shutting it down

Hello friends.  So you may know by now that I have a new blog home called annie & m.  Sadly, I learned that another online business has a name crazily similar to letter A studio.  Just scooch one letter to the left and they'd be the same.  So I have moved blogs in order to avoid any awkwardness later.

Some of you follow me here at letter A studio.  Please be a doll & follow me over at annie & m.  I am going to shut this blog down for good at the end of the month (February).  So you have to follow me if you want to see what I am up to.  It's easy.  Just head over to the new blog & friend me via google friend connect in the sidebar.  I love you all & am grateful for you for following me here.  See you at annie & m!

--Anna

moving day

Hello friends!  Today is the big day!!

Hop on over to my new blog - annie & m.  

I will leave this blog open indefinitely, but will no longer be posting here.  So please join me at my new blog home.

Hope to see you there!
--Anna

hello there: EDITED

Hello friends.  You've been missed.  I probably owe you a better explanation than the one I dished out in my last post.  Um, yes, I am moving......to a new blog.  It is getting a small makeover as I make dreams & plans about where I'd like my blog to go in 2012.  So sit tight as I make final touches and the full reveal will come later this week.  I hope you'll join me :)

Love,
--Anna

UPDATE: I have had to set things back a whole day because we had a showing for our house and I spent the entire day cleaning.  So the new blog reveal will be Monday, not today like I had hoped.  Please be sure to stop by here on Monday to see where my new bloggy home is!

have yourself a merry little Christmas

My posts have been few and far between.  We've been keeping busy with little projects to make our holiday a little more meaningful and fun this year.  The stockings are hung, which the kids made of brown paper bags & yarn last night.  I was bummed when I pulled our real stockings out of the Christmas bin this year, only to find 3 of them had holes in them.  I was not feeling to inclined to repair them so we opted for a handmade version.

To pass the time, Nonee & I made some paper snowflakes, which now hang above the little village atop our piano.  It was quite amusing to watch him try with all his might to cut through the layers of paper.  Apparently, snowflakes are not just for decoration.  They make great masks too!  Who knew?!

The kids & I are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Mr. on Christmas Eve.  He is my Christmas present this year and I couldn't think of anything better.  I kinda have a crush on him ;)

I wish you all the merriest little Christmas and New Year!  I do not foresee myself posting at all till the new year rolls around and when it does, I have a little surprise to share!!  I'll give you a hint: there is moving involved.  No, we did not sell our house yet.  Grrrr.

school craftiness

I always look forward to this time of year.  My fridge is guaranteed to be decorated with some cute school crafts.  Tot is in first grade and seems to come home with some sort of craftiness every other day.  Today, it was a snowman.  And in true Tot style, every inch of that paper is embellished with little crayon drawings.  Hearts and stars are her favorite "extra", along with the word "love".   She's pretty sweet.

I plan on keeping this cute project for a bit before throwing  sneaking it into the trash when she's not around.  I know, shame on me.  But let's face it, flat art projects are much easier to fit in a manila folder at the end of the year.  

So how about you - do you keep every little art project your kids bring home or do you enjoy them for a while before disposing of them?  Do tell.

--Anna

Dear Santa

Monday night is family night at our house.  Usually we have a short spiritual lesson, followed by a game and a treat.  But last night I decided to break from the mold a little bit and just do something simple and fun to get the kids in the holiday spirit.  We wrote letters to Santa.  

I found a sweet little printable HERE and had them write down the gifts they hoped Santa would be bringing them this year.   Then we put them in our Santa can for the jolly old man to take with him Christmas Eve when he delivers presents & eats his homemade treats.  We finished the night off with some mint chocolate chip ice cream - the best flavor ever ;)

Do your kiddos write letters to Santa?  I'd love to see!

xo,

--Anna

our halls are decked

I decided to go light on the decorating this year because our sweet, old brick house is still on the market.  We've seriously got to get this place sold!  Anyhoo, the Mr. requested photos of decorations and such & I thought it would be fun to share them with you too.  We are looking forward to his arrival on Christmas Eve.  I get a little more giddy as each day passes, knowing we will all be together for Christmas this year.

Poor Nutcracker has seen better days.  I am thinking this will be his last Christmas with us.

The only decoration that is lacking is a tree.  We don't do the fake tree thing, although I am seriously wanting a vintage silver tinsel tree like my grandma had growing up.  Nevermind the fact that it fell over on me a couple of times as a child.   Since it is so dry here in the desert, real trees don't last longer than a couple of weeks before they become a major fire hazard.  So we hit the tree lot 2 weeks before the 25th.  For now, we will enjoy what simple things we do have.

What about you - is your house all decked out or simple & festive?

