The Suttons

Get Crafty! Make a patriotic firework handprint pillow

2011-07-05T18:35:00.001-05:00

For the 4th of July weekend, Sandra, Bryan and Sarah Wesley Cooper invited us to stay at their family's house on the Spring River. Bryan's mom, "Queenie", is so good to us and always showers us with goodies every time we see her. So we decided to treat her to a special home made pillow that will remind her of our weekend together and the sweet little girls, too :)

To make a handprint pillow, you will need about 1/2 yard of interior design fabric, a 20" by 20" pillow form (or whatever size pillow you want to make), about 6 sheets of felt, different colors, thread, pins, scissors, and your sewing machine!

Starting my pillow for Queenie! First, trace your tiny's handprints. I used Stella's and her bestie, Sarah Wesley's, little handprints to make the firework shape. I then pinned the handprints to three colors of felt and cut them out. I cut out 12 handprints total. I wanted to make a 20" by 20" pillow, so I also had about a half of a yard of linen home decorator fabric to use.

Pin all of the handprints in a firework shape onto your 20" by 20" piece of fabric...

... and start stitching around the handprints! This might take a little while, but is much easier than it looks. Just be patient!

See, if you look close, it's not perfect, but it's cute!

For the back of the pillow, I wanted to make an overlapping flap to make the cover easy to put on and take off the pillow. So, using your selvage edges, cut two rectangles that overlap about 4" to make a 20" by 20" square to match the front. Now, pin the front to the back, right sides together. Stitch all the way around the square, trim corners, and turn inside out. Voila! Pillowcase! Don't forget your pillow insert. I like down filled, because they squish up so cute!

Here is the back view with the pillow flap...

... and here is the front! I monogrammed the date on the front to commemorate the Fourth of July weekend!

Stella loves to pose! Hope you love your pillow, Queenie!

the baby shower

2011-06-27T21:40:00.001-05:00

YUM!

Lynne, Dawn, me, Cameron, Taylor, Sandra, and Jennifer

Stella and her "Cece"

representing his hometown in a one-of-a-kind onesie!

runaway tissue

tiny Hogs fan already!

the best Pendleton blanket ever!

the girls got us a Maclaren stroller!

Anya and Stella, into their jellybeans

bump watch with Ginny Lauren and Sarah!

Saturday, June 25th was my baby shower at my parents' house in Rogers. My sweet sister, Cameron, and my besties Taylor, Sandra, Dawn, Lynne and Jennifer hosted it for me. It was absolutely gorgeous and looked like something straight out of a magazine! They had a "lemon" theme, but they also integrated in a lot of vintage and outdoorsy things. They know me too well! There were so many sweet little babies at the party, and there were so many pregnant girls too. Everyone was joking that you better not drink the water at the shower! One of my prego friends, Sarah Gill, took all of these amazing pictures for me. It was so nice to relax and not have to worry about pictures! Thanks, Sarah! I had so much fun and I got stocked up on everything I will need when my sweet boy arrives. Stella had fun running around with Anya, and helping momma rip into some gifts. Her brother "gave" her a tiny crown necklace from Bella Jack's so she would feel special too. We had such a windy day that some of the tissue paper took flight! Sorry, neighbors ;)

I had the best day thanks to my wonderful family and friends! I feel so lucky and blessed to have so many amazing people in my life! I love you all so much :)

Let's catch up!

2011-06-22T19:51:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pictures from the past few months. I just looked at the blog and realized it has been over a YEAR since I did a blog post! Shame on me. I am going to try to do better so I can document the new little one's journey just like I did with Stella.

So, what's new? Stella is now 4. My little tiny "queen bee" is growing up fast! She is still in preschool and loves to swim, dress up, and play with her barbies and ponies. We are expecting our second child, a BOY, on August 8th. I am about 33 weeks now, and this little man is very, VERY active! He gets really excited when people rub my belly. I think he wants to show off his dance moves! We really can't wait to meet him. Stella always kisses my belly and asks, "How's that baby brother going?" He's great, sweet girl :) She also makes funny faces at my belly and then asks, "is my brother laughing?" So cute!

We have decided on a name for our little boy.... but we are waiting to tell everyone until he is born! Most everyone understands and can't wait to find out. But I have gotten a hard time from a few people! It was more of Taylor's idea to keep it a surprise, because I get so excited to tell everyone. Now that we have waited, I am really looking forward to the big reveal :)

So far, our summer has been VERY low key. Taylor says he loves when I am pregnant because I am at his speed... hanging out at home and going to bed early! Don't worry though, I will be back to my social self before long. I think there is a margarita somewhere on Dickson St. with my name on it! :) The only thing I haven't gotten into is turning duck calls. Keep me away from the heavy machinery... I am WAY too klutzy! I know Taylor loves to get out there and make them, but I think a lot of it has to do with being out in his garage/shop with some peace and quiet (a.k.a. away from the girls for awhile!!) The finished duck calls are just a bonus! I will post some pictures of his handiwork soon.

I will try my best to keep this going, but if I slack off.... blame it on my pregnant brain!

xoxo

Taylor

Stella's hands...

2010-06-15T14:16:00.001-05:00

Yes, that's blue polish! Aren't tiny hands the sweetest? xoxo

Sew what?

2010-06-07T20:44:00.000-05:00

I am obsessed with sewing lately! I especially love making tiny little things for Stella. I just got a new sewing machine and serger and barely know how to use them. I am used to my old seventies Kenmore! Luckily they are super easy to use. My friend Lynne is showing me how to sew a canopy and pillows for Stella's new big girl bed... and she is amazing! I will post pictures as soon as it is all done. I can't wait!

Bowling!

2010-06-07T19:29:00.001-05:00

It's Monday... The hairdresser holiday! I spent most of the day sewing and Taylor was in the garage building me a new sewing table (he really wanted an excuse to use his new Kreg jig, whatever that is!) So to reward ourselves for such a 'rough' day, we decided to go bowling. Grammy and Grandpa met us there, too! Stella beat me by about 40 points... She is a natural! We rounded out the day with fried chicken at Neal's. A perfect Monday!

Bowling for kisses!

2010-04-05T13:33:00.000-05:00

My sister and I are on our way to Kansas City for a show, so daddy just texted these pictures to me! Looks like they are having some fun at the bowling alley! The first picture that he sent had the caption, "bowling for kisses". I miss my cuties already!

Fashionista!

2010-03-19T09:32:00.000-05:00

Miss Stella is starting to get VERY picky about her clothes. Long gone are the days of "baby outfits" and headband bows. She won't wear jeans and she would rather die than wear "ugly" shoes. What can I say... I was (am?) the exact same way! At least she has good taste, right?!?

The sweater is finished!

2010-03-05T09:37:00.001-06:00

In the wise words of Dora, "we did it! YAY!" it's finally finished! I am so happy with how it turned out, and I think Stella is pretty proud of it, too! She hardly wanted to take it off. It's a good thing, too... Because I am going to make her wear it until it's a cropped cardigan on her!!! And it's done just in time to wear to her birthday party on Saturday!

Tiny shirt!

2010-03-02T12:31:00.000-06:00

Here is Stella in her new Stitch & Bitch tee shirt this morning! She loves it. Is it preschool appropriate? Definitely not! But hey, she's gotta represent her momma's knitting club, right? ;) and... We got a little article in CitiScapes Magazine this month! I am so proud our little group has gotten so much notice! It's nice to have a hobby and get together with other people that like the same thing! Now if only I can get that sweater done before Stella's birthday this Saturday! It's going to be Pinkalicious!!!

Razorbacks!

2010-02-27T14:28:00.001-06:00

We got to the razorback game about an hour early, so we ate, walked around, and called the hogs about a million times. Stella loved the cheerleaders and the lights! She passed out on Mimi the first 30 seconds of the game and slept until the last five minutes! She loved it and I think she will be a "hawg fan" for life!

2010-02-26T09:39:00.001-06:00

Before...

And after!

2010-02-26T09:34:00.001-06:00

Dear SW,
Thank you for our fun playdate yesterday. I had so much fun playing kitchen, trying on 18 princess nightgowns, eating about 80 fruit snacks, and pulling out every toy you own. I think our mommas had fun drinking that wine stuff that they like, too! Let's do it again soon, and we can come mess up OUR house this time!

Love,
Stella

Merry Christmas from the Suttons!

2009-12-28T23:03:00.000-06:00

Here are our Christmas cards from this year! I will be posting all of the holiday festivities very soon. Hope you all had a great holiday as we did! I very much enjoyed our lazy break... I knitted, read, drank wine, and sat around a lot. Needless to say, I had a blast! Taylor hunted some, and we cooked lots of yummy food. Stella was great with opening all the gifts, but got a little crabby at the end of the weekend. I guess a lot of time off isn't always good for everyone! We are ready for life as usual... although, new year's eve IS coming up soon.... more celebrating! Yeah! I can't wait!

Stella's Christmas Program!

