Zach's 1st Birthday

{This I did indeed accomplish, even though 1.5 months after he officially turned 1}

Hard to get good photos in the evening!

"Home"

I heard tragic news on Saturday of a horrific car crash in Kentucky. A group of Mennonites were on their way to a wedding in Iowa. 11 passengers, all but two small Guatemalan children ages 3 & 5 passed away. The van was hit head on by a semi-truck on I-65.

Here is their amazing singing on you tube........ "Home" by the Eshes, I love old hymns, praise songs and the amazing talent of singing without music accompaniment.

This particular song will move you in light of what happened to this family. Even though I don't know this family I will pray for their relatives, church congregation and for the people that know them.

"This & That" Bags & Our Spring Sale!

{Spring Sale Starts Tuesday March 23rd}

We have been cleaning out the studio and we have darling "this & that" bags chock full of goodies from McMaster & Storm. We promise you, it will be full of lovely things. There will not be a winning lottery ticket or a cockatoo inside, but you'll be pleased as punch with what you receive. A medley of things in a 7" wide by 11" high mercantile bag. Value $30.00 While supplies last.......... {click here!}

****38 things in the shop have been marked down, some will be discontinued. We are celebrating our online shop's second year anniversary in May and want to get ready for some fun changes.

Have fun!

k&d

Change is Good!! SALE, SALE, SALE!

We are making changes to our petite department store and in doing so we are having a S*A*L*E! Starting next week many things will be marked down and things that we have in our studio will be added. We will have fun "this&that" bags that will be a medley of sweet things for sale. We will be discontinuing some items as well.............

We have so many fun odds & ends and need to make way for new things and changes! 

We have been spring cleaning..........

Every order $50.00 or more will receive a "this&that" bag as well. {while supplies last}

SALE STARTS: TUESDAY MARCH 23RD! See you then!

Our petite department store--McMaster & Storm

New Easter & Spring-y Treats in the Shop

Eggs tucked into a brass metal basket........... {click here}
Hand-colored nest picture tucked in glass with metal rimmed edging {click here}
Songbird tag--glittered & spring-y! {click here}
Swan letterpressed card in pink or pale blue {click here}
Joyous Easter card..........{click here}
Darling 300 yard spools of 10- ply bakery twine. Not the usual 4-ply and doesn't unravel.

Makes us jump for joy! {click here}
Carnival ribbons.....we added 2 new color combos: red/cream & fuchsia/cream. {click here}

Crown of thorns......customer favorite, once again in our shop. {click here}
Swans a swimming..........{click here}

More " endeavor-ish parts & pieces" coming soon...........

Thank you for well wishes for baby No. 3!! xoxo kara

Darcy will be IN THE HOUSE Friday!!! 

{No. 3} Pink or Blue?

I'm beginning to love the number three. Three has always had its place; grouping 3 things is kosher, 3 times a charm,  & the number 3 is in my age. All of the sudden I'm seeing 3 everywhere!
Yes, the number 3 is in August 30th when baby boy or girl arrives..............

All of my babies have been surprises, especially considering what my specialist told me after a diagnostic surgery. My journey into motherhood at first wasn't easy-ectopic pregnancy, losing a fallopian tube and waiting, waiting & more waiting.

Then Luke!

a miscarriage

Then Zach!

Then SURPRISE--- NO. 3---

I'm content, happy and love my two little boys. Matt briefly brought up the subject of No. 3  last fall and I raised an eyebrow, I believe I shook my head no emphatically.

December came and I thought a few things were different. I went & purchased 3 things

that day; I remember as it was humorous when I was at the checkout: 1. formula for Zach 2. diapers & 3. {there's that number again} THE TEST. Oui.Oui.Oui. it was to be.

I'm sure the checkout lady raised BOTH eyebrows and smiled. Did I really not throw a few more things in my cart, at least detergent, some sort of cosmetic thing-y?? I should have thrown in pickles and ice cream while I was at it.

God knows what he has planned for us and this is in His plan.......I'm just extremely surprised!

Please check out this post on a beautiful, well written simple & sweet post about a journey Alicia & her husband are on towards adoption. {Posie gets Cozy} I'm partial to her blog as it's the first blog ever I stumbled upon. Promise it will make tears spring to your eyes.

It did mine, but then I'm expecting so tears can come easy at times.

xoxo

Kara

Little Tidbits

{Tuesday Feb. 23rd} Headed to Chuck E Cheeses for Luke's friends 4th Birthday. Our first visit, although fun for the kids.......would be fun to have something like Smeeks. The place where Nie Nie's daughter Jane had her birthday. Really, think it would even be a fun place for my birthday!

{Wednesday Feb. 24th} Headed to a morning appointment and spotted a retro donut shop on the way. Jim's Donut shop, 40 years old and the most tasty donuts and treats. There were 8 retirees sitting at the coffee counter, I loved it! Luke kept pointing to the pink icing covered donut and exclaiming "lady I want this donut"! {note to self: please go over manners}

After the sweetness overload {please don't ask how many caramel iced & cream filled donuts I had} we headed to Jill's to start into slipcover making. I've had a book on my shelf for at least 8 years waiting to be used. Needless to say the sugar came in handy----it's a ton of work just measuring and cutting! {no, i didn't help sew, that is beyond me!}

{Thursday Feb 25th} Pulled a Mary Poppins stunt and cleaned the kid's room. Snap, snap...all 1 million bits & pieces from you-name-it-toys are put in their right bins & all together.

Yes, I did hide some of the annoying puzzles that have 10 million pieces. I can pull those out and Luke will think they're brand new!
{Friday February 26th} I started to feel ill Thursday evening. I was freezing on Friday wrapped in insane amounts of clothing--you should've seen the socks I had on! I plugged away, took pictures of new products for website and drank tons of hot, hot tea.

I had to get some things ready for a 50th birthday party and learned how to make pipe cleaner rings! Martha had the pipe cleaner lady on her show and I diligently learned how to make these puppies. They're fun to make!

Matt mentions finishing our taxes, I hyperventilate and then I state---I really, really don't feel good. {I really, really didn't feel good}

{Saturday February 27th} Headed to Miamisburg to pick up Matt's car and raid the pipe cleaner aisle at Joann's. Head to Dollar Tree to stock up on nostalgic candies for the 50th birthday party.

{Sunday February 28th} I made it to church. Our minister starts with heartbreaking news.......car accident.5 children.one did not make it.kylee, age 5.parents attend our church. Read about it here on Shannan's {a first cousin to kylee's mom} blog. Her thoughts on this are amazing. Prayers for this dear family.

I'm still under the weather and hopefully my antibiotics will soon help me out. I have not been this sick since I lived in CA. Thanks to my mom & mother-in-law for helping with the kids. I can't even begin to do any "mothering." I doing a little better this afternoon. I have piles of pink tissues.