Behind the Blog: March

Back at the New Year I made a commitment to straighten out my priorities. What a difference that has made in my life! I immediately felt more productive, balanced, and happy by sticking to the most important things in my life first. The blessings that poured out on me and our little family sort of floored me. Although I am spending less time blogging and crafting, my blog and business continue to grow! It has been a faith-building experience.

In some ways I have missed blogging every day, though. And I know my mother-in-law misses it (she tells me every time we talk There are lot’s of things I would have shared, were there more hours in each day. So, I thought I’d give you a little recap of this last busy month “Behind the Blog.”

If you follow me on Twitter, Facebook,or Instagr.am (@livefreemiranda), you may have already seen some of these:

I camped out at the local pre-school to get Milo a spot for the fall. Literally, spent.the.night. As you can see, I was first in line:) I arrived at 8:30 pm for the registration the next morning at 6:30 am. Yep, I was that crazy mom. But, by 2:30 am there were a few of us, and by 4 am ALL of the spots were filled and there was a waiting list being formed. Craziness.

My mini-pattern for the Sewvivor competition made it easier to know how much fabric to order. I am now finished with my first-round entry, and you’ll get to see it and VOTE FOR ME next Wednesday! I am counting on your support!

One day at the park my friends and I realized we were all in very similar grey and white stripes. Must be on trend this season, right? There were a couple more mama’s at the park in them, too (but it would’ve been weird to ask them to take a twinsies photo with us:)

A mom of QUADRUPLETS ordered these twins tee’s from me for the two of the four who are identical. They all turn two in the next month. Can you imagine having four two-year-olds? I can barely survive my one!!

The paint chip Easter garland I made last year made it up again. I am happy remembered where I put it, because cutting them out all over again would not have happened. It is still really cute.

Whew! A cute photographer emailed me about doing a last-minute order of these Rockford Peach dresses for a photo shoot she had scheduled. I whipped out all five in about ten days. It was awesome. The logos were so much easier this time around because I used my Silhouette.

Milo got a broom and dustpan of his very own! I swear it has made his childhood ten times more happy. The kid has loved brooms since he was tiny, and now he can sweep to his little heart’s contentment (and I can not be frustrated about him spreading dirty-broom germs throughout the house!)

On St. Patrick’s Day I kept my green small and simple with this darling chartreuse brooch c/o Pretty Little Me. It made me very happy.

We finally hung the gallery wall I’ve been working on for months! I have a more detailed post on this upcoming. Dave and I spent a couple hours getting the arrangement just right on the carpet before hanging them above the couch. Somehow home feels a lot homier now!

While visiting one of our local favorites Oxon Hill Farm, Milo and I played “Hey, Cow!” (thank’s Ben We lost. The cow was completely uninterested. It was pretty fun, though. Perfect game for a two-year-old!

The baby versions of the Bow Dress make me smile. I mean, really? A nine-month-old in this thing? Adorable! I might have tried it on Eliot…

Milo told me he was just “taking a little rest” one afternoon on the lawn. Looks pretty comfy.

While driving through DC on my way up to Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, I spotted the crew boats and bicycles all out enjoying the spring weather.  I adore living near the water, and can’t wait to get out on it soon, myself.

I got a chance to spend some time in the letterpress studio (it had been a while!) to work on a fun collaboration I am doing with poet Anne Becker. It was great to get my hands dirty setting the antique type. I can’t wait to begin printing it next week!

Um. The spring in DC? Spectacular. The boys and I met friends for a picnic at the Tidal Basin, and the trees were overflowing with blossoms.

These cute candy-filled paper mache eggs are my Easter craft for the year. I love how simple they are to make, but how hard (for Milo) they are to open! He has to ask me if he wants some, so I can leave them out as decoration knowing they will last longer than ten minutes:)

Speaking of Milo, he has begun getting out of bed in the morning, helping himself to breakfast, then turning on the TV or iPad to watch a show. One morning he thought ice cream, muffins and thin mints would be a good meal. I agree, but was surprised that he can get into the freezer! Now I know.

(He’s also stopped napping completely, and any advice for having a successful “quiet time” is very much appreciated:)

“The Courtyard” has become our afternoon play date. There are about 15 young families with kids Milo and Eliot’s ages who live here in our complex and go to church with us. That makes for some instant friends and really easy and fun plans. It’s like Zion.

(Let me know if you know anyone cool looking for a two-bedroom apartment in the DC area and I’ll get in touch with them with details:)

This little Peach is for the opening day parade of the Cincinnati Reds! I love the “Dottie.” Pretty cute.

Little Eliot has decided to try to get mobile. He crawl-scoots from place to place…especially if there happens to be food waiting. Any semblance of calm in my home may be just weeks from over!

Oh my. Have you ever been to a consignment sale? It’s like a consignment store, but hosted just for a couple hours. Man, oh, man. I went to my first last weekend and was wow-ed by: 1. the quantity of people 2. the huge piles of stuff 3. the fierceness of consignment shopping and 4. that I actually found a child-sized acoustic guitar (that I had been looking for) for only $8. It was a whirlwind. Next time, I might strategize before heading in…

Dave’s long hours at the firm provide a chance for me to work on orders at night after the kids are asleep. This week I started watching season one of Downton Abbey while I worked on a big pig-ear headband order. I’m hooked.

Luckily, with all of the late-nights of work, we still make time to have a date-night every week (keeps me sane.) Last week we had a really fun date in the city, eating dessert first at Pitango Gelato, then having a great dinner at El Tamarindo (we had Thanksgiving dinner there the first time we ever visited DC four years ago) and then finishing it off with a Belgian truffle from Locolat Cafe next door. Dave is wonderful. I’m a lucky girl.

Yesterday I tie-dyed for the first time. Dave and I are running the Monument Ave 10K this weekend, and I am racing in an American Flag unitard. Just for fun. Dave opted out of the unitard, and will just be in an American flag tee and shorts. And since I was going to the trouble, I made tee shirts for the boys and me, too so we can all be matching on Independence Day in a couple months. The flags are all in the dryer right now and I can’t wait to see how they turned out!

And that’s some of what’s been happening behind the blog lately. Whew.