Sparkle the Elf’s Adventures Continue!

Posted on December 18, 2012 by Amber Foster Smith

Sparkle the Elf continues to bring joy and laughter to our house every day! Come check out what she has been up to this week!

Day 5:

Sparkle got dressed up for dinner! Can you find her? It took Jake half the day to find her!

Day 6:

Sparkle decided it was time to do some Christmas cookie baking so she brought out all the ingredients to make our favorites!

Day 7:

Silly Sparkle…zip lines are for OUTSIDE!

Day 8:

Sparkle couldn’t wait for Jake to get home after a night away!

Day 9:

There is nothing quite like some ice-cold strawberry milk!

Day 10:

Who stole the cookies from the cookie jar? Not Sparkle!

Day 11:

Uh oh! It appears someone had a little too much fun last night!

Follow all of Sparkle’s shenanigans on Instagram at #jroxdesignselfontheshelf

Want to see what Sparkle’s friends are up to? Link up with me at Lil Blue Boo!

Sparkle the Elf Has Arrived!

A Day of Prayer and Remembrance for Sandy Hook Elementary

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Amber Foster Smith

Memorial Art by TheTomKat Studio

No matter how many times I have started to try to write these words they just wouldn’t come out. It’s because there are no words to try to describe what happened to those twenty sweet and innocent children and the six heroic educators who’s lives ended tragically way before their time. Every night I tuck both of my children in twice. The first time we say goodnight when they are still awake and can hear me tell them how much I love them and we give each other kisses night night. They don’t know it but again every night before I go to bed I lay down on Jake’s bed to cuddle him for a few moments before whispering “I love you” and giving him another kiss on the cheek. Every night I sneak into Emma Grace’s nursery while she is fast asleep to cover her back up with her blankets and rub her head while I whisper “I love you.” Friday night just like every night I tucked them both into bed once but I couldn’t find the strength to leave their rooms after telling them goodnight a second time. All I could think of is the parents who kissed their children goodbye on the way to school Friday morning never knowing it would be the last time they would see their sweet smiles. It is just too hard to comprehend. I sat in the hallway and cried for the longest time. I cried and I prayed trying to make sense of it all. But I can’t. I don’t think I ever will. All we can do is pray and do our best as a Nation to show support for the city of Newtown and compassion for every person affected by this horrible tragedy. So, today along with many of my fellow bloggers we are all taking the day to pray for those families, remember those lives that were lost and focus on how precious the gift of life really is. I hope you will join us in saying an extra prayer today and never taking life for granted. Tell those nearest to you how much you love them. Tell them how they mean the world to you. Never let a day go by where you don’t live as it was your last. Life your life to the fullest with no regrets. Love like there is no tomorrow. Cherish life.

Emma Grace Is 16 Months Old!

Posted on December 14, 2012 by Amber Foster Smith

Follow Emma Grace’s Photo Project Here!

As always I have to include some outtakes! This month we took our photos right after the arrival of Sparkle the Elf and Emma Grace was very excited about her new book! Although with a short attention span we busted out the plastic ornaments pretty quick to keep her entertained!

Be prepared for a photo bomb this month! Except you will have to excuse the fact that I think every photo is from my iPhone!

Letters To Emma Grace

16 Months Old

Miss Emma Grace this month has been so busy and so much fun! Your day to day routine is still pretty much the same as it has been for the last couple months. You wake up at around 9:30 or 10 (which your Mommy LOVES!) and we hang out for a couple of hours playing before you take about a 3 hour nap and then its more fun play time and after dinner you are tucked in sound asleep by 8:30. You still LOVE to sleep and you know what? That is fine by me! Mommy likes her sleep too! You even sleep just like me on your tummy with your legs pulled up underneath you. You still only really like to sleep in your own crib but lately you have taken a couple of good naps at Ahma and Papa’s like a champ!

Emma Grace 16 Months Old copyright jRoxDesigns 2012

You will never sleep in the car so when you do it is usually because you have skipped your nap! Your brother on the other hand will pass after 10 minutes in the car even in the middle of the day!

I love to watch you sleep! You are so sweet and quiet I can’t help but want to smother you with kisses! When you are awake you are full of energy! While Mommy works downstairs you are usually running laps around the kitchen with your stroller and whatever you can find to put in it. In the last month you have also become a big fan of purses and bags! If it has a handle you HAVE to carry it and place as many things in the bag as you can find. I believe you have 4 bags on the handles of your stroller right now filled with everything from books, to receipts, to painters tape and even a couple of hair bows and maybe a sock or two! (Oh and you so learned how to say “ssssooock” yesterday!)

