Project 52: Week 13 - Roll with the changes

In my 5+ years of being a mother, I've learned that transitions are tough on kids.  Transitioning from playtime to bedtime is tough on them.  Transitioning from diapers to undies is tough on them.  Transitioning from three hour long afternoon naps to not a wink of sleep during the day is tough on them.  I felt somewhat prepared for certain transitions to be hard on my kids, but I did not expect them to be just as hard on me!  

It seems like overnight, I have two full blown kids.  Kids with friends and feelings, activities and attitudes.  Gone are my babies and the eat-play-sleep routine I have come to love and trust.  Feed them, wear them out, enjoy their naptime is how my days have gone for years.  And now it appears to be a thing of the past.  At first I fought it with everything I had, but this week, I threw up the white flag and surrendered to the tiny tyrant known as Camryn Jane Psimas.  Fine kid, you don't need a nap.  But buckle up, sister, cuz I'm running you into the ground!  

Any good day starts with a Target run, complete with a big soft pretzel to share and something fun from the dollar spot.  This day's pick was matching purple sunglasses.   I'm pretty sure they were working on their gang signs while waiting at the drive thru at the bank:

We stopped back at home just long enough to pack up some lunch for a picnic at the park up the street.  Brynn still gets a kick out of sitting in the baby swings, and I have to admit, I think I'll be a little sad when she's too big to fit into them:

There isn't much I love more than when these girls laugh together.  They spend a lot of time fighting over toys and elbow room at the bathroom sink these days, so I try to catch as many of these sweet moments as I can with my camera:

Two sweet moments captured on film within the same hour?  Winning!

Now that my afternoons aren't being spent under house arrest, who wants to play???

Hippity, hoppity, Easter's on its way!

Brynn has a cute book about how the Easter bunny came to be.  Long story short, a little old couple used to decorate all the eggs and deliver them to the children of the village, letting their bunny help along the way.  After a while, the little old couple couldn't handle such an arduous task, so they let their bunny take over the operation.  

And now the Easter bunny has a Fancy sidekick!  Here's what I've been working on lately:

5" personalized Easter eggs for Keilynn, Camden, and Lily

Keilynn is so Fancy that she gets an Easter basket to put her big ol' egg in:

Here's the back:

Sisters Bailey and Brooke wanted in on the Easter basket action as well:

You all know I'm always looking for ideas for new products to offer or a spin on a current product, and Fancy Fanatic Heather asked if I could do a pair of Thing 1 and Thing 2 eggs for her twin boys.  So happy to oblige:

Shortly after these were posted on Facebook, I received orders for three more sets!  One of the sets was for a group of siblings and included Things 1, 2, 3, and 4, and the other was for twins Giada and Annalisa, who are celebrating their first Easter this year.  I love helping people make their holidays Fancy!

The 5" Easter eggs can be purchased for $8 each, or $15 for a pair.  The 10" round Easter baskets are available for $30 each, and can be customized any way you like.  Find me on Facebook or email me at karen.psimas@yahoo.com with orders and questions.  

Project 52: Week 12 - The end is near

I believe the Mayans were right when they said the world will end in 2012.  Ok, maybe it won't end, per say, but my world is being drastically altered by one little transition Camryn is trying to make (and I'm fighting with every ounce of my being)...she's trying to drop her afternoon nap.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

I just...can't...do it.  Don't...have...the power.

I neeeeeed this child to nap.  She is such a handful right now, and I do so enjoy a