The Adventures of Ash and Rowe

Our Lovely February Sponsors!

2012-02-17T09:00:00.000-08:00

So in case you haven't noticed our lovely sponsors over there to the right for the month of February I decided to do an Ad Swap and turns out, it was a great idea!

So please take a look at all our lovely sponsors!

Hi I am Jess and I live in the DC area with my nerdy/worship leader husband Scott and our adorable son Judah who sometimes wears a mustache. I love spending time with my son, taking ridiculous pictures of him, thrifting, drinking coffee and of course crocheting for my business My Charming Colors. Stop on by, I love making and meeting new friends.

Pacific Northwest born and raised, photographing my way through the day till bed time, doing my best to raise three little ladies with teenager tendencies. All the while, studying to be a doula and navigating this new life as wife to my damn hot husband. Who says you can't have your cake and eat it too? Here you will find the running monologue of the misadventures that are our life.

Marcella, Single mama soon to be wifed up, 2 year old daughter Pella aka PEEJ. Blogging about What life throws at you, the good and the bad, neato baby stuff, and a little bit of everything else in between.

Hi! I'm Jacqueline and On this blog I talk about Motherhood, handmade shops, crafts and even more about Crochet. Enjoy yourself while you are here and tell me about it.

Hi Everyone! I'm Darlene- mamma to 4 year old Jasper (and a baby girl due in April!) and newlywed to Drew. We are currently living and loving in the beautiful city of Denver, Colorado! I blog about everything I'm passionate about, my family, the outdoors, traveling the world, raising my son bilingual (Swedish and English), going organic,fashion, SHOES, and my biggest passion of all- being a mamma. I'd love to have you stop by and say hi!

Shelley and Danny Lemaire are a husband and wife photography team, Danny takes the photos, Shelley edits them and what an amazing team they make! We had the pleasure of working with them back in September (You can see all Family Photos throughout our October & November posts, as well as the photos in our banner & buttons) and I can't wait to work with them again soon! Here is a little tid bit about their blog. Our blog is less of a "Photography Blog" and more of a "A Little Bit Of Everything We're Into" blog. It will be MOSTLY Photography, but we will also be posting our videos, How-To's, DIY's, Custom Editing, Etsy Shop, and Blogs about our family and home. It's a central hub for you to see what we're into and what we're up to.

After the birth of her daughter in 2011, Lauren turned to the Internet to find out how to meet fellow moms. She was disappointed at the lack of resources for area mothers and didn’t have the time to comb through newspaper event listings and corporate websites.

The Reno-Sparks Mom is here to fill that void. With a easy to read event listing with events that matter to Moms, a comprehensive list of local resources and inspiration from a creative blog, the Reno-Sparks Mom is your source for all things motherhood in Northern Nevada.

Come back daily as we highlight the local events and inspiration that matter to you, the Reno Sparks Mom.

Lauren, author of this website formerly known as LaureNspired, created this blog as a creative outlet and a way to keep in touch with family across the country in 2008. Since then it has followed their little family from struggling newlyweds, to first time homebuyers, to first time parents.

Reno and Sparks are both beautiful cities in Northern Nevada, nestled in the hills (and desert) below the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Roweyn's 2 Year Check Up

2012-02-15T15:52:00.000-08:00

So on Friday, Roweyn had her 2 year check up (a month late). We waited 45 minutes before we even went back into a room even though we were the first appointment after lunch, but we always seem to have to wait, no matter what. We finally went back and first thing they did was weigh and measure Roweyn. She was a little apprehensive since she remembers her appointments from when she had a UTI but over all she did great!

While we waiting Roweyn had a blast sitting in the Drs chair drawing on paper.

We saw an intern first who was getting more hours in to become a Nurse Practitioner. She asked me a bunch of random questions about Roweyn and the family and then got all worried when she saw Roweyn's weight since she is so much smaller than the average 2 year old but having gone over this since Day 1 with Roweyn, I wasn't too worried. She then proceeded to push me about vaccinations in which I just nodded and said okay and that I'd think about them. Roweyn still hasn't had any vaccines and at this point I don't plan on her getting any, any time soon. I know everyone has their own opinion on them and that's fine but this is my choice for her and I'm happy with it.

After the intern was done, Roweyn's Dr popped in for less than 5 minutes to chat. He said there are no worries with Roweyn's weight, his words and I quote, "She's tiny, we've already established that, she's just like you so no big deal!"

So here are her 2 Year Weight and Height Stats!

We don't have to go back in until it's time for her 3 Year Check. Crazy to think that we're at that point now where they only need to see her once a year now! My little girl is growing up!

Roweyn's Second Trip to the Dentist

2012-02-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

So Wednesday morning, Roweyn took her 2nd trip to the Dentist for a check up. I was definitely nervous because she has changed SO much since the first time she went just barely a year ago. She did amazing the first time, but she's gotten so much more aware of her surroundings and very aware of people she doesn't know, so I really had no idea how she'd react.

Roweyn took a short nap on the way to town which kinda surprised me since it was only 9:30 and we hadn't been up that long, but she woke up happy so I knew we were off to a good start. We spent about 10-15 minutes in the waiting room and no one else was there so we were able to wander around, spend a lot of time checking out the giant mural on the wall of the forest along with the forest animals which she pointed out and then repeated me as I named off all of them, and then she found the kids room.

Dancing in the waiting room and checking out the kids room

P.S. How cute is her outfit?!

Top: H&M Boys Section

Leggings: Tea Collection

Shoes: Tiny Toms

We got called back and headed off to our chair, Roweyn sat on my lap and waited patiently. The Dental Assistant was quick to bring Rowe a bag of goodies with a new cup, 2 new toothbrushes and toothpaste and right afterwards the Dentist arrived. He took a look in Roweyn's mouth and she had no problem with it at all! She was so brave and sat so still! He said her teeth all look great with some spaces between the teeth which means her permanent teeth shouldn't have any issues when it's time for them to come in. He asked me if I had any concerns and I told him that her bite looked a bit funny. When she bites down, her top left "eye tooth" goes inside her lower teeth instead of on the outside which then results in her having a big gap between her front top and lower teeth. He said it's not a big deal since they're all her baby teeth and her bite will change when her top teeth start coming it. I also asked him if it had anything to do with her still having a pacifier, he said no and he would only be concerned if she was 4 or 5 and still had one and at this age it's not a big deal. *I'm not sure I've said the word "teeth" so many times before!

All in all it was another great experience and I walked away happy and knowing that I'm doing everything I can to help her have healthy clean teeth. I was so so proud of Roweyn and how great she did and she most definitely got a treat for being so good! She loves the Cliffs Kids Fruit Ropes and calls them treats which makes me happy because she's still getting something healthy and she pretty much thinks it's candy!

Showing me her "trweeat"

It's pretty much the cutest thing ever

to hear her say that word

Oh You Know, Just a Little of Everything

2012-02-09T14:39:00.000-08:00

I feel like I haven't posted anything on here in so long, even though I've been posting the entire month of January. It's just none of it has been that personal, mostly just some photos or updating old posts but i just feel like I don't have time to do anything more than that. I don't know what I want to write about or where to start with all the photos I have taken lately.

