Archives for April 2011

Okay so I have actually completed a few more orders.  This first piece is a 22×30 canvas that I made for my friend Brea.  I actually have another piece for one of her little boys that is almost complete as well and I love how these are turning out.  Brea wanted the state of where each of her smallest kiddos were born with a special verse for each of them.  I LOVED this idea and I LOVE the big maps.  Hope you love them Brea.

And this little 10×10 canvas was actually ordered by my mom.  She needed a small baby gift for her good friend of her’s new grandbaby.  Simple, sweet and very vintage…I like!  Thanks Mom!

And thank you so much for everyone who entered or helped spread the word about our 5 Months Waiting Giveaway.  It was really amazing to read all your comments about Easter…very humbling and practically a sermon in and of itself for me to read.  So who was our winner this month?

Comment #157 Emily…sent you a special email Emily…super congrats.  Another giveaway same time again next month, well, crossing my fingers that maybe I won’t have to make another piece.

We had quite an eventful Easter with lots of fun things going on.  I am not a stresser over clothes for holidays or ever, that’s just not my thing.  Now give me a crooked picture frame hanging on a wall and that is a much different story – bring on the stress.  I did make Harper a new headband for her to sport, but that was the only labor spent over Easter outfits.  Everything I snagged at the best kid’s consignment sale in middle Tennessee, Encores & More North.  They totally rock and I loved getting Harper’s dress for $4, seriously, cannot beat it with a stick.  And yes Huddy has some kind of dog sticker on his shirt and Harper has a black balloon…didn’t notice it at the time.

With each year holidays just get even more fun.  If I have never expressed Huddy’s love of food I am proclaiming it now:  Hudson Hall Kelley is a true lover of food!  There you have it.  The boy is never full and I have had him tested for a tape worm…seriously, I have.  So needless to say a holiday that involves treats stuffed into plastic eggs is like the BEST thing ever to Huddy.  He was hilarious.  For their first egg hunt, my kids took off in gleeful bliss.  Harper was like a fairy, she just bounded and ran and galloped and was just happy to be there.  Sol was more reserved, he took off, but he was his laid back self and just took his time.

Huddy is a story all his own.  Shortly after they started collecting their eggs, I overheard an argument taking place between Josh and Huddy.  Hud just didn’t understand why he had to collect eggs, when all he wanted to do was eat them.  I made my way over to the conversation and Huddy was very convincing, so needless to say, Huddy did not win the prize for most eggs…he’s a live-in-the-moment kind of guy, so he set to work eating his eggs and he was cool with that.

Shortly after, Sol decided to join Huddy in the eating of treats.  Apparently, he thought Huddy had a good argument as well.

And I had one of those moments where you just want to squeeze your child into a million pieces because you are just so darn proud of them and your love for them is just running over.  As everyone was hunting eggs, Harper found an egg that looked like a basketball.  Well, you would have thought she had won the lottery, she came running just as fast as those little legs could carry her, yelling for Sol the whole time.  She ran straight to him and gave him that basketball egg, “Sol look what I found for you.”  That made Sol’s day.  He loves basketballs, kind of like how Huddy loves food.  He kept that basketball egg with him the rest of the day and is still toting it around our house.  Made me proud that Harper is my kid 🙂

On a different note, I am running my first 1/2 marathon this Saturday, The Country Music 1/2 Marathon.

In January I made several New Years resolutions and one of them was to pray specifically about 4 things and to be really, really consistent about it.  I wanted to find something that would make me stick with this and after much thinking I decided to start training for the 1/2.  I found a plan online that called for running 5 days a week…this was what I needed, something that I was physically doing that would be this huge reminder to pray for these 4 specific things.  I also nagged my brother into the training as well.  I needed someone else that was committed to completing the 1/2 also…kind of like peer pressure.  I am excited to have this event with him…it’s like a milestone of some sort and glad we will have completed it together.

(Chris and I rockin’ our kuzoo skills…it’s crazy how good we are)

Our next little boy is one of those things I pray for when I run and honestly I just knew that by race day I would have seen his face and I decided a long time ago that I would run in his honor.  So I will be sporting his shirt and thinking about him the whole time and trying to not die 🙂    Honestly, I have been a bit bummed this week because I still have not seen his face and I just knew, really I just knew, that when I decided to run this thing that I would be running with his face in my mind.  So yes, I may have been a bit weepy and mopey this week, but God used some words from my 4-year-old to slap me in the face.  I don’t know if I have ever “heard” God’s voice more clearly that through the words that exited Harper’s mouth.

