Cowgirl Couture

These boots were made for...well, walking in poop of course. Not quite what Nancy Sinatra had in mind. But what else would you expect me to dress in? I got all gussied up, but had to make a quick stop in the horse paddock...I didn't feel that my stilettos were appropriate in case a quick getaway was in order (you never know if the "girls" are feeling frisky and want to include me in an impromptu game of Tag). Besides, if you've ever walked across a hayfield in pencil-heels, you'll know how they like to sink into the soft ground - not so good for the shoes. Of course my favourite pretty pink shoes were in the car for a quick wardrobe "upgrade"...which I remembered as I was standing in the drive-thru bank machine, with a line of cars behind me. I could see a smirk on the face of the passengers and I realized that my feet were somehow still...comfortable. Definitley not in heels. Oh well, at least I was still colour coordinated. Especially when I did strap on my little pretties and saw that I has still managed to get a nice greenish smear of horsie poop across the toe. *sigh*

Twenty-One

I know my "Weekly Weigh-In" pulled a disappearing act a while ago - I honestly couldn't remember to keep posting. Sad, I know; you see, my thoughts are like butterflies...some flit around for a little while, but before too long they flutter into the distance, never to be seen again! I blame the children. "Mommy Brain" is real, and it never goes away.

So - I figured it was time for an update on my weight-loss situation! I've still been plugging away with WeightWatchers, and seeing better success than I had ever expected. As of Monday night, I have lost a grand total of...drumroll please...21.2 lbs! WOW! When I first started, I had planned to lose 10-15lbs, and doubted myself from the get-go. I am so proud of myself for making it this far! That puts me at a current weight of 115.8lbs - a number I haven't seen since I was in highschool. It feels AMAZING! Bit by bit, my pile of "outgrown" clothes that were destined for the Goodwill is getting smaller. I'm able to fit into some of my old favourites that I've held on to "just in case" - never expecting that I would actually wear them again.

I was trying to think of a way to show/visualize how much weight I had lost, when I got this brainwave...please feel free to laugh, Ted sure did! On my way home from my WW meeting, I decided I would build myself a little display...of butter. Yes, that's right folks - I stood in the middle of Foodland and built myself a castle out of 21 pounds of butter! I did my best to be quick and sneaky...I can see the headlines now, "woman escorted from Foodland, and banned from dairy department...". It doesn't take much to make the front page of our local paper.

A funny story that also happened that evening...

When you lose weight and start to fit into smaller clothes, it's inevitable that some of your larger clothes will no longer fit. I had put on one of my favourite little sundresses (we finally had a warm day!), but when I got dressed I noticed that my "undergarments" were a little on the loose side. I was in a hurry, so I figured they'd be good enough and on my way I went. On my way home, I was fed up with the bug guts smeared allover my windshield, and stopped in at the gas station to squeegie it off. I was scrubbing with enthousiasm...scrubbing my butt off, you might say. Well, maybe not my "butt", but definitley my undies. Apparently all that scrubbing was more than my undies could handle, because they slipped right down to my knees! I inadvertantly dropped trou in the gas station parking lot. I'm really striving to make the front page of this newspaper...my parents will be so proud. Thankfully there was no one there to notice, so I gathered my panties and my dignity, and continued on my merry way.

Where I'm From

I was listening to the radio the other day while I was running some errands, and a song came on that really caught my ear; it's a newer song by Jason Michael Carrol - a country song, of course. I listen to just about everything, but country seems to be what's on my radio most often. I didn't really recognize it (otherwise, I'd be belting out loud!), so I listened to the lyrics, and they brought a feel-good smile to my face. The song is called, "Where I'm From", and it described just that - I swear he could be talking about where I live. It all sounds so simple, and I'm sure that everyone can relate to it in some way, but it felt like he was singing about *home*. Here are some of the lyrics (just the chorus) - if you want to know more, you'll have to listen to it for yourself!