2009-12-21T20:36:00.000-06:00

On Thursday Stella had her Christmas program at school. She sang "Away in a Manger", "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and "Jingle Bells". After each song, the kiddos cheered very loudly for themselves... and Stella was the loudest of all! We weren't surprised!! She was such a big girl and was not scared at all. We were so proud!

Cruz Edward Claxton!

2009-12-10T21:15:00.003-06:00

On December 8, 2009, Cruz Edward Claxton was born to some of our best friends, Jerrick and Taylor Claxton. He was 6 lbs, 13 oz, and he has the most gorgeous skin that I have ever seen! I went and saw him the day that he was born in the hospital and he was the sweetest little thing. They had a great delivery and they are already at home with baby. We went over there last night and took them dinner... another excuse to hold Cruz, really! Stella got to meet him, and she was a little jealous. She wanted me to hold HER instead! After that, she was more into redecorating their tree than looking at the new baby! We are so happy for the new family and can't wait to watch him grow up!

The Claxton's blog is www.the-claxtons.blogspot.com

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2009-11-25T08:03:00.003-06:00

We got Stella a special pair of house shoes with Princesses on them for decorating the tree.

Cameron helping Stella decorate her tiny tree

our big tree... with MOST of the decorations.

Stella's 'Charlie Brown' tree!

I love decorating for the holidays. The weather has been unseasonably warm, which may be why I wanted to put up my tree so early. I am posting these pictures now, but the truth is, I put up my tree on the 10th. Ridiculous, I know! Taylor said that Mrs. Claus has already moved in!! We have pine tree and spice candles going constantly, and the inevitable cookie baking has already begun. I stayed up till midnight last night making 4 dozen "Girl Scout" Peanut butter chocolate cookies. I only ate two while I made them! I was proud of myself. They are supposed to be for Thanksgiving, if there will be any left. I almost put a sign on the container that said "NO COOKIE MONSTERS ALLOWED!" I ended up leaving some out for Taylor so he would stay out of the stash. These cookies are about the easiest thing to make and are so addictive. Proceed with CAUTION!!

"Girl Scout" Peanut Butter Cookies

2 sleeves ritz crackers

peanut butter (you can use JIF reduced fat if you wanna make yourself feel better about it)

1 package chocolate almond bark

On a double boiler, melt almond bark at very low heat. Make sandwiches out of the ritz crackers and peanut butter. Drop into almond bark and remove with flat whisk. (I tap off the excess chocolate) Lay cookie on a sheet of waxed paper to cool. That's it! Cookies for dummies!! They are always a hit at a party, too. Enjoy!

Rock Climbing at Lincoln Lake

2009-11-15T22:03:00.009-06:00

Hiking the trail

her first boulder... then on to bigger, better things!

Daddy, the badass

She was thrilled! The look on her face is priceless!

my brave little monkey RAPPELLING!!

Last night we had a few friends over for dinner (that's what happens as we get older... more fun to drink wine at home instead of out on the town!) so we weren't planning on doing much more than laying around on Sunday. Our friends Sean and Whitney invited us to go rock climbing and hiking with them at Lincoln Lake, so we thought, why not? I haven't climbed in years... not since before Taylor and I were married and I was trying to impress him. I guess it worked ;) Stella was in a bit of a cranky mood, so she was either happy and laughing, or you could look at her wrong and she would burst into tears. I think we all have days like that, though! So we hiked up a trail (me, carrying Stella and my giant knitting bag, don't know why I thought THAT was neccesary) and ended up at these gorgeous bluffs that were perfect for climbing. Sean went, then Taylor, then Whitney. All the while, Stella is coloring with chalk, snacking, and screaming at granddaddy longlegs. I finally got my chance to climb... and it all came back to me! I love that adrenaline rush when you look down and see how far you came. The scariest part for me was letting go to rappel down. Finally, I let myself go and swung around on the rock to hit the wall. Luckily, there was a ledge and I landed on the rock like it was a seat. I couldn't have planned it better! ha! Stella saw what everyone was doing and decided that she wanted to climb, too. She went for it on a small boulder and climbed it like a monkey. So Sean rigged up a harness (looked a little rickety, but she was safe. Promise.) She started climbing up that giant bluff with no fear! She got pretty high, and finally we made her come down. She cried hard for a few minutes because she didn't want to stop rappelling down the rock. Pretty brave for a 2 1/2 year old! She fell asleep about the minute she hit the car seat. Now we just need to get her a real harness and take her to an indoor climbing wall sometimes! I think she will be a mix of mommy and daddy-- rock climbing in tutus and ruffle socks. Just perfect!!

Wild times at Devil's Den

2009-11-08T12:36:00.011-06:00

our humble abode

the brothers and their girls

Coco and Sophie

The famous Glamour Shot in her new camping vest and headband I knit!

baggo

Stella's shirt: "Sometimes you just have to pee in the sink" -Bukowski

Sassy, Coco and Sophie

Stella and Grammy and the campsite

Just got back in to town from our camping trip this weekend at Devil's Den. I am sitting down to blog only after taking a much needed shower! I was a little scared to use the on-site showers. Can you blame me? Anyway, Stella went out with her Grammy and Grandpa on Friday while we went to Shogun with our friends for Taylor Claxton's birthday. We showed up on Saturday morning and set up our tent right next to Stella's mini Dora tent (her "fort") and Al and Kathy's camper. Trevor and Jesse and Brett and Janice were also there and set up their tents across from us. We listened to the game and fished in Lee Creek, where I slipped in my Chacos and busted my a** on a rock! I have a nice big knot on my foot and a little bit of a bruised ego to show for it. Later, we were over at the campsite and Stella was pulling Coco around on her leash. Stella was looking behind her at Coco and laughing when (BRACE YOURSELF) Stella ran straight into the iron fire pit and busted her chin on the rounded edge of the grill. OH my GOD! I was so freaked out! I really thought that her lip was cut straight through. Luckily, I got her calmed down quickly and saw that everything was fine... she does have a little bruise on her chin and a cut inside her lip. Poor baby!! After a loooooong nap, we cooked dinner and had some drinks by the campfire. Taylor and Jerrick came out and we all sat around making smores (I had four by myself, eesh) and telling old stories. My husband has always been a wild one, the way his mom and dad tell it. Now I see where Stella gets it! We put baby to bed and spent the rest of the evening singing every Alabama, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and Hank Williams Jr. song we knew, accompanied by Brett's guitar playing. So much fun! We all had a great time, and I can't wait to go again. But next time, I am taking an air mattress and a first aid kit!

Sarah Wesley's birthday!

2009-11-02T21:15:00.004-06:00

Sarah Wesley is in Stella's class at school and definitely one of her BFF's. She talked about this party for days before AND afterward! All I can say is, the Coopers were genius to have SW's party at a gym. The tinies got to run, jump, scream, tumble and play all they wanted, while eating cake and pizza. And no mess to clean up afterward!! What a great idea...wish I had thought to do that! Happy 2nd, SW!!!! We love you!

photo day...

2009-10-15T21:08:00.003-05:00

We had our pictures taken with Chris Stinson the other day. I don't have the originals to post, but they are AMAZING as always! These are a few we took on my camera... not close to the ones Chris took, but you get the idea! Check out his website to see them all!

Here is the link to the "official" pics!!!

http://stinsonphoto.com/gossip/2009/10/here-she-is-again/

Asher's Birthday party

2009-09-17T07:48:00.004-05:00

A little girl in Stella's class named Asher had her birthday party the other day. We did the slip n' slide, swings, trampoline, baby pool, and hit a pinata... not to mention eating hot dogs and lots of CAKE! Stella was definitely hovering over the birthday cake. I had to tell her to back up!! Stella had a blast and loved the trampoline so much. Later on in the bathtub we asked her if she wanted us to get her one for Christmas. She said, "No, it's ok. Santa's getting one for me!" Noted. Start saving now, mommas! This year will be a good one!

CUPCAKES!!

2009-09-04T12:15:00.005-05:00

tasting and mixing

what was left of the final product!

On Wednesday night, we had a cupcake making party (well, party with mommy, daddy, and Stella) and we had so much fun! Stella is really into helping out around the house, so we pulled up a chair so she could work on the counter top next to me. She loved stirring the batter! She held the mixer and put the baking cups into the cupcake pans. She even tried to help me fill the baking cups, but most of the batter went from her spoon into her mouth! After the cupcakes were baked, we frosted them (did you know they make frosting in a can like whipped cream? Amazing! So smart!) and Stella was the "Sprinkle Station"... which most of the sprinkles she was shoveling into her mouth as fast as she could! While we made our cupcakes, daddy recovered a vintage bench seat with a gorgeous fabric. He even did the metal studs around the edges. So fabulous! I love cozy nights with my family! The next day we took the cupcakes to Stella's school, which I heard were a huge hit! It's easy to impress little kids! I love it!