Have a lovely weekend,
--Anna

sickies

Nonee went to sleep a healthy boy on Sunday night & woke up with the nastiest manly cough on Monday morning.  He requests chicken noodle soup for breakfast and dry cheerios in a cup for lunch.  He can't speak above a whisper, which is tough for this kiddo because he is hardly ever silent.  

I imagine today will be filled with naps and cartoons.  

I plan on hiding away in my craft room to catch up on little things that need new buttons & holes repaired. 

--anna

it's the little things

There is something about taking a moment to appreciate the world's beauty that calms me.  The kids & I spent Thanksgiving eve & day at my mom's.  Her backyard became my resting place when it was too chaotic inside.  Her little space is full of beauty.  And it all makes me perfectly content.

I hope you have a lovely Monday.

--Anna

turkey day place cards

I know Thanksgiving is officially over and it seems kind of silly to share a turkey day craft tutorial with you, but I got to thinking that it might come in handy for Christmas.  I'm all about the sharing, you know (wink, wink).  

You'll need the following supplies to make these:

1. cream colored card stock

2.  fall-themed stamp & inkpad

3.  black pen (I like Micron pens)

4.  pinecone

Cut your card stock into squares, stamp them & add someone's name.  Or you can add just the first initial of your guest to the card like I did.  These are so easy, your kids can do them.  It will keep them busy while you make your fancy dinner.  Or you can whip them up yourself in 10 minutes flat.  What's not to like about that?

I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday with loved ones and that you are safe & well.

xo,

--Anna

giving thanks

Fall is by far my favorite time of year.  Who can resist wearing cute sweaters whilst sipping warm apple cider?  Not me, that's who.  I am really looking forward to Thanksgiving, which just happens to be next week.  It seems Christmas has trumped the poor holiday, but Thanksgiving will always be my favorite.  Perhaps it's because my birthday shares the same month.  November celebrations gotta stick together yo.

I'm slightly embarrassed to admit my Thanksgiving/Fall decor is somewhat lacking.  When Halloween rolls around, I put out all the Fall decorations too.  But once the Halloween stuff is put away, I see that a few pumpkins and some pretty candles just don't cut it.  I needed some etsy inspiration and thought it would be fun to share some Thanksgiving goodness with you.

{shop: AliciaArtshop}

{source: twoinspireyou}

{source: BettyandBarclay}

{source: theletteredlane}

{source: RamonaOwenDesigns}

Have a lovely weekend,

--Anna

over the weekend, we.....

I'm still soaking in the goodness of this past weekend.  Or in my case, extended weekend.  My birthday, which was on Thursday, was the best of days.

I made chocolate cupcakes with dark chocolate chip peppermint frosting in teal.  So good.

Booga was awarded his Bear badge at scouts that night.  The Mr. arrived earlier that day & got to be the bear in the tent that gave Carter his bear claw.   I love the scouting program and what it offers.  Booga's working on earning a conservation badge - I think fishing is involved :) 

Earlier that day, while the kiddos were at school, I got to pick up the Mr. from the airport.  It was kinda of surreal seeing him for the first time in 8 weeks.  His visit was quick (he left yesterday), but I am so grateful for the time we were able to spend together as a complete family.   And he set up the wireless feature on the laptop so I can be lazy & blog on the couch now.  Thanks hon.

Still no bites on our house yet, so we just keep plugging along in hopes that some somewhere will buy this place up quick so we can start our lives in Virginia.  All of my crafting supplies are packed up and I am itching for a project.  Oh, I so need to move.

What about you?  When you are in the process of selling your home, do you keep out your crafting stash or pack it all up so your house stays clean for showings?

Have a lovely day,

--Anna

it's my birthday

I am officially thirty-four today.   

This happy day will be filled lots of goodness, like:

1. frosting some chocolate cupcakes (with chunky chocolate vanilla icing)

2.  house cleaning (no, not so fun, but it must be done)

3.  picking up the Mr. from the airport (now this is MUCH more fun!)

4.  a visit to the orthodontist (Boo's teeth are straightening out so quickly)

5.  cub scouts (Booga's getting his Bear badge tonight)

AND

6.  hanging out with my favorite little guy all day

I hope you have a fabulous day, too :)

--Anna

Make It Monday: dress re-do

Hello friends :)

After my last post, I feel like I am on track with a lot of things & ready to share a not-such-a-downer post, ha!  So today, I will be sharing a dress re-do for a sweet little number I picked up for Tot at a local thrift shop for a buck.  Not too shabby, eh?  It is the perfect floral pattern for fall & summer, can be worn with or without tights/leggings, and is long enough that it will last her a couple seasons before she grows out of it.

