Friday's Quote: Garrison Keillor

"Thank you, God, for this good life and forgive us if we do not love it enough." --- Garrison Keillor

 There are times when I wonder how I got to where I'm at and where I'm going in this life.  Overall, it's been a good life.  A very good life so far and I'm happy for each and every day.  I sometimes think about what could've been, but that's on a very rare occasion.  I'm happy with the life I have and much of my happiness comes from being grateful for what I have in my life.  Of course, I have my moments when I don't love life as much as I should, but these are fleeing moments.  I'm so grateful for all that I have and the wonderful life I have.

I hope you are doing well and are grateful for the life that you have. 

The Circle of Life

Welcome to this world, my beloved son!

Last month was my most recent stay in a hospital (the last time I stayed in a hospital was over a year ago when I birthed my Little One).  This occasion was also for the same joyous reason:  I gave birth to a lovely little boy.  Now I have two wonderful sons who are both under the age of two.

My Mister Man and I couldn't be any happier.  As we welcome this beloved addition to our family, I am also being informed by family members and friends that elders are passing away due to old age. I can't help but be reminded that the circle of life continues and to be grateful for each and every  moment we have with our loved ones.  Life is so precious and so short!  Grab onto every memory that you have and spend as much time as you can with those you love.  Be present in their lives (i.e. get off the phone, Facebook, etc.,) because before you'll realize it, the moment would have passed before your very eyes.

Here's to living, loving, and laughing!  Please take care.

Little Tyke!

Tuesday's Tune: Little Something

I came across this song, "Little Something," by an EDM group, Above & Beyond, which features Justine Suissa.  Now, there could be multiple meanings attached to this song.  I think the writer of the song, one of the members of Above & Beyond, wrote the song to describe fame as being the "little something."  Some people may ascribe the song's reference of "little something" to a special person that made an impact in their lives.  Everyone has their own interpretation of this song.

When I first heard this song, I thought of my son.  He is my Little Something.  This sweet child of mine that really feels as if he came from nothing, and he really means everything to me.  I was so afraid of the changes I thought he would bring to my life, but to only find out that these changes weren't so bad and how much I needed the changes.

Now, I often feel guilty for not being around him enough and wonder how many moments I've missed out on because I leave him in the care of family members while working.  To be quite honest, I don't think I'm cut out to be a stay-at-home mom.  I just don't have the temperament.  At the same time, I know I'm missing out on many of his first moments.  I do admit that I love picking him up from daycare and seeing his happy smile (it's the highlight of my day).  He's the sweetest little boy and I can't ask for much more, my Little Something.

What or who is your "little something?"

Spring is Here to Stay

First tulip in bloom.

When I think about the weather here in Minnesota, anything is possible.  We've had a mild winter and spring-like conditions since March.  I've been apprehensive about Old Man Winter surprising us with one last winter storm (seriously, it is possible), but I've made up my mind that it's time to just believe that spring is here to stay.  It's been rainy, windy, and there's no snow on the green green grass.  The skies are a beautiful blue and the temps have risen imto the high '60s and low '70's.  Neighbors are cutting their grass and the first tulip have bloomed.  Spring is here!

Furthermore, my Little One is ready to explore the world outside of the home and be outdoors without a winter coat.  (He's going to be an outdoorsy baby!)  I'm ready to rest a little bit and let him run around in the yard.  I'm so happy that spring is here.

How's the weather in your neck of the woods?

Happy Birthday!

Tuesday's Tune: Somebody Else

I came across this song while listening to some "alternative" radio station.  Each time I scanned passed the radio station, this song was playing, so after the second or third time, I decided to just listen to the song.  It's quite an interesting song.

The song talks about the aftermath of a breakup and how one may be ready to move on, but sometimes the mind (or is it the heart) has a hard time letting go.  It's hard to think of the person you once loved so dearly with someone else.  Anyhow, the radio version has a lot faster beat (I couldn't find it on YouTube), but I also like the original version, which is the song that I've posted.  I really like this song's and for some reason it has an '80s feel to it.

Let me know what you think of this song. 

First Birthday Smash Cake

My Little One will be turning one-year old soon.  I can't believe it's been a year and I can't believe how fast he's grown.  Even though it wasn't yet his birthday, I still wanted to give him a "smash cake" party. 

So, I made him a funfetti cake and baked it in a little tin can.  It came out just perfect and I frosted it with a cream cheese buttercream frosting.  You can get the recipe for the cake and the frosting here  (I made up the frosting as I went along).  I decorated the cake simply with just sprinkles and candles.

The party was also simple too, just him, his father, and me.  We'll have a bigger party for him, but we wanted to celebrate his first birthday with just the two of us.  When the cake was put in front of him, ee was tentative at first, not sure if he could grab at the cake.  Then he just played with the frosting.  and when he licked the frosting, he continued to lick the frosting.  His dad had to instruct him to dig into the cake.  Once he figured out that there's more than just frosting, he really dug in and began eating.

It was a joy to see my Little One eating his cake.  We both took pictures and videos of him digging into his cake and truly enjoying himself.  I still can't believe how grown he's become.  Where did all the time go?  It's really gone by too fast.

Happy early birthday, my Little One!  I love you so much!

MN State Fair Skyride

(This is really what the Skyride looks like.)

[Minnesota State Fair.  Taken September 4, 2016]

Pooh Blanket

About a weekend or two ago, I found at a thrift store, a fabric that had two Winnie the Pooh panels. The fabric was in great shape, it wasn't dirty, and the fabric was cut appropriately so that it didn't interfere with each panel.  For $3.99, I thought I could turn each panel into a baby blanket.

So, I bought the fabric, washed it, and purchased some additional items to finish the quilt (e.g. batting, fabric).  Since I have an upcoming baby shower, I knew this would make a great gift for the the new mom-to-be.  I don't know the sex of the baby, but I decided to make the blanket gender neutral and match the Winnie the Pooh panel with a green/white polka dotted fabric.

This was a really easy blanket to make.   I just sandwiched batting in between the Winnie the Pooh panel and the green/white polka dotted fabric.  I thought I was going to tie down the blanket with strings, but decided to quilt it.  It was my first time quilting a blanket with a sewing machine, so some of my lines didn't come out quite straight, but if you don't look too closely, you wouldn't notice.  The blanket measures 35" x 40", which makes it a nice size for a baby or toddler.  The only thing I have left to do is bind the quilt and then I'm done.

I'm really excited and happy to get this project done.  If I do, it's going to be one of the few sewing projects that I actually finish.

What do you think about this blanket?