We were waiting at a red light and a family started to cross in front of us on the street and Harper was talking about how many kids the family had.  Her words exactly were, “They’ve got a bunch of kids.  How many kids is that Mom?”  So I counted and it was only 4, but there were several adults with them as well, so I told her that there were 4 kids and her response was, “Wow, that’s a lot of kids.”  So I responded with, “You know I’m going to have 4 kids,” trying to show her that really it’s not that many kids, at least it didn’t warrant a “wow” in my mind.  She then opened her mouth and started saying the following sentences…

“Mom, you do have 4 kids.  He’s just in Ethiopia, but God knows who he is, He knows his name, when he’s going to come home and God even made his sweet body.  So don’t say you’re going to have 4 kids because you already do.”

As she started talking I instantly knew that God meant for me to hear every word she was saying, so I grabbed a notebook in my bag and started writing down everything she was saying.  So yes I was driving, listening intently to what Harper was saying, writing crazy fast trying to get it all down and crying all at the same time.  I was the #1 road hazard on the road at that time.

But, boy, did I need to hear that.  God knew what I needed to physically hear and He sent His word to me.  I was a hot mess by the time we got to our driveway and I immediately called my mom and admitted the non-sense of hearing God through my 4-year-old, but that’s exactly what I heard, God’s voice in a small little 4-year-old girl and it was what I needed at that time.  So my patience was increased, yet again, and I am fully confident, again, that yes my little boy will come home and I will see him and physically love on him, but in God’s time and His time will be perfect.  So I may not know what his face looks like while running on Saturday, but God knows and He knows my heart and He knows what his face looks like and I can live with that 🙂  Happy Wednesday!

We are finally back to the land of the living and I could not be happier.  I ended up taking Harper to the doctor on Monday  because she was still sick and turns out the kid had the flu and a double ear infection.  The doctor said that since the rest of us had all the same symptoms that more than likely we all had the flu as well.  It is only by the grace of God that Josh still has not come down with it.  God knew we needed some sanity and that there had to be someone to take care of the rest of us.  The last week and a half were quite crazy and honestly I would prefer not to even to talk about them anymore…it was that bad.  Like I said, Josh deserves some sort of medal.

I was finally feeling up to making our 5 Months Waiting Art Giveaway as well.  The piece is on a 10×10 canvas and I used the verse Matthew 16:9 “Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand and how many basketfuls you gathered?”  I have actually had this verse picked out for some time in case we made it to 5 months.  I love this story and I think Jesus speaks so clearly in this verse.

It is such a strong reminder that my faith should be all wrapped up in God because He surely has a wonderful plan for me.  He is all I need and provides everything.  And I don’t even deserve all the love and grace and all the amazing plans He has prepared and still He chose to give those things to me just because He loves me.  And on that crazy, beautiful Friday He made the ultimate sacrifice to prove to the world that indeed He loved us and just how much.  What an incredible gift we can not fully grasp the magnitude of.

So there are lots of ways to enter to win this piece.  PLEASE leave a separate comment for each entry.

-Leave a comment about what Easter means to you

-Blog about the giveaway

-Share the giveaway on your Facebook

–Share the giveaway on Twitter

–Become a fan on Facebook HERE

–Follow on Twitter HERE

-Subscribe to receive PPA updates by email in the right side bar

Giveaway will end Tuesday, April 26th at midnight and I will announce the winner on Wednesday!  Hope everyone has an amazing Easter and thanks for helping us celebrate being another month closer to meeting our little boy.  We’re getting closer!

Thank you so much for all the kind words, comments and emails about my sick kiddos.  No sooner than I made my last post about the plague that has hit our house, I began feeling sick and nauseous and currently I am down for the count.  I don’t know exactly what our little family has, but it is AWFUL!  I cannot remember the last time I was this sick and felt this bad.  It’s like really bad food poisoning mixed with the flu and strep.  It’s the ultimate in super bug.  Josh is still not sick…praise God!  And he deserves a medal of some sort.