I Heart John Ray pictures

2009-09-01T07:49:00.005-05:00

Here are some of the pictures from the event from Chris Stinson. I had a hard time narrowing them down, because they are all good! We had such a great turnout and raised so much money for John. It was a huge success! Thank you all!

Ella's Swim Party!!

2009-08-26T09:55:00.002-05:00

A little friend of Stella's, Ella, had her 2nd birthday at FAC the other day. We had so much fun! Stella loves the water, so she was all over the place. The only bad thing was that she was trying to jump in the big pool! Thank goodness for those lessons at the Swim Ranch! After they swam, they ate neon cupcakes with Abby Cadabby on them, and opened presents. We had a great time, and she was asleep in the car as soon as I buckled her seat! Adorable!

Gulley Park Concert

2009-08-21T17:37:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago, we went to see Full House at Gulley Park. Stella didn't last long, but between fresh squeezed lemonade, pizza, barbeque, and various random dogs (and birds) we managed to hang out for a little while. We even got a little dancing in! Stella was very into the music... but she was way more into feeding popcorn to the birds!

We finally had the I Heart John Ray fundraiser last Thursday... I have given myself a much-needed break from the internet. I will have pictures very soon to show off all of the hard work! We ended up raising well over $10,000, which was a HUGE success!! Thanks for all of the help and support!

Have a GREAT weekend!

A fun little swimming hole...

2009-08-05T10:29:00.004-05:00

A few Sundays ago, we went out past West Fork where there was a great little swimming hole. We went with "Uncle" Sean, Chris, Lynne, and baby Liam. We got some sun, ate a lot of snacks, swam, fished, and even rode around on "The Rooster". That is a fun little ride! Sean even took Stella around on the trail all by herself! She is a brave little one... just like her daddy! We had a lovely day. I just love the summertime!

Lauren Gray Griggs!

2009-07-24T22:23:00.003-05:00

Our friends, Bryan and Susan Griggs, just had their sweet little baby girl, Lauren Gray Griggs, unexpectedly early last week! She wasn't getting enough nutrients from the umbilical cord, so they decided to deliver her early. She is doing great! Gray is breathing on her own and she has recently hit the 2 lb. mark. Mom and baby will be in Little Rock for about 8 more weeks. Susan sent Gray's picture with this email:

Bryan and I received our little present very early and unexpectedly on July 10th. Lauren Gray Griggs was born at 4:04 am at a whopping 1 lb., 10 ounces. We are calling her Gray.

She will be here in the NICU in Little Rock for at least 8 weeks, so mom will be living with her in Little Rock until she can come back to Fayetteville. Gray has hit all of her milestones so far, and hasn't even needed breathing equipment. It's a day-by-day process, but she's looking good so far. Even though she's early, she's been the best gift Mom and Dad could ask for. Please keep us in your prayers.

4th of July in Hot Springs!

2009-07-14T07:42:00.003-05:00

Lori, Lucy, Dawn, me, Stella, and "Baby" Taylor

Mimi and aunt Cameron surprising Stella with a 4th basket!

The Lion King is a lifesaver on a long car trip!

Lake Hamilton

me and Dawn

The OTHER Taylor and Taylor. Wierd, I know!

We went to Hot Springs for the 4th of July. It has become a bit of a tradition... and I think Taylor always gets a little nostalgic for the lake that he grew up on. So we stayed with Lee and Larry (Dawn's parents) at their amazing condo right on the lake. They left the next day and flew to Boston for the 4th, so we just relaxed and cooked and hung out with friends. We got to hang out with Taylor and Jerrick, some of our really good friends who moved to Maumelle a while ago :( So it was great to see them... they are pregnant, and just found out they are having a BOY! We are so excited for them! Their blog is www.the-claxtons.blogspot.com if you want to check it out! We also got some bad news while we were down there... Anya fell down and broke her LEG! We were devastated! Poor Addie and Anya :(( She will be up here for a few weeks while they try to get that little tiny healed. Say some prayers for them! We drove through Little Rock on the way home, which is way out of the way, but I have an extreme addiction to Garden Ridge! I got some great outdoor cushions and candles. I will post pics later! Hope you all had a great 4th!

I Heart John Ray fundraiser!

2009-07-09T11:03:00.005-05:00

I have been working very hard lately on my new project... the I Heart John Ray fundraiser! I am sure most of you recognize John as the sweet guy who is always behind the counter at Cheap Thrills. He is a bit of a Fayetteville legend! I have been good friends with John for years, and he has been in pretty poor health. After surviving cancer, John's heart was weakened and now, after multiple stints, he had to have open heart surgery. To make matters worse, John has NO health insurance. They did the surgery last Wednesday, and they just released him to go home on Tuesday. He has had a pretty rough recovery, but he is so positive and upbeat! He is definitely doing better. So some friends and I are getting together and doing a fundraiser to help him pay his extensive medical bills.

I hope that you all will want to come to my fundraiser! It is going to be on Thursday, August 13th at 7 at Dickson St. Theater. We will have food from Boar's Nest BBQ, music from Lloyd Marley and A Good Fight, and an AMAZING silent auction with items from Mae's Emporium, Lola, Taken, Mason's, and more... not to mention some Naturals tickets! If you need tickets let me know and I will bring some to you. They are $25 apiece. Thank you all so much!! Hope to see you there!

Diving Board Jumper!

2009-06-29T13:26:00.002-05:00

On Sunday we went to a friend's for a little swim and sun time! Stella went to the lake with her Grammy and Grandpa earlier in the day, but she was still up for a swim. She floated all over in her Dora ring and her water wings... by the way, those things are amazing! Anyway, we had a great day! Stella even jumped off the diving board for the first time! Pretty impressive, since I don't even do that! She is a little daredevil, just like her daddy! Let's just hope they don't go rock climbing or kayaking anytime soon! Hope you all had a great weekend, too!

Swim Ranch and saying goodbye to some friends....

2009-06-16T22:18:00.001-05:00

Last week, our best friends Addie and Anya moved to Texas. We have been very sad, but it has been for the best! They are in an amazing place with a gorgeous river and a great little cottage, and they have family, which is great for Anya. Needless to say, we will be lost without them here! As you all who read my blog know, we do a lot of stuff together.... so we will just have to make some long road trips to meet up! I had to wait awhile to post about it because it hurts my heart :( But we know we will see them soon!! Love to my BFF and PIC!! ;) Miss you!

On Saturday, we started the Swim Ranch for the 2nd year. We decided to do Saturday Water Babies because Stella got a little burned out going every day for a week straight... this way we can have it be a treat to go swimming instead of a chore. She did really well at the swimming part... she can blow bubbles, kick, jump off the side, and get in and out easily. What she didn't do so well at was following directions!! She decided that she was already a good swimmer, so she wanted to do it herself. She also wanted to be the one chosen each time to be the 'example' with the teacher! Stella was definitely the center of attention. And when you give a child her very own website centered around her, why wouldn't she be?? I guess I don't blame her for thinking the world revolves around her!! All I can tell you is, my husband will be taking her to next week's lesson... mama will be relaxing!!

Silver Dollar City... WAHOO!!!

2009-05-31T14:37:00.006-05:00

On the train

Geyser Gulch

"refueling"

Branson Landing fountains

splashing in the fountain

At the Table Rock Lake fish hatchery

Look at all the trout!

Taylor and I have been doing a lot of fun "grown up" stuff lately, like our beach trip, so we thought it would be fun to do a mini-vacation with Stella. We took her to Branson. I was a little nervous that I would be worn out by Silver Dollar City, but we had so much fun! It was a gorgeous, warm day, and we went all over the park. We ate SO much! She was a little too small for most of the kiddie rides, but she loved Geyser Gulch! We spent a lot of time there. We bought Season passes, so we will definitely be heading back sometime this summer. I hope she will have grown an inch or two so she can ride all the rides! We stayed at Branson Landing at the Hilton Promenade. We LOVED the hotel. So nice! And it was very convenient, since we could walk downstairs and shop and eat dinner. They even have this huge fountain by the lake where they put on a show with fire and music. Stella loved it! We had dinner at Cantina Laredo (yummy margaritas for mommy and daddy!) The next day we went to the Fish Hatchery at Table Rock lake. Now, you all know this is not really my thing! But daddy loves to fish, and we had to balance Stella out from all that shopping ;) She got to see where they grow the baby trout that they stock Taneycomo with. Then we hit up Bass Pro Shop and a few outlet stores on the way out of town... best find: a $10 pair of black tall rain boots from Banana Republic! I also got a gorgeous dress. Ahh.... sales! Now we are back in town and heading over to Jesse and Uncle Trevor's for a cookout! I loved our mini-vacation... definitely great bonding time! I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend as much as we did!

Gentry Zoo

2009-05-27T07:46:00.002-05:00

Last Monday we went out to Gentry to go to the petting zoo! Stella was in heaven... and her mommy and daddy were loading up on the hand sanitizer!! We took some cheddar popcorn to feed to all the animals, because they were used to all the snacks they gave out there. Stella petted bunnies, mini goats, turtles, and a donkey/zebra (?) and we drove through the big area and saw a lot of camels, buffalo, monkeys, lions and tigers, and bears, oh my! It was a lot of fun, and she still talks about it. We will definitely go back soon!

