look whoo has a secret . . .

Thu 04.19.2012

Baby #3 is coming in November!! This pretty much explains my absence lately. My husband went on a rare 15 day work trip around the world (not really but almost) and on top of running after 2 little ones with no back up I find out I’m pregnant (this was a surprise). We weren’t planning (just yet) but we’re feeling incredibly blessed about this little surprise! I’m excited, the girls are excited . . . I still kind of can’t believe it . . . it’s about to get very troublesome, but fun around here :-)

And this is what I feel like right now (when I’m not about to throw up). I am the worst first trimester pregnant woman ever. I shut down and sink into a black hole. It’s terrible. So any free moment that I have has been spent napping, trying to eat something or keep the family in some type of order. So keep me in your prayers and excuse my weak blogging for the next few weeks!

The adorable shirts are made by Erin from the pecking order by zoey’s attic.

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a ladies brunch in spring

Wed 04.11.2012

Happy Easter! So I’ve been a horrible blogger lately . . . I’ve had quite a bit going on lately (to say the least). A few announcements (coming soon), some decorating projects and my oldest sister turned 40 this past week. We hosted her a wonderful ladies brunch at my home. I will post some pictures soon but here is my inspiration board for the event! It was a great idea for a intimate 40th birthday celebration!

left to right: 1. Style Me Pretty 2. Ashley Brooke Designs 3. Kinser Event Company 4. Moo & Puppy on Etsy 5. Green Wedding Shoes 6. Manolo Brides 7. Hostess with the Mostess 8. A Diary of Lovely 9. Be Different Act Normal

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praying for our children

Tue 03.27.2012

I recently came across this awesome graphic (designed by Sue) posted by Teri from Keeping it Personal. I love this because it provides a list of direct objectives to pray for our children on a daily basis. We were recently discussing in bible study the POWER in prayer . . . I believe it yet I feel as my faith in it is so weak at times! I want SO BADLY for my children to love and seek the Lord with all their hearts & minds. I have faith but sometimes I question my trust. When it comes to my kids I just want to keep my arms around them and protect them from every little hurt, trial or obstacle they will face in their future. But I know I can’t do that. I will not always be there (although not by choice) and I can’t protect them from everything and hold their hand through life. But I do know that no matter what, our all knowing and merciful God has an amazing plan for my kids that I need to trust in. When I had these kids I was given an amazing gift . . . but also a great RESPONSIBILITY as a mother to do my part in teaching them, praying for them and praying for the wisdom to do this right.

One of my favorite verses: Philippians 4: 6-7
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Wow, how amazing would it be for our children to live out these virtues? We as mom (and dads!) have such an amazing opportunity to pray for and TALK to our kids on what all these means. It all starts at home. What am I praying for and teaching my kids day to day? Such a great reminder . . .

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a fancy nancy inspired party

Thu 03.22.2012

We recently had our very fancy 3rd birthday party for Adeline . . . inspired by one of her favorite books – Fancy Nancy. This turned out to be such a fun, precious little event. We haven’t got around to decorating our living/dining room yet (which drives me nuts) but works out great for hosting a party. Our guests of honor were all between 1 1/2 – 4 years of age so activities were simple yet entertaining. All the little girls came dressed up in their fanciest ensemble (priceless) and everybody, especially our birthday girl, had a blast.

Party Details

Decor & Activities:

A lot of red, pink & purple. I bought tulle from Joann’s and draped it from the ceiling and window. For the dessert table I created a feather boa backdrop (after being inspired by this picture) and Adeline and I made the glitter letters to string across the top of the dessert table. I also bought some fabric to use as table cloths for the dessert and kids table.  My mom came over last minute and “whipped” up the adorable tulle skirts to use for the stools. I found butterfly wings at the dollar store to add some more decor to the main window. For centerpieces I used some grass plants I had lying around the house and added a few purple butterflies. For the front door I made a wreath by wrapping a straw wreath in pink ribbon and making a sign.  I made all the party printables (banner, food labels, favor tags, party signs) using fabulous paper designs Jodi, from Moo & Puppy, custom made for me.

