Cousins

cousins

we spent the day at my mother in law's house yesterday and it was so relaxing.  my niece and nephew don't live far from her and as soon as they got out of school they joined us.  the heat drove my people straight into the pool. i know they were thankful for a refreshing splash together.  i enjoyed watching them having fun with their cousins.  it got me thinking about my own cousins and our relationship.  as i watched my little people splash and play with their cousins in the pool, i thought about how grateful i am that they are going to know their cousins.  both my niece and nephew have been a part of my kids' lives since before they were even born.  my niece's birthday is one day before my daughter's birthday.  all the kids play so well together.  it's good, clean honest fun with genuine belly laughs.  i get a big smile on my face watching them. 

i love feet.  they are cute. and no one ever has the same exact pair. 

they giggle.  they tell jokes. they look out for each other. they help each other. they give hugs and kisses to each other.  they genuinely love each other and love being with each other.  that makes me so happy.

unfortunately my cousins and i lived in completely different states growing up.  with my father in the military we bounced from coast to coast.  we did not have the opportunity to grow up "with" our cousins.  i used to be envious of the kids who had these huge extended families.  they would roll their eyes when telling me about another family gathering with 20+ people there.  i used to want that.  thankfully, we are continuing to nurture the relationships with my cousins and get to know them as young adults.  we tease and beg them to move closer.  they are very special.  i know if we had lived closer to them growing up that we would have had a relationship much like my kids do with their cousins.  

helping her learn to hull-a-hoop

ice cream is a right of passage, for sure and a summertime must-have!

i look forward to the summer time when i know we'll get to see my niece and nephew more often.  have them over to swim or spend the night.  my kids really look forward to this too.  it's important for kiddos to know their family.  know who loves them.  and later in life, when things get tough my hope is that they turn to their family when they need strength.  all of that starts now, building those relationships when they are young.  

my niece, growing up so fast

my nephew, the ladies are going to love those eyes one day!

there is another reason for me being so emotional about this.  i am recently a "new" auntie.  our newest addition - my niece - is coming to cali tomorrow.  my youngest brother and his wife are moving back to the west coast with their brand new baby.  i could not be more excited!!  almost like a kid at christmas.  not only do i get to have my little brother and his amazing wife living closer but we also get to spend quality time with their new baby.  one more cousin for kiddos to play with.  to get to know.  to laugh with. to make memories with.  this is what it's all about for me.

Sisters: Sydney and Alex

  

"hey,... i've got a favor to ask of you." my friend, kim says while i am over visiting her one afternoon.
"what's up?" i ask.
"will you take sydney's senior pictures?"
i looked up at her in disbelief.  you want ME to take your daughter's senior high school portraits??? really??
"YES!" i jumped at the opportunity.
"of course i'd love to get pictures with both of my girls." she smiled at me.
"not a problem. i can't wait!! let's pick a date." and so we did.


a couple weeks later kim, sydney, alex and i met up to do some pictures of them.  we planned out where the pictures would be taken and what they would wear.  it was really fun to do this with them.  on the day of the shoot i had my trusty "wing man" sandra with me.  i love having her around.  she has a calming spirit and i love to hear her view and  opinions on what we are shooting.


now let me back up a little bit.  my friend kim is one of the first people i met when my husband and i moved to corona.  the stars were aligned just right because she and i were meant to be friends.  the moment i met kim, there was an instant connection. she has a warm heart and very giving spirit.  through kim, i have gotten to know her two amazing daughters: sydney and alex.  these girls are good.  they babysit my little people and i genuinely enjoy being around them both.  when they were younger, they looked so much alike that i would have sworn they were twins.  honestly, sometimes i had a hard time telling who was who. but in these last few years somethings have changed.  each girl is coming into her own and becoming their own woman; very much so.


alex is the younger sister; a junior in high school and she is an artist.