Stinson Photography shoot!

2009-05-23T22:25:00.005-05:00

My very favorite. Award winning, if you ask me!

"gymnastics" she says

Peek-a-boo!

me and my tiny

kisses

golden curls

Once again, an amazing photo shoot with Chris Stinson. I cannot say how amazing he is!! Just look at the pictures, they speak for themselves. He is busy but well worth it!! Thanks again for the amazing pictures, Chris!

His website is www.stinsonphoto.com

Happy Mother's Day and Apple Crack recipe!

2009-05-18T08:07:00.003-05:00

Me and my fabulous Momma

family photo on Mother's Day

my cousin Andrea, me, and Cameron

Papa letting Stella be a spy!

The girls!

the famous Glamour Shot!

This post is a little belated but I have been so busy! We just got back in from Orange Beach yesterday... those pics are on their way. I had a wonderful Mother's day! On Saturday night Taylor took me shopping at Mason's, which I hardly ever go to anymore, and I got some amazing shoes! Then he took me to Soul, where we met up with the Stinsons and Marcy and Ricky. Our food was amazing! I love that they have live jazz on Saturday nights... and it is Happy Hour after 9 pm! So we had a great time. On Sunday morning Taylor and I went to Rogers and met up with my family at Copeland's for brunch. Their french toast is to die for! I was so happy to get to spend some time with MY sweet momma. We headed home for round two... Taylor's family at our house for dinner. We cooked up some yummy homemade food and ate till we were sick. I made a new recipe for dessert, too! It was supposed to be a dump cake, but I made it like a cake instead of a cobbler. Needless to say it was a hit! Here's how to do it if you are cooking challenged like me, but want to be impressive!

"Apple Crack"

Preheat oven to 325 F. Spray 9x13 with Pam. Spread 2 cans apple pie filling evenly in bottom. Mix together 2 STICKS butter (hell yeah!) with 1 box yellow cake mix, 1 C dark brown sugar, and 1 teasp. cinnamon to make a thick paste. Spread evenly over pie filling and top with 2 C chopped pecans. Bake for 45 mins. until crispy and brown on top.

**Note: So I am an idiot, and I didn't do it like above directions... I went ahead and did it the same way but instead of just using the yellow cake mix I mixed up the cake mix as the box instructed. So it ended up taking about 1 1/2 hour to cook, but instead of being a cobbler, it turned into a SUPER moist apple cake. It was awesome! So either way, you can't go wrong... even if you can't follow directions, like me!

Happy Mother's Day to all of you mommies out there... I think we deserve more than just one day a year for everyone to appreciate all of the hard work and effort we put in every day to raise our children and take care of our families. I am so glad to know and be inspired by all of you! And Sherry (Mimi, Sherrymom) and Kathy (Grammy), thank you for everything! Love you!!!!!!!

Big Girl Bed!

2009-05-05T08:24:00.002-05:00

Before....

and after!!

On Sunday night we decided that it was finally time to turn Stella's crib into a "big girl" toddler bed. She wasn't trying to get out of it or anything, but she is getting to be such a big girl that we decided to do it as a treat for her. She loves it! I went to Target to get her some new bedding. The selection of toddler bedding is pretty slim. I had to piece this together, but I think it turned out really precious! And I am proud to say that she went right to sleep in her new bed and slept until 6:30 am the first night! She woke up and let the dogs out of the laundry room, then came and got into bed with us. It was a treat to get to doze off for a few extra minutes! Last night was a little rougher. She got up and came into our room about midnight and slept with us. Not so fun! So I don't know if I should wait a few more nights to see if she gets up, or if I should put up a baby gate. I don't even know if that would work anymore! If anyone has any advice or tips, please pass them along!

Charlie's 1st birthday!

2009-04-27T17:32:00.005-05:00

The birthday boy!

I am getting these pictures up so late! The Saturday before Easter was Charlie's first birthday! My friends Jessica and Mark (Charlie's momma and daddy) had a cowboy themed party at their house. Note the AMAZING swingset/playhouse he got for his birthday! Now that is going to be the gift that keeps on giving! It was the most gorgeous day, and we all just hung out around the swingset, playing with the kiddos and drinking cold beer. Sarah and Jared were there, and she had her amazing camera taking party pics. Mimi Angela was so proud, too! Stella had so much fun, all weekend she kept saying, "Momma! Charlie's party! Let's go!! Let's go!"

Anya's 2nd Birthday!

2009-04-27T16:54:00.002-05:00

The birthday girl and her BFF

Last Sunday was Anya's 2nd birthday party at the park. It was a rainy day but it held off for the party! Stella was getting sick but she managed to play anyway. We grilled out brats and hotdogs, the kids ran around and ate cupcakes! It was so much fun. It seems just like yesterday that I was taking Stella over to Addie's to see Anya for the first time, and looking at how tiny she was... fast forward two years and now look at these two! They are like sisters now, just like their mommas! I love you guys :) PIC and BFFs!

Naked Spaghetti, Kat, and CROUP!

2009-04-21T22:45:00.004-05:00

Me, Kat, and Addie

It is best to eat spaghetti outside. And naked.
Just hose them down afterwards!!

The picture below was us jumping and dancing for the girls. I got a freaky "floating" effect and had to post it... too funny!

This week was a busy one, as usual! On Wednesday one of my great friends, Kat, came to visit for a few days. I hadn't seen her in over two years, and she had never met Stella. Those two loved each other! If she went away for a minute, Stella would walk around saying, "Where's Kat? KAATTT!!" Miss Addie made her famous spaghetti at our house and the girls enjoyed it outside... thank goodness! Two toddlers and red sauce = huge mess! But they ate like they hadn't eaten all week. There is nothing better than seeing your baby scarf down some food! I guess that's my old maternal instinct kickin' in. On Friday, we had our friend Ricky (an awesome chef) cook us up some of his "native food" (New Orleans) Jambalaya. Yummy! And WHOOO spicy! I guess I have to get my Arkie tastebuds prepared next time. It was Kathy, AKA Grammy's birthday! We had so much fun! We got her some peonies from Flora and a bench to sit out in her yard and watch Bessie the buffalo and her new baby, Blossom! Saturday morning Stella woke up with a 102.4+ fever... and is still sick to this day. We went to the doctor twice before she was finally diagnosed with croup. It is the most pitiful thing!! Her cough sounds like a baby seal, and she can't sleep. So of course, Taylor and I haven't slept either. My eye was twitching all day today!! ha ha. I am going to try to get a few hours of shut eye before Stella wakes up again... sweet dreams!

Happy Easter ya'll!

2009-04-12T23:35:00.004-05:00

We had a very busy Easter weekend! On Friday night we went out to dinner with our friends Marcy and Ricky to Soul. On Saturday, we went to Charlie's birthday party... I took so many photos, they are going to get their own post :) Then we headed up to the lakehouse for the rest of the weekend. I got to drive my Dad's boat around the lake... it was easier than I thought it would be! Of course, I wasn't the one who had to get it back in the slip! Sunday, Taylor's family came over and we had a big yummy Easter lunch. Everyone really did it up!! Afterwards, we should have been napping but instead we all went down to the 'party level' where Brett and Stella had a mini jam session! So cute! We also had to hunt Easter eggs in the house because of the rain... I think Stella didn't mind one bit! I could definitely get used to life at the lake! Happy Easter!

More Party Pictures...

2009-04-07T21:10:00.003-05:00

More to come! My computer is being crazy and won't let me upload any more right now...

Photos by Chris Stinson!

www.stinsonphoto.com

Hot Springs

2009-04-01T15:20:00.005-05:00

This weekend we went down to Hot Springs to see some family and friends. We stayed with Lee and Larry, and their daughter Dawn and our friend Rachel stayed there, too. We saw our lovely friends,

Taylor and Jerrick , too! She gave Stella some fancy high heels she made, see link! We didn't go to the races, but we did drink lots of wine and sweet tea vodka, and we enjoyed lots of homemade southern food courtesy of Lee. We basically played cards and hung out. Taylor C. and I got to go flea marketing all day Saturday... I found Stella a vintage velvet swing coat and I got some funky hatboxes and jewelry, not to mention an amazing leopard vintage jumpsuit! Awesome! On Sunday we spent some time with Tay's grandpa. He is so sweet.... It was a great weekend catching up with my friends and family! Love you guys!

Taylor Does My Hair!

2009-03-28T11:09:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone!

Just wanted you all to know that I have started a hair blog! the address is www.taylordoesmyhair.blogspot.com ! I am going to be blogging about hairstyles I love, hair color trends, celeb styles, and things that inspire me. I have just started it, so bear with me... but I would love for you to link me to your blogs and feel free to comment, too! I also am going to be putting photos of clients I have done on the blog, as well. I am open for suggestions for blog posts! Hope you all enjoy!