He has been fantastic with taking care of everyone and he has been awesome at taking pictures for me, since I have been in the bed the majority of the last 3 days.  So here is the kid sick re-cap:  Sol is getting better.  Aunt Jen brought everyone some new ColorWonder fun and bubble gum that made their day.  Josh said she basically threw that bag at our front door and then ran 🙂  Sol held tight to his new markers.

  He’s yo-yo sick right now.  He is pitiful- fever spikes and he is falling asleep randomly one minute,

fever goes down and he is back to playing with Huddy just like he is totally normal,

and then his fever spikes again and he is back to falling asleep in random spots.  Cute, but super sad.

Huddy, well Huddy is still Huddy!  We decided he must just have a weak stomach and is a pity-puker.  Every time he would puke it was when he was watching Harper throw-up.  So I got to where when Harper started to puke, I would tell Huddy to run away and sure enough, no puke from Huddy.  He has been a small rock.  He’s had the fever deal and the diarrhea deal, but is just as happy and as fierce as ever.  Josh calls him his “spirit lifter”.  If anything, I think Huddy has missed having his playmates…I think he’s been lonely.  That has not kept him from getting into mischief all of kinds and eating like a horse.  Literally, no joke, after his last puke he then asked me if he could have a hot dog.  Did you just mini-hurl in your mouth like I did?  It took everything in me not to actually vomit right then and there with his request.

Harper has been the sickest the longest and pretty sure were going to be headed to the doctor tomorrow.  Maybe tomorrow will be a new day.  She has been the most pitiful and super lethargic.

Josh insisted that everyone go outside today to get some fresh air and Vitamin D.  Notice the boys and then notice Harper in the picture.

She is just having a really hard time coming back from all this.  Praying lots and lots for my sweet girl and that tomorrow is a brand new day and she has bounced back like my spunky girl.

It was good to see her smile.  And also on my list of why Josh deserves an award is that he bought a Tennessean paper on the 15th for me.  Yes, we have been on the wait list for 5 months now.  Unfortunately, I was puking my guts up Friday and am still on the mend, so no giveaway piece is ready yet.  But just as soon as our house has recovered we will be having our 5 Months Waiting Giveaway!  So check back soon and hopefully the Kelley’s will be recovered and celebrating in art giveaway style being another month closer to our boy.  Happy Sunday!

I always have the best intentions at blogging more regularly and keeping deadlines for myself.  I would love to post at least every other day and had such high hopes to do that this week, but life just happens sometimes.  I also really wanted to re-open for orders this week, but our house has been hit with sickness and we just can’t kick it.  Harper woke up super early Monday morning with the croup, Sol and Huddy ran fevers and Huddy had the worst diarrhea I have ever seen.  If you are squeamish you probably should not have read that last part or any of the following.

  Everyone has continued to be sick all week, but since about 3 o’clock on Wednesday all hell has broken loose.  In less than 24 hours Harper has puked 10 times, Sol has puked 5 times and Hud comes in with a low 1 time.  But I must say from Josh’s description of Huddy’s one puke and the stain on Harper’s bedroom floor, I’d say he made that one puke count.  On my to-do list is to call Stanley Steamer asap once the puking has ceased.  Josh says our couch needs one of those bio-hazard signs…I concur.  Our house smells, our bedroom smells, my kids smell and I smell.  It is just not good, not good at all.  There has been puking in the bathroom, puking in our bedroom, puking at the kitchen table during dinner, puking in the bed, puking on Josh’s leg, puking on our couch and even puking outside.  While Josh was on kid duty he decided that if they were going to puke he’d rather them puke outside.  Shortly after, he said Sol hurled on the grass 🙂  And on top of that, the diarrhea has continued with all 3 kids.  Did I tell you that our house is just not a good place to be right now?  And my kids have watched more TV in the last 24 hours than they have in their lifetime, but at this point, we do what we have to do and if a movie marathon is getting it, then so be it.

  My kids are pitiful and watching Harper puke her guts up over and over and over again is just plain sad.  When she dry heaves she stomps her foot on the floor…interesting technique, but it works for her.  They are also falling asleep randomly, which is completely cute, but SO not like them at all.  All this to say, I had plans to re-open this week for new orders, that was my goal.  I was aiming for the 2nd week in April, but man-oh-man did my kiddos have other plans.  So I am completely thankful that so many of you want to order, but please be patient with me.

