the start of something new!

Not that I have developed a green thumb overnight but we are attempting to get a little garden growing in our backyard....the two things that are actively growing aren't due to anything we have had a hand in.....

Here is our lovely Blueberry Tree....

the berries are turning red....which is the first step to becoming BLUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY...these are Emma's favorite....

And then the generous gifts of our Church members are now sitting in the middle of our yard holding little green tomatoes!!! YUMMY......can't wait until we get our first one to dive into!

Another of Emma's Favorites!

Hopefully we wont kill either of these and can eventually get a few more things going...carrots, sweet potatoes, lettuce, herbs...who knows...maybe even some strawberries!!!

Excited and completely nervous! Here we go...

Tate Hudson Bailey...

I just had to post the Only pic I have of him!

He is a cutie!!!(this is like half an hour after he was born)

Hopefully we will get to see him soon!

Love you and your family little guy!

potty training?!?!?!?!?!

Well we have decided to take the plunge(pun intended) and try our hand at potty training...we stocked up on a few essentials to get us through this process...WE HOPE!!!

Big girl panties...wow...this is crazy!

...carpet cleaner....

...here is the big girl herself with new WHITE sheets

(for bleaching, lots of paper towels and mattress pads)...

Lets hope we look this happy at the end of the week...hehe

starting Monday....PRAY!!!!

Felt, Felt and more felt!

Well Southern Baby is in full swing around the Stewart household...any spare moment is dedicated(or so it seems sometimes) to producing as much merchandise for the Watermelon Fest as possible....I have updated my etsy account to Southern Baby, it is no longer Lil Jelly Bean!(sad i know)...

the new shop is:

www.etsy.com/shop/southernbabyshop

Here are a few of the latest things I have been busy sewing! Let me know what you think...I will be posting some on etsy soon...so if you go to the shop and there isnt anything there just message me if you would like to purchase anything!

It is spring...stop and smell the flowers!

These next ones are fresh from another kind of garden...

my hand garden...hehe...

Who doesnt love chocolate and vanilla heart cookies??

Then of course a yummy peice of watermelon...it is the Watermelon Fest!!!

God has been so good to me through all of this! I also have the opportunity to sell at a local eatery/gift shop here in town...super cute and have great things!

We shall see how Southern Baby fits in!

MORE BLESSINGS....fresh from the Garden

I am sorry but i had to post these pics...yes we had more produce fresh from members of our church's garden dropped by our house! (and these are my bowls....Easter present from my mommy!)

Enjoy! It is all so yummy!!

...for the generostiy of others

God has completely overwhelmed us lately with the generosity and support of our church members! Yes there are those that didn't vote for us and keep their distance(but that is another post all on its own)...but 90% of the congregation have completely opened their arms and welcomed us!

Some of those people are our landlords, we are totally blessed to be renting from them and each time we meet with them it is just more blessings! I came home for sharing Thirty One with the Pastor's wife to a huge bag of FRESH(right out of the field as a matter of fact) CORN ON THE COB! Sorry the picture is bad....but it still looks yummy!

God provides ABUNDANTLY for His children, we just have to serve Him! Lord Help us to never stop serving You! Praise you and thank you for your MANY MANY MANY blessings!

...climbing!

Emma has ventured(or should i say Mommy has allowed her) out and started climbing UP and DOWN and UP and DOWN and UP and....well you get the picture....the playground at the park down the street she has LOVED IT!!!

Very carefully going down!

She is so nosey.....i don't know where she gets if from!

something was funny....hehe

She is getting so stinkin big.....CRAZINESS!

Saturdays...

Each day of the week holds new things, but it is something about saturday that is just special! It may be the name, you just think RELAX or ENJOY or SLOW DOWN....maybe...I don't know...but something about today just made me thankful for days that are completely random and really nothing 'special' but amazingly great all on their own! I really love days where it is a just a mish mash of random activities and not a schedule or timeline. It seems those are the days that you really enjoy and take time to CHILL.

Today was one of those days, random activities, yummy homemade french bread pizza and the icing on the cake....Tickle time with Emma! Gosh I love to hear that girl laugh! Such blessings...simple and honestly the only thing I can say is my cup really does runneth over!

Thank you Lord for days like today....You truly do spoil me!

...with a suportive husband

God has given me quite a catch that i dont deserve. I am only talking about Michael, my husband! He is so supportive in any and all of my crazy ideas and ventures. We are getting geared up for the watermelon fest here in Monticello...our first....and i am super excited! Michael suggested that I set up a booth at the festival and show off Thirty One a little and also introduce "Southern baby" to the new area! Both are passions of mine and I believe that God has given me so i am so blessed and honored to have a husband that completely supports and loves me through it all!

