the tichenor family.

miles richard.

2012-02-16T21:05:00.000-06:00

Hello friends!

My 11 day blogging hiatus is brought to you by our third perfect angel son.

I am over-the-moon delighted to introduce you to Miles Richard Tichenor.

He arrived on Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 12:08pm at 38 weeks, 1 day.

He weighed a solid 8 pound, 4 ounces. We've gotten a lot of "he looks like Carson"

but I personally think he's a mix of Kevin & I or Carson & Slade. Time will tell.

He has the darkest hair of our three boys and dark blue eyes for the time being.

I am madly in love with this third angel boy and just 9 days in to sweet little life,

I already cannot imagine my world without him in it.

Backing up just a bit... here's some snapshots of KT & I leaving

doctor's appointments together the week before/day he arrived.

I ordered iced sugar cookies and packaged them up with a little note of gratitude

for the doctors and nurses who took care of us during our hospital stay.

Big brothers Carson & Slade we VERY excited to go to sleep in their "Miles jammies"

and wake up to meet their newest brother. How did I ever get so blessed to call them mine?

Miles's delivery and recovery has been my easiest of the three. I am very thankful for that.

Given that I have more people to take care of than ever before, it's nice to feel somewhat

human again after just over a week. He is a wonderful nurser and actually sleeps for good stretches.

More than anything his body is perfectly formed and he is healthy as can be. GOD IS SO GOOD.

I delivered my third son with my mom and sweet husband by my side cheering me on.

I couldn't do life without those two. My ultimate fans and constant encouragers.

KT & I just hit the 8 year mark since we've been "together."

This past week, the 15th, was 5 years since we first found out we were expecting baby Carson.

I cannot believe we have 3 beautiful sons of our own now, a family of FIVE. So many blessings.

We enjoyed visits from family and friends while we were in the hospital.

And enjoyed soaking up the sweetness that is baby Miles before we headed home to his wild big brothers!

Carson is positively smitten with Miles. He begs to hold him all day.

He's such a helper, so sweet to him, and has really taken his "biggest" brother role seriously.

Slade is his usual jolly, wild self... really apathetic to having a new one in the house. Ha!

Headed up with baby boy #3...

My parents kept our boys while we were gone having Miles... they had the best time,

had more fun than you could imagine, and I was able to rest easy knowing they were in my

mom's capable hands. They woke up to "Big Brother Bags" full of goodies and surprises.

Loved bringing Miles home, showing him our house, letting the boys hold him and love on him.

It's all just been so good. So much "less stressful" than I anticipated.

I haven't left the house with the three of them yet. Kevin and my mom have been true heroes

helping me out... taking Carson to and from school... going to the store... running errands.

We've been in our pajamas for many days (good thing we have lots of cute ones).

We got some new movies and have been practicing "being very quiet."

It's busy and a little crazy at times, but again, so very good.

I did venture out to join Carson for his class Valentine party this week. He was EXTRA sweet to me.

I think he was thrilled to get some one-on-one time with his mama. Love my big boy!

I printed pictures of Miles for Carson to take to school and he was SO PROUD!

Valentines Day was simple but sweet for us this year... I've never loved so many boys!

We've gotten creative with indoor activities, but I'm afraid my big boys

are coming down with Cabin Fever! I may get brave and take them all three to Target tomorrow.

Or, maybe we'll just drive through Chick-fil-a. Ha!

My blog posts may be few and far between until we settle into an official groove with the 3 boys.

I've been "checking in" on blogs and social media on my phone, but my lap top

is the furtherest thing from my mind these days. And I kinda like it.

Thank you for sharing in our joy throughout this pregnancy.

We count our blessings and humbly rejoice that we were given the gift of a third healthy son.

We simply adore Miles Richard. He's the perfect addition to our family.

"From the fullness of His grace, we have been given one blessing after another."

John 1:16

Place Your Order! {Valentine Cookies}

2012-02-05T20:44:00.000-06:00

Do you want to order Valentine cookies for your kiddos, neighbors, hubby, kid's teachers or classmates?

My beautiful, talented friend Ambre is selling delicious (yes, I've tasted my fair share of her treats),

darling, and very reasonably priced Valentine Cookies! I am so proud of her!

Ambre is such an incredible woman in so many ways. She had THREE precious babies in THREE years...

she's an incredible wife, keeps a lovely home, and is one of the very best friends I have ever had.

So... bless someone with a tasty Valentine treat and bless her little baking business too!

You can visit her blog to learn more about her cookies and her sweet family.

I'm going to copy and paste the cookie details straight from her post.

My cookies are VANILLA SUGAR COOKIES with VANILLA ROYAL ICING

and are made from the best ingredients: organic milk, eggs, and butter (yes, real butter!)

I promise they will be moist and fresh, made especially for you,

no more than the day before pickup.

My motto with baked goods.... The fresher the better!

Message me to order yours now!

chuckandambre@gmail.com

LARGE COOKIES: approx. 3 1/4in.

An assortment of 3 cookies: $5.00

1 DOZEN assorted cookies: $16.00

BITE SIZED COOKIES: approx. 1 7/8in.

1 DOZEN assorted mini cookies: $8.00

Personalization available for $0.25 extra per cookie.

EMAIL AMBRE TO PLACE YOUR VALENTINE ORDER: chuckandambre@gmail.com

EMAIL ME IF YOU NEED MY ADDRESS TO HAVE COOKIES DELIVERED.

KIDDING. SORT OF.

Love you Ambre, so proud of you.

groundhog day.

2012-02-02T15:51:00.000-06:00

I have a call in to the Groundhog to see if he saw any sign of baby Miles.

I sure hope so. Because, as of Monday he wasn't ready to show his face...

This is me, NOT having a baby this week.

Yesterday, my handsome hubby and I went to the doctor together for a baby Miles checkup.

He's (well, I am) definitely progressing... so much so that I'm not quite sure how he's still

hanging in there. But, nonetheless, I am still sitting here, pregnant and waiting! We do have a plan

and a birth day scheduled if he doesn't show up on his own very soon.

I don't have much else to report. My mind, body, and daily routine is very focused

on taking care of the little boys I have here, and ~~trying to force~~ getting ready to welcome our third.

I made this Apple Heath Bar Dip the other day. You should make it too. It's ridiculous.

I couldn't resist this classic teddy bear for Miles at Target the other day

with the sweet navy & white grosgrain ribbon.

Carson, Slade and I managed to polish off a large Alfredo Pizza from CiCi's yesterday.

No really, I think we all ate equal portions. It was devoured by the time KT got home. Mmm!

These are fleeting moments with my boys, but when the snuggles come-- I soak them up!

I'm going to try to do the February Photo a Day Challenge.

I failed miserably in January, so here's hoping.

My view yesterday consisted of watching THIS wild animal climb on tables, chairs, couches, and more!

He's all over the place right now... and he does it all with the cutest grin you ever did see! Oh goodness!

We were waiting on the driveway for Daddy when he got home.

The boys love to climb in through his car window and "drive" in the driveway!

Ready set go... everyone say a prayer that Baby Miles comes RIGHT NOW! :)

I'll keep you posted. Happy Thursday friends!

under-carriage.

2012-01-29T20:50:00.000-06:00

Greetings my friends! I'm trying so hard to be a good little blogger.

I have had better times, I have had worse times...

but I'm only a few days from my last post, so it's not too shabby.

I'm still pregnant. I feel like I'm about 112 months along now. In reality I'm 37 weeks.

But I feel like that should read 37 weeks*

(*I make humongous baby boys and they are always born early).

I have called the on-call doctor two evenings this week.

Thursday I was sure we were going to the hospital to have baby Miles.

But instead, I went to bed.

And woke thankful my water didn't break on our Vera Wang mattress.

(I was not so lucky when Carson began to make his way into the world.)

I am starting to get nervous that I am going to have my third baby Little Green Notebook style.

So anyhow, we're still awaiting sweet Miles's big day.

My youngest sister thinks he's coming this Wednesday, February 1st.

I'll keep checking in... and will definitely report when he gets here.

For now... a quick change of gears! Some things I am loving right now.

My Keurig! Oh Heavens to Betsy-- this thing is too good to be true.

KT doesn't drink coffee. I actually prefer a good Chai Tea Latte.

This single serve coffee maker that my parents gave me for Christmas has been making my mornings!

I've only tried the Chai K-Cups and the Dark Hot Chocolate K-Cups, but may branch out.

Do you have a favorite?

Also LOVING this Macaron scented candle by Voluspa. I love candles. I do.

I burn through them at a rapid pace. This one smells good enough to eat. You should treat yourself to it.

You may or may not have noticed that my cheeks have taken on a rosy-red situation in the past year

and a half. Something happened during my pregnancy with Slader and it's as if my skin

and my hormones never recovered. I had finally gotten some medication and creams from my dermatologist when I found out I was pregnant again and had to stop taking or using them all.

I decided to get a Clarisonic Skin Cleansing System with some Christmas money from Santa and am loving it.

I got the Mia in bright Poppy Red. I've only used it a handful of times, but already I love it.

And last but not least, my two sweet boys must sense change is coming because

they have been really sweet, really cuddly, and I have been soaking up their snuggles.

There's really nothing greater than holding my baby angels, getting open-mouth kisses from

my wild-man Slade, and having what is usually a little boy tornado happening around me

slow down and be still, quiet, and sweet for a moment. Loving these last few days with just my TWO boys.

Just a few snapshots from the past few days...

Slade's been climbing EVERY thing lately. Climbing onto tables, the back of the couch,

pushing ottomans and pillows around to give himself leverage. He raises his arms triumphantly

when he's reached the peak of whatever it is he's scaling. My personal favorite is when he's

on our coffee table and begins to perform a river dance as you see here in this picture!

As I mentioned, we were pretty sure we were going to the hospital on Thursday.

But before we could go, mama needed some rice krispy treats!

Carson was more than happy to help me whip up a batch!

We grabbed dinner at Freebirds the other night and without intention, the boys went in their slippers.

And so did their mom. I feel great about that decision.

It's basically spring time here. We skipped winter altogether which is beyond lame.

So, my boys and I took a little wagon walk the other day to enjoy the pretty weather.

And last but not least... on Saturday, some of my precious friends through a Monogram Shower

for me and baby Miles. It was so thoughtful and incredibly generous, given that this is my THIRD

baby boy. But admittedly, it was lots of fun and I was so excited to get a few new things JUST

for this sweet boy. I got my hostesses a sweet treat from The Hampton Popcorn Company.

I dare you not to lick your screen if you go read some of their popcorn flavors. YUM!

KT snapped a picture of me before I left... I looked at it and said, "OH MY! What's BIG and RED?!"

to which my precious 4 year old replied... "a firetruck!" Yes, indeed. Big mama firetruck!

Miles got so many precious gifts... a BIG thank you to my incredibly thoughtful friends

for coming to celebrate with us and for all of the darling things you blessed our little boy with.

My sister and brother-in-law gifted us with a rolling storage crate that he handmade the day before the shower.

How incredible is that? I have loved the Serena and Lily version but it's not only ridiculously priced, but really small. Jesse made this one and it's darling and super special. We love it!

... and last but not least, I love my sisters!

Makenzie, my youngest sister and her darling baby girl Harper came over to bring Miles

some sweet little monogrammed newborn hats on Thursday. She was nervous he was going

to be born and didn't want him to not have them for his hospital stay.

So Harps brought them over early for her cousin.

And my sister Megan and I were texting on Satuday night... and... well... have you seen Bridesmaids?

She's awesome. We laugh a lot.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend.

I'll let you know if the under-carriage leg hike has any success is bringing Miles into the world.

psalm 127:3

2012-01-26T16:29:00.001-06:00

"Sons are a heritage from the Lord."

We had a "baby Miles checkup" yesterday... and things are, well, progressing.

It could be hours, days, or (hopefully not) a week or two before we meet our third son.

