Christmas Recovery

well, we're back. we spent the last week in oregon with my sister and her family. my mom was also there so we got some good family time in. it was fun! my sister was amazing and set up three classes for us. she had a lady come teach us how to re-upholster. i mean straight up RE-UPOLSTER, no messing around. (wish i had a before and after picture to post, AHEM, morgan). the next class was a jewelry making class where we brushed up on our wire wrapping skills and walked away with two new pairs of earrings (wish my holes didn't close up for the SECOND time). the last was a felting class which was surprisingly enjoyable. i think i might take it up (wish i needed another expensive hobby). we went to two portland trailblazer games which were awesome. joe walked in as a denver fan and out as a blazer. you'll never believe this but i didn't take ONE picture during the entire trip. i'll have to wait to get some from my sister and mom. in the meantime, enjoy the rhythmics we've been working on:

found here

Merry Christmas

may we all remember the true reason of the season - Christ.

may we all strive to be more like Him.

have a safe and merry Christmas!

ps. go vote on the poll at the right to guess the gender of the baby.

we'll find out in early february.

Brown Baby #2

(if you look rrrreally close you can see five little toes to the right)

all is well in the womb.

A Tender Moment

i thought i'd get on here and post a little personal experience since most of my posts have been not so personal and i really do think of blogs as journals (my excuse for not writing in one). yesterday was not a particularly hard day - just typical. nauseous, tired, millions of things i should be doing but rather lay on the couch, you know, the typical pregnancy stuff (yes i am a sick and pathetic mom!). just after i taped an orange peel over my nose while changing a poopie diaper, my hormones took over and i just burst into tears. i really could not think of one reason i could be crying other than it has been a long time since i've cried. anyway, norah immediately brought her blankie over to me, crawled up onto my lap and repeatedly signed "i love you" while giving me hugs and kisses. it was so sweet. of course, it made me cry even more thinking about how sensitive and pure her spirit is. she amazes me everyday with her little personality and the things she understands and learns. she really is amazing. i imagine that the rest of my life will be filled with tender moments like these with my children.

i love my life.

Family Pictures

one of the nice things about making things is being able to trade goods and/or services with others. i emailed a local photographer and asked her if she would be interested in a trade (headbands for family pictures) and she agreed. how nice! we love how they came out.

and yes, i did make the capelet i'm wearing out of a thrifted men's sweater.

the new header has some of our favorites

but if you'd like to see the rest you can

go here.

(the photographer's website can be found here)

In an Ideal World..

each and every one of my children's toys

would be crocheted

by me,

moi,

myself.

seriously, how cute are these?

oh, maybe i'll get around to it in time for grandchildren.

that's really how far i feel from any projects i want to do.

blame it on the ball of flesh that has taken over my body.

i say that with nothing but affection.

(patterns found here)

Morgan's Charms

My sister makes these super cute charms and she donated a bunch of them to the auction (HERE). Scroll down until you see the hand-soldered glass charms. They would make a great Christmas gift! This one, for instance, says "inside every woman is a queen waiting to be crowned" on the opposite side. I wear her charms on a chain pretty much everyday. Love them. Bidding closes on December 12th at midnight. Go bid people!!

John and Emily Jones Memorial Auction

We spent Thanksgiving in Vegas. It was fun and relaxing. While we were there, I learned the sad story of John and Emily Jones. John (a medical student at the University of Virginia) was exploring The Nutty Putty caves near Spanish Fork, UT during his Thanksgiving vacation when he got stuck in a 10"x14" space. Rescuers worked for 28 hours to remove him but could not and he passed away. He left behind his wife, Emily, their 14-month-old daughter and a baby on the way (due in June). My heart sank when I read the story here. Maybe it's because I have a daughter around that age and am also expecting around that time. Maybe it's because I lost my father at a young age and know the impact it has made and continues to make in my life. Either way, I hardly slept that night, mourning for the Jones family and especially Emily and her children. I have tried to find some way to help, knowing that I am not in a position to donate money to the fund at this time, I thankfully found this blog who is putting on an auction for the John Jones Memorial Fund. I am glad I that I am able to donate some of my talents to this auction. Head on over and find some great Christmas gifts or donate your own items (deadline is midnight tonight to do so).

I am grateful for the blessings in my life and especially for the knowledge that we can be families forever (more on that here).

I am now spending a lot more time thinking about this.

Our Christmas Card

(click to enlarge)

Free Nursing Cover

if you go on over to uddercovers.com

and enter the promo code babykiss at checkout,

you'll get a free nursing cover.

you do have to pay the shipping

and you may or may not think it's worth it,

(i don't because i can just make them myself)

but i just thought i'd share!

ps. i don't know when the offer ends.

Movie Recommendation

watched this:

last night

from this gem of an invention:

and loved it.

there were some words that would be better left out,

but all in all it is a touching, refreshing change from

immature, dirty humor that's in 90% of movies these days.

Sick and Twisted

someone send this girl to therapy.