I have to make sure I am being a wife and mom first.  If that means missing out on some orders, then so be it.  I have to make sure I keep my priorities straight.  I was really hoping to accomplish every last thing that needed to be finished up so that I could start taking on new orders, but needless to say that did not happen this week.  So I am now a bit behind, but hoping to make up ground fast once my sick kiddos are all better.  Thank you for all the orders that everyone is wanting to place and I promise I will re-open soon to start taking those on.

I did get some things accomplished this past weekend and in between puking sessions this week.  This sweet little 8×10 canvas was ordered by Donna in Goodlettsville, Tn.  Thank you so much Donna…totally appreciate.  Hope that new grandbaby is everything and more 🙂

This next 16×20 name and scripture canvas is headed to Lindsay in South Carolina.  I have made 3 previous pieces for Lindsay’s little boys and she recently had a fourth little man.  I was so happy she came back again and was more than thrilled to make her up another canvas.  Thanks so much Lindsay and super congrats on baby Levi.

This next order was placed by Andrea in Iowa.  Andrea wanted a 18×18 Names of Jesus canvas and a 8×10 Africa Adoption canvas.  I love both of these pieces, so it was a total pleasure.  Thanks again so much Andrea for your business.

And lastly these four 8×10 Names of Jesus canvases were ordered by my sister-in-law Kim.  She needed special teacher gifts for McKinley and Jack’s teachers and I was more than happy to help.  Thanks Kim!

Also I do have a key fob giveaway up on my Pitter Patter Facebook page.  Winner gets a custom key fob of their choice and another custom key fob to share with a friend.  It’s just for today and I will draw a winner tonight at 10pm.  Thank you again so much for your business and for even reading my silly, little site.  Peace, love and Lysol.

Happy Thursday!

Too happy it is Friday.  The giveaway for this 8×10 canvas is still going on over at WorthyOfThePrize.  CLICK HERE and enter to win.  All you have to do is leave a comment to be entered, but there are several other ways to get extra entries.  Check it out.  Giveaway ends Tuesday night at midnight.

I’ve been a key fob making machine the last few days.  This first order is headed to Suzanne in Cleveland, Tn.  Thanks so much Suzanne and hope the girls love them.

This large order is headed to Lori in North Carolina.  Lori asked me to pick all the fabrics and I was too excited to do that.  I chose lots of my favorites.  Thanks so much Lori…completely appreciate it.

And not sure where my kids have gone, but these cuties have been in their place almost the whole day.  Seems fake mustaches are all the rage at the Kelley house.

Glad I could pass on the love of a good mustache to my children…peace, love and mustaches.

Happy Friday!

First things first…I am a guest giveaway this week on Worthy of The Prize.  Erin contacted me about wanting to do a write up about PPA and asked if I could donate a giveaway as well.  I was more than happy to participate.  You know I love a good giveaway.

Last Sunday at church we sang How Beautiful The Blood and I absolutely could not get the lyrics out of my head.  So when I sat down to make up the piece, I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

This 8×10 canvas has part of the lyrics:

How beautiful the blood flow

How merciful the love show

The King of glory poured out

Victorious are we now

Giveaway is going on right now and ends next Tuesday, April 12th at midnight.  Head over HERE and enter to win.

I’ve also finished up a few more new orders.  These sweet tees are were ordered by Elizabeth in Arkansas.  She wanted a cute 1st birthday sock monkey tee and a special name 5th birthday tee.  Thanks so much Elizabeth and hope the birthday kiddos love their shirts.

And this sweet little puppy tee is headed to “my” Dana in New Mexico.  I feel I am at liberty to call her “my” Dana at this point because, well, she keeps PPA looking stylin’ and is just the best digital artist around.  And it doesn’t hurt that she always has top-notch customer service…she’s really good to me 🙂  She totally rocks…if I haven’t mentioned this before.  You must check out her shop Lifelines Designs HERE.

And Dana recently added cupcake toppers to her shop and oh my goodness…they are so super cute.  Thanks again Dana and hope the party is perfect.

In other news, I am, yet again, going to talk about the weather.  I just cannot help it.  Tennessee weather is crazy.  It will be 32 degrees one day, the next 80 and then the next day we have a tornado.  It’s very unpredictable.  We ended the weekend with AWESOME weather…it was amazing.  We spent the whole day outside and planted tons of seeds Harper got for her birthday.