We are so excited. In fact, I was thinking today, that I may be the most eager to meet this

baby boy than I have ever felt before. With Carson, there was excitement, but also the fear

of the unknown with a first born. With Slade, I had mixed emotions over welcoming a new baby

and going from one child to two. I kept feeling sad that it wouldn't be "just Carson." And then

Slade came and my heart grew exponentially and I realized that I do in fact have the capacity to love

and adore two children with all that I am. It's something you can't explain until you've lived it.

So, now that I know what to expect, and I know how much I already love and am going to

love sweet baby Miles, I am really excited to meet my third son.

In ways, it feels like this was just moments ago...

KT and I celebrating 3 years of marriage, excitedly awaiting the arrival of our first son.

... but lo and behold, our sweet Carson is 4 years, 3 months old!

... and it really DOES feel like "yesterday" that we were counting down to meet little brother Slade!

... and yet, we've been a family of four for over 19 months!

... and today, with growing anticipation we're ready to meet our third baby boy, little brother Miles!

I can't believe I will have three sons in just a matter of weeks. Love my angels so much!

{three brothers shirts by the amazing & adorable lulu mcgee}

happy birthday JiJi!

2012-01-24T19:47:00.000-06:00

Today is my PRECIOUS, WONDERFUL, AMAZING, INCREDIBLE mom's birthday!

We had a fun family dinner and get-together planned at my sister and brother-in-law's for Sunday

but we had to back out because of the Poison Ivy Epidemic that hit our family. If baby Miles

hangs in there for another week, we are hoping to get to celebrate her as a fam this weekend.

After our doctor's rounds this morning, we stopped by and dropped off some flowers, some candy

and her birthday present. Later today JiJi came by with an ice cream cake to share with her grandsons!

Carson was so excited to "celebrate with my grandma"-- he wanted to hide and surprise her.

I am sure she'd have had no idea what those two lumps were beneath the sheet at the door.

We love you JiJi... sorry your birthday celebration wasn't as spectacular as you are!

You are loved beyond belief. We are so thankful for you and all you do!

Happy, happy birthday to YOU!

brought to you by eeyore.

2012-01-24T19:28:00.003-06:00

Y'all.

It's been a wee bit chaotic, overwhelming, and down-right not fun around these parts.

Poison Ivy has taken over the Tichenor family and 3 out of 4 of us have been miserable

for almost two weeks. Yes, TWO WEEKS. First, Kevin got it. Then, I got a tiny patch of it

for the first time in my life (if you don't count a random rash I got while vacationing in NYC

with my mom when I was 16). My dad and sister are both seriously allergic and somehow I grew

up in a household with them and never once got it. And finally, Carson got it. It's been brutal.

We all three still have it and it's been spreading and attacking with a vengeance.

I have been counter-attacking with NIGHTLY bedding and sheet changes.

A "wear it once and wash it" laundry policy... I clean the bath tubs or shower after every wash,

the whole house has been cleaned, we've washed shoes, rugs, door knobs,

every possible place you could think of where the evil poison ivy could be lurking.

Sunday, January 8th the boys went on a "nature walk" around the neighborhood

and that's when/how they originally came in contact with it. PRAISE THE LORD

Slade has not gotten it. I had already turned into a Hermit as of late--
staying home with the boys, running minimal errands, and saying "no"
to almost every plan, party, function, or get-together. This has sent me into serious
hunker-down mode. We even had to cancel on my family for my mom's birthday
get-together on Sunday. If you know me, you know that's a huge deal.

My best friend Jacci texted me yesterday to check on me (and probably make sure

I hadn't gone off the deep end for good)... I told her my day had been way too crazy

to text about and sent her the following recap of my Monday...

I woke up and called my dermatologist first thing to get in to figure out what to do about this

HORRID poison ivy-- got a 9:30 appointment. Dropped Slade with my mom, took CT with me.

Got prescribed a cream and an allergy pill-- no steroid shot for the preggo. Went to drop off my prescription

at CVS and they didn't have it in stock and said it would take 2-3 days to get it, so I took my

prescription back. Went to pick up Slade, drove to HEB pharmacy only to find out that with our

new insurance we can ONLY fill prescriptions through CVS, so if I got it from HEB it would cost $426.00--

picked my prescription BACK up. Took Carson back to the doctor at 11:15 to reassess his poison ivy

and figure out what to do for him since he absolutely refuses to drink any form of medicine or steroid.

After the doctor and I pinned him down trying to get him to take medicine, he decided the only option was

to give him a shot twice a day to relieve the symptoms. So, he got one shot around noon and I was

to bring him back later in the day for another round. Left there, took two prescriptions for CT and mine

to another CVS (where they had my meds in stock), dropped those off-- came home, put kids down

for naps. Woke them up at 3:45 to go back to the doctor for Carson's second shot of the day.

Went to CVS to pick up all of our prescriptions and came home a little before 5:30.

We go back in the morning for another shot for C, then again tomorrow afternoon.

At least three days worth until his symptoms start to improve.

So, that was our Monday.

This morning, the boys woke up, I fed them breakfast and started to get them dressed

to go back to the doctor for Carson's first shot of the day. I took Slade's pajamas off and he had

a rash on his legs. I seriously almost burst into tears-- certain he was now covered in poison ivy.

I put some of the steroid cream on him and loaded the boys for our Tuesday at the doctor.

I was feeling pretty defeated as we waited in the waiting room-- Carson about to get his third shot

in 24 hours, thinking Slade now had poison ivy... it was just TOO much!

{my sweet little troopers on Monday AND Tuesday at the doctor}

Finally a bit of relief came when the nurse asked what medicines Carson was on

and I told her he was only taking the meds prescribed the day before--

the cream and a meltaway steroid tablet that (HIP HIP HOORAY) he would

actually take. (we're calling it a vitamin around these parts, wink wink!)

She told me that if he was taking the steroid orally then he didn't need any more shots,

GREAT news. Our doctor came in to assess Slade and assured me he did NOT have poison ivy,

but more likely a heat rash with really bad timing probably from sweating in his sleep last night.

A double-dose of good news under all of the circumstances. I think we finally have the

best combination of medicines and a scrub/clean/medicate routine down

to get rid of the poison ivy once and for all.

Sweet Carson got a "post-shot Mustang" from CVS yesterday evening after shot #2.

I made one of our family's favorite meals the other night: "crunchy chicken" as Carson calls it.

Really it's panko/corn flake crusted chicken with homemade mashed potatoes.

A little comfort food was in order after a weekend of itches!

... and in preparation for my mom's birthday celebration that we had to back out of

I made a huge batch of the "World Famous Paradise Bakery Sugar Cookies" recipe.

...amidst all of that, we're still anxiously awaiting the arrival of baby boy #3.

Doctor's appointment tomorrow... looking forward to a "progress report."

never perfect: kid's new rooms

2012-01-19T17:02:00.002-06:00

You can thank Pinterest indirectly, for the contents of today's post.

I saw a little quote that said, "If you wait for the perfect moment, you'll never get anything done."

Wise words, folks. I've been working on the upstairs... transitioning Carson's room into a bedroom

that both he and Slade can share... and redoing the nursery for baby Miles. We don't plan to

make the switch right away... Miles will be in the bassinet in our bedroom for a couple of months,

and when the "time is right" we will transition Slade into a twin with Carson and move Miles

upstairs to the crib. I'm still waiting on a lot to be done in the nursery and have a few things ordered

or undone for the Big Brother's room... but nevertheless, I feel like Miles could come at any moment

and I want to show you all their sweet rooms before I have three tiny boys at home.

A very rough look at what's to come in the nursery.

I made the buffalo check drapery panels and crib skirt.

The Tattered White Linen Crib Bumper is by Matteo.

The chew marks on the top rail of the crib are by Carson and Slade.

Here's a few snapshots of a dresser I redid for Miles.

It's a distressed white now, with navy vintage garden hose knobs for handles.

I also made the scripture art above the dresser. It's Joshua 1:9 and love what it says!

A few of the DIY photos I took along the way putting the nursery together...

The before and after of the dresser for Miles's room. It was a dresser of Kevin's before

we were married and has been living in the gameroom closet storing random things

for a couple of years. I love how it turned out... the knobs definitely "make" it!

I ordered them from this etsy seller who was a delight to work with.

They were actually a brighter blue when I got them so I sprayed a thin coat of darker blue on them.

I made the drapery panels by following a Young House Love tutorial.

I was amazed at how simple it was to make my own panels.

I made 90" panels for both of the boy's rooms, which equates to about 2.5 yards for fabric

for each panel-- or 5 total yards for one window. I did not adjust the width, just made them

as wide as they came off the bolt of fabric. They are unlined, but we have blinds and a white

black out curtain behind the panels so it's plenty of coverage against light.

I won't even bother with a tutorial because YHL did a great job.

The scripture art was really easy too, although I did make a mistake and never realized it until I had finished. I got a piece of ply-wood cut to 16x24 from Lowes for less than $4. I reused the vintage driftwood frame I got from Hobby Lobby for the Christmas Bag Art I made. I used my Silhouette to design and cut out the words after measuring and getting a rough estimate of what size would fit

based on the length of my scripture. My mistake was that I printed everything on cardstock and not poster paper which I've found to be MUCH better when paint is involved. So, my letters bled a lot

more than I wanted... but we're pretending they are vintage-y not messed up. I rolled one coat of white paint primer onto my plywood... let that dry then cut out the strips of words and glued them in order with craft adhesive to my board. Then I dabbed navy paint on with a foam brush and after letting it set for a few minutes, peeled off the card stock to reveal my scripture. Once that had completely dried I used some of my leftover stain from the dresser to wipe across the board, then I distressed a few parts of it with some steel wool. I literally glued the plywood to the inside of the frame with wood glue, and voila!

... there will be more to come in Miles's nursery... but that's where we're at for today.

Just down the hall is where big brother Carson and little big brother Slade's room is!

I am so pleased with how it's coming together. These sweet Sferra Jungle boudoir pillow shams

are at the monogrammer right now and will sit in front of the turquoise pillows on each of their beds.

The lighting isn't great in my photos... I am a mom, not a budding photographer. Clearly.

The headboards are vintage Henredon that my sister and brother-in-law found while shopping

at Round Top this year. One quick picture text later and they were bringing them home to us!

The duvets are the Holt Collection by Serena and Lily. The orange sheets are from Walmart. The white bedskirts are from Target. I made the turquoise pillow shams using Robert Allen Khandar fabric.

I bought the mirror from an antique seller on etsy and repainted it so it wasn't granny looking.

I was able to find this cute monkey print fabric before Christmas on a major clearance.

I bought 4 yards not exactly sure what I'd do with it. When I decided it would be perfect

for drapery panels, I realized I didn't have enough. So, I improvised! I bought an extra

$5 flat orange sheet and ordered some vintage pom pom trim to finish off the length.

I love how they turned out and am actually glad I didn't have enough of the monkey fabric afterall!

Hanging to the right of the window are two Sharon Montrose baby animal prints.

I love her prints-- they are masculine but still so sweet for my little boys.

You may have noticed that I moved the Micah 6:8 art I made for the playroom into C & S's room.

There's now the sweet little alphabet wall in the playroom. I bought (then ripped all the pages out)

of Paul Thurlby's alphabet book. It's the cutest book ever, with the most darling images. I actually

bought two so we'd actually have a copy of the book. Anyhow, my mom cut the pages out for me,

and I framed them. It was some serious business figuring out how to perfectly align & hang 26 frames.

I started with the center grouping: E, M, N and V.

From there I was able to calculate and measure out where the nail holes

should be for the remaining letters. It was tedious, but so worth it. I love them!!!

Last, and well, probably least, ha! is the boy's bathroom.

It didn't get much of a makeover but a few things got added and changed up.

I added a double shower curtain, which I am loving and moved both of their growth charts in there.

... and totally random, but I took down the chalkboard frame from our kitchen that is supposed

to have our weekly menu written on it. BUT, it rarely gets updated. So I wrote the lyrics to one

of mine and KT's favorite songs "to each other" and hung it above the settee for Valentine's Day.