When the girls walked in they were seated at the table with their own tiara and butterfly fly wings to decorate with crayons, jewels and foam stickers. We had a fabulous accessory table covered in necklaces, bracelets, rings, sunglasses and fancy ribbon wands. All of this was covered under a big blanket until the big reveal (a huge it!) We then practiced some “fancy” moves and fluttered around the house with our wings and fancy accessories . . .ohh la la! After lunch we topped it off with some “pin the jewel on the tiara” before the girls got distracted in the playroom.

Lunch & Dessert:

I set up a little buffet for the girls (and moms) on a separate table in the kitchen. We had a mini milk bar with chocolate and strawberry milk, pink lemonade, mini cucumber sandwiches, butterfly shaped PB & J, separate servings of mac & cheese and veggie sticks with ranch dip. On the dessert table we had a delicious ruffle cake, cupcakes topped with fondant butterflies, homemade butterfly cookies, frosted marshmallow sticks and a mini candy bar complete with purple and pink rock crystal, gumballs, taffy and candy sticks.  YUM

Favors

For favors each girl took home a feather boa, all their accessories and candy from the dessert table in their own little bag (along with a balloon).

What an extravagantly fancy day it was! Our little birthday girl couldn’t stop dancing around or smiling. At the end of the party while most of the girls were off playing I found Adeline sitting by herself at the kids table smiling and eating (and very much enjoying) her piece of cake – how sweet!

Sources

Cake – A Better Cheesecake
Candy – Oh Nuts!
Feather boas, fabric, tulle, ribbon – Joann’s Joann (they had B0G0 half off on the boas – plus coupons!)
Cupcakes – Publix, Fondant butterfly wings – Sweet Thing Topper Shop
Cookies & Food – homemade
Butterfly wings, tiaras, foam stickers, favor bags and jewel adhesives – Oriental Trading
Party printables – designed by me using Moo & Puppy paper designs
Accessories – ribbons wands were homemade. Necklaces, bracelets etc. – i-party, target, dollar store
Adeline’s outfit – dress from J. Crew, adorable red ballet slippers from Bobka Baby, fancy birthday girl crown from Glam Hatter
Pin the jewel on the tiara – homemade, cut out a crown from a yellow poster and printed “jewel’ clipart

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Happy 3rd Birthday Adeline

Thu 03.15.2012

My sweet Adeline – you’re three years old today!

I can’t believe it. This past year you have grown so much and into your own little, amazing person. Mommy and Daddy could not be more proud of you. Everyday you say or do something that amazes me. You constantly show me what it really means to have a child like faith. You remind me daily that God protects us. You sit at the table always ready to eat your meals and never let us start without saying our prayers. You’re a child of routine and order (you get that from your father) but your imagination and daydreaming is all me. :-) You wake up in the mornings and grab your tutu skirt, wand and tiara on your way to the potty and wear them all day long. You love to dance and sing – all the time. You apologize for no reason when you make a mistake, (or apologize on my behalf when I make a mistake) it’s the funniest thing. You love when I give you scratchies when you wake up, especially in the armpit – it’s the oddest thing. I like to think I teach and care for you the best I can, but sometimes I think it’s the other way around. The other day you told me that I have food on my face and to wipe my mouth – right after you told me to “settle” down because I was talking too much. This past year you moved into a big girl bed, gave up your binky (after it broke) and accomplished potty training. I never thought I could be so proud of someone using a toilet, but it was one of our proudest moments when you accomplished this feat. You became a big sister and handled it with more grace and responsibility then I could have ever imagined. Amelia adores you and for good reason, you are so sweet and gentle with her. Even when she takes your toys and drives you nuts, you take your things away but always bring something for her to play with. You are the most patient and understanding three old that I know – with the biggest heart of gold. I love when you try and procrastinate going to bed by giving me extra hugs and kisses, my favorite is when  you hold my face and tell me that I’m your best mommy. (it’s probably because of your “World’s Best Mama” Winnie the Pooh Book, but I love it)  I’m not sure what we did to deserve such an amazing little girl, but we love you more then we could ever say. Happy Birthday Adeline – my big girl!

