Hey! I'm still here! I've been busy busy busy with Evie's preschool, women's ministry at church, planning Anabelle's birthday party, bedroom redecorating, Fall embroidery, a little bathroom redo, and as of tonight I have a sick baby :( I also recently had a birthday, and I hosted my first Matilda Jane party tonight - fun! I hope to catch you all up to date soon! XOP.S. And Warehouse Sale is tomorrow night!
Ben in front of the Excalibur
The first night Ben took me to the Paris Hotel for a ride to the top of the Eiffel Tower! It was very fun and romantic, only I was starting to feel sick and I forgot that I have a little "thing" for heights, I almost passed out after we came down - yikes!
Paris Hotel's Arc de Triomphe
The Bellagio's gorgeous fountain show taken from the top of the Eiffel Tower 
The Strip taken from the top of the Eiffel Tower (the tower is half the size of real one in Paris)
At the NY NY with the Statue of Liberty made of Jelly Bellies (more delicious than the real statue in NY!)
The Bellagio was gorgeous and had, by far, my favorite interior!
I loved this glass ceiling arrangement in the Bellagio. I have a thing for blown glass, I don't so much want it in my own house, but I LOVE it! I would have never thought to suspend it like this!
I LOVED The Venetian, it was beautiful! Gondolas, sangria, chips and salsa, a high-end vintage jewelry store that let me play "dress -up" because they were hoping I would buy something (a $50,000 diamond ring? Maybe another day!)... very very fun!
At the fountain in front of The Forum Shops (where I did buy myself a treat ;)
On the last night we took a bus to Freemont Street, the original "Rat Pack" Las Vegas (so fun!) but on the way we passed the new Encore Beach Club. I fell in love with it from the street! This photo doesn't even come close to showing how fresh, chic, and lovely it is, but trust me! I would love to go there if we ever go back!
On Freemont Street we explored the old Casinos and ate dinner at the Golden Nugget's Du-Par's Restaurant and Bakery that opened in 1938. Ben had dinner there one night with the guys before I got to LV and he knew that I would love its charm and nostalgia. Other than the very very drunk family from Ohio, it was great!
I've been practicing with my new camera everyday - just hoping that one day I may reach a point where my skills go beyond "piture takin'" to (do I dare say?) "photography"! On Easter Sunday, I wandered into my mom's garden (gorgeous, by the way, visit her post) and explored some of my camera's settings. For the first time I felt really happy about the images staring back at me on my screen, I even took a little self portrait in one of the garden's orbs - I like it :) I want feed back! It's the best way to learn, so constructive comments are more than welcome! Here are a few of my helpful sources that have helped me figure out the things I've learned about taking pictures so far...
Let me set the scene for you: 6:00 PM when we arrive, 2 little girls starving for dinner, 1 husband antsy to wheel and deal, and 1 me longing for the whole process to just be over! We were greeted the moment we hit the breaks by the most pleasant Peruvian, Sperry wearing, VW salesman I've ever met, Erlin, was his name. I liked him pretty much right away - so I should have left then and there because I will always buy when I like someone and I know that he works off of commission. I was stuck. We told him what I was looking for (Passat, 2008 or newer, white or black exterior, tan leather interior, sunroof, heated seats, DVD player...) and so I started browsing through the used Passats. They had several black ones with tan, but each had some sort of issue (too old, too many miles, dings in the hood, etc.) and then I came upon a Grey 2008 Passat with black leather interior, no sunroof, and no heated seats. I was a little surprised when I heard myself say "How about this one?" - I mean wait a second, seriously, none of it fit "the list"! I mean, even Erlin (the salesman!) attempted to talk me out of it! When Ben and I discovered that it didn't have heated seats, he agreed that it was "a dealwreaker", but before I knew it we were inside the lovely new dealership (that felt Ikea if Ikea sold cars, plus had a Starbuck's coffee machine) running the numbers. By this point (7:15 PM) the girl's starving bellies were starting to bloat, so we fed them a very healthy snack machine dinner of Cheetos, Dr. Pepper, and a "Chocolate Chip Ugly", then settled in for a long round of that good old car buying tradition that is "the numbers game". You know, when they say stuff like "You're getting this for what we bought it for at auction" or "We're actually taking a hit on this one" - I am convinced that they have an employee who's job is to fabricate documents. Meanwhile, through all of the back and forth, my stomach is churning over "the compromise car"...
... Don't get me wrong, it is a nice beautiful car, but I've been spoiled rotten for the last three years by a car that was pretty much customized just for me. I am someone who always knows what I like, and when it comes to cars I only want white or black!!! And no, mixing them together to make grey does not equal the best of both to me! Anyway, back to the story... 8:30 PM rolls around and Ben is still coming in and out of the little glass room to update me on the situation, the girls have made friends with 2 little boys their age, all four are having a party in a VW Routan in the middle of the showroom, and my tummy is still just a churnin'. I finally get up the nerve to tell Ben that I want to go home and sleep on it, but he misinterprets that as me just being exhausted by the kids, and so the process continues. Before I know it (9:00 PM) I have agreed to sign papers, Annie starts shouting that she wants a "ba-ba", and Erlin (SO excited to have made a sale) offers to run to a jiffy and buy her some milk. He comes back with a Yoohoo, bless his heart! Now I am the owner of a Grey Passat with black interior. I have cried off and on all day - great big pity party (do you want to hit me yet?)
