moxie made - the blog

project 52.5

2012-02-12T12:10:00.000-05:00

slow.

Slow mornings with y'all are the best.

Reading books, getting you to smile, listening to you coo and grunt.

I want this first year with y'all to be slow.

One fourth of your first year of life is already over. Crazy.

I want to enjoy every single second of every single day.

I want to slow down.

I want to choose not to go somewhere. Not to follow the schedule. Not to make sure the house is always clean.

Instead I want to slow down. Physically and mentally. Not worrying about my to-do list. Instead, I want to learn which songs you like. I want to learn what makes you smile. I want to take time to cuddle with you. To rock you. To dance with you.

I want to be intentional about slowing down and making memories each day.

I want this year to be slow.

project 52.4

2012-02-06T12:21:00.003-05:00

eye-opening.

Life with two preemies is eye-opening. Crews, you had inguinal hernia surgery last week so we were in the Children's hospital overnight. It was so eye-opening. I have become so aware of just how blessed we are.

There were children that came in to the pre-op area while we were in there. Many of the kids knew the nurses by name. A few were crying, because they knew what was coming. They had been in that room before. Surgeries have become a part of their lives. On a more regular basis. Thankfully, we have no more surgeries on our schedule for now. We are blessed.

Health is a blessing.

While we were there overnight, there were children on the same floor whose families weren't there. Your room, on the other hand, wasn't big enough. Both sets of your grandparents were there while you were in surgery and stayed with you afterwards. Your twin brother, Tate, was there. Your parents were there. We are blessed to be so supported.

Family is a blessing.

We live near Duke Children's Hospital. Some of the best doctors in the world practice there. Dr. Rice performed your surgery. He is the best. We heard from multiple people how amazing he is. And he was just that. When we sent you down the hall with the anesthesiologist, the one who stopped halfway down to put your paci back in your mouth because he didn't want you to be upset, we weren't scared. We knew that you were in great hands. Because they are the best. They know how to operate on tiny, little babies like you.

Knowledge is a blessing.

My eyes have been opened to just how blessed we are. We should be praising God daily for his sovereign plan for your little life. We should be praying for those who have to return for more surgeries. Those who aren't supported with amazing families. And those who don't have access to amazing doctors with incredible knowledge.

My eyes are opened.

We are blessed.

See other Project 52s, here.

::: february goals :::

2012-02-01T04:00:00.000-05:00

Make two presents :: I've picked out my two gifts to make! I'm can't wait to get started!
Read Organized Simplicity :: I've been wanting to read this book since it came out and just a few weeks ago there was a free kindle download. So, I downloaded the kindle app to my phone and downloaded the book. I'm typically not an e-book kinda gal but it was free and I will always have my phone with me so I can read a few pages any time I have a few quiet moments. Nursing, waiting in line at the bank, etc.
Organize the pantry :: Our pantry is out.of.control. It is just a closet with a few shelves that we kinda made into the pantry. It is in need of a serious makeover. On the cheap. Have any good pantry organization tips?
Talk sweetly to Jordan :: Carrying this over from January. My love language is not words of affirmation or physical touch. Both of which are Jordan's love languages. I tend to try to love him with my love languages (acts of service and gifts) but these things do not mean as much to him. The combination of this and my sarcasm make it difficult for me to achieve my goal. Not trying to make excuses, just trying to recognize my weakness and do something about it.
Make and monogram an outfit for the boys :: I'my trying to decide what I want to make. It's either going to be a jonjon/longall/shortall or a bubble. With a monogram or an applique.
Make a menu and stick to it! :: This is one of my yearly goals. Monthly menus. I didn't do well for January. But, I've realized that I need a menu list. I need the flexibility to change our meals but I need to at least make a list of the items we can cook during that week. Then, we need to commit to only eating out twice during the week (I know twice seems like a lot but right now, with the boys, I don't want to be unrealistic and think that I would cook six nights a week).
Blog :: Another yearly goal is to blog twice a week. I don't think I even averaged twice a week during January. Whoops! I'm keeping up with my Project 52 (yay!) but other than that, I've had a hard time making the time to blog about other things going on. I want to make sure I continue to blog because I know things are changing so quickly and I'm going to forget how life is and what our days look like!

Okay, I'm excited to start February! What are your goals for this month?

weigh in | january goals.

2012-01-31T15:57:00.003-05:00

It's the last day of January [insane!], which means I better check in on my goals for the month.

I loved having goals for the month of January. It really kept me focused on a few things and I think I was able to accomplish a lot more since I had them written down. I will be continuing this!

Okay, let's see how I did:

Make two presents ::: check!

(I've decided to show the gifts I make even though family and friends read my blog. I'm just not going to tell who will be receiving the gift!)

The first gift is letters cut out of books. My sister was making some of these as gifts and when she showed me her plans, I knew I wanted to make some too! The books came from Goodwill, we printed letters on the computer as our stencils and we enlisted our dad's help to cut out the letters using a band saw and a scroll saw. Dad and Sidney cut while I took pictures, haha!

I'll just show you one of the books because I don't want to give away who the gift is for. But, I (really my dad and sister) did the first initial of a husband and wife and then the "&" to go in the middle. I'm really excited to give this gift and thankfully it's a birthday gift, so I don't have to wait until December!

The second gift is a necklace I saw on Pinterest. A navy version of this necklace is on Boden's website for $78! I am so excited about this necklace and can't wait to give it in December!

Read Baby Wise ::: check!

I really enjoyed reading this book. I read it while I was pregnant but really felt like I needed a refresher since the boys have been born and I can actually apply it. I'm not going to follow it to a T but I really think the main parts will help with keeping two boys on the same schedule and keep me from going insane!

Talk sweetly to Jordan ::: epic fail.

I think I called it when I said, "I foresee this being a goal for February too". It will most definitely be a February goal. I will accomplish this goal, even if it has to be a goal every month for the rest of the year. A friend that read my January goals sent me a link to a little project that might help me succeed at this goal. I will post it later this month when I complete the project!

Finish thank you cards ::: I still have the rest of today!

Y'all. I have been writing thank you cards for what seems like for.ev.er. Seriously. I can't even begin to explain how blessed we have been since we found out the twins were coming. It's insane. And we are oh, so grateful. Below is a batch that is ready to be mailed and I still have some left to write. I was planning to definitely finish them today but I don't know that this goal is actually realistic at this point in the afternoon. So, I will give myself one more week. I'm not giving myself until the end of the month because I will stretch it out as long as I can. One more week. I can finish these by next Monday!

Order planner ::: CHECK!

Y'all...I am in love! I had decided to keep my calendar on my phone. So I would have one less thing to carry around (every little bit that I can eliminate helps! especially since I'm carrying around double of so many things!).

But, then I found out I was going back to work. So, I knew I would need a planner to keep track of everything. I knew I wanted an Erin Condren planner and I had been looking for a Groupon since last August! I missed the one in July that gave you a $50 credit for $25 (which means half price on the planner!). And they had one on PlumDistrict in October, but I was a little preoccupied at that point (bedrest and birthing babies) and I missed that one too! So, I finally bit the bullet and just paid full price, using my Christmas money (which I'm VERY stingy with).

Then, a week later, I found out that plans had changed and I wouldn't be going back to work.

Crraaaapp.

I had just spent $50 on a personalized planner (that I couldn't return) and now I didn't need it because I wasn't going back to work. But, it came in the mail and I seriously LOVE it! It's so great! It keeps me organized and it's so cute!

Order canvas ::: CHECK!

I will blog about this sometime this week!

Learn about stabilizer ::: fail.

I've learned some things that I shouldn't do! But I've yet to figure it all out! I know it will take time, but I need to do a little research

Clean out closet ::: CHECK!

Nothing like waiting until the last minute! I started and finished this project yesterday. And it just about killed me! I have three huge trashbags full of yardsale items now! (Yes, I'm going to have my first yardsale this year! Jordan hates the idea...hehe :)) But, oh my goodness, it feels so good to have everything in it's place - I feel like I can breathe again!

Start couponing, again! ::: check-ish.

So, like I said earlier, my work situation has kind of been a roller-coaster. But, now I'm not going back to work. So this is like crucial. If not, we will be eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and ramen noodles for the next five years. I have started clipping coupons again. I decided to use the binder method with the baseball card holders. I've clipped and sorted my first stash of coupons - now I've just got to get to the grocery store to actually use them!

Okay, I think I did okay! My plan is to really finish every goal that I set for the month. I don't want this to just become a list of hypothetical goals. So, I plan to be very selective for the month of February. I will be posting my February goals tomorrow!

What about you? Want to join me for February? It's super fun to check them off, promise!

project 52.3

2012-01-27T09:39:00.001-05:00

simple.

It's funny how I see things differently now.

The simple things bring so much more joy.

It was gorgeous on Tuesday. So we pulled out a blanket, and bundled up and headed outside for a few hours. We sang songs, and listened to Pandora and stared at the blue skies. Then, y'all both fell asleep with the sun warming your backs.

It was such a sweet time. We will have more times like that.