I'm from the front pew of a wooden white church
The courthouse clock it still dont work
Where a man's word means everything
Where moms and dads were high school flings
Gave their children grandmothers maiden name
Yes it may not sound like much
But its where I'm from

Where the quarterback dates the homecoming queen
The truck's a ford and the tractor's green
And Amazing Grace is what we sing
Well there's a county fair every fall
And your friends are there no matter when you call
Yeah It may not sound like much but it's
Where I'm from

Sew Much to Do!

Busy, Busy, Busy! I've finally gotten all of my fabric that I had ordered - time to get to work! Just thought I'd give you a sneak peak of what I've been up to...

This is an example of the little "pillowcase" dresses that I'm making. I've found some adorable designer fabrics, and they're turning out to be SO precious! I've called this first one "Oh Deer"; it's made using Michael Miller's new "Pet Deer" fabric.

This one is called "Orange You Glad" - again Michael Miller, this is the "Medallion Bloom" print, from the Farmer's Market collection.

Both of these dresses are currently listed on my Etsy site (http://www.babylovebyjackie.etsy.com/) - they are being sold for $25/ea +SH, and can be made from size 0-8.

Think the fabric is way too cute, and want in on the action? Treat yourself to something adorable - and environmentally friendly - with a "Coffee Cozy"! Made in the same fabric as the pillowcase dresses (two layers of cotton, with an insulating layer in between) and embellished with a vintage/repurposed button with an elastic loop closure - these little cozies will replace the need for double-cupped coffee, and cardboard sleeves. Great for cold drinks, too! (I hate getting my hands wet from the condensation on cold cups). These little lovelies sell for $5/ea +SH , and ship for free if combined with another item from my shop! I think if you paired one with a coffee shop gift card, they'd make a perfect little "thank-you" gift for teachers, busdrivers, daycare providers...

Now, I've got loads more sewing to do...back to work!

Give Peas a Chance!

Austin is no longer on a strictly liquid diet - he has entered the wonderful world of FOOD! He's been sampling his way through different cereal varieties, but has now moved on to veggies. You know what they say, "start with veggies first, or they'll never eat them!" There have been new studies to prove it makes no difference whether fruit or veg are introduced first, but call me oldschool - if I took a bite of a sweet, juicy strawberry, do you really think I'd be so eager to eat my broccoli? Not this girl.

As a mom, there are many things I *swore* I would never/only do. I should have remembered what MY mom told me when I was young..."swearing" is bad. In this case, it's because if you "swear" you'll do something, it's just gonna come back and bite you in the butt. Nothing is written in stone, and as much as we hate to admit it - we are not in control! These tiny dictators have the reins - the sooner you accept this, the sooner you'll learn to "go with the flow". So - I swore that I would never feed my child processed baby food - I was going to make my own, no ifs ands or buts about it. However...after I let Abigayle try a jar out of convenience...she turned up her nose at anything that I made for her. So, I gagged my way through jars of babyfood - I felt pretty guilty feeding it to her, when there was NO WAY that this gunk was going to make it into MY mouth. But, it was either that, or a starving baby. You haven't met stubborn until you've met my Abigayle. You can say "if she's hungry, she'll eat it!". Not so easy.

I was excited to have a chance at redeeming myself when Austin came along...handmade babyfood right from the start! I stocked up on some fresh veggies on my last shopping trip, broke out my Magic Bullet (not to be confused with the Silver Bullet...that's a whole other story, and probably not appropriate for use in my kitchen), and ice cube trays! It was fun, and satisfying (again, not to be confused with the Silver Bullet...)! And the verdict....he LIKES it! So far he's had peas and sweet potatoes. Green beans are lined up in the freezer! I feel so good about feeding him something that I made myself - I know exactly what's in it (did you know that a small jar of mixed veggies contains 24mg of sodium?!), and where it came from. It even looks better than the store-bought stuff - vibrant colours, vs. grey sludge. Besides, he's got to learn to appreciate my cooking sooner or later, right? Bon Apetit!