currently

READING

Love Finds a Home, by Janette Oke / The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien (still)

DOING

Holding Charlotte / School / Reading / Taking pictures / Painting / Crocheting

HAPPENING

Easter!! / The first day of spring (last week) / Visits from family and friends / Melting snow

WRITING

A writing paper for school / Journal entries

LIKING

Daylight savings time! / Paint by numbers / Mary Poppins (watched it last weekend with Addy)

SEEING

Windblown evergreens / Evening shadows / Blue morning light

A little list of things that are currently going on. What have you been up to lately? Happy Wednesday! xo.

almost red hair and a big smile | addyson grace

Name:

Addyson (Addy, or Ad) Grace

Age: 

Twelve ("and a half")

Likes:

"Ice cream, animals, rainbow colors, summertime, tree houses, trampolines, watermelon, strawberries, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Andy Griffith Show, evening time, her baby sister, and her big sister, and her family."

My sister --She's full of energy. She sings (and dances) a lot. She is newly a big sister. She has hair that's almost red, more so in the summer (also freckles). Likes to be read to. Likes to run. And is growing up really fast.

denim & lace | tutorial & outift

Yesterday it was 72 degrees outside and today it's supposed to be somewhere around 80 degrees. Though this spring/summer-like weather may not be here for good (yet), I rolled up my jeans for the first time yesterday and slept with the window open last night. 

Also, yesterday I refashioned this denim shirt I got at the thrift store, for 25 cents. It was pretty simple and makes the shirt look more spring-y. I put a little tutorial together so you could try it too.... (Go here to see a before picture.)

You will need: A shirt, two patches of lace (I used a lace shirt), scissors, straight pins, a needle and thread.

Note: Getting into this project, I started to think that maybe using the sewing machine would have been a good idea, making it go a little more quickly. But, a needle and thread worked just fine, taking a little more time.

Step one: Lay the patch of lace over the part of the shirt you will be covering, and pin it into place putting the pins inside of where you will be sewing. (The hem you see in the picture is the one from the bottom of the lace shirt.)

Step two: Carefully cut around the pins, so you have the patch that you will be sewing onto the shirt. You will need to trim it enough that you can see where you need to sew, but don't cut it too small, you can always trim off excess later.

Step three: Thread your needle, tying a knot at the end, and stitch all around the lace. Use small stitches, keeping them close together, and putting them as close the the shirt's seam as you can. When done, tie off thread.

Step four: Repeat steps one through three on the other side of the shirt.

Step five: Using your scissors, carefully trim off any extra lace.

You're done!

In case you were wondering...

denim & lace top // thrifted (old navy) & refashioned, shirt // gap outlet, jeans // aeropostal, shoes // sperry's

from instagram // @imhaleyjane

the morning of life | the arrival of charlotte rose

//

I remember sitting in the waiting room on the fourth floor, watching and waiting for Dad to turn the corner and walk down that hallway. Grandparents and family were there, waiting too. Then finally, Dad was there. Addy and I shot up from the couch. He took us into the room first, into room 400. And there was Mom, holding the baby all wrapped up in a blanket in her arms. "It's a girl," she said. "What is her name --" Addy asked. "This is Charlotte," Mom said. And this was when we first met little Charlotte.

Mom passed her to Addy, then me, then Dad, then back around again. I couldn't believe how small she was, yet how perfectly she fit in my arms. After awhile, Dad went out to tell the grandparents, aunts, and uncles they could come in soon, and when they did, there were at least six cameras out immediately and grins from ear to ear.

Eventually, Mom and Charlotte were moved to room 483, where Charlotte spent the next two days. Addy and I went to our grandparents' house to spend those two nights, but were awake and ready to go as early as we could be, ready to go back to the hospital. Those 48 hours seemed to take a long time. But, then the day came when we could go home.

And that is half the story of the arrival of Charlotte Rose.

5 on 5: march

These are just a few photos taken around the house today. Today was the day that marked Charlotte's first week in the world. (One week already, can you believe that?) Pictures of her will be coming in the next post. Other than that, today was a trip to town, writing a letter, scribbling down the story of Charlotte's arrival, Starbucks hot chocolate, lots of laughs, and a visit from family in the evening.

Today as we were driving, I noticed the snow, or lack thereof. It's slowing crawling back and underneath, in some places, the grass is spotted with green. I am very much looking forward to spring. I can't wait to plant flowers, and go on walks, and read books outside, and see the lilac bush bloom. It's going to be good. 

But right now, I'm going to enjoy the last of the snow, Charlotte being little, and the end of these winter days. xo.