New Blog!

Just wanted to let you know, for those of you that aren't on facebook, I've created a new blog for Lil' Sis Designs to update any new items that I add to my Etsy shop. I won't be posting much about Lil' Sis Designs on this blog as this is our family blog so be sure to stop by there or become a follower so you don't miss anything! Just click on the button to go to my new blog:

For those that haven't been following along on the Lil' Sis Designs blog here's a peek of some of the clothes that will be available in just a few days:

So again, I'll let you know when items are available for purchase!

Wordless Wednesday- Sweet Little Smiles

Our Normal Life

This weekend did not go as planned. Ainsley and I were supposed to go to New York City to the American Girl Doll store for a birthday party but the weather did not want to cooperate. So instead, we went outside and had a normal day...

We shoveled...

...and shoveled.

Every time I looked, Harper was making a snow angel, anywhere and everywhere.

And then we sat and took in the cold air.

We watched the FedEx guy speed down the street and we're impressed he was out and about.

We had fits.

Then we pulled ourselves together and looked for the perfect spot to sled.

And we laughed all the way down.

And then we sat and took in the cold air again.

Bennett slept peacefully through it all.

Can't wait until he can join us, maybe next year.

It was just another day in our normal life. Funny how last year at this time I thought our lives would be anything but normal, due to a certain little someone with an extra chromosome, we had yet to meet. For a short time there, I didn't know if we would laugh again.

Silly me.

With Your Encouragement...

I've decided to open up an Etsy shop! Many of you here and on Facebook showed interest in the kids clothes I've been sewing and suggested I sell them on Etsy so I thought, why not? I stay at home so I have the time (sort of;)) and I'm really enjoying making the kids cute outfits so why not make them for other kids too?!

I absolutely love fun and different clothes for my girls but most of all I think I'm having fun picking out the different fabric combinations! They are only little girls for just a few years and before I know it they'll be wanting to pick out their own things (gasp!) so I'm taking advantage of it now!

So I'm hoping in the next week or so I will be ready to "open shop", just need to work on pricing, sizing and of course adding more items to my shop. I hope to eventually have about 10-12 different items to choose from for girls and don't think I'm leaving the boys out entirely, I will be making some cute items for baby/toddler boys so there's a little something for {almost} everyone!

The girl items will include:

• Pants/capris
• Skirts
• Dresses along with matching doll dress
• Applique shirts
• Bow tanks
• Birthday outfits
• Baby and little girl bloomers
• Baby bubble outfits
• hoping to add shorts closer to the summer

Here's some of the yummy, yes YUMMY! fabric I'll be using...

Oh, how I love picking out fabric!!

I'm also including boutique bows to match the outfits! I learned how to make them recently and if you've been following my blog long enough or if you know me well, Ainsley and Harper are rarely without their bows. Ainsley practically came out with one on her head (the NICU nurses started it so it's all their fault:)) and Harper had one in as soon as she had enough hair to hold it. These bows will either be solid color or polka dot-nothing too crazy since most of the fabrics I use have big prints.

Here's some of the bows...

The baby/toddler boy items will include:

• Madras pants
• Seer sucker pants (is anything cuter than a little boy in seer sucker?!)
• Matching applique onsies/shirts
• Birthday outfits
• Baby bloomers
• Eventually, custom, adorable slippers/shoes

Here's just some of the cute fabric I've got for the boys items...

I will also be taking a percentage from all orders and giving it to Down syndrome research. This is not just a temporary thing, as long as I'm selling these clothes I will donate a percentage. As you know this is near and dear to my heart so however I can help make Bennett's life as well as the many other children with Down syndrome just a little bit brighter in the future,

I'm all for it.

So thanks again for the encouragement, stay tuned and I hope to be making your children some adorable outfits real soon!!

The Secret Is In The Eyes

I recently came across a blog from another blog that I highly recommend you check out. Her emotions are honest, pure and raw. The specific post that I was moved by (although I'm finding that I love all of her posts) was the story of her daughter's birth. Please check it out when you get a chance.

When I saw the pictures of her beautiful daughter I immediately knew her "secret". I can spot it pretty much any time now. It brought tears to my eyes seeing her because I've grown to love those eyes. Those almond shape eyes, the eyes that I once held a grudge towards, after just finding out about Bennett.

Almost every person with Down syndrome has these almond shape eyes, in a way it's how they share their secret with the rest of the world without saying a word. I remember reading blogs before Bennett was born about how the parents thought this shape was beautiful and I didn't quite get it then. And then I met Bennett. Of course I knew Bennett's secret before he was born but as soon as I saw him for the first time, I got it.

And I was in love.

Those first days when I was just getting to know Bennett I remember thinking I love his eyes, yes they are different but different is okay, in fact it's more than okay. Having Bennett has really shown me to enjoy the differences in life. He does not look like most babies and that's perfectly okay.

Now when I look at his eyes, his perfectly almond shaped eyes, they make me smile. They are dark, chocolate brown, just like his daddy's and his sister's eyes but also because they remind me that he's just a little bit different from the rest of us but different is truly beautiful.

Coming Up On Six Months...

Almost six months ago my little baby had open heart surgery. I used to worry some, about how his scar would look as he got older. And for a while it was looking kind of puffy and not so great but now as he approaches his six month mark to having a repaired heart, a heart that had to be repaired in order for him to live basically...

I don't think it looks so bad.

It's his battle wound. Such a strong little boy. And we are forever thankful for this repaired heart.

I think I'm getting the hang of this!

My parents came up a few weeks ago and my mom patiently taught me how to sew again. I had pretty much forgotten everything my sister and her taught me over the holidays and attempted to make a pair of pants...let's just say Ainsley called them "interesting" when I showed them to her-lol {that's Ainsley's nice way of saying that doesn't look so good}. I just laughed at myself and decided I needed someone to once again show me how the heck I'm supposed to use this thing-the sewing machine.

Here are some of things I sewed with my mom's help:

{read on because I actually made some things all by myself!!}

I'm excited about this dress for the spring time!

I think I got this pattern at JoAnn's and we made a few adjustments like adding length to it with the polka dot fabric, adding the rick rack and instead of buttons we used bows.

My mom showed me how to interface fabric.

Coordinating pants for Harper!

She showed me the easiest way to make a ruffle, using dental floss-it's the coolest thing!!

This is supposed to be an owl-not a cat:)

This is probably the easiest pattern I've done so far, I think the waistband on the pattern is way too complicated for such an easy pattern so I did it the easy way where you make a pocket for it and pull the elastic through with a safety pin.

After she left I was feeling so much more confident and with a new sewing space (no longer in the dinning room) I decided to try some things on my own:

Valentine ruffle pants with matching applique-actually we'll be wearing these all year- ya'll know I LOVE polka dots!!

Couldn't leave Bennett out! Matching "tie" applique -{Bennett was unavailable for this photo shoot (napping) and will be making his appearance in his Valentines "tie" closer to Valentine's Day};)

I'm loving this skirt! Once again great for all year-round!

This really was an easy skirt to make, a tad more complicated then the owl one but I will definitely make it again. Really wanted to add a little ball fringe but sadly I did not have enough-guess I could always add it later.

Well of course I had to make a coordinating outfit for Ainsley!

I'm very excited to be able to make the kids some cute

outfits now and I love being able to have something fun for them to wear for all of the little "holidays". I was even able to save the day and fix one of their princess dress up outfits that was quickly unraveling.

So yeah, I think I'm getting the hang of this!