alex has a spirit much like her mother's.  she loves color and i've seen her with a paintbrush in her hands more times than i can count.  one night some of the ladies were visiting at kim's house and alex joined us.  she set up her easel and canvas and began to paint.  it was awesome to watch her talent create something extraordinary.

alex's decorating style is eclectic.  she has drawings covering almost every wall in her bedroom. and many of her favorite quotes are strewn on those walls as well.  i love that she knows exactly who she is and what her passion is at such a young age.  i envy that a little bit because at her age, i was still searching.

alex, keep that passion alive.  nurture it.  you are a budding young artist.  i hope you find a college that  encourages you to blossom into the artiste i know you will become.  i'm excited to watch where your talent takes you.

sydney just started her senior year of high school.  YIKES!  time has flown by watching her grow into such an intelligent and beautiful young lady.

sydney

sydney is quiet, intellectual, spiritual and loyal to her friends and family.  she is also very simple.  this girl does not get excited about the idea of putting on a pretty dress and getting all gussied up.  but she was a good sport and did it for us anyway.

give this girl her jeans and a pair of converse and she is happy.  isn't she a pretty scholar?  look at those books.  i know her brain is bubbling over with all that knowledge.

sydney, i love that you play a weekly game of monopoly with 4 of your closest friends.

i love that  you are a vintage soul who collects antiques and old vinyl records.  all teasing aside, i know your sister and your mom adore you.  how could they not? you are easy to adore.  this last year of high school is going to go by so quickly.  i know it doesn't feel like it right now, but it will.  my wish for you is that you soak up every minute.  have as much fun as possible and of course, get good grades. :)  this is the beginning of the end to a chapter for you and the next chapter - college life - is a whole new adventure. 

sisters playing "dress up"
growing up, i had always wished for a sister. i got 2 crazy brothers and used to dress the youngest one up like a girl - remember that, brian? - but if i had a sister, i would've wanted our relationship to be as solid as sydney and alex's is.

sydney, kim , and alex

the fact that these girls have their heads on straight is due largely in part to their awesome, kim and their mellow dad, tim.  you both have a done an amazing job of raising these two girls into amazing young women.  they give me hope for our future and my little people's future.  they are a bright light.  

good luck girls!!  

Applique All The Way! [I sound like a cheerleader in high school]

for those of you who know me , you know that i LOVE to make and receive homemade gifts.  i love making goodies for people and watching them open those gifts.  i love making things for my children and seeing them wear it.  

last year when i went part-time at work i started making even more gifts for my friends and family.  like many of you know our life goes in cycles.  right now i am in the "mommy cycle" so most of my friends are having babies, have just had babies or our kiddos play together.
do you remember the last post with sadie's lemonade stand?  i made her shirt with the number 1 on it. (if you were here, you'd see my big proud grin)  
to be honest, all those birthday parties and baby showers get crazy and expensive.  that's when i decided a homemade and heartfelt gift was the way i wanted to go.... hence learning to applique.  

this cute tie applied to a onesie is the perfect gift for a baby boy

with a lot of trial and error and some research on the internet, i taught myself how to make appliques.  you can applique any design.  you can put them on onesies, t-shirts, bibs, aprons - on just about anything.  i made a few (ok, A LOT) and learned as i went.  now that i've done it so many times, i finally have a system in place and my work flows pretty easily.  check it out and try one for yourself. 

here are the items you will need to make your own applique:

- design or letter of your choice (simpler is better)

- pencil or pen for tracing

- iron

- fusible webbing (i use wonder under)

- cute cotton fabric

- t shirt, onesie or whatever items you want to applique onto

- thread

- scissors

**note: i wash, dry and lightly iron each piece of fabric and garment before i start this process.


set your iron to medium/high with no steam. iron the fusible webbing to the fabric you have chosen for this project.  i use only the amount i need for the design to conserve my supplies.  only rest your iron on the fusible webbing/fabric for about 8-10 seconds. and be careful not to slide the iron.  