Definitely not perfect, but it makes us smile. Love it!

... there will be finishing touches and more to come, but for now,

without waiting for "that perfect moment" this is what their rooms look like!

If there's anything else you'd like to know that I didn't mention, just let me know.

Have a great rest of your week!

before five.

2012-01-19T15:52:00.000-06:00

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday to check up on baby Miles.

He TURNED head down like a precious, perfect angel... erasing all of my anxiety,

fears of the "delivery unknown" and questions about what might be to come.

Worrying really is so pointless. Let God, let God. He always provides.

I was 35 weeks, 3 days yesterday. Miles measured just over 38 weeks-- 6 pounds, 8 ounces.

I'm 1.5cm dilated and having crazy contractions. I thought last night "was it"... and honestly,

if it hadn't been a combination of being after midnight, having a sleeping husband, and two sleeping boys upstairs I'd probably have gone to the hospital. BUT, instead I huffed and puffed and begged

God to let me hang in there just a couple more days. Tomorrow, at 1 o'clock is my Grandpa's

memorial service that I desperately want to attend... and I am speaking during the service.

I keep saying if I can make it until 3pm tomorrow I will be a happy camper and Miles

is free to come whenever. So... while there's still just two wild boys under my roof

and I'm absolutely forcing myself to move as little as possible today...

I thought I'd check in on the blog before we're a family of five.

I've been packing, organizing and planning for KT & I to be gone at the hospital.

It's so much more overwhelming when you have littles ones you leave at home.

My parents will have them while we are gone having Miles and in truth, they couldn't be

in better hands... but I am a mommy and I feel it necessary to make sure that every possible scenario

or need that could arise be easily met while I'm gone. Starting with the FUN stuff...

like "YAY! You're a Big Brother Bags!" Just a few fun toys and tees to celebrate brother Miles.

We signed Carson up for Tee Ball this week and he's been outside at the park practicing his skills!

My sweet little blue-eyed batter...

I am so excited to watch him play!

And, I know his Pop Pop will be his biggest fan! It should be a fun season.

greetings from my couch.

2012-01-14T21:52:00.000-06:00

Hi friends.

KT is watching football with "the guys"... I put my littles in bed before 8pm...

I'm finally sitting down on the couch with nothing left to do for the day.

I promise I am not falling off the blogger bandwagon.

It just seems that there's SO much on our to-do list these days.

By the time we finish all there is to complete in a day, I roll my big-ole pregnant self

into bed and tell myself I'll blog about it all "tomorrow." This is a tiny snapshot of a

few things that have been going on. MOST of our "things to do" have involved redoing

the upstairs to transition Carson and Slade into a shared "brothers bedroom"

and getting Miles's nursery ready. We are ALMOST done.

I may even be able to show you the finished rooms tomorrow. Maybe.

Until then, here's a few happenings...

I've hardly had a minute to mention or blog about it... but I am loving my Silhouette Cameo,

which was a very generous Christmas gift from KT's parents.

I am still figuring out what it's capable of and how to use it properly.

I made a little cutout to decorate a baby shower gift last week and it turned out really cute.

I cut the design onto heavy cardstock, then placed it on top of the wrapped package

(I pre-measured my box for sizing of the design). I used spray craft glue to temporarily fix it

to the package, then resprayed the cut out and applied glitter. Easy and adorable.

I couldn't manage to get MYSELF cute and presentable to actually attend the shower...

but that's because I've turned into a hermit. Ha, no really. I basically haven't made any plans

or attended any events for weeks. I'm HOME all the time, or running necessary errands

with as few kids with me as possible. Just ready to be "not pregnant."

Our kitchen chalkboard table has a new message for 2012...

and a fun new print that makes KT and laugh!

The boys had a glow stick bath tonight...

super cheap and easy way for little ones to have an absolute blast!

And, some sweet new swaddling blankets arrived for baby Miles. I am in love with

aden+anais swaddling blankets and absolutely couldn't resist these sweet prints for him.

We sign CT up for tee-ball this coming week. He's pretty pumped about it

and wants to practice, practice, practice. He's going to be playing in the same league I played

softball in growing up! Can't believe it. I am so excited to watch him play. I hope he loves it!

Instead of just "pinning" I actually MADE something that looked delicious on Pinterest.

These Meltaway Cookies were too tempting to pass up. And the recipe did not disappoint.

Of course ours needed to be blue and not pink.

Our breakfast area got taken over during the holidays because we don't have a spare bedroom

or an office and I needed a work space for pillow-making. I transformed it back into a functional breakfast room yesterday and spruced up our table with fresh flowers and candy. Much better!

My KT is a wonderful man with many talents. But a handyman, he is not. Thankfully my parents

live less than a mile away, so my sweet dad came over the other night to help me hang curtain rods

so I could get the boy's drapes hung. I was SO grateful. The draperies are darling... can't wait to show you!

*Slader Gator had his 18 month check up this week (belated-- he turned 19 months on Thursday).

He weighed in at a healthy 29 pounds, 14 ounces. We thought we'd be meeting to discuss

getting tubes in his ears, but miraculously his ears looked "perfectly healthy." I was so grateful.

*Carson is loving the book exchange "chain letter" we participated in.

Packages of books surprise us almost every week. The other day we got a box from

Darci & Jackson with the sweetest books. The boys loved them.

*After I picked CT up from school this week, we made a pit stop for cake pops!

Guaranteed way to put a smile on the Tichenor boy's faces.

... and last but not least, I have several "brother" shirt orders a-coming.

One of the monogrammers I used posted this picture for me to see!

KIND OF CANNOT BELIEVE THOSE ARE FOR MY THREE BOYS.

... and here's a little sneak peek of something I worked on today for Carson & Slade's room.

I ordered an antique mirror from an etsy seller and repainted it today. Can't wait to hang it up!

alright, that's all for this evening!

hope you are having a wonderful weekend.

two big brothers.

2012-01-09T22:28:00.001-06:00

Baby Miles will be here before we know it.

Before he arrives, I wanted to give a little update on his two sweet big brothers.

Biggest Brother Carson is 4 years old, 3 months and counting.

He's such a precious little boy. Full of imagination and creativity.

He loves, loves, loves all things transportation, as he has for years.

Cars, tractors, heavy machinery, monster trucks... he's all about it.

He loves his Daddy. No doubt, KT is the apple of Carson's eye.

He excels at school and has learned so much. He can say the alphabet,

recognizes the letters, can spell his name, count, say the pledge... boy genius! Ha.

He knows Jesus. Who He is, why we love and serve Him. He says his prayers.

He loves treats. Loves chocolate milk. Loves Chinese food and breakfast food.

He's just finished his first sports season, soccer, and in a few weeks we sign him up for Tee Ball.

He loves sports. Loves to watch them, loves to go outside and play, loves to cheer

for "our teams" with his jersey on and his Dad and little brother by his side.

He loves his JiJi. She's probably his favorite person on the planet.

He knows who Mack Brown and Zac Brown are.

He told me he wants a hunting party for his birthday and wants to hang deer

from the ceiling fan with a gun pinata. OH MY GOODNESS. No words.

He's very silly-- talks in accents, loves to make us laugh.

He talks to Slade in a high-pitched "mommy voice"-- it's really cute.

He will very sweetly come up to me and kiss my belly and say hi to Miles.

He's got such a tender, sweet side to him, much like KT-- loves his family, like his mama.

Miles will be so blessed to have precious Carson Edward to look up to as his biggest brother.

Our precious Slade will be 19 months old on the 12th of this month.

He's a stout little guy, full of spunk, but oh so sweet. He gives me a run for my money everyday.

He has lots of energy! He loves to climb. On anything. Coffee table. Back of the couch.

Train table in the playroom. If it can be scaled, he's on it. He loves to eat. Can you tell?

He's kind of like a puppy-- hears someone in the kitchen and comes-a-running! He's fascinated

by the dishwasher, washing machine, and dryer. He'd stand and press the buttons and watch

things spin all day if he could. We joke that while he's standing in front of the washer he's

"watching Spin City." He mimics everything Carson does, more and more so every day.

He can say mama, dada, daddy, Bubba (Carson), cookie, chicken, cheese, cake,

bottle (bob-bull), boo, ball, bath, JiJi, Pop Pop, and the essentials, pee pee and poo poo.

He gives open mouth kisses. He loves bath time. He goes to bed like a champ.

He still takes a good 2-3 hour nap a day. He loves yogurt melts with his whole heart.

We call him Happy Feet because he's always tapping around in circles doing little dances.

He loves his "push cart" and shakes it violently on the wood floor when he gets excited.

He is a mama's boy, for sure. Almost everything need-associated for him is expressed by saying, "mama!"
He's just the sweetest, jolliest little guy. I can't believe he's about to be a big brother.

We love our little boys so very much. I feel so blessed to be Carson and Slade's mommy

and am tremendously grateful for the blessing of a third, healthy, precious son, Miles.

I hope our three boys are the best of friends all the days of their lives.

oh january.

2012-01-06T23:22:00.000-06:00

January is not messing around y'all.

It's only just begun and already it's giving me a run for my money!

Before I go in to "all of that"... here's my January Photo of the Day catch-up.

January 4th :: Letterbox

(say whhaa? I googled and thought that meant some sort of fancy photography technique.

Not so. Apparently, it's your mailbox.) Ours is of the master-planned community variety--

a big silver box we share with all of our neighbors. So instead of showing you that,

I'll show you something that arrived in my letterbox on January 4th. *SQUEE!!*

January 5th :: Something You Wore

Now if this isn't the most telling picture of my status-quo outfit these days, I don't know what is.

A big-ole-baby-bump in a comfy cotton tee with my beloved orange Ugg slippers from Santa.

Comfy and cozy is where it's at right now.

January 6th :: Something that Makes you Smile

My little Miles. Rather, my not-so-little Miles. I had a doctor's appointment today

and it was interesting and informative to say the least. I'm 33 weeks 4 days today.

Miles, however, is clocking in around 36 weeks 1 day. That's right, this sweet boy

(after the ultrasound tech double-checked her measurements FOUR times) weighs nearly

5 pounds 14 ounces and is nearly 3 solid weeks ahead of "schedule."

I snapped a picture of Miles and I waiting to chat with my doctor after the Ultrasound.

I was a wee bit nervous at this point.

Here's the take-aways from today's appointment...

(I honestly have no idea if this is TMI- skip ahead friends if you aren't into baby/birth chatter)

Miles is completely horizontal. So, what is that? Half breech?

He needs to turn head-down. Like, quickly.

Mostly because he's SO big already.

Going to my due date (February 20th) is almost laughable at this point.

He needs to get into birthing position before he's too big to be able to maneuver.

So, in addition to some at-home tips and tricks to try to coax him down into position,

I'm also seeing a doctor next week who does prenatal acupuncture to aid in repositioning the baby.

Hoping that, and some prayer do the trick.

I was on some medication to relax my uterus and keep me from contracting,

but after today, I'm now off that medication. Since he's not head-down,

there's no pressure on my (ahem) cervix to dilate, thus implying that he could stay in his comfy,

stretched out, horizontal position and KEEP GETTING BIGGER, and my body won't "feel" or "prepare" for labor. Especially if I kept taking the meds to stop contracting. Making sense?

While we don't want Miles to come quite yet... we also don't want him to hang out too long.

So, getting him into birthing position, plus allowing my body to contract/dilate/reposition is

on the agenda. Really getting excited to meet our third precious son.

I think that about wraps it up for this evening.

We'd love your prayers for sweet baby Miles as he prepares to make his way into the world.

I know God has the perfect birthday picked out for him... wonder when it will be?!

Night, night.

winter blog sale

2012-01-05T12:27:00.003-06:00

Hello friends...

I'm trying to get organized, not only in the new year, but before a 5th person joins our household.

Here's a little Winter Blog Sale for you. All items will ship for $5. Payment via Paypal.

