies, daisies, tulips, daffodils, marigolds. He's so specific about it too. He has a color theme picked out and everything. It's actually kind of exhausting. I love his enthusiasm about it, but he has so many rules about how to plant things and the specific way he wants things done it's overwhelming.

Yes, you read that correctly, he has rules about how we plant things. Things like, "don't plant flowers on the sidewalk, don't plant yellow and pink flowers together, and water every day, but only in the morning." Most of these things are fairly common sense. Other rules like his specific way of how dirt needs to go into pots is a bit obsessive.

I think we picked some good ones. I love the anemones that we picked and the Gerber Daisies are always gorgeous, and I like the snap dragons more that I thought I would. This year, we 're really trying to bring back the hummingbirds and ladybugs that we used to have all over the place when we first moved. We haven't seen them in a couple years and they were so pretty and relaxing to look at. I would love to see them again, so hoping that the seeds and flowers we planted will bring some back. Last year we had a ton of praying mantis' so that was cool and interesting, but not as pretty as the ladybugs. Here's our flower spread so far.

E is for Embroidery Machines- #AZChallenge

So, I know this post is a day behind. I've been having a ton of things going on but so far I have them all which is what I was aiming for. I was really thrown for a loop with our pregnancy complications that I wasn't expecting. Not gonna lie, I'm a bit scared and freaked out and trying to keep myself as busy as possible. Like playing with my new embroidery machine.

It was totally a bribe from hubby and I really don't even care. I feel I got a pretty good deal on it, even though purchasing it, the warranty plan, and all the accessories that I need for it has wiped my credit card. Oops. We just paid it off with taxes and now it's maxed out again. He maxed out his credit card purchasing a new TV. One that we REALLY didn't need but he wanted anyway. I think I got the better end of the deal because mine can make me money.



Unfortunately, I really have no idea how to use it. Part of my warranty gives me free private lessons on how to use my machine and all of that fun stuff, but the soonest I was able to get a class was April 9-- this Saturday!! I've had this thing now for almost 2 weeks!

I've tried watching YouTube videos of how to do some of the basics but I wasn't able to come up with enough exact information that I could use. I did learn how to make an applique over embroidery design which was pretty cool. I love how you can make the same thing a million times and it always look different depending on the fabric you use.

I can't WAIT for this class. Not only is it a chance for me to go do something adult without having to take my children, but I will finally learn the basics of figuring out this thing so I can get started. I want to make some things to take with me to my spring bazaar to show that I can do them. I'm offering coupons for personalization for my items that I'm adding to some new parent gift boxes that I'm making. I'm excited for them although I have no idea what to price them as.

Anyway, Onward and Upward!

C is for Complications- D is for Down Syndrome #AZChallenge

So on Friday, we had our gender ultrasound to determine what the sex of the baby is. On Monday, I received some bad news that there are some complications with baby Mason. The found on his ultrasound that he has very enlarged kidneys and the likeliness of Down Syndrome is very high.

The enlarged kidneys is usually a genetic linking to Downs and there are several complications that could happen. They are going to recheck his kidneys at 33 weeks, but 13 weeks to find out more information is like waiting FOR EVER-- especially with such potentially harmful or bad news. If at the 33 week check up his kidneys are still enlarged, then they will put him on the donor transplant list because kidney failure is a possibility and they want to give him every chance he could possibly have.

Tomorrow, I have to go in for another ultrasound so they can check his heart and septum since they couldn't get a clear view-- more compounding factors in Down Syndrome they tell me. I tried looking up some information online but according to Dr. Google everything leads to death. I know that this isn't always the case, and I see positive stories all the time of people with Downs thriving and living happy, successful lives but Dr. Google must have missed the memo.

So now, the whole everything is a waiting game to find out if Baby Mason is going to be okay, or if he could be starting dialysis as young as birth. Hubby and I have already decided that if he has Down Syndrome or anything else wrong, as long as there isn't the possibility of near immediate death, we're not terminating. We were given the option.

So now, we just keep busy and try to think of other things. Planning the baby shower, making things he needs, staying busy, busy, busy.

B is for Baby- #AZChallenge

Today is "B" day on the A-Z blog challenge- woohoo! I'm on day two and still going strong! Tomorrow is Sunday, the rest day, so there won't be much from me. I'm taking on my nephew for the night which is an exhausting challenge on it's own.

Anyways, exiting news is afoot. I found out the sex of baby number three. Unfortunately we didn't get the little girl we wanted. We're having another boy! I am officially a boy mom. Three little boys are going to give me a run for my money but I make cute kids so it's going to be worth it in the end. I am planning a C-section, but since the baby is breach and facing my spine, the doctor said that it's a safety risk to deliver any other way because the likelihood of smashing his face to pieces is high. I don't want to do that to my little boy. He's measuring really big, length wise, so he's pretty much standing in my womb right now which can't be very comfortable for either of us-- I know it's not for me.

We decided to name the baby bear, Mason Alexander. We wanted a name that went with the boys' names, Hail and Sage, and Mason was the only one that we could agree on. I don't hate it but it's not my favorite. I would have named him Phoenix if I got to pick by myself but hubby told me he would refuse to sign the birth certificate if I tried it. Pfft.. 

I'm not completely thrilled with having another boy, but as hubby pointed out, on the bright side, at least we know we can always fit in a 2 bedroom if we need to. I'm excited that I can finally start making things for him now. 

Well, till Monday!