For Real.

OK, to my great surprise, my hubbie does read this blog. I mean, I thought he might come across it sometimes, but he reads it when he is at work... So that leads me to this post... I have to let y'all know, he is NOT by any means a lazy husband. He actually works very hard. I {personally} just think that sometimes he gets a bit.... spoiled. I know I am not the only wife in the world that cleans up after her husband and her children. I know that is my job- to keep my household in order and keep things running smoothly- I KNOW! I actually love the job, it is just that sometimes one can feel.... taken advantage of... Ya know? I will not go into it again and name all of the things that drive me nut-so, but what I will do is name all of the hard working things hubbs has done lately {since all of the hot-rods are missing from our garage}.

- fix the toilet paper roll (broken 4 months)
- fix a broken faucet out side (with the help of my lovely mother-in-law)
- mowed the lawn (on a weekly basis)
- Built shelves in Masons closet
- Spent at least 2 long hot hours hunting for baby clothes in the attic- It is hot in Tennessee!
- Spent another few hours taking the stuff back up that I decided I do not want.
- Changed the oil in both cars.
- He says he will be pressure washing the house & drive way in the next 2 weeks...
- Not to mention for the past 2.5 years he has worked at night while we sleep only to come home and watch Mason while I work in the mornings.... That is a BIG one if you ask me...

So, while he may send my head spinning off of my shoulders sometimes because he fails to do the little things, the man does some hard work. I bet it drives him crazy that my "gender" roll thinking self decided that I do not do yard work in the 90 degree summer. I guess I will settle with putting the lid back on the tooth paste, taking the trash out sometimes, picking up after his and Masons play sessions, and loading dishes I know could have been easily loaded already. (OOpse, I said I was not going to mention those things again... My bad).

I do have a pretty great life, I guess sometimes it is just easy to get side-tracked and think of the small, petty things that drive me nuts. I have decided I will NOT be letting ANY of those things get under my skin for at least the next week...

One small step at a time....

Am I?

Am I:

- the only one who can get the clothes from the floor to the hamper?
- the only one who can tell when there are dirty dishes in the dish washer?
- the only one who can clean {thousands} of small cars off of the floor?
- the only one who can decide when the trash can is too full and needs to be taken out?
- the only one who can replenish the paper towel/ toilet paper rolls?

Am I?

An inquiring mind would like to know... Not complaining, just asking a few simple questions...

* reason for this rant might have something to do with the watermelon size bulge hanging over my waist... Makes it a little hard to bend...

{Full Set}

Here is the full Bridesmaides set that I made for my friend at work.

{$16.00}

{necklace $22.00}

**E-mail me here if you are interested in purchasing more than one set and I will give you a discount.

{Bridal Jewelry}

$16.00

I have a friend at work who is getting married. She needed some bridesmaids sets made for all of her "best girls!" This is the pair of earrings that we came up with. I think they are just adorable. They are almost like a pair I made back in the fall, but they are quite a bit shorter. They have one large fresh water pearl, one small fresh water pearl and one clear/iridescent crystal. All of the beads are hand wrapped with sterling wire. The hooks are hypo-allergenic.

E-mail me at kikiandlele@yahoo.com if you are interested in a pair of these lovelies....

* I will post the necklace soon, it is adorable....

{More EtSy love.... Mom Style}

Posh Pads

I know not all Mom's breast feed. I did for a little over 4 months and I loved every second of it. Sure, it was hard. Sure, I got stared at all. the. time. Sure, my husband was embarrassed by me several times when we were out in public. Sure, I was in Kroger one time and heard another baby screaming (mine was at home with his Daddy) and looked down and my shirt was soaked. But~ I loved it. Like I said, it is not for everyone. Different strokes for different folks. But I honestly cannot wait to do it again. It is one of my favorite parts of having a new baby.

When I was looking for hand-made products for my new baby, Miles, I came across these lovely nursing pads. I hated the paper and plastic ones that I used last go around- they were terrible. I only found one type that I liked when I was nursing Mason and there is no telling where they are now. So, these are definitely on my "Must Have" list.