I love Stella in the springtime....

2009-03-26T23:10:00.003-05:00

These are some more pictures I took last weekend while we were staying at my parents' (Mimi and Papa's). We were soaking up the sun and playing in the yard. Stella fell in love with a dish towel and has been carrying it around ever since. Hey, whatever makes her happy is FINE with me! We are going to head down to Hot Springs tomorrow to see some friends and family. I don't know if we will make it to the races... Since Tay is from HS he has been to the races wayyy too many times to count. So I am planning on running around with my friend Taylor (aka Baby Tay) and doing a little flea marketing. And yes, her name is Taylor too. I really hang out with a lot of people that aren't named Taylor, it just seems that way! haha. Unfortunately, I am going to be missing out on a fabulous Mommies night dinner... I will just have to host at my house next time to make up for it. Hope you all have a fabulous weekend and try to be safe with this crazy weather coming up!

SXSW and SHOES!!

2009-03-22T22:48:00.003-05:00

She found these shoes in Dillard's and wouldn't let them go...

She wore them all over the store!

My new iPhone!!!

Sean "handing out" A Good Fight stickers

Taylor in front of the Capital in Austin

Taylor just got back into town from Austin. He went down on Wednesday morning with Sean because his band, A Good Fight, was playing at South By Southwest. They had a great time! While Taylor was out of town, Stella and I had a little girl's weekend! Wednesday we went to the park with Lynne (see last post), Thursday Addie and Anya hosted us for a play date and homemade spaghetti (her specialty!), and Friday night was Dawn's birthday. That was a crazy night!! hahaha. Saturday was Cameron's birthday, but she was still out of town for spring break. I went and stayed with my parents in Rogers. We went to a new restaurant in downtown Bentonville called Table Mesa. It is my new favorite mexican restaurant! I love staying with my parents because they love to take care of us, and they just cannot get enough of Stella. I took so many more pictures of this weekend, I will post more soon. I got a new iPhone this weekend too! All in all, a great weekend. And absence does make the heart grow fonder! I was so happy to see my husband... and Stella fell right asleep on her daddy's chest tonight. All is right in the world :)

A "Swanky" haircut and the park with Liam!

2009-03-18T20:17:00.004-05:00

Stella's "official" birthday pics from Chris Stinson:

http://stinsonphoto.com/gossip/?p=103

Stella's "official" pics from Stinson, Part 2 (her friends)

http://stinsonphoto.com/gossip/?p=133

Today I went to get Stella from school, and it was such a gorgeous day that we decided we needed to go to the park. We went to the salon first for a little glamour session (I pretended to cut her hair... well, I actually did cut the very front pieces that are so long) and then she played big girl with my sunglasses! We headed over to Gulley Park with our friends Lynne and baby Liam, where we laid out on a big blanket and ran around in the sun. Stella couldn't get enough of the slides! It was so much fun! Stella is so great with Liam... she was loving and kissing on him so much! It really melted my heart. I love this girl SO much!

A perforated eardrum....???

2009-03-16T08:02:00.002-05:00

Wednesday night Stella was up all night. She kept saying, ear hurt! Doctor please! I looked at her ear that morning and there was fluid pouring out of it! So we got her to the doctor and they said she had perforated her eardrum because there was so much fluid on it. This also happened during the ice storm, so it may have never healed correctly. They assured me that her hearing would be ok and she wouldn't need tubes. Poor baby! Luckily, we got some antibiotics and ear drops and she is back to her normal, rambunctious self!

Stella's 2nd Birthday!

2009-03-08T23:16:00.006-05:00

Oh my goodness! Saturday was a crazy, wild, amazing day! We had the absolute best time at Stella's birthday party. There were about 15 tinies and 30ish grownups... so it was a madhouse! It was so fun running around getting everything set up and then talking to everyone who came. We had a blowup bounce house in the backyard, along with the Little Tikes slide, Stella's Dora tent, and her wagon. The food was great... Chick-fil-a and lots of different dips. The candy bar was a HUGE hit! Everyone made at least one to-go box, but I still have tons of candy left. Oh well!! Stella opened all of her adorable gifts and was even great about sharing with the other kiddos. She absolutely loved her Pottery Barn dollhouse! It was definitely the highlight of her day... well, besides the bounce house! She got furniture to go in the dollhouse, too. Tay's mom home made Stella a quilt that was originally for her daddy, and she also got tons of adorable clothes from Bella Jack's and Impressions. Lucky me! It was a busy day, but we ended on a great note. I got to drink some wine, hang with some friends and family, and celebrate my amazing, beautiful daughter's 2nd birthday! I will post the "official" party pictures from Chris Stinson soon. Hope you guys had a great weekend!

Day 3 without our pacifier!

2009-03-04T20:47:00.002-06:00

She was pretending to be a princess in a pink tablecloth...

Tie dye tablecloths and giant "candy"

Her BIG present... a Pottery Barn dollhouse!

I love it. I think I will play with it, too! haha!

Today was the third day without Stella's pacifier! I cut the tip off of it on Monday evening and needless to say, she was not happy. She looked at it and said, "What is this?" and then told me to "Wash it off!" She was a little fussy at bedtime, mostly sad. She has been a little more clingy than usual, but she actually is talking even MORE now (is that possible? :)) And has been in a pretty good mood. I am so proud of her! It makes me want to cry thinking about what a big girl my baby has become.

Speaking of being a BIG GIRL, we are finishing up getting ready for Stella's Peace, Love, and Candy party! I posted some pictures of the giant "candy" pieces I made with my lovely sister Cameron and her friend Emily. I still have a few more to make! Taylor has been working so hard on getting the yard ready for Saturday, chopping wood, trimming hedges, mulching, and I think he is even going to paint the front door! He really gets things done around here. There is nothing like having people over to make you straighten your house up! Thank goodness! I am so excited for Saturday. I will post pictures as soon as I get them!

Sassy Britches!

2009-03-02T17:55:00.002-06:00

Stella has always been a sassy one, but lately she has figured out how to get what she wants with a well-delivered doe eye or crocodile tear. She is so cute when she does it, you can't help but give her what she wants. Lately she has been doing this hilarious thing where she points at you and gives you a stern look... along with a "NO!" or "Look at me!" It is hilarious! See picture above! She has also figured out how to go to the corner and pout. It is definitely more enjoyable than a temper tantrum, even though we definitely still have those, too.

Stella's friend Ella was the last tiny in her class to still have a paci (besides Stella, of course) Her mom, Jennifer, called me today and told me that they finally took the paci away from Ella. So that means.... we have to do it, too! Since they are in the same class, they always fought over paci's. I am glad to get rid of the thing, but I am really nervous about how tonight is going to go. I just cut the end of her paci off and gave it to her. She looked at it and was like, "what the ??" So she has cried about it a little, but not too bad... yet. We'll see how tonight goes. Wish us luck!

Jax's Christening

2009-03-01T16:00:00.002-06:00

Last Sunday, we went to Central United Methodist to watch our friends Dana and Bryon's son Jax get christened. Stella was really excited to get to hang out with Rhett, as you can see by her hugging him and holding his hand! After the christening, I took her down to the day care center so she could play with Charlie and some other friends. She cried when she had to leave! After church, we went to Dana and Bryon's for chicken spaghetti. Yum! Stella had a ball running around with all the other kids. It was a full house for sure. We topped the day off with a treat from Shake's.... she earned it for being such a big girl in church!

Blog Book!

2009-02-28T08:08:00.002-06:00

The best invention EVER!!!!!!

I have been feeling bad about not keeping up with Stella's baby book, but I have been blogging, which definitely makes up for it. But I had no way to save all the work I put into it, so I started looking around to find a place that would print my blog. My friend Angela Lehren told me about Shared Book.... the website is

www.sharedbook.com

You just sign up, then upload your blog, and customize it. Unfortunately, you can't get really custom with it... You can't choose fonts or layouts, it all is automatic. But I was really happy with it! My book is red, with Stella's picture on the cover, and it ended up costing me about $60. So worth it if you think about how priceless it is to save all of your blogs in a "yearbook"! I am going to do one every year from Jan-Jan.

I don't have any pictures of my blog book to post, but you can go to the website and check it out. If you want to get 15% off on your own blog book use my code:

MyBlog31MAR05944

Let me know if you do one!

School Daze!

2009-02-24T17:46:00.002-06:00

I took my camera in when I dropped Stella off at school today... I never remember to take pictures of Stella in her classroom. She has some real cuties in her class, and they all play so well together. Ms. Michelle says they are the best class she has had in a long time! The girls are all so fashionable, I can't wait to see what Ella, Anya, and Asher wear every day. Stella is only about two weeks away from her second birthday, which is so amazing to me. She is like a little sponge, soaking up everything. Right now she can count to 20, count to 10 in spanish, and she recognizes the letters in her name. I love her school! She has just discovered movies too. She has watched Wall-e and Finding Nemo a hundred times apiece. It is nice to have her attention captured for longer than a 30 minute Dora episode. I can only take so much of that! She is also very opinionated about everything. She likes to let me know what she wants to eat and wear, along with what she watches on TV. I love being able to communicate so easily with her! I know it is only going to get better. I see the Stinsons with Liam and it reminds me how much they change in two years! I wouldn't have it any other way, though!

