Just me My Soldier and our 4 little chicks

definitions

below are each of our names, with the meanings of our names.

underneath, i've summarized the personalities of everyone, as i see them!

james carr

someone or something that takes the place of another/fighter

he is: brave, strong, fiercely loyal. inpatient, kind, tender, fearless. adventurous, unapologetic, stubborn, sweet.

 

stephanie elise

crowned one/consecrated to God

she is: creative, sensitive, kind. emotional, loyal, high strung. extroverted, faithful, nurturing. talkative, sarcastic.

 

harper elizabeth

harp player/consecrated to God

she is: energetic, sweet, determined. particular, sensitive, verbal. curious, tenderhearted, funny.

 

sadie caroline

princess/beautiful woman or song of happiness

she is: defiant, wild, tender. cuddlesome, prickly, loud. big hearted, gutsy, nervous.

 

catherine bennett (she will be called cate)

pure/little blessed one

&

lucy claire

bringer of light/clear and bright

i pray they will be: healthy, kind, faithful. loyal, loving, honest.

i know they will be: loved, fought over :), held non stop, fussed over, nurtured, blessed.

thursday miscellany

first up is the winner of the Sketchbook 2 class-

Holly H, comment number 6.

way to go, holly...please send me your info ASAP at stephaniehowell8(at)gmail(dot)com.

we are finishing up swim lessons this week, last week of summer bible study, and then we have a week break before harper starts pre-kindergarten.

everything was just wonderful with the baby girls yesterday.

they are both growing, my amniotic fluid is perfect, and the doctor thinks that we aren't going to have any issues with twin to twin transfusion.

YAY!!!

 

 

 

 

this has been such a crazy, wild ride and i'm loving every single moment of it.

i cannot wait to meet these sweet babies.

i think we are close to getting names picked, we have a list with a few options and we are picking the combinations we love most.

have a beautiful thursday!

xxo

s

Summer Camp

**giveaway still open below!!**

Good morning, ladies!

I wanted to take a second to share my layouts from Studio Calico's August kit, Summer Camp.

I used the Main Kit as well as the Footpath Add-on.

 

the second layout i've done about the two sweet peas!

i used an entire sheet of the JBS butterfly stickers on this, and i'm fine with that. Ha!

i also used the ek success bubble border punch, one of my current favorites.

i think this color of cardstock is my new obsession. it's bazzill cinder, i think april said.

 

oh, i love this one. it's SUPER simple, but i love it nonetheless.

i love the graphic look of those hambly rubons and girls paperie letters for the title work.

"mama"...it's who i am right now. and i'm okay with that!

journaling reads: mama...it's who i am these days. and i'm holding on to that tightly b/c soon i'll be "mom".

the photo behind the photos is this really pretty exclusive SC ledger/woodgrain paper, (it's the b-side of the cloud paper!)  but you can't really see it in the photo.

 

look at that wild child. she's been going NUTS in the tub lately and i wanted to document her adventures. 

can we please discuss how much i love orange and aqua together??

the "water drops" are the sassafras flowers from the main kit. i cut the petals into drops and used the dots from the thickers to accent them.

i also used the fiskars wave punch and bubble punch here.

oh, these were SO fun to make!

hope you have a beautiful day- i'm off to the maternal/fetal specialist to have my in depth ultrasound (they will really evaluate and measure everything, make sure everything is okay). i have these every few weeks, and alwyays get a bit nervous, please say a prayer for me!

xxo

i've been thinking

About what happened yesterday. You may have noticed, the post is gone. And the reason that it is gone is that quite simply, the person that stole my words made ME feel badly that people were emailing her.

This morning I had a headache. I barely slept.

And I didn't want to deal with the drama...so I deleted the post.

And I wish I wouldn't have because I did not do a single thing wrong. I didn't tell people to harass her. I doubt people were even "harassing" her, they were probably merely stating the facts.

All I did was link what she had written. What she had stolen from me. Verbatim.

I know lots of you have questions...and I'll answer a couple, but not all of them. This woman was an army wife with me, in j's unit, when we were in Texas.

I was made aware of her blog by one of my readers (thank you SO much!) who had purchased a dress from her store, and found the blog that way.

I have actually done a giveaway on my blog for her, with her store's merchandise.

The woman who did this has apologized to me...but keeps saying she does not owe anyone else an explanation or apology. And with that, I must respectfully disagree.

She used my words to sell items in her store. She took my life and claimed it as her own. She used my memories as her own. She had people commenting on her words, saying how much they meant to them. And she was saying "thank you" and talking about how hard they were for her to write. This has been going on since February.