I had no care in the world. Other than watching your sweet smiles and your little feet kick around on the blanket.

Simple things that bring such joy.

I love the way life looks through my eyes now that I have the two of you.

see more project 52s, here.

project 52.2

2012-01-20T05:00:00.000-05:00

messy.

I've already given up the idea of having a clean house.

Like for the next 18 years.

This is my nightstand. I mean, seriously? Could I fit one more thing in this little space beside my bed? All the necessary gear is there. The video monitor, that stupid pump (that is still a part of our every day routine), the diaper caddy that is hidden somewhere under those blankets (probably one of my very favorite baby items), baby wise, my cell phone and a cold cup of coffee (I've also given up my really hot cup of coffee in the mornings. I still have my coffee. But I'm having a good morning if I get to drink it while it's still luke warm).

I fought it for a while. Wanting everything to still be orderly and in it's place. And some days it's worth it. But most days? I'd much rather be reading a book, playing with rattles, or getting a sweet smile from my crazy noises and faces. Or sleeping!

I read a quote from a great blog the other day:

"No child ever fell asleep with a smile on their face because Mama dusted the dining room."

So, yes, life is messy with the two of you. But you know what? I'd choose for you to fall asleep with a smile on your face every night and never dust the dining room again.

I never liked dusting anyway!

See other Project 52s, here.

project 52.1

2012-01-13T05:00:00.000-05:00

unfathomable.

I never realized just how much I could love twenty little toes.

My perspective on life has already changed. From the time I heard those sweet, first cries and your little hands grasped my finger, my heart loved deeper and wider than I ever fathomed possible. And my love for you both continues to grow. By the day. By the hour. By the minute.

I had always heard moms say they loved their kids more than they ever thought possible. But, I didn't really get it. And even when I thought about what that might feel like, it was nothing like this. It's not just some mushy love. It's like insane. Like, a part of my soul has come alive that I never knew existed. And I love it. I love that it's deep and intense and scary. I'm already loving life with the two of you and can't wait to see what else it brings. The love I have for y'all was unfathomable. And the life and love to come is unfathomable.

project 52.0

2012-01-12T20:42:00.001-05:00

So one of my favorite blogs is styleberry BLOG. Last year she came up with Project 52. She picks a theme for the year and each Friday she posts a picture and writes a post to go along with the theme. Then, at the end of the year she got her book printed. Her theme for 2011 was "Motherhood Is..." and her theme for this year is "I want them to know". She is posting different lessons she wants her kids to know.

I've decided to join her this year.
I've gone round and round about what I want my theme to be for my first year of Project 52 and I've decided it will be:

Y'all obviously being the twins.

I've already realized that there is going to be so many new things this year. So many ways to grow. And so many things to learn.

And all of it is going to be a blur.

So, if I can pull one moment of joy or one lesson learned every week of my first year with the boys, I think I will be able to look back and see how much motherhood has allowed me to grow and change.

Tomorrow morning will be my first post! I know I missed week one, so I'll be catching up at some point.

So excited!

2012-01-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

Like I mentioned yesterday, I got a monogram machine! I've really had a good time playing with it. It's a lot a fun :) My first projects have been burp cloths! I've taken pictures of the ones I've made so far.

I've also decided to sell them! I am selling a burp cloth with an applique for $6 and if you want a name added or a monogrammed burp cloth, I'm selling those for $8.

I'm hoping to make more things to sell but this is where I'm going to start :)

I can do lots of different objects and animals! So let me know if you have something in mind!

You can email me at moxiemadeblog@gmail.com, send me a facebook message or leave a comment here!

I'm also making kitchen towels! I'm selling these for $12!

Whatcha think??

Happy rainy Wednesday!

:::january goals:::

2012-01-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

Make two presents ::: I've already finished one! YAY! I plan to post about it soon - you might just want to make some too! And I've already about the supplies for gift number two!
Read Baby Wise ::: I'm halfway through!
Talk sweetly to Jordan ::: Okay so it's January 10th and I've failed at this every day so far :( I asked him what I could improve on as a wife for this year and his very first answer was to be sweet. I'm not a super sweet gal. I tend to be sarcastic. And Jordan gets more of that than anyone else. But his love language is affirmation. So I'm really trying to work on it. Sad to say, today was probably my best day yet - but I still wasn't super sweet. I foresee this being a goal for February too.
Finish thank you cards ::: This has been hanging over my head for far too long. We were so incredibly blessed by friends and family before Crews and Tate were born. I've got lots and lots of thank you cards left to write. So I want to finish those by the end of the month!
Order planner ::: CHECK! It's on the way :) I can't wait to see it and show it to y'all, of course :)
Order canvas ::: CHECK! It's also on the way :) I got a promo code for Canvas On Demand for a great deal. They have been fabulous to work with and I can't wait to get the canvas in the mail.
Learn about stabilizer ::: Yikes! This is going to be tough. There are so many things to learn with monogramming but from what I understand the biggest thing is stabilizer. I've got to read up on it and figure out which to use for certain projects.
Clean out closet ::: I've got to go through the rubbermaid bin that's been sitting beside my closet since the boys were born. It's full of my non-maternity, winter clothes and I've been living out of it. It's starting to be annoying.
Start couponing, again! ::: We've got to pinch pennies. And there are free pennies to be had if I could get my act together and actually use coupons instead of just organizing them. [Totally takes me back to my college days when I would spend my entire pre-final studying time, organizing and color-coding my study guides and notebooks rather than actually studying the information :)]

Okay - I'm feeling good about this so far. Hopefully I can get all of these checked off my list in the next two and a half weeks! I'll check back in on all of this February 1st!

2012 goals.

2012-01-10T23:09:00.002-05:00

I've planned to start this blog since January 1st. But somehow, every time I sit down to blog, a baby starts to cry. It's the exact same thing that happens as soon as I fix a plate of food or lay my head down on my pillow.

So, that's the reason it's January ~~9th~~ 10th and I'm just posting my goals for the year.

Like this...

I'm a goal gal. I love to have me a to-do list to check off. And I love to have a plan. If not, I feel like I squander my days away without getting anything done. Even more so since I've been at home everyday.

My to-do list used to be long everyday. These days my to-do lists are shorter. And muuuch more basic. Like unload the dishwasher, bathe the boys, and do one load of laundry. If I get all of this accomplished in a full day at home, I feel productive. Which sounds insane! But honestly, I started out when the boys came home trying to accomplish waaay too much and ending up paralyzed by all I wanted to get done. Not sure where to begin on my list. Frustrated because less than 50% of my to-do list was checked off. And, not to mention, exhausted.

So I've got some pretty specific goals for this year. And then some more general goals for the year.

Here goes:

Set monthly goals - Feeling productive keeps me motivated to continue my goals. Typically I set my yearly goals and never actually accomplish them that year. They are too vague and 365 days is just too long. I need short term goals to keep me focused and motivated.
Participate in Project 52 - I'll blog more about this on Friday :)
Read one book per month - I love to read. But, somehow if I don't make it a priority, it doesn't happen. So, I'm going to try to read at least one book per month. I've realized there's a lot that I can get done while I'm nursing and pumping. And reading is one of these things - so I better take advantage of this down/quiet time :)
Make 2 gifts per month - I'm hoping to make the majority of our Christmas presents this year. This past Christmas I started my shopping in August. I knew that I would not have time to shop and wrap gifts once the boys arrived so I bought and wrapped everything by October. It was fabulous! And not like me. Normally I wait until about November to start my shopping. This year I truly enjoyed buying gifts. I got to be intentional about my gift-giving. Not impulsing buying things because I was running out of time. And I got to look for sales, which definitely helped the Christmas budget :) So, this year I decided I also wanted to get my gifts wrapped early - but instead of buying them, I'm hoping to make them! I'm going to shoot to make at least two per month until we get closer to Christmas and I might have to make some more each month. I've already bought my supplies for a project and I've already completed (with my dad and sister's help) one birthday present for this year!
Make a menu every month and STICK TO IT - Our plans for my returning to work have changed dramatically in the last week. Again, I'll blog more about this later - but we are definitely going to be pinching some pennies. So, one way we save money is when I cook instead of eating out. But I've realized over time that I am only successful at this when I actually make a menu and stick to it [a very imperative part that I typically fail at :)]
Sew and monogram a longall or shortall for Crews and Tate - I got a monogram machine!!! I'm so so so excited! And again, I'll blog more about what I'm doing with it soon [this whole "I'll blog more about it later" is starting to be a theme - I better follow through!] but I am really wanted to teach myself to use it well. So, I want to make and monogram an outfit for each of the boys [well, just Crews and Tate - not sure Jordan would appreciate a jon jon :)]. A very specific goal that I hope to check off the goals sooner rather than later!
Blog twice a week - Okay, so I've totally already failed at this! But, I didn't want to take it off my list because I've already failed - I'm going to keep trying. I really want to document this time in my life. And it's going to take a little discipline but I think I'll regret it if I don't do it!
Be intentional and love well - Last year I had two overall goals. I would say that I achieved these in some ways but not.so.much in other areas. The Lord really worked on my heart last year - especially in the live simply way. I learned a ton. But, I've got so much further to go. As I learned more about living simply and the allowed the Lord to mold my heart, I realized I needed a lot more molding and many more lessons. And the same with loving well. I want my life to be intentional. I want it to be about my boys [all three of them] and my family and my friends and the woman behind me in the drive-thru. So I am going to love well. Through hand-written notes and conversations and texts and prayers.

I plan to check in on my yearly goals when I review each months goals and post new goals for the following month. And, I'll be posting my January goals tomorrow. Yes, even though we're already halfway through January. I've been working on them already - even though I haven't posted them!

What about you? Did you write a goal post? Give me your link in the comments and I'll come check it out!

family pictures!

2012-01-02T09:17:00.003-05:00

I love taking newborn pictures but I found out pretty quickly that it is nearly impossible to be mom and photographer with two newborns. As mom you're trying to hold them in the right pose and worry about them falling off the bed. As photographer you're trying to get your settings right on your camera and work with the lighting. And you know that the mom is making sure her baby isn't going to fall so you don't have to worry about that part. Well, the mom role kept winning. Thankfully. Because if photographer role won, the boys would have probably fallen off the bed.

So, after attempting it a few times, I admitted defeat and asked my brother's girlfriend, Courtney, to come take pictures.

Annnnd, I'm so glad I did.

Here are a few of the results:

merry christmas!

2011-12-25T02:54:00.000-05:00

So thankful for what we celebrate today! That years ago, God set his "Great Rescue Plan" into motion! (As the Jesus Storybook Bible puts it). True love really was born in a stable.

"Then the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.'" - Luke 2:10-11

our new reality.

2011-12-24T06:04:00.002-05:00

So, Jordan and I both have a little OCD when it comes to keeping things semi picked up and pulled together at our house. Yes, we skip a few days here and there. And our tubs aren't always scrubbed and the kitchen floor isn't mopped daily. But, everything kinda has it's place and we both like for things to be put away.

Well....that is no longer our reality.

So, here's keeping it real. A little video. Just so I can remember what this has been like. (And, the video cuts off at the end without me getting to the living room. Which was one of the best parts. But, I didn't have time to redo it. It was time to feed the babies :))

goin' with it.

2011-12-23T11:38:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I've totally made this whole blogging thing a whole lot more difficult than I ever intended it to be. I used to blog consistently. And then I fell off the bandwagon. But, I realized, I put all of this pressure on myself and that's when I stopped blogging consistently. I decided that every post had to be long and well thought out. That it had to have pictures, but not just any pictures, they needed to be good pictures. That I took the time to edit and make collages and all of that. And if I didn't have time to blog something, I would just stop altogether because I didn't want to post things out of order.

And now, I'm behind. I meant to blog the whole time the boys were in the NICU because there are so many things that I want to remember. So many feelings. So many funny stories. So many hard stories. But I felt behind.

And then we got home and I wanted to blog about random things. Funny pictures. Favorite things. Just little happy moments. But, I felt behind. I hadn't even posted pictures of them coming home (in their HUGE newborn, Feltman Brothers outfits!). So surely I couldn't post a picture of the Christmas card. Or tell a story about the chaos that has ensued since we've been home.

So I've just fallen further and further behind. Not having time to do a long, picture-filled post. So just not blogging at all. But I feel like I'm going to miss this. I want to record it. I want to remember how unproductive some days feel and how sometimes I don't shower for days (4 is a new low for me. Gross. Before Crews and Tate, I had a hard time only taking one shower in 24 hours. Needless to say, hats have become my best friend.). Or how much fun it is to snuggle with my boys. Or a video of them trying to eat each other.

So, you know what?

I'm picking up today. Hopefully I'll get around to posting pictures of the boys coming home. And tell you about how it was while the boys were in the NICU. But until I do get around to it....how about a random picture of my new favorite coffee creamer? I'm super excited about it! You should definitely try it :)

Happy Friday!

How it all went down...(part two)

2011-11-25T04:27:00.000-05:00

So, we're picking back up from yesterday.

They moved me to a labor room and I talked to the doctors about when we should call our families. My parents live about 2 1/2 hours from the hospital and we definitely didn't want them to miss anything but we also didn't want them sitting in the waiting room all day Tuesday waiting for the babies arrive. Dr. Gilner told me that I should probably go ahead and tell them to head this way because the babies were definitely coming and they were coming sooner rather than later. With my blood pressure rising, they were going to see how things progressed. But if things didn't progress quickly they would do something to move the process along. So, we called our parents and told them to head to the hospital.

A little while after being moved to our room they came in and decided to break my water. They checked me before breaking my water and I was dilated to a 5. An epidural was required in case of an emergency c-section on Baby B. But, I had told my doctor that I really wanted a natural delivery so I wanted to wait until the last second to get the epidural. (I also was very adamant about trying to deliver the boys vaginally. Which is often uncommon with twins - doc will tend to automatically want to do a c-section)

Our parents arrived and my sister, brother and brother's girlfriend arrived and we filled them in on all the details. I was so concerned at one point about not having any mascara on and about my face being buuuusteeed ("pregnancy glow" must be a myth....for realz). So my mom and mother-in-law took a few minutes to "fix" me. Which, you will see from the pictures afterwards, did not do a ton of good - I still looked rough. But, for some reason I thought that some concealer and waterproof mascara were going to change my appearance from woman that just pushed out two babies to a cover girl ad. Ahem, I was apparently confused.

(MiMi and Nonny)

So, annnnyway, I labored for about two hours after they broke "Baby A's" water and then they gave me the epidural. Then they checked me about 30 minutes after the epidural and I was at a 10 and ready to push! I think Dr. Gilner was quite surprised that I was at a ten. She told me we had to go and we had to go right then. That Baby A was about to make his grand debut and we better get to the OR...STAT :) I begged Dr. Gilner to give me five minutes and she granted my request. Our families came back in the room and prayed over me. I just knew that I wanted God to be in the OR with us. This was really about to happen. We were going to deliver two baby boys. At 32 weeks and 4 days. And they were going to be taken to the NICU. So I definitely needed all the prayers we could get.

Sidenote: Praise the Lord for the dr. appt on Monday afternoon! Since I was already in labor on Monday afternoon when I arrived, they told me I would have probably ended up at the hospital at some point in the middle of the night anyway in labor. And, with how quickly everything progressed, we would have probably ended up having these babies in the car on the way to the hospital if we hadn't had the doctors appointment that afternoon!).

(Jordan in some tiny scrubs :) They let him change into a different pair that were made to fit someone taller than 5 1/2 feet.)

After we prayed, they rushed me to the OR (again, just in case of an emergency c-section). It was 5:30 a.m. They went into turbo mode trying to get everyone ready because Crews was about to make his grand debut a little faster than thye were expecting. There were lots of people in the OR. A team for each baby and then medical students, anesthesiologists and a couple of OBs. It was crazy in there.

I told Dr. Gilner that I hadn't taken any kind of class and she offered to give me the Cliff Notes version of delivery. She give me a 2 minute overview explaining that one push is considered pushing for 10 seconds, taking a small breath, and doing that again two more times. Then, after the two minute lesson, it was time to start pushing.

(Dr. Swammy, Me and my double chin)

(Dr. Gilner)

I pushed 1 1/2 sets of pushes with Crews and he arrived at 5:48 a.m. They rushed him into the next room with one team of doctors. They told me he weighed 1340 grams. I asked how much that was in pounds and ounces and...dead silence. No one could answer me. Out of the twenty plus, highly educated people running around in the OR...no one could tell me. After a few seconds of silence, I asked "anyone?" and a doctor spoke up over to my left and said, I'm working on it. She had a pencil and paper out trying to convert it. They told me "umm...about 3 lbs.". They checked him out and brought him back to the bed and let us meet him for the first time. He was beautiful. I was so amazed. That he was mine.

(Seeing sweet Crews for the first time)

I only saw him for a quick second before it was time to start pushing again. Tate arrived even faster than Crews. I pushed a couple of times to get Tate to move down so I could start real pushes. Then, I pushed one set with Tate and he came out squirming at 6:01 a.m.! He didn't cry at the beginning but once they got him to the next room and started checking him out, I heard him start crying. It was such a sweet noise! Unfortunately they didn't get to bring him back to my bed because they had to take him straight to the NICU. Jordan help the door open as they wheeled Tate away so I could at least see him from afar.

(Jordan went to take a picture of Tate so I could at least see him on my camera!)

What an amazing blessing...an easy delivery! It was the most amazing thing I've ever experienced. I am still in wonder and awe of how our bodies are designed! Jordan and I were both just so overwhelmed at the thought that those twenty little, perfect fingers and twenty little, perfect toes had been inside of me. That's what we had been feeling move around in my tummy and here they were, outside of me!

(Us with Dr. Gilner - LOVE that woman!)

Okay, how about a part three? I'll pick up with that soon :)

glorious.

