Autumn Leaves Wreath DIY

Today I am sharing a little tutorial for my Autumn Leaves Wreath. Autumn is my favorite season of the year and this cheery little wreath is sure to add some warmth to any front door. Here's how you can make one of your own:

You will need:

1. One foam wreath
2. Some brown yarn
3. Orange, yellow, red, and green felt (one sheet each)
4. Colorful thread (I used friendship bracelet string because Wytmer was rushing me in the craft store and I just grabbed the first thing that would work. Next time I'm leaving him at home).
5. Sewing needle (not pictured)
6. Scissors (not pictured)
7. Glue gun (not pictured)

Notice how the back looks like crap? Totally fine, because no one will see the back!

I cut out six of each color, but only ended up using 5 of each. And remember, they don't have to be perfect!

Use an alternate color that will stand out. I used yellow thread on the green and red leaves, and red thread on the yellow and orange leaves.

I placed them where I liked them before I glued them down so I could play with it a little. Just a little dab of hot glue on each leaf was enough.

Hope you enjoy!

XOXO

Mama Reads. Baby Reads. | v.1

Our family loves reading. I am, after all, an English teacher. So I thought it would be fun to do an occasional mama reads/baby reads post where I talk about what Hannah and I are currently reading.

Mama Reads

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

From the back cover:

Aibileen is a black maid in 1962 Jackson, Mississippi, raising her seventeenth white child. She's always taken orders quietly, but lately it leaves her with a bitterness she can no longer bite back. Her friend Minny has certainly never held her tongue, or held on to a job for very long, but now she's working for a newcomer with secrets that leave her speechless. And white socialite Skeeter has just returned from college with ambition and a degree but, to her mother's lament, no husband. Normally Skeeter would find solace in Constantine, the beloved maid who raised her, but Constantine has inexplicably disappeared.

Together, these seemingly different women join to work on a project that could forever alter their destinies and the life of a small town--to write, in secret, a tell-all book about what it's really like to work as a black maid in the white homes of the South. Despite the terrible risks they will have to take, and the sometimes humorous boundaries they will have to cross, these three women unite with on intention: hope for a better day.

I'm only on the second chapter of this book, but I'm already hooked! I know everyone has been talking it up for some time (and of course, there is a movie), but if you haven't read it yet, I definitely recommend it.

Baby Reads

It's Time to Sleep, My Love by Nancy Tillman

Nancy Tillman is the author of our favorite bedtime book, On The Night You Were Born. We picked up this book recently and Hannah is in love with it. The story is sweet and repetitive, which makes it perfect for bedtime. And the pictures! Oh the pictures. They are gorgeous. Just look:

Beautiful, right? This book has already earned a permanent place in our bedtime book rotation.

Happy reading, friends!

XOXO

18 Months!

I don't normally do these update posts, because I always thought that no one would want to read it. But now I'm looking back and I wish I had kept up with everything here. So I thought 18 months would be a good time to start. Also? Holy crap, I have an 18 month old! How did that happen?

This morning I took Hannah to see her pediatrician for her well baby check up/shots. Hannah loves going to the  pediatrician because everyone is so nice there, and the place looks like an amusement park.

Seriously, the best waiting room toys ever.

She did really well in her appointment and the doctor said she was right on track developmentally. We talked a little about the fact that Hannah doesn't say a lot of words, and the doctor assured me that she seems to be doing fine, but she is just a little stubborn. She said that there are some things I can do to encourage Hannah to talk more, like requiring her to say what she wants before giving it to her (like juice, milk, and book). She also said I could get some flash cards and go over those with Hannah everyday. And she encouraged us to continue reading with Hannah and asking her to repeat words after us. The doctor was very impressed with how much Hannah understood, though. She was pointing out all the animals on the mural in the room (just not saying their names).

Okay, so here's the stats:

Weight: 24 pounds, 3 ounces ( 50th percentile)
Height: 32.75 inches (75-90th percentile)
Head: 48.5 centimeters (90th percentile)

So basically, Hannah is tall, skinny, and big headed. But we already knew that.

