The Blessing Gown

I absolutely adore this blessing gown! Both of my little girls have been blessed in it now, so it's extra special to me!

Hannah

Claire

When I found out I was pregnant for the first time, 10 years ago (eek!), I immediately started looking for blessing gowns. :) I stumbled upon this handmade gown online and fell in love instantly. The pure white gown with satin ribbons, the beautiful sheer overlay with flowers and embroidery, the delicate lace edging, the sweet matching bonnet, and the amazing length -sigh- it was perfect in every way! It turned out that Andrew was a boy, of course, so my Mom and I found him an adorable little white suit to be blessed in, and I tucked this gown in the back of my mind for sometime in the future.

Fast forward six years to when I was pregnant for the third time - with a girl this time! After the ultrasound, I went home and tried to find this gorgeous gown again. I found Dbinkie, the talented seamstress who made it, but this specific gown was no longer available. I remembered the name of the gown was Savannah, so I emailed the her and asked her if there was any way she could make one for me. She replied, saying that the material was discontinued. I was pretty disappointed, as no other gown could possibly be as perfect. Then, I received a surprise email from Dbinkie, saying that she found a little extra Savannah fabric tucked away in her stash, and would I still like her to make me the gown? Of course I said, YES! I was ecstatic! The gown arrived and was just as beautiful as I had hoped for!

Of course, it was even more beautiful worn by Hannah and Claire on their special days!

Claire's Blessing Day

Two Months Old!

Two months already! Wow! Claire is so much fun! Her eyes are definitely blue - the first of the Anderson kiddos. She's still hanging on to most of her beautiful dark hair and her sweet little legs are getting some of that baby chub that I love! She is getting into more of a rhythm during the day now, where she sleeps, eats, then is awake - happy, smiley, and talkative for about 10 minutes. We affectionately call it her "happy window." When the happy window closes, she gets a little fussy and just wants some snuggle time either held wrapped up in a blanket or worn by mommy in a sling or wrap until she falls asleep again. I'm sure loving all the snuggle time with my Claire Bear!


I love you, Claire! Even more than last month.

Summertime Americana Mantle

I wanted to do an Americana theme for my summertime mantel this year, but I didn't really want to spend any money on it, so I "shopped the house" for things I already had. I didn't think I would find much, but I actually surprised myself.

This LIBERTY sign I painted back in my sign-painting days. I used to have an eBay store a couple years back. The star next to it is a Christmas tree topper.
White dishes I already had, picked up from Target and various thrift stores. The apples, books, and star garland were also things I already had.
In my head, I thought this plate said, 4th on it, so I thought it would be perfect (4th of July), but then when I got it out, I realized it said, No. 4. Oh well, close enough.
The big red barn star I've had for a few years. I bought it on a trip to Amish country with my mom to decorate my family room in Ohio. I really like how it looks over the big mirror.

In the end, I did actually end up spending a few bucks on the flags and other small star at Joann's, but they were on sale, so it was still pretty cheap. And here it is with the mountain of folded clothes I should be putting away instead of taking pictures. Just keepin' it real.

Oh Boy...

At the end of sacrament meeting on Sunday, Hannah turned to the man sitting next to us on the bench, gave him a flirty smile and said, "Hi." The man smiled and waved back at Hannah. She then turned to me, very self-satisfied and said, "People love me."

One Month Old

My sweet Claire is one month old today! Wow! That was the fastest month of my life! I can definitely tell she has grown and her chicken legs are looking less skinny. She is a lot more alert when she's awake now, focuses more on faces and will even smile on occasion. She still wakes up about every 2.5 to 3 hours, but I'm feeling less sleep deprived. Maybe I'm just getting used to it. :)

Claire loves to be swaddled in a blanket, but she seems most content being worn in a wrap, sling or mei tai. I'm getting lots of good snuggle time with her!
This adorable quilt was made by my friend, Marika. I'm planning to take a picture of Claire on it every month up to a year to show her growth. I was hoping to get a front shot of her, but every time I turned her over, she cried. Oh well. The girl likes to be on her tummy!
I love the sweet froggy legs!

Here's a video for the grandmas: