How I've FELT lately.

Haha, oh puns! How I love them. What else do I love right now? Felt! I know it sounds cray cray but its my favorite craft fabric at the moment. The other day I was getting my exercising in by walking around JoAnns and other stores when I stumbled upon the Easter goods. After looking at most of it, I realized that I could make almost each piece myself. For way cheaper! So I decided to do so. Starting with my son's 1st Easter basket.

I know he isn't even here yet but he better damn well be by Easter or I will physically harm someone. Im not even kidding. And I also know that Im going to be too tired to make this project when he DOES show up. So after snagging a basic basket at Goodwill I thought about what I was going to make to spoil my lil man. Something that Mark and I want to make sure Holden is subjected to is books. Lots and lots of books! Honestly, we are hoping he can read by the time he gets into school. *FINGERS CROSSED* So I decided to make 2 felt books for the babes- Colors and Shapes.

Fun thing about felt is its super soft. Say...soft enough for a newborn to play with? Why, yes! So here's how I made 'em!

 Cut (8) felt pieces 6" x 4.5"

Cut out design and hot glue into place. I will say I attempted to sew design but that took WAY too long and glue was just as easy. And I think it looked cleaner too. 

Blanket stitch 2 pages (front and back) together with a thick thread to make less flimsy.

Once you're all done with the pages, blanket stitch the ENTIRE book together. 

Done! 

Here's the final product! 

I did the exact same thing for the Shapes Book. I think they came out super cute! 

For Holden's Easter basket, I needed some sort of "grass" but I hate- HATE- that plastic grass that gets everywhere and is super cheap looking. So instead, I lined it with dark and light green felt cut like grass and just stuffed the bottom with green pieces to give it body. I also weaved light blue ribbon over the handle and tied it with a bow. I like the way it came out! 

Contents: My 2 felt books, a "My 1st Easter" bib, a security blanket, a bath puppet, an elephant hanging toy,  a baby tie, and a "What is Easter" book (its behind the bib). 

Once I got going on my felt kick, I decided to make an Easter wreath for our front door. Here it is! 

This was also pretty easy to make too. I used a basic foam wreath from my local craft store, the felt I had, thick thread, hot glue, batting, and floral wire. 

First, I cut out the shapes I wanted on the wreath. I slip stitched the middles of the flowers, the duck wings, and the bunny's ears. Then I blanket stitched around each piece and before I was completely done, I stuffed it with just a touch of batting and finished stitching it up. 

I wrapped the wreath with light green felt strips and added the floral wire. Then I hot glued the pieces and TA-DA! All done!! 

Welp, that was my fun week with felt. Im not gonna lie, blanket stitching everything is a touch time consuming. Although, Im supposed to be resting and getting ready for lil man to get here. So laying in bed and crafting these were a fun way to do so. Hopefully this wasnt too long or boring and gives others some inspiration to use felt to create some fun projects! I have a crap ton of felt left over so I can only imagine what else I come up with. Yay imagination!!

Lots of love,
Susannah Joy

Week 38

We are in the single digit countdown people! 9 days until D Day! Ok, so I know that "technically" its best to let lil man come out when he is good and ready....BUUUT....I am good and ready! Doesnt that count for something? I have been trying everything I can think of to get this baby OUT! Red raspberry leaf tea, evening primrose oil, Ive been eating pineapple, spicy food, oregano, Ive been walking, doing jumping jacks (ok I only did 3 but still), bouncing on my birthing ball, EV-ER-Y-THING. It really doesnt help that 5 babies have been born in my "acquaintance" circle in the last week! 5!! 2 of those babies were due on my same due date and the day after.....sooooo.....yeah, its safe to come out whenever you're ready kid. I will say that all 5 of those babies were C-sections which is A-nuts and B-my biggest fear so I am just fine with letting Holden come out when he is good and ready to avoid growing a very high C-section rate in this country. Even if that means staying uncomfortable for a little while longer.

**Disclaimer** I am aware that there are times when a C-section is absolutely necessary and I do not judge anyone because at the end of the day, a healthy baby brought into this world is all that matters. BUT education is power and there IS a reason why our rates for these operations are so high (and many times, unnecessary). Please check out documentaries "The Business of Being Born" and "Pregnant in America" on netflix if you can! So informative!! 

