Auburn again

Well, the week had to end some time, right?

We are headed back to Auburn today so that mom can reunite with the Corolla and head back to Scottsboro. What does this mean for me? That I will eat Big Blue Bagel for lunch. And it never tastes better than when I am pregnant. Woo-hoo!!!!!!

What else do I want to tell you?

Well, remember this from so long ago?

yes that is my sewing machine that has been sitting in closet for fear that I would break it if I tried to use it. We unearthed it in the midst of the organizing, mom ordered a "super deluxe" manual for it on the internet, and she is taking it home to figure it out. (She is more familiar with sewing machines than me). Next time I am home she will hopefully teach me the basics of using it, and I will be off on my sewing adventures. Thanks again, Amy, I am so thrilled to have it.

Bows are also on the brain. With Ada's pictures coming up, and fall outfits filling her drawers, I have been thinking about bows and needing to order a few from my friend Bethany. (Bethany, my mom paid for one at a Vinings boutique yesterday so I would have it for the pictures on Saturday. It costs so much more than yours, and it didn't have a no slip grip like yours. I will be placing an order with you soon. Yours continue to be the best out there!!) But we did get a red and green one at the boutique yesterday because Ada will be wearing her Christmas dress in the pictures, and the bows are appropriately Christmasy.

Anyway, I think I might try my hand at making a bow. Darby (surely you know about her blog?) has a tutorial for making one, and I am thinking, why not try it? We'll see how that goes. Most likely, I will decide to leave the bow making to you, Bethany.

So those are my thoughts on this Friday morning. What is mainly on my brain? A honey maple turkey bagel with bagel chips and honey mustard. Oh, I can hardly wait.

So many exciting things to share

As I predicted, I am back for a second blog post today.

Ada and I started our week by attending baby lap-sit at the library. We both enjoyed it so much, so I think it is going to become a weekly thing for us. We ended the morning with lunch at Chick-fil-a with my friend Tutti and her three children. It was a great way to start the week. Mondays can be hard because Scott goes back to work, and Ada and I can find ourselves climbing the walls a little bit. I think Mondays at the library are the perfect way to kick off our week.

Next fun thing, my day started out by receiving an e-mail from my friend Amy, asking if I still wanted a sewing machine. And my answer was of course, yes!!! She ended up with an extra, brand new, machine that she is giving to me tomorrow morning. I feel like jumping up and down I am so excited. I have lots to learn, but actually getting a machine is a great first step. I still can't believe that it's mine.

And finally, we have graciously been given tickets to Dave Ramsey Live, which will be in Atlanta this coming weekend. We weren't sure if we were going to be able to go at first because we didn't have a baby-sitter, but my sister, Sarah, is coming for the weekend so that Scott and I can spend most of Saturday learning how to better manage our money. We are so excited, and we anticipate walking away from the seminar with lots of helpful and encouraging information. We plan to end the day with a (very inexpensive) dinner out where we can process all that we have learned. I am feeling overwhelmed with all the ways that God is providing. I feel so taken care of.

Finally, I received two 6.00 off formula coupons in the mail, and we are no longer using coupons. The coupons are for Nestle Good Start, which I have never used, but if we were still using formula, I would certainly give it a try with a total of 12.00 savings. If I have any readers who could use these coupons please e-mail me, and I will mail them to you right away. They don't expire until 12/1/08. I really hate to throw them away because 12.00 off of formula is quite a bit. My e-mail is laura_rhodes@hotmail.com. I really hope someone can use them.

It's Friday. And that's reason enough to be excited.

Tonight's the big night when Scott and I are venturing into the city. And hopefully I will come home with some new shoes that will do wonders for all of this training. I'll keep you posted.

Other news--well, obviously, I updated the blog, and in the process I lost all of my links. I am so sad about that, but I am pleased with the new heading. Check out scrapblog to make your own. I discovered the site through another friend's blog, so let's just keep passing the word. It's so much fun that I am tempted to change my heading every week. Don't worry, I think I am finally finished "decorating" the blog. In the mean time, I will slowly be adding links to all of the blogs that I read.

What else? Well, this week's bargain. I have to share. I have a wedding to go to this weekend in Rome, GA. As of Wednesday, I had no idea what I was going to wear. Ada and I were in Wal-Mart, and I decided to stroll through the clothing section, just to see what there was to see, and, guess what? I found a precious little black sun dress for $9.00!!! And I will be wearing it on Saturday. It is the bargain of all bargains, and I am so proud. Pictures to come. Lesson learned--don't underestimate what you might find in Wal-Mart.

While in Wal-Mart I also picked up my first two sewing patterns. I know, I know, I don't even have a sewing machine yet, but I just couldn't resist. I am dying to get my hands on that sewing machine, and, well, if I can't do that, I can at least learn to read a pattern so that I will be ready when the machine is finally in my posession.

We have a busy weekend ahead that involves a visit from old friends, a Saturday afternoon wedding, and Elisha Boutwell's birthday party. Elisha turning one is just a reminder that Ada's first birthday is right around the corner--wow.

Speaking of that little stinker, she is more on the go than ever. She even crawled up the entire staircase yesterday (with Scott right behind her just in case). She has had another cold this week, but that has not slowed her down--though it has caused some sleepless nights for us all. And last night, she said what I am considering her first word--bye. Scott and I were waving and saying bye (even though we weren't going anywhere), and she imitated us. So of course we got her to say it over and over again. It is so cute. She waves her hand back and forth and says bye. Where did my tiny baby go? I bought batteries for the camera today, so there will be pictures and even a video to come.

And that's our Friday. What about you? Any big Memorial Day Plans?

p.s. I am still accepting recipes. Even if you already submitted one. Consider it an open invitation.

Reentering the world of fashion design, step 1

So...if you have perused the blogs I link to at all, you might have discovered that I read quite a few sewing blogs. The reason being that despite my big decision to leave fashion design behind and enter the world of writing and literary theory, there is still something in me itching to create. And with a new baby and a new house and a limited income, I am DYING to get my hands on a sewing machine. Well, I have been doing lots of research online. Googling things like "what I need as a beginner sewer." Every search has led me to believe that I must buy my first sewing machine from an actual sewing shop, not a chain such as Target or Wal-Mart. Apparently if you buy your machine from an actual specialty store, the owners really help you out with picking out the machine, learning how to use the machine, fixing the machine should it break, etc. etc. Plus, they sometimes throw in a few free sewing lessons. This leads me to today.

Scott and I were out driving around, doing a little exploring of this place we now call home, and we stumbled upon our very own sewing shop. Obviously, I had to go in. And I even talked to a salesperson about which machine would be right for me. Then, the best part of all, she lead me over to the machine, and she encouraged me to try it out. And it was wonderful. And I remembered all the things that I did love about fashion design. Scott was watching all of this unfold, and he knew before we even left the store, that I HAVE to have this machine. Of course, it is so far out of budget right now, that it's insane. But each week I am tutoring and making a few dollars, and we both agreed that those paychecks will start going in a separate account until there are enough dollars to purchase the machine, and then I am on my way. The possibilities are endless. And I just can't wait.