Posh Pads has 8 different collections. They use bamboo and organic cotton products to make these nursing pads. I just love that!

The pair in the picture above is my favorite because they have cows on them- Oh, the humor... I know I certainly felt like a "milk cow" sometimes when I was nursing Mason...

I will be back later this week or maybe early next week with more {fabulous} hand-made must-haves!!!

Tell me what you think. What was your favorite Mom product??? It does not have to be hand-made.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to my sweet husband. Curt, you are a wonderful Father! Mason and Miles are a super lucky pair to have you as their father here on earth...

Dad, Happy Father's Day to you too! You are a fabulous Dad and I would not be where I am today without your influences in my life!!!

*I wish I had pictures to share, you know my camera drama. I am headed out on the search tomorrow for a new charger, just have not had time yet!

**Since today is Father's Day, we went to the zoo bright and early this morning (that is after I cooked a disastrous breakfast) and it was hot, but we loved it... We bought a membership and will return many, many more times. Our zoo is not huge, but Mason is in love with it. It is safe to say that Curt and I will tire of it long before he will.... I did, however, manage to stop by Wal-Mart to pick up a disposable camera ( I felt as if I was in 1997, winding and clicking that thing, honestly people stared at me...) I did get to document the occasion. Hopefully I can get some of those pics converted to a disc and share them with everyone later on...

***Yes, I am aware that I did not make a post for Mother's day... For the reccord, we had no internet on that day, not sure why?!?. I do have a great Mom and she knows that... Love you too MoM!

{ETSY love- baby style}

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

I am a lover of all things "hand-made." My love affair started about 2 years ago when my friend Kacey and I found ETSY. Every now and then, I try and make things on my own, but when I come across something I want/need and I know it is over my head or I do not have the time to even try, I head on over to etsy.

I am 28 weeks pregnant today and so my search is on for "must have" baby items that I never got or ever knew I "needed" with Mason....

My first search was for a baby sling. When I had Mason one of out relatives let me borrow her carrier and Mason went everywhere in it. But she needed it back when she had another baby. So, this is a need. I NEED a carrier to carry Miles in that I can still use my hands and he can feel safe and snug and close to his Mama.

I logged into ETSY and searched "baby sling" and look at what I found... I just love this jersey knit HAND-MADE sling by Lovey Duds. I have picked out my two favorite styles for a boy, but boy-o-boy does she have the most beautiful fabric for girls... I am loving the Amy Butler fabrics that she uses.... But, I am having a boy, so he must ride in style like all little dudes would want to!

Lovey Duds

* Camo- need I say more... I bet I could even get Curt to use this one....

* Did I mention that they are reversible...

*If you do not like print and just want something that is one color, she has those as well...

Lovey Duds ETSY Shop

Of course this one is my Fav-O-Rite!!! I just love it. The price is affordable and you can wear it in a ton of different ways.... And, it comes with an instructional DVD! How convenient!

Lovey Duds, also has blankets, birth cloths and nursing covers.... Oh- MY!

I am so happy to have found this site... Now, my little man can ride in style, be close to his Mama, and his Mama can multi-task...

In my oppinion, hand-made gifts are so wonderful to give and recieve. Even if you did not make it, someone did. They took their time to used their own hands to make a product just for you!!!

*** Coming next week, more products for Mom & baby. One of which I actually made all on my own- the others will be from ETSY!

Please tell me what your favortie mom/baby products are...

Funny Mason

Last night Mason and I were eating dinner.

Part of his dinner consisted of watermelon.

I finished mine and he had hardly touched his, so I reached over and grabbed a piece and put it in my mouth....

Mason looked at me and said:

"Spit it out Momma! That is mine watermelon."

I said:

"You were not eating it..."

Mason said:

"1........2....... time out Mommy, please spit it out now!"


I laughed and laughed until I could not laugh any more....

I love that he counted for me, it either shows he really pays attention, or that I have to count for him A LOT!


*** I have a lovely post scheduled for later, blogger has messed up what I saved so I have to fix it!

Wordful Wednesday~ Sisters Are We

{Katie (sister), Me, Carrie (SIL)}

Family~ Isn't that what it is all about? Well, I think so. Yesterday, my post was about my birth sister, but I feel I must add my SIL. She is great. A Georgia native, she moved to Tennessee to adopt my family and she fits right in. I love her, we love her.

This picture was taken in December at the Christmas parade where my parents live. I am still with out a camera battery charger, so I have been looking back in the archives and discovering picture GOLD! It is amazing the things you miss with digital. Do not get me wrong, I love digital, but sometimes you pass up the good stuff....

This reminds me, it is time for a girls night.... Do you think this post will score enough points to get my SIL to paint my toe nails? I have not seem them in a while, so I am sure they are pretty scary! I would ask my sister, but no gushing post in the world could ever get her to touch any ones feet- she's phobic like that.

Head on over to see all of the other WW post at Angie's Circus~ Just click on the button below!

Tuesday's Tribute- Auntie Katie

Tuesday- not a day I blog on- lately!I am with out a camera- so I am sorry for not sharing pictures with you.This Tuesday I am paying tribute to my sweet sister, Katie.Today is her day in the spotlight.Katie is: A great sister. We never got along growing up- NEVER! She was 5 years younger and way too un-cool for me. I knew she could not cross the street, so I would run as fast as I could out of the yard to my friend's house to get away from her only to look back at her standing at the road crying. I am pretty sure I gave her a hard time- way to often. Sometimes I would let her wear my clothes and sometimes I would fix her hair and make up. I wish now I would have spent more time doing things like that with her. Because a sister is a friend that never goes away. You see- No matter how ugly I was to her growing up, she still loves me. We talk on the phone weekly, sometimes more. She adores Mason, her first nephew. She is beautiful, I must get a picture soon and post it. She is a great interior decorator. She makes the most amazing cakes. She is a bit of a neat freak and for some reason decided to get a white/cream rug to put in her living room. She only lets the elderly walk on the rug with their shoes on- she's nice like that. She has a darling husband- who adores her. She takes everything seriously, but she can party like no body's business. She is sassy and has a tough skin- I must say I think she gets it from all the years of torture I put her through. She is a lot like our Mom, more than she knows. That, however is not a bad thing. We have a great Mom. AND.... She is going to be a MOM!!!!* she secretly wants twins... crazy girl Congratulations Katie~ I love you, even though you do not let me walk on your rug with shoes.... I secretly did it one time and I loved it.... I guess the cats out of the bag on that one....You will be a GREAT MOM, I just know it.

Not Me Monday

Hello All~ This is my first week in forever to participate in MckMama's "Not Me Monday!" Honestly, I wanted to post pictures of my sweet boy, but if you read on, you will figure out why I am still picture less...

Mason certainly has not started pitching the most radical fits this week... I did not head on over to the local book store for some knowledge on the topic.... (i know not all parenting answers are in books (Mom) but I thought it could not hurt)...

I have NOT been craving coffee like an insane person.... So, I did NOT head over to Starbucks and order a decaf Carmel Frap with extra Carmel on top.... NOT ME!!!! It was NOT like the best 10 minutes in heaven I have had in a while...

I have not been drinking Honey out of the jar like water... I am craving it.... YUM!

I did not gag 3 times this week because I cannot deal with Mason pooping in his potty chair... IT is sooooo gross. (Sorry if you are reading this before breakfast)

Mason did not go to the Zoo with my parents and he certainly did not have a blast... I am NOT still waiting on pictures.... ( I know you are reading this DAD!)

Curt did NOT get rid of his last hot rod only to get a new motorcycle.... He did not try and convince me how economical it is on gas.... I am definitely not smarter than that.... I am not aware that he has ulterior motives....

Mason did not confess his love for all thing YUCKY!!! I did NOT find 3 dead beetles in the pockets of his shorts this week while I was doing the laundry!!! At least they were dead!

My camera's battery did NOT die and when I asked my husband what he did with the charger he did not act as if he had not touched it....

(actual conversation 2 weeks ago)
Curt- I am going to clean this desk off, all of the wires are driving me crazy.
Leslee- Ok, honey, thanks...
Curt- what is this box thing?
Leslee- It is my camera charger, please leave it there...
Curt- But it is in the way.
Leslee- Please leave it there, that is where I have always kept it and you have never noticed it before now.
Curt- (thinking to himself) Well, I will just move it to ________.

(actual conversation last night)
Leslee- Curt, my camera is dead and I really need to photograph this jewelry before sending it off.
Curt- I have no idea what you are talking about....
Leslee- Think HARD, yes you do remember THIS conversations (me repeating the whole thing to him).
Curt- Oh yeah, just look around I am sure it is in a drawer somewhere...
Leslee- Nope, I looked...
Curt- Awwww, sorry babe, let me look.
Leslee- Doesn't matter now, I have no more daylight...
Curt- looks- does not find- promises to look more today....
Leslee- Errrrrr........

Lastly, I did NOT get my sewing machine fixed for FREE!!!! I will NOT be getting my sew on this week!!! But I doubt you will see any pictures of my work....

My Super Hero

I know this picture is old, but my camera has been at my sister's house where I left it since Memorial Day. BOOOO! I have missed some very fun photo ops since then, but I wanted to share this one with you. Mason was BatMan last year for Halloween, he loved the mask... I am secretly glad it is lost, there is no telling how many places he would want to wear it.

Mason~ You are Mommy's little Super Hero! I love you deeply and you teach me more than you will ever know. I have become a better person because of you and for that I am THANKFUL! You have an amazing little soul~ I am so proud to be your "Momma."

{Summer Projects}

Of course my sewing machine is broken, poor thing. I think I gave it a little too much hell. Oh well, I need to get it to the shop, or check and see if it has a warranty, I just got it for Christmas.


Lately, because my machine is broken, I have been craving a new project. Of course, I headed to see Ms. Martha and all of her lovely ideas.

These are the lovelies I will be dreaming of until my machine is fixed...

Bias Tape Organizer Tote

I am in love with this tote. I need it, so I must make it... It looks so great to slip down in my purse with all of the papers and junk I am always carrying around.... Planning a trip? Tuck away your passport, directions, maps, agendas or whatever you fancy...

Terry Pillow Covers

These would be just dandy to take to the pool, beach or just to use in the bathroom. Since I am pregnant I am always thinking of ways to get comfortable. I could use these on the plastic chairs at the pool- my back would appreciate me. Plus, I definitely have some towels that need to be recycled. You could always think ahead and get some clearance beach towels at the end of summer and make some and put them up... These would also make a great neck pillow for the HUGE master bath tub I have that has not seen me in quite some time... I miss my long (quiet) baths.

Terry Cloth Caddy

I would also like one of these , Please!

Not only would one of these be great for my bathroom, they would make great Christmas gifts.... You could make one and stuff it with fun bath stuff... Great for a man or woman...

Towel & Tote combo

Can you tell that I like terry-cloth?

Mason needs one of these, I am sure the one I make will have spider man on it or something un-cute like that... Would it not be so easy to wrap all of the pool toys up in that when headed to the pool. Plus after it is clean, just re-stuff it with needed goodies and you will be ready to go!

Will you be making any summer projects??? Please share with me... I love hand made...

Scooping Down The Doop.

Mason has had the funniest saying lately. He makes them up all on his own and Curt and I have no idea where they come from. They are defiantly not from the English language. Some of them we can figure out and some of them we are still working on. But one thing is for sure, he knows what they mean.

Scooping Down the Doop. Still not sure what this one means.
Down the Doop. I think this means something totally different than the one above, he uses it in a different context.
Squirking. I think this one has something to do with his How Wheels squealing tires. Not too sure though.

There are a few more, I cannot remember at the moment. I just wanted to make sure that I wrote them down so I did not forget this incredibly funny stage he is in...