I Heart Photoshop

Ok. I might be slightly obsessed with Photoshop.  Ok. Maybe REALLY obsessed. I have had the opportunity to practice my photography skills this past month. I got to do an engagement session, a newborn session, and a family shoot! Thank you for everyone for letting me take your pics! I have had so much fun and I hope to be able to do many more! I love taking pictures. I have read everything I can get my hands on about my camera and exposure and lighting and composition.  I have to admit though, that my favorite part of the process is the post-editing. I <3 Photoshop. It makes me happy. I mean really. How awesome is to to take a picture from THIS:

TO THIS:

Yep. Photoshop Rocks. 

ready to bake!

Maybe it's the colder weather that will surely be approaching, or maybe it's just my own laziness, but I've been wanting to get my freezer stocked with meals that I can just pull out and throw in the oven this winter.  I have a plan. We'll see how it works. I am planning to cook a meal for my family, eat 1/2 that night and put the other 1/2 in the freezer for a later date. That sounds doable, right?

The other day, I decided I was going to make some homemade cookies. I rarely make homemade for a couple of reasons. I am in love with the Simply Chocolate Chip cookie dough that you just plop on the tray and bake. Also, my mom's recipe that I love and grew up with makes a million cookies. Obviously, I could cut the recipe in 1/2 or something, but that's too much work. However, the other day, I was really craving Momma's cookies and I really wanted an excuse to use this beauty:

So I decided to make my own plop and bake cookies. I used my handy dandy cookie dough baller (best invention ever) to make these trays full of goodness. 

I flash froze them for 30 min or so, and then put them in a freezer bag. 

Now, I can just grab a few out whenever I want and have hot, homemade yumminess. mmmm. 

I also did this with my turkey sausage balls. I can grab out 6 or 8 and bake for a quick breakfast for me and the kids. 

Hopefully one of these days, I can show you a picture of a nicely organized and stocked freezer. Full of meals and ready to cook snacks. In the meantime, I should probably go clean out my freezer so that there is actually room in there to put something :)  Hope you are all having a blessed day!

-Mica

Winter Crafts

I have had a few winter crafts on my mind lately. I've been seeing lots of cute scarves out and about lately and I was trying to think of ways to update the old ones I have that I'm tired of wearing. I came up with this:

I took an old pashmina and ruffled it using elastic thread. Instant update :) Plus, can you ever have too many ruffles? I think not. 

Then I made these fingerless glove out of an old sweater. Not exactly an original idea. But I love the fact that they were FREE! This style is great for keeping warm, while still being able to use your phone, take pictures, buckle car seats, etc. 

I made the rosettes out of the neckline of the sweater. 

Just for the sake of keeping it real, this is why I call myself a Kamikaze Krafter. Really. Would it have killed me to take 2 seconds to change out my thread? Yes. It would have. I had to get it done ASAP!!

This one looks a little less terrible. I figured I had 2 seconds to spare. 

So those are some of my fun re-purposing projects. I LOVE making something new out of something old. 

Due Date

Dear Bella,

Yesterday was November 2nd. When we first found out that we were going to have another baby, the doctors told us that we should expect to meet them sometime around November 2nd. That was back before we knew you. Back when only your Creator knew your story. For 19 weeks I carried you. I did not know if you were a boy or a girl. I did not know your name. But I knew I loved you and would love you for the rest of my life.

On June 6th, we went in for our ultrasound and finally met you. Our precious baby girl. Only then, did we begin to learn that your story was not what we had expected--not what we had hoped. Our plans for the future started to change and adapt. Our HOPE in God was strong, but he told us to prepare. We did not know what to expect, but we knew we loved you. And would love you for the rest of our lives.

After meeting you, Bella, and seeing your beautiful face on the screen, I carried you with me for 12 more weeks. The weeks were both wonderful and terrible. I wanted more of them. I wanted to carry you forever so that you would be nice and safe in my belly. I cherished every kick.

You decided that you just couldn't wait to meet your mommy, so you came out to say Hi, 9 weeks early. For 10 minutes you heard us tell you that we love you and will love you for the rest of your life. For 10 minutes, you got a million kisses. For this momma, 10 minutes just weren't enough. But I take comfort in knowing that for the rest of eternity, you get to hear the Father tell you that He loves you.

Yesterday was November 2nd. The day you were supposed to be born. It was a hard day for your momma. We miss you every day. Your story was short. It ended too soon, and yet it has only begun. Thank you for everything you taught me. Thank you for making me a better momma and a better person. I love you, my sweet Bella, and I will love you for the rest of my life.

Love, Your Momma.

The above photos were taken for us at the hospital by Valerie Vaughn, a Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Photographer. We appreciate them and cherish them.

Thank you to everyone who was thinking of me and praying for me on my due date. It was a very rough day, but I made it through. Thank you to my sweet friends for loving me even when i'm pitiful and anti-social. I couldn't have made it through the last few months without you guys.

The Ugly, The Bad, and The Good.

I'm looking forward to the day when I can write a post on here that says, "Last week was an AWESOME week!" Or even, "today was a GREAT day!!!"  Hopefully soon those statements will ring true. For the meantime, let's go with "the last few weeks have been pretty good." :)

The last couple of weeks have been rough for the obvious reason. But unfortunately, my kids have also decided to completely change up our daily schedule on me. At a time in my life when I could really use some "alone time" or even just "quiet time" I no longer have either!! argh. Before a couple of weeks ago, Sis still took a morning and afternoon nap (a couple of hours each) and brother napped for a couple of hours in the afternoon (almost always at the same time as Sissy. Nowadays, Sis sleeps for about 2 hours in the afternoon, right after lunch, and Brother NEVER sleeps!! and rarely stops talking. I try to at least make him play in his room for a while, but if I get 45 min I am lucky. So, our days are feeling very long to say the least. I know it will just take some time to adjust to this new routine, but MAN it came at a bad time for me. I feel anxious and antsy a lot and I think it is because I don't have a chance to get the things done that I NEED to get done, much less the things that I WANT to do. I also don't get a chance to just sit and mentally process things. It just leaves me feeling unsettled. The past few weeks have definitely had a few ugly days, some bad ones, but lots of good ones. 

The good days are finally starting to outnumber the bad. We have been making a concerted effort to get out as a family and do some fun activities with the kids. We have been to some fun birthday parties, taken a trip to the aquarium, and visited the pumpkin patch. I have finally gotten a couple of things checked off my sewing TO DO list. I have had a ton of fun helping my brother's fiance plan their wedding. And I have gotten some fun opportunities to sharpen my photography skills. Here is a look at our past couple of weeks in pictures.

Things I am Dreading: Tomorrow. Tomorrow was my due date. So weird to think that for the last 9 weeks, I "should have been" pregnant. Hopefully tomorrow will be uneventful. Instead of giving birth to a healthy, full-term baby on Nov 2nd, I will be going back to my doctor to see why in the world my belly is still hurting. ARGH!

Things I am looking forward to!: sewing, taking pictures, getting a pedicure, seeing my kids when they get back from Mimi's, giving them lots of kisses, hosting my family for thanksgiving, going on vacation with my hubby!!


I have to keep focusing on the many, many blessings in my left, or else the sadness starts to overshadow them. The last few weeks have been rough. Here's hoping that the next few weeks will be awesome. :)