My New Obsession

yes, it's true.

my husband would tell you that i have crafter's-ADD.

this means that i find a project i like and i nearly obsess about it.

i'll do it whenever i get a free minute.

then i find another project (completely irrelevant to last stated project),

and suddenly i'm obsessed with it.

am i the only one with this condition?

here is my latest:

norah dresses made from recycled t-shirts.

love them because:

a. they are each unique.

you won't see one just like it walkin' down the street

(the same reason i love all things handmade)

b. they are incredibly inexpensive (cost me oh, maybe $2 tops, each)

c. they are comfy (at least they look comfy to me)

d. they have lots of room for growin'!

she'll be wearin that green and blue on til she goes to kindergarten,

guaranteed.

well maybe.

no, her toe is not breaking off in the above picture.

yes, her toes are really that hypermobile.

if only this chicka let me put piggies in her hair. look at that long messy hair!

ok, now go obsess over your own t-shirt dresses.

Norah in Her Element

i love capturing norah in her element.

this morning she pretended like I didn't exist.

this is a rarity.

so I grabbed my camera.

if you happened to notice her dress,

i made it out of this $1 D.I shirt:

the way those ruffles fall on those sweet chunky legs.

oh, i could just die.

New Colors!

I just posted a bunch of new crocheted headbands on my Etsy shop.

Stay tuned for a similar post with some really fun little girl's headbands.

Check it out here!

You Must Be Sick of Seeing Close Ups of My Chest..

my apologies.

before, blah:

after, tuxedo ruffles:

a new shirt.

with ruffles.

all for the bargain price of free.

lovely.

and just to throw some non-chesties in here,

check out this cute cowgirl:

My Etsy Shop

i have been putting off "debuting" my etsy.com shop on my blog

because i have so much more i want to add to it

(more colors, patterns, designs, scarves, pictures, etc).

i've decided it's going to be an ongoing process

& i'll just have to let you know whenever i add new things.

so, without further ado (oh so formal),

BANDSANDBUDS.ETSY.COM

i was so excited when i had my first sale

that i took a picture:

Another Refashioning

Before, blah:

After, ruffles!:

i'd post a super detailed, picture-filled tutorial of each step i took but seriously, i barely had time to make the shirt!

plus, that's for an entirely different blog in general.

would anyone be interested if i were to create a blog where i detail allllll of my millions of projects?! ha.

1. i cut off 10 inches of the sleeves,

(i planned on hemming the sleeves but i love the way this stretchy material looks with a raw edge)

2. cut them into strips,

3. created ruffles out of them.

4. sewed 'em on!

i love it, and it was so easy and so fun!

Got 15 Minutes?

i just "refashioned" an old turtleneck into this:

using this tutorial.

not bad for the last 15 minutes of nap time.

i think i have about 5 more in my closet that could use this facelift.

lately i have discovered the exciting world

of "refashioning" or "upcycling" clothes.

i will no longer be dropping off garbage bags of clothes at the DI

at every clothes/season change.

i'm sure my husband's wallet will thank me.

Are You For REAL?

If you want a good laugh:

Click Here

The funny part is: it isn't a joke.

Playing With Dad

yes, my husband was a male cheerleader for all 3 BYU's,

and norah and i love it.

Happy Halloween!

It Only Took Me 4 Years...

to figure out what to get my degree in.

obtaining it or not was never an option - it was just a matter of what.

in the past 4 years, folks, i applied (and was accepted) to 7 universities.

i earned just over 100 credits.

i jumped around between 6 majors.

my problem was that i liked everything, really.

well, i made up my mind.

in january i will be taking classes towards my degree

in communicative disorders and deaf education, through usu.

eventually i will pursue a master's in speech pathology.

no matter how long it takes me or how many distractions i may face -

i'm doing it.

i am so excited.

i'm so grateful for technology

that allows me to take my sign language classes via webcam.

and the best part is that i can listen to my lectures

while crocheting on my couch.

hallelujah.

here is a picture of me and my most favorite college roommate

(second to my husband, that is :)

during my second semester of college.

Sneak Preview

I'm opening an Etsy Shop.

It's under construction.

Here's a preview:

Stay tuned!

We Went to the Game

and we lost.

we still love you BYU.

Boo.

Hair Did

last night my cute husband surprised me with a haircut.

love the salon (david douglas in provo).

love love my stylist (whitney).

and love love love the hair.

while I was there, Joe took Norah on a daddy-daughter date

to the macaroni grill and a movie

oh so cute.

look at those gummies.

ohh don't you just want to eat her?!

Bird Mural

last night I was looking at my list of projects I want to do.

I needed to complete one of them

because the list is multiplying like bunny rabbits.

and this was born:

$2 frame.

cardboard.

paint.

paper.

xacto knife.

mod podge.

But alas, tonight, it's back to the books.

Why Babies Have Mothers

my personal favorite is the powder-puff.

Deep Thoughts on a Morning Walk

Every morning I take Norah and Mr.Owen on a walk. Since it's getting colder, the walks are getting shorter. Regardless, I think we all enjoy the fresh morning air. This morning I realized most days I probably spend 75% of my day talking to my one year old. Thus, I have "big people" conversations in my head (you do it too, come on). Here is my random-thought-discussion with myself this morning.

