Life

Living la belle vie

  • Breast Cancer,  Life

    Love What Matters Feature

    Hey y’all! If you caught my very random, first ever Instagram Live yesterday, you may have heard the news already, but ICYMI, I was so humbled to be featured on the Love What Matters blog! Psst! Do you hang out on Instagram? Me too! Come hang out with me! I’ve been a reader of Love What Matters for a while, and when one of their editors reached out to me about sharing my breast cancer story a couple months back, of course I said yes! Any opportunity to bring awareness is an opportunity I will take! Of course, I shared my story here on HB&W in more detail, but I…

  • Breast Cancer,  Life

    The Pens That Give Back

    I'm one of the lucky ones because I have good insurance and because my husband's job affords us the ability to pay those yearly out of pocket maxes each year (and for the next 2 years still). But so many don't have that luxury. Let that sink in for a minute...affordable health care is a luxury.

  • Crafts + DIYs,  Crochet,  Life

    Crochet Classroom Valentines

    With the holidays over and the decorations coming down, and all the retailers trotting out their Valentine's Day wares, I wanted to share a cute, quick, and easy craft you can do for your child's class room Valentine exchange.

  • Crafts + DIYs,  Life

    Mr. J’s Batman Birthday Party

    Hi folks! One thing you may not know about me is that I LOVE throwing parties. I love coming up with one of a kind decorations, games, food, etc around a common theme. In the past, I’ve done vintage toys for Mr. A’s first birthday, The Very Hungry Caterpillar for a baby shower, Richard Scary’s Cars and Trucks and Things That Go (once for each of my boys….it’s a popular book in our house), Pikmin (a cult classic Nintendo game), Harry Potter, and a Little Gentleman theme for Mr. J’s first birthday. Don’t even get me started on Halloween! I LOVE Halloween and Halloween parties are always such fun! Today,…

  • A group photo of about 20 people, men, women, and children dressed in matching team shirts posing outside a building for the Susan G Komen walk
    Breast Cancer,  Life

    My Cancer Story

    As you may or may not know, I am a breast cancer survivor.  It’s a big part of my life story, and on this day, the day that marks me as three years cancer-free, I thought I would share my story with you. Back in February of 2015, I went in for a routine Pap.  At the time, I was nursing my then 5 month old son, and I had noticed a lump in my left breast.  I said something to my doctor about it, and she examined me.  This was my second child, and I had been unable to nurse my first, and admittedly, I wasn’t really that knowledgeable…

  • Crafts + DIYs,  Life

    Letters From Santa

    Wow! What a month! Since posting my free Fir Tree Washcloth pattern last month, I’ve been busy focusing on market prep and holidays and more importantly, spending time with my family.  That’s what it is all about, after all! The other day, I posted a picture of my Christmas tree on Instagram and talked about our yearly ornament tradition.  We have several traditions, as I’m sure all of you do too, and since I have two little kids, one of our traditions is letters to Santa, and of course, receiving a reply! In the past, I have typically had them write their letters, then used the USPS North Pole Postmark service…

  • A sketchbook turned to a blank page sits next to a cloth basket of yarn on a wood plank floor
    Breast Cancer,  Life

    A Beginning

    Breast cancer, as cliche as it sounds, gave me a new perspective on life.  Life is hard, and can be grueling, and tedious, and seem like it is the same thing day in and day out.  But there is so much GOOD in the world too.