Fo Shogun at the house!

2009-02-20T18:09:00.002-06:00

Lee and Larry came in from Hot Springs (dawn's parents) along with Marcy, Ricky, Addie and Anya, Ilim, and Chris, Lynne, and Liam. We had a full house! So much fun. We ate amazing eggrolls courtesy of Dawn and Lee and Ricky made some amazing fried rice. It was a great night, lots of laughs and wine. Stella and Anya watched Madagascar 2 and played with the puppies. So much fun!!

Happy Birthday, Mimi!

2009-02-17T09:06:00.002-06:00

Last night we went out to dinner with Mimi, Papa, Cameron, and Judy and Wayne to celebrate Mimi's birthday! (my momma) Taylor didn't get to come because he is getting sick. Again! Poor guy. Well we had a great time. She hopped from one lap to the next and ended up eating a ton of food. Yeah! She even got a little scoop of ice cream for herself... she didn't go to bed until about 9:30. Sugar rush! We had a lot of fun! I love you so much, momma!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Kansas City!

2009-02-16T07:41:00.002-06:00

We just got back last night from our trip to Kansas City. We went to see Sean's band at George's on Friday night, then we left for Kansas City in the morning. We got there and shopped some vintage stores and had lunch at Blanc Burgers & Bottles (amazing!), then went to the hotel to get ready. We had dinner in the Power & Light district at a place called the 801 Chophouse. It was so delicious! I drank some great wine and ate steak and macaroni and cheese. We had big plans to go out because there are so many new bars in that area... especially our favorite, JP's Wine Bar. But we ended up taking dessert and wine back to the hotel and vegging out! I slept like a baby! So much for our big plans!! We hit some more shopping the next day... we went to Overland Park and The Plaza. I couldn't wait to get back and see my sweet baby girl! When I saw her she was smiling sooo big! I had a big scarf on and she grabbed it and said, "Take it off!" I did, and she laid her little head on my shoulder and loved on my neck. So happy!! We missed her so much but we got her some great stuff for her birthday! Hope you all had a great weekend, too!

Happy Valentine's Day, Sugar!

2009-02-12T08:53:00.003-06:00

We made her a Valentine box and some Valentines for her classmates

She's my little rock star!!

This weekend is Valentine's day, which normally I could care less about, but this year Stella is a little more into it. We just made her a little box to hold her Valentines in, and she (I) made some Valentines for everyone in her class. So cute!! She is really into the glitter and candy... and so am I! I am going to clean up on the sale candy after V Day for her birthday party! My sister and I came up with a theme for the party... Peace, Love, and CANDY! We are going to do tie dye, bright colors, and peace signs along with the candy bar. I think it will be really cute. We just have to get through this holiday! I am really excited because this weekend Taylor and I are going to Kansas City for a date! We are staying downtown at this little boutique hotel, and having dinner at this awesome restaurant, and we are going to drink some good wine! And shop! Hurray! I can't wait to get out of town, if even for one night. I am looking forward to spending some time with my husband, baby-free. And Stella will be out at Tay's momma's, playing on the farm! It is going to be great! I hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Liam is here!

2009-02-05T10:42:00.006-06:00

We went to the hospital this morning to take Lynne, Chris, and new baby Liam some donuts from Rick's. Really, it was just an excuse to see that sweet new baby! He was born yesterday at 4:05 pm. He was 7lbs 11oz... perfect size! He looks so tiny, though. He is the cutest thing! He was squeaking and cooing the whole time. He didn't cry at all! I think he is going to be a very laid back baby. Lynne is doing great, she had to have some stitches but she is definitely being a trooper. They haven't gotten too much sleep, but you know during the "babymoon" you don't really notice the lack of sleep because you are so in love! Congratulations to the happy new family!! xoxo

We're Back In Action!

2009-02-02T20:16:00.006-06:00

Lynne, Marcy, me, and Cameron enjoying a candlelight card game!

Stella is wearing a vintage snowsuit from Chris Stinson. How funny is her bum in this picture?

peace!

The last week has been a rough one over here at our house. The week started off with the lovely ICE STORM, which left us without power. Tay loves to test out his Land Cruiser, so we went running around town. It was so crazy to see how devastated Fayetteville was from all the ice... it looked like a war zone! Luckily, we had power most of the week, so we were like a revolving door for all of our friends and family who didn't have power. The one night we were without, the Stinsons, Marcy, and my sister Cameron all came over. We drank champagne and played cards. Taylor had the generator set up, so we had some great music, lamps and candlelight. It was a great atmosphere! We had so much fun. Later that week, though, we all got really sick. We noticed that Stella had gunk coming out of one of her ears! It turns out they thought she may have burst one of her eardrums because there was so much fluid on it. It was terrible! Then we all got the stomach bug. It is no fun to be projectile vomited on. Or the other. And yes, she did! UGH! So when today rolled around, Stella was more than happy to go to school, and I was more than happy to go to work. We are all ready to be back to the normal routines, back to feeling good again!

Uptown Girl

2009-01-26T08:31:00.004-06:00

So now it's down to two birthday party ideas... Stella's Candy Bar or Fancy Nancy! I really want to do the Fancy Nancy birthday, but I am afraid it may be a little lost on her... she is just now getting into dressing up like a princess. Sometimes she loves crowns and tutus... other times, not so much! And it would be a non-princess day on her birthday, i'm sure. I think she may like it better next year! The candy bar would be fun, and pretty simple. What kid doesn't like candy? Especially 2 year olds. I guess the kids will get hopped up on sugar and then we'll send them home to terrorize their parents! haha! Well what do you guys think?

Saturday Mornings...

2009-01-24T09:22:00.004-06:00

8:25 a.m.

I went to the doctor yesterday and found out I have the flu and bronchitis. So needless to say, we are being lazy and hanging around the house this weekend. Last night we watched Wall-E for the fiftieth time and were in bed very early. This morning Tay and Stella let me sleep in a little, then I found them back in the "Man Cave" tying flys and listening to Car Talk. Stella started playing with Tay's guitar and I convinced him to play us a few tunes. Stel danced all over the place! She also picked around on her Stella guitar. I love holing up and being lazy with my family! I hope you all are staying well and having a great Saturday morning like we are!

I need birthday party ideas!

2009-01-22T07:18:00.002-06:00

I have not been able to come up with a good birthday party idea for Stella. Obviously, a Dora party would be her choice, but I am not sure how to make it unique. I also thought about a Dylan's Candy Bar party, a finger painting party (messy) or a princess party (of course!) I guess it isn't as big of a deal as the first birthday, but I want her to have fun! I am sure it will turn out great no matter what... but if anyone has any cute ideas, I would love to hear them!

Chris Stinson took this photo!

She's Getting So Big!

2009-01-19T22:09:00.002-06:00

Looking glamorous on the way to Grammy's house....

....and being a country girl when she got there!

We have really been working on the potty training, and I think it is starting to pay off. We "bribe" her with stickers, and she has a baby alive doll that actually pees in the potty. Sick, I know, but I think it really works! She gets jealous of baby alive and wants to show her up, so she has to go before baby goes. We went flea marketing on Sunday and accidentally left the diaper bag in the other car. We were looking around when Stella said she needed to go potty. She said, "Change it" but I told her that we didn't have any diapers, she had to be a big girl and go in the potty. She said, "ok." So we went into this random bathroom and I sat her on the potty, and.... SHE WENT! Yes! Then she was about asleep tonight and sat up and told me she needed to go potty. We went in there and she went potty! The second time today!! I am so amazed at her. I am hoping we can keep this up! If anyone has any other good tips to get this training going then let me know! Hopefully I will be saying goodbye to diapers sometime soon!!

Can we talk about this HAIR??

2009-01-13T21:08:00.002-06:00

This child's hair is absolutely out of control!! Don't get me wrong, it is so soft and silky and precious. Never any detangling problems. What is so funny about her hair is that it is actually really, really long. But you would never know it, because it is in these giant ringlets that are about 4 to 6 inches long. So they spring up. And out! The girl's hair is growing OUT not DOWN! Oh, except for those two little straight patches on the front sides. I don't even know what that's all about. Luckily, it is so cute! Once I tried to blow dry her hair out to see what it would look like. Yes, it was rediculous, I know! The crazy thing is, it stayed curly. Even with brushing and blow drying, it looked exactly the same. She's going to hate it, i'm sure! Well, I guess that I am familiar with this hair situation... her hair has gone from being straight and black to blonde and curly like mine! Poor baby. At least she has two parents for hairdressers to help... it's actually very appropriate. You know, this hair is the reason that I became a hairdresser... to learn how to tame my mane. Now I pass the torch onto you, Stella. Maybe someday you can teach me a few tricks to fixing those curls. Good luck!