the fusible webbing bonds to the fabric

once you've selected a design, trace it onto the webbing-side of the paper that you have bonded to the fabric. cut out your design. ** this is the old school way of doing things.  if you have a cri-cut die cut machine or a silhouette, this part will be much easier for you.

select your design. trace onto wonder under-backed fabric and cut out.

when you have completely cut out your design, peel away the backing layer of the fusible webbing.  your fabric should have a distinctive texture on the back of it.  place your design wherever you like it on your clothing item- bonded side down.   with the iron still set at medium/high and no steam, place the iron on top of the design for 8-10 seconds.  lift the iron and repeat - set the iron on the remaining portion of the design for another 8-10 seconds.  again, be careful not to slide the iron or your design may move and become wrinkled.

iron set to medium/high and NO steam

the fusible webbing has bonded your design to the clothing item.  however, if you're looking for a little bit a stronger hold you can sew around the edges of the design.  i like to do this because that way i am confident the design won't peel off when i wash it and it looks super cute with some colorful stitching.

you can stitch by hand - the sloppier, the better sometimes - or use a sewing machine.  

stitch around your design

i use my grandmother's old sewing machine.  i took it to a local vacuum cleaner and sewing machine repair place.  the guy was great and gave it a tune-up at a decent price. when using the sewing machine, you can use a straight stitch or a zig zag stitch.  either one is cute. if you're asking for my opinion, i prefer the straight stitch because it's easier to do and the finished product looks "cleaner."  additionally, be careful that your clothing doesn't get all bunched up and you wind up sewing the front of the shirt  to the back of the shirt.

yes, my name is amanda and i have done this.

see how the shirt is pulled up so that i'm only sewing on one layer.

go around all sides of your design.  when finished, snip your threads and there you go! wrap up your homemade goodies in a cute bag with a big bow.  your friends will love them and you will feel good knowing you've made something from the heart for those whom you love.  

let me know if you try this; i'd love to hear how it goes!  

if you're not the martha stewart-type, then shoot me an email and i'd be happy to sew one of these beauties up for you at a very reasonable price!

just a few little goodies i'm working on right now

Would YouBuy Pink Lemonade From This Cutie?

my girlfriend and i were working together a couple of weeks ago when she turned to me and said "my baby turns one and i need a theme for her birthday party."

my first question was "what are the colors are you using for the party?"

"i don't know" she says "maybe pink and yellow."

"how about Pink Lemonade?" i ask.  

and there began the theme for sadie's first birthday party.

would you buy pink lemonade from this cutie? 

i sure would.  isn't she delicious? 

she is as cute as she is sweet.  

sadie turns 1!

her mommy and i started coming up with all kinds of ideas for her party.  

of course, we would need some thematic pictures to go with it.  

sadie's mommy got to work making her lemonade stand.  i cranked up the ole' sewing machine and crafted her a personalized onesie to wear.  

last but not least, we had to have lemons - lots and lots of lemons!

she is SO big!

my wingman sandra captured this one

bubbles!!

sadie turns one in august.  she is a beautiful baby with 

that dark hair and china-doll skin.

  so soft and cuddly.  i know she feels how much she is loved.

 i hope she knows how much fun we had that day in the lemon grove taking her picture.  

she let us mess around with her for quite a while before she made a stink about it.   

this was such a fun project for me.  not only did i get to hang out with my girlfriend, but i got to hang out with 2 girlfriends and love on a really tasty little baby.

sadie - thank you for being such a willing party in our crazy idea. you were a great subject for me to practice on.

lauren - thank you for coming out to hang with me and my people and for letting me "practice" on your yummy baby girl.

vanessa - thanks for being a super bubble blower :)

sandra - as always, thank you for being a RAD wingman; you rock. some of the images you caught were incredible!

