We're goin' PINK!

I can't begin to tell you the rush of emotions I felt as Joel came to me several months ago, and told me that he had been thinking that all of the reasons he didn't want another baby all these years, were selfish ones. He told me he didn't want to be the one to stop God from allowing another child into our already big family. He already had his 'surgery' consultation scheduled, but we gave it a shot for one month just to see if God had other plans for us. Of course He did! We found out we were expecting the morning of that consultation! God's timing still makes me laugh! I knew when I gave birth to Ezra, our 4th child, I just didn't feel done...and I was right. With all that Joel and I have endured in the last year and a half, it was a complete miracle that we were about to embark on a new journey of a fifth child. It took Joel buying me 6 pregnancy tests to convince him that it really did say 'positive'! He just couldn't believe it! He was actually excited!

I grew up with a sister, just one sibling, and always wanted Ellie, our oldest, to experience the joys of having a sister....and today, we had our ultrasound and we found out that dream is going to come true! Although I was prepared either way, I just flipped when the tech told us that she was 100% sure it was a girl.....could it really be, that God would answer our prayers? Of course...because that's the kind of God we serve, one who is in love with the details of our lives, and knew exactly the joy having another girl would bring us.

She should be born around the beginning of September, so I'll get to be big and hot all summer, and sportin' some cute summer preggo wear, which I'm excited about! It's been almost 5 years since I've been pregnant, and it feels so good! I just knew our family wasn't complete! Tonight I am thanking the God who put that conviction in Joel's heart, and for letting me hang on to the dream of having another little girl....

"Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
      you formed me in my mother's womb.
   I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!
      Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
      I worship in adoration—what a creation!
   You know me inside and out,
      you know every bone in my body;
   You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
      how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
   Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
      all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
   The days of my life all prepared
      before I'd even lived one day."

Psalm 139: 13-16

Trash to Treasure

One of my all time favorite places to shop is Goodwill. I always hunt for stuff I can re-purpose and I never come home empty handed. Whether it's a pile of khaki pants for the kids' school uniforms, or a dress I love and may never wear, it's the best place to find amazing deals. I found this small cork-board the other day for $1.99 and new I could dress it up to use near my computer. I brought it home and found the perfect scrap of fabric and matching craft paint and I LOVE how it turned out! It was super easy to make cute...I will definitely be buying up all the cork-boards I come across from now on. You should too!

Birthday Bag

So, Heather, my sweet sweet friend who I owe many bags, and some hemmed jeans to, had a birthday last week. I wanted to make something for her that would reflect her style....this is what I came up with.

  

I really liked how it turned out, especially the ruffled handles. I think I fell in love with ruffles with this project. You'll be seeing a lot more ruffles in the future! Stay tuned.

For an Amazing Cause

Last month I had the wonderful honor of creating a Wonky Star quilt block for a quilt that was to be given to Quilts of Valor. Crazy Mom Quilts asked several people to donate a block so she could piece them together and present them to QOV. (If you click on Crazy Mom Quilts, you can see my block in the center of the top row of the middle quilt.) This great cause sends handmade quilts to military men and women who have been wounded in battle. This organization pulls on my heart strings since my sister and her husband are both in the USAF. It was an honor to play a very small but significant role in such a worthy cause.

Vintage Snacktime!

Look at this beautiful vintage glass tea cup and saucer set! I have acquired 12 sets from my sweet friend across the street, Eileen. She has such a giving heart and I love that woman. We are going later today to sign her lease at the apartment which means she'll be gone soon, and I'll cry. Then we'll visit her sweet husband in the nursing home and I'll joke with him and he'll stun me with his elderly wit.

I made Warm Maple Nut Blondies (like Applebees) with yummy sauce to plate up on these cute dishes...and now my mouth is watering once again.

Are you kidding me?