2011-11-24T07:00:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving from our turkeys!

One of Jordan's friends, Sean, has a son, Hayden, who is three or four years old. One afternoon Hayden and his parents went for a walk. They talked about how awesome the clouds and the sunset were that particular afternoon.

Sean asked Hayden, "Why did God create those pretty clouds?"

Hayden answered:

"For His gwory" (glory).

I have realized that so often I thank God for what He has given us like He is doing me some favor by blessing me. Or for creating this beautiful earth. Or for designing everything to work so perfectly. But, I've come to realize that all of this - the blessings of life and family and a home, the beautiful leaves that have fallen, the awesome clouds and sunsets - all of it, is for His glory.

Two beautiful, healthy preemies that have given me a whole new perspective of "fearfully and wonderfully made"? For.His.Glory.

In just the four, short weeks that they have been alive they have done just that. Brought glory to His name. Specifically in my life, I have become completely overwhelmed by just how big our Savior really is. Just how powerful our Creator really is. Just how sovereign our God really is.

Just how glorious our Jesus really is.

And I know, I know without a doubt, that Crews and Tate have done the same thing in our families' lives. When you see a little 2 lb. 15 oz. baby and 4 lb. 5 oz. baby. Babies that are healthy. Whose bodies work just right. With the right amount of fluid in their ears and the ability to see and the ability to move their little fingers and toes. You can't, not, be in awe of God. It's impossible to see them and not see how glorious our God is.

So that is my prayer for these two sweet lives. That their lives would bring big glory to His name. And that this would not only happen while they are tiny, NICU babies but that all the days of their lives would be dedicated to bringing glory to our Creator.

This Thanksgiving Day, I am thankful.

Beyond words. Beyond comprehension. Beyond belief.

Thankful that I am blessed.

But even more thankful that we serve a glorious Savior.

Because really?

It's all for His "gwory".

How it all went down...

2011-11-21T19:53:00.001-05:00

I want to document all of this so I can remember how the boys arrived :)

So, here's how it all went down:

On Monday, October 24th we went to a follow up OB appointment because my blood pressure had been high. When the nurses checked my blood pressure that day it was still high and there was protein in my urine. My doctor, Dr. Heine (yes, pronounced Hiney - and, get this, his name is Phil. "Feel Hiney" - he's the absolute best OB ever!), sent me over to the hospital to get monitored for 24-48 hrs just to make sure I wasn't developing preeclampsia. He told me that he was confident that I would get sent home. That he almost wasn't going to send me over there but hated to risk it.

I didn't quite start to panic. Especially since we had already been to the hospital two other times to stop labor. I was upset for sure. I was only 32 weeks and 3 days. I did not want to deliver my babies. But, I honestly didn't even think that would actually happen. I figured they'd look me over for a few hours, we'd miss the World Series game, and we'd head back home with a tired husband who was upset he missed the game and an irritable me, sick of being a pin cushion for the nurses.

Once we got over there and they had me hooked up to everything, we realized I was actually already in labor. I hadn't been feeling an increase in the contractions I'd been having since 25 weeks pregnant. But I actually was having contractions, real contractions, every two minutes. My blood pressure was continuing to rise and the doctors were trying to decide whether to stop labor or allow me to continue. It's was a balance between the risks of keeping the boys in and my blood pressure rising versus delivering them and the risks associated with preemies.

After keeping check for a while, they realized that I was developing severe preeclampsia (my blood pressure at one point was 149/117) and decided to let me continue laboring. They actually told me that even if I hadn't had a doctor's appointment that afternoon, I would have probably come to the hospital at some point during the night because I was in labor. We called our parents and told them that I was going to have the babies but to hold off on coming because it could be hours before they actually got here - I know how it typically goes with first babies and I figured I'd be laboring for awhile. Jordan and I also decided we better start figuring out the boys names at this point (I'll do a separate post on their names)- because they really were coming and we didn't know what their names were going to be!

And, finally, I had a small breakdown. Where I realized we were talking about 32 week babies. And NICU stays. And a big change of plans from what I had anticipated. But then I pulled it back together and we moved forward. What else could we do?

(part two tomorrow.)

they are here!

2011-11-18T09:26:00.001-05:00

The twins are here!

They arrived on October 25!

I'll write more about everything soon - but I have to go ahead and share their pictures :)

Crews Joel

Crews arrived at 5:48 a.m.

He weighs 3lb. and is 15.5 inches long.

Tate McKennly

Tate arrived at 6:01 a.m.

He weighs 4 lb. 5oz. and is 18 inches long.

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful, I know that full well."

--Psalm 139:14

[I know I'm a little behind on posting. So I'm going to start from the beginning even though it was three weeks ago :)]

love me a blonde joke.

2011-10-04T11:31:00.002-04:00

A friend sent me this email today.
Couldn't help but post it - I love me a blonde joke :)

The other day my neighbor, who is blonde, came running up to me in the driveway jumping for joy! I didn't know why she was jumping so excitedly but I thought, 'what the heck', and I starting jumping up and down along with her.

She said, 'I have some really great news!'

I said, 'Great. Tell me why you're so happy.'

She stopped jumping and breathing heavily from all the jumping up and down and told me that she was pregnant. I knew she'd been trying for a while so I told her, 'That's great, I couldn't be happier for you!'

Then she said, 'There's more'

I asked, What do you mean there's more.

She said, 'Well, we are not having just one baby. We are going to have TWINS!'

Amazed at how she could know so soon after getting pregnant, I asked her how
she knew. She said....

(You're going to love this!)

'Well, that was the easy part. I went to Sam's Club and they actually had a
home pregnancy kit in a TWIN-pack. Both tests came out positive.

28 weeks and 3 days!

2011-09-27T12:31:00.003-04:00

Yesterday we went to the doctor and had a great appointment.

Everything is looking great! Which is so encouraging. The doctor still has me on bed rest but it has been changed to modified bed rest. So I can sit up some and fix myself something to eat. I can even leave the house on occasion! Also long as I'm only gone for a really short period of time.

I feel like a free woman!

It's the little things, I tell ya.

I can not thank everyone enough for their prayers. It was a little scary there for a couple of weeks. I was definitely not prepared to welcome two little boys into the world that early!

I will be 29 weeks on Friday - and I am so incredibly thankful that they are hanging in there. Each day means more and more development. The doctor told us yesterday that he was confident that I could carry to full term [36 weeks] now with the way things are looking!

Thank you, Jesus!

We had an ultrasound yesterday and as usual, Baby A was uncooperative while Baby B wanted the camera all to himself! The whole time they were looking at Baby A, he was curled into a little ball. And Baby B kept kicking and punching - just trying to get on the screen. It was pretty funny :)

Because Baby A was curled into a ball we never got any pictures of his face. I mean, none. They couldn't even measure what they were trying to measure because he wouldn't roll over. I offered to do a headstand or some jumping jacks. But we finally had to give up on getting a good picture of his face. Maybe next time! I'll be back in 3 weeks - so hopefully he'll cooperate then!

Baby B, on the other hand, was more than willing to give us some action.

Here's a picture they sent us home with:

It's so crazy to me. I just kept staring at it. Telling the lady....he's like a real human. Oh my gosh. Like really. A human.

I think she finally started to get freaked out a little.

She was probably thinking..."Umm, ma'am, what were you expecting? A kangaroo?"

But seriously, I am just in awe.

Of the God we serve. Who can knit something, err...I mean a human....I mean two humans so perfectly in my womb. That He, the God that created this universe, knew my two boys before they were ever created. That He formed them in my womb and knows their hearts already.

It is my prayer that these two, amazing boys will have hearts that beat for Jesus. That they would come to know Him early in life and live their lives sold out for Him and only Him.

We are so blessed and in awe of the amazing God we serve.

"For you created my inmost being;
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
   your works are wonderful,
   I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
   when I was made in the secret place,
   when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
   all the days ordained for me were written in your book
   before one of them came to be."

--Psalm 139:13-16

Hospital Trip One.

2011-09-11T20:38:00.001-04:00

Okay, well...how about a little update :)

I've been MIA for a while and I wish that I had a better excuse! Being sick for so long put me a little behind on lots of to-do items. So, I've been spending my free time trying to get caught up.

Well, that is until last Tuesday.

I wanted to blog about this so I can remember all this down the road! All the details are starting to run together and it's not even been a week!

I started having contractions Friday before last but didn't really get too worked up because I had heard about so many people having Braxton Hicks contractions throughout their pregnancy.

Jordan and I went with Heather, Christopher and Baby Hamilton out of town for Labor Day weekend. While we were there, I continued having contractions. I didn't really get too worried about anything until Sunday night when they seemed more frequent. But then, on Monday, they calmed down again.

On Tuesday, at work, they started up again and seemed more regular. I started timing them and they were every 25-30 minutes.

