An Imperfect Heart for my Funny Valentine

The snow abounds.
There is more coming, or so the weather man says.
The light of a new day is beginning to shine through the icicles hanging from our front porch.
The fire is crackling in the fire place, and my mug is full of warm coffee.
I can hear little feet rustling around and the squeak of the bedroom door. My Funny Valentine slowly makes her way down the stairs, puppy in hand, crawls up into my lap, and lays her head on my shoulder.
I kiss her head and breathe her in.
It's times like these that make me love her so much I can barely breathe.
She turns, looks into my eyes, holds my face in her pudgy little toddler hands and says, "Mommy, can I have pancakes?".
Pancakes? Little girl I would give you the world.
Pancakes are definitely something I can handle.

We venture into the kitchen and mix up a batch of the prettiest pancakes you have ever seen.

I use Bisquick- I am NOT Betty Crocker. We add a little red food coloring to make things extra magical, because only princesses can eat pink pancakes. I tell her they are her Valentine pancakes, and proceed to make them heart shaped.
Yeah, ok, more blob shaped.
The look on her face was one of awe.
They were pink.
They were semi-heart shaped.
They were made for her- with all the love I could muster.
She looks up at me with her big hazel eyes and says,
"Thanks Mama! They are the best pancakes in the world!"
First of all, she called me Mama- melts me every time.
Secondly, it made me take a step back and think for a moment.
They were the most imperfect heart pancakes ever made. Yet my baby girl knew she was loved, and that I loved making them for her.
Sometimes as parents we think that things have to be perfect. We try so hard to give them what we did'nt have, or work so many hours in a day that they don't get the best of us, they get what is left of us.

As simple as this pink breakfast seemed,
I was reminded of the importance of life's simple things.
Simple joys.
Simple Pleasures.
The importance of my time and a little effort. They are little for such a short time.
Happy Valentine's Day, my Funny Valentine!
Love,
Mama

Ahh..Sweet Comfort Food

The winds are howling, the snow is passing the 24" mark, and the best place to be is home in bed with your head under the covers. You close your eyes and roll over, soaking in the delish feeling of the warm blankets, knowing that you could'nt go anywhere, even if you wanted to. As you are falling back to sleep, wonderful aromas come drifting your way. They are enticing you to climb out of bed and explore the heavenly scents that are beckoning you from the kitchen. Mmmm....fresh coffee and something sweet and warm baking on the stove.Let me share with you the wonder and deliciousness that is LipSmackinCreations! The tastes and aromas coming from her kitchen are always enough to take your breath away and keep you coming back for more. With many new pancake mixes, cookies, and bake mixes, you are sure to find many items to entice your taste buds. Her customers have come back again and again for that home baked goodness with the ease of a mix. I have baked more of her items than I can possibly count, and I swear each one is my favorite- until I try the next. I have seasoned my beef, chicken breasts, and noodles with her spice mixes and convinced my two year old that her "Grammy Bea's" sweet sprinkles are a magical toast topping that only princesses are allowed to eat.
The best thing about LipSmackinCreations is the sweet and vivacious owner. She treats all of her customers as if she is pouring them a cup of coffee and baking her tempting treats just for them in her own country kitchen. Her kitchen is always full of tempting aromas that make you want to sit and stay a while.
She has recently changed her packaging to save on the increase in shipping costs, and now offers her items wrapped in beautifully hand made boxes and fabric bags. They make a beautiful gift for a friend or a treat for yourself.The next time that the snow is falling, the rain is pouring, or the kids need some fun time with the people that love them, open your kitchen cabinet to find everything you need in one scrumptious bag from LipSmackinCreations. Stop by her Etsy shop for a vast array of tempting treats that will please even the littlest, pickiest eater. They will keep your lips smackin' for more!

The Drama Queen Diaries

"Would you PLEASE get your socks and shoes on! Would you PLEASE brush your teeth! Would you PLEASE brush your hair .....NOW!" Yes, it is the same as it was yesterday, and it will be the same tomorrow. We are running out the door to get to the bus stop 2 miles away... only to see the big yellow beast whizzing by before we get there. AAGGHH!!! My nerves are shot..yet again.
Mornings are rough. At times they drive me outright insane. But this, my dear friends is the daily struggle in the life of my child with ADHD. She forgets that we have to brush our hair every day. She can't organize her thoughts without a list. She gets overwhelmed, mouthy, and weepy. She is a handful. A beautiful, vivacious, and at times, downright difficult 10 year old with a whopping case of ADHD. Believe me, I will be hiding under the bed when the teen years come around. I am afraid, very afraid.
When I begged God for a baby, after two years of trying to get pregnant, I never imagined how wonderfully frightening, completely fulfilling, and amazingly difficult being a parent could be. When this big, pink, screaming baby was dropped in my arms, I thought, OK, what now? She continued to scream through 3 months of colic. What was I thinking? THIS is motherhood? Crazy. I must have been crazy.
That little one, who was 10 pounds and 5 ounces, now looks me in the eye, wears my clothes, and has surpassed my shoe size. That "little" girl has changed me. She has made me a woman- she has forced me to grow, as a believer, and as a mother. I watch her with her little sister. She loves her. Deeply. She adores her. I have never seen such unconditional love between sisters. It is almost as if my youngest is saying, "Yep, this is my crazy, rammy, beautiful sister, and I love her for who she is, and not what everyone thinks she should be". I need to take a lesson from that insightful toddler. My Elizabeth is my heart. Are there times when I want to pack her bags and ship her to Borneo? YES! Almost every day. Especially in the morning. On the other side of that golden coin is my 10 yr old baby girl; loving and giving, passionate and compassionate, driven and confident. When she loves you, she loves you deeply. Sometimes we need to step back and take a look at the big picture. We need to be thankful for our blessings, our trials, and for all of the things that make us who we are. Life can change on a dime. If I lost her tomorrow, would I have regrets? Yes, we all would. It is my job as her Momma to make that list of regrets as short as possible.
I spent a few days at the shore with my Grandmother for her birthday and to get a "Momma" break. I missed my girl, I truly missed her. She has the day off from school today, and I intend to have some fun with my whirlwind princess.
God, I thank you for my crazy beautiful life, with all of it's trials and tribulations, and for my children who own my heart. You are truly gracious. Help me to be a better Mama than I was yesterday, and an even better Mama tomorrow.