Ok...so the other day, Miss Eileen called me over to her garage
to ask me if I wanted ''these ol' chairs''....
"Are you KIDDING me?" was my response. Of course I jumped at the
chance to own these very vintage pieces of lawn-sweetness! In fact, my newest favorite blog just discussed these chairs! Our front yard
may now just be in competition with our back yard.
MY FAVORITE COLOR TOO!!
WHOOOOPPPEEEE!!!

Last minute gift

I have had the privilege lately, of being able to sew a lot...not for me, however, for people who are calling me and asking me if I can make things for them..lots of things. Everything from gifts, to clothespin bags to scarves to aprons to bags! I am BUSY and loving it! My goal was to have my Etsy shop open on June 1st, but I barley have time to work on it...and people keep buying everything I wanted to put online! What a bad problem to have huh? That pumps me up! I am so grateful that people like what I am creating, enough to want it! I am blessed to have the gifts I do and to be able to share that with my little corner of the world is exactly what I want at this point in my life. Once again, my cup runneth over....

I got a call from a friend who needed a last minute graduation gift for a family member who loves to travel. I needed some fabric with some international flare. Without time to search the local shops for fabric to use, I decided to recycle a shirt-dress to make a large bag. This was also the first time I tried 'pin-tucks' and I love the outcome! This bag was hard to part with!

Ezzie's 4

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Originally uploaded by sewwhatseamstress

My littlest, my not-so-baby baby.....i love this little
firecracker....and he's now 4. Ezra Dean Nowacki, you light my world on fire and i love you so much. Happy Birthday you little 'wickp-weep!'

Blueberrie Buckle Bags...custom clutch

Let the customizing begin!

I was given the job of creating a custom clutch to match this prom dress from Rae Lynns Dress Boutique. The girl who ordered the bag, wanted it to be small, turquoise and have a magnetic closure. Other than that, I had free artistic license make it great! I had so much fun coming up with the design for this handbag...I wish I could keep it for myself!

I added the leopard spots on the outside as well the little painted flower on the inside for a special touch (the center of the inner flower has one seed bead sewn on it :)

I absolutely LOVED this project! Stinks I have to sell it!

FINALLY! peep peep peep!

I have been waiting for this day for about 4 years. It was then that I bid goodbye to our chickens, or at least their feet! Let me explain...growing up, our family always had chickens. I hated the work then, but as an adult, have so much more appreciation for the responsibility of them. Joel and I were fortunate to live way out in the county in Wisconsin when the kids were younger, and someone, knowing how much I missed having them, gave us organic chickens to raise. We had so much fun with them -just watching them peck around the yard free-range style was amusing in and of itself. I had to go away for the weekend, and with Joel having to work late, he wasn't able to get the chickens in the coop early enough in the evening. I came home to chicken feet and beaks strewn about the yard. As it turns out, fox like chickens, just not those parts. I really missed them beauties. They were so black, they were dark iridescent green! I knew I would someday have them again...and well, just so happens that today is that day! What a great way to celebrate Easter- the sweet sound of peeps all day long!

We showed the kids the chicks today and shared our plans of fixing up the shed into a coop, and how in about 6 months we should have eggs...they were sooooo excited! First thing Ellie said was: "MOM! You don't have to get us Easter baskets tomorrow!!! Ok?"

So, Joel, thank you for 'surprising' me! I love you and we are going to have so much fun with them! Promise me you'll make your famous scrambled eggs with the first batch of eggs? HAPPY EASTER TO US!

Here is the box of goodies...brought straight home from HERE.

This one is pecking at the hardwood looking for bugs!

The kids were SOOO excited!



I used this antique wash-tub from Miss Eileen for their first home.
I got the idea from this great website.
We'll be moving them out to a coop in about 8 weeks!
Then we wait patiently for 6 months and we'll have eggs!

They were so hungry and knew just what to do with the food dish.

Leave it to Joel to pull an Ozzy!
(no chicks were harmed in this process)

Thank you Joel, for making my little dream come true!