Email me at thetichenorfamily {at} gmail {dot} com to purchase, ask questions, make offer etc.

********************

Olian Maternity Teal Cocktail Dress, worn twice - Size M {$10.00}

~~Noppies Maternity Black Full Panel Nylon Pants - Size M {$10.00}~~

~~Asos Maternity Gray Shift Dress with beaded collar, worn once - Size US 4 {$15.00}~~

~~Gray Puff Sleeve Jacket Brand 5|48 (purchased from Saks Off 5th) - Size XS {$10.00}~~

White House Black Market Black Bow Sweater Shoulder Capelet - Size XS/S {$10.00}

Banana Republic Dark Olive Green Tunic - Size S {$10.00}

Juicy Couture Fair Isle Sweater - Size Small {$15.00}

bebe Cropped Sweater in lavender/pinkish color - Size Small {$10.00}

~~Black Burnout Tunic w/Rhinestone Peace Sign bought at in-home trunk show - Size S/M {$10.00}~~

Juicy Couture Pink Tissue Tee with lace cuffs - Size Small {$10.00}

Anthropologie Sleeping in Snow Tan Hooded Sweater w/Turquoise Buttons - Size XS {$15.00}

~~Ralph Lauren Cable Knit Sweater in Teal w/Pink Pony - Size XS {$15.00}~~

Pottery Barn Kids Classic Blue Gingham Twin Gathered Bedskirt + Standard Flanged Sham

$15.00 for the set

You can see it on Carson's bed here... redoing the boy's rooms now.

~~Two Brown & White Gingham Check Pillow Cases, new in package from Land of Nod~~

~~Purchased for $13.00/case + tax and shipping(still available here)~~

~~SOLD {$10.00 for the pair}~~

Thanks for taking a look. I will mark things off as they sell.

If you still see it on the blog, it should be available.

Happy Thursday!

christmas day 2011.

2012-01-04T06:00:00.002-06:00

I'm going to let the pictures do most of the talking.

Christmas Day 2011 was so much fun.

It was relaxing, full of JOY from our littles, a great family day!

Our sweet ones were so excited to see all of the things Santa brought on Christmas morning.

Slader Gator literally took a look around and walked straight over to grab

his beloved Yogurt Melts from his stocking. He's a man on a mission.

The cookies were a huge hit. Both boys were so excited about them.

A few of you asked, and no I did not bake these. I ordered them from a baker in Austin via Etsy.

She was wonderful to work with, shipped them in the perfect amount of time for them to arrive

for Christmas, but still be fresh. Her shop is CookieFashionista on etsy.

To say I am thrilled with this new tradition would be an understatement.

Carson's excitement was so much fun for KT & I. We just sat back and watched

as his little heart exploded over his gifts. Being a parent is so much fun!

I got Slade one of those walking, barking puppies and HE LOVED IT.

He was literally sitting there giggling so hard. Sweet boy!

And... these may be the best Christmas picture of all...

our sweet Carson's face as he opened his giant monster truck!

My sweet boys put some Peppermint Buttercream frosting from Williams-Sonoma in my stocking!

Carson was so proud. We won't mention that he told me they went to the "icing store" a few days before Christmas! Ha!

I got my hubby an authentic Texas Stadium Cowboys chair, straight from

the (now torn down) stadium itself. AND I was fortunate enough to get a number 7 chair.

That's "his" number. He was beside himself.

We headed over to JiJi and Pop Pop's later in the morning to do gifts with them...

Carson walked in to another amazing monster truck... and Slade to a classic inchworm toy!

We came home later in the afternoon... all still in our Christmas pajamas.

We hung out as a family, let the boys play with their new toys,

and enjoyed a quiet evening at home, just the four of us.

... we had a very Merry Christmas! So blessed.

photo a day challenge: january 2012

2012-01-03T09:24:00.001-06:00

Like every good "pinner"... I saw this on Pinterest, pinned it, and... that's it.

BUT THEN!

I saw my cute friend Haley post that she was actually going to DO it.

So, I'm joining her in the photo a day challenge for 2012.

You should join the fun too. I don't know whose original print this is,

or if someone is actually "hosting" the challenge... but I'm going to put a link up here

so that if you participate we can all see your photo of the day.

I saved a picture of this image to my phone so I'd have it handy for reference.

Don't feel overwhelmed by the prospect of 31 blog posts. You could incorporate

the picture of the day into something you already plan to post... or group a few of the days

into one post. Either way, I imagine that MANY of my pictures will be iPhone photos

if I'm going to be able to keep up with it! Plus, I have the BlogPress app, so in a pinch I can

just upload from my phone and show the picture of the day.

Here's something worth mentioning... tomorrow, day 4, "Letterbox."

Umm, am I the only one who had no clue what that is without googling?

I guess it's something fancy you can do to your photos.

Letterbox, for me, will probably translate into "Fancy iPhone App Photo."

Okay... so I am already two days behind!

January 1 was supposed to be a photo of YOURS TRULY!

I hadn't planned to participate in this yet-- and we spent most of New Years Day

doing chores and crossing things off of our post-holiday to-do-list, so no pictures were taken.

I did however snap several as I sat on the couch with KT later that night.

So, here's a shot of my bare baby bump the evening of January 1, 2012.

January 2nd was supposed to be a breakfast shot.

Believe it or not, we picked up some treats for a local bakery for New Years

and I polished off one of the chocolate dipped coconut macaroons for breakfast.

{see previous photo to better understand, ha!}

... and while we're at it, today, January 3rd is something I adore.

Well, that is easy! Here's my sweet angels from last night.

We're in the process of getting rooms redone in anticipation of baby Miles.

Here's a little preview of what's to come in the "brother's bedroom"...

Yep, I adore them.

Link up if you decide to play along.

Happy Tuesday friends.

christmas eve 2011.

2012-01-02T22:06:00.000-06:00

We lost my Grandpa around 2 o'clock on Christmas Eve this year.

My parents traditionally host Christmas Eve dinner-- and knowing that he was in his last days,

my sisters, my dad and I rallied together to make sure my mom didn't have to do one thing

towards the end of the week. We prepared the meal and had everything set and ready

for our family to enjoy a Christmas meal together. Losing someone this time of year is not easy,

but it does make you focus on what matters and what doesn't amidst the Christmas hustle and bustle.

I had invited my family over to our house for dessert, hot chocolate, and Christmas pajamas

after our Christmas Eve dinner. It was such a sweet, special end to a long, bittersweet day.

I set everything up before we left to go to my parent's so we could walk right in the door and enjoy!

Williams-Sonoma Hot Chocolate (my new love, thanks to Ambre)... and lots of yummy treats!

Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Caramel Dipped Potato Chips,

Peppermint Shortbread, and White Chocolate Cream Cheese Cranberry Snickerdoodles

...oh, and a fam favorite Chocolate MOON PIES!

We have a tradition of giving coordinating Christmas pajamas every year. It was my year to get them

for everyone... I went with a red theme! Everyone looked so cute... here's my bucket-o-jammies!

We bought a Candy Cottage, thanks to Erin... and set it up on the coffee table to let everyone decorate.

We had tons of "building" supplies. I got Golden Grahams because I thought they'd make for great roof shingles, ha! This "gingerbread" house is such a great idea. It's plastic, literally snaps together, you ice it, decorate it... and when you're done with it... it rinses clean and can be washed in the dishwasher.

Pack it up and do it all again next year. Great addition to our Christmas fun!

The Tichenor Family, party of 4.5 ready for Christmas Eve Dinner!

Boys will be boys.

How picture-taking goes in our house lately... just keeping it real!

... and later in the evening, we all came home, changed into our Christmas PJs

and got ready for the family to come over for treats!

Carson was CHOMPING AT THE BIT to open ONE present, so we let him open a DVD of Cars 2.

My family! Brother-in-law Jesse & my sister Megan, my mom's little sister Aunt Karen, my sister Makenzie, JiJi holding Harper (Makenzie's baby girl), Pop Pop holding Slade... and the Tich fam!

JiJi & Pop Pop with their grandkids!

... and their girls!

Carson wanted everyone to open the presents we had for them so we decided to just go with the flow. Whoever wanted to open theirs could... we were so excited about Harper's present!

...another felt ball made by handmade pretties! It's THE cutest thing you ever did see!

Uncle J-Go and Carson had a great time decorating the Candy Cottage.

...after everyone left, we set out milk and cookies for Santa and the boys went to bed.

~~KT & I~~ Santa got busy setting up toys and stockings for two very good little boys.

I started a new tradition this year-- instead of filling their stockings with candy and random things...

I'm going to do a few small little gifts and treats and a big box of iced Christmas cookies.

This year I did Christmas lights that were SO ADORABLE!!! I think it will be so fun for them

to wake up every year and wonder what their cookies will be.

Christmas Day was so much fun with our sweet little boys! That post is coming soon!

**AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!**

christmas catch up.

2012-01-02T21:34:00.000-06:00

I am so behind on posting about our Christmas holidays.

Obviously I failed to keep photographing and documenting my boys opening their

Christmas books and Advent Calendar. I saw something on Pinterest the other day

and it's really hitting home with me... "you can do anything, but not everything."

It's giving me some comfort, silly as that sounds, about my failure to document the going-ons!

Never the less... this blog is so important to me. I go back to it ALL the time to reference things

my boys did, places we went, milestones they hit, and most recently...

to find special moments with my Grandpa. He went to his eternal home in Heaven

on the afternoon of Christmas Eve. It made for a bittersweet Christmas weekend.

We were saddened, and still are, to say to goodbye to someone we love so very much.

Yet, we rejoice that he did not suffer long, and that he went to Heaven for Christmas,

reunited with my Grandma after 25 years. In looking for some sweet pictures for his

funeral's slideshow I found myself SO thankful for the four and half years worth of blogging

I have stored up here. I was able to go back and find some precious pictures of

"everyday" things with my kids and my Grandpa.

*************************

A few days before Christmas we finally got around to making our annual salt dough ornaments.

JiJi and Pop Pop sent KT and I out on a date and picked the boys up to take them

to look at Christmas lights and go get treats. When they got here to pick them up

we had salt dough ornaments for each of them. We made a set for Pop Pop's patio tree--

Texas shaped ornaments, Christmas Trees, and Texas Stars. We made a bunch of gingerbread men

for JiJi-- we're both doing Gingerbread "Sweet" trees in our kitchens next year,

so we started her off with dozens of homemade gingerbread ornaments.

Carson made an anchor that we spray painted orange. And then blue. He's particularly proud of it.

Slade mostly banged cookie cutters and tried to eat the dough.

This was just a few days before my Grandpa passed away, so I never did get any pictures

of the finished ornaments before we packaged them up for JiJi & Pop Pop.

I also made a HUGE batch of cinnamon salt dough and made all gingerbread men out of that batch.

They smell amazing and are the most perfect shade of "gingerbread brown."

I can't wait to make our little "sweet" Christmas tree next year.

Up next... Christmas weekend and all of the celebrations!

happy new year flash giveaway!

2011-12-27T12:20:00.003-06:00

Hello lovely readers... I'm hard at work fulfilling pillow orders today and am ever-so-grateful

for each one of you who has made a purchase, given me encouragement, or just taken a glance

at my little etsy shop. I wanted to pay it forward and offer a FLASH GIVEAWAY

(meaning, it's going to be "open" to win for just a few hours, so it can ship today).

I'm giving away one January/February Happy New Year/Love Love Love Pillow!

You can start 2012 off with a little celebratory decor.

~~All you have to do is leave a comment on this post by 4pm CST 6pm CST.~~

~~I will select the winner and ship the pillow to you today.~~

THE WINNER, BY RANDOM.ORG SELECTION IS COMMENT 63...

that comment belongs to Darling Molly of the Duchess of Fork

Thank you ALL for "entering"-- so many sweet comments.
I appreciate them all and wish I had 109 "extra" pillows I could send out.

Hope you and yours had a very Merry Christmas!

mini mail: on pause!