"I'm not a cat person.
Or am I a pseudo-cat-hater who really loves them?"

(As a cuddly, soft, loving kitty trots up to Norah and I).

"Seriously?"

(As Mr.Owen gets into his squat position
to take his second #2 of the walk).

"I never knew a dog could produce so much feces."

(As I unroll my second 'doggie bag' and pick it up).

"Maybe I am a cat person considering I have to walk all the way home carrying two giant sacks of feces that wreak.. big time. Outdoor cats simply leave their dainty mess outside and that's that."

(As I indeed walk the whole way home carrying two sacks of feces, thinking it would be really cruel to drop them in a neighbor's trash can, especially since we're all the the same Ward. Darn).

"She definitely doesn't have kids."

(As I half-wave a "Hi" to a woman wearing a perfectly pressed,
crisp white shirt).

"Owen is a lot more well behaved and overall happier after he goes #2.
I think that's the case for all of us."

OK, so maybe they aren't so deep.

To attempt to make this post less awkward
I present to you without further ado:

THIS DAY IN BROWN HISTORY: 10.20.08
We were drooling over this bald-blue-eyed-beauty.

We Hiked Y Mountain

and it was intense.

norah insisted on being held by me and only me during 1/2 of the hike.

she also insisted that she walk the last 20 feet up to the top.

the view from the top.

the view from the bottom.

can you see the Y?

yep, we sat on that Y.

Pick Your Own

This past weekend we spotted our landlord plucking apples off of his apple trees so we thought, what the hey, we must be invited right? We walked over and joined him. I couldn't believe how many apples those two trees produced! I'm talkin' a lot. We walked home with two bags full. There's just something about knowing that you plucked your apple from a tree - the actual tree it grew on, that makes eating that apple that. much. more. satisfying.

It was always a tradition in my family to pick our own pumpkins and cut our own Christmas trees. I have great memories of doing those two things with my family and want to continue the tradition with my own family. I have had several people ask about local farms so I wanted to share a website that I found called PickYourOwn.org. It's a pretty basic site and sometimes hard to follow but stick with me - it's worth it. It lists your local pick-your-own farms, from berries to Christmas trees. If you know of any that aren't listed on the site, you can add it - come on, share the wealth.

Pluck away!!

And, just for fun (to be read Yus-for-fun),

here is a picture Joe took at the pumpkin patch

(because what would a blog post be without a picture?)

Paalam!

Don't even worry about how Norah looks like she wants to punch the cameraman in the face.

Yesterday we said goodbye to our beautiful friend Meghan (seriously, beautiful, b-e-a-utiful), who will be serving an 18 month mission in the Phillipines for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She will be learning the Tagalog language and teaching the people about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She is going to be amazing and we know she will change many lives there.

We love you Auntie Meg!

For more information about what she will be teaching, click here.

Hee Haw Farms

Today was such a fun day. (How do I have time to blog about it, you ask? Oh, because Norah is in bed, my love is watching the BYU game with his Dad and I have no tests due in the immediate future). We spent over two hours at Hee Haw Farms in Pleasant Grove. It was awesome. We all loved it and will definitely go back next year. If I had the means to create one of those cool picture collage thinger-majigers, I would, but for now you'll have to suffer through a bajillion pictures.

Enjoy :)

The first thing we did is pet the goats!

(Well, they kind of just licked our fingers. It was a little creepy).

Norah just loves animals. Some kids are indifferent about animals but Norah innately loves them. It's cute.

Then Norah got to ride a pony. She was so patient as she waited in line behind 5 older kids and watched each take their turn. It was a dream come true for her, for sure. She was thrilled and wanted to do it over and over again.

I just love love LOVE this picture. Look at how she is holding on so tight and she looks so determined. Ohh I love this bug!

Bahhhh.

(notice Norah's fishy face, I guess we need to work on animal/sound/face relationships).

Daddy took Norah down this huge slide. By the look on Norah's face, I think she thought she was facing death.

Who knew so much corn could be so much fun? Instead of sand in a sandbox, they had corn in a cornbox. It provided minutes and minutes of entertainment for Norah, clearly wondering why the heck these people would put corn in a sandbox. She was up to her chin in corn and quite content with it.

Just drivin'. Uncle Bryan would be proud.

Norah rode in this wagon while we walked to the pumpkin patch.

And voila! The pumpkin patch. It was beautiful really - with all the huge sunflowers weeping in the sunlight (they were dead). It is probably even more beautiful when they are alive. I was impressed.

This is probably the only picture of Norah I got of her actually looking remotely towards the camera. She was laughing at Daddy, of course.

Have you ever seen such a huge sunflower up close? I haven't and I was amazed. I never really thought about where sunflower seeds really came from. It's amazing.

And when all is said and done, we get to the car to take care of business (you know, change the diaper, etc) and we find this :

(and no, this is not digested corn baahahaha)

I love my life.