The One with Easter 2013

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Our Easter Bunny stayed up too late last night and had to wake up early this morning to get baskets to Fox and Jane on time!

Fox saw them right away and tore into them like a tornado.

He was super nice and helped Jane go through her basket (which, really nothing in it she can actually eat, but it's the fun of it right?).

Jane gnawing on a wrapped peanut butter cup and Fox admiring gum.

Before church I wanted to get a few family photos in our Sunday best - which will make for some fun, new scrapbook material!

And then we went to church. It's funny because our church here is even closer than it was in Utah, and that's saying something because there's a church building on practically every corner in Utah! And yet, do we walk to church? No.... not in high heels! :)

I'm so grateful for our Church and the Savior and the Atonement and that families can be together forever. Happy Easter 2013!

The One with March 2013 American Crafts Layouts

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Congrats to the winner of the 2Peas Gardeners' Digest March 2013 Blog Hop, Heidi who said:

Email me at paigetaylorevans at gmail dot com with your address!

Disclaimer: I had a hard time finding my mojo this month. There are a lot of things going on, the stress of Chris graduating on time and his patients showing up (if they don't, we're SOL), moving across the world and everything that entails, not sleeping longer than 2 hours at a time at night for 8 months straight... I feel like all of my layouts are starting to look the same. So, needless to say, these aren't my most favorite layouts ever, but still, fun to make and share:

@ 7 MONTHS

Journaling says: At 7 months all of your 3 to 6 month clothes are packed away. You snort when you laugh! Always smiling. Terrible sleeper. No teeth. Blue eyes. Our sweet angel.

How to: Punch squares from patterned paper, trim them in half, then adhere them in a quilt-inspired pattern on a cream cardstock background. Layer a doily off-center then add four pictures on top along with a chipboard word. Slip a negative flower die cut card under the left edge as well as a button, flower sticker, and chipboard pennant. On the right side of the photos, tuck a flower die cut, sentiment pennant die cut, button, acrylic flower, flower sticker, and letter stickers for a title. Apply a heart and word rub on by the title. Punch a doily border on the bottom and right edges then glue pom pom trim above the punching. Pierce a stickpin into the pom pom trim. Use a gold pen to write journaling along the bottom and right edges.

Supplies: Cardstock, patterned paper, buttons, acrylic flower, die cuts (flowers, negative flower card, sentiment pennant), stickers (flowers, leaf, mini alphabet, number), chipboard (pennant, word), rub ons (heart, word), pom pom trim, stamps (date, sentiment), adhesive: American Crafts; Stickpins: Making Memories; Doily: Wilton; Gold pen: Sharpie; Ink: StazOn; Punches: EK Success (doily border), Fiskars (McGill)

*********************************************************************

REMEMBER TODAY

Journaling says: No journaling. I couldn't decide where to write it so it's just cute pictures worth a thousand words :)

How to: Die cut a flower design from the left half of an aqua cardstock background. Back the negative shapes with patterned paper using foam adhesive. Tuck sequins under the flowers. Place a doily on the right edge, spray over it with white mist, then remove the doily. Create a photo mat from die cuts and stickers then add two photos on top. Place a chipboard word and stickers between the photos. Stamp the date under the pictures.

Supplies: Cardstock, patterned paper, buttons, tag, die cuts (constellations circle, journaling cards), chipboard word, stickers (flower, heart locket, label, sentiment), date stamp, adhesive, flower die cut design: American Crafts; Sequins: Craft supply; Doily: Wilton; Spray mist: Studio Calico; Die cut machine: Cameo by QuicKutz

Hopefully I'll get my mojo back by next month :)

The One with Stitch Fix

Friday, March 29, 2013

I heard about Stitch Fix on Kayla Aimee's blog back in October. I signed up in a heartbeat - it's a no-brainer! - and got accepted on November 27th. I didn't sign up for my first "fix" right away though. Wait, what is Stitch Fix you ask? Lemme tell you!
"Stitch Fix is a personal styling service that delivers a truly personalized Fix of accessibly priced items directly to doors across the United States. Stitch Fix hand picks pieces for each client, to ultimately help them look and feel their best."

