Three months!

Before my girls were born, I saw pictures on etsy of little onesies with a number for each month, so you could take a picture to record what your kids looked like each month. I love this idea, and here's how far we've gotten...

They were so little!!!

A little bigger...

Now 9 whole pounds!

I can't help myself, they're just so cute!

It's amazing how big the differences are even after just three months! These are really easy to make, too - it probably only takes me half an hour to make two of them. And it's really good to have some pictures I can pinpoint in time, because things go so fast and sometimes it's hard to remember!

Linking to:

I can't think of a title for this post.

This year, Christmas gifts need to be simple, because we've got our hands full with two little ones. But I still don't like to show up to someone's house empty-handed, so I have made a few things to gift when we go visiting.

A bottle of wine is an easy gift, but it's nice to dress it up a little. These were once the sleeves of a sweater I no longer wear...after a little embroidery, they're much more festive!

I'm linking up at

Wouldn't these make fun Christmas gifts?

Source: bhg.com via Erica on Pinterest

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Source: whimsy-girl.blogspot.ca via Erica on Pinterest

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat...

I haven't had much time for crafting lately, but I have managed to get one project done - Christmas stockings for our newly enlarged family! I made stockings for Keith and I the first year we lived together, but I never liked them all that much...they came out smaller than I wanted, and I was never satisfied with them. So this year, I made a set of new ones which I love!

 I used the same fabrics for all four, but different designs. They were fun to make and they look really fancy hanging over our fireplace! Also, this tutorial helped me to make these stockings more quickly than ever before - it's so mind-blowingly simple, I can't believe I didn't think of it before.

I have a few Christmas gifts in the works, but this will be a pretty low-key Christmas for us since we are busy with babies!

I'm linking up!

Amazing Baby Gifts

I have mentioned before that my family is full of crafty people. Keith's family is full of talented people as well - so I wanted to share some of the amazing handmade gifts we were given to help us prepare for the arrival of our little ones.

Our families worked together to throw us an amazing baby shower. They went with a book theme, and asked guests to bring their favorite baby and kids' books. We now have quite a little library!

Kim and Michelle made the cake.

 The tables were decorated with books, covered in coordinating paper.

 The room was just beautiful!

Our friend Jody tie-dyed some adorable baby clothes for us. The result is totally unique - and we will definitely think of her every time we put them on the girls!

My grandmother made these beautiful receiving blankets for us, and hand-knitted the beautiful sweaters below. There are adorable little bonnets to go with them. The stitches are so tiny, and the yarn is so soft - they must have taken forever to make! They are really incredible.

 Keith's Aunt Carol and his cousin Erin made this beautiful activity book for the girls. I remember having one like this when I was little - it teaches them to tie, and zip, and button, and learn about numbers and letters. It is really incredible.

 Keith's mom knitted these beautiful blankets for the girls. They are incredible soft and the pattern is so pretty!

These ones aren't handmade - but they are hilarious. The bib is from Keith's brother Thomas- it says "My Uncle Is Hot - and Single!!!" The onesies say "I was planned (she wasn't!)", which is perfect for our surprise twins!

 Keith's sister Michelle painted this beautiful plaque for the girls. It reads "Twice the Joy, Twice the Love, Twice the Blessings from Above".

And finally, Keith's cousin Kelley made this diaper cakes. They are so cute it seems a shame to take them apart! They are decorated with little toys, bibs, and other tiny baby necessities.

My cousin Aimee, who is quite a photographer, took all the pictures of the shower for us. She takes some really incredible photos. I can't wait to have her do a photo shoot with the girls once they are home.

So, to sum it up...we are incredibly lucky to be supported by such wonderful people. Having preemies and leaving them at the hospital has been really hard, but it is made easier through the love and support of our families and friends!

The most beautiful nursery ever!

This summer, I was out of state for work. When I left, I knew that by the time I got home, I would be extremely pregnant and probably not able to get around very well (and that was completely true). I was a little bit nervous about getting the nursery set up for the girls, since the room was full of my craft stuff that would all need to be moved...and I didn't really have any idea where to get started. As I posted here, the room was kind of a mess...

So, I am pretty much the luckiest person ever to have two fabulous sisters-in-law and a wonderful mother-in-law who volunteered, completely on their own, to tackle this daunting project for me while I was away. They not only created a fabulous nursery, but moved and reorganized my whole craft space! The project was meant to be a secret, so even though I wasn't at home, the process took place behind closed doors...

I basically told Kim and Michelle that I didn't want anything too girly - not all pink - but other than that, they could do whatever they wanted. Thanks to their incredible creativity, this is what they came up with.

 My grandmother made the curtains.

The dresser came from my parents' house - they bought it 25 or so years ago to serve as a changing table when my younger brother was born :)

They also stocked us up with the essentials - blankets, washcloths, soap and wipes and lots of tiny, adorable clothes.

Michelle painted these adorable little animals on the wall. Can you believe how talented she is?

And Kim, the most organized person I have ever known, set up a fool-proof closet system to organize all the tiny clothes, hats, and socks that babies need.

My mother-in-law gave us these beautiful new cribs.

I consider myself incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful family - and my girls are so blessed to have such devoted aunties and grandma!

Another Wedding Gift and Some Big News!

I have been terrible about updating! I have lots of projects to share, but I simply haven't had time...because my girls are here!

Fiona and Riley were born September 8th at 33 weeks 4 days. Because they were so early, they are still in the hospital, but doing great - they are breathing on their own, regulating their own temperature, and working on getting enough food to grow big and strong so we can bring them home. Keith and I are spending lots of time at the hospital. I might be biased, but I am pretty sure these are the most beautiful babies in the entire world :)

So, that's my excuse for not updating. I think it's a pretty good one. However, I will share a little project I worked on over the summer for some wonderful friends who got married at the beginning of September.

I found this embroidery pattern here, and there are lots more to choose from - I thought this one was perfect for a wedding!

Congratulations, Andrew and Mairead!