2011-12-26T19:56:00.001-06:00

Hi friends, just a quick update to let you know that Mini Mail is going on a break for

the first quarter of 2012. I know, that's a BUMMER to many of you and relief to others.

The truth is, I am due to have a baby in about six weeks and I really don't know if I can commit

to it as a pen pal or as the "blog hostess." We had so much fun with it this Fall and it's something
I definitely want to pick back up... but for the time being, Mini Mail Pen Pals will be ON HOLD until further notice.
Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to a great new year!

touching base.

2011-12-23T14:42:00.000-06:00

Hi friends!

Oh what a week it has been...

Without getting too heavy, lets just say the usual hustle and bustle and mile-long to-do's

of the week before Christmas were compounded with some early contractions

(put me on meds to relax my uterus... going in every two weeks now for the Fetal Fibronectin

test to be sure I'm not going into Pre-Term Labor) Hang tight little Miles.

We are EXCITED for a February baby. See you THEN.

... and my Grandpa is in his last days of life. He's going to meet Jesus very soon.

We are praying for peace in his soul, comfort for his earthly body, and strength for the ones

he'll leave behind. He's going to a MUCH better place,

but it's a tough time of year to lose someone you love so much.

********************

I've gotten WAY behind the documentation part of our Advent & Book traditions.

But that's not what it's really all about anyway, right?

So here's a few snapshots from a week ago. I'll update with the latest here in a few days.

As you can see... Slade loves to pose for pictures.

He just begs me to set him in front of a picturesque scene so he can sit for a while, smile and pose.

It's really a delightful experience for all.

I have managed to wrap all of the gifts we are giving this week. With everything else

that's been going on, only TWO lucky packages got bows. I used According to Nina's tutorial.

Cookie the Elf has had a little bit more fun. Although, he does forget to fly to the North Pole

from time to time and ends up making a late morning run... whoops!

I saw this cute idea on Jamie's blog and knew Carson would LOVE it.

Bad lighting, but Cookie's on the firetruck lighter hanging a firetruck ornament on the tree.

My sweet little guy ran a BUNCH of Christmas errands with me last weekend. He was such a trooper.

Cookie set out cookie cutters for us to make salt dough ornaments! We made BUNCHES

including cinnamon salt dough gingerbread men that smell amazing and are the perfect shade

of gingerbread brown BUT those pictures haven't been downloaded... AND we got sidetracked finishing them this week! But there's some definite keepers. More on that...

Cookie packed a suitcase to take to Dallas... that post is coming soon too. So many IOU's!

... and last but not least, Cookie dressed up like Santa! So silly. CT loved this.

Hope your Christmas is a VERY Merry one.

six months of pillows.

2011-12-19T23:07:00.000-06:00

It doesn't seem appropriate to go any further without a quick look back...

To say that the Reindeer Pillow phenomenon was a huge, unexpected blessing this year

would be quite the understatement. I had packed up my Halloween decorations

and was looking around my living room the first week of November wishing

I had some holiday decorations to put out. I had just received some new red couch pillows

I'd ordered and I decided, on a whim, to make the original Reindeer Pillow.

I figured my husband would be okay with one tiny little celebratory pillow in the house

nearly 8 weeks before Christmas. I posted a picture on Facebook & Twitter and as of today,

exactly 6 weeks from posting that picture, nearly 250 Reindeer Pillows have been made.

Who would've thought?

Along the way, I had "customers" (seems surreal to think I have those)...

ask about pillows for other holidays and occasions. Since I hadn't intended to create

a pillow business, I didn't have any other ideas or designs up my sleeve.

I sat down a few times to attempt designs when the idea of 12 Months of Pillows came to me.

A pillow for each month of the year that coincides with major holidays, seasons, or life events.

But alas, I couldn't come up with a set that felt cohesive and twice I told KT

that I was scrapping the idea altogether. Then, one day... it hit me!

I created one design for all 12 pillows and changed the "celebration" and color palette

for each one. I loved that there was fluidity to the designs and it looked like a set.

I liked the idea of these pillows belonging to one chair or bench in your home that guests

would come to recognize and wonder what would be out the next time they visited.

I was then on a mission to make a set of 12 pillows affordable enough that you could

consider them for gifts for many different occasions throughout the year...

birthdays, teacher's gifts, housewarming, "just because," Mother's Day, and Christmas.

In my correspondence with Reindeer Pillow buyers I had promised more pillow designs

and wanted the original purchasers to have a special incentive if they decided to buy

the Year of Pillows Set. Additionally, I promised that ONE Reindeer Pillow customer would win

a Year of Pillows Set. I haven't compiled a master list yet-- but everyone who placed an order

will be entered to win. I'll announce that winner very soon.

After all of the deliberation... the first six months of pillows are ready to debut.

They are made just like the Reindeer Pillows: 14x14 filled canvas pillows with raw edges.

Only these pillows are double-sided. A set of 12 Months of Pillows will actually consist of

6 pillows in total, making them more cost effective and easier to store throughout the year.

The first Six Months of Pillows are January/February :: March/April :: May/June.

Each pillow features the signature dot design with a celebratory message

or image finished in Martha Stewart glitter-- the prettiest glitter around.

The pillows can be purchased and viewed in more detail in my Etsy Shop: eleven one creative

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1

You will have the option to purchase the pillows in a variety of ways.

You can buy them individually.

You can buy them in Six Month Sets (January-June :: July-December).

Or you can buy the Year of Pillows.

While July-December have been designed, I have not yet made the pillows

(31 weeks pregnant, 4 year old, 18 month old, Christmas, life)...

but WILL have them in my shop no later than January 1st.
That being said, if you purchase a Six Month Set and decide you want the
second half of the year, you will be able to purchase it
for a discounted amount, equal to the cost of buying the Year of Pillows.

If you purchased a Reindeer Pillow and purchase a Six Month Set or a Year of Pillows Set

you will receive a Happy Birthday :: Celebrate double-sided pillow FREE with your purchase.

This offer only applies to Reindeer Pillow orders and is valid through the month of January 2012.
Simply leave a note to seller when purchasing through etsy that you ordered a Reindeer Pillow.

I cannot thank you all enough for your support, encouragement, enthusiasm and business.
"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine!"
Ephesians 3:20

Oh What Fun It Is To... Decorate for Christmas!

2011-12-16T07:30:00.006-06:00

I can't believe this is the last day of the Oh What Fun It Is link up! What fun it has been!

I cannot wait to see all of your beautiful homes, festive decor, and fabulous Christmas trees

as you link up with my friend Erin, better known as Blue Eyed Bride.

I want my Christmas decorations to be pretty, but still whimsical and full of cheer!

I'm raising little ones and our house is anything but a "don't touch" zone.

I think, in my seven years of having "my" own Christmas tree, this year's is my favorite.

I was mostly inspired by the polka dot ribbon

and a new set of 12 Days of Christmas ornaments this year.

I blogged this week about the No-Sew Ruffled Tree Skirt I made this year.

I have yet to finish it. C'est la vie. It's pretty cute though!

We don't have a fireplace in this house... it's definitely on our "things to acquire" list!

So for now, "the stockings are hung on the armoire with care."

On top of the armoire is a handmade nativity that my mom's little sister made years and years ago.

She has Downs Syndrome and at their "workshop" they do a lot of ceramic crafts.

This is one of that she made for my grandparents, then my mom had in our home growing up,

and it's now in mine. I love it so very much. It is up high and out of reach

so I don't have shield it from tiny, curious hands all day long.

I picked up the JOY lamp at Marshall's a few weeks ago and love it!

It casts the prettiest pattern on the wall when it's on.

Speaking of nativity scenes, Erin showed this plush set on Twitter a few weeks ago

and my Christmas-loving, bright color loving, JESUS-loving heart practically leapt out of my chest.

I had to have it. It is the cutest thing you ever did see and makes me smile a dozen times a day.

I love it so much and will display it joyfully for many years!

We even awoke to find Cookie our "Elf on the Shelf" kneeling beside baby Jesus one morning.

See that Christmas print hanging on the wall? My friend Haley had the genius idea

of creating a piece of art out of a gift bag from Target. Are you kidding? How creative!

Haley blogged the real how-to... but it's so simple. Get a gift bag that you love, get a frame from

Hobby Lobby (using a coupon of course) and voila, you've got cheap and adorable Christmas art!

I made one (with her permission) and made an extra for my parent's back patio. I love it!!

The boys have a bright orange tree on a built in table at the landing of our stairs/playroom.

It's got the salt dough longhorn ornaments on it that we made last year, some bright blue

glitter peace signs I made last year and a cute scooter fabric for a tree skirt.

Our front walkway has a few cute yard art pieces... some from the Round Top Collection,

some others I've found at local boutiques and the tiny presents I picked up 50% off at Hobby Lobby

last week. I cut the boy's names with my Silhouette then Mod Podged them to the presents. I may

or may not have made one for Miles. (And one for our to-be-determined fourth child while I was at it.)

... and last but not least a few other fun vignettes around the house!

We love our Galveston Memo Board we got from Callie/Willow House. I've been changing

out the message every few days to different Christmas lyrics or scriptures about Jesus' birth.

Right now it's got a little Santa hat on it which I love! Sitting there is our Thymes Frasier Fir candle,

my absolute favorite candle on this Earth and the BEST Christmas candle you could ever own.

You've probably already seen our Christmas card holder this week and our festive little message

on the chalkboard table... but nonetheless, we're loving adding cards to our holder everyday!

DIY Christmas Light Bulb Magnets on the refrigerator...

I made this O Holy Night chalkboard out of a frame that once belonged to my grandparents.

It's perched up on the shelves in our kitchen... I love that Christmas song, I love that the piece

belonged to my precious Mamma and Pappa and I love that it has a new life in my home!

... Merry Christmas to all!

Be sure to link up your Christmas decorations with precious Erin and add this badge to your post!

CCA: God Gave Us a Gift Christmas Performance 2011

2011-12-15T22:21:00.000-06:00

I'm fairly certain that are few things more precious in this life than watching your child stand up

on the stage of your church and his preschool, singing songs about Jesus and Christmas.

Carson's Christmas program was this week and it was short, sweet, and down right darling.

I well up with tears every time my angel is up on stage singing songs about Jesus!

"Our gracious God, loves us so much, He gave the gift of His own son,

who died for us on Calvary that we might live eternally." John 3:16

"For He is born to you, this day in the city of David. A Savior who is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:11

(Carson bowed after every song. We were CRACKING up!)

CT & one of his sweet teachers, Ms. Amanda.

His favorite person on the planet... JiJi!

Oh What Fun It Is To... Make Memories!

2011-12-15T20:35:00.000-06:00

Forgive me for getting this posted so late in the day... we were gone to Dallas making a memory! ;)

I love everything about this post. I really feel like "making memories" is such a huge part

of WHO I am and what I am all about. I try to live my life, raise my boys, create a home that

cultivates the belief that everyday is worth celebrating. Sure I love the excuse to pump up

the volume during the holidays, but I am so all about traditions, memory-making,

and special moments all the whole year through. As many who have already linked up with

AP and her Memory Making post today have mentioned, family traditions ebb and flow

as children grow up, have children of their own, marriages, lost loved ones, new lives, new homes...

it seems that part of tradition is that things are always changing to some degree.

That being said, my little family has a few Christmas standby's that we are growing to love and cherish.

KT and I have been married for just over 7 years now. Carson is a little over 4, Slade was 18 months old on Monday of this past week, and our third son Miles is due in less than 2 months. We are blessed beyond measure-- and the holidays, with our house full of ~~wild~~ sweet boys are always FESTIVE!

Advent Calendar: This is a tradition we started in 2008. Carson was just 8 weeks old his "first" Christmas, so 2008 was his first Christmas to really be a part. We have a tradition of giving all of

his little buddies an Advent Calendar with chocolates behind the doors to enjoy the countdown to Christmas! Our list grows and grows every year... so much so that I've usually given one to each child, but this year we gave one to each family. Hopefully a lesson is sharing the chocolate can be worked

in to the magic of Christmas. We look forward to finding our calendars every year, passing them out, then enjoying a little treat every day as we count down the days til Christmas morning!

