Baby knits make me happy

Knitting boy booties is a challenge. They can't be too girly looking but they still have to be cute. So I knit this free ravelry pattern up. I thought they turned out pretty cute.



The hat is a pattern from Itty Bitty Hats from Susan B Anderson <3 href="http://laurasdailymadness.blogspot.com/search/label/give%20away">here and check back next week for the winner! Then on Monday I'll be starting another give away so follow the blog so you can keep up with all the fun!

Also check out my friend Ashley's blog here. She's giving away an adorable pillow case dress with matching bow!

I can't wait to open up my Etsy shop again! I'm only going to list items that are pre knit so it shouldn't be so stressful. Now to balance what will sell with what I want to knit!

Ramona had an adorable release today called 'A Pirate's Life'. Here's your preview:



Right now she has her bundle on sale for $6 which is only $1 more then the kit with a lot of extra goodies! Check it out here! And here are my layouts using this kit:







And here is your freebie for today!

At the Park

I don't know what everyone else's weather has been like but here it has been HOT. Unbearably hot. The low has been 83 and that was at 2 am so I haven't been able to enjoy it. We decided this week our fun activity was going to be visiting the park. For lunch. I'm sure you can see the problem with this plan as that's the hottest part of the day. It was 98 degrees with a heat index of 105. We ate fast.



He's spotted the main attraction at this park.





Where'd it go?


The chase is on. I admit it was a little scary how close these guys will let you get.







And Evie was really living it up. So after our 30 minute park trip, we left in a daze.


Geniabeana has a new release out today! Its a remake of an older kit and I LOVE the colors! Here is the preview:





Its on sale right now so catch it at a great price!

Here are my layouts:





Teeny tiny Evie. I can't believe she's going to be 2 months old next week!

Don't forget to get your comment in for the drawing for my knit hat here. I'm drawing for that this Friday! I'll be having another give away starting in August so make sure you follow the blog so you don't miss out!

And here's your freebie for today:

My little princess

Evie is officially six weeks old today. I thought time flew with Rett.. I just had no idea. When you already have one to keep you jumping all day, it goes by twice as fast. So at six weeks Evie can: smile, support her head, on her belly she can turn her head from one side to the other and she can be completely adorable. She caught onto that fast. She sleeps 6-8 hours straight at night and 4-5 hours between feedings during the day. She hates having her diapers changed but she loves snuggling up with mommy and having her butt patted. And here she is.. all adorable six weeks worth of her.











My first time photographing a tutu.. did pretty well.

Ramona has her new release out today. Its called Calico Girl and it is 100% adorable.



Here are my pages:



This is my mother (the oldest girl) with four of her five siblings and her cousin.







And here is your freebie for today:



The download includes both word art's. Have a great weekend!

Kitties!

Isn't it strange how strays seem to find people instead of the other way around? My friend Brittany found six kittens in a tree and of course, had to take them home. Now she's trying to find new homes for them. So I took some pictures to help her advertise their cuteness.









So far.. nothing. We'd love to get one but I'm afraid of scratched up babies. They are so cute though.

I've got some different things set up to do some Evie pictures today. No real occasion, I just want to do pictures. I love being a photographer.

Some mega sales to announce:




Brownie Scraps is also retiring their mega collabs and has them for only $3.

Brownie Scraps is having a really fun event this month which I chose to participate in. Its kept me super busy scrapping, which I love. For one event there is a contest on which team can scrap the most layouts so I've been doing all the normal challenges too. For the Unbaked Challenge, you have to either design or scrap from a certain color pallette. And that's where I found this (and a whole lot more, go check it out):

**********FREE***********FREE**********FREE************

click the image to scoop it up!



And so I scrapped this:



Here is your freebie for today:

Splash Park.. here we come!

Since I watch one (or two, depends on the day) additional kids at my house that puts me with 3 (or 4) under 2. One being six weeks old of adorableness. So we don't go anywhere. Ever. Except on the weekends! So I have made it a goal of mine to do one cool thing every weekend. More then that and I get a bit overwhelmed. Its really hard to do stuff outside when you have a newborn. They can't wear sunscreen and they get hot so easily. I sort of like having a winter baby better.

Ok so this weekend our cool thing was the splash pad. Rett does swimming lessons every week so he's happy in the water but I was sure about the whole spray in the face thing and how he'd do with it. At first he was pretty reluctant but he came around.