Like My Mother Does ....

i was driving in to work the other night and heard this song come on the radio. the emotions that came over me were intense.  i almost had to pull over to the side of the road. the lyrics are every bit the way i feel about my own mother. the lines in the road became blurry; i had to slow down and wipe the tears that had begun to stream down my cheeks. i started laughing at myself and immediately thought: "i need to get this song for my mom!"

my mother is strong, loving, warm, opinionated, fun and we are so much alike sometimes that "it's scary." my mother is one of my best friends. she has taught me so much about who i am and continues to show me what kind of woman i aspire to be. i am incredibly grateful for the relationship we have. 

mom - i love you. i cherish what  you and i have built.  i hope to nurture this same type of relationship with my own daughter.    you are an amazing woman.  you make me laugh.  you "get me."  you put up with me when i am grumpy. and i feel empowered knowing that you support my hopes, my dreams and everything i do.  thank you.

I am thankful for good neighbor-ship

my husband and i moved into our house about 8 years ago.  we were newly married - only a couple of weeks - and were the only house on the block without children.  that has since changed and a lot of the kiddos that used to be oh-so-small, are now oh-so-tall.  we have been blessed with wonderful neighbors.  someone up above was watching out for us when we made the decision to move into this neighborhood.  good neighbors can make all the difference in  how much you enjoy where you live.  we enjoy where we live. very much.

this is sammie.  sammie is getting ready to start high school in the fall.  her mom is not only my neighbor, but i consider her a good friend.  we'll call it a "neighbor-ship."  it goes far beyond borrowing a cup of sugar.  sammie, her mom and sisters help with babysitting my little people and we often have dinner at each other's homes.  sammie, in particular picks up our mail and feeds our furry critters whenever we go out of town. when i saw sammie dressed up for her "promotion" from middle school to high school, i thought  her mom would like some nice pictures to remember this special event.  (and maybe i'd like to get some practice with my new camera and photoshop.  so here's what we came up....

sammie is a swimmer.  she swims 6 days a week on a local team.  i predict she will be on the varsity swim team in high school and letter very quickly.  she is strong - inside and out.  this girl is good.  she has a kind heart and a great head on her shoulders.  i'm confident this comes from having a strong mother and 2 amazing big sisters as role models.

i remember how anxious i was to start high school: a new routine, new classes, meeting new friends, new experiences.  not to mention i felt like i was officially growing up when i could tell someone i was a freshman.  it was a title-thing, i guess.  sammie is officially growing up.  before she knows it she'll be picking out a prom dress and standing in line at the dmv for her driving permit.  this is an exciting time.  i wish sammie success in her next chapter.  i am grateful to have had the opportunity to watch her develop into the secure and beautiful woman i know she is going to become. 