Look at my sweet nuggets from last year's Advent Countdown...

What a difference a year makes... Slade's loving that he's getting in on the chocolate action this year!

Elf on the Shelf: we began this tradition last year and it was lots of fun...

BUT THIS YEAR, we're really getting into the spirit of it. We have the movie, we're thankful

for Pinterest and all of the super creative mom's with fun Elf ideas, and for the little reminder to be

good little boys. We kicked off welcoming Cookie the Elf this year with a fun little

Elf on the Shelf Breakfast. Carson LOVES Cookie and I have no doubt his little brothers will too.

Family Outing to Pick a Christmas Tree: I am feeling a little redundant for those of you who have read my blog for a while... but for the newbies, I am a real Christmas tree loving lady! I love the smell, I love the hunt for the perfect tree, I love taking my sweet littles to go get it... it's something we ALWAYS did when I was a little girl and so I can't get my arms around the artificial ones, no matter how practical they may be.

2007 with our 5 week old baby boy!

2008

I could CRY. Not sure if I just didn't blog it, or if we actually did NOT take a 2009

family Christmas tree lot photo... nonetheless, here's our CT picking out a tree circa 2009!

2010

... and 2011!

25 Christmas Books Countdown: I waited almost a whole year to begin this tradition with the boys.

Last year I read about the idea of wrapping 25 Christmas books, one for each day of December

and letting your kids open one each day until Christmas Day. So, for the past year I've collected books: school book fair, sale sites like Zulily have them all the time, Half Priced Books, and gifts from friends

or grandparents make it EASY to get to 25 if you have 12 months to plan for it. We are loving

this new tradition. I hope to do it for years and years and one day pass this set of books on to my grandchildren to open as they count down to Christmas.

Homemade Salt Dough Ornaments: This is something we did for the first time last year,

and it's on our agenda for the weekend. I loved making homemade salt dough ornaments with CT

last year and I'm so excited to do it again with both boys this year. I have some sweet ideas for sentimental ornaments, then I'm sure Carson will make a few dozens cars and firetrucks.

In addition to these traditions, we're BIG on Christmas Cards around here.

I love to send them out as soon as the calendar hits December 1st.

And, I love nothing more than opening my mailbox to see a stack of brightly colored envelopes!

I wish it was EVERYONE'S tradition to send cards for every holiday.

Like many of you, we also do new Christmas pajamas with my family on Christmas Eve.

I am one of three girls, so between my mom and my sisters we rotate years on who picks them out.

This is my year... I cannot wait to give them to my family; I'm so excited!

I have thoroughly enjoyed this week of holiday link ups and am excited to read about

your family's traditions and how you make special memories during the holidays.

I'm (finally) linking up with the darling AP... and hope you will too!

Oh What Fun It Is To... Create!

2011-12-14T05:00:00.002-06:00

Why, hello there! It's day three of our Oh What Fun It Is To... Link Up

and I'm thrilled and honored to be hosting the Create portion. Thanks for joining the fun!

I'm really not sure where I got my crafty bone, but I do love me some do-it-yourself projects.

Don't be daunted by this post... or the idea of hand-making something altogether.

With so many wonderful blogs, online tutorials and sites like the ever-popular Pinterest--

just about anyone can be a little bit crafty with a few instructions and some unlikely materials.

I'd also like to say that oh so many of the things I attempt to make, copy from Pinterest

or dream up in my own little head... well, they flop! The good stuff is usually what makes it

to blog land-- the rest is an ever growing pile of "I can turn that into something else" in my garage.

Creating things... whether it's an actual thing, an event, or a memory is so much more

about the people you're doing it for than whatever it is you're creating. I am the mother of two

(almost three) precious angel boys and much of what I do centers around making their days special.

All that being said, here's a few things I've made over the past few weeks to add some

Christmas cheer to our casa. These are all quick and easy projects that I know you can tackle.

One of my favorite projects for ANY occasion is taking something you've cast aside

and turning it into a functional chalkboard! I have created countless DIY chalkboards

out of mirrors and old framed pictures. Just a couple of weeks ago I decided to repaint a small table

that used to be my grandparent's with chalkboard paint. It's now "home" to our Christmas card holder

and boasts a merry little Christmas greeting in chalkboard marker!

This project took minutes (not counting dry-time) and it's something fun and small

to have in the kitchen year-round. We can add a little chalk note for any occasion.

Inspired by so many beautiful chalkboards on Pinterest, I transformed another piece that used

to belong to my grandparents into some Christmas chalkboard art. What was once an outdated

old mirror is now a shiny new decoration with the title of one of my very favorite Christmas songs:

O Holy Night!

This week Carson helped me glue magnet strips to the back of Christmas light bulbs

and they now hold up Santa pictures and our Christmas card on the refrigerator.

Around Thanksgiving I decided to try my hand at the No-Sew Ruffled Tree Skirt originally made

for HGTV. I decided to go with red fabric instead of the linen... about halfway through

I didn't love it for my house so I finished it off and gave it to my mom. It's perfect for hers.

I then got the wild hair to make another one for our tree out of ribbon instead of fabric.

In some respects, the wire ribbon was great-- I didn't have to cut a zillion pieces

of fabric into 2" strips... but the wire made it hard to work with when trying to manipulate

into a ruffle before the hot glue dried. That's right, hot glue my friends.

I'm telling you-- the project is tedious and time consuming, but armed with a glue gun and scissors

ANYONE can make these tree skirts. In the end, the wire ribbon DID make for some great ruffles.

You'll notice that Miss Crafty McCrafterson got burned out and has yet to finish her tree skirt.

Each of these projects would make great gifts to take to a neighbor, friend, teacher, co-worker,

gift exchange, or hostess this season. Paint a small frame bright red and write

"We Wish You a Merry Christmas," let your kids glue magnets to the back of

unused Christmas bulbs... bag them up and take the to your neighbors for a fun festive

Christmas delight on their fridge... handmade gifts don't have to be overwhelming-

they really can be so simple and extra special!

I could go on and on about projects I've made, wish I could make, have on my agenda to make,

or tried to make... but instead I would LOVE it if you would link up some of your craftiness

and inspire me and others to do-it-ourselves! This blogging community is such a great resource

for bringing inspiration into your home to turn ordinary moments into extraordinary creations.

Feel free to copy this badge and use it in your post to link up and show your CREATIVITY!

Also... it would be so wonderful if you hopped over to my lovely friend Nina's blog

and wished her the HAPPIEST birthday today! Love you Nina, hope your day is fabulous!

Oh What Fun It Is To... Cook!

2011-12-13T13:57:00.001-06:00

Hello lovelies! Today's hostess is the adorable Molly of Duchess of Fork.

She's share cooking tips and fabulous recipes to indulge in over the Christmas season.

Be sure to check out her post and link up with your family favorites or tips

for cooking, baking, and serving during the holidays.

As for me, I wouldn't say that I'm an excellent cook by any means... but I do love food.

I especially love appetizers, baked goods, and meals that make my family smile.

Since Christmas Day falls on a Sunday this year, we'll have the usual hustle and bustle

of Christmas morning, combined with Church service. So, I thought I'd share two yummy recipes

I plan to try this year that will simplify prep and clean up on Christmas morning, but still give

my family a hot and delicious breakfast. I plan to pre-cut the cinnamon rolls and pre-mix

the batter/mixes for the French Toast Bake so all I'll have to do is pour and pop into the oven.

Crock Pot Egg Casserole

Cinnamon French Toast Bake

This next delight is something I have been counting down the days to make since I saw it in the

December issue of Southern Living (page 135 in case you have a copy on hand)...

one of the Runner-Ups in the Southern Living White Cake Contest: Layered Peppermint Cheesecake.

It looks absolutely Heaven-sent. Perfect for Christmas dessert, right?

I can't wait to serve this on Christmas Eve. Maybe it will be the start of a new tradition...

a White Christmas Cake every year? We'll see if I can pull this one off first. Thank you all for linking up with us this week. I'm still going through your posts from Nina's link up on Entertaining yesterday. I can't wait to see what yummy recipes and cooking tips you all have in store!

I'd be so delighted if you joined the fun tomorrow as I host Oh What Fun It Is To... Create!

We'll be linking up crafts, projects, and fun ways to get creative during the holidays.

Oh What Fun It Is To... Entertain!

2011-12-12T10:08:00.001-06:00

Today is the very first day to link up for our week of "Oh What Fun It Is To..." holiday inspired posts.

My beautiful friend Nina kicked us off this morning with a beautiful post chock full of

every last tip, trick, and detail you could possibly think of for entertaining in your home this holiday season.

Be sure to visit According to Nina for all you'll need to know to have an Open House

this Christmas, New Year's or the whole year through.

Today, I am going to focus on a new tradition for our family this year.

Family traditions are so much fun... but like everything in life, they have to change and evolve

as loved ones pass away, new little ones are born, and family dynamics shift. It's such a blessing

to reflect back on the traditions that formed my own childhood and I feel doubly blessed

to have the opportunity to create some new memories, traditions, and precious moments for my own family.

This Christmas Eve we are continuing the tradition I've always known...

a beautiful dinner prepared by my parents in their home. But afterwards, everyone will head over

to our house to end the night and prepare for Santa. Now that Carson is 4 years old,

we really wanted to have the "end" of the night traditions in our own home

so we could get the "children all snug in their beds, while visions of sugar plums

danced in their heads..." (alright, that might be a BIT much, ha)

So, my wheels have been spinning as I've begun to prepare to entertain my family

on Christmas Eve and begin a tradition in my own home.

As Nina mentioned, hosting and entertaining can be done on any budget and any scale.

GRAND is not a necessity. It's actually quite easy to keep things simple,

but really special at the same time. So, don't let the prospect of holiday hosting overwhelm you.

My theme for this year's Christmas Eve end-o-night gathering is inspired by $2.00 package of napkins

I grabbed in an end of Christmas clearance sale at Target last year: To All A Good Night.

I love choosing a theme and color palette for any occasion. It keeps you from tossing random things

into your cart if you have a clear vision of the overall "look."

We'll start out by changing into our annual Christmas Eve Pajamas. Everyone gets a new pair.

The girls will all match, the guys will all match and the kiddos will all match. It's so much fun!

My mom, sisters, and I trade off who picks out and buys the pajamas each year.

This was my year! I can't wait to pass those out.

Since we'll have just enjoyed a delicious dinner, I plan to keep the menu simple...

I am thinking cookies and milk, just like Santa would want it. We'll have lots of yummy

Christmas cookies to sample and a hot chocolate bar to create a personalized toasty beverage.

I really wanted to create a special moment for my parents with the kids, so after talking with JiJi,

my parents are going to snuggle up with their grandkids and read them a few Christmas books.

Last, but most important of all, before we tuck the littles into bed to prepare for Christmas morning,

we'll tell the story of The First Christmas... talk about the birth of our Savior Jesus...

I may even let the kids play with our new plush nativity for a little while

(we'll see how jolly I'm feeling)... and then say a prayer as a family so our kids go to bed

with THE REAL reason for the season on their hearts.

Some of my favorite ways to personalize any event are tags/printables/and personalized paper goods.

Thankfully, you don't need to be a graphic designer these days to get your hands

on some adorable printables. Many bloggers, designers, and "pinners" have shared oodles

of free printables for you to use as you entertain.

Here's a few links to some of my favorites.

Wood/Kraft Red & Green Holiday Printables

Retro Christmas Party Printables

Vintage Red Truck Christmas Printables

Modern Chevron Print & More Christmas Tags

Adorable printables + coordinating ribbon = instant personalized special touch for pennies.

These designs can set the tone for your whole event... the hard part is choosing a favorite!

I cannot wait to share our first Christmas Eve night celebration with you all.