When I left work Tuesday afternoon, I called my OB office just to make sure I didn't need to be doing anything. The triage nurse suggested that I head to the hospital if I had more than four in the next hour. Well, I was on my way to my dentist office for my six month check up so I went on to the dentist - and explained that I would probably need a quick cleaning - but they sent me on my way. They quickly offered to reschedule my appointment :)

So, I went and picked up Jordan and we ended up here:

They sent me straight up to the Labor and Delivery floor and started monitoring the babies' heartbeats and my contractions.

Which, of course, we had to document for the blog :)

There are three different strips on me in this picture to monitor Baby A, Baby B and contractions. But, Baby A was so low you can hardly see the band. He was sitting on my right hip bone!

After monitoring me for a while, they told me that I was having more than just Braxton Hicks contractions. They were actually very regular which was worrying them. So, they gave me two shots of terbutaline to stop the contractions. And they gave me the first steroid shot to develop the babies' lungs.

The next morning they let me leave the hospital and put me on strict bed rest. They told me I could only get up to use the bathroom, take a shower and eat supper. And that I had to lay on my side, completely flat. They also told me that I had to come back on Wednesday night at 11:30 p.m. to get the second steroid shot in the butt :)

My new friend, Joyce, rolled me out to head home on Wednesday morning.

There's been a little bit of action since then - I'll have to post those details tomorrow.

But - for the most part, I've been laying in the bed and on the couch!

gender reveal party!

2011-08-26T08:00:00.003-04:00

When Jordan and I found out we were preggers I knew I wanted to have a gender reveal party! I've seen some super cute parties out there and I just knew it would be fun.

I ordered invites from Bear River Photo Greetings on Etsy.

I'm sure it's no surprise to most of you that I waited until really late to order them. Thankfully, Angie was so great to work with. She was incredibly quick with getting back to me. And more than patient as I changed the wording on the invite a billion times! Once I finally made up my mind, she sent me the jpg and I just had them printed locally. It was perfect!

July 7th came and the day actually proved to be pretty stressful. My mom and sister drove the 1.5 hours it took to come to the appointment. And as they were pulling into the driveway, my phone rang. It was the OB office. Their system was down. For the first time ever. Nothing was working and they didn't anticipate the problem being fixed at all that day.

We all held it together pretty well as we talked through what our options were. We called my regular OB office {my appointment that day was with the high-risk clinic since there are twins}, we called the Durham branch of the same high-risk office, we called a few of those 3D/4D places where you can pay out of pocket, we called my previous gynecologist, and we called a friend who is a nurse at another OB office to see if they could fit us in.

And then....after hearing no from lots of places and the cost of the other places....I had a breakdown. Like a big, ugly cry right in the middle of MiMi's Cafe. I was awful. I couldn't seem to pull it together and in fact ended up yelling at Jordan and making the situation much worse than it really was. There was just so much build up and I wanted that night to be perfect! Of course this would not have been as big of a deal if we didn't have 40 people coming that night to find out the genders!

So, finally...when I pulled myself together we decided to cancel the party. But then changed our minds again and decided to hold off and see if we could come up with another solution. I had a regular OB visit that afternoon and was hoping that maybe, just maybe they'd be willing to work with me (even though they'd already told me no). As I was going into my appointment, my mom was on the phone making best friends with an office manager at a different ob office. Who finally said they could do the ultrasound as long as we paid for it out of pocket {ahem...not cheap!}. Then, when I got called back for my checkup, I ran into my ultrasound tech in the hall. I explained all the drama and she took one look at her calendar and said, come back at 4:30 and I'll squeeze you in!

I started to think there was hope. But then asked, well...what about insurance? Will they cover it? Not wanting to get my hopes up quite yet. And she whispered, don't worry about it...we just won't charge you. I've never been so excited in my life! I almost kissed her feet right there in the hallway! Well, not really...but I probably would have!

So, we went back at 4:30 and had the ultrasound and then flew to my parent's house to get ready for the party - that we thought we'd have all afternoon to get ready for - when we ended up only having 15 minutes to get ready!

Okay, enough talk...how about some pictures?

Here are the details from the party:

We served lemonade in mason jars with cute paper straws ordered from The Party Fairy on Etsy.
We made orange and yellow tissue pom poms using Martha's tutorial.
We bought some fun baskets and cake toppers at Hobby Lobby (we had to ice the cake ourselves because we found out so late that the bakery couldn't do it for us).
And we had tons of food!

Some of the guests:

Jordan's brother and sister and their families couldn't be at the party. So we skyped them when it was time to cut the cake!

Everyone was instructed to wear colors based on their guess for the genders.

Orange (1 boy and 1 girl) was the majority by far. (Yes, my shirt is orange-ish. It looks more pink in pictures but I definitely thought it was one of each!)

The blue team:

My mom was convinced that it was two boys. But she wore a dress that day to the appointment and didn't have time to change for the party because we only have 15 minutes to pull everything together before people started showing up!

And the pink team:

Clearly the minority.
And clearly Ariel was not happy about that :)

So we finally got to cut the cake.

And found out that we're having.......

Two boys!

I could not have been more shocked when we found out. I was so sure that it was a boy and a girl. After I got over the initial shock, I got so excited!

We are so thrilled and can't wait to meet these two precious boys that the Lord has blessed us with!

And, I have to tell you the story that Gretchen (Jordan's sister) told me a few weeks ago. When they turned off Skype after finding out the genders, Gretchen asked her daughter, Emma Claire, what she thought about two boys....and she burst into tears! She said she wanted a girl! So funny and sweet :) I'm sure she'll love these boys but she was definitely looking forward to a little girl. Maybe next time, Emma Claire!

Hope you enjoyed the pictures :) Thankfully, Courtney was willing to make me a CD of her pictures because I didn't get my camera out the whole time!

random.

2011-08-24T08:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Wednesday!

So, how about a list of random things for today?

Got this in the mail this weekend. It's for my first baby shower! I'm so excited. It's just so hard to believe that it's time to have a baby shower! I know it will be so much fun!

I went to Moe's for lunch the other day and I got up to the drink machine and seriously - it was the most high-tec drink machine I've ever used!

via

I'm planning on posting pictures from our gender reveal party. I came across the idea through some other blogs and loved it. So we had one. It was so much fun. I'll hopefully get to that soon!
I bought some new shampoo that was on sale at Ulta not too long ago. It's called Wella and I have LOVED it so far. It smells so good and I've definitely noticed that my hair doesn't get as oily as fast!

I bought my first Groupon this week! There was an hour long massage offered for $29. Then, I had a $10 credit towards my first groupon purchase. I called to make sure that I could get a prenatal massage using the groupon and was told that I could. So I'll be scheduling my $19, hour-long, prenatal massage soon :) Woohoo!

Hopefully I'll be back by the end of the week with the Gender Reveal Party photos!

Have a great week!

spaghetti sauce.

2011-08-16T21:50:00.001-04:00

Last Thursday my sweet mom and aunt spent the night working their butts off just for me. We canned spaghetti sauce. We picked the tomatoes after work and spent the night canning 24 quarts of spaghetti sauce. This year I've not really felt up to canning anything but spaghetti sauce was one thing I wasn't willing to give up for the year. Thankfully my aunt and mom helped me whip out these 24 quarts. I am so thankful for their help! And this yummy spaghetti sauce :)

Speaking of my mom, she texted me this today.

Gotta love The Help :)

Hamilton.

2011-08-15T07:00:00.004-04:00

Meet Hamilton!

8 lbs.

21 inches.

The beautiful Neese family.

So thankful for the blessing of this beautiful baby boy!

girls night!

2011-08-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

Last night i went with lots of the girls in my family to see The Help.

It was fabulous!

I'm typically disappointed in movies after I've read the book. But, they did a great job!

Definitely worth going to see.

But, I'd probably make sure I read the book first :)

Happy almost Friday!

print for the nursery.

2011-08-10T08:00:00.003-04:00

source

this might just have to find a place in the nursery :)

loveeeeee.

favorite snack.

2011-08-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

I know I've talked about my love for Trade Joe's before.

But I'm not sure if I've ever introduced you to one of my favorite snacks:

Go buy you some tonight.

You will not regret it, I promise.

Well, you might regret it after you finish the whole box in one sitting.

But that regret will be worth it!

when we told.

2011-08-02T08:00:00.002-04:00

We found out in April that I was pregnant and decided to tell our families at Easter.

We bought giant eggs from Hobby Lobby and filled them with the Easter basket grass and candy. We didn't want anyone to be suspicious - so we knew they'd assume this was just a little Easter gift. When they opened the egg there was a paper taped inside the top of the egg. It had a picture of our positive test with the words: "Baby Conklin Coming December 2011".

We spent Easter morning with my family and then went to Jordan's parent's house for lunch with his family.

I will post pictures and other videos soon [I'm having trouble with the file formats] but I couldn't wait any longer to show this one.

And, I haven't been able to edit it, so it's straight from the video camera.

Jordan was videoing. He was trying to be discreet initially but we weren't expecting FMIL to open her egg as quickly as she did (she thought we brought it for the kids). So it took him a second to get the lens cover open (the reason you can hear before you actually see anything). Then, it gets a little shaky because he was talking and hugging while trying to keep videoing.