My days have been filled with work and yet I'm hardly making any money, we've been sick and exhausted and there's been a lot of going to bed by 9:30 (for me) earlier for Rowe. There's been a lot of canceled plans...day of...that have just thrown me off and while I try to make the most of it, I end up feeling like I've accomplished nothing. I'm trying so hard to move forward with so many things in life and yet I feel like I'm constantly being held back, unable to change.

Hopefully things WILL be changing by mid to end of February, the salon is going to see a little less of me in hopes of me seeing more of my clients (I know that sounds weird but it makes sense, I promise!), and not just that, but it should mean more free time with Roweyn. More play dates, more adventures, more of us being together. I am taking my very first OVERNIGHT trip without Roweyn. A HUGE GIANT BIG DEAL for me! I've never gone more than maybe 9 hours without seeing her and we've never spent a night apart in the 25 months that she's been out of my belly. But the opportunity presented itself and if I don't do it now, it might never happen! I'm nervous as heck and it makes me want to cry just thinking about spending the night without her but I NEED THIS SO BADLY! It just has to happen or I will just keep running myself into the ground. I am in a very slow process of weaning Roweyn, it's been rough with us both getting sick so we've moved forward, taken a few steps back and are moving forward again, also hoping that maybe this trip will help move it along even more!

I'm already thinking about our Summer schedule, a dance class for Roweyn and possibly swim lessons and will try to throw in a few short trips for some new adventures. Preschool sign ups for Fall are drawing near and I've decided to move her up into the next class that is called the Younger Side, which means she'll be going 2 days a week for 3 hours a day with me only there helping out in the class a couple times a month. It's a pretty big step for both of us, her class she's in now, I'm with her the entire time and it's a little less than 2 hours so a pretty big change, she'll also be a little younger than the other kids. I decided to do this because I feel like even now she could be in something 2 days a week. And I'll be able to work during that time on at least one of those days which will work out great.

Anyways I know I just threw out a lot in this post but it's the easiest way to get it out at this time and hopefully in the future I'll be able to spend more time writing!

So now I'll leave you with a few of the quotes I found on Pinterest that I'm really liking this week!

Source: etsy.com via Ash on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Ash on Pinterest

Source: myrevelment.com via Ash on Pinterest

Source: sunshineandpearls.tumblr.com via Ash on Pinterest

I am being Featured over on Milk Friendly today!

2012-02-03T08:02:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!

I am over on Milk Friendly today sharing our breastfeeding story. If you'd like to read all about it, head on over there to check it out!

Thanks so much Maryam for having us!!

Christmas 2011....in iPhone Photos

2012-01-31T09:00:00.000-08:00

So I finally got a post up about our Christmas but since I took photos on my iPhone as well, I thought I'd break it down into two different posts. So in case you missed the first Christmas post, check it out HERE!

Now here are all the photos from Christmas Eve to the day after Christmas from my iPhone!

Christmas Eve Lunch and Snuggles!

Ornament Painting and the finished products on Christmas Eve!

All the presents out, ready for Christmas Morning and Opening up her Christmas Eve Pajamas (that she refused to wear!)

Christmas Morning! "Mama is this for me?" Rowe asks and tuckered out at nap time after so much fun opening some of her presents!

Baking cupcakes in her new kitchen, notice she is using the pot holder to carry the tray! And doing some skateboarding on her Uncles new Longboard under the tree!

Helping Nana and Papa walk the dogs the day after Christmas and looking so stylish while doing it!

Reading one of her new books from Christmas and Snuggling up on her last night of being a 1 year old because the next day is her Birthday and she will be TWO!!

Hopefully soon I will have all of her Birthday Photos up! So stay tuned!

Christmas 2011

2012-01-30T14:14:00.000-08:00

So I know I am incredibly behind in getting this post up but it's been such a crazy month! Better late than never right?!

We started off our week leading up to Christmas with the Stomach Flu. Roweyn had it every other day the entire week and the rest of us except for my sister all got it on Wednesday. After we were over it, we basically didn't have an appetite for days, especially Roweyn, it took her about 2 weeks to get hers back, so being excited for Christmas food just wasn't the same when we still felt a little nauseous.

We had a wonderful quiet Christmas with our family though and Roweyn was SO into it! It was pretty much the cutest thing ever! She loved grabbing the presents under the tree and handing them out to everyone and then helping everyone open them. This was definitely my favorite part about Christmas.

Here are our photos!

So excited about her new Kitchen that Mama got her!

Saying "It's Papa"

He's the only one on the phone ever, according to her.

Stocking goodies!

Opening a pressie with Mama.

Her new bed aka my new Sheepskin Seat covers for my car.

Big girl opening her presents all by herself

Got Nana a cover for her new iPhone

Future Skateboarder, hanging out on her Uncles new Longboard

SO excited about her new Unicorn Purse from her Great Aunt

Us together Christmas night

Heading out for drinks with my brother & his girlfriend

My first time out w/out Roweyn in over a year.

Opening more presents the day AFTER Christmas because there were so many!

So excited about her pantry set

Super excited to open her big present from her Uncle and Auntie

More photos to come from Christmas eve - After Christmas from my iPhone!

Shop Roweyn's Closet Update!

2012-01-30T11:39:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! I have added NEW Items For Sale to Shop Roweyn's Closet as well as some Price Changes!
Here is a Sneak Peek but if you would like to see everything, head over to the page which you can find in the tabs right under our banner. Thanks so much!

Photo A Day Challenge January Day 29, Inside Your Fridge. #janphotoaday

2012-01-29T14:30:00.000-08:00

Day 29, Inside Your Fridge.

Check out Day 1 to read more about this Photo Challenge.

Photo A Day Challenge January Day 28, Light. #janphotoaday

2012-01-28T13:50:00.000-08:00

Day 28, Light.

Read all about this Photo Challenge on Day 1.

Photo A Day Challenge January Day 27, Lunch. #janphotoaday

2012-01-27T12:57:00.000-08:00

Day 27, Lunch...err Snack!

Check out Day 1 to find out more about this Photo Challenge

Photo A Day Challenge January Day 26, Color. #janphotoaday

2012-01-26T12:49:00.000-08:00

Day 26, Color.

Head over to Day 1 to find out more about this Photo Challenge.

Photo A Day Challenge January Day 25, Daily Routine/Someone I Love. #janphotoaday

2012-01-25T12:44:00.000-08:00

Day 25, Daily Routine/Someone I Love
Roweyn is my daily routine and someone I love dearly!

Check out Day 1 to find out about this Photo Challenge

Photo A Day Challenge January Day 24, Guilty Pleasure. #janphotoaday

2012-01-24T20:00:00.000-08:00

Day 24, Guilty Pleasure

Vampire Diaries

Day 24, Another Guilty Pleasure

Late Night Snacks.

Before this I had pickles.