I took a few last pics with my cell... here we are saying goodbye to the Jetta, the adorable car that brought Annie home from the hospital - and there she is all grown up with a sippy cup o' Yoohoo!
Here they are - finally finished! They are reversible corduroy A-line jumpers with a print and initial patch on one side, and a funky owl on the other. Thankfully they ended up being a little bit big, so I'm hoping they will still fit next fall. I do think the owls will be really sweet for Valentine's Day. Oh yeah, and the ribbon you see in the top picture was used to have coordinating hair bows (for the owl side) made by my friend Angie. The girls already wore the printed side to Hollywood Studios back in December, here are a few pictures I snapped of Annie "modeling"... 
Awe, see how much she loves her dress ;) Now that I know how long it takes for me to make my projects happen, I'm starting early on the Summer outfits I want to make! Here is a sneak peek of the fabric I've picked for a couple of different outfits. I also have a few other ideas in the works, but I'm trying not to get too far ahead of myself! 
After I design the outfits and cut out the pieces, my mom either oversees or does most of the sewing. I still don't have the confidence to do it all on my own, she's just so good at it and I'm too much of a perfectionist to be happy with my own "stitchery" just yet ;)
Now, when I say "I design the outfits", I don't so much mean that all this stuff just comes off the top of my head. I usually have already seen a picture that inspires me. For example, I ordered this precious hat for Evie from Sparkleberry Crafts on Etsy, but I also loved this pink gingham peasant dress (with vintage ribbon!) seen in the photo. So I have plans to make my own version of it using this Sandi Henderson pattern and some vintage ribbon that I "swiped" from my mom's collection, I actually think mine will end up being cuter ;) 
I found this sister set on The Cherry Tree 123 blog and I totally love it! My mom found the same patch work madras plaid fabric at Hobby Lobby - great find! Then I picked out some green seersucker to coordinate with it, so I plan to mix it up just a bit. I just need to stay focused and make these projects happen - I can do it - I hope! If you want some children's clothes design inspiration too (or if you just want to save your sanity and buy stuff) here are some of my other favorite sites for stealing ideas...
My blog has fallen by the wayside as of late. It's become somewhat of a scrapbook for photos and small blurbs about life, not something I really intend for it to be. My main purpose in blogging at all, is to keep in touch with friends and to record memories for my family, Ev and Annie especially. I've done a stinky job of that lately, that is due in part to the fact that I now have 2 children and am no longer on bed rest (ahhh bed rest, I do miss it sometimes). I've long given up on my monthly updates, but I have every intention of getting back to fun stories about my girls soon.
About 20 minutes after putting the girls to bed last night, I heard wild loud laughter coming from their room. As I got closer, I could hear that it was Evie. At first I was not happy. It frustrated me that she was keeping the baby awake. I opened the door just as Evie let out another loud squeal, but as I was about to correct her, that same squeal was echoed from Annie's crib. It was a game! A classic, giggly, girly game! The first of many I'm sure, I hope! I of course still told both of them it was time to be quiet and go to sleep (isn't that what mom's are supposed to do?), but as I closed the door I smiled. How sweet to see sisters be so happy together!
Evie had her haircut for the first time :( It was a decision that I nearly backed out of several times, but I finally persuaded myself that she needed it. So with a lump in my throat, I handed her over to my new favorite stylist and asked that she " just trim it enough to make it look clean". I still wanted her to look like herself. My hands literally trembled when I held a little curl that had been trimmed from her head, it felt like the end of something. Evie's babyhood is over, and while great things await her in the future, I am slightly mournful. I will treasure that little curl forever, as a sweet sort of nod to days gone by.
This morning was another hurry about the house and rush the kids out the door sort of morning. I thought today was my day to take snacks to Bible study (turns out it was actually last week, but that's a whole other story). Anyway, I was acting a little wack. Evie needed a hug and asked (as always) if I could hold her. I said "No Babe, Mom is in a big hurry", her reply was pretty darn priceless... "I don't want you to be in a big hurry, I just want you to be in a little hurry". Seriously Meg, how long does a hug take?
From Anabelle, I want to learn how...
Another sappy little girlie story...
Yes, this is my sweet child being fed by a configuration of my hastily arranged pajamas and a Boppy. What sort of event would lead to such a laps in my maternal judgement you ask? The answer is none other than an event so paralyzing, frightening, heart attack inducing, near pants wetting, ect. as finding a lizard in my house. 
Somehow, through all of the craziness I've been finding time to play around with my embroidery machine. This is generally accomplished by me staying up until 2:00 am while everyone else is sound asleep. Alone time comes at a high price these days, but the satisfaction of doing something that feels like "me" is well worth it. I'll be posting all of my projects on my Sniglets blog, so check in from time to time - I've been busy!