Check back in a couple of weeks to see how I entertained my family.

We'd love for you to join the fun and link up and share your entertaining ideas for the holidays!

You can add this badge to your post and link your blog up over on AccordingtoNina.com today.

Join us the rest of the week for tips on Cooking, Creating,

Making Memories, and Decorating for the holidays!

some christmas tidbits.

2011-12-08T06:00:00.001-06:00

Y'all may be really ready for Christmas to come and go over here on my blog!

I said it last year, and I'll say it again... it's not always traditions, hot chocolate,

and cozy memories happening at Casa de Tichenor. But, I sure do love this time of year

and I relish every opportunity to make special memories with my little boys.

Speaking of hot chocolate... have you all TASTED THIS AMAZINGNESS?!

My sweet friend Ambre surprised me with it last week and I'm in love.

In love with a can of hot chocolate. Yep. It's true.

Miles and I are spending LOTS of time in our Christmas pajama pants these days.

Mostly because I've been spending lots of time making Reindeer Pillows!
It's been SO fun and such an unexpected blessing.
There's still time to order in plenty of time for Christmas.
I have a small stock on hand ready to ship, with more being made every day!
You can visit my new etsy shop Eleven One Designs to order.
{click the button in the right hand column and you'll go straight there}.

We took our bitties to go see Santa over the weekend. I wasn't sure how Slade would do.

He's the jolliest little guy ever-- but he's not so much a fan of random strange men.

The line wasn't terrible...

but it was just long enough that corralling the monkeys became quite interesting.

Carson hopped right up on Santa's lap and smiled. Slade was NOT thrilled with the idea.

The "official" Santa photo of 2011...

Carson very thoughtfully told Santa what he wanted for Christmas.

"A race track. A monster truck. A race track. Vehicles."

After Santa, we made a quick stop where Carson found the cutest car ornament and Slade crashed.

That night, we cozied up in Christmas jammies and got out the first few days of Christmas books

to read. I made a Christmas Funfetti Cake which was far more ~~distracting~~ exciting than storytime.

... and the best part of the evening... watching Slade stretch with everything that he had

to try to get to the cake in the center of the table. We ended up not reading ANY books

and just settling for Funfetti to keep the troops happy.

May all of your Christmas memories be Funfetti flavored.

In case you missed it yesterday, be sure to check out Oh What Fun It Is To... Preview!

to see the exciting holiday blog link up coming up next week!

*Get CASH BACK on all of the online purchases you make this holiday season with Ebates!**

Oh What Fun It Is To... Preview!

2011-12-07T11:00:00.001-06:00

Friends, I am so excited to share a blog link up opportunity with you all.

You are in for a real treat next week.

I am so honored to be hosting with such wonderful women.

Together with Nina, Molly, AP, and Erin, we will share our tips, tricks, and insight

on Entertaining, Cooking, Creating, Memory-Making, and Decorating for Christmas-time.

Each day one of these lovely bloggers will host a segment and we would be delighted

if you all would link up and share your own holiday how-to's. So, between now and Monday

when Nina kicks us off with Oh What Fun It Is To... Entertain! you can start compiling your posts.

Be sure you're following each one of these lovely ladies so you won't miss out on what's in store!

Nina :: According to Nina :: Entertaining on Monday, December 12th

Molly :: Duchess of Fork :: Cooking on Tuesday, December 13th

Meredith (yours truly) :: The Tichenor Family :: Creating on Wednesday, December 14th

AP :: I Love You More Than Carrots :: Making Memories on Thursday, December 15th

Erin :: Blue Eyed Bride :: Decorating on Friday, December 16th

It truly is the most wonderful time of the year, full of traditions that make each home

and celebration unique. Oh what fun it will be to see how each other entertain, cook,

create, decorate and make lasting memories for the holidays!

cookie the elf

2011-12-06T22:17:00.001-06:00

Is your family having fun with Elf on the Shelf? We are!

Here's what Cookie has been up to lately...

he went fishing :: cut down a Christmas tree in his pickup truck :: hung out with some pals

left us a Christmas note :: spent time with baby Jesus in the Nativity :: wrote down his Christmas plans

turned our milk Christmas green :: got our Jesus Calling devo ready for us :: checked out the Christmas cards

I'm trying to keep him from being mischievous, but rather have him do things Christmas-related,

or fun for the boys to see! Afterall, he's supposed to be encouraging them to be good little boys.

We are enjoying having Cookie around... what has your elf been up to?

*Get CASH BACK on all of the online purchases you make this holiday season with Ebates!**

advent calendar 2011.

2011-12-06T08:20:00.000-06:00

Since Carson was a baby, we've had a little tradition of sending or delivering Advent Calendars

to our little buddies to countdown to Christmas. We usually try to find the basic, classic rectangles

with a Christmas scene and CHOCOLATES behind each box. It's lots of fun!

My sweet ones LOVE getting to open the door every day and enjoy a treat!

December 1, 2011

December 2, 2011

December 3, 2011

December 4, 2011

... and December 5, 2011

Less than 20 days til CHRISTMAS!

25 Christmas Books Countdown 2011.

2011-12-05T18:02:00.000-06:00

I feel like I have a million and one things to blog about but am lacking the energy to get it online.

But, one of the things I am continually thankful for as each year passes is this blog.

It's served as a virtual scrapbook for our family for over four years now...

so making time to get these moments documented is important to me!

Alright, lets get started, shall we?

I wrapped up our 25 Christmas Books last week and made my first little project on my new

Silhouette Cameo-- numbers for each book for the countdown. They turned out really cute!

I photographed them all under the tree, but we're keeping them under the tree

in a red jingle bell bucket I got from Target a couple of years ago.

Photographing the boys opening the books each day or night has proven to be quite the task.

I had to laugh as I am trying to corral them, get them to pose and smile, snap a picture of the book

and make it all look perfect. IF any of those things HAD happened, and I HAD a perfect snapshot

to show you... it would be anything but accurate as far as documenting the actual moment. Ha!

Sweet Slade and Big Brother Carson opening Book 1 on December 1st.

Whoo hoo! Book #1 is The Little Christmas Tree by R.A.Herman

Book 2 opening on December 2... the wild animals are at it again!

Yay for Christmas Cookies: Bite-Size Holiday Lessons by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Book 3 opening on Saturday, December 3rd...

A classic! It's Mary Engelbreit's The Nutcracker!

On December 4th, you'll be delighted to hear that we opened Book 4...

The Berenstain Bears' Joy of Giving! We are big Berenstain Bears fans!

And last but not least for today's recap... the 5th book on Monday, December 5th!

It's a cute little book I found on clearance at Hobby Lobby: A Special Place for Santa

It was so much fun to collect the Christmas books this year. I look forward to reading them

with my sweet little boys for many years to come. You can read more about

the Christmas Books Countdown tradition that we started here. After Christmas sales

would be a great opportunity to begin to stock up on books if you'd like to bring this tradition

into your home next Christmas. For most, 25 books to buy at once is a big purchase...

but spread out over the course of a year, with gifts from friends and grandparents along the way,

it will not only be do-able, but extra special to do the collecting as a family.

We'll be back in a few days to report on the next few books in our December countdown!

merry christmas from the tichenor family!

2011-12-03T14:30:00.001-06:00

Our Christmas Cards have started to hit mail boxes, so I thought I'd share it with you all!

It is so JOLLY and happy and bright and I love it oh so much!

Big, big thanks to the fabulous Erin Condren team for the card & our photographer

for the pictures of our little family. If you'd like her information, send me an email & I'll pass it along.

*we wish you a merry Christmas!*

mini mail: itty bitty pen pals {december}

2011-11-30T19:54:00.000-06:00

Precious Pen Pals, oh what fun it has been to send packages the past two months.

This is your LAST send off with your current partner so make it a special one!

Here's an update on dates and responsibilities for the month of December...

1st of the month: monthly theme & pen pal mail instructions posted
1st of the month: pen pal partners received - your partner is the same for October, November and December
15th of the month: packages must be IN THE MAIL.
29th of the month (February has 29 days this year): Blog about your pen pal package!

Mini Mail was designed to partner up pen pals for a quarter of the year. So, beginning in January new pen pals will be assigned for January-March. If you emailed me this month to join Mini Mail I did not pair you up for December for this reason-- there's only one more send off before new partners are assigned. But fear not, you WILL get to participate come January!

You can go back to the beginning to read more about what Mini Mail Pen Pals are all about.

If you are a current pen pal and DO NOT wish to be reassigned for the new year,

please email me to let me know that this is your last month of participation.

If you are interested in becoming a Mini Mail Pen Pal please email me with your name,

your child's name, your child's age and the best email address for you.

You will go on the waiting list and be assigned a partner at the end of the month.

My email is thetichenorfamily {at} gmail {dot} com

and if you would, please put Mini Mail in the subject line!

Please email me NO LATER THAN December 25th

if you wish to drop out of Mini Mail or to join!

Fa la la la la, la la la la...

mini mail pen pals {november reveal}

2011-11-30T19:45:00.000-06:00

Forgive me Mini Mail mamas!

I am a day late in posting the reveal link up for November's send off.

The assignment for mini mail this month was...

"J.David" has become a household name for Carson. He talks about his pen pal all the time

and even "looks out" for June, Slade's pen pal. He wanted to practice writing his letters

the other day so we wrote out J.David with magnets so he could write to him.

Our package to J.David included some BLUE things, which Carson said was his favorite color, although I'd liken that to a "flavor of the week" type thing.

He sent a blue truck and some blue silly string! Carson sent J.David a VeggieTales movie

and a package of Handy Manny Pez as one of his "favorite things"-- Carson LOVES

to snuggle up and watch movies with a treat. We sent J.David the book Jesus Calling for Kids

(one of our family favorites) and some personalized book labels for the other books on his shelf.

J.David, we hope you LOVED your November Mini Mail package!

And for pretty little June, Slade sent her some orange silly string, orange nail polish in case her mommy gets crazy and decides to paint her one-year old toes, some orange yogurt melts, and some orange cookie cutters. Orange is a big deal in our house, so until Slade can voice his own opinion, his favorite color is orange. He also sent her a fun bath toy, some bath tub fizzies that turn the water colors and some cozy PJs because Slade may love nothing more than a long, warm bath of splashing and playing... followed by a big bottle of milk and some cozy jammies. June also got Jesus Calling for Kids and some personalized book labels for her little library. Sweet girl, we hope you loved your package!

I confess that I did a bad job actually photographing the contents of the package J.David sent to Carson... things got a little out of hand around her once Reindeer Pillows took over the scene.

However, I did snap a shot of my ecstatic boy when the package arrived in the mail.

And, of course a token shot of Pirate Carson in some of the gear J.David sent him from his Pirate birthday party! Carson loved every bit of the package...

thank you mama Jamie for your continued creativity & thoughtfulness.

Okay sweet mini mail pen pals... link up and show what you sent and received for November.

The December assignment is ready and will be posted, along with Pen Pal details for 2012!

Be looking for that in just minutes... Happy Last Day of November!!

monday funday!

2011-11-28T09:51:00.000-06:00

good morning my loves.

hope you enjoyed a wonderful, long weekend with your families!

we had the best time celebrating Thanksgiving, having KT home with us for days and days,

just hanging out as a family, decorating for Christmas... it was the best.

my list of to-do's for the day is 5 miles long, so I am going to post a few things real quick

then hit the ground running. So here's the scoop this chilly (finally) Monday morning!

First and foremost, thank you ALL so very much for your sweet comments on our

Elf on the Shelf Breakfast. I wish I could give one to each of your families.

I wrote all of your names down onto Santa post-it's and let Carson pick one out.

...and the winner is!!!

Congratulations Allison! Email me and we will work out the details!