My addiction...

Yes, I am not ashamed to admit it...I have an addiction to luscious, beautiful, colorful fabric. It goes far beyond the edge of reason, I'm afraid. I have hundreds of yards of this delicacy, yet I always seem to need just a bit more. With a recent large order being paid for, I set out to find a new fabric store that carried all of MY favorite designers. I am a sucker for a beautiful Tina Givens creation, and just melt for Anna Maria Horner.
With my Spring designs jumping from the pages of my sketchbook, I started the web surfing- looking for the best prices for the fabric for my newest creations. Lately, I have preferred Etsy to ebay, because I can't seem to get the same customer service as I do with Etsy; however, I had the time to check it out, and started the ebay search. Lo and behold, I found an amazing store! Cotton Fabric Shop carries my favorite designers, has the best prices that I have found ANYWHERE, and has the most wonderful store owner- what a bonus! I got amazing customer service. As a business owner myself, it's the customer service that makes me return.
For those that share my addiction, please stop over to Cotton Fabric Shop and browse. I can guarantee, if you have a true addiction, you won't leave empty handed! Thank you so much Laura, I will be back. Often.
Have a wonderfully whimsical day =)

New Shop Contest Rules Expanded!

Half-Pint Creations is expanding! I have decided to open a new shop by the beginning of next month. My new shop is in desperate need of a name. I am holding a contest to find that new name. The shop will carry appliques, fabrics, scrap packs, hand sculpted buttons, and patterns of some of my designs.
I had originally asked for music related names for the shop. There have been a few great suggestions! I would like to open the contest rules to suggestions that are not exclusively music related. The winner receives a gift basket tailored to the ages and interests of their children. Not a Mom? Then the gift basket is a basket for you!
Keep those suggestions coming... I just love to see the creativity of my online friends! You can suggest as many names as you like.
Have a wonderful magical day!

New Year, New Shop, New Contest!

What is MY New Year's resolution? I resolve to update my dear blog more often! Half-Pint Creations has been blessed with some wonderful friends and customers this past year. Business has been good and steady, and I have decided to open a second shop filled with many items for the do-it-yourselfer. It will offer custom and ready to ship appliques, hand-sculpted buttons, fabric, scrap packs and much, much more! I will also offer some of my designs as PDF patterns as well as sewing kits including fabrics, patterns, and step by step tutorials.

Half-Pint Creations will exclusively carry children's clothing, baby items, and a new line of items for Mama too!
The new shop will open by February 1st; however, it does not have a name yet! SOOOO, I am holding a contest that will run until January 10th, to NAME THAT SHOP! The winner will receive a gift basket filled with goodies tailored to the ages and interests of their own children. If you like, you can also choose a prize basket of goodies for yourself =)
All you have to do to enter is leave your new shop name suggestions in the comment area on this blog, on my facebook fan page , or send your suggestion to halfpintboling@yahoo.com. I will then make a decision among all of the entries on the morning of January 11th and contact the winner to send them their goodies.

Here's a hint....I would like to incorporate my love of music (I sing in a band) into the shop name...something like "Symphony in Fabric" or "Noteable Creativites". Good luck to all! I look forward to seeing what my wonderful online friends can create!I want to wish all of you a very Happy New Year filled with promise, creativity, and your heart's desires! Abundant blessings to all of you and please, take care of one another =)

Autumn Splendor

Half-Pint Creations has been on vacation for the last month with a Grand reopening on September 1st. There are some new goodies and I'm bringing back some old favorites! My new Averi swing dress will be a perfect transition into fall with a sweet long sleeve t-shirt and leggings. They will soon be available in Halloween and Christmas prints to add a little comfort and sparkle to the holiday season.Also coming back are the Half-Pint ornaments collection that I have lovingly named "Snowed In". They are always personalized free of cost and make a great gift for a teacher, grandparent, or loved one on your list.Autumn is coming soon, school is starting soon, yes, it's the most wonderful time of the year! Pop on over to Half-Pint Creations on Sept. 1st and check out the new look and all of the new surprises that will keep your little one stylin' through the holidays!