Eye Candy

I swear this year has simply flown by!

I watch my babies growing up
and wonder where the time is going.
I feel so blessed in this stage of my life.
The stage where I
have accepted the fact
that I won't be having any more babies...
where my oldest child is approaching...
*gulp*
dun dun dun,
the teenage years...
where my baby will be starting Kindergarten next fall.

With this next stage has come some new
and exciting things for Half-Pint!
I have had the pleasure of working with some great ladies this year.
Adding professional pics of my designs
to my listings has kept me busy,
non-stop since August.
Uber blessed!
Uber exhausted...
balancing my family,
my home,
and business.
BUT,
I can honestly say,
I have done a pretty good job with that this Fall.
Not too shabby.
Stop by the shop
and check out
the delicious eye candy
from these talented ladies.
THEN,
head on over to facebook,
like 'em, like 'em, like 'em
and tell 'em I sent you.
They certainly made my job so much more exciting!

Rare Refelctions Photography
Wildly sweet Photography


Simply Sphotography

Rebecca Hall Photography

Natalie Kimball Photography



See?
Are you overwhelmed
by the sweetie cuteness?
I knew it.
Pure eye candy from these awesome ladies.
If you live within a few hundred miles
of these photographers,
run,
don't walk,
and put your family faces in their capable hands.
They will do wonders
with your smilie babes.

I can't wait to share with you
what's in store in the New Year for Half-Pint.
Stay tuned....
in the mean time,
eat up the last of the Christmas cookies,
sweep up the ever growing mound of pine needles,
and .....
Happy New Year!

Kiss it goodbye...

Are we really ready to kiss summer goodbye?
Muwahhhhh!

My oldest little darling goes back to school in two weeks.
My youngest goes back in three.
Sixth grade and preschool.
Gulp.
Deep breath.
Now hold on to your coffee and peanut butter toast.....
I will truly miss them.
I can honestly say that this has been the very best summer.
EVAH.
Have we been to far off lands of whimsy and delight?
Only while playing "dress up" in our princess gowns and combat boots.
Have we eaten exotic foods and sampled gourmet cuisines?
Only if you call pizza with pineapple
and some strange cheap brand of chocolate milk, exotic.
It's been simply...simple.

We DID take a few days away from cabin life
to venture out to the land of craziness!
We went to.....
wait for it....
wait for it......
Sandusky, Ohio!
The hubby found an amusement park called Cedar Point.
Super fun place to be.
We had a blast!
The itty bitty and I spent the day in Kiddie world and rode tiny small rides.
In circles.
For hours.Itty bitty was ecstatic.
Mommy was sticky hot and drippy sweaty.
NOT attractive.
The hubby and our older itty bitty spent the day on the big coasters.

The ones that make me puke.
Violently.
Vomitrocious.
I will take riding in little cars in circles any day.
The question of the day?
"When are we going back to the motel to swim in the pool?"
We could have saved a whole lot of money,
stayed in boring ol' York, PA,
and just gotten a motel room.
Lesson learned.

My favorite part of the trip?
No cooking,
no cleaning,
and Daddy taking the girls to the pool to play
so Mommy could read a book.If you are a Mom with young children,
you understand the value of being able to read a book
that is'nt simply for information....
"How to" take care of poison ivy,
"how to" get chocolate milk out of silk,
"how NOT to" lose your mind when there are two whiners whining.

We ended the trip with a tiny little carousel museum and a picnic on the waterfront.
THAT is my idea of a great day.
We could even see across the water to the
vomit inducing pukie coasters
that kept us entertained the day before.
Ahhhh.....memories.
Pizza,
gastric bypass,
roller coasters.
NOT a yummy mix.

I am excited to see what this Autumn holds....
for my family, for my business, and for our band.
As corny as it sounds,
yep,
it's a wonderful life.
I intend to spend every day of this Fall in a pumpkin induced stupor.
Pumpkin bread, coffee, soap.......
I'm freaky like that.As far as the business goes,
I have so much to share with you!
That will have to wait for another day.
I am adding two Fall hats to the shop this morning!
Yes, I probably need new pics,
these are two years old,
but I can NOT part with them.My baby has grown so much in two years...
although, she still has very little hair.Thank goodness she's pretty.
I'm not saying that just because she's mine.Those lips...