We are so excited.

And I would say FMIL is too, what do you think?

the reason.

2011-08-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

So, I've been MIA.

...for months.

But, I've had a good reason, I promise!

I was incredibly sick.

I'm talking...unable to function kinda sick.

This kind of sick for three months.

But, it's all for a good reason because....

I've definitely got a lot of catching up to do!

Happy Monday!

photoshoot.

2011-07-21T08:00:00.001-04:00

Hey yall.

I promise, I'm coming back :)

Today I just wanted to give you a quick sneak peek at a photoshoot I did for Miss Claudia. You can see a few more pictures here.

winner!

2011-04-20T08:00:00.000-04:00

And the winner is.....

Bacardi Mama

Congratulations!

Email me your mailing address and your new keychain will be on it's way!

email address: moxiemadeblog [at] gmail [dot] com

Thank you for all 40 of your comments!

More items coming to the shop soon!

cirque du soleil.

2011-04-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

We had the best time last night! We went to see Alegria for my Valentine's Day present.

We rushed to get ready once we got home from work.

Worker Man was waiting in the truck for me when I made him jump out and take a couple of self-timer pics. We never have pictures together so I'm trying to work on this. But, clearly, I'm going to have to get a little better about the self-timer.

Terrible background, blurry camera strap showing at the bottom and the second pose? Well, I had to crop it because we were standing in the most awkward pose ever. I will get better at that part. Promise!

And maybe I'll get better about opening my eyes during pictures.

And maybe I'll start wearing lipstick more often.

And maybe I'll get a tan at some point this year.

So we rush to Greensboro.

Decide we have enough time to eat a quick supper. So we stop at Moe's.

Scarf our food down.

And rush over to the coliseum because Worker Man hates to be late.

We arrive at 6:30. With the show starting at 7.

We get there and here's what we see:

Not a good sign.

[This is where the pictures stop - no cameras were allowed].

So we laugh hysterically and head inside. It's not much better in there. There were a few people here and there but not many at all! We realized we might have made a mistake. I tell Worker Man, "I thought this was like a big deal" and he agreed. We also noticed that almost everyone else that was there was 60 years old or older.

We sit for a few minutes and then at five till 7:00 we run up so Worker Man can buy a $4 bottled drink. [Sheesh].

We come back down and I'm wondering why the lights weren't dimming or anything.

Look at our tickets.

The show doesn't start until 7:30.
Whoops.

But, after the show finally did start [more people did get there. it wasn't slammed but a lot more people were there than at 6:30] it was amazing!

My favorites were the contortionists and a hula hoop girl. But everything was so good!

I would definitely recommend going!

Don't forget the giveaway ends tonight!
I'll announce the winner on Monday!

Happy Friday!

tonight's the night.

2011-04-14T15:09:00.000-04:00

Remember this?

Well, tonight's the night!

I'll give you a full recap tomorrow.

So pumped!

[photo source]

burpcloths in the shop!

2011-04-13T08:49:00.003-04:00

I'm going to be working to add some of the things y'all suggested to my shop.

Today the new item available is burpcloth lollipops!
A set of three is a perfect gift for a baby shower! Cute packaging but also a super useful item for the mom-to-be.

Check them out!

new kicks.

2011-04-12T06:00:00.001-04:00

Thank yall for being so excited!

And, thank yall for all of your ideas! They are fabulous!

I've already gotten to work on a couple of ideas that you mentioned. They'll be coming to the shop soon. I'll make sure to let you know when they do.

Here's a little sneak peek of one of them.

The giveaway will end Friday night. So if you haven't already, be sure to enter! I want all of you to enter. Even those of you that don't regularly leave comments! I won't think you're a stalker, promise :) Well, I might. But I'm a stalker too so I'll love you anyway!

And, just so you know I'm making good on my promise to not turn this into only a "shop blog", I present to you:

Worker Man modeling his new kicks.

He'll kill me for this, but I couldn't resist. He seriously was so excited the night we got these. He had to try them on again before he came to bed.

Happy rainy Tuesday!

Grand Opening!

2011-04-11T06:00:00.000-04:00

Good Morning!

I definitely have exciting news for a Monday!

Today I present to you - my etsy shop:

Moxie Made

I am so thrilled to finally be up and running! There will be lots of additions to the shop along with even more changes in the coming weeks but I have been so excited about this I couldn't stand it for another second, much less a few more weeks! I had to show yall now!

First, I'm sure you're wondering how I picked Moxie Made. If you remember, almost a year ago, I asked for ideas for my Etsy shop name! Well it honestly came down to two suggestions from y'all! Jimmy's or Moxie Made. I debated forever. And finally figured that Jimmy's might seem a little odd. Since I'm not a guy. And I'm selling girly and baby handmade goods. I didn't feel like "Jimmy's" quite fit the profile. Also, I thought more and more about Moxie Made and the more I thought about it, the more in love I became. I also decided to include the definition up at the top just because I feel like it definitely depicts what I'm going for with my shop. Fun and quirky. Not taking myself too seriously, because where is the fun in that?

I'm sure you've noticed by now that the blog has changed a bit as well. I decided to incorporate it into my shop. But relax [ha! - I'm sure you were getting worried!], I will still be posting the same crazy stuff - like the husband's modeling career, my many run-ins with bananas, my experience with baby powder, and photoshoot sneak peeks. All of that fun stuff will remain the same.

But in addition to that, there will be more regular posting, updates of new products coming to the shop, discounts offered, and some great giveaways! The website has also changed. You will be redirected here if you go to grahamcrakas.blogspot.com or you can just go to moxiemadeblog.com!

And then there's another thing. I've created a Moxie Made Facebook page. I'll be updating this with new products and would love for you to add pictures of you enjoying your Moxie Made purchases! Please click over and "Like" my page.

And, speaking of Facebook, I also added a link to the Jenny Lynn Photography page up top. I'd love for you to check it out!

Okay, enough talking for one day. How about we move on to the exciting part?

A giveaway to kick things off right!

A new summer keychain :)

Just leave a comment letting me know what your favorite thing in the shop is so far. And for a bonus entry, leave a separate comment telling me something else that you would like to see for sale in the shop! Be sure to leave a separate comment for that so you get two entries!

[even you stalkers and those who don't have an ID - you can sign in anonymously to leave a comment, just make sure you leave me your email address and name so I can get in touch with you if you win!]

engagement photos.

2011-04-06T08:00:00.002-04:00

I've posted my friend Kate and her husband's [agggh!] engagement photos online finally!

You can see them here.

Be sure to check out other full albums you might have missed.

And, with warm weather on it's way, let me know if you are interested in booking a photoshoot!

Happy Wednesday!

burpcloth lollipops.

2011-03-31T07:00:00.001-04:00

Okay, so What I Wore Wednesday never happened last night.

I know you were all anxiously awaiting that post. Ha!

Actually, we spent last night watching the movie 127 Hours.

It was amazing!

It's about the guy that was mountain biking by himself and while walking through one area, a rock fell on his arm and trapped him for 127 hours! He almost died but ended up cutting his own arm off to get free.

It's a true story!

You should watch it.

But, be warned, the language is bad. And the arm being cut off is pretty gruesome.

Okay, now that we've talked about a man cutting his own arm off, let's move on to burpcloth lollipops.

How's that for transition?

My friend, Kate, also ordered these.

I embellished some organic, Gerber cloth diapers and made them burp cloths!

Here are some pictures of the burpcloths:

Then, I made the burpcloths into lollipops!

The lollipop "stick" is actually a baby spoon :)

Cute, and useful!

A friend told me that burpcloths were one of her favorite gifts when her daughter was born. She said she used so many of them every day! So this has become my choice of baby gift for any shower I go to!

I'd love to make you some! If you're interested in placing an order, let me know :)

onesies.

2011-03-30T11:01:00.001-04:00

How did Monday and Tuesday get by without me blogging?

It was a busy weekend and I think I'm just now starting to recover.

Hopefully I'll post my What I Wore Wednesday post later tonight!

I am starting to make onesies to sell and I thought I would share a few that I have made so far.

This first post will show the ones I made for my friend, Kate. Both of her sister-in-laws are pregnant so she placed an order for a few.

Here they are:

An Elephant

A Giraffe

[this is the real color of the giraffe. the first picture makes the fabric look darker than it is.]

Easter Eggs:

A Turtle:

[forgot the upclose picture of the turtle!]

I had so much fun with these! There are a few more I've done since then, I'll hopefully post those soon!

Happy Wenesday!

what i wore wednesday [edition 2.0]

2011-03-23T07:00:00.001-04:00

I made it back for another What I Wore Wednesday post!

I know it's crazy that I'm taking pictures of myself every morning, but it really has made me work a little harder - I try not to always go straight to my cardigans and black dress pants now!

I'm trying a new way of doing this today. I think I like it a little better :)

[You can click on any of the collages and they get bigger].

But, keep in mind, I'm normally taking these pictures at 5:50 or 6:00 in the morning.