Chuck E. Cheese time!

2009-01-12T08:12:00.004-06:00

We went to church for the first time in a LONG time yesterday. I honestly have been too lazy and we don't really have somewhere we know that we like to go. So Addie and Anya met up with us at St. Paul's and we tried it out. We had a lot of fun! Everyone was really nice and the girls loved it. I may still try a few other places, but it went really well! After we got out of church, Stella and I drove up to Rogers where we met up with Mimi and Cameron. After a power nap (for Stella) we dove in to the Chuck E. Cheese world. It was CRAZY in there! It only took them about 10 years and 2 tries to make our pizza... at least they gave us a ton of free tokens! Stella had a ball and cashed her tickets in for stickers, suckers, and a comb. It was a fun day but we were cranky and exhausted when it was all said and done. Well, I was!

Big Girls wear High Heels!

2009-01-07T22:24:00.003-06:00

I spent Saturday night up at my parent's house in Rogers. We were getting ready to go out to dinner at Copeland's and Stella found my heels. She had her gold tennies on and threw a fit until she could get those shoes off and put mine on. She has a little fetish for shoes!! Yes! I know... first the bows, now shoes. I am so lucky I got a little girlie girl! Well, I guess until I have to take her back to school shopping at Mason's, then I won't be loving it as much. I have also found a new obsession of my own... Facebook. Apparently everyone i've ever met, EVER, is on there. Seriously. I swore I wouldn't ever do it... well, I am on it. I have been catching up with so many people I haven't seen in ages. And it's one more place I can "blog-drop" to get more people over here! I am a dork. Oh well, why do it if no one looks at it, right?? As Sean would say, OMG!!

My future's so bright.....

2009-01-04T21:42:00.003-06:00

I Gotta Wear Shades!!

G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S!

Today we went to see Bolt, the 3D movie. Stella has never done too well at the movies, she usually watches about 15 minutes and passes out. Even though the movie needed 3D glasses, she would have NONE of it. So the poor thing watched the whole movie kind of blurry. It didn't seem to bother her too much, though... she ended up watching the whole thing! She was really excited and kept talking about Bolt and The Movies!! It was a fun family day!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T21:12:00.005-06:00

We had a very happy New Year's Eve! Our friends the Claxtons came up from Hot Springs to hang out for the weekend. We went to a friend's house for a fondue party! It was my first time to do real fondue with meat... of course we did cheese and chocolate fondue as well! I ate my weight in pound cake covered in chocolate. Yummy! Stella hung out with Mimi and Papa in Rogers and they had a big night (before bedtime, of course!) Hope that everyone had a great 2008 and wish you the best for 2009!

ABC's

2008-12-29T19:10:00.002-06:00

Uncle Brett and Harry came over tonight, along with Grammie and Grandpa to eat dinner. Guess what we ate?? See previous post. It was actually my first time to eat deer meat. It was surprisingly good! Wow. I never thought I would say that. Anyway, after dinner Brett and Harry went back into Taylor's "Man Cave" and started playing guitar and singing. They sang Twinkle, Twinkle little Star to Stella, and then I recorded them playing ABC's and Stella sang, too. Enjoy! xoxo

Deer and Gnomes... Daddy's favorites

2008-12-28T20:25:00.006-06:00

Daddy killed a "white tail buck deer munchin' on clover!" (in the words of Alabama) It was an 8 point buck! He is over the moon.

Well I don't know if it is a secret, but Taylor LOVES gnomes. Really, really loves them. They are hidden everywhere around our house. The other day, I was looking online to find a pattern to knit Stella a little gnome hat, but I couldn't find a good one. We ended up watching The Golden Compass and I fell in love with Lyra's uber-chunky knit hat. I had to have it! So I whipped one up... I think it turned out pretty cute! And it was way easy compared to a normal stocking cap. Love it!

I hope the deer picture didn't offend anyone... Tay was just so excited that I had to post it. He had his dad and brothers come over to... um... clean it? Gross. Whatever makes them happy! Sorry, Bambi! Stella saw it and kept saying, Reindeer!! She didn't see anything gross, don't worry. Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend! xoxo

Merry Christmas!!

2008-12-25T13:20:00.004-06:00

We Suttons have had a busy few days! I am sitting at my mother-in-laws house, having a glass of wine and looking at all of the pictures I have taken from the last few days. Yesterday we were at my parent's house, where we got all kinds of goodies... Stella's favorite toys were Baby Alive and a stainless steel pots and pans set. She also got a lot of color wonder art supplies. Taylor got a touch screen GPS and I got a new Mac laptop. EEEKKKKKKKK! My plugged-in days are over. I will be free to blog wherever, whenever! So get ready! Well, if I can remember to. I have no excuses now! So then we got up this morning to do our presents. Stella got a Dora tent, an easel, and so many more presents that she actually got bored opening them. Seriously! My parents and Tay's parents also got together and ordered Stella a Little Tikes outdoor slide thing. She loved it! So we packed up the car and booked it to Grammie and Grandpa's for... guess what... MORE presents! (next year I am going to spread them out all week. This is rediculous!) She got Dance Time Brobee, a toy chainsaw from her Daddy, and lots of other goodies, including a picnic table! Now all we need is warm weather to use all of these outdoorsy toys! We have had a ball watching her open everything, but I am glad that it is all winding down. I need to go through and donate some old toys, because I have NO IDEA where I am going to put everything! Love to all of you! Merry Christmas!!

Away in a Manger

2008-12-22T20:08:00.007-06:00

"the stars in the sky...."

Papa, Mimi and 'Aunt' Judy

Momma and Aunt Cameron

Stella just had her Christmas Program at school on Thursday night. The evening really started out as a fiasco! I rushed to get her after work, and had to take her home for dinner and change her clothes before we took her back to school for the performance. I had her all bundled up and ready... and my car wouldn't start!! I of course freaked out.... and Taylor locked his keys in the car at the school so he couldn't come get me. Of course!! So my dad rushed to pick us up. Then there was an accident at Mission and Crossover, which my dad completely drove right through. The cop was saying NO! NO! but he just kept driving. Hey, we have priorities! And Stella's opening night on Broadway (haha) was the #1 priority. The performance was quick... they brought the tinies out in the middle of the older kid's performance and they sang Away in a Manger twice. Stella even did the motions!! I put the video up, she is on it about halfway through the two minute video. It made me very proud and very emotional. It seems like yesterday she was my new baby, and now she is a Big Girl who is learning to be independent. I hope she always will need her momma, though!

if you want to watch this video, scroll to the bottom

and stop the music player first. Also, she is about

a minute into this video so feel free to fast forward.

Tree Trimming Party

2008-12-16T20:20:00.003-06:00

Sorry I have been a bad blogger.... we have been so busy with the holidays, blah blah blah... you know how it is! These pictures are from a Tree Trimming Party at Stella's school. It was the cutest thing.... all of the parents come and the tinies show off their rooms. Then you go from one classroom to the next, making ornaments (five in all). Every ten minutes or so, they rang a bell and everyone came into the main area, where they had a big tree set up. The pastor and his sons led everyone singing Christmas carols while the tinies would hang their ornaments on the tree, and do a little singing and dancing themselves. It was precious, the tinies are all so proud to show off their school and their friends. Needless to say, we didn't end up staying too long. It was a big night for a little girl!!

E.R.

2008-12-02T11:12:00.003-06:00

These pics are out of order... this is when we were trying to wake her up
right after her stitches

ouch!

trying to calm her down before putting her under

in the waiting room before stitches... we had cleaned it up at this point

Well, last night was one of the worst nights of my life. Taylor has been out of town in Vail, so I have been by myself the last few nights. After I picked Stella up from school we went home and as soon as we got there, she went over to the fireplace and pulled on the newly-hung stockings. We don't have hooks, we had metal weights that sat on top of the mantel. SO... that thing came flying down and hit her right between the eye and her nose. She was hysterical and there was blood gushing everywhere, and all in her eye. I was freaking out. I called Taylor and he called everyone to come help me. I got her in the car and drove to the emergency room. When I got there, Brett was there waiting, and my mom, dad, and Cameron came, as well as Kathy, Al, and Addie and Lynne. Everyone was so worried. They could barely get her vitals, she was so upset. They finally got us a room and had to put all these probes on her and give her a shot to put her into 'twilight' sleep. It was the hardest thing to watch her fight going under. Dr. Holden gave her three teeny stitches by her eye and said she would heal up great, no eye problems at all. Thank God! I almost passed out when they were stitching.. I thought I could be tough for my baby but it all hit me at once. Then we had to wait for her to wake up... it was so sad, she was like a little rag doll. I honestly don't think she opened her eyes until 8 this morning. We ended up at the E.R. for 5 hours... it was a long, exhausting night. She is doing so good this morning, we are at home relaxing, coloring and snacking. Hopefully we will be back to normal again soon!! Thanks to everyone for checking on her... she is a very lucky girl to have so many people who love her!