potty training & the pacificier

my daughter is 2 1/2 years old.  she is sassy; independent yet very loving and sweet.  (gee, i wonder where she gets that from?)  she is growing up so fast.  sometimes, i swear she has grown another 2 inches overnight. this summer has brought some changes for her.  she is now sleeping in her toddler bed - she actually stays asleep in it all night and doesn't get out.  [that's HUGE, people!]  additionally, she is potty training in preparation for preschool next year.  unfortunately, she is still attached to her pacifier - aka: nee-nee.  whenever i start to have anxiety about her being attached to her nee-nee, my mother reminds me not to worry and that she won't be taking her nee-nee to prom.  right?  right.  right??  i hope not. even though i know she won't have that thing in her mouth when she takes her drivers ed. classes, i still get anxious when another mom makes a comment: "oh, YOU let her have THAT??"  or "oh, I NEVER let my child have a pacifier."  whatever.  this does not make me a horrible mother.
alas, i thought this summer would be a good time to take-on the process of potty training.  she seemed interested in the big girl potty, so why not?   of course we need to make this experience a fun one; we have potty parties,do potty dances, and make up silly potty songs too. 
we began the process of potty training at the end of may.  with the warm weather, i figured she would enjoy running around the house in her undies or simply nothing at all and this might help make for an easier transition to using the potty. we made a chart complete with princess stickers and hello kitty stamps for each time she took care of her business.  i was pleased with her progress and encouraged her along the way, offering goodies: candy, books, etc - whatever it takes to get the job done.
fast forward to this morning.  my daughter wakes up in such a happy mood. "good morning" she sings with the pacifier in her mouth.  "i love you, momma"  she says as she stretches her little arms up to give me a hug.  "hi baby" I smile down at her.  "did you sleep good?" I ask.  She shakes her sleepy head, yes.  "Let's go potty." I tell her.  so she runs into my bathroom and proceeds to take care of her business - with the nee-nee still clenched in her teeth.  i can tell she is still waking up because she just sits on the potty staring off into outer space.  every once in a while she lets out a soft yawn.
i make myself busy brushing my teeth and straightening up the bed sheets.  "momma, look!! i go pee pee!!"  she exclaims, jumping off the toilet.  this time she takes the nee-nee out of her mouth and uses it to point down at her business, as if to emphasize her achievement.  immediately i give lots of praise.  we shake our booty and do a little potty dance then laugh [anything to make it fun, remember?]  "come on, let's flush it down" i tell her.  she pops the pacifier back into her mouth and we proceed to wave to the pee pee as it swirls around and around the porcelain bowl.  "Buh-Bye Pee Pee!!" she squeals and before either of us can do anything the
nee-nee slips from between her lips, lands in the swirling toilet bowl and gets sucked down into the abyss.
it's quiet for a moment.  the only sound is of the water running to refill the toilet bowl.  but nothing is in the bowl.  no more pee pee. and no more nee-nee.  my daughter looks up at me with huge eyes.  her mouth still hangs open in disbelief.  then it happens.  her bottom lip starts to quiver and i can see the corners of her mouth turning down.  i, too am standing there with my mouth open but i start to laugh and place my hand over my smile.  in between giggles, i try to be sympathetic.  "what happened?" i ask her.  "did your nee-nee go buh-bye too?"  she shakes her head, yes while still staring down at the empty toilet bowl.  "it's ok, honey.  don't be sad."  i tell her,still giggling and laughing.  i try to think of a way to soothe my daughter but i have to admit, this is funny as all heck!  so how can i make it funny to her?  more importantly, a thought flashes into my head: how can i get her to "accidentally" flush the rest of those darn nee-nees down the toilet so we can be done with all of them??

day one

well i did it.  i have been talking with my husband and thinking about starting a blog.  today is the day i finally did it.  we shall see where this adventure takes us.


a day in the life of amanda jane is simply a place for me to ramble on about my thoughts, opinions, feelings, loves and maybe things i don't love so much. :)  
this is also a place to share pictures and fun things my family and i are doing in our life everyday.  photography has become a huge part of my life and i express myself through my photos and other crazy projects as well, so you will see a lot of that on here too.


my name amanda.  my friends blessed with the nickname "amanda jane" a few years back and it stuck - even though "jane" is not actually my middle name.  i am a stay at home mom of 2 young children and wife to an incredibly patient and loving man.  i am lucky enough to have the opportunity to work part-time outside of the home and am in the process of sharpening my photography skills while being mentored by a friend and incredible photographer.  


things that i love: my kids & my husband (that is a given.) my family. good friends who are on my "a team." my camera.  feeling loved. peanut butter. making someone laugh. watching someone open a present that i have given to them. baking cookies. exercise - i love to get my sweat-on and get the tension out of my body and craziness out of my mind.  i love a good purse.  i love a friend who knows me inside & out and still loves me unconditionally.  i love to be sarcastic and dry.  frozen yogurt from golden spoon.  a good book that i can discuss with a friend who has also read it.  feeling accomplished. i love to learn something new.  but most of all i love to be good at whatever it is i do. 


what do you love?


i would love it if you would come along on this journey with me.  i am taking it one day at a time and am enjoying every moment.  sometimes i feel like these moments are slipping through my fingers like "sand through an hourglass" (as one of my good friends says [hi kamee!]  and i want to be able to savor every bit of that sand.  i thought a blog might be a good way to do that.


alright. enjoy your day.  i am.  it's a great "day one" and cheers to many more to come!