So the lighting is terrible.

And I've just gotta go with what I get, since I'm getting ready to leave for work and don't have time to play around with taking different pictures.

Maybe I'll figure out a more creative way? But at this point, I'm just happy that I'm remembering to take a picture everyday :)

Thursday is our dressdown day at work. So I always try to take advantage of that.

And, don't you love that I just said I don't resort back to my cardigan and then BAM, first day in, I'm in a cardigan! Ha!

You'll realize as you go through this week that my sister-in-law Katie pretty much accessorizes me. She always gets me jewelry for my birthday and that collection is by far, the cutest in my stash! I'm terrible about picking out jewelry but she's so good at it!

This is my uniform all Spring and all Fall.

Seriously. Long-sleeved shirts and shorts are my absolute favorite.

So I take advantage of it any time I can!

I bought this cardigan and my brother was with me. He couldn't understand why I would want to buy a rag :)

I didn't feel too bad since he had just vetoed my mom on a "rag" that she was wearing the night before!

And the boots were actually a gift from my Bon Bon. I'll have to tell yall about her sometime :) She's the best. Everyone needs a Bon Bon. Promise.

Wow. Definitely slacked off this day. What can I say? It was a Monday!

My mom and I went to San Diego in January. I had a business trip and drug her along. Of course the weather was gorgeous there so they had their Spring clothes out. My mom treated me to a couple of outfits :) I'm so excited to finally get to wear those outfits here now, since it's Spring!

This is actually a dress but it looks like a skirt and top :) Love that. No tucking my shirt in my underwear [thanks for the trick, Mom] and tugging on it all day long as it tries to slip out of the skirt!

Okay, that's all!

Who's going to join me this week over on Lindsey's blog?

the cube.

2011-03-22T21:49:00.000-04:00

When you walk into our bedroom at look at my dresser you see this:

The brown cube on the right is a surprise, from my daddy.

He let me pick out hardware for my cube.

And when you open it, you'll see my initials burned into the lid of the cube.

But what's inside the point of the cube?

It's a jewelry box.

The top layer hold some of my regulars.

Then, a layer down I find my silver jewelry.

Next layer, black.

And lastly, the fun stuff :)

Is that not the best surprise ever?

My daddy loves me :)

And is super talented!

I'm a lucky girl.

2011-03-21T21:03:00.000-04:00

I made another skirt like this one for my college roommate.

I'm actually having a hard time giving it up :)

Worker Man said he liked this one better. I might just have to get some more of this material :)

new header :)

2011-03-18T07:00:00.000-04:00

I made a new header for FMIL's blog.

Whatcha think?

Picasa makes it so easy!

Now if I'd just kick it in gear and finally make a new one for my blog!

creative spotlight.

2011-03-17T17:10:00.001-04:00

Like I mentioned last week, my college roommate, Kate, is getting married.

She is amazing. She planned my entire wedding. I mean from start to finish. She will probably be a famous wedding planner some day. That all the big stars want. For real. She is that good.

So of course, you know her wedding is going to be amazing.

Just to give you an idea of how good she is, she got engaged last July.
She had everything planned,
down to our hair appointments,
by the end of August.

I am not kidding.

She is also DIYing a ton of her wedding.

One of her fabulous ideas was having a craft day.

She had all of her bridesmaids come and craft everything from flowers to table decorations to frames to favors to the candy jars being used for the candy table. [Sidenote: Have you been to a wedding with a candy table? The coolest thing ever].

So, on that day we all got together at her parent's house.
Her mom, who is an amazing cook [and was like my local mom while I was in college], made lunch for all of us and we sat around and crafted for like seven hours.

Can I just say, I was in heaven.
That is my thing, yall.
Seriously, I love it - so crafting with a bunch of my favorite people for a full day was so.much.fun.

While we were there Kate showed us a little project that her mom whipped up.
It was such a good idea [yes, it runs in the family :)] that I told her she had to have a spotlight on the ol' blog.

She found some tea towels in the dollar spot at Target and decided to use a few of them to make a table runner.

Here's Vanna, err...I mean Kate, showing it off.

Isn't that the best idea ever?

Super easy, cheap and the cutest table runner ever!

Here's an up close shot:

And then of course, I had to get the crafter, herself:

Now run along and get your dollar spot tea towels!

But one condition - I want to see pictures!

It would make me super happy!

what i wore wednesday [edition 1.0]

2011-03-16T17:40:00.002-04:00

I decided to join the What I Wore Wednesday madness over on Lindsey's blog this week. I follow a few blogs that participate in this and they always talk about how difficult it is to wear new outfits from their closet and how difficult it is to take pictures of themselves.

I didn't think it would be that hard.
But, Y'ALL! It is tough. So don't make too much fun of how ridiculous I look.

Also, I thought I did a decent job of switching up my outfits, but with the pressure on, it was hard to make sure I was wearing different things and not always resorting to black dress pants and a cardigan. That's always my go-to combo.

So, here we go!

Thursday [casual day]:

Top: H&M

White tank: Target

Navy khakis: Fossil

Shoes: Danskos [sooo comfortable]

And, a close up of the ruffle :) This shirt is so good for "fat days". Y'all know what I'm talking about? The days where you're bloated or feeling icky if you've missed a few workouts. It's flowy but doesn't look too baggy and unfitted. And the ruffles and tiny stripes just get me excited :)

Friday:

White tank top, Cardigan and Leggings: Target [white tank on clearance for $6.00]

Necklace: Forever 21

Skirt: Made by me

Black boots: Boutique in San Diego for $17!

Tuesday:

Shirt: H&M

Black pants: Target

Heels: Ninewest

Necklace: Gift from my mom - she always picks great jewelry :)

Wednesday:

Dress and Leggings: Old Navy [$15!]

Boots: Boutique in San Diego

Headband from my sweet friend, Heather. It's from a local boutique and I love it.

Earrings: from my mom?

Okay, whew, thank goodness that's over.

Hopefully I'll get a little better at this - and a little more creative over time. I really do want to do better about using what I've got to make "new" outfits. I've got some work to do but hopefully next week will be an improvement.

What about you? Any headbands or ruffle shirts that get you excited :)

skirt.

2011-03-15T17:18:00.002-04:00

I came across some cute fabric in the clearance aisle at JoAnns a few weekends ago.

I decided to make a skirt :)

I just googled a tutorial and found this one and this one. I used those as a starting point and tweaked along the way.

Here's what I ended up with:

And, in action:

Whatcha think?

swoon.

2011-03-14T17:30:00.001-04:00

look what came...

...in the snail mail today!

I love snail mail.

Especially when I open a package with all these pretties in it!

I think I scared the mailman at work.

[I practically attacked him.]

I'm swooning.

i wanna....

2011-03-11T07:00:00.001-05:00

I feel like my mind has been running 400 miles a minute lately.
There are so many things on my "want to do" list.
I get so excited.
About such a wide range of things.
That sometimes I get frustrated that I'm not doing any one thing 100%.
Because I'm so into everything at only a little percent.

So, for today, let's start with one thing.

I wanna do this.

Like for real.

Who wants to do it with me?

Details:

Warrior Dash
Huntersville, NC
August 27, 2011
3.08
An insane obstacle course

I saw it here and here, two of my favorite blogs by the way.

Happy Friday, Y'all!

vestique.

2011-03-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

So my best friend from college, Kate, has a friend who opened an online clothing store.
It's called Vestique and it is incredible!

Kate's getting married this month and I've been looking at their site for a new dress for her bachelorette partaaaay :)

The colors for the party are black and red.

I've picked out three dresses that I really like.

Which one is your favorite?

source

I'm thinking red heels?

You should check out Vestique. Their prices are great. And they're local [Raleigh] - gotta love that :)

2011-03-09T07:00:00.003-05:00

I saw this video yesterday here and I had to repost it.

Seriously - we've come this far in 17 years?

I'm going to go ahead and call it - we'll be acting like The Jetsons in another 17 years :)

photo credit

[sneak peek].

2011-02-17T08:00:00.002-05:00

how 'bout another little sneak peek?

valentine.

2011-02-15T08:00:00.001-05:00

my valentine:

got me tickets to this for valentine's day:

i'm pumped!

[sneak peek].

2011-02-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

I had a senior shoot on Saturday for a sweet girl named Jordan.

We did the shoot at the same location of Whitney and Geoff's Engagement shoot.

Funny story - she had emailed me about the shoot and for some reason, I automatically assumed she was a boy. We emailed back and forth a few times and "he" was always pretty enthusiastic. Which is rare for a guy for a senior photoshoot. Normally moms are calling to plan everything and the guy is dragged there kicking and screaming :) So when we finalized the details "his" last email ended with "Thanks sooooo much!!! I'm sooo excited!!".

I told Worker Man I was pretty excited that a guy would be that excited over his senior portraits.

I didn't figure out "he" was a she until I arrived at the location and told a man that I was looking for Jordan. I told the man that "he" [Jordan] told me to meet "him" here. And the man asked if I had talked to "her" dad. It still didn't click so I mentioned something about "him" again and he finally said, "I'll just call her, I know she is down there getting ready".