Then, no joke, Monday there was major tornado weather.  We were at Vandy for one of Huddy’s doctors appointments and were there for 3 hours right in the middle of naptime.  I seriously sent my Bible study ladies an email that morning and asked for prayers because 3 kids at Vanderbilt right in the middle of naptime did not look promising.  The hospital even went into tornado lock down while we were there and we had to sit in the elevator lobby on the 9th floor for an hour, along with the rest of the people on the 9th floor.  But God was good to me and my kids totally rocked.  They did eat a lot of snacks, but they were awesome.

And again, no-joke, it was so stinkin’ cold on Tuesday.  I did the super smart thing and just looked outside before dressing my kids and it looked sunny…so tees and flip flops it was.  But oh no, it was seriously cold.  I laughed as we all walked into Harper’s MDO shivering and I had to tell her teachers why she was sporting a tee and flip flops in 40 degree weather.  Also the Monday tornado weather claimed our hot water heater…argghhhhg!  But my dad really rocks and totally came over and saved the day.  He took the old one out and put the new one in…lickity split.  The boys were in complete tool heaven harassing helping him while he worked.  They were really trying to be helpful.  Pretty cute.  Thanks again so much Dad.

Today is was beautiful and sunny, so maybe tomorrow we will get a snow storm…it could happen in Tennessee.  Happy Wednesday!

Harper turned the big 4 last week and we had her Olivia themed birthday party this weekend.  Harper is my little bookworm.  All of her interests come from books.  She reads every single day–I read to her, she reads to herself, she reads to the boys, they play library where she read some more and she reads to her dolls and animals…she has done this her whole life.

She simply loves books.  If you are not familiar with the Olivia books by Ian Falconer, then you should be.  They are fantastic and the books are in all black and white and Olivia wears red…so cute.  There is also an Olivia TV show I have heard is super cute, but fun fact about the Kelleys…we don’t have cable and my kids don’t watch much TV.  We did have cable the first year and a half of marriage because we lived in TTU student housing and all TTU housing had cable…those were the days.  When I asked Harper about what kind of birthday party she wanted, she knew without hesitation that she wanted an Olivia party.  I kind of went into this party thinking it would be a bit of a challenge since I like to keep my kids parties sweet, handmade and inexpensive.  Everything I was finding online that was Olivia was pretty expensive and I just can’t go that route, but one trip to the Dollar General changed my outlook.  I found a box of Olivia valentines for .30 cents and basically everything fed off of those little valentines.

We went with all red, black and white colors.  Harper started her birthday off with her decorated door.  She was beyond thrilled in the morning to find Olivia on her door.

We also continued our tradition of cake for breakfast, except this year Harper requested rice krispy treats.  Everyone was very pleased with a sugary breakfast.

For all my kids first birthdays I made them a name banner that I want to use at every one of their parties.  I am aware that the banner will not match every party, but I wanted something to use every year that would have been used since their very 1st birthday…something sentimental.  I cannot wait to see the banners on their 18th birthday.  I hope they are well loved.

And as always, party day chalk art was present…can’t be a party without a chalk decorated sidewalk.

For Harper’s cake she requested Funfetti cupcakes with sprinkles.  We are a Funfetti kind of family.  I kind of think Funfetti will be in heaven.  It’s just delicious.  I used the same Olivia valentines that I used for the invitations to make cupcake toppers and then made little paper pinwheels as well.

I totally lucked up that Harper decided on her party theme right after Valentines was over.  I got red plates, small white plates, red and white polka dot napkins, cupcake papers and a bunch of the treat bag goodies on Valentine clearance.  It made my heart happy.

Along with cupcakes, I also made some yummy Hostess Cupcake cake balls.  OH.MY.WORD. these were delicious and yes there is homemade Hostess cupcake filling in the middle.  They may be in heaven as well.  I got the recipe HERE.  This site is amazing and I’m pretty sure this lady must be a desert goddess.

Every single year, I now look forward to when we sing Happy Birthday to Harper.  She really in truly enjoys it and literally beams with joy.  She can just barely stand the excitement and it is seriously my favorite part of the party.

