New Address

I wish it were a new home but it really is to a NEW BLOG.  So change your links to follow me here. You'll find a recent  newborn session there of this sweet little bumble bee.

  I have another baby portrait session tomorrow

so check back next week for more!

Back in Biz

Yeah.  My hero, James Ratliff got my website up and running. 

Oh websites.  Sigh.

  Go visit his wife's blog and give her some blog love!

She shares great crafts and recipes like this carrot cake.

 Yum.

Domain Transfer

Please be patient while my website transfers over to a new host.  Bad timing as I auctioned off a portrait session at Bella's school this weekend and they will probably check my website that is down and wonder what kind of business this is?!  Bluehost will be my new family now.  I'm so excited cuz they have an 800 number I can call that is available 24/7!  With my old host, you had to submit a ticket by email and wait and wait and wait.  They didn't have the best customer service at Bludomain.  I believe there may be a new blog in my future too... stay tuned.

iphone pic

More important updates: I have an 8 year old!

We'll be doing a little BBQ and bug hunt up at my grandpa's property today. Here is a picture of Bella and I at her dad's Australian football game or footy as they call it. It was the kick off to the season on Anzac Day (like our Memorial Day).  It was Australia vs. Rest of the World.  The Aussies got their arses kicked!  Rod said they have all the fat old men, and recruiting the youth of America is why they lost.  They need half Americans and half Aussies to compete here in the states... so if you know any guys who want to give it a try??  It has become quite a large league from when we first started in 2002.  It started with barely enough for one team in 2002 and now there are four teams with a few deep on the bench. 

Watch some highlights of the pros here.  Check out how they climb up each others back to catch the ball, the height they get is crazy high!

iphone pic

Spring Chick

Here is one spring chick I got to meet this week. She's 3 weeks old and born at home. I love home births! Her name is Isla. Now read it again with the 's' being silent. There you go. She is the newest addition to the Cooper family, who gets to grow their beautiful little family up in the sunny mountains with a veggy garden, chicks, a dog, a swimming pool and mountain lions. Yes! Mountain lions. Robyn said while she was having Isla at home, the neighbors saw a mountain lion standing in the middle of the street during midday while children were outside playing. Yikes!   

Blessings to your growing family Robyn.

What's a Duffy?

Well I finally saw what a Duffy is. It's about a 20' boat with wrap around seatting that cruises at a top speed of like six knots. Yeah... a whole six! We took about 10 girls out on Mackenzie's Duffy for the afternoon and had a small baby shower for Jenee's twins. Here are a few with my point & shoot from my girls weekend in Newport.

Her brother is a hard core AC/DC fan. Here are his choice pieces for his new neice and nephew.

Our host for the arvo, Kenz and Whit...

The game

The cupcakes

The decorations

Thanks girls for the fun weekend... See you in July!

Happy Easter!

Hope you all enjoyed your Easter.

Ours was new and different with my grandma not here this year. 
Just before we were about to eat, my son asked:

 "Do they have phones in Heaven?
 ...cuz then we could call grandma!" 

I melted from this little guys words.

We all had warm smiles in our hearts after that one.

Twins

I've always wanted twins... especially if we ever got pregnant again since Luke is off to kindergarten next fall.  That would leave the next one with a big gap from older brother and twins would be instant playmates... no waiting for the next babe to come around.  I have them in my family too.  My dad is a twin.  Not sure about that whole 'skip a generation' theory?  Would that mean that I would maybe have them or my kids?  Anyone know about that? 

Anyway, I'm fully rambling here about twin because my best friend, Jenee IS having twins.  The next best thing!  Maybe even better as I recall the sleepless nights and diaper changes. I was going to surprise her with quilts for the babies as I am officailly a quilter having completed ONE in my lifetime with these lovely fabrics.  Actually it's getting machined at the moment, I haven't fully completed it.  I was trying to get the look of this one with more blue and pinks in it for the kids room using the Jelly filled pattern by Camille Rosekelly.  I know Jenee likes certain colors and style, so I invited her over to visit my favorite fabric store, HARTS here in Santa Cruz, but only after feeding the babies some Charlie Hong Kong.  Yum.

After some baby quilt google searching for free patterns, I decided they are all too hard or too cheesy.  I finally found this Olive Rose one and hoped I could mathamatically alter it to the right size.  I went with a reccommended size of 45"x60" so they wouldn't outgrow them after all my slaving away, plus Jenee dropped the word "heirloom" sometime during our shopping experience, so I felt compelled to make them bigger so they didn't get packed away with the baby bedding.  I didn't want it to be that type of heirloom.

While I altered the pattern fine, I couldn't seem to pack up the quilt and figure where I left off without having to lay it all out and double check all the measurements again.  I did this at least twice.  Rediculous! So to my husbands dismay, our family room looked like this all weekend.  Here is the starts of the girl one... 

He is super supportive of me sewing and is the one who scored me a sweeeeeet sewing machine at a yard sale a couple years back.  I think he digs it cuz his mom is big into it.  He's the one who took the photo to send to his mum and sisters back in Australia. 

So as the first round of babies are too arrive, comes the multiple baby shower syndrome.  I have three, yes, three showers to attend.  All being optional according to Jenee, but I love her to death, so unless there was a wedding to shoot, I'm going to be there.  She told me to give her a picture of quilt one at the first shower, a picture of quilt two at the second shower and both the completed quilts at the third shower. 

Good plan Nay! 

Off to Newport Beach this Friday for baby shower #1! 

Question?
Should I do a different pattern or same?  I'm thinking I know she likes the jelly-filled pattern and the boy quilt does have lots of white in it.  Plus Camille just put out a mini- Jelly that would suit the baby size.  Hmmmm.... any suggestions?