And it hit me, Jordan was a girl.

Whoops - lesson learned, no more assuming genders :)

Enough talking :)

eeeeek!

2011-02-08T21:00:00.000-05:00

Tonight I opened my pantry and saw these...

Umm...yuck.

I think it's possible we have a mouse in The Taj.

I'm freaking out.

goof.

2011-02-02T08:00:00.002-05:00

One day last week I got to work and talked to one of my friends for a few minutes, went and said good morning to my boss, talked with her for a few minutes then went back to work in my office.

I went back in her office around 9:30 that morning.

She looked at me all funny, cocked her head to the side and asked....

"Do you realize you've got two different earrings on?"

I ran over to the mirror, and sure enough.

Two different earrings.

I go back to my friend and beg to know why in the world she didn't tell me?!?

Her response?

Well, I just thought I was getting old and didn't know that was in style.

Nope, last time I checked - I still look like an idiot with two different earrings in.

[My boss could've just as easily looked at me funny and said, do you realize your hair looks terrible? because, ahem, it.looks.terrible. AND apparently when I take my picture with my phone in the sweet work bathroom - my left eye spazzes out. What is that all about? Sheesh.]

nyc.

2011-02-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

so i realize i'm pretty behind with this post.
but, we had such a great time, i definitely wanted to post some pictures of our trip to nyc.

we went with these two:

we seriously had a wonderful time. we left early saturday morning and got home late sunday night. it was a whirlwind but we fit in so many things. here are a couple of collages i put together from the trip.

we can't wait to go back!!

leatherwood.

2011-01-31T08:00:00.002-05:00

Like I mentioned in my previous post, we spent the weekend before last in the mountains with friends. We had a really good time. Pretty much doing a lot of nothing. Playing cards, building a fire, getting in the hot tub, sleeping late, eating lots of junk food.

Oh and looking at this view:

It was amazing.

We are definitely blessed to have good friends!

I don't know if I've mentioned lately, but I love this man. I'm so thankful for him. And his crazy personality. And I'm thankful for the fact that he's still talking to me after I posted his recent modeling shoot.

Aren't they cute?

We went to see the horses, spent time playing with the baby, sat in front of the fire, watched some basketball and football, and admired the awesome house!

So thankful for a chance to get away.

And enjoy such an incredible place!

ohhh baby, baby!

2011-01-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

We spent this past weekend in the mountains with some friends.

They have a four-month old.

I was in heaven.

I took a few pictures while her mom took a shower.

Just wanted to share a couple :)

studio.

2011-01-27T08:00:00.002-05:00

On Friday I am photographing homecoming for a school in the area.

I am typically not a "studio" photographer. So, I've had to be a little creative on building a backdrop and getting the appropriate lighting. I did some research on makeshift studios and got an idea of what needed to be done. On Tuesday night, Worker Man and I bought the necessary supplies.

Last night, we did a little trial run.

I needed a subject for my trial run so Worker Man stepped up to the plate.

He's going to kill me for posting these.

But I couldn't help myself.

Needless to say, it was a pretty entertaining evening.

simplicity.

2011-01-11T08:00:00.002-05:00

I just started the bible study "Becoming a Woman of Simplicity" by Cynthia Heald.

And I'm so excited. I have absolutely loved it so far.

There are just a few excerpts from Chapter One that I have to share with you.

"When we are inwardly simple - at rest, free, willing to trust - then we can step into a chaotic world and be at peace."

"Trusting and resting in God grants us inward simplicity that can then lead to an outward simplicity obtained by making wise choices in a complex world."

"There are so few empty pages in my engagement pad, or empty hours in the day or empty rooms in my life in which to stand alone and find myself. Too many activities, and people, and things. Too many worthy activities, valuable things, and interesting people. For it is not merely the trivial which clutters our lives but the important as well." And then, later, she goes on to talk about abiding in Christ. She says, "Abiding is not an activity; it is a lifestyle. It is reordering my whole perspective on life so that my sole purpose is to live simply and purely in devotion to the Lord...Abiding allows the Lord to bring interesting people, worthy activities, and valuable things into my life in the right way, at the right time, and for His purpose."

"We live in a world where doing, communicating, and possessing so rule our lives that we have allowed even good thins to overtake our time and distract form the best."

"Single-minded devotion to Christ is the fundamental principle of this study...The purpose is to encourage you to live life the way God has planned for you. I think His way is one of inner peace and rest in the midst of a complex and busy world. My definition of a woman of simplicity is one who lives a God-paced life. She waits for God's leading, and she has time to be still and know her Lord...She is a woman of profound simplicity because she has only one focus: being simply and purely devoted to Christ."

"Noise and words and frenzied, hectic schedules dull our senses, closing our ears to his still, small voice and making us numb to his touch."

This is so different from our normal. Or at least so different from my normal. So I have a long way to go - but God calls us to "be still" so I'm dragging you along in my pursuit of that :)

Do you have a hard time being still? Would you say you live a simple life?

Any advice for a novice in the "simple life" arena?

2011-01-10T07:00:00.001-05:00

worker man's sister monogrammed me a fun present :)

check it out....

how awesome is this?

peanut butter, jelly.

2011-01-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

Okay - let me preface this by telling you I love Trader Joes.

And I love trying anything new from there.

So when I was there a few weeks ago I grabbed some organic peanut butter since I was out of pb and saw it on the shelf. I wondered if it would be a lot different than JIF or PeterPan but I figured it'd be worth a shot.

So yesterday I opened the jar for the first time to make a sandwich at lunch.

When I opened it, there was about 2 inches of oil sitting on the top.

Knew that I would have to mix it up.

But oh my gosh.

The most difficult thing ever!

And messy.

Seriously - I stirred and stirred and couldn't get it right. So I brought my friend in the breakroom and she stirred and stirred, only to realize there was another 2 inches of oil separated on the bottom of the peanut butter.

After trying and trying - I finally slapped some hard/oiless peanut butter on my sandwich.

And made my final decision.

To the trash.

I hate to be wasteful - but I knew it was going to be a huge process everytime to make a sandwich and it was such a mess!

So - I think I'll go back to PeterPan now.

quick appetizer.

2011-01-03T08:00:00.001-05:00

Need a quick appetizer?

I've got just the thing!

You have GOT to get this [from Costco]:

There are a few recipes on the back of the bottle. For salad dressing and marinade. Those look wonderful. But the easiest thing?

This poured over a block of cream cheese and served with wheat thins.

You won't regret it.

Promise.

well hello 2011.

2010-12-30T08:00:00.002-05:00

I've been thinking a lot this week about my New Year Resolutions.

Do yall make them?

Do you ever keep them?

I'll be honest, my opinon on them changes every year. Sometimes I can't wait to make my resolutions and get started on January 1st. In fact, I get giddy over January 1st. But then the next year I decide that I don't love them. And I know that guilt will come in February or March when I fail [if I last that long]. So I'd rather not deal with the guilt.

Well this year I like them :)

But I've been thinking long and hard about what I want them to be. So often it's a checklist kind of item that I want to do. One that appeases my Type A, listmaking personality. Like working out at least three times a week. Or cutting out all caffiene. Or doing a quiet time every single day without ever missing a day.

But I've realized this year that even though some of those might end up on my list, I would much rather my 2011 be focused on changes on the inside. Changes to my heart. Changes to the way I react and relate to others. Changes to the way I see things.

And I believe that sometimes it takes deciding. Deciding to see things more positively or deciding to love people better. It's all about the decision. If I don't conciously make the decision, then my flesh gets in the way. I get selfish, or negative, or envious, or snappy.

Lately I've been chewing on these two things:

Love Well.

Live Simply.

I've been running them around in my mind. And doing "trial runs". And seeing the impact these two things have on me. My heart. And my attitude. As well as the impact they have on the people I'm around. The ones I have a relationship with as well as the barista at Starbucks and the highschool kid bagging my groceries.

And I have to say, I like what I see.

And, more importantly, I think God likes what He sees.

They are not easy. And I fail often. In fact, as I just reread what I wrote, I realized that I referred to doing "trial runs" but in reality, that's not what they started out as. They started by me deciding I wanted to love well and live simply. But they ended because my flesh got in the way. I decided to be selfish or envious. They became "trial runs" because they only lasted through one or two interactions before I returned to my old ways.

They definitely deal with my heart. And allowing God to work through me. Because only through Him will I be able to make through more than an interaction or two.

I know these are different than lots of New Year Resolutions.

They are much different than my normal ones. In fact, they may fall more under Shawni's "motto" idea like last year. But regardless, I think I'll start there.

I plan to come up with another "checklist" for my OCD too :)
Maybe I'll post it?

What about you? Any resolutions?

[newborn] sneak peak.

2010-12-10T08:00:00.001-05:00

i introduce....

2010-12-03T08:00:00.002-05:00

mr. bennett michael

november 26th

9 lbs 3 oz

20 1/2 inches long

so excited to love on my first nephew :)