This morning, I was made aware that there was a second blog she had written, using my posts as well.

I'm not calling the police, I'm not filing a lawsuit...but what she did simply is not okay.

It freaked me out. And I'm not going to act like it didn't happen...sorry.

No matter how much she wants me to, ain't gonna happen.

Okay, that's all I have to say about that. I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for being protective of me, and for being loyal and encouraging. Thank you!!

I thought this would be a good time to give you something to say thank you.

My friend Kelly Purkey is doing a second Sketch Book class. She would like to give one of my readers a free spot..worth 25 dollars!!

Sketchbook 2 is a four week class filled with fresh sketches, easy instructions, beautiful examples, and lots of fun.  From August 2nd to August 27th a PDF will be delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday so you can work at your own pace.  By the end of the class, you'll have a complete sketchbook of 12 original sketches, 36 layouts, and an additional 36 sketches based on those creative pages. All the examples are brand new layouts, exclusive to this class... you won't see them anywhere else! The best part is that you will be receiving an example layout from me for each of the sketches, along with two example layouts from a member of the incredible Studio Calico design team.  The class will also include a private message board for questions and sharing ideas, as well as two scheduled chats - all on the awesome Studio Calico website. 

**If you have already purchased a spot and you win, Kelly will graciously refund your money**.

Here are some examples of PDFs from the first class:

 

If you would like to win a spot, leave a comment here by Thursday, the 29th at noon EST.

Again, thank you all so much for your support,
I hope you have a beautiful, blessed Tuesday.

xoxo

s

oh summer??

i'm sorry but it has to be said. i'm over you.

it's too hot. and humid. and sticky. and don't you know i'm pregnant??
everyone knows pregnant ladies don't like the heat.

i'm so ready for fall.

for cool breezes and falling leaves and pumpkins.

and for my husband coming home.

for long sleeve shirts and jeans,

being able to be outside for longer than 30 seconds without feeling like i'm going TO FAINT

now if i could spend my summer this way?

 

i might feel differently.

but there's no way i'm fitting in there with my girls. no way. the neighbors do NOT need to see that.

moving right along...

almost 21 weeks

 

 

feeling so much better. so much more energy,

craving limeade and chicken burritos.

speaking of limeade?
this:

is the best limeade EVER. evereverever.

i digress...

wearing sundresses or shorts every day, b/c it's too dang HOT for anything else

watching "i didn't know i was pregnant" obsessively (sidenote: are you KIDDING ME??)

wanting to name these baby girls...if you talk to jimmy can you PLEASE tell him

TO JUST GIVE INTO THE DANG NAMES I WANT ALREADY??
GEEEEEESH.

happy sunday.

back tomorrow with a giveaway!

xxo

s

summer camp sneak peeks

it's that time again...sneak peeks for the newest Studio Calico kit, Summer Camp!!

this month i chose to get addon number two- footpath. the desire to create is definitely back...i missed it so very much!

i had fun this month and i love love love the layouts i made with the kit.

i have done four so far, but one is for kelly purkey's new class. i'm hoping to squeeze in another, but i'm not sure if it will happen. too much summer fun around here!!

 

 

 

oh, i wish i could make more...i had so much fun playing around and making these!!

hope you are having a beautiful week...it is so HOT here, it drains the energy right out of me! lots of pool and library time!

i'll be back soon, happy thursday!

xxo

s

hola.

Hey everyone!

Hope you had a beautiful weekend.

This weekend was...strange. I don't know. There are always these lulls/slumps during deployments where I just feel super isolated and lonely. We're in a slump right now.

The girls have been crying and asking for J almost every day (first time we've dealt with this ever). The other night, at bedtime, Harper was crying and saying "daddy" so much that she pretty much started hyperventilating.

I asked her what was wrong, and she told me that she especially missed J at bedtime because he always tucks her in and tells her special stories.

Ugh. I hate that. *I* can handle it, but I feel bad for their little hearts. I think about how much I miss him, and then I imagine that same longing in their little bodies...

As a soldier's wife, your job is to be strong. You hold the family together. I'm a pro at keeping my game face on. But that doesn't mean you don't hurt inside when your children hurt.okay. no more talking about this.

Moving on...we had the 75th Ranger Regiment  family day this weekend. It's a great opportunity to go experience a bit of what J sees and does!

