Off on my tropical vacation...

Yeah, don't I wish. I previously posted about how I joined a "virtual vacation" swap (see what I made & sent here). I just got my package in the mail! This is what I got:

Here's the gorgeous & gigantic batik bag made for me:

Here's everything together - the bag with a matching camera cozy & wristlet pouch, a cooler bag, 2 plastic goblets, some beach toys for Cooper, a Sandals brochure package (so I can envision myself at a tropical resort!), a notebook, and a mini scrapbook kit.

And.. because she knew I love Dr. Seuss, tons of Dr. Seuss fabric!! Seriously, I haven't measured but there's yards of it. It's waterproof fabric so I think I'm going to make a raincoat for Cooper out of it (my mom's suggestion!). Maybe a wetbag for cloth diapers or wet swimsuits too!

Zak & Caycee's birthday bash

The giant Zak-turns-3-and-Caycee-turns-2-and-Justin-turns-30(-but-don't-tell-Justin-'cause-it's-a-surprise-for-him) bash was this past weekend. We ate a ton of food & cake, baked in the hot sun, & watched the kids open (or attack) presents.

Caycee was MIA when it came time for cake. Dayna found her in the pool... in her dress.


I hope these aren't breakable...


And another entry (see the first here and here) for the "most ridiculous present for children ever" - a two-seater Power Wheels fire engine.

And since I know you're wondering.. yes, it does have a siren and it shoots water. And it goes very, very fast.

Justin making sure the kids make it back to the house (Zak wanted to drive around the neighborhood).

I've been busy sewing...

I've made a ton of stuff recently (probably why I have not been blogging as much as I should).

A sock monkey with a heart tattoo on her (?) arm:

Matching shirt & onesie dress for Zak & Caycee:

A police hooded towel for Zak:

A Brobee hooded towel for Caycee. I know, it's totally creepy, but that really is how the character looks (he's from Caycee's favorite show Yo Gabba Gabba).

Here's a picture of the character:

Goodies for Gavin

Congratulations to John's cousin Gina & her husband Patrick who recently welcomed a new baby boy, Gavin, to their family! I haven't made it to visit with Gavin & his almost-2-year-old brother Jake yet (I have a cold & don't want to give it to the newborn), but here are the goodies I made for when I can visit:

Two burp cloths & two onesies for Gavin, and a t-shirt for Jake.

Happy Father's Day!

To all the daddies, but especially to John & my dad! I love you both!

And now for something completely different..

I lied. It's another swap, so same old thing.

Since I know you're all sick of reading about my swaps I'll ask this while I still have your attention: Any ideas for summer meals that don't require the stove or oven? It's about to be in the 90s (summer is finally here!) & I'm anticipating spending most of my days camping my huge pregnant self in Cooper's kiddie pool. The thought of cooking on the stove or with the oven is nauseating & eating hot food doesn't sound all that appealing either.

For the one person who's still reading (hi Mom!), here's a package I sent for a "Virtual Vacation" swap. The idea is everyone chooses their dream vacation spot & then you craft a bag of some type & items to put in it for their vacation or "vacation" (for people like me who aren't taking one, but want to pretend they are). I had to craft for a tropical spot.

I adore this bag. I love the fabric & it came out (far from perfect but) so much better than I expected. It's got a pocket on the front & back (a little hard to see, but it's there between the straps) & it's completely reversible! The inside is the opposite - pink with flowered straps. And it's huge!

Here's everything: the tote bag, a beach bag made from a towel, a sarong (upcycled or repurposed from a thrift store skirt), flip flops with super-soft yarn crocheted on, umbrella picks (for tropical drinks), a mini brag book & mini travel scrapbooking kit, a camera cozy that matches the tote bag, a journal, a scrapbooked recipe book with tropical drinks, appetizers, food, & desserts, a beach towel (found for next to nothing at Target!), & a lei, of course.

Happy (belated) birthday Zak!

I'm a horrible aunt/godmother. Zak's birthday was over the weekend & I'm just now posting about it. Zak turned three (which means no more binkies & no more diapers - lucky mama Dayna!). We went to his house for a "small" celebration.

Zak was nice enough to share the spotlight with Caycee (not that she gives him much of a choice).

Sadly, I didn't get a picture of the two of them licking the cake when we didn't move fast enough to cut it.

Cooper's work is never done..

We even put him to work on the weekends. He was the ring bearer for my friend Joslyn's wedding, although he didn't bear any rings (not even the fake ones) 'cause someone (okay, it was me) forgot the ring pillow in the bridal dressing room. Oops. No one seemed to notice. He helped escort Joslyn's daughter, Althea, down the aisle.