And no I'm not pregnant, I just have weird cravings.

Find out more about this Photo Challenge by going to Day 1!

Photo A Day Challenge January Day 23, Something Old. #janphotoaday

2012-01-23T14:00:00.000-08:00

Day 23, Something Old.

My Great Grandmother's Wurlitzer Piano

which now resides in my Parents House.

Want to know more about this Photo Challenge? Go back to Day 1 to read about it!

Photo A Day Challenge January Day 22, Your Shoes. #janphotoaday

2012-01-22T16:00:00.000-08:00

Day 22, Your Shoes

Technically New Shoes for Roweyn!

Check out Day 1 to find out all about this Photo Challenge!

Photo A Day Challenge January Day 21, Reflection. #janphotoaday

2012-01-21T18:00:00.000-08:00

Day 21, Reflection

Wondering what this Photo Challenge is? Check it out on Day 1!

Photo A Day Challenge January Day 20, Someone You Love. #janphotoaday

2012-01-20T13:00:00.000-08:00

Day 20, Someone You Love.

This Little Miss! Duh!

Wondering what this Photo Challenge is? Read more about it on Day 1!

Let's Swap Ads, Shall We?

2012-01-19T11:41:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone! I was thinking for the month of February, it would be fun to do an Ad Swap! Don't know what an Ad Swap is? Basically instead of paying to put your ad on a blog, we would just swap Ads free of charge, so your Ad would go on the side of my blog and mine would go on the side of yours! As a single Mama, it's hard for me to justify paying to promote my blog right now and I find it hard to ask someone else to pay to be on mine. So I mean really, what better way to do it than for free by doing a Swap?

So what do you think? I've already got a couple of swaps going but would love to do a few more! So if you are interested or have any questions, please shoot me an email at ashleppek@gmail.com and we can figure it all out!

Photo A Day Challenge January Day 19, Sweet. #janphotoaday

2012-01-19T11:30:00.000-08:00

Day 19, Sweet.

Roweyn feeding the baby at Preschool.

Want to know more about this Photo Challenge? Head over to Day 1 to read more about it!

Photo A Day Challenge January Day 18, Something You Bought. #janphotoaday

2012-01-18T11:30:00.000-08:00

Day 18, Something You Bought

A GapKids Cardigan on SuperSale.

Sometimes I really like being the size of a kid.

Be sure to check out Day 1 to find out what this Photo Challenge is all about!

Never Before Seen Posts

2012-01-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

So like I said in my last post I have been working on updating some older posts that have never seen the light of day but all have photos like from trips back in October, Halloween, Roweyn's Ramblings etc! I've been working so much on all of these, that I haven't gotten a chance to do many posts of recent happenings which there have been many of course!

I wanted to make a list of all of these posts in case you wanted to check them out! So here they are...with more to come!

Roweyn's Ramblings Wk. 34 & 35

October Photo Catch Up Pt. 1

Apple Hill

October Photo Catch Up Pt. 2

Preschool Field Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

Roweyn's Ramblings Wk. 36 & 37

A Tall Pines Halloween

Halloween 2011!

Roweyn's Ramblings Wk. 38 & 39

Roweyn's Ramblings Wk. 40

Roweyn's Ramblings Wk. 41

Thanksgiving 2011!

Roweyn's Ramblings Wk. 42

Recently Enjoyed Christmas Fun!

Roweyn's Ramblings Wk. 43

P.S. If you have a baby girl in any of the sizes 0-12 be sure to check out the "Shop Roweyn's Closet" page at the top, underneath our banner.

Photo A Day Challenge January Day 17, Water. #janphotoaday

2012-01-17T20:00:00.000-08:00

Day 17, Water.

And a little One, brushing her teeth.

Check out Day 1 to read all about this Challenge!

Photo A Day Challenge January Day 16, Morning. #janphotoaday

2012-01-16T12:00:00.000-08:00

Day 16, Morning.

Books in bed & then Shower Time.

Read all about this Challenge starting at Day 1!

Photo A Day Challenge Day 15 Happiness. #janphotoaday

2012-01-15T20:00:00.000-08:00

Day 15, Happiness.

Being a Mother.

Watching my Daughter learn and grow everyday &

being there for her, always makes me happier than anything else ever will.

Wondering what this Challenge is about? Head over to Day 1 to find out!

Shop Roweyn's Closet!

2012-01-15T14:19:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! Hope you are enjoying your month of January! I'm sorry I haven't been posting much. I've been updating old posts from Oct - Dec. and am still working on them and will be posting a list of everything that has been updated because they all have never before seen photos!

But anyways the reason why I'm here today is... I put up a "Shop Roweyn's Closet" Page on here, hoping to sell some of Roweyn's super cute clothes. Below is a Sneak Peek of it but if you would like to take a look of all I have to offer at this time, at the top of this page below the header and all the way to the right you will see a "Shop Roweyn's Closet" button, just click on that and it will take you right to it! You'll find all the information you need right there! Thanks so much!!

Photo A Day Challenge January Day 14, Something You're Reading. #janphotoaday

2012-01-14T14:00:00.000-08:00

Day 14, Something You're Reading.

Llama llama Misses Mama,

because I obviously never have time to read something of my own!

Head back over to Day 1 to read all about this Photo Challenge!

Photo A Day Challenge January Day 13, In Your Bag. #janphotoaday

2012-01-13T12:30:00.000-08:00

Day 13, In My Bag.

Cards, Money and Checkbooks

Not much because I carry almost everything in Roweyn's Bag. ha

Check out Day 1 to find out all about this Photo Challenge!

Photo A Day Challenge January Day 12, Close Up. #janphotoaday

2012-01-12T12:00:00.000-08:00

Day 12, Close Up.

A Blur of Roweyn as She Swiped my Phone out of my Hand.

To find out what this Photo Challenge is all about be sure to check out Day 1!

Photo A Day Challenge January Day 11, Where You Sleep. #janphotoaday

2012-01-11T12:00:00.000-08:00

Where We Sleep

Because Roweyn CoSleeps with Me!

Check out Day 1 to read about this Challenge!

Photo A Day Challenge January Day 10, Childhood. #janphotoaday

2012-01-10T12:00:00.000-08:00

Childhood

The House my Dad Built while my Mom was Pregnant with Me.

We Moved in when I was 1 Month Old on New Years, 23 Years Ago.

We Still Live in This House

Childhood Photo 2

My Papa and Me.

Miss Him Lots!

Sad He Never got to Meet Roweyn.

He Passed Away 3 Months Before I had Her.

Childhood Photo 3

A Newborn Self and My Dad

With just a Hint of a Mullet and a Crazy Big Mustache!

Head over to Day 1 to find out what this Photo Challenge is all about!

Photo A Day Challenge January Day 9, Daily Routine. #janphotoaday

2012-01-09T12:00:00.000-08:00

Daily Routine

Breastfeeding

Snuggles All Day Every Day

Sitting Down to Eat with Little Miss

Check out Day 1 to see all about this photo challenge!