Here are the "style" options they show - how to pick? They're all awesome!

I have, like, a million $5 tops from Old Navy and Target. They're alright for a month or so, then they're out of style and, let's be honest, they're not the best quality. Here's to hoping for a nicer wardrobe that'll last through the tests of time!

I asked for things to wear to my sister's wedding, luncheon, and reception on April 13th - can't wait to see what they send me! PS - Here is a link to Stitch Fix with my referral code :)

The One with Jane at 8 Months

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Another month has come and gone making Jane 8 months new today!

Here are her done-at-home stats:

Length: 28" (75-90%)

Weight: 19 pounds 2 ounces (50-75%)

Head circumference: 18" (90-95%)

Her head has gotten big apparently, haha. In the Taylor family we say, "It houses her superior brain you insipid peon!" :)

Some pics of her 8 month photoshoot:

She naps mostly in her crib now, which Chris misses because he loved "daddy/daughter naps", so he'll take baby Jane snuggles any time he can - even in the middle of Sunday School.

People comment about her blue eyes all the time. My eyes are definitely not blue. Chris's are hazel. So she must have gotten them from her Great-Grandma Doris and her Nana Evans.

This girl is so affectionate and sweet. She loves grabbing our faces and snuggling into our arms and chest and it's just so adorable.

A few passport photo outtakes. This girl has so many cute smiles and faces. I just want to eat her. But not really.

Jane is so fun to take pictures of. I could take a hundred a day. Sometimes I do!

She is very inquisitive and always looking at people and things, taking in the world around her.

She's so interested in everything and reaches and grabs for anything.

I'm slowly trying to wean her off nursing and get her to take a formula bottle. It's been successful so far and I'm hoping to fully wean her by the end of May so Chris and I can go on our very first vacation with no kids. We've never left Fox or Jane overnight(!!!). We're going to celebrate our 6th anniversary, my golden 28th birthday (I'm turning 28 on the 28th of May), graduating from dental school, and moving across the world, all rolled into one getaway to Canada. I'd say we deserve a little solo time, no?

Still no teeth. Where are they? Fox got his first two bottom teeth when he was 8 months old, so she'll probably get them any day. In any case, EVERYTHING goes straight into her mouth.

Jane would eat all day long if we let her. She prefers feeding herself, but since she doesn't have teeth, there are only so many things we can feed her without fear of her choking. But man she just eats and eats and eats and eats. Bottomless pit!

Jane refuses to use her legs to "stand" so we've been putting her in the bouncer a few times a day. She's getting the hang of the idea - use your legs to bounce and it's fun! Note to self: get this on video.

I haven't been worried about her physical development, until this month, because she still hadn't rolled from back to front, EVER. Why would she want to when she hates tummy time? BUT as I was taking her 8 month pictures just this morning she totally did it! And then when we came inside I tried getting her to roll over again and she did! Again and again and again! She's a rolling machine as of a couple hours ago! FINALLY! Next big step, or rather, milestone: crawling!

99% of the time she's a happy-go-lucky baby. But when she does cry, Fox cries too. This is a new thing and I guess he's just trying to fight for my attention. Heaven help me when this happens:

I don't even want to talk about how she sleeps. If anything, it's gotten worse. Her naps during the day are a bit better, she's sleeping in her crib rather than someone's arms. But man. What is sleep? I don't even remember...
Her daily routine at 8 months is as follows:

6:30am - wake up and eat breakfast of some sort of mashed fruit and finger foods
8:30 - 9:30 to 10am - nap in her crib (the quieter it is, the longer she sleeps, but she's usually woken up by a screaming Fox or barking dog or loud motorcycle passing by. Nothing we can do about that.)
10am - play!
12pm - lunch of some mashed veggie or fruit and finger foods
1pm - 2 to 2:30 - nap. For this nap we put her on our bed because Fox takes a nap in his crib at 1pm and one thing we've learned is they can't sleep in the same room together.
2:30pm - play
5pm - dinner of mashed something and finger foods
6:30pm - bedtime routine: bath, fall asleep in my arms drinking a formula bottle..
7:00pm - asleep for the night in her crib
8pm - she wakes up because we bring Fox into the room so we put her on our bed.
9pm - she wakes up. We console her back to sleep
10pm - she wakes up. We console her back to sleep and go to sleep ourselves.
1am - she wakes up and I nurse her back to sleep
3am - she wakes up and I nurse her back to sleep
5am - she wakes up and I nurse her back to sleep
6:30am - repeat
Sigh. We'll get there. Some day. In the meantime, I think I'm done having kids. For reals. I can't do this again!

We love you sweetest, prettiest, cutest girl in the whole wide world!

The One with the Behind the Mist Giveaway

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

I do love a good giveaway :)
(PS - The 2Peas Gardeners' Digest March 2013 Blog Hop giveaway is still open 'til Thursday!)
My mother-in-law, M.J. Evans, is the next J.K. Rowling, FYI. She's a very talented author of middle grade (ages 8-12) and young adult (ages 12 and up) books. In celebration of her soon-to-be-published fantasy book, North Mystic, I want to do a giveaway of the first book in her middle-grade geared Mist trilogy.

Here's a summary of Behind the Mist: Book One of the Mist Trilogy from Chris' book review blog:

"What begins as a simple, yet strong, bond between and boy and his horse becomes a enduring partnership that sustains Nick and Jazz through their thrilling journey into the land behind the mist: Celestia, a kingdom beyond this world, ruled and protected by great and noble horses who have attained the vaulted status of unicorn. While at first Nick appears to be the only human in this world, he learns the truth behind a battle that is threatening to tear Celestia apart. With the guidance of the Council of the Twelve Ancients and their leader Urijah, Nick and Jazz must face off against the forces of evil to save not only the kingdom, but also a lonely, forsaken prisoner held captive in the darkness.

"This is the first book of my mother’s middle-grade fantasy trilogy, The Mist Trilogy. I was able to read early drafts of this book so it was extremely fun to see the changes she made and to get to hold the actual book in my hands. The story, while being the first in a trilogy, stands as an exciting tale all on its own, while simultaneously introducing the reader to the developing mythology within the saga.

"Behind the Mist would definitely appeal to fans of fantasy such as C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia. On the surface, the story is a fun adventure, but deeper levels hold meaning and teach a moral tale. It would be a great book for parents to read to their children to teach them important lessons while helping them gain a love of reading. Plus, it is just a great book to read on your own."

Book 2 of the trilogy, Mists of Darkness, has also been published and is a great continuation of the story from Behind the Mist.

So, all you have to do to win a personally inscribed by the author copy of Behind the Mist is leave a comment below. I'll choose a winner Easter morning! Good luck!

The One with the Dockweiler Beach Bonfire

Monday, March 25, 2013

Saturday night we headed to Dockweiler Beach for our first and last Annual Academy of LDS Dentist's Beach Bonfire.

Fox is very particular about dirt and stuff getting on his hands and feet, but once he saw toys he forgot about the sand between his toes and got to playin'.

This beach is literally on the other side of the airport so Fox was in HEAVEN watching all the planes take off.

In the three hours that we were there at least a hundred airplanes must have flown over our heads. It was awesome. I like to pretend that I'm on them, headed for a grand vacation. Especially the Hawaiin Airlines one we saw. I wonder where that was going?

Not only were there airplanes right over our heads, helicopters kept flying by super low to the ground. Again, Fox was in heaven. Anything that moves, he loves right now.