Congratulations to Joslyn & Dave!

Breastfeeding Promotion Act

The Breastfeeding Promotion Act has been introduced in Congress! Click here to learn more about it & then click on the link to tell Congress to support the Act - it takes less than 5 minutes!

My blogiversary

I just noticed I've been blogging over a year! I started on June 12 & this was Cooper then:

Socks, the accessory that goes everywhere

Cooper's been accessorizing a lot lately. He picks up a sock or glove or mitten & instructs us where to put it. Usually it's hand or foot (and not necessarily mittens on hands & socks on feet), but sometimes it's a little more difficult, like stomach, or nose. Luckily, John was able to help him with his request for "ears":

Scavenger Hunt Swap goodies

You may remember I participated in a Scavenger Hunt Swap; yesterday I received my package & look at all the goodies I got:

Sun tote bag ("Seasons" theme), Werther's candy & a cake pin cushion ("something sweet"), taggie blankie for the new baby ("something soft"), Dr. Seuss book & t-shirt ("something for the child in you"), glass dish filled with colorful origami stars & origami envelopes with coins in them (on the taggie blankie; for "origami"), baby boy scrapbooking supplies ("photograph"), cat & dog stuffed animals from vintage patterns ("retro/vintage"), baby hat for my niece on the way with extra embellishments tucked in the brim so I can make a matching onesie or socks ("hair accessory").
Yah! I love all my new stuff! :)

We have a weaner!

Yep, it's true.. Cooper is weaned.
People assure you that no child is still nursing when they get to college, but with Cooper I wasn't so sure about that. From the time he was an infant he wanted to nurse constantly and for at least an hour at a time most of the time. So imagine my shock when he stopped almost cold turkey.
A little over a month ago he was sick & congested. He nursed for a few seconds, then stopped. Started again, then stopped. I assumed he was having trouble breathing while nursing. He eventually just laid his head down on the pillow & fell asleep. For the next several days he would ask to nurse, but then cry or just sign "finished" when he was given the chance. I finally stopped offering and he stopped asking.
I had (have) really mixed feelings about him weaning. I always wanted to nurse him until he self-weaned. When I got pregnant, I wasn't so sure about that anymore. The thought of a newborn needing to be nursed constantly around the clock, plus a toddler was a little overwhelming. I cut Cooper back to just before nap-time & before bedtime. It was really difficult for the first week or so, but then he seemed satisfied with it. But then he did stop, & I didn't even realize it was happening. I thought he was not feeling well & would come back to nursing when he wasn't congested, but suddenly it was just over.
He did ask to nurse again one more time about a week after I had last offered. I was happy to oblige, but when he got close he just blew a raspberry in disgust and turned away. I think the pregnancy has affected the taste or smell or something and he's just not interested anymore.
I know it's probably for the best, but it still makes me sad.

In sibling news, we have a... well, I just let you see for yourself. There's no doubt - it's a boy.

Cooper's latest work

I just mentioned in my previous post that Cooper's been working a lot lately & while I was updating the sidebar I discovered some new photos of him online!
Until I can figure out how to copy the pictures, you can see them here.

Hi, my name is Sarah & I'm a Craftster.org addict...

Yeah, I know, it's getting to be a bit much. I just can't tear myself away from Craftster & almost all my free time is spent on swaps. It's just so much fun though...
My latest swap partner just received her package so I can post pictures of what I sent now. It was a "scavenger hunt" swap so we had to send items that fit into 8 categories. I sent:

Origami animals in glass jars (the category was "origami"), some scrapbooking supplies from the dollar store & a paperweight with a picture of a tree ("photograph"), four vintage children's books I found cheap on eBay (for "retro/vintage"; she mentioned she collects them), a crocheted neck warmer ("soft"), a reusable snack pouch with fruit fabric ("something sweet"), four embroidered towels ("seasons"), a sock monkey ("something for the child inside"), & a bucket hat ("hair accessory"). I also sent a baby hat & onesie as little extras 'cause she mentioned she had a great neice on the way.

I absolutely loved the bucket hat. I couldn't find a pattern for one (well, I couldn't find a FREE pattern for one!) so I bought a bucket hat at the dollar store, pulled out the seam ripper, & made my own pattern. This one wasn't perfect but I'm definitely going to try it again.
I'm so excited to see what I'll get... I'll post pictures when my package arrives.

When I'm not crafting for strangers, I've been taking Cooper to modeling jobs. He's had 3 in two weeks! Keep an eye out for him in the One Step Ahead catalog, especially the Christmas catalog!

Thanks Grandma & Grandpa!

Cooper loves his new table & chairs.