Some things Hannah is doing now:

• Running
• Trying to jump (this is hilarious)
• Kicking and throwing balls
• Feeding herself well
• Trying to dress and undress herself. I can tell the "I do it!" phase is coming soon.
• Pretending to be a mama to her toys. She changes diapers, gives them bottles, pushes them in a stroller and sings them songs while rocking them back and forth. 
• Giving real kisses and lots of hugs
• Using the potty, usually once a day
• Washing her own hands after eating
• Stacking cups and blocks
• "Cleaning" the house. Pretty much anything I do she tries to do too. She also knows where things belong, so when I tell her to put her dirty shirt in the hamper she scampers off and does just that. And when I ask her to, she runs into her room to bring me a clean diaper or her shoes.
• She clearly says mama, daddy, hi, and bye. Some words that she says that aren't so clear are bath, shoes, juice, baby, book, outside, and puppy. She's also been saying "what is that?" for awhile now, I actually think they were her first words. It sounds more like "wah ti da?" but she puts a little inflection at the end and it is adorable.

She is just growing up so fast! It's so exciting to see her grow and change. Everyday it seems like she is doing something new. 

It was good getting to talk to the doctor and luckily, Hannah handled her shots like a champ. We opted out of getting the flu vaccine this year, but I will probably get it myself since I am around kids all day. Last year I got the flu and gave it to Hannah and I don't want that happening again. Today she just two shots (DTaP and PCV). She just cried for a moment and then started smiling again. 

Leaving the pediatrician's office after getting her shots.

I'm so proud of my big girl!

XOXO

Recipe: Gooey Butter Pumpkin Cake

Warning: If you are on a diet, you should probably stop reading now. Because this cake is not even close to being a healthy treat. But if you are in the mood to indulge? Well you have come to the right place!

I've been making this recipe every Thanksgiving for the last few years and it is so unbelievably good. It's basically like an amped up pumpkin pie, and it's a variation of Paula Deen's Gooey Butter Cake, so you know there are a couple sticks of butter in there. This weekend I was craving some yummy pumpkin dessert, and this recipe definitely took care of that craving.

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 box of yellow cake mix
• 1 stick of melted butter (8 tbsp)
• 1 egg

Filling:

• 1 15 oz can of pumpkin
• 1 8 oz package of softened cream cheese 
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 stick of melted butter (8 tbsp)
• 2 cups of powdered sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 13x9 inch baking dish. In a large bowl combine all the ingredients for the cake (not the filling yet) and press the dough down into the baking dish.

Set that aside and then start working on the filling. Start by mixing your pumpkin and cream cheese. Then beat in the eggs, vanilla, and butter. Finally, mix in the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. When all your ingredients are well mixed, poor it all on top of the cake.

Put it in the oven and leave it there for about 50 minutes, or until the edges start to brown and the top is starting to set. Remember that the middle should be gooey, so don't overcook it! A little wiggle is okay.

And that's it! Your house will smell unbelievably good while the cake is baking. Oh, and try really hard not to cut into it right away because it will be pretty messy if you don't let it cool down first. I waited about an hour, then served it with some whipped cream and cinnamon on top. Perfection!

Enjoy!

XOXO

Itchin' for a Change

Every once in awhile I get the urge to make a change in my life. Most of the time it's my hair that falls victim to these urges. It's just the easiest thing to alter. My poor hair has been all over the place; from pixi cuts to down-to-my-butt long, and every shade of the (natural hair color) rainbow. Blond, brown, red, black...and then back again. Recently my hair has been it's natural shade of washed out light brown. I always feel a little plain jane with my natural color, and this week I started dreaming of something new. Something warm, rich, and chocolate-y, but that could describe most of my dreams anyway (umm...yeah).

It came out a little darker and redder than I had planned. But I think I like that. So here's the new, sassier me:

Now if only I could get it to grow out faster.

XOXO

Miss Sassy Pants

Hannah has always been a sassy little girl. She's spunky, stubborn, and spirited. I can remember the ultrasound technicians during my pregnancy commenting on how she would kick them and squirm away, "you've got a feisty one in there." And they were right.

When Hannah was born I immediately saw that feisty personality shining through. She was never an "easy baby." She knew what she wanted and wasn't willing to wait for anything. At times it has been overwhelming being the mama to a very impatient little girl, but I've never wanted it any other way. My daughter is fiercely strong-willed, and I am fiercely proud of her. She is unbelievably outgoing, and always has a huge smile on her face. She overflows with silliness, enthusiasm and excitement. 

And in truth, her personality is very different than mine. I'm much more laid back and introverted than Hannah. I'd always imagined my daughter to have a personality like mine. But now that she's here and not exactly what was expected? Well it's pretty much the greatest surprise of my life.