Anyways, Im still pregnant and I dont wanna be anymore. Everything in the house is set up and ready to go- seriously all we need is the baby itself. Plus Im not the only one getting antsy *cough*family*cough*. We are ALL ready to meet the newest member of our family. I have been getting a lot of irregular Braxton Hicks contractions lately so we decided to go ahead and put me on maternity leave. Which is bittersweet because we have BIG things coming up for 11:11 Events and I wanna help! Im sure Ill still do some work, because....well, Im crazy that way. I just keep myself busy by cleaning the house and crafting. Im gonna post about the fun stuff Ive created with my newest obsession- FELT! I know, sounds nuts but honestly, you can make the cutest baby stuff outta felt! 

Alrighty, welp here's the bump and FAQs:

Ser-i-ous-ly.

How far along? 38 weeks 5 days

Maternity clothes? Maxi skirts and maternity tops. Errday. 

Stretch marks? Still a nope! 

Sleep: Unlike my husband, who can fall asleep in .4 seconds, I take WAY longer to fall asleep. Only to be awakened by needing to pee 5 minutes later.

Best moment this week: We got hooked up at the farmers market last Saturday! Everyone was so sweet to give us free produce "for the baby". It was really awesome. 

Miss Anything? I seriously miss being able to relax and lie on my back.

Movement: He still hiccups a lot, but now his squirming includes very recognizable body parts. I swear I can feel feet and elbows! 

Food cravings: Anything and Everything from the farmers market! This week- salads made of butter lettuce, rainbow chard, kale, and broccoli sprouts.....super fresh pasteurized goat cheese with  local honey on toast....and brocollini cole slaw! 

Anything making you queasy or sick: I get a touch nauseous if I eat big meals so keeping it small and frequent. 

Gender: My lil man! 

Labor Signs: Yes, just wish they were coming in regular intervals. 

Symptoms: Same as last week- tired, hungry, uncomfortable....

Belly Button in or out? No change, still flat. I knew it wouldnt pop out! 

Wedding rings on or off? Still around my neck. 

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy as I have been. I was actually REALLY happy to find out Holden will have a friend to meet in the end of Nov/Early Dec! But my lips are sealed other than that for right now! But- AUGH!!! SO EXCITED! 

Looking forward to: Getting. This. Baby. OUT! 

Hopefully we have a birth story to share soon!!

Lots of love, 

Susannah, Mark, and Holden

Weeks 35-37

Alrighty. Im officially getting to the point that I hear all pregnant women get to- the "Im over it" point. Im not going to lie. I have been more uncomfortable in the last few weeks than I have this entire pregnancy combined. I am trying my damndest to keep a smile on my face and keep moving but that last all of about......3 hours. Max. But Im lucky to have the world's most amazing husband and he makes sure that Im resting or not pushing myself too hard around the house. Plus he still thinks I look pretty and tells me often. And that does a lot for a girl in my "situation". Speaking of, one of my very dear friends happens to be one of the most amazing photographers in the ATX and I was lucky enough to have her shoot my maternity pics!! I swear, if anyone is in need of a photographer, you should look up Erin Molloy Photography!! She made me gorgeous at a time in my life when I felt the complete opposite. Here's a few of the shoot:

How much do I love these!?! They are going to look great in the nursery! BTW I consider these my week 35/36 bump pics because I didnt take any. I felt like a super whale and was totally NOT in the mood. But here's my 37 week bump pic and FAQs. 

Full term!!! Heck yeah!!! 

How far along? 37 weeks 3 days

Maternity clothes? Absolutely. Or giant pajama pants. 

Stretch marks? Still none on my belly. Thank goddess. 

Sleep: I keep waking up in the middle of the night. I hear its good practice for things to come. 

Best moment this week: Officially being full term and knowing if we go into labor, we can deliver at the birthing center!! 

Miss Anything? Oddly enough- I miss being able to work out. I know how weird that sounds. 

Movement: He's actually calmed down a little. He's running out of room in there. But he still gets the hiccups a lot, which is something Im going to miss. 