So i have a month to get ready for about 1,000 people at the fest...Lord please let my hands sew quickly and my heart and mind keep up! Thank you for Michael and his constant and continual guidance, support and never ending 'You can do it baby!'

Thankful for....

I have been thinking alot about what to do with this little blog...should it be just something that people(or just family....hehe) read to keep up to date with the comings and goings of our little family? should it be about crafting or thrifting or being a mommy or wife....well my conclusion is that it will be a little bit of it all but mostly I desire that each post, as silly as it may be, be something that God has blessed us with and to create a blog of Thankfulness!

So I strive to honor God through each blessing and will try and encourage those that actually read(all 2 of you!!!)....God has so blessed and is so faithful, even when we are so unworthy! I pray today that I can step and live in a way that is worthy of the calling that He has placed on my life...to be a wife, mother and more importantly a Child of the King!

Today I am thankful for so many things it is overwhelming but I will post one...Emma Marie! Here was our day...

We had a little Mommy/Emma breakfast(we do most mornings)

and then headed to Michaels office after....

we got geared up and took off for our mile and half walk up hill to the church....

a few random things passed us by and here is our documented trip!

It's emancipation day....didnt everyone have a parade??? Just happend upon it!

Checking out the new stroller...she likes to swing her legs back and forth while riding...

Below are a few of the sights of our little town....

The Big tic toc clock....City Hall...and the center of town

Love this old gate door....makes me think about the narrow gate that few find....God help me to be a light that others may see and find their way to the gate!

We made it to the church and to daddy!!!!!!!!!

And of course the Playground....where she finds none other than....STICKS!

Thank you for days like today where being a stay at home mommy is evidently AWESOME!

Ended the day with a group of Godly women...Praying...God is good!

Mama's Chicken Pot pie/Chicken noodle soup!

Well I did it...I actually made some Chicken Pot Pie/Noodle Soup that was somewhat comparable to mama's....No it wasnt AS good but it was super yummy!

We had the pastor, his wife, daughter and her friend over for lunch today and I was able to use some of my new bakeware(christmas present from Grandma Frank) which I was very excited about!

Really enjoyed hanging out and getting to know The Kelly's a little more!

Our new vintage-y bathroom

Well I have been wanting to spruce up our bathroom and thought that it would be fun to go a little vintage...well somewhat vintage.....so here is it!!! I really love it!

(needs some window treatments i know)

I took some simple mason jars and then filled them with cotton balls and q-tips...super cute and FREE decor!

I found some old adds online...matted them(on my computer) and hit print...LOVE this one...I WANT A BEAUTY BATH!! dont you???

Another add for getting rid of Dandruff over the toilet...so funny!

I saw makeit&loveit.com that she had made 3-D fabric flowers and framed them...so i took the concept and did it with scrapbooking paper...added some pearls in the middle, put it in a frame(scuffed with sand paper of course) and viola!

LOVE THEM!!! Here is one...

...and then the other 3-d flower...with argyle....

Here is the collage of the flowers and dandruff add...still laughing from it!

I love those 'Please wash your hands signs!' So here is my concept of one...designed it on the computer, hit print and put it in a $1 frame from an antique store!

All and all i spent around $7 and prob about 2 hours

total to put a little facelift on our bathroom...

still on the prowl for some vintage shampoo bottles or blue/green glass jars to add a little more color....

hope you enjoy!

Washing the car with daddy!

So today we did some 'around' the house kind of stuff...Michael worked on the carport light, rebuilt part of a fence that leads into our backyard and washed the car....I worked on getting things together for our new bathroom decor and tried to brainstorm how to hang the plates for out new plate wall(I am super excited about!)

Here is what Emma did when she woke up from her nap....SO FUN!!

Cheesin' SO BIG!

She would run into the water and SCREAM!!

Then go help daddy with the car...

splash a bit of course...

and run into the water screaming again!

We had a blast watching her...our next lawn purchase...FUN KIDDIE SPRINKLERS!!!!!!!

Spinach and Mushroom Pizza...it's what was for dinner last night!

Here are the makings!!! the pizza was already in the oven so it is an after shot....

Mmmmmm Mmmmmm Good!

We really enjoyed it...this is all the was left!

It was so yummy! I just had to share!

Emma didnt eat much of it...but was happy none the less....