There wasn't much for my littles to do, but we did get to do

face painting (harper asked a guy if he could paint a camo butterfly and i was laughing SO hard):

obstacle course...harper kept saying her sparkle shoes were falling off and sadie was a MANIAC. the guys were laughing at s b/c she was out of control:

 

 

 

 

there were also stryker rides, but the line was a bit much for us. i really wanted the girls to do that, though!

other than that,this weekend was pretty uneventful. we had a "dinner date" and went to church on Sunday.

oh, and i got in a little more creative time!

here's another look at Jenni Bowlin's new line, Family Tree.

This is a mini piece I made for the booth.

It's mounted on a piece of JBS chipboard (maybe 6x6??)

The papers, vellum butterflies, and chipboard butterflies are brand new. The chipboard butterflies are brilliant! They are the exact size of the butterfly stickers from Jenni's last release. There are also chipboard banner pieces to match the banner stickers!

Okay, that's all I've got today! Hope you have a wonderful day!

xxo

s

JBS Family Tree, A Sneak, and More of My Pretty Princess!

First up, I want to share some layouts featuring the new JBS line, Family Tree.

I am all about this new release. The color combination, the journaling cards, that amazing die-cut paper, and those VELLUM BUTTERFLIES!!! Oh, I'm sorry, am I yelling? JBS just makes me happy. I know I say it all the time, but it's true.

These are booth layouts, that's why they are a bit different than my usual layouts (lack of journaling, etc).

For sneaks/photos of the entire line, keep checking the Inspiration Blog.

 

red labels and alphas are previously released. everything else is brand new. :)

 

lovelovelovelove those butterflies.

 

cardstock, butterfly, "2" previously released. everything else is new.

next up is a sneak of the August Studio Calico kit! this is the layout i did for kelly purkey's second sketch book class.

 

and last but not least, some photos of miss h on her recital day at princess ballet camp. one of our favorite things to do on special occasions is use my stick on rhinestones and pearls (from my stash) as "earrings".

some of you may recall i did the same thing on j for the jersey shore party. HEEE!

 

 

 

 

 

whew. random post. i don't blame you if you stopped reading. :) :)
HAPPY WEEKEND!
xoxo

july winners and jenni bowlin classes for central TX girls!

first up, here are the july giveaway winners:

 

olivia place winner one:

84 Minimimi said...

Thanks for sharing this site. I love Olivia's place. I just had my fourth child and a girl after 3 boys. Can you see imagine my excitement when I shop for my little girl:) I would love to be entered for that draw please.

olivia place winner two:

1 OlyGirl said...

Would love a chance to win. :-D Loved your picture post of your pregnancy. You look beautiful.

Tina

paper fashions boutique kit winner:

125 Jodi R said.. Fun giveaways! And I love the photos of the girls you posted...I have 2 girls of my own that keep me on my toes and laughing (well mostly laughing!)

Congrats ladies! Please email me at Stephaniehowell8(AT)gmail(DOT)com, so i can get your prizes to you ASAP!!

Okay, one more thing.

How cute are these projects by Jenni Bowlin??

Friday, July 16th

6:30 PM - 8:30 PM:    "Altered Memo Brag Book"  $42

Saturday, July 17th

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM:    "Shabby Framed Collage"  $40

1:00 PM - 3:30 PM:        "Beach Memories Vintage Mini Book"  $45

 

well, if you are in the waco, tx area (my old stomping grounds!!), then you can see Jenni at the above classes this weekend, or tonight at the crop night (5 pm- midnight) at Crop Paper Scissors.

I had anticipated being home for these classes, and I couldn't make the trip (due to doctor's visits every two weeks!!) but I SO wish I could go to them all.

If you sign up for all three classes, you will get a free bonus kit:

 

and if you are like me, and aren't near central Tx, you can call the store at (254) 751-7020 to have these class kits shipped to you.

if you want to sign up for any of these classes, or the crop...call the same number!

i hope some of you go and can tell me all about it.

have a beautiful weekend! xoxo

elementary

**july giveaway still open  below!**

i just wanted to take a second to share a layout i did for the studio calico booth at cha. the new collection is called Elementary, and i love it.

it is by FAR my favorite SC release to date.

my favorite part? is something i can't share just yet, but let's just say i will be collecting this embellishment in HIGH QUANTITIES. what's that you say? i sound like a hoarder? well it's true.

anyway, here's what i came up with :

 

see that die cut paper? swoon. pink? ledger? s-w-o-o-n.

supply list:

die cut paper, green polka paper, alpha paper behind photos, rubons layered under photos, alphas- studio calico

number paper- sassafras

ribbon- michael's

pearls- prima

the clock rubons are rubbed onto vintage ledger paper.

butterfly punch- martha stewart

hope you are all having a beautiful wednesday...back tomorrow with some info on jenni bowlin classes!!

xxo