Have a fab day friends...
time to start the school shopping!

Coffee...Chocolate...Diva moments...

Summer is upon us.

Yes, dear ones, you heard me correctly.
Summer.

Do you believe
that the last time this lazy blogger posted
was the beginning of the New Year?
Blog neglected.

Yes,
I can make plenty of excuses for the blatant disregard
of putting words to keys.
Let's have at it.
I am Mama,
wife,
business woman,
singer, .....

and the list goes on.
Enough said.

Has the panic and anxiety at the thought
of having your children home full-time set in?
The delightful thought of them
arguing over what's mine and yours
and his and the dogs?
Ugh.
Don't get me wrong.
My girls have fun together.They are 4 and almost 12.
Sometimes the mind blowing fun
turns to full fledged diva moments
and this mama's lip starts to twitch.

Chocolate and coffee....
possibly some Xanax....
are my standbys that will allow me
to sail through the summer.
Let's pray I'm not 20 pounds chunkier
due to the partaking of these on an hourly basis.We are lucky enough to live in the woods.
(It is especially beautiful in the fall
when the big yellow school bus arrives.)
Oh come on,
don't act like you don't do the
"happy first day boogie"
when that day arrives.
I am getting ahead of myself here.
Let's get back to the serious reality here.
Summer Momentertainment.
I have promised the girls some serious fun this summer.
I am a fun Mom.
Please no laughing
or choking on your own spit.
I may make muffins from a mix
and pancakes with bisquick,
but I can be amazingly fun.
I am so much fun,
that I still hug and kiss my tween goodbye
in front of her friends
while smiling at the fact that
she feels both loved and disgusted at the same time. I am THAT kind of mom.
My toddler is the fun one.
She still lets me hug and kiss her goodbye
in front of her friends without too much animosity.

As difficult as the first week is for us,
we soon fall into a routine.
Ahhh...routine.
My girls have been routine babies from the start.
THAT is when the true summer fun starts.
Trips to the farmer's market for our weekly stash of fresh fruit...
Trips to the local water ice shop to cool down...
Blenders full of smoothies...
A short but loaded July vacation....

Yes,
I do believe this mama and her itty bitties
will survive the heat,
the bugs,
and the diva moments
until the big beautiful yellow school bus arrives in the fall.

I am reminded that they are only young once,
and I am determined to make some memories
with them this summer....
and enjoy myself in the process.My two best friends will be joining me daily.
Coffee and chocolate.
They will get a girl through anything...
even the diva moments of summer.
Strap on those flip flops girls!
Enjoy the ride!

A New Year for Puppy

He has been smothered in maple syrup,

rubbed with cherry blossom hand cream,
dropped in mud puddles,
lost in a Virginia Hampton parking lot
only to be found by a good Samaritan
and turned in to the front desk.
He has been to Hawaii,
the Jersey shore (many times),
and Oklahoma.
He was with her for her first steps,
takes naps with her every day,
and stands by for an occasional hug when needed.
Puppy waits patiently in the car while she is at preschool.
He is the first thing that she grabs in the morning
and the last thing that she hugs at night.
To say that puppy is a member of our family is an understatement.
He is ragged and worn,
has had his tail reattached,
and gets a bath whenever he can sneak away
from her for a few minutes.He is loved.
Unconditionally.
Am I concerned she may be dragging
him off to college when she's 18?
Not at all.
Will she outgrow him?
Maybe, some day.
For now they are buddies.If only we could love as she loves him.
To be able to see beyond all appearances,
to see with our hearts the way that she does.
This world would be such a beautiful place.
Happy New Year from Half-Pint Creations.
May you choose to see people with your heart,
love them unconditionally,
and give your inner child
a big fuzzy maple syrup,
cherry blossom hand cream,
mud puddle hug.

XOXO,
Amber

Where's the hair?

I have a bald beauty.
I may be a bit partial,
but she is my gorgeous lil' girl.I look at all of the "purty" boutique hair bows and accessories...
and sigh.

She is three and half and still can't wear hair bows or flowers.
Sigh.
SO,
we buy some crochet hats,
with big beautiful flowers.
They last 10 seconds.
Sigh.
My solution?
With her semi- bald little head,
she is already wearing a fleece hat in the morning.