You are a very curious little girl and you want to know how everything works. You will typically only take a second or two to observe something before you quickly rush right into getting your hands dirty. When we get ready in the morning I usually let you get down and play around our bedroom while I get dressed. By the time I’ve gotten dressed and made the bed it will typically take me another 10 minutes to clean up everything you have taken out! Whether its my shoes out of the closet or all of Daddy’s socks out of his drawer or even every last piece of my make up. I don’t mind though because it means you are exploring and learning all sorts of new things!

You love to help! The past month you have really started to show an interest in helping and following directions from Mommy. You love to throw things in the trash, pick up your own toys, shut doors and put things away! Your Daddy also taught you how to blow your nose which is too funny! You will actually go to the bathroom rip off a square of tissue blow your nose and then throw the tissue away in the trash. Girl! You crack me up! You also love to hold things for me and give them big hugs (which is really cute except for the people at Home Depot look at me weird when a toddler is hugging spray paint and paint chips!) Did I mention you will finally give out kisses and big squeezy hugs to us when we ask?! It melts my heart! You have never been one to cuddle so to sweet little kiss or a BIG hug makes me sooo happy!

Oh and just like always you are a crazy eater! Your favorites are lasagna, chill, tortellini, eggs, dinny blinnies, cheese and of course cereal as you can see from your favorite spot at Ahma’s house! This is the face you made at her when you realized she had a plate of cookies. Did I mention with the holidays you have had way too many cookies than any toddler should ever have? Ah, it’s okay to spoil you on occasion but just don’t get used to it okay? Oh and milk! Oh my gosh you LOVE milk! I specifically had to ask the pediatrician how much milk is too much for a kiddo your age…because if I let you…you would drink a gallon of milk a day!

I know this next month is going to go by so fast with everything going on. I wish I could slow down time and be able to savor every last second of life with you and Jakie but I know I can’t. So until Mommy can figure it out I’m just going to keep loving every second I can with you!

I LOVE YOU!
Momma

Sparkle the Elf Has Arrived!

Posted on December 10, 2012 by Amber Foster Smith

We have a new house guest for the holiday season!

Last week Santa dropped by our house while the children were fast asleep to bring a new friend! Jake had been talking about how a couple of his friends had elves that stayed at their homes during the holidays and he wanted to know why we didn’t have one at our home. Well, earlier this month Mommy had written a note to Santa telling him how much it would really mean to Jake to have one of his very special elves come and stay with us and Santa said “Of course!”

Santa left a story book and a letter to Jake telling him about how he never sent an elf to our home before because he knew that Jake was always on his best behavior and that he never feared he would be on the naughty list. He went on to tell Jake that now that he is a big brother he has to teach his baby sister all about the magic of Christmas and the importance of always being good! It didn’t take Jake long to decide on the perfect name for her…Sparkle! So far she is settling in nicely and seems to be having lots of fun. We can’t wait to share with you all of her adventures this Christmas!

Day 1:

On Sparkle’s first day with us she was a little shy and we found her hiding behind the ornaments on the mantle!

Day 2:

Now known as “Sparkle the Seamstress Elf” it only took her one day to settle in and feel comfortable enough to make herself a new skirt! Pretty stylish if you ask me! If your elf is in need of a little style stay tuned later this week when I’ll give you a tutorial on how I’m sure Sparkle made her skirt!

Day 3:

Uh oh! Sparkle is at it with the scissors again. Jake wasn’t quite sure what to do when he woke up!

Day 4:

It must have been a late night last night because Sparkle brought home chocolate sprinkle donuts and put out the hot chocolate for us this morning!

Follow all of Sparkle’s shenanigans on Instagram at #jroxdesignselfontheshelf

Want to see what Sparkle’s friends are up to? Link up with me at Lil Blue Boo!

Pantone’s 2013 Color of the Year is … Emerald 17-5641!

Posted on December 7, 2012 by Amber Foster Smith

Farewell Tangerine Tango…you will always have a very special place in my heart but it is time to bring in the gorgeous, calming, earthy jewel tones and welcome Emerald 17-5641 as PANTONE’s official color of 2013!

“PANTONE 17-5641 Emerald, a lively, radiant, lush green, is the Color of the Year for 2013.

The 2012 color of the year, PANTONE 17-1463 Tangerine Tango, a spirited reddish orange, provided the energy boost we needed to recharge and move forward. Emerald, a vivid verdant green, enhances our sense of well-being further by inspiring insight as well as promoting balance and harmony.”

– PANTONE’s Press Release

So, how are you going to bringing Emerald into your home and your lives this year? Here are a few things I have my eye on all courtesy of PANTONE’s Holiday Gift Guide on Pintrest!