  Let's get started.

The straps on the dress were much too big.  The sewing job on the front was not well done so I ripped the seams on the front and left the back of the straps in place.  I had her try on the dress so I could pin the straps exactly the right length before sewing them in place.

I didn't cut off the excess - just in case she has some crazy growth spurt and the straps need to be lengthened.  We just tucked them behind the bodice of the dress and they stay hidden perfectly.

The skirt of the dress was much too long - down to her feet.  I wanted something that would fall just below her knee, allowing her room to grow.  While she was trying on the dress, I placed a pin at the length I wanted the skirt.  Then I laid the skirt out flat and cut it straight across.  You can use a ruler if you like but I just eyeballed it.  

Then I folded the end in 1/4 inch and folded it in again, pinning in place as I went.  Then I sewed a straight stitch at the top of the hem and the bottom.  I wish I had a serger.  But for this project, a straight stitch will do.

It only took me an hour to complete this little project - and that includes taking time to help with math homework & make dinner.  Mothers are fabulous multi-taskers.  And now Tot has a cute little dress.

Happy Monday.

xo,

--Anna

some (heavy) random thoughts

This post will be a little deep but some stuff I feel like I need to share....or get out of my system.....just to keep it real.

The Mr. left for our new home in Virginia 8 weeks ago.  Now I know that there are some that say that is nothing compared to what they've endured, but it is by far the longest amount of time we have been separated.  I admit I am slowing down.  Getting plain worn out.  Taking care of 4 kids & all the extras they require (homework, church stuff, playmates, etc.) takes a lot out of a parent.  Especially if they have to do all the parenting on their own.  We are in the process of selling our home.  I bust my butt every day just in case someone wants to come look at it.  But in the 8 weeks we've had it on the market, we've not had a single looker.  I have no idea why.  It's rather discouraging and I am beginning to wonder how we are going to pay for our things to get to VA.  We can't live apart forever.  It just isn't right.  So for now we are relying on the Lord for help & comfort & strength to get through.  I know He has a plan for us.  I just wish I knew what it was.

The last few months have been rough.  I have a hard time thinking clearly.  I'm tired (a lot) and grouchy.  The list goes on & on.  I also have hypothyroidism, thus the cruddy health issues.  I wanted to get over it...treat it.....control it.  But after seeing a handful of endocrinologists & a naturopath over the last 4 years or so, I've given up on help.  In fact, about 3 years ago, I gave up on all doctors completely.  Which meant I stopped taking a steroid medication I had been taking all my life (because I was born with a condition called adrenal hyperplasia).  I lost weight.  After a full year of being medicine free, I lost 75lbs.  It was great for my self-esteem, but my thyroid symptoms were back on in full force and I knew I needed help.  So I found an endocrinologist that actually listened to me when I told him how I felt and that I wanted him to work with a naturopath to "fix" me.  In a short time, I came to realize my naturopath was more of a pill pusher & I wasn't feeling any better over time.  My visits stopped.  My endocrine doc regulated my steroid usage & put me on something new to help with my thyroid symptoms.  In the last six months, I gained 35lbs. back.  And my symptoms are the worst they've ever been.  In the last few weeks I had the thought that I should change my diet.  I've read/heard several times that people change what they eat to help with cancer & other illnesses.  Why couldn't this help me?  For the most part, I eat pretty well.  I hardly ever buy processed foods and try to watch the sugar intake.  But I am a sucker for chocolate.  Milk chocolate.  I could eat it all day long.  So while pinning on Pinterest late one night, I stumbled on a pin that I felt was my answer to this whole diet thing.  A witty woman by the name of Sarah Wilson recently put out an e-book titled "I Quit Sugar".  I was a responsible pinned & pinned through to her site.  And I couldn't stop reading it.  I could relate to her posts about thyroid issues on so many levels.  Quitting sugar is supposed to help my body better handle the crappy thyroid symptoms - something traditional medicine hasn't done for me.  So I'm giving it a go.  I'm in the middle of week one of the process and have already noticed that I eat a lot of food with hidden sugars.  Kind of eye-opening.  I'll be sharing my thoughts/results with you during this quitting sugar process.  Not because I want accolades every time I lose a pound (if I lose any at all), but because I am hoping I can help someone else in the process.  I know how crappy it is to go through this alone.  No one else should have to.

Don't worry.  Not all my posts will be this serious.  It will be the same around here, for the most part.  But I am a mom & have a real life & you need to know that it's not all la-dee-da around here all the time.  Ya know?

Oh, here's a link to Sarah's website.  You'll love it.  I promise ;)

http://www.sarahwilson.com.au/

xo,
--Anna