Food cravings: Food in general. I am hungry all....the....time. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: ground beef grossed me out big time earlier this week. Sounds like my old self haha. 

Gender: A little gentleman. 

Labor Signs: Oh yeah, we are definitely practicing for D day! 

Symptoms: Tired, hungry, emotional, and living in the world of Braxton Hicks contractions. 

Belly Button in or out? Still flat as a pancake....mmm....pancakes....

Wedding rings on or off? Still around my neck. 

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy for the most part. But I will say I have been crazy emotional. Even watching old clips of Oscar acceptance speeches made me tear up the other day. Im not sad, just....easily wrung out. 

Looking forward to: Meeting little man! Hopefully sooner than later!!!

Well thats all for now, 

Susannah, Mark, and Holden

Weeks 31-34

Well a whole month has already flown by in 2013 which means we are getting closer to lil man getting here! We are super excited and getting everything ready around the house. We had our baby shower on the 20th (pictures to come soon) and have checked off everything we need, washed it, and are ready to go. I guess you can say Im in nesting mode (understatement of the century).

I keep moving things around the nursery but for the most part, it is ready to go! We decided on a "vintage sports" theme. It really turned out to be more baseball than anything else but there are touches of football here and there. I love it! Here are a few pictures. Sorry for the low quality iphone pics!

My super talented little sister made this! 

I made the curtain and crib skirt myself. 

Thats Mark's old glove on the left, my old glove on the right! 

Love love love the "baseballs" in the ceiling corner.

Using canvas bins as shelves. 

Changing station

I made the counting numbers above the window out of old golden books. The banner is from his baby shower. 

A friend made this blanket that pulls everything together perfectly! I made the sign above the chair. 

I glued a mini bat and ball to the lamp to vamp it up!

I painted a plain wooden waste basket from Hobby Lobby. 

This was a custom made Christmas gift from Holden's Aunt Dominique. 

Holden's GrandDaddy (my dad) wanted to autograph a ball for his room. 

I know that the pictures arent the best quality but I think it came out pretty darn cute! I plan on adding pictures of the maternity shoot and his newborn shoot to the room to complete it but that'll have to wait until after he gets here! I cant believe he'll be here so soon!!! 

I plan on posting a few other things in the next couple of days (baby shower pics, tutorials to a few things Im making, and a tribute to my Abuela who we recently lost) but this is all I have time for right now. Here's the latest bump pics and FAQs:

My little sister decorated the board for this one- can you tell?

Honeydew Melons.....mmmm.....

 How far along? 35 weeks
Maternity clothes? Oh yeah. But every now and then I can figure out an outfit with some of my regular clothes. Not often though. 
Stretch marks? Just a few but not on my belly. 
Sleep: Falling asleep has not been a problem. I have been exhausted lately. But I get up every night to use the potty without fail.
Best moment this week: Checking off the last of the "baby list" 
Miss Anything? EV-ER-Y-THING. Most of all, my energy. 
Movement: All the time. We are definitely at the "freaky stomach morphing" stage. 
Food cravings: Um...everything? Mostly healthy stuff, so thats good. Freshly made almond butter is good on everything btw.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Still havent gotten sick thank goodness.
Gender: Human 
Labor Signs: This has actually been happening. Which is scary as hell. I get about one good contraction a day. Ive actually started documenting them, just in case. 
Symptoms: SUPER TIRED. All......the.....time.
Belly Button in or out? Flat as a board.
Wedding rings on or off? Its official, rings around my neck. 
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! I cant really remember being all that moody or upset at all this whole time. But Im sure that once we get closer to D day, Ill be a little more moody.....to say the least.
Looking forward to: This last month going by quickly!! 

Okey dokie artichokies, Thats all for now.
Love, peace, and chicken grease,
Susannah, Mark, and Holden

Weeks 29-30

HELLO 2013!!!

Welp, we didnt die. Although I like to think that some secret super heroes saved us from the end of the world instead of the Mayans being wrong. Either way- we all made it to 2013! The year of the snake, my last full year of being in my 20's, the year we meet Mr. Holden Stephens Mikulin!!!!! I cannot believe I am going to meet my baby boy so soon!!! I love him so much already!