SOOOOO,
I designed a cozy fleece muffin hat
with a loop for interchangeable flowers,
bows,and beautiful boutique hair accessories!The "Posh Tot " hat includes three different flowers with a gem center.
They have hair clips on the back for wearing in their hair
(or in Mama's hair).You choose your hat and flower colors,
the size,
and then a custom hat is made for your Half-Pint.
Cool huh?

The verdict?She wears it!
Sweet!
Order your Posh Tot hat today to keep your bald beauty
or "long locked" babe
cozy and warm
in the cooler months to come.
Have a cozy warm fleecy goodness day!

Good Ol' Granny Smith

During this season of Autumn fabulousness,

one of the fave flavors in our house is the glorious apple.We eat apples and peanut butter,
apple cobbler,
apple strudel,
apple sauce,
apple butter,
apple muffins,
and apples and cheese.
We eat them red and green,
gold and yellow,
and every shade in between.
Our Sunday dinner needed to be easy and fun,
due to the fact that my girls insisted that
it needed to include the Granny Smiths
that we picked up at the farmer's market a few days ago.
We are also big fans of cheese at our house,
and the apple and cheese flavors mix well.
Throw everything that you know
about grilled cheese
out the window
and embrace the ooey gooey goodness
that IS
"Granny Smith -n- Swiss"!You'll need :
1 gorgeous green tart Granny Smith Apple
(peeled, cored, and sliced thin)
4 slices of whole wheat bread (makes two sandwiches)
Butter or Olive oil
1/2 to 2/3 cup Swiss cheese
(we like ours uber cheesy)

Heat your skillet/pan/griddle to medium heat.
Lightly brush one side of each slice of bread with olive oil.
If you prefer, lightly butter them instead.
Put one slice of bread,
oil side down, on your skillet
and arrange the apples evenly on the top.
Spread half of the cheese on top of the apples
and lay the other slice of bread on top,
oil-side up.
Cook until the bread is golden brown and then flip over.
Cook until the other side is golden brown and the cheese has melted.

I know of one recipe that adds bacon bits.
How about making it as a panini?
Tomorrow's lunch for us?Trying it with cheddar cheese and red delicious apples^_^.
Enjoy!!

My Favorite Things...

I wait....
somewhat patiently...

all Summer long...
for the first day of September...

when big beautiful pumpkins will find their way to my home.You see dear friends,

Fall is my absolute,
hands down,
favorite season of the year.

Living deep in the woods
surrounded by vibrant yellows, oranges, and crimsons,
one can't help but feel full of life.

Thankfulness and peace abound
while stepping out on the front porch and breathing deeply.

Lets not kid ourselves Mamas,
another one of my favorite things to arrive in the fall?
The big yellow school bus!

This year was slightly bittersweet
as my littlest one blew kisses from her new big girl desk in preschool.
"Goodbye Mama!" she shouted with a smile
as I quietly left smiling,
choking back big huge Mama tears.
That lasted just a few minutes when I suddenly realized...
2.5 hours to myself?
Whatever will I do?
It was time to head home,
sip pumpkin coffee,
nibble on pumpkin bread fresh from the Farmer's Market,
and sew some of the new items that I have since added to the shops.
Stop by and check out a few of our fall goodies!

Back for Autumn...
our Half-Pint Pumpkin Muffin hat!
Also Available for purchase is our
Cooked Turkey hat
which was inquired about by the Martha Stewart show.
They are great for photo props
or durable enough for everyday wear.
My little one sports hers through the month of October
and then switches to the Turkey in November.
It is then followed by the Elf in December.

Yes,
she will eventually resent me for this act of child cruelty.
I'll take my chances^_^. For now,
I will cherish her toddler laugh,
tickle her little toddler piggies,
and find warmth in the way she cuddles my heart.Enjoy the stunning hues of Autumn as it dawns upon us.
Eat pumpkin until it is coming out your ears.
Relish the feeling of crackling leaves down your pants
from jumping in piles with your kids.
Go apple picking in your dorkiest overalls.
For these are a few of my favorite things...
minus the overalls.
Happy Harvest!