Love Mommy

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glitter letters

Wed 03.14.2012

Some more fancy decor . . .we needed some sparkle and shine at our party so we made some glitter letters. This was so much easier then I thought it would be, and a great project for Adeline to be involved in!

Materials: craft knife, cardboard, letter template, glue, paint brush, glitter

1. Trace your template onto cardboard – or I just printed the letters I needed and taped them onto my cardboard.

2. Cut your letters out . . . I also hole punched them at this point since I was using mine as a banner.

3. Take a paint brush and paint on a layer of glue.

4. Pour some glitter over it!

ohh la la!

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fancy ribbon wands

Mon 03.12.2012

We had our “Fancy Nancy” inspired 3rd birthday party for Adeline this past Saturday.  So much fun! And oh so fancy!!! Will post some pictures soon.  Adeline and I worked on some fun little crafts to accessorize this fabulous party. We made a fancy ribbon wand for each of our little party guests. There are tons of tutorials on the web on how to make these, like this one from the ribbon wand shop. Here is our version of very simple, but fancy ribbon wands.

Materials you will needs: wooden dowels (I think they were ~1.00 for a pack of 10), screw eyes (also bought at Joanns), plyers (especially if you are making a lot of these), hot glue gun and lots of fun ribbon.

1. Screw your screw eyes into the wooden dowel. Plyers are helpful but not necessary. It screws right in fairly easy.

2. Wrap ribbon around the wand, I used a glue gun to secure the ribbon to the dowel.

3. Tie a fancy ribbon on top to add a little something (or as in my case to also hide the sloppy ending of my ribbon wrapping).

4. Use a variety of colors and ribbon types (I used satin, sheer and a thin metallic gold) to loop through the screw eye and tie a simple knot on top. I cut most of the ribbon approximately 2 feet and a few a little shorter.

Voilà!! What little girl doesn’t love a fancy ribbon wand?!

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on the move

Thu 03.08.2012

She scoots up that cute little butt, tucks those wonderfully pudgy knees under and lifts up that sweet head head with all her strength. She sways back and forth eying down her sister, determination in those big, beautiful blue eyes. She sways a little stronger this time and takes that step of faith, scoots that hand up a little and pushes her knees forward, down she goes. That’s okay, she pops back up, this time a little stronger, a little wiser. A few more tries and we’ve got 3 steps forward down no problem. My sweet Amelia is crawling. It all goes by too fast. I’m so proud of her, she has been eying down that wand in her sisters hand for weeks and has finally made her move.

My dear Amelia, you have such a gentle but strong perseverance that will always keep you moving forward. You will fall, many times, but by the grace of God you will only get up stronger and wiser. I pray that you always seek Him with every move you make. You have the whole world in front of you to now explore. There are so may things to see and do. We live in a beaten but beautiful world. Never give up on anything you do and always stay strong in who you are. God has a perfect path paved for you life, never stop following it. I can’t wait to see where those little steps will take you my sweet girl.

“For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again,
but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.” Proverbs 24:16

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a few thoughts

Tue 03.06.2012

Runny noses are gone, everyone has caught up on their sleep and life is good at the Labocki household. Weather has been beautiful (pros of Florida this time of year) and Amelia went on her first wagon ride (she loved it). We’ve been busy planning Adeline’s “fancy nancy” inspired party and have found some fun diy party projects (will hopefully share later in the week). Other thoughts . . .