Photo A Day Challenge January Day 8, Your Sky. #janphotoaday

2012-01-08T15:00:00.000-08:00

My Sky

Northern California

Wondering what this Photo Challenge is? Go back to the beginning and check out Day 1 to find out!

Photo A Day Challenge January Day 7, Favorite. #janphotoaday

2012-01-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

Favorite

Afternoon Snuggles & Naps

with my Little Miss

Find out on Day 1 what this is all about!

Photo A Day Challenge January Day 6, Makes You Smile. #janphotoaday

2012-01-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

What Makes Me Smile

Two of my Favorite People

My Mom and My Daughter

And the Special Bond They Have

Check out Day 1 to see what this Challenge is all about!

Photo A Day Challenge January Day 5, Something You Wore. #janphotoaday

2012-01-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

Something I Wore

A Waterfall French Braid in My Hair

Find out what I'm doing by checking out Day 1!

Photo A Day Challenge January Day 4, Letterbox. #janphotoaday

2012-01-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

Letterbox

In case you're wondering what this is about, check out Day 1!

Photo A Day Challenge January Day 3, Something You Adore. #janphotoaday

2012-01-03T15:16:00.000-08:00

Something I Adore

My Baby Girl!

Obviously!

If you're wondering what this is about, be sure to check out Day 1!

Happy Twenty Twelve!

2012-01-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

Hope you all had a wonderful New Years! Rowe and I spent the night relaxing and then she was off to bed while I stayed up and drank some Champagne I bought on my 21st Birthday when I was 9months pregnant and obviously couldn't drink it and watched tv. It was relaxing and I didn't really want it any other way!

I don't really do Resolutions (maybe because I suck at them?) but I call them Goals instead, in hopes of reaching them.

So here are my Goals for myself as well as for being a Mama that I hope to accomplish this year, in no particular order.

Get Organized! -- A lot of it is just de-cluttering, but I also want to make our space more us and less mess.

Wean and Potty Learn Roweyn -- (Obviously this is something that will happen this year) Now that Roweyn is TWO (still hard to believe) I plan to wean her from breastfeeding as well as the paci and then teach her how to use the potty. If anyone has any great info for any of these please send them my way!!

Take a Trip or Two -- I'd love to take a trip with just Rowe and me for a night to get away and have Mommy, Daughter time together. I also think sometime after Roweyn is weaned, I'd like to take a one night trip without Roweyn, since I have never been away from her for more than I'd say 9 hours during the day.

Make More Time For Myself -- I said this last year too and I didn't really do it and after going an entire year without going out once by myself besides for work, I think I really need to change that. Also includes doing more stuff to make me a happier person.

Be More Crafty -- I want to make more crafts by myself and with Roweyn.

Be More Creative and Playful with Roweyn -- Kinda goes along with above, but I want to spend more time making things with Roweyn, doing art projects and different crafts, baking and cooking as well as spending more time sitting & playing with her and teaching her not just hanging with her.

Focus More on Work -- Even though I already feel like I work a lot, I really don't. I need to spend more time building up my clientele so I can make more money so Rowe and I can hopefully have our own home sometime this year. This also possibly means taking some classes or finding a second salon to work at.

Get a Tattoo -- I already have a few but this one is special, it's my tattoo for Roweyn. I've been thinking about it since before she was born and this past year I figured out what I want. I just need to get it drawn up and then onto me!

Start Reading Again -- I used to be a BIG book reader and after having Roweyn I haven't read a single book and I miss it like crazy!

Get Out and Just Do More -- Ha I know that sounds a little vague but I just want to experience more, specifically with Roweyn. Whether it's just going for a walk, taking Roweyn somewhere special or just going out for a treat, I want to do it more often.

And the perfect quote for my goals

Source: believe-toachieve.tumblr.com via Ash on Pinterest

Do you have any special goals or resolutions this year? I'd love to hear them!

Photo A Day Challenge January Day 2, Breakfast. #janphotoaday

2012-01-02T15:07:00.000-08:00

Breakfast

French Toast and Coffee

Be sure to check out Day 1 to find out what this is all about!

Photo A Day Challenge January Day 1, You. #janphotoaday

2012-01-01T15:01:00.000-08:00

Over on Instagram there's a little Daily Photo Challenge going on and I thought what a fun thing to do to start off the New Year! I'm going to try to post them daily on here as well if I am able to but some may end up being late which really isn't a new thing around here! ha!

The List

P.S. If you have instagram and we're not following each other....find me!!

Username:

ashandrowe

Just Some Cute Photos of My Kiddo

2011-12-30T21:49:00.000-08:00

Back in October we went to an annual fundraiser for my sisters school and the theme is always "Hoe Down". There are games and food, and later they all dance and have a fun time. Roweyn loved it and there are some pretty funny photos of her that I just had to share.

Look Ma' only one hand!

Love how cute she is!

Outfit

Top: Gymboree

Skirt: Old Navy

Socks & Boots: Target

Mom this dancing stuff is so fun!

Sweater: Carters

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-30T13:53:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!!

I've been a little absent on here from being so busy with Christmas, Roweyn's Birthday and lots of sickness in the house. We're finally all feeling better, now just trying to recover from the madness of everything. There are lots of new toys all over the house, which I have been working hard on organizing while Roweyn is having a blast un-organizing them. ;)

Tuesday the 27th was her 2nd Birthday! We had a wonderful day with lots of photos taken! Hopefully to be posted soon, along with a letter from me to her. As well as all the photos from Christmas!

Until then, here are some photos of what we haven been up to!

Painting Ornaments

All the ornaments we made

SO very excited about her new kitchen!

Us on Christmas!

Roweyn's Ramblings Wk. 45

2011-12-18T19:00:00.000-08:00

This week is full of lots of photos as we did a lot of fun stuff from crafting to snuggles, play date ornament making, a not so fun trip to the Drs and a new kitchen! Take a look!

A test run of our DIY Photo Coasters using Instagram Photos, Homemade Modge Podge and tile coasters. Having a yummy breakfast!

The final result from the test run turned out great! Passed out after going over to her Best Friends for Birthday Dinner and a little party. Where she also got a bit of a boo boo from another toddler there.

Doing major work in order to get all the coasters done so they could be wrapped up and sent! And exhausted after a very fun day of making ornaments with our best friends!

The Ornaments we made pre paint! They turned out great!

Snuggles with my favorite girl!

At the Drs waiting to see what the next step is for her UTI testing and snacking on Apples during the long wait. What isn't shown here is that after this, she had another bladder bag put on so they could test her urine to make sure the UTI was gone. She FREAKED. She must have remembered it from the week before and how much it her hurt to take it off. It sticks like duct tape on her girl bits. It took me 45 mins by myself in my car trying to calm her down enough to get her to pee. It was a very hard Mama moment for me watching her be so upset and there was nothing I could do for her except try to get her to pee so it could be taken off. We ended up being at the Drs. for 2 hours and we were 30mins late to preschool. I wasn't too stoked about our morning and was exhausted after we got home.

