Moments Like These: Baby Brady - Part 1

I still remember the night we all started to "suspect"  Bobby and Jen might have some big news! We were all at Lisa Stanko's wedding! I don't remember exactly what it was about that night that made the thought even pop into my head, but it did. And apparently I wasn't alone in that thinking, but of course we never asked, just waited to see.

Fast forward a few months, it was the day after my 30th Birthday Party and we were supposed to attend Tiffany and Justin's annual Halloween Party with all of our friends. Kipper and I had spent all day Saturday at Cook Children's with Lala and her family. My heart was broken because while we still held on for a miracle, the facts of the situation had started to set in - Lauren was dying.

When we left the hospital to head home I was beside myself in grief. I remember Kipper asking me what I wanted for dinner and all I could say was that we had to go to the party. I didn't care that we would be the only ones not in a costume or that we looked down right exhausted. If we went home all I would do I cry and worry, we needed time with friends...after all that is totally what Lala would have done! (especially since Halloween was HER holiday!) 

Everyone there knew what was going on, some tried to avoid the topic, others wanted to know how they could help. Yet all of that aside, being with our friends is EXACTLY what we needed. The best part? Not only did they help keep our mind off the situation a little, we found out some FABULOUS news! Two, yes you read that right, TWO of our friends were expecting! Both Shannon and Jen were pregnant, only weeks apart!

The days following were a total blur. Lauren passed away on November 1st and I begin helping her family plan her Celebration of Life. (I have started a blog about saying goodbye, but almost 6 months later I still haven't been able to finish it...but I couldn't tell this story without parts of hers. One day soon I promise I will hit "publish" on that blog)  For her service I painted a canvas so that all of the guests could sign it and that the family would be able to have something more than just a book that gets tucked away on a shelf. Because Bobby is not only an awesome framer, but owns Suitable for Framing, I asked him if he would be willing to donate a frame for the canvas so we could give it to the family ready to go on the wall.

When I went to go pick up the finished canvas Bobby told me he had been thinking a lot about it and he really wanted me to create something for their little boys nursery as my baby gift. I was completely honored, yet a little sacred. I normally create VERY girly things...they were having a BOY! And to top it off the "theme" for the nursery was very unique - Texas Country meets traveling with a splash of Elvis on the side! :)  

I begin to rack my brains on the perfect piece I could create for them, making sure I included things that had a special significance to them. I drew inspiration for not only the room theme, but Jen and Bobby's relationship. From places they traveled/lived, things they had done together, and even the lyrics to the song they danced to at their wedding.

During all of this I was in the middle of Spring Show and just didn't have the time to dedicate to the project just yet. I promised Jen and Bobby that, while I wouldn't have the canvas finished before the baby shower, I would have it done in time for it to be framed and on the wall before Baby Brady made his world debut!

So with the canvas half finished we celebrated Baby Brady at one of the best baby showers I have ever been to. There were no crazy baby shower games or gabbing groups of girls overloading Jen with parenting advice. That night they were surrounded by  their family and dear friends and there was nothing but love and celebration all around them.

That night was exactly what I needed for my final bit of inspiration! To be continued.....

Speaking Boston

I have decided when you adopt a Boston it should include a laminated version of this! This would have saved us at least a year in the learning department! :) 

Then again, even when they are giving you the "whale eye" (we call it cow eye though)  how could you not LOVE these too boys?

Fenway

Gulliver 

It Totally Made Sense To Me

We have an annual event in Hood County called the Country Spirit Jamboree. I have to say, it is one of my favorite events of the year, but for any of you who have been a part of "Story Time" at a various happy hours, it is very different than any event we have here in Fort Worth.

This year as part of the live auction the committee was extremely excited about a miniature donkey (or as they refereed to it, the miniature Jesus donkey..another story, so another time my friends)  And I have to admit he is super cute....

Any who one afternoon I was talking to Mel about the fact that we might have to pull the donkey out of the auction for several reason.

1. The donkey was 4 years old and had never really been handled by people 
2. They can't be sure the donkey wouldn't bite and/or kick someone
3. And my favorite, apparently there is a near epidemic of people trying to "donate" miniature donkeys in Hood County because there are too many 

Then the conversation took a turn. 

      Me: The whole "There are too many miniature donkeys" is strange to me. Why are people breading them? What is their purpose. 

     Mel:  Not really sure. 

     Me: I mean really, what can it do? Pull a miniature wagon around your property?   

     Mel:   I guess, I am really not sure.  

     Me: I guess they would be really great for midget farmers because they could hook up little wagons and stuff. 

     Mel:   (just stares at me)  

     Me: Is there even such thing as a midget farmer? I mean I am sure there is. Just cause someone is small doesn't mean they can't be a good farmer. 

     Mel:   There are no words, no words. 

Well of course this conversation caused to do a little investagoogling! Apparently "Midget Farmers" is the name of a band...and not a very good one at that. But I couldn't find anything about real working farmers who are also midgets or at least not any pictures. 

Oh well, the idea totally made sense to me at the time. (and you know you agree with me!) So once again I ask, "What they heck do they need so many miniature donkeys for?"  

The Bicycle Battle - Part 1

When Kipper took his new job at Cook Children's last year, he quickly became very interested in cycling since many of his co-workers rode. So after saving up he got his first rode bike and has started riding a few times a week.

We have been talking about getting me a bike so that we can ride together, which was great since I had wanted a bike for a long time.  But Kipper's idea of a bike is not even close to Allie's idea of a bike. 

This is what I had been dreaming of.....

Kipper...not so much. He had found a bike on Craigslist that he thought would be a great deal for me, so he wanted to chat about it last night before he went to look at it today. 

The conversation went something like this. 

     Kipper: Honey, I found the perfect bike for you and I want you to tell me what you think before I drive to Garland to look at it. 