    • I’ve been looking for keeping any eye out for some cute rain boots and spotted these from Lands End on Pinterest – $19.99, bright yellow, exactly what I was looking for. Also just saw Emily’s little girl wearing them on a recent blog post, from Jones Design Company, so cute!
    • speaking of Pinterest, I came across this interesting article
    • love this new magic carpet (non-flying edition)  from Land of Nod (in all the colors)
    • Went on a little, tiny date night Sunday to Barnes & Noble and picked up Digital Photography for Beginners. I really want to learn how to take better pictures but most of the books I have seen are so wordy and complex, I love the pictures, layout and design of this book/magazine – makes it look so simple!
    • My sweet sister celebrated her 1 year anniversary yesterday  (remember her beautiful wedding?). .  Adeline was still so little and I was pregnant with Amelia (happy anniversary angelica!)
    • Adeline’s room was featured on Apartment Therapy last Friday!

 

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enjoy motherhood

Fri 03.02.2012

I remember sitting at my desk at work (after another really long day), being very pregnant, and thinking how nice it will be to go on maternity leave and get a “break” from work for a bit. I thought that I could finally catch up on all those little projects I never get around to doing, relax a bit, maybe make some home cooked meals.  How hard could it be? Talking to my sweet newborn and watching her sleep. Obviously I had no idea what was coming my way.

Becoming a mother is the hardest job I have ever taken on. It’s not even the everyday physical actions but rather the emotional investment of teaching, disciplining, loving, always being there. It’s so rewarding, but exhausting (and I only have two). Unfortunately I can’t exactly shut the door to “my office’ when I need a break, put them on hold or re-schedule their crankiness. And although I’ve traded in those really (really) fabulous heals for flats, my fashionable high wasted skirts have been swapped for boyfriend jeans and I won’t even start reminiscing about handbags – but I do have a pretty awesome baby bag collection going on. Anyways, I wouldn’t trade in for the world.  I never did go back to my past job after maternity leave due to a number of reasons, but mostly because at the end of the day, no one was going to raise our kids better then us. It’s been the greatest responsibility and privilege to have the opportunity to stay home with these girls and raise them to love Jesus.  It’s never ending and lately I’ve been a bit overloaded and falling behind on well, everything. And you know how that goes . . .  don’t you ever just want to put your head under the covers and pay someone to let you sleep in? (I’m not and looks like never will be a morning person).

I’ve had so much going on lately that I’m not doing any one thing at 100%. Things are not getting done like they need to and most importantly, it isn’t fair to my girls who deserve nothing less than 100%. I’m miserable when I get overwhelmed and get all out of sorts. I few nights ago I finally made myself sit down, have some quiet time and re-evaluate the way I’ve been doing some things. Sometimes you just have to reassess and refocus.  I made a list for myself of ten things I need to intentionally be working on to enjoy the full impact of what motherhood really is.

1. Spend time with God – I can’t do this alone
2. Sit down & play – read a book, build a tower, have a tea party . . .these are my favorite moments of the day and I don’t do them enough lately
3. Turn off the phone – i phones – biggest blessing and curse at the same time
4. Do my “to do” – I’ve noticed that my “to do” (i love my lists) have been being pushed back week to week. I need to stop writing things down and start crossing things off
5. Avoid distractions – distractions – the reason why my “to do” hasn’t been getting done. I need to stop wasting the time I do have, self-discipline
6. Quiet time – when was the last time I just sat down and read a book? (not on a tablet) I love to read, take a run, go to the beach – I can’t tell you the last time I did any of those things
7. Sleep more – do not underestminate the power of a good nights sleep, and I have no excuse because my two actually sleep at night
8. Laugh – it’s the only thing you can do sometimes :)
9. Get dressed (for real) – old high school sweatpants don’t count. Sometimes during breakfast I look at my adorable little girls with their bows and clean outfits and then I look look at my own crumpled self. seriously, I need to work on this (there are studies on this stuff)
10. coffee – enough said

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