I'm back... until the next time I am gone...

So what has happened to me?

After I started making Strolli Cools, which people are still buying and enjoying!, I was like wait... I can make OTHER stuff, too. I told my husband last night how weird it is that when I first started making the Strolli Cools that it didn't even occur to me that I would be able to make/sell other fun things. And now, it's like I dread making Strolli Cools sometimes because it's like old hat at this point.

To be honest, I taught myself to sew at the beginning of the summer. So the Strolli Cool was the first thing I ever made. As far as being the first thing you've ever sewn, it's not exactly an "easy" thing to make. It's not super hard either, but compared to a burp cloth, it's more challenging for sure.

I think I have even impressed myself with how quickly I have picked up sewing. I do think that I have an advantage over the average person because I have a college degree in understanding and assessing apparel. Even though I never used a sewing machine once in college, I took a class where I had to learn every type of stitch, pleat, hem, seam, etc., and how it's done. I also took a science lab where I had to learn just about every single type of fabric and how they work in apparel applications. With that said... I have always known how the clothes are put together, I just had never taken a crack at it with a machine.

So. I have made a lot of shit since the last post. A lot.

5 blankets
20 burp cloths
2 dog beds
30 headbands
4 skirts
2 bathrobes
6 sensory toys
2 pairs of shorts
10 dog bows
5 lovies

Basically, I sew when Henry naps, and I sew as soon as Tom gets home until I go to bed. Recently, I have chilled out a little bit. I am really tired, plus I have been doing a lot of work on the computer with rebranding my etsy store and researching supply vendors for all the wacky ideas I have in my head. And then of course, I am also supposed to be a good wife and a good mom, and keep my dogs alive, and clean the house. And plus PLUS, people keep ordering invitations from me! Which is really great, but it kind of mentally derails me from designing and making things.

The irony of all of this is... I will sew for five hours straight, but I am too lazy to post any of this stuff to etsy to actually sell it. The main reason is, it's REALLY hard for me to take pictures of things. Good pictures have to be taken outside during the day... and with Henry, it's just never feels like a good time. Plus, I also want to get some of the packaging I have had made in my possession before I try to market this stuff.

My new etsy store is called PRINCIE and you can visit it at etsy.com/shop/princiedesigns . Princie was an amazing woman I worked with in Tulsa, and one day I will tell you all about her.

I do not know how often I will be able to blog these days. I would like to be consistent about it, but please just accept that the quality of posts may not be as good. They will probably be more diary-like going forward, and I simply cannot allocate any time to making cool graphics that really serve no purpose other than looking good. Not until this moment in my life have I ever understood the phrase TIME IS MONEY... And girl, this blog has made me about $3 this past year. Speaking of, I got a credit card reader for my iPhone. I have never had the opportunity to use it, but I feel pretty awesome just having it.

The remainder of this post will be pictures from my iPhone that showcase what I have been up to. Everything you see, including Henry's shorts were made by me. There is no time for extra editing or any of that nonsense...

If you follow this blog because you are a stranger on the internet who happens to like reading my posts, your best bet is to follow me on instagram at PRINCIEDESIGNS. For the other 99% of you who know me from real life, you know where to find me. 

Love,

Lauren

PS - OMG I left my laptop at airport security out of state a couple weeks ago and didn't realize until I was mid flight. Because Henry's birth was in 2012, this might have been the most dramatic moment of my life this year. Many phone calls and $108 later, it's back. Safe and sound...

And the winner is...

Yayyy! I am super excited for Courtney! She actually happens to be a good friend from middle/high school that I knew from orchestra. That's right... ORCHESTRA. I play the viola. I used to be quite good. Don't ask me to play for you because the truth is, there is very little solo music for viola that anyone would care about hearing. Although, I do have the Titanic music book from 1998, so if you would be interested in listing to the instrumental version of "Take her to sea, Mr. Murdoch" I could maybe make that happen for you. 

Anyway, Courtney has two beautiful little girls and another baby on the way, so I know she'll get some good use out of it!

And for no special reason... here is my child, being a nut job...

Love,

Lauren

Where do I begin?

Life has gotten kind of out of control lately. In a good way, but in a blog-neglecting way as well.

Henry is 9 months old today, and tomorrow is my final weigh in. I honestly think I am going to be ONE pound off. ONE. It really is fine, because I could easily get rid of one pound in an extra week... but to have lost 29 lbs instead of 30 is kind of dumb. I will let you know tomorrow! Here is a picture taken this weekend that I feel reflects some weight loss...

We are adding a big patio onto the back of our house and the workers started today. With a napping baby and two nutty dogs, it's a lot of tension.

We went to my parents' lake house all last week in Marble Falls. It was a really great place to be for the 4th of July. We entered the parade, and Henry got his first swing. I guess the judges couldn't fully appreciate my vision, because we didn't win...

Henry is crawling now which means I literally can't do anything while he is awake. We still haven't baby proofed the house or bought baby gates, so I have to watch him every second...

BUT ALL OF THAT IS SMALL POTATOES! I am in the process of starting a business. I already have an etsy store where I sell invitations and digital art. That part of the store has remained pretty small because I have been booked up doing custom work for friends. Which is so much fun, by the way, and if you are ever interested in a custom invitation, I would be happy to work with you! Also, if you see something somewhere else that you like, I can re-create most stuff as well. 

