Meet Evy

After 30 hours of labor, our little girl Evelyn ("Evy") Jane arrived on Father's Day June 19th at 4:05 in the morning.  As many of you know, my husband and I chose to wait to find out the gender of the little one. I am so glad we did, it was amazing to pull her up onto my chest and wait with anticipation on the sex.  I was convinced, I mean, CONVINCED it was a boy.  So you must know, I am still in shock that I have a little girl.  We are smitten and think she is pretty darn cute.  

Meet Evy my friends.

I will share more of Evy's birth story at a later time, but now those frozen bags of corn are more important.

Thankful Wednesday

Oops, I'm a day behind, so we'll make this post Thankful Wednesday.

• I am certainly thankful that I have TWO WEEKS left!  Come baby come!

• A sweet midwife who delivered her delicious spring rolls to my house today.  They hit the spot!

• A hubby who is committed to making me comfortable these days. He comes home from work and picks up the slack here in the house right away (well... after he opens that beer) 

• Jersey skirts!  I've had these skirts for years and just pulled them out, hoping they would work with this belly.  Buying maternity summer clothes right now is NOT going to happen.

•  We are thankful for having a state cop (hub's brother) in the family who is crazy OCD about installing car seats.  He gave us a tutorial, however, I don't think we will ever get it in as tight as he did!

•  A feeling of peace as we wait for this little one to come.

• Feeling thankful AGAIN for all of our generous friends and family who have supplied our every material need and more for this baby.  We only had to buy a few things, which blows me away when I think about it. 

It's time to answer your questions...

As most of you know, I am having my first baby around June 22nd.  I can't even imagine how life will change once baby comes, I have a small idea, but I am not putting any crazy superwoman expectations on myself.  So you ask....what does this mean for Magpie Designz?

Answers to your common questions:

• I plan on leaving my shop open during my "maternity leave".  Yes, I know....pretty insane, BUT, I have hired help for the studio.  
• However, even with this help, the production time will go from 2-3 weeks to 4-6 weeks.  This extended time will give me the flexibility to adjust to my new life while juggling a thriving business.  
• The extended production time will start at the beginning of June.  I do not have a specific date in mind yet. It all depends on my comfort level as I get closer and closer to my due date.  You will see an announcement on my home page letting you know of the extension.  You will also have a 'terms and conditions' to check before you submit your order, agreeing that you understand the new terms.
• This means that YOU need to plan ahead and order your jewelry now!
• This also means that if you order in June, you need to be patient.  Do not expect your jewelry right away.  It may get there fast, it may not.  Pretty PLEASE do not ask for a rush on your jewelry or to have it by a certain date. I cannot make any promises.
• The quality and standards of Magpie jewelry will remain the same.  I take great pride in my work and will not send out anything that does not reflect my high standards.
• I should be up and running at full speed in the Fall, just in time for the Holiday rush.  I will be back to 2-3 week production at this time.

Did I miss anything? Leave me a comment if you have a question about Magpie Designz during this transition.  Thank you for supporting my business.  You all give me the opportunity to work from home, create jewelry that is special and meaningful for you while being a new mom.  I am forever grateful for your support and patience as I adjust to this new life.  Five weeks to go!

Chalkboard window

Last month, I took a trip to the local indoor salvage yard.  An entire warehouse was filled to the brim with charming relics that were graciously saved from old homes.  The creative juices were pumping as I felt my heart rate rising with excitement.  Pathetic, I know...who gets excited over a dirty and dusty warehouse full of "junk"?

I went there with the intention of looking for a single pane window to create a chalkboard for the baby's room.  The idea is to periodically write messages to the baby, for example, a favorite bible verse. Another possibility is to write a message of encouragement to myself as I spend many tired moments in that room nursing.  Who knows how often I'll change the text but I hope to keep it fresh and new as often as I can.  The picture below is where I initially got the idea from- a wonderful blog I follow called Life In Grace.

Edie's lake cottage kitchen

 After searching through 60 plus windows with varied finishes, I walked away with one that is painted white and another that has dark stain frame.  This is when my indecisive habit comes into play, but hey, at $4 a window, I couldn't resist both options. 

This weekend's project is to get that chalkboard window completed- of course I will take precautions by wearing my attractive filtered mask so the little bean is unharmed.  Stay tuned for the finished product!

Thankful Tuesday

It's Tuesday, a day to stop and think about the blessings in my life. Don't we all need to do this once and awhile?

Right now, I am thankful for...

• My mom and sister. I went home to Philly this weekend for my baby shower. They did an amazing job capturing my personality with everything down to the food, favors, drinks and decor (more details to come on the shower soon). 

• A positive doctor's report this week! After learning that the baby has two vessels instead of three in his/her umbilical cord, things were a bit unsettling to say the least.  However, after another look at the baby's development, doctors are optimistic for a healthy little one, with two vessels and all! 

•  a sweet niece who exhibited her childlike joy for my baby shower the entire weekend.  

•  Generous family and friends who have purchased necessities and "just for fun" gifts for the baby.  

• Reuniting with childhood and college friends.  It's a wonderful feeling to be back in the presence of those friends who have watched me grow up from a scrawny teen covered in pimples to a preggo mama (who still has pimples...stupid hormones!)

 I'm sure you can think of a few things to be thankful for, so please share!

pizza and jenga

It's been a whirlwind of a week, with many up's and down's but I can certainly find a few things to be thankful for!

• Game night with friends.

• Family and friends who have been praying for the baby.

• A lazy Saturday for me and the pup while papa was busy.

• A hubby who let me order my favorite pizza even though he gags when he eats it.

white pizza with pesto and ricotta cheese. yumm-o!

What have you been thankful for lately?

on the hunt.

There was no agenda for Saturday, which was a new thing for us lately.  So I came up with the idea of going antiquing, specifically to find a vintage treasure for the baby's room.  I wanted to find a "trinket", as my hubby calls it, that would remind us of this time in our lives as we prepare for the little one.  The trinket would be displayed in the baby's room until they officially hate it and want to hang tacky posters on their walls. 

Nothing struck our fancy that day unfortunately, which means more antiquing trips for us in the future!  Some other trinkets did catch my eye though, so I thought I would share them with you. 

Did you buy a 'little something something' for your

baby's room before they were born? 

Please share!

Troublemaker...

My ultrasound today at 20 weeks went great!  Doctors were very pleased with the progress, but not so pleased with the SUPER active baby that would not cooperate.  He/she is already a troublemaker!

I kept looking for a sign of the gender, even though we want to be surprised.  Ughhhh, this waiting is killing me but I know I will be happy in the end for my patience, which is not a God given trait of mine.

Half way done, thank the LORD!