On Saturday my Dad and I pulled out Roweyn's play kitchen to put together and hide until Christmas. With 2 people building it, it still took a little over an hour. They say with only one person it could take up to 3 hours to build it and I was definitely not going to do that! It's super cute though and I am SO SO SO excited for Roweyn to see it Christmas morning!

Being the most precious sleeper. And finally starting to feel like herself again when she started doing her usual shenanigans of climbing all over everything.

Looking oh so cute!!

Can you spot Roweyn in bed? It took me a minute!

It was a super fun but very busy week!! I'm hoping for some down time soon in order to get some prep done for Christmas and Roweyn's Birthday!

Roweyn's Christmas & Birthday Wishlist!

2011-12-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

Wow, I can't believe we're already getting into our third week of December! Let the countdown to Christmas and Roweyn's 2nd Birthday begin!!

I've been building (and buying, along with family members) items for Roweyn's wish list and I thought I'd share a few of the things she may be getting at the end of the month!

KidKraft Bubblegum Vintage Kitchen

Cloud b Twilight Turtle in Purple

Any and all of the Olivia Board Books

Any Melissa & Doug Latch Boards and Puzzles

Little Tikes Shopping Cart

She'll also be getting some wooden play food to go with her kitchen along with some other exciting stuff. It's hard buying so much stuff all at once, having her birthday and Christmas almost back to back, she ends up getting so many presents. But she deserves them, and should feel special celebrating both days. I can always put away a few things she's not interested in and take them out another time. We're blessed with a big family who can help her celebrate, not just with gifts but with loving and teaching and learning as well.

Anyone have any other ideas of what 2 year olds are interested in? What are you getting your kids for Christmas this year? Would love to hear your thoughts!

Roweyn's Ramblings Wk. 44

2011-12-11T16:00:00.000-08:00

Well we're through another week of December and what a week it was! We had some fun times and some not so fun times (dealing with Roweyn's UTI) but it's getting closer to Christmas and Roweyn's Birthday and we are getting quite excited for it!

Roweyn's antibiotics seemed to kick in right away which was great because the day after her Drs appt was her very first Christmas Performance with her preschool on the 8th! So I wore my comfy bunny shirt and she got dressed up in a darling little purple velvet hand me down dress that was in perfect condition. I hadn't bought her any holiday dresses because we didn't have any plans for the Holidays so this worked out perfectly!

The next morning we had preschool and Rowe was all about shooting hoops during outside play. That night, she found a new spot in her toy basket! Had a nice time in the bath! And then somehow after she had gotten her pjs on she fell and landed into her basket where we keep her cloth diapers and extra outfits. I thought it was pretty cute but she wasn't too excited about it!
On Sunday a new Hardware store just opened in our area and was having a grand opening so we headed over there to get some supplies for some Christmas Crafts since everything was 20% off. Roweyn LOVED the hardware store, she found a broom to help sweep, tested out the shelves by laying on them, ran around with a big foam tube and even broke a lightbulb sitting on one of the shelves.

We have an exciting week ahead of us! Roweyn's Best Friend turns Two. We have Christmas crafts and ornaments to work on and it's my brothers birthday. Should be a fun one! Hope you have a great week too!

Roweyn's Ramblings Wk. 43

2011-12-08T09:00:00.000-08:00

It's now the month of December, which means lots of Christmas activities!

Friday Dec. 2nd we visited Santa, Saturday we made some special hair clippies for a special little girls birthday and then afterwords we went to pick out our Christmas Tree! I talked all about that weekend in our, "Recently Enjoyed Christmas Fun!" Post.

Always a fun time on the trampoline, especially when the weather is beautiful! Roweyn participating in the tree decorating. She was so cute with it and surprisingly didn't try to take all the decorations off. The final project. And an embarrassed but oh so cute Nutella covered face!

Sweet nappy time. Wearing a stocking on her head and being so silly! Worn out from a very invasive Drs appt where we found out she had another UTI which meant a Bladder Bag Test, then a Catheter, and some antibiotics. :( Feeling a bit better the next night playing with the dog.

Recently Enjoyed Christmas Fun!

2011-12-05T16:00:00.000-08:00

For the month of December on Friday nights, downtown does a Cornish Christmas where they block off the streets, food and handmade item vendors set up and everyone comes out to enjoy the evening. It can be quite fun but often times it is freezing, over crowded and full of teenagers standing around and blocking the paths.

Sadly Roweyn was pretty fussy, I think she was on the verge of getting a cold. So it wasn't as enjoyable as we hoped but we made the best of it!

The florist shop is kind enough to host Santa, so we took a little stroll over to see him and lucky for us there was no one there. Rowe was attached to me like a starfish on a rock so the only way we could get a photos was if I was holding her. The Santa was pretty boring...he didn't say anything to us and he didn't even look at the camera!

The next day we went to a birthday party and afterwards we went to pick out our Christmas tree! Last year it was raining so Roweyn and I stayed home, so this year I was pretty excited to be taking Roweyn to see all the trees.

She had a blast running through all the trees and thought it was so fun there little trees just a little taller than her.

Found our tree!

If you want to see more photos from both of these days they will be in the next Roweyn's Ramblings!

Roweyn's Ramblings Wk. 42

2011-12-03T15:30:00.000-08:00

Did everyone have a great Thanksgiving? We sure did! If you missed out on the photos and what we did, you can check them all out right here. :)

The day after Thanksgiving I came down with yet another cold, only bummer was that this one turned into a sinus infection. :( But it was straight back to work on Monday while trying to battle it out. Roweyn also turned 23 months over the weekend! Can't believe in a month she will be TWO!

Tuesday the 29th was a special day though; I turned 23! Since I was not feeling good at all, we spent the day relaxing and just enjoying the nice weather. And of course giving kisses! If you missed my 23rd birthday post be sure to check it out. The next day Roweyn let me put a pig tail in for a bit and then made it hard to get any photos! hehe

We spent some more time outside in the nice weather playing in the leaves! Then it was off to babysit baby Henry. Roweyn loves helping me watch him. On Dec. 1st we surprised my sister Tayelor with an early Christmas present. Tickets to the Jingle Ball concert to go see a few different bands along with her favorite singer Selena Gomez. We made a sister date out of it and had a great time! Friday it was back to preschool for Roweyn. I am not too sure what she is doing here! haha

Hope it was a good week for everyone! Can you believe it's December now?!

Thanksgiving 2011!

2011-12-01T14:19:00.000-08:00

For the first time in 5 years, we headed up North for Thanksgiving with all our relatives. We don't make it up there often for Holidays because it can be quite stressful having to visit two sides of the family especially in the same day. And driving 6+ hours in the car during the Holidays is not very fun either!

We had a wonderful time though and I'm really glad we were able to share this great family experience with Roweyn.

Normally it can be pretty rainy and foggy there, but Thanksgiving Day was beautiful, so we made the most of it and headed over to the zoo to see all the animals!