You can get a great deal on an Elf on the Shelf today if you shop Cyber Monday sales online. Speaking of which, do not do any more online Christmas shopping without signing up for Ebates first. Gosh, it's the best thing ever. Cash back on every purchase you make, just by clicking through Ebates to the website you plan to shop first. It's so simple and so rewarding. You will LOVE the big fat checks or direct deposits you get from purchases you were planning to make anyhow. Most stores have bumped up their cash back percentages significantly for Cyber Monday and the holiday season... so don't miss out! Right now, Barnes & Noble is offering 10% cash back on purchases, that's amazing!

Our Cookie has been up to some silly shenanigans each night.

Carson is LOVING waking up to see where he is and what he's doing.

Last night, Cookie borrowed one of CT's trucks to go pick up his Christmas tree.

And the night before that, he went fishing! Boys will be boys!

Just a reminder that if you are participating in Mini Mail, tomorrow is the 29th,

so blog posts about what you sent and received for the month of November will go up tomorrow!

I've gotten a few requests to be on the Mini Mail wait list. My thought it to hold those since there's

only one month left for this pairing and assign you a 3-month pen pal come January.

If you're new to the blog and want to read more about Mini Mail Pen Pals you can do that here!

We'd love to have more and more participants come 2012!

Alright, we're off to see the Wizard...

okay, not really. but, we're off to run a dozen errands and cross a million things

off our list of things to do! have a wonderful day!

Elf on the Shelf Breakfast + Giveaway

2011-11-26T10:24:00.001-06:00

Good morning sweet readers!

My angel boys woke up to a special breakfast surprise today.

Cookie the Elf arrived for Christmastime and prepared a festive breakfast
for Carson and Slade to kick off the holiday season.

He so thoughtfully prepared reindeer and snowman donuts as well as a medley of other fun
Christmas treats. Hot chocolate was poured and smiles were all around.

The boys had a great time... we read the story of Elf on the Shelf, read Cookie's letter to them,
then let them "write" their letters to Santa. I ordered these precious letters last year
and they came in a set of 4. We read last year's letters too, so fun!

We are so excited to have Cookie back around everyday to "watch" over the boys
and remind them to be sweet and obedient. It's a fun little tradition... and thanks to Pinterest,
I have a million great ideas that Cookie can do during the month of December.
Carson definitely "gets" it this year, so it should be LOTS of fun!

{Creating your own Elf on the Shelf Breakfast is so very easy. All I did was cover a card table

in Christmas wrapping paper and set it up in front of our ~~undecorated~~ Christmas tree.

The donuts are so fun and so inexpensive. The other decorations and fun things were mostly

gathered in the $1 bins at Target, the Dollar Tree, or things I already had. In case you caught a glimpse, the granny-looking chairs we're sitting in were passed down to me and have yet

to be recovered & painted. Our kitchen chairs were too wide for the Santa Hat chair covers,

so those lovely chairs made an appearance for our Elf on the Shelf Breakfast.

Gotta make it work! It was SO worth it and SUCH a fun memory!}

If you'd like to start this tradition THIS YEAR with your kids...

Carson and Slade would LOVE to give you your very own Elf on the Shelf.

Since December 1st is just days away (we started a little early so we could

share our breakfast with Daddy)... the giveaway will end Sunday evening

so I can ship it out to the winner ASAP. Tis the Season!

All you have to do to enter to win your very own Elf on the Shelf is leave a comment on this post.
Tis the Season to give and to share... so no giveaway hoops to jump through!!
Just a friendly comment will do. Winner will be chosen at random tomorrow evening.

...and we're off to decorate our tree!
Fa la la la la, la la la la...

*Get CASH BACK on all of the online purchases you make this holiday season with Ebates!**

Oh, Christmas Tree!

2011-11-25T23:47:00.000-06:00

It's that time of year again...

We ventured out on this brisk 75 degree evening to pick out our Christmas tree!

Now, I know that I said we were planning to go cut our own down...

but that place is over an hour away, and the trees that you cut down aren't really "my type"--

they are sort of au natural, woody... not the sturdy pretty needles ala Frasier Fir.

We opted to go to the local nursery at the front of the neighborhood to pick out the perfect tree

for our family this year. The boys were LOVING the Christmas tree lot...

Carson and Slade ran up and down the aisles of trees until we found "the one!"

It doesn't seem possible that this time last year these were my little babies...

... and this time next year, I'll be the mommy to THREE precious little boys.

After we unloaded our Christmas tree... we got the boys into jammies and snuggled onto the couch

to watch The Elf of the Shelf. Yes, I am that mom who put them in little reindeer hats indoors,

with 75 degree weather outdoors... I cannot help myself. Just go with it.

The Elf on the Shelf movie was darling. We preordered a copy from Barnes and Noble.

It will be fun to watch every year as we bring out our own Elf on the Shelf, Cookie!

Hope you all had a very Happy Thanksgiving and are getting into the Christmas spirit!!

Be sure to check back on the blog in the morning for an exciting breakfast surprise & GIVEAWAY!

Night, night!

happy thanksgiving.

2011-11-24T09:50:00.000-06:00

From our family to yours, we wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving.

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good..."

DIY Christmas Gift Idea for the MEN in your life!

2011-11-21T11:35:00.001-06:00

Somehow, I made something almost two years ago that never made it on the blog.

We made this as a Father's Day gift for KT back in 2009 and he loved it.

I am not quite sure how that happened, BUT I thought it was worth posting today

since it might help some of you out in the gift-giving department. There are years when

I have awesome ideas about what to get the grown-up guys in my life...

my dad, my hubby, my brother-in-law... but other years, I find myself at a complete loss.

This is something you could whip up in just a few shorts hours and have wrapped

and ready under your tree this year... or save it for a birthday gift, Father's Day or anniversary.

It's a DIY framed chalkboard with their favorite sports team's schedule on it...

I originally saw the inspiration for it in a 2009 issue of Southern Living magazine.

I still have the page I tore out...

You can see that this is something that could easily fit into your home decor.

I'm not talking about a neon scoreboard ala man-cave here.

If your a sports-loving family, this is perfect for your home.

Okay, so you'll need to gather some supplies... I scored a huge framed mirror on clearance at Hobby Lobby when I made mine. It was originally $130 and was marked way down due to a tiny crack in the corner. That didn't bother me a bit since I knew I'd be spray painting it with chalkboard paint.

My friend Darci posted today that she found a huge framed picture at Goodwill to make a chalkboard.

She paid $40 for a very large print... so be sure to scope out clearance aisles, Goodwill and Craigslist.

All you need to make a Framed Team Chalkboard of your own...

some spray chalkboard paint, painters tape, and chalk!

I taped around the edges so I wouldn't spray on the frame, then laid old blankets

and towels over the frame so it wouldn't get painted. Then just follow the instructions

on your can of chalkboard paint. A couple of coats should be just fine. Let it dry as directed.

Here's a close up of the crack after it was painted.

So tiny and hardly noticeable. Yay for clearance mark downs!

You can see how old this project is by my LITTLE tiny helper... look at sweet Carson!

We're all done and ready to write down our team's schedule.

Important note... you're supposed to rub chalk all over the newly painted surface

then wipe it off before you actually write what you intend to display.

So turn a piece of chalk on its side and cover your new chalkboard first.

... and that's it! Once your team's schedule is written down, you're ready for gift-giving!

The great thing about this is that it can be redone for sports throughout the year...

football, basketball, baseball... you could even transition it for your own child's sports...

use it to write holiday messages... or menu planning! The possibilities are endless,

the price tag is unbeatable, and it's always fun to get a BIG, personalized gift like this one.

Hope this helps some of you with what to give some of those sports-lovers on your list!

Have a great Monday!

***BE SURE TO CHECK KAPPA PREP'S BLOG TODAY
11/29/11 FOR MORE DIY CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS!***

*Get CASH BACK on all of the online purchases you make this holiday season with Ebates!**

thursday.

2011-11-17T13:55:00.001-06:00

Now there's a blog title to stop the press! It's Thursday. Behold!

Before I go back into my cave of Reindeer... I thought I'd treat you with a little brain dump.

I actually love the random posts from bloggers with a mish-mash of what's going on in their world,

what they are loving online, etc. So here's a bit of what's on ma-mind this week!

The other day, as KT was walking out the door I said, "If we ever had one of those

'imaginary fabulous dinner parties where you can invite anyone you want to attend'

I'd want to invite Brad Paisley & his wife." Sweet Kevin just nodded and said, "sounds good babe." Well, it's true. I think we'd have a lovely time together. Ha! What I didn't tell him,

is that more than any celebrity or who's-who, I'd really love it if Erika & Darby

and their families would come. What a Creepy McCreeperson I am.

Is it just me, or could Santa bring you one of everything from JCrew this Christmas and call it a day?

sparkly blue sweater :: glittery iPhone case :: perfect chambray shirt

We are going to cut down our own Christmas tree this year and ohmagoodness my heart

just might explode with glee! I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but my mom has always been

a stickler for having a REAL Christmas tree. Growing up, our family's living room had a 23+ foot ceiling so our trees were always enormous. Year after year my Dad would try to explain

the practicality of buying a GREAT, BIG, PERFECT artificial tree they could over and over again...

and without fail, we'd all end up on a Christmas tree lot picking out our favorite 12+ foot tree

to bring home. I love those memories. I too am a stickler for a real tree. The smell alone makes it

worth it to me. Love the smell of a Christmas tree in my house. Anyhow... I am so excited to go

visit this Christmas tree farm with my little family (AFTER Thanksgiving).

Oh, it is truly the most wonderful time of the year.

What about your family? Are you real-tree sticklers?

Do you have a fabulous fake tree? Have you ever cut down your own?

Okay, Slader Gator is awake... CT must be picked up from school...

and THANKS TO YOU ALL AND YOUR AMAZING, FABULOUS, GENEROUS WAYS...

I need to get back to making Reindeer Pillows! Have a great evening my loves.

sports, take one.

2011-11-17T13:13:00.000-06:00

Our sweet Carson completed his very first sports season last week.

We signed him up for Soccer in September- he had practices every Tuesday evening

and an early morning game on Saturdays. I think he may have gotten a touch of his mommy's sports genes-- he's a big fan of halftime, water breaks, team snacks, and going home. Ha! Bless his heart.

I will say this, he was ALWAYS willing to go out on the field to play, be a team player, do his part... and that makes me more proud than if he scored 1 goal or 100. I do think that he will LOVE sports: baseball and golf seem to be a little more "him." We shall see.

Either way, his little team had a celebratory banquet at a local pizzeria. Everyone got a trophy, we got his soccer pictures back, and then Saturday we played in a double-header tournament to cap off the season.

We are so proud of you Carson! What a soccer star you are!

up to my nose.

2011-11-17T12:09:00.001-06:00

Friends!

In my 4.5 years of blogging, this may be the longest I've gone without a post.

I've sat down at my computer a time or two with the best of intentions-- but it hasn't happened.

I blame that 5% on my children, 5% on Pinterest, and 90% on THESE...

In my wildest dreams I could never have imagined that the Reindeer Pillows would be such a hit.

I have quite literally been up to my nose cutting, hand painting, sewing, stuffing, and shipping

Reindeer Pillow orders. I am so overwhelmed {in the best possible way} by the encouragement,

the enthusiasm and the orders. I couldn't be more grateful for each and every one.

I am working ~~harder than Santa's elves~~ to get them out to everyone as quickly as possible

and welcome your order if you haven't already placed one. I'll probably cut it off at some point

so I'm not frazzled when the holidays kick into gear.

I have a Year of Pillows plan in the works, I hope to have those designs ready to show you

no later than December 1st. If you order a Reindeer Pillow before the Year of Pillows debuts

you will be automatically entered to win a complete set (that's 12 pillows, one for each month of the year)!
I promise they will be super cute... and the perfect touch of celebration in your home.

I have a few more updates for you, but I think I'm going to post them separately.

If you're interested in Reindeer Pillows, they are $10.00 each.

You can email me at thetichenorfamily{at}gmail{dot}com & I'll send you all of the particulars.

Have a wonderful Thursday afternoon sweet friends.