For treat bags I went with different goodies for girls and boys.  I got a lot of stuff on clearance after Valentines day, so most of it is red.  I also have discovered Party City’s favor bag aisle.  They have lots of individual things you can buy for like 10-25 cents.  This works out well for me since we only do family parties and only have about 10 treat bags to make up for our nieces and nephews.

This year for shirts I made messy flower tees for the girls and classy tie tees for the boys.  I must admit my kids were rockin’ their party tees.

It was really a great day.  Harper had soooo much fun and we loved watching her enjoy every little bit of the party. It was great to celebrate her sweet little life.  We love you Harper, beyond words and we cannot wait to see what God has planned for your life…I know you’re going to change the world.  You have a beautiful heart.  I hope you remain this crazy, fun, artistic, compassionate, generous and tenderhearted girl.  You make us proud!  Happy 4th!

This week has been so fun!  Harper’s 4th birthday was on Tuesday and today we had her birthday party.  She wanted an Olivia birthday party and I aim to please…pictures to come.  I love birthdays and I love my kiddos, so smash them together and it equals out to be just plain fun.

Her special day started out totally normal birthdayish to us…a decorated door,

her gift from Josh and me (which the boys were not allowed to touch at all),

and “cake” for breakfast.  We have always had cake for breakfast on our kids birthdays, but this year Harper wanted rice krispy treats.  And not just your normal rice krispy treats, but purple flower shaped rice krispy treats with pink and star sprinkles.  That’s a bit specific, but the girl knows what she likes and well, it is was her birthday.  We made a whole batch, so she could share with her little MDO class as well.

My mom, not so long ago, told us about Target’s popcorn.  She even went so far to say that it was better than movie theater popcorn.    I have always known the Target snack bar was there, but have never ventured in to get a snack, except one time with my sister-in-law Becky who is from China.  The Target snack bar is where I introduced her to Pizza Hut pizza on her first visit to the US.  A couple of weeks ago me and the kiddos decided to try out this so called “better than movie theater popcorn” and well, we are now addicts.  It is delicious and the best part is the price.  I get one bag with two extra empty bags and a cherry coke (totally my weakness) all for less than $2.  My kids think it is the most amazing thing to eat popcorn and ride around Target.  All that to say, this was on our agenda for Harper’s birthday as well.  I LOVE her.

Josh and I also had a date night planned that night as well.  We went to the Fly Fishing Film Tour in Nashville.  This may sound like a total loser of a date night to you, but it was really, really good.  Josh is an avid fly fisherman so he bought the tickets a few months a head of time and was really excited.  When I say it was really fantastic, I really mean it was seriously fantastic.  But it didn’t end so well.  We got a call from my mom who was babysitting and Huddy was having an asthma attack and his inhaler was not taking care of it.  We ended up rushing home (got to see all the films though) to find an ambulance at our house.

The paramedics took great care of him.  After several breathing treatments his breathing was back under control.  He ended up getting to stay up until about 11:30pm while we waited for his breathing to go back to normal.  Since he was the only kid up, he got to “work” aka “coal mine” on Harper’s new bike.  He was in HEAVEN.

He is totally fine and we knew he would be.  This is just your regular run-of-the-mill Hudson and we are used to it at this point.  Needles to say Harper’s birthday was a crazy, fun filled day.  Pictures to come of her party from today.

I was able to get a few more orders completed this week also.  I gave a fabric bracelet or custom key fob away on my PPA Facebook page for Harper’s birthday.  This winner was Sara in Georgia.  She went with an awesome giraffe print bracelet.  Thanks so much Sara for helping me celebrate Harper’s day.

This set of fabric bracelets is headed to Vanessa in Florida.  I love all the fabrics she chose.  Thanks so much Vanessa and hope everyone loves them.

These key fobs were ordered by Jennifer is Arkansas.  Again, love the fabrics.  The dictionary print has always been one of my favorites.  Thanks so much Jennifer.

And this camera strap was ordered by Kathryn in Nashville, Tn.  Thanks so much Kathryn for your business.

And if I had a DSLR camera this would totally be my camera strap.  I made up this all patchwork strap for a friend and if I ever get one of those amazing cameras myself, then I too shall have this strap…LOVE!

And I am still trying to finish up my order list.  I am down to about 10 or so orders, so hoping to get a re-opening date posted for new orders soon.  Happy Saturday!