After the zoo, we headed back to the house for a little rest. Then we were up and getting ready for two different family dinners that were taking place at the same time. So we headed over to the first house early so we could visit with our 20+ family for a bit, we sat down to an amazing dinner and as soon as we were done eating, we were up and off to the next house. This next dinner was much quieter but still just as good. It was a bit of a hectic night but the important thing was we were able to see all our family, even if it was for a short while.

All in all, we had a great Thanksgiving with family and yummy food. I'm looking forward to next years. I think Roweyn will understand more what is going on and hopefully will be able to really enjoy it!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and good food too!

Twenty Three

2011-11-29T21:19:00.001-08:00

Today I turned Twenty Three.

I've forgotten how young I really am. I've always felt older than my actual age. After having Roweyn, I feel like I've aged even more, instead of feeling like I'm turning Twenty Three, I feel like I'm turning Twenty Eight. But I'm not Twenty Eight, I am only Twenty Three and I am still young and I still have many, many years in my life. (Not that Twenty Eight is old, because it's really not. ha) That's something I forget often, especially being a single Mom. I feel like I need my entire life put together now or it's not going to work out. I feel like the plans that I once had, that I once dreamt of, still need to happen the same way, otherwise I'm letting down Roweyn. Now I know that's really not the case, it's just hard to let go of something you wanted so badly because you didn't have it. I'm sure there are many people that can relate. Lucky enough for me, it is something that I can let go of, because it's not life or death and if it's meant to be it can still happen.

I'm excited for what this next year of my life brings. I'm hoping for some good change. I can't wait to spend every minute I can with Roweyn, just like the past almost two years, watching her grow, remembering everything I can. Life goes by so fast, and it's so easy to forget the little things and sometimes even the big things. It's very bittersweet. I've realized that my Mom must feel the exact same way as I do, especially today, seeing her little girl, now Twenty Three years old. I can't even imagine Roweyn 21 years from now, the same age as I am today. It will be here before I know it and that's just crazy to me!

So here's to not worrying so much about the future, to focusing on what's right in front of me and to remembering and cherishing every moment I can with my family.

Source: yesandyes.org via Ash on Pinterest

Source: lh5.googleusercontent.com via Ash on Pinterest

Roweyn's Ramblings Wk. 41

2011-11-26T17:42:00.000-08:00

Here we are in the middle of November! Already? Can't believe how quickly the holidays are approaching! Too fast in my opinion.

Nov. 20th Rowe playing "Mommy" with her baby and stroller that is almost as big as her. Napping. Wearing her glasses so she can draw. More awesome bubbles in the tub!

Catching the bubbles! And after bath time a little piano time with Papa. Such a sweet moment of the two of them. Rowe really loves her Papa.
Nov. 21st - Me ready for work to be over. Home from work and snuggling my sweet girl at bed time.

Nov. 22nd - Getting a little energy out before our 6+ hour drive to Eureka for Thanksgiving. Eating breakfast at Great Grandma Nona's house. Naptime! Coloring over at our Aunt's house.

Mean Muggin it!
Nov. 24th - Wearing her clean diaper on her head Thanksgiving morning. Checking out the Flamingos and the Red Pandas at the Zoo on Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving from the Red Pandas, Rowe and me! Riding a tractor and a horse. Spider Roweyn!

Checking out some more animals at the zoo on Thanksgiving.
Nov. 25th. Just a girl and her dog hangin out.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Ours was crazy to say the least. Just very busy seeing all of our family and having Two Thanksgiving Dinners on the same night and right after Thanksgiving, I came down with another cold, so I was quite worn out afterwards.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T09:00:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving! We are out of town visiting all our family for the holiday which I don't think we have done in about 6 years, so it was much needed! I'm excited for Roweyn to be able to experience our giant family during the holiday and really hope she has fun! I'm so thankful to have such a big, loving family and even though we're in the same state, about 6 hours away, we don't get to see them hardly enough, so I'm very thankful for the times we do get together!

Last year we went over to our family friends house and had a wonderful time there. Here we are before heading over.

Love this photo of her just cracking up!

I hope you all are able to enjoy this time with family and friends!

Winner of the My Memories Suite Giveaway!

2011-11-20T22:18:00.001-08:00

Here are the results! Thanks to all that entered! I had fun hosting my very first giveaway and hope to host more soon!

The 2nd comment was from lainey!

Congratulations! You just won a Free My Memories Suite Software!

lainey said...

I love the idea of scrap booking being made so simple! With a little one running around there's no time for paper and scissors.

I love the K Studio Templates. Absolutely Stunning.

November 14, 2011 12:14 PM

Lainey please let me know what your email address is so that I can email you the info! If I don't hear from you by Saturday, I will draw a new winner.

Roweyn's Ramblings Wk. 40

2011-11-19T16:27:00.000-08:00

Here we are in almost the middle of November, still having awesome weather!

Nov. 9th - Being cute! For some reason I thought this outfit looked really cute on her. She got that dress last year for Christmas and it was below her knees, now it's pretty much a shirt! Feeling the wind.
Nov. 13th - Having so much fun on the trampoline. Eating oatmeal while Mama enjoys a cup of tea.

Nov. 13th - Sweeping and looking cute in her vest. Wearing a shower cap. Loving the bubbles in the bath! And sick with a cold on the 14th.

Mama baby snuggles. Nov. 15th - Playing in the sandbox. Making silly faces. Finally getting my hair done!

Nov. 16th Modeling her outfit. Sitting on her musical stool, playing with her musical bench. Nov. 18th #flashbackfriday Roweyn around 3 months and 4months.

Nov. 18th Modeling her new peacoat. Some cute clips I made. Mama and Roweyn move night. And my favorite snuggles.

Our Family Photos The Finale Giveaway

2011-11-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

What better way to end our series of Our Family Photos than with a Giveaway?! I got the opportunity to review the digital scrap booking program My Memories Suite v. 2, so I can show all of you how great of a program it is! But not only that, I get to give the software (a $40 value) to one of you lucky readers! Just in time for the holidays, in case you're like me and want to give some of your family members something personal like a Memory book, Calendar, Scrap book and more.

I had so much fun playing around with the program and testing everything it was capable of doing. I tried out the pre-made albums, where all I had to do was add pictures and a few extra touches if I wanted to (all of these scrap book pages were made using a pre-made album then I added a few things!). I also made an album from scratch. I picked out the background paper, added photos, frames, embellishments and texts with no problem at all and it was so fast! It's a very easy to use program, all the buttons explain what they do and it has a help section if needed (which so far I haven't).

So let me tell you a little more about My Memories Suite:

It is an award winning digital scrapbook software that is extremely easy and fun to use.

My Memories Suite is rated #1 by Amazon and TopTen Reviews.

Using this software, anyone can create digital scrapbooks, photobooks, cards, calendars and gifts without having to buy expensive and complicated software programs.

There are tons of ways to share your scrapbook with family and friends too! Print and share as a traditional scrapbook, use the one-click share option to turn your album into a professionally printed and hardbound book, turn your scrapbook into a movie to play on a DVD or even an iPod, you can even make it interactive by adding videos to it and sending it through a web link! The possibilities for sharing are endless!