XOXO

This Weekend

This weekend was lots of fun. We spent some time relaxing at home and Hannah fell in love with some Target dollar spot window clings. Obsessed would be putting it lightly. We also spent an afternoon at the Children's Museum, which Hannah also loved. She was pretty excited about dressing up, which I take as a good sign that Halloween will be a success (if I ever find a costume I like that isn't out of stock). We had such a blast at the Children's Museum that I decided to get a membership, and since I'm a teacher I got a pretty sweet discount.

So overall, we had a great weekend, spent with my two favorite people in the world. Only problem? It was way too short.


XOXO

Ad Swappin'

So, Amanda over at Pretty Little Life announced that she is going to start doing an ad swap on her blog, and I thought it was was such a great idea that I'm going to be doing that very same thing here! Exciting, right?

So, if you are interested, you just need to send me a 150 x 150 sized button that will be placed in my sidebar, and I will send you a button for my blog to do the same thing with. Ads will go up by the first of the month, and stay there until the last of the month. And the best part? It's free! Because I'm cheap, and I bet you like free stuff, too.

Email your buttons to: letters2hannah@gmail.com.

Oh, and Happy Sunday, friends!

XOXO

Week in iPhone Pics {10.9.11}

This week we spent a lot of time playing with Hannah's new toys. We recently went to a teacher supply store and found the ultimate place for educational toys. Seriously, I'm only going there for Hannah's Christmas presents. We picked out those awesome foam blocks, a magnadoodle, and that beautiful Melissa and Doug farm animal puzzle. There were quite a few chunky wooden puzzles that caught my eye  and I think we are going to start a little collection. Hannah has really fallen in love with puzzles recently and she is so good at them. Every time she starts putting the pieces in I am more amazed at how smart she has become.

[linking up with A Good Life]

XOXO

Help Me Choose Hannah's Costume! Please?

I'm pretty excited about Halloween this year since Hannah will be old enough to kind of get into it. I know she won't really understand everything, but I think she will have fun dressing up and trick-or-treating. Problem is, I can't make up my mind about what I want her to be. So I thought I would enlist my lovely readers for some help.

Here's what is in the running right now:

source

source

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Thoughts? Cast your votes in the comments, pretty please! :)

XOXO

A Playlist for Hannah's Childhood

We all have a few songs in our heads, the ones that we will always know the words to, and can recognize instantly when they come on the radio. They are the songs of our childhood, and they are powerful things that can take us right back to finger painting and bicycle rides, hide-and-go-seek and Popsicles.

Hannah is still so young, but I like to think that some of the music she's heard so far is having a lasting impact on her. After all, her first steps were made with Smokey Robinson playing in the background. And every night her eyes fall heavy while I hold her close and whisper the words of "You Send Me" by Sam Cooke. So I thought it might be fun to make a little playlist of some of songs she hears the most. I'm hoping one day she can look back at this list and be taken back to sweet memories of a very magical childhood.

1. A Change is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke
2. Nothing Can Change This Love by Sam Cooke
3. You Send Me by Sam Cooke
4. Put Me Down Easy by Sam Cooke
5. Son of a Preacher Man by Dusty Springfield
6. I've Been Loving You Too Long by Otis Redding
7. These Arms of Mine by Otis Redding
8. Try A Little Tenderness by Otis Redding
9. Cruisin' by Smokey Robinson
10. I Second That Emotion by Smokey Robinson
11. Sunday Kind of Love by Etta James
12. Feelin' Good by Nina Simone
13. My Girl by The Temptations
14. You're All I Need To Get By by Aretha Franklin
15. Isn't She Lovely by Stevie Wonder

What songs do you imagine your kids will think of as the soundtrack of their childhood?

XOXO

Week in iPhone Pics {10.1.11}

This week...

Hannah has been holding onto a cold for a couple weeks and she hasn't been sleeping or eating well. So Monday I took the day off of work to take her to the pediatrician. She may be under the weather, but nothing keeps her from playing with all the fun waiting room toys.

Hannah has this thing when she's sick where she always has her tongue out. It's crazy cute. 

Hannah and I played hide and seek.

I spy baby legs!

She found a pair of my shoes and paraded around in them for a good twenty minutes.

Silly goose.

I had tons of grading to do. My students wrote essays about people who have had an affect on their lives. In other words, I cried like a baby in the middle of class (multiple times) and used lots of gold stars. Yes, high school kids still love gold stars.

Hannah started eating at the big table. She really likes it so far, but we still have to work on our table manners.

And my obsession with pumpkin flavor continues.

Look at my big girl climbing up on her tippy toes. Doesn't she look like a kid? Crazy town.

I'm linking up with Amy from A Good Life.

XOXO