We took it pretty easy for New Years this year. As much as we would've loved to have gone to Fredericksburge (I have no idea how to spell that) again to visit the wineries and get wine-wasted or out and about with our crazy friends.....neither really work with our "situation". Which is just fine. So we hung out with my Dad, Sister, her boyfriend, and my dad's neighbors. It was a cold and rainy night but we hung out by my Dad's fire pit, blew up fireworks, and SOME people (cough*Mark*cough) drank a lil too much. I really enjoyed myself though!

We were thinking about New Year's Resolutions and both of us were "I want to be a good parent" but thats not really a resolution....thats a fact, yo. So instead we both decided to just be more health and Earth conscience. We like to eat healthy, but we have our days where we love us some JUNK food. Like, embarrassingly junky food. So we decided to be better about eating local and organic, and aware of our carbon footprint. This includes me starting to make our own bread! I have made 2 batches thus far and the 2nd batch of my honey whole wheat bread is getting really good! Im pretty happy with it.

 I also made my own laundry detergent the other day that should cost us pennies per load! Here's how I did it:

Mix 1 cup Borax and 1 cup Arm N Hammer Baking  WASHING SODA! 

Cut 1 bar of Fels Naptha into smaller pieces and grate it up in a food processor. 

Get 4 cups of water to almost boiling and add the grated soap. Turn down the heat immediately to medium. Melt the soap (should take about 10-15 minutes) completely, then add the borax/washing soda mixture. Mix until completely dissolved and you cant feel any grit on the bottom of the pan. 

Pour into 2 quart jars, add water until it reaches the shoulder of the jars and FLIP over! 

Let the jars sit for 4 hours.....boring....

After the 4 hours, scrape everything out of the jar one at a time, blend it up with an emulsifier,  and once it reaches "mayonnaise" consistency, return to jar! 

It should be a perfect fit! 

To use, just scoop out 1 tablespoon and run it under the water in the washer. Since everything is dissolved completely, there should be no residue on the clothes. I hear this is the best detergent out there so Im excited to be able to use it for the next ~300 loads! YAY!!!

January is going to be such a crazy but awesome month. 11:11 has 3 events this month! We have a show at the Beauty Ballroom on the 19th, my baby shower on the 20th, and a wedding on the 26th! Super excited! Im also excited that there wont be much to do in Feb as Im sure I will NOT want to do a single damn thing except lay in bed and wait for lil man to get here. Except be spoiled on Valentines day. That'll be nice. I cant wait to post pics of my baby shower! Until then, heres updated bump pics and FAQs. 

Note- I start my 32nd week manana so for the most part, my posts are about a week or so behind. Sorry. 

Theres a dang baby in there! 

How far along? 30 weeks 

Maternity clothes? Look at that picture. Duh. 
Stretch marks? None on my belly, just a few on my thighs and chest area.
Sleep: Some CRAZY dreams but other than that, its all good in the hood.
Best moment this week: Ringing in 2013! 
Miss Anything? Champagne, Wine, Beer, COFFEE, jumping on trampolines, goat cheese, putting on my shoes....pretty much everything I cant do or have!
Movement: Oh for sure. I feel like he is only hanging out on my right side because thats the rib he likes to kick and I almost never feel anything on my left side. 
Food cravings: KALE, green smoothies,  my homemade bread, and veggies!!
Anything making you queasy or sick: I havent thrown up once this pregnancy, I dont think Ill start now. Knock on wood.
Gender: Un nino. 
Labor Signs: Not really at all. 
Symptoms: Heartburn has gotten a touch better, swollen ankles have subsided, I am just 1st trimester tired all over again.
Belly Button in or out? Getting pretty flat. Mark is fascinated.
Wedding rings on or off? Wedding ring is still on but I am wearing my engagement ring around my neck these days. 
Happy or Moody most of the time: Genuinely happy.
Looking forward to: My baby shower! And seeing my Grandma next week!!!!!!!!!!

Alrighty, well, thats that.
Lots'o'love,
Susannah, Mark, and Holden