Here are a few highlights of our fun time:



When we first got there.. kinda checking out the place.



I remembered that we still had the purple bucket in the car from berry picking.. so Daddy went and got that and is now leading him off



I love my wide angle lens.



Look, Jen, I did some framing! I totally didn't mean to though.





I love photographing water! Doesn't this look so neat?







There's my boy! And I've officially noticed a difference with the amber necklace. Rett slept in till 7:30 two mornings in a row!

Next weekend we are hitting the community pool that has a really nice toddler area so hopefully those pictures turn out cute also.

Nobody's released anything lately so nothing to post for scrapping.

Don't forget to sign up for the free knitted hat I'm giving away here.

Here is a word art I created for part of the free kid for Scrappin' Family Reunion over at Brownie Scraps.

I never realized how fast I could move..

Ok so I have to admit it. Evie is not the perfect baby. *gasp!* Sure she sleeps all the time, gains weight perfectly and looks adorable in dresses.. but underneath all that is her hidden flaw. Or not so hidden if its 5:30 in the morning, you're completely asleep and then all of a sudden.. you're covered in spit up milk. I'm not talking about a little. I'm talking about an ounce or two. I think my darling daughter is overeating as this is the tenth time or so that she's done this.. but I'm not sure. I'm glad she's a good nurser.. maybe a little TOO good though.

Mom brought over some thing that they gave her at the doctor when I was 3 months old. I find it interesting that even in 1983 the formula companies were advertising through the doctor's offices. It says ENFAMIL on it by formula. First off, at 3 months I weighed 17lbs. WOW! I was a chunk.

Ok so here are some of the highlights.

Offer baby orange juice or tomato juice (4-6 tablespoons or as much as baby will take)
Bathe baby. Bottle feed and give 1 tablespoon precooked cereal.

A short sunbath may be given if weather permits, followed by a long nap (indoors or outdoors, according to the weather).

Later, if the weather is nice, give baby an airing in his buggy.

Undress baby in late afternoon and put him on big bed to kick and stretch. Make sure open sides of bed are guarded.

Offer baby plain, boiled water two to three times a day.

Keep in mind this is for 4-5 month old babies. Wow how times have changed.

I need to take pictures. I'll get on that this weekend.

So today Ramona has a new release:



I love the bright summer colors in this one. You can go here to have a chance to win it!

Here are my layouts:






Also Brownie Scraps is gearing up for the August Addicts. Go here to buy it now for $6, the price jumps to $9 once August is here.


Here is your freebie for today!

Knitting... a love/hate relationship and a give away

I think knitting is one of those crafts where EVERYONE has one friend that just is dying to learn. Well luckily I was that friend BUT I also had a friend that actually knew how to knit. And I got pregnant. Nothing like dreaming of covering tiny baby parts with hand knitted items to pick up some needles. So over two years ago, I picked up a pair, had a quick lesson and I learned. Slowly.

If you are that friend and you want to learn how to knit, I recommend the book Stitch 'N Bitch. Most local libraries carry it so you can just check it out if you want. It will teach you a skill and have you complete a project using that skill. Its a wonderful teacher! If you need a little more help, youtube has videos which, if you're like me, you can stop and rewind as many times as you need to. Its really not that scary.

I have to admit that Rett never wore any hand knitted items. Neither has Evie. But my love of knitting did incite me to start knitting for my photography and then I opened my Etsy store. My store is currently closed up due to my current busy life BUT I'm going to be giving away one newborn hat like this one, modeled by my little Evie.





How do you enter? Just leave a comment about something YOU would like to learn how to do. Then check back here July 30th for the winner! Spread the word and let you friends know! Make sure you follow my blog so you aren't left behind in case I sneak in more knitted give aways... I'm seeing a pair of booties in the future.



Ok on to scrapping.

Another gorgeous release from Creations by Rachael. All the realistic elements in this one just amazed me. This is definitely one of my most go-to kits of the moment. Here is the preview:





Isn't it breathtaking? It makes me think of spring and also of frozen sherbet. Not sure where that comes from but regardless, this kit is just amazing.

Here are my layouts:





Oh, my.. what a surprise. They both feature Evie. The top one got LOTD at Brownie Scraps. Mostly for Evie's adorable Baby Gap dress probably. Its amazing to look at those two pictures and think that's only a month apart. Wow.

Here is your freebie for today!