Thanksgiving Feast

2008-11-25T20:42:00.002-06:00

On Friday, I went to Stella's school at lunch with my mom and sister for her Thanksgiving Feast. They sang some songs and showed off their Thanksgiving decorations. Then we went to the main area where they had banquet tables set up with place mats for each tiny and the people that came with them. It was some yummy, home-cooked food... and Stella was so proud to show off her school! Did you notice the rockin' tie dyed, beaded, feathered, and fringed Thanksgiving tee she made?? That's my girl.... always a trendsetter! Well, we are off to Hot Springs to continue the Thanksgivingus Festivus Rediculous! I don't even know what that is but I always start out thinking... "I could eat this food every day!" and by the end of it all, it's more like "I better not see another f***ing piece of turkey again for another year or i'll ...!!"

New York City!

2008-11-19T07:18:00.006-06:00

Posing with Orlando Pita!

Making a long haircut look short

A group of Prop. 9 protesters on the street... there were hundreds of them!

Some "queens" at a bar called Lips we stopped at for a drink... They performed for us even though there was no one in there. Hilarious!

Times Square

Hotel Gansevoort Rooftop bar

Dinner at the Spice Market

I just got back from New York City last night. I went with Misty, Lisa, Deborah, and Tanner for a once-in-a-lifetime Master Styling Class with Orlando Pita at Butterfly Studio on 5th Avenue. We couldn't believe we were invited! There were only 10 or so in the whole class... it was amazing. Orlando was very cool and he gave us a lot of his secrets. He cracked us up with stories of Gwenyth scared of getting her hair cut to styling Amy Winehouse for a Vogue shoot while she was... incapacitated! He said she had worn her hairpieces for three weeks straight and didn't wash her hair. Yuck! We got to do some hands-on with real models as well. The rest of our trip was lots of yummy food and shopping. The first night we went to Spice Market, then we went to the Hotel Gansevoort rooftop, Chloe 81 and another bar down the street. The next day we went sightseeing and shopping all day and ate at the Waverly Inn. The food was so wonderful, and the atmosphere was incredible. That night we went to a little hole in the wall bar and then a place called Room Service where we had bottle service. The next day was class, so afterward we went to Gramercy Tavern... my favorite meal of the trip. It was a five course menu and it was the best experience. No one could decide which restaurant was the best! I had the best time ever, but was so glad to come home. I missed my family!! Home, sweet Home!! xoxo

Fast Lanes

2008-11-10T08:41:00.002-06:00

We went to Rogers on Sunday to check out the new Fast Lanes. We were thinking it would be for older kids but we ended up getting Stella some little bowling shoes and playing a game. Is that what it's called? Anyway, it was cute and she was over it after one round. We rounded out the day with a little Cold Stone.... YUM! I love family days :)

Rocktoberfest

2008-11-09T15:08:00.003-06:00

We went out to the Mulberry River last weekend to check out Rocktoberfest, an annual (redneck) festival where everyone brings their rock crawling jeeps and trucks and shows them off. Naturally, I didn't want to go... flea markets were calling my name. But we went out there and ended up having a lot of fun! Stella LOVED the big trucks, and we got to do a little off-roading ourselves. Not too bad for a city girl!!!

BOO!

2008-11-02T10:24:00.003-06:00

Taylor hand carved these pumpkins!
trick-or-treating and enjoying the treats

tutus don't fit well in carseats!

Anya and Stella at Tim's after trick-or treating on the square

"Bill and Sookie Stackhouse" haha

awwww!

We had a really big day on Friday. We ended up wearing the bumblebee costume all day because Stella decided she didn't feel like being a cheerleader... and what the Queen wants, the Queen gets! I took her to school that morning for a Halloween party. All the kids and the teachers dressed up and they painted pumpkins, frosted cookies and played in a blow up jump zone thing. Then, after a nap, I took her to the square to trick or treat, where we met up with Addie and Anya (who was a flower girl after throwing a fit about the Princess Leia costume) and Loryn and Olivia (who was a pumpkin). It was so crowded so we skirted around the edges and then went to Tim's pizza. After that, we went to my parents' house in Rogers, where we met Taylor's parents. We trick-or-treated there and then had chili and answered the door to the other little ghouls and goblins in the neighborhood. It was so funny! Taylor and I were Bill (a vampire) and Sookie from the HBO show True Blood. We love the show, and it was all I could do to get Taylor in any type of costume at all. I think we turned out pretty good! Stella was exhausted from coming down off of her sugar rush and slept late the next day!

Hog Wild!

2008-10-27T17:12:00.003-05:00

We tailgated at the Garton's on Saturday before the game. They keep a house for all of their family and friends to hang out right across from the stadium. We sat outside, played baggo and drank beer. Dana brought Jax and Stella was fascinated with him. She ended up getting in that bouncy seat and hanging out for about thirty minutes. She doesn't want to give up being a baby! Which is fine with me. Stella wore her new cheerleader outfit and she was a huge hit! We didn't go to the game, but we hung out over at the Brezinskis' house. They rented the game, cooked their famous purple chicken, and had a bonfire. We had so much fun and wore Stella out! She slept like... a baby!

Fishin'

2008-10-21T09:50:00.002-05:00

Taylor, Stella and Clint
My first fish. Look close, it's a little one!

chillin...
Look at the fishie!

On monday afternoon we went with Uncle Sean over to his friend Clint's land in Goshen. It is beautiful... gated, landscaped, fire pit and a giant pond stocked with all kinds of fish. We took Stella's barbie fishing rod and spent some time fishing. We all caught fish... mostly perch. (Like I know what that is!) There were catfish too. I caught my first fish and also hooked myself in the back. Awesome!! I am not cut out for fishing. But we had a great time and Stella LOVED the wiggly fish. Then she wanted to get into the tractor and didn't want to get out! It was a fun day.... Thanks Clint and Uncle Sean!

Lakehouse mornings....

2008-10-19T12:12:00.001-05:00

Hanging out at the lakehouse with my family... enjoy your weekend!!

Punkin patch...

2008-10-13T20:21:00.003-05:00

We went to the pumpkin patch on Friday afternoon with our friends Addie and Anya. We dressed the girls in matching halloween outfits and picked them both up early from school. After an essential McSnack, we headed over to the "patch" on Old Wire Road. For being at a church, this pumpkin patch was really good! And the girls loved it. They were in great moods and thought it was so cool. Now every time Stella sees a pumpkin, she squeals "PUMPKIE!!" . She gets excited! So we got five pumpkins... One big one for daddy, medium one for momma, small one for bebe, and two teeeeeeny ones for the puppies. Our whole family has pumpkin representation! I am definitely feeling the holiday spirit creeping in. Who knows, maybe soon you will see me stocking up on Christmas decorations at Hobby Lobby!

Gulley Park

2008-10-10T05:52:00.004-05:00

We went to Gulley Park last Saturday to try to soak up some of the last few warm, sunny days we will have for awhile... Stella was in heaven. We took the wagon, of course, and we ran around and played forever. She even went down the slides by herself. About halfway down the slide she realized that it was hot, and she wanted OFF! I don't blame her! Nothing like the burn of the back of your legs sticking to the slide!! I love having a place for her to run free with the puppies!

Trying out some video.... I haven't done this before so this is a trial run. This video is Stella and Anya playing in our backyard with the pups... it is really short. You might need to stop my music player to hear it. Hope it works!

Stella's Favorite Things

2008-10-01T20:08:00.005-05:00

L.A.M.B shoes from Bella Jacks. The cutest! And they stay on, even when you buy them big, so they last a lot longer. And they are so Fancy! I hate tennis shoes but Stella can't exactly wear heels on the playground, now can she?

She loves this book because it is interactive. The original and still the best!!

Don't even get me started on this one. I swear she will go to high school with one of these. OH WELL!!! This is her favorite kind, but in a pinch she will take whatever we've got. It is a SERIOUS addiction!
Everytime she sees her wagon, she squeals. It was a birthday gift and it is still her favorite thing... way better than a stroller! And convenient at the park.
I got Stella this Dora stuffed doll in Las Vegas and it goes almost everywhere with her. It is already getting holes in it. A great investment!!
Her puppies are her favorite toy and they love her too. Sophie loves to give her french kisses, and Stella puckers up for them! As soon as we pull into the garage every day, she says COCO!! COCO!! and she can't wait to chase them around.

Possibly the coolest kid's show EVER. It is a little wacky but it is a lot better than every other kid's show and it really keeps Stella's attention. They have great beats and she dances the whole time she watches it. They also have celeb guests teach "dancey-dances" and bands like the Ting Tings, The Shins, and other indie bands perform. Love it!! "There's a party in my tummy" is the funniest song! You Tube it!

If I think of any more then I will post them... that's all for now!