DIY...I *LOVE* it!

Since I have known that our baby is going to be a girl, I have been bit by the DIY (do-it-yourself) bug! I have always loved to make anything I thought I could, but having Georgia as my motivation has sent me into overdrive. I guess it is my version of nesting. I have busted into my stash of scrap fabric and I'm having a field day! 

A little bitty precious gown. This one started my clothing kick! (Aren't I such a natural beauty in the photo. I really don't need makeup ever. NOT)

Bought this dresser at a flea market and gave it a makeover. The day I did this, I was calling this my proudest moment of craftiness. I am so sad I forgot to take a before picture. I am always so anxious to get started on a project. That's me Miss No Patience.  See those curtains back there, made those too! (More on the progress of G's room later) I also want to add that I almost died from lack of oxygen because Georgia's Daddy insisted that I wear a mask to protect her from the paint fumes. Almost killed us both in the 100 degree weather.

Lord have mercy I have learned how to applique and I am having a love affair with it. It's all I can think about, what can I applique next? Here is Georgia's first "bikini" and matching hair bow. I could eat this it is so sweet!

Pants! I made pants! This put me over the moon. I never dreamed I would reach this level of DIYing. Clothes from a piece of fabric have always seemed unfathomable, left for master crafters like my Aunt Diane. But lookie here! I made pants! And they have elastic in the waist like real pants should and everything. I appliqued a baby deer on the onesie and threw in a matching hair bow while I had the fabric out. I am so proud of this one! I will probably keep it until I die. I asked Josh if he had any suggestions of what the next applique could be. He suggested things like "a Chevy emblem" that I didn't go for. So for now I am still thinking on it. But I have a feeling I will be making several of these outfits!

Disclaimer: I am a selfish DIYer. I like to do it yourself for myself, when it comes to making something for your cousin's pregnant girlfriend my energy vanishes. Some weird phenomenon I haven't been able to cure. Darn. Call my Aunt Diane, she is a sucker and will probably make it for you.

Here she is, just in case you see her at WalMart and want to ask her for a crafty favor.

Just kidding, Aunt Diane! Thanks for all of the times you let me "help" you sew.

You can't imagine how many people have told me that they wish they knew how to sew. I am a lucky duck that I never felt like I "learned" to sew, just been doing it since I was big enough to get in your way and now it comes naturally to me. I will always LOVE you for this and think of you for the rest of my life when I sit behind my sewing machine. I would have named Georgia after you, but let's face it Mildred Diane, I didn't have much to work with. Instead I picked a name inspired by your mother in law, Georgie...hope you liked her. (Just a little tid bit for Georgia to read someday: Aunt Diane and I are at the orginal Georgie's house in this picture, where she raised her kids. My grandmother lives there now.)

Next up: Georgia's middle name. (which isn't Mildred or Diane) Boy I wrestled with this one. I kept going back and forth over the same names again and again. I never dreamed I would have such a hard time making a decision. Finally I made a list of all my potentials, and crossed them off one by one and wrote down my reason for axing each name so I wouldn't be tempted to come back to it again. It helped me a lot. I had plenty of names that I liked, but I was having such a hard time picking THE ONE.

Major thinking went into this name picking business. But I finally picked the name. Even after I decided I still felt wishy washy for a couple of days. So I made my self order a onesie with her monogram on it to make it somewhat official.

I LOVE a monogram! And now that I had this one in my hands, and I could see it, it felt right. So our Georgia's middle name is Love. Georgia Love Hollowell.

I went with this name for a few reasons. I can never just be kinda fond of something. I have to be totally in love with it. Can't like sewing, gotta love it. Don't just like Japanese food, love Japanese food. Don't just like Elvis, I love him. It's a recurrent theme with me. LOVE LOVE LOVE. I have also marveled a million times about how loved I am, how much I love Josh, and I how blessed I am that I have been given someone who I know loves me just as hard. The amount of love in my life has made me feel so so so dang lucky again and again. (Insert pregnant girl tears here.) Another reason, actually the first reason, I was lead to this name. It is Gladys Presley's middle name, momma of the man himself, Elvis. Other Elvis inspired baby names didn't quite strike my fancy for one reason or another and I really wanted something to pay tribute to my first love (no pun intended) Elvis. And Elvis loved his momma more than anybody. I think he would approve.

Gladys Love Presley and her momma's boy.

I hope my family just treasures me like her boy did her. I love (there it is again) it when someone has so much respect and adoration for their momma, it is so southern to me. I hope I am worthy of such momma respect someday!

The day I made my middle-name-weed-out list I saw this picture in a Pottery Barn Kids magazine. I wondered if it was a sign, I think it must have been! 

Oh yeah, a few Courtney is getting fatter pictures.

I know, mirror bathroom pictures. But I'm not making a duck face or bending frontwards to make my cleavage look bigger...

Peace, Love, & Gladys Presley