simple living diy's

i feel perpetually busy. do you? some times i think it is a choice on my part more than anything else. i like feeling busy and important. i am working on changing that. i'm trying not to clutter my day with unnecessary things, but i also like the idea of living less expensively (except for my weekly starbucks trips...that is a very necessary treat).

in light of this, thought i'd share a few of my pins on pinterest (links to my page) that have actually improved my life instead of making me feel bad about pinning things that i never actually do. one thing i am trying to do in actually check the link on what i pin...will i ever actually make this? if so then, i will pin it. besides a lot of stuff on there is spam now, fyi.

here's my list lately...

++ easy peasy shower cleaner - use a dishwashing wand while in the shower to clean - mix up this recipe

++ breakfast cookies - i made these first, but am hoping to try something a little crunchier with peanut butter soon

++ shredded chicken. frozen. best idea. i think i pinned this thought, but i just prepared a bunch of chicken and then shredded it and can take a bag out whenever i need it for a recipe.

++ homemade toothpaste and deodorant 

++ homemade laundry detergent

happy weekend...here's to a less stressful, less cluttered weekend...
katie

some new things in store

My crazy little brain is always having hair-brain ideas. Can't help it. Sometimes I have reel myself back in. In prep for the holiday season and the joy of stocking stuffers and gifts, I am introducing a few new items.  

You have seen our wristlet keychains. More to keychains to come in the next few weeks. 

Now we have these sweet stretchy headbands. They are made with a soft stretch ribbon and can be layered or worn individually. 

They function as a normal hair tie, headband, and when not in use look cute on your wrist. 

yay for the coming holiday season. not that i am not presently loving fall. but yay. 

happy friday y'all

first birthday

one of the things that i was most sad about when considering moving to massachusetts last year was that we would have no one to celebrate jude's birthday with. i am so grateful that that was not true and we celebrated jude's first birthday with a group of family and new friends and even some old friends.

the decor was pretty simple. i like pinterest and i all, but i wasn't going to go nuts. plus we are on a tight budget.

i printed the invites on cardstock on our own printer. and used fun dowloaded fonts and washi tape to decorate them.

banner i purchased for a craft show.

lots of pictures everywhere

made the garland following this same idea // washi taped pictures on the picture frames

homemade smash cake // idea credit // washi tape flags

homemade pumpkin spice cupcakes with cream cheese frosting with washi flags

got in his stride...

 opening gifts.


bebe + pops!

happy birthday little j // love you so

can't seem to blog lately.

hello friends + strangers.

blogging has been on my mind some lately, but i just can't seem to crank one out. too much going on. good things. tiring things.

just when i think i have got the sleep thing down with j, he wakes up at 1:30, 5, and then 6 for the day. we've had lots of visitors. and i still haven't taken all the birthday decorations down. he is still liking the balloons...so why not?

shipped lots and lots of packages in the last week to support the sibigas, exciting.

also fun is the fact that my yellow hunter boots are already making these rainy, cool fall days a little better. along with the fact that i can walk to the post office from our house and there is never a line (virginia beach....worst...post offices....ever...). however, i do think they are a little sick of me bringing 20+ packages in. i may start printing labels from home again, but i am not sure which is more cost efficient and i like the walk. 

a few more keychains online. if your college or desired color combo is not listed, email me at onedelightfulbutton {at} gmail.com

uva // vcu // vt // jmu

i will post j's birthday celebration one of these days. 

happy monday 

one. year.

i know my basic grammar. 

one. year. 

i added the . for emphasis because i cannot believe it. 

i can't remember what the weather was like the day jude was born last year. this year it was gross and rainy. i couldn't even get a picture to document the day like i had hoped. and it stayed like that for a week. 

saturday, though, we celebrated and it was a gorgeous new england fall day. growing up in blacksburg, virginia, we had pretty fall days. virginia beach, not so much. i love you virginia beach, but your leaves always left me disappointed. new england knows how to do fall. we are soaking it up. and it's a great time of year for a birthday. 

i made home boy's little shirt spontaneously. i just cut out the letters "o, n, e" and stitched them down. as far as long term, i don't think it will hold up. i have been washing it and air drying it, but it was good for the occasion. 

so little boy, what are you like at one year old? 

++  getting much faster at walking. it's hard to believe you have just been doing it for a few weeks

++ a much pickier eater than you were even a month ago. right now you love bread, macaroni and cheese, and fruit. you'll sort through a plate of food and drop the things you don't want on the floor. 

++  starting to gain more control of your voice, but no definite words. 

++ everything is a game. and a cell phone. you love to play. and you pick up most things that look like an electronic and put it to your ear. 

++ you love bath time. 

++ you are super social. you love being in the nursery with other babies and you light up when you see other kids. 

we think you are the best, jude. you may never read this blog. but we love you. we are so glad God gave you to us.

random ramblings.

just a few thoughts...

baby boy is one...

i have no good pictures so far. i planned on his first birthday dressing him up in his shirt that i made for him and taking some cute pics. well the weather did not cooperate and has continued to be a nasty, cool, rainy week. literally. tomorrow is our first day of sunshine. hallelujah! hopefully we will grabs some pictures and we will celebrate for reals on saturday. with friends. we will be missing our old friends in virginia, but we are grateful that we have a few friends to celebrate with here. 

and there will be a birthday posts. and a party post. we are going relatively simply, brunch. excited. 

right now, i am enjoying mumford and son's babel album. it is good. surprisingly good. 

philip's home so g2g. 

back soon.