And that is not even half of the features! Be sure to check out www.mymemories.com for even more info about the software!

I love to make scrap books by hand but they are SO time consuming and I'm a total perfectionist/borderline OCD when it comes to measuring and cutting the paper and making sure everything is even. So having a digital scrap booking program that does ALL of that for me is pretty much the most awesome thing ever because it takes me less than half the amount of time! Plus I feel like I can be more creative this way because of the endless amount of options I have. Not only does My Memories come with tons and tons of options already in the program, you can find more FREE stuff on their website or you can even buy stuff too! There are many different designers who make paper packs, templates, embellishments and more, so there is sure to be something (or lots of somethings) you will like!

And now for the funnest part of all!! Your chance to win your very own My Memories Suite v. 2 Digital Scrapbooking Software!!

To enter, all you have to do is go to www.mymemories.com check out the site then come back here and leave a comment with your email telling me what your favorite feature is. It can be anything from your favorite paper pack to your favorite sharing option. (mandatory entry)

You can get an additional entry by tweeting about this giveaway and leaving a comment with the link to your tweet and your email address. You can say something like: "I just entered to win a digital scrapbooking program from @MyMemoriesSuite on @AshandRowe 's blog, check it out! http://goo.gl/OBUkE"

This Giveaway will be open until Monday November 21st at midnight. Be sure to leave your email address in your comments and leave a separate comment for both entries! I will announce the winner on the same day as soon as I have a chance!

Oh and just one more thing!! As a special for all of my readers, I'm giving you your very own Share the Memories code that provides a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store - ($20 value!) The code is: STMMMS52501

Be sure to check out My Memories on:

Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/pages/MyMemories/140359372717593

Twitter- https://twitter.com/#!/MyMemoriesSuite

Blog- http://blog.mymemories.com/

Our Family Photos Pt. 5

2011-11-09T20:01:00.000-08:00

Well this is it! The last post of our family photos! Check out Pt. 1, Pt. 2, Pt. 3, and Pt. 4 if you haven't yet! Even though this is the last post of our photos, I do have one more post coming hopefully at the end of this week that you will NOT want to miss!! It will be The Finale post with an awesome GIVEAWAY having something to do with pictures! It also happens to be my very FIRST GIVEAWAY, so I'm pretty excited about it!

Be sure to check back at the end of this week for the GIVEAWAY!!!

Roweyn's Ramblings Wk. 38 & 39

2011-11-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

Finally catching up to posts from the end of October, yet I still have so many more oh and not to mention that it's almost the end of November! Who knows if I'll ever catch up!

Oct. 25th - 27th: Rowe trying on her owl hat that was made for her Halloween costume last year but was a winter staple after that. We wanted to see if it still fit, and it did! I got a new hair cut and am loving it! Working on peacock feathers for Roweyn's costume this year and after they were done, got the treats for her class signed and ready to go. We passed out little play dough for trick or treating at her preschool.

Oct. 28th & 29th: Trick or treating at school! She did SO good and had such a blast! I loved watching her walk around to all the bigger kids in her preschool and trick or treat. Telling me stories about the camera while stuck between the bed and nightstand....don't ask me how that could be comfortable! ha Eating a giant apple, sharing it with me while walking around saying "Ahpple" love how she says it.

Oct. 29th - 30th: New coat in the mail from her great grandma! Watching the band at the Halloween Festival at the Fairgrounds the Saturday before Halloween. Saying "Mommy, it's bwight", she's talking about the flash on my phone. And making my favorite holiday cookies!

Halloween! We did the "Safe Trick or Treat" they put on downtown for babies to preschoolers. They get to walk around to all the stores and trick or treat in the morning while everyone else was in school. So no having to worry about older kids or going out at night (even though we did that too) I had the most amazing time with Roweyn! Watching her be such a big girl doing all her trick or treating by herself. She wouldn't let me touch her bucket and would pick out the candy all by herself and put it in her bucket. One of my new favorite memories with her. We headed home for lunch and a nap while I raced off to work for a few hours and then came home to take her out trick or treating down the street from our house where she had a blast again!

Having her very first sucker after we were done trick or treating. She really seemed to like it! #flashbackfriday 2 years ago I was a very 7 month pregnant Juno for Halloween in Cosmetology school. By far my favorite costume! Late night reading before heading to bed on Halloween.

Nov. 1st - 3rd: A very happy baby wearing toddler! Night time snuggles. Hat weather! And a very delicious Pumpkin spick bagel adorned with Nutella and sliced banana! Amazing!

Nov. 4th - 6th: Playing in the tractor at preschool! Pretending to get her hair cut! She does this every time after I cut someones hair at the house. Precious nap time snuggles with the bear that used to be mine. And the sweetest face ever during night time snuggles.

*Side note: This post was written at the end of November but I decided to publish it as if it was earlier in the month so everything would be in the right month.

Our Family Photos Pt. 4

2011-11-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

I had no idea I would have so many posts for these photos but I feel like it's easier to see them in groups instead of a GIANT post of all of them! I hope you are enjoying them as much as I am. I think I will have one more post after this and then that will be it! Be sure to check out Pt. 1, Pt. 2 and Pt. 3 in case you missed them!

Pt. 5 The Finale coming soon!

Our Family Photos Pt. 3

2011-11-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

Pt. 3 of our Family Photos is finally here! Sorry it took a bit of time, with Halloween and all we've been just a wee bit busy! Be sure to check out Pt. 1 and Pt. 2 in case you missed them! I love the light in the first 4 photos (colored) in this set! Roweyn and I had a lot of fun with our little tea party where we pretended to drink tea and ate real oatmeal cookies. She thought it was just so silly and I loved being silly with her!

Pt. 4 will be up soon!!

Halloween 2011!

2011-11-01T15:56:00.000-07:00

Halloween this year was a blast! Roweyn was so into it and it was pretty much the cutest thing ever!

Downtown they put on a "Safe Trick or Treat" for Preschoolers and under in the morning while all the other kids are in school. Any of the shops that want to participate stand at their door and pass out candy or another type of treat for the kids. It's a blast for all the little ones and so cute because it looks like it's just a town of teeny kids.

We dressed up in the peacock costumes again that I made basically the week before. ha

Roweyn was all about carrying her own bucket and would not let us get anywhere near it. It was quite funny and cute!

Worn out from such an awesome morning!

We went out that night too in our neighborhood. They designate one street and then block it off so no cars drive through it. Anyone in the area donates the candy so that the houses that are on the street don't have to buy it themselves.

Someone getting a little sleepy until...

She had her very first mini sucker and she loved it! As if you couldn't tell by the photos. :)

A Tall Pines Halloween

2011-10-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

Still playing catch up, but luckily I'm almost done with the month of October! Haha it's terrible I know but just trying to get it up on the blog!