So what is this business, you ask? Remember the stroller cooling pad I made for Henry a couple weeks ago? Well, it has been a huge hit with other moms, and I quickly realized that I had something special on my hands. I am looking to launch everything on Thursday. It has been a lot of hard work. I got in the water ONCE while being at the lake for a week because I was sewing my life away. Here is a small sneak peek!

I will let you guys know when everything goes live this week! Stay tuned and thanks for checking in!

Love,

Lauren

Henry: 8 months!

We are two thirds of the way through our first year. Which basically means I need to start planning his birthday party immediately.

Henry hasn't been to the doctor in a while, so I honestly have no clue how big he is. I know that he is somewhere between 19 and 20 pounds, and that is ALL that I know. His head doesn't seem to be getting any smaller in proportion to his body, so ole Henny big head is here to stay. PS - my nick name for Henry is Henny. His nickname was supposed to be Hank (which I love and find absolutely adorable), which is a big reason we named him Henry, but not one time have I ever felt compelled to call him Hank.

My favorite thing to report on is Henry's teeth. He currently has one tooth on top and THREE on the bottom. It's a really good look for a baby, I guess. We had been paying so much attention to when the top teeth were going to come in, that we didn't event notice that a side tooth on the bottom had popped out. I looked it up on the internet (you know, that thing, the internet), and everything is coming in out of order. Maybe a wisdom tooth will be next? Either way, I desperately need a break from teething. I can imagine how badly it hurts to bust a tooth through your gums, and Henry definitely lets us know how uncomfortable it is. They need to make XL teething-sized bottles of baby tylenol because we go through one in like a week.

The next order of business is crawling. Henry CAN crawl, he just chooses not to. Kind of like how I CAN cook, but it's really just not for me. He goes backwards, and around in a circle, but for some reason, as soon as he needs to go forward, he gives up and starts whining. I have no explanation for it other than he is teething 24/7 these days, and isn't in the right frame of mind to take on new challenges at the moment. Plus, he knows that mommy can't say no to a sad baby, so he is probably just waiting for me to come pick him up when he is on his tummy.

He is talking, as in making lots of noises and sounds, but no words yet. I seriously hold his fingers on my mouth, Helen Keller style, while I say mama over and over again. Doesn't seem to be making a difference. He makes a lot of "ba ba ba" sounds, but no ma or da.

Henry is getting into EVERYTHING these days. He straight up pulled a lamp off my nightstand today (as I was holding him), so he cannot be trusted with anything, really. Sometimes I have no choice but to let him sit on my lap while I do my makeup, and he goes insane with my makeup drawer. I wouldn't care except I have lip glosses in there that are like nasty 5 year old relics from college that may have been dropped on the floor of a bar at some point. We are now the people who at a restaurant have to take everything off of the table. The people who have no control over their infant. Henry is also finally starting to get mad when you take things away from him. Before, it didn't seem to matter. But now, it's like ... real bad.

My child is still an excellent night sleeper. He averages about 11.5 hours a night and never wakes up. His naps have been a moving target for the past month or two. I feel like I spend every day stressing out about his naps. The science of baby napping is so delicate. It's like you want them to sleep as much as possible (so you can watch your DVR), but you know that if their first nap of the day is too long, that you will pay for it when he doesn't nap the rest of the day. And by dinner time, he is so unbelievably tired and grumpy that there's nothing you can do to make it better. Imagine a very fine scale that can detect grains of sand added or taken away. That's the best imagery I can provide for how on edge naps make me all day.

So here he is... my baby...

These pictures are getting harder and harder to take...

I love this little baby more than anything on earth. He is my little angel, and I'm super proud of both of us for making it this far. Of course, we couldn't have done it without that dad person that lives in the house, too. 

Love,

Lauren

The most perfectly preppy 1st birthday!

One of Henry's bffs had her first birthday party this past weekend. It was a really fun pool party that featured hot dogs and sangria. The theme was preppy pink and navy, a la Vineyard Vines. There was a lot of cute whale action happening, and we were happy to dress the part. Had to match the invitation. Duh...

"Preppy" is not really a word I use to describe my personal style. I LOVE monogramming and J. Crew, but somehow I just don't think of myself as being preppy. But, of course, I have plenty of items in my closet that can be combines for occaisions such as this...

tank // Alternative Apparel
skirt // Banana Republic
swim suit // J. Crew***
bracelets // Kate Spade & Henri Bendel
sunglasses // Oliver Peoples
sandals // Frye (similar)

 Seriously. The most amazingly gorgeous cookies I have ever seen...

It's really nice when you show up to a party and the food matches your outfit...

This cake. I have no words... 

Me and my sweet baby angel boy... 

My guys. Henry is all about sticking out his tongue lately...

First time in a real swimming pool... 

The beautiful birthday girl with her mama. Navy and pink always and forever... 

He loves his dad...

I think this picture belongs in a gallery somewhere. The way all the babies are looking elsewhere and Henry is looking straight at me feels very artistic. Also slightly creepy...

I made this...

I can't believe that little girl is already a year old. She was still a sweet little baby when I met her, and now she is a ONE YEAR OLD. Crazy. The moral of this story is that I need to start planning Henry's October birthday part immediately. He loves watching Real Housewives with me, so maybe we'll do a Bravo-themed party. I mean, RIGHT?

Love,

Lauren

*** Do not buy this swimsuit. It is really cute on (no, I am not going to post pictures of me wearing a swim suit), but the lining is nude and it should match the red. The reason it matters is because the straps hook onto the inside lining, and when you wear it, the tension causes the nude lining to stick out. J. Crew should know better!