     Me: Is it pink?

     Kipper:  no.

     Me: Does it have fenders? 

     Kipper:  um, no. 

     Me: But it has a basket, right? 

     Kipper:  nope. Just look at it. It is teal. 

     Me: Fine. I could live with teal...after I add fenders and a basket.

     Kipper: (mumbles something to himself...) 

     Me: (looking at the bike) Yea....this is nice and all, but I was thinking    something more like this! (pulling up pictures of this FAB Kate Spade Bike I had found earlier that day) 

    

     Kipper:  Honey..look, that is very cute but not at all practical! If you want to ride with Me, Travis and Becky you need a bike that is functional. 

     Me: That bike is TOTALLY functional! Look at all the stuff you can carry and it even has a chain guard to protect the hem of your skirt from getting caught up in it! 

     Kipper: Really? Honey I love you, but we ride for conditioning. We ride for distance. We ride to train ourselves to become better athletes. If you are going to ride with us, you have to have a real bike. It won't be a Mary freaking Poppins ride through the park.

     Me: Mary Poppins never rode a bike. 

     Kipper:  What? 

     Me: Mary. Poppins. never. rode. a. bike. (opens google)

     Kipper: Yes she did! When she floated up in the sky.  

     Me:  Um, no...she used an umbrella. you are thinking of ET. Mary Poppins did ride a Carousal Horse though. 

     Kipper:  Whatever. It doesn't really matter, you know what I mean. 

     Me: Then why did you say it? 

     Kipper: (mumbles something to himself...)  

     Me:  Now, Julie Andrews did ride a bike in the Sound of Music when she played Maria. 

     Kipper:  See! I told you, Mary Poppins rode a bike! 

     Me: How do you figure that?  

     Kipper: Julie Andrews rode a bike when she played Maria in the Sound of Music. And then Julie Andrews played Mary Poppins. SO Mary freaking Poppins rode a bike! 

     Me: Yea and your Lance Armstrong cause you wear yellow and black when you ride. :)

To be continued...

Little Miss Aubrey

Blast from the Past Post!

Through JWC I have met most of my dearest friends. While we share both the joys and sorrows in our lives, it is always a blessing to get to be apart of celebrating the joyous times in their lives. 

When our sweet friend, Kristen, became engaged to Bridget's brother, Brandon, in the Fall of 2008 it was certainly cause for celebration!!  One that carried straight through from the engagement party, to showers, bachelor/bachelorette parties, right to the wedding. 

Just a year later there was news for celebration again - Kristen and Brandon were expecting!!! (which is code for Allie gets to be crafty!!) 

I got lucky, because Kristen sent me a picture of the nursery so I was really able to base my gift off of it!

I knew I wanted to do a picture frame, but I also decided to do a trinket box to match. (the words/designs in the picture frame are just for presentation...it is an actual picture frame!)

This was my first diaper cake....it was a little more challenging than I expected. While I loved how it turned out, I haven't made one since then! lol.

 Kipper and I loving on Miss Aubrey at JWC's 2011 Holiday Open House. 

We haven't seen Miss Aubrey in a while since her momma isn't in JWC anymore and we all have crazy schedules. But she will be turning 2 in June and is adorable as ever!

Allie Facts: Run From Hell Edition

During my run today I started thinking about all the random things that I think about or tend to discover about myself while doing various things. All of a sudden "Allie Facts" was born...

And while I am sure this will only be amusing to me (and maybe to Kipper)....welcome to the first edition of Allie Facts. :)


- I am 30 years old and I still coordinate by hair bow with my shirt when I go run/workout

- When your best friend texts you a picture of a cupcake right before you go run, all you think about during said run is how much you want a cupcake.

- I  think that I would run faster and further if someone dangled a cupcake in front of me the entire time. 

- Those last two thoughts make me realize that you can make a Polish girl run, the Polish girl can lose weight and get skinny, but deep down inside she will always Polish girl who loves her bread and sweets! 

- When I am running outside and trying to push myself to go a little further, I randomly yell out things like, "Keep going!! No really, don't stop!" for motivation. (even though I have my ipod on full blast and I can't actually hear myself very well)

- Running up a hill, into the wind, 25 minutes into a hard workout do NOT mix well for me.

- I really do feel bad for throwing up in that sweet families yard after getting up said hill.

- The building we run by that I always call the "Moose Lodge" is actually a Knights of Columbus Lodge...on Columbus Trail. (I find that very ironic) 

- Apparently when I sing along to my ipod, I sing much louder than I realize because people sometimes give me very odd looks. 

- I almost asked one guy working in his yard why he was looking at me so oddly? I mean was I off key? (hey it is hard to run and sing at the same time!) 

- I HATE running.....but I won't quit because I am going to kick butt, while wearing a tutu at Warrior Dash in just a month! GO GLITTER WARRIORS!!

Just Living Up To The Name Of My Blog

Let me set the stage. I am in the bathroom brushing my hair after a shower and I something on the floor catches my eye. Kipper walks in as I bend over to examine what it is.

     Kipper: Honey, what are you doing?

     Me: There is something in the grout of the tile. 

     Kipper:  Ok...what is it?

     Me: A rhinestone. (tries to pick it up) Ugh!

     Kipper:  What?

     Me: I can't pick it up. It is liked it is glued down....oh never mind I got it.  

     Kipper:  Ok...

     Me: That was weird...I have no idea how that ended up there. Strange, Huh?

     Kipper:  (shaking head) Yea....Nothing in this house involving rhinestones and glitter surprises me anymore. 

Hmmm...ok then. I wonder if he would be okay with one of these additions to our house? heehee! :) 

Oooh or maybe a rhinestone wall???  (this wall is from Swarovski Cystal Worlds in Austria!)

Hey I am just.....