The Friday before Halloween, Roweyn's Preschool did a Halloween Celebration during class. We all brought a non candy item for each child (I forgot ours so I had to bring them the next week) and then we went outside because the weather was gorgeous and the older kids passed out the treats to the younger kids in Roweyn's class. It was pretty cute and the kids had a great time. Roweyn and I dressed up as peacocks! I made the feathers for the costume and then just incorporated clothes we already had in order to make the costume.

*Side note: This post was written in December but I decided to publish it as if it was October so everything would be in the right month.

DIY No Sew Owl Costume

2011-10-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

Last year I could not figure out for the life of me what I wanted to dress Roweyn up as for Halloween. It finally hit me about 2 weeks before...an Owl...duh!! Roweyn and I kinda have an obsession with owls...okay maybe it's just me but I make her have one too. ;) I searched all over the internet trying to find one not only in her size, but actually cute! I found super cute ideas on etsy, but didn't want to pay so much and they wouldn't have it done in time. So after some persuasion and help from my super crafty best friend who was making her daughters costume, I decided I would attempt to make Roweyn her owl costume.

I had a few ideas in my head of how I was going to go about this, since 1. I don't sew. I could but I don't really know my way around a sewing machine without some help and that was more than I really wanted to attempt. And 2. I don't knit or crochet.
Anyways back to the ideas....I wanted a hat knitted of basically an Owl face. My best friend was awesome enough to offer up her services for me and whipped out a hat in like a day! The next idea was to basically take a onesie and some felt and create an owl body. I had bought some leg warmers right before starting this project and they were perfect for her costume, so I used the colors of those to figure out the rest of the costume.

Fair Warning: This is my very first DIY post of any kind, so please bear with me as I go through everything. Also the photos are not great quality, I think I took them around 10 at night as I was making the costume.

What You Need:
Onesie
Felt or patterned fabric in 2 or 3 colors. I used Purple, Teal and Brown Felt.
Fabric Glue
Scissors
Scrap cardstock, paper, or anything you can use to draw out your pattern
Legwarmers and tights

So here's what I did for my No Sew DIY Owl Costume:

Start by drawing your pattern on cardstock or something similar and then cut out your pattern to determine the size of your feathers.

I went with the larger size.

Use the feather pattern to cut out all your feathers.

Mine aren't all the exact same size, I feel it gives it more character when they're all a little different.

Put your extra carstock inside the onsie in case your glue seeps through the fabric.
Starting at the bottom of the onsie determine how you want your colors.
I tried to make it so none of the colors would be right next to each other or on top of each other.
Glue only at the top of the feathers right along the straight edge. That way your feathers won't be stiff and can have some movement. I overlapped the feathers just slightly and as you can see none of them are really centered right over the other.

Keep gluing...

And gluing...

And gluing...until you get all the way to the top!

Below you can see I also made little tiny feathers to go around the entire collar of the onesie.

And the costume couldn't be complete until it had a tail! I took the rest of the brown felt and cut out a giant tail that I folded in half and cut little scallops out of each end. Then I took the remaining purple and blue feathers, folded the brown tail in half and glued the feathers inside of it and glued it to the booty of the onesie!

So here is the result!!

Our Family Photos Pt. 2

2011-10-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for all the wonderful comments about our photos! If you missed Pt. 1 be sure to check them out here! I really love the ones below, such a special moment with Roweyn. Here they are!

Pt. 3 coming soon!

Roweyn's Ramblings Wk. 36 & 37

2011-10-23T14:27:00.000-07:00

So here I am still playing catch up! Lets go back to the week of Oct. 11th!

Just doing some light pamphlet reading! Glaring at me for taking photos of her. Then she puts her head down and starts fake snoring! So cute! Washing her hair in the bath!

Sometimes I find really random curls in my hair. Roweyn on the big girl swing at our park play date! Driving the firetruck at the park. In n Out lunch date..."OMG these fries are SO good!" I'm thinking thats what she was saying.

She had a rough time staying asleep so Mommy closed the door and then she passed out in front of it in less than 5 minutes. I had to squeeze between the door and the wall with a space smaller than my leg to get to her, but I did it, somehow! Sunday the 16th we went to Apple Hill! Roweyn was very excited to be getting out of her car seat. At one of the farms there were some calves that she couldn't stop staring at! And another had a pumpkin patch where she picked out a pumpkin.

Monday, after work I picked up my sister and the other kids from school. Then I came home and took Rowe to play outside. Her favorite thing to do right now is play on the trampoline. So we took the ball to toss around and jump with and then she practiced her somersaults. She's so close to doing one! Taking a nap on Tuesday. She looks so darling when she sleeps!

On Wednesday, October 19th, we went to the park again for another play date! The weather was so nice all of October, so we wanted to get as much outside play in as possible! Roweyn and her best friend Kashmir mid hug in the firetruck. My new TOMS shoes from the kids department! Apparently a Youth size 4 is the same size as a Women's Size 6! I got those for less than $40 and if I had bought the womens, they would have been $60-$80!! Playing on the trampoline again after nap time! We were being very silly!

Sitting on the pumpkin at the Pumpkin Patch during Rowe's field trip with her preschool. Being a good mommy with her baby. Getting ready to start on Roweyn's Halloween costume. Playing with the kitty outside.

Pretending to sleep in the giant foam mattress. Playing "Lets see how many family members we can fit on the mattress". "Roweyn if you try to get any closer to the tv you're going to wind up inside it" #flashbackfriday my shopping buddy making adorable faces at almost 7 months!

Saturday evening we went to a Hoe Down Fundraiser for my sisters school. Super strong toddler hanging from the bar (my dad is actually holding her up). She was so tired from running around and dancing, she was out cold in the car. I was able to take her out without waking her which never happens. And then I got her into bed, skirt off, diaper changed and pjs on without even waking her up! I was pretty happy!

*Side note: This post was written in November but I decided to publish it as if it was October so everything would be in the right month.

Preschool Field Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-22T11:45:00.000-07:00

In October we took our first Field Trip with Roweyn's Preschool to a little Pumpkin Patch. Rowe loved being with all her friends, exploring, talking to the animals, picking out pumpkins and riding in the wagon. I took lots of fun photos and of course just have to share them!

Trying to wake up after having to get up earlier than normal

Walking to the Pumpkins!

In August she was afraid of the goats, this time...was all about them!

Sitting up on the giant tower of hay!

The most awesome tree ever, perfect for tree climbing...which that sign says you CAN'T do!

Hanging out in the Wagon!

This was the only trip to the Pumpkin Patch we were able to make this year. We really wanted to go with the fam too but it didn't work out, but we made up for it by going to Apple Hill and had a blast doing that.

*Side note: This post was written in December but I decided to publish it as if it was October so everything would be in the right month.

Our Family Photos Pt. 1

2011-10-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

Remember that Sneak Peek I talked about not too long ago? Wellllll, I got the photos and am just so excited, I wanted to share them as soon as possible! I got them in both color and black and white, I love them both so much that I thought it'd be fun to share each style and since I happened to get quite a few photos there are going to be a few posts to get through all of them! Hope you enjoy them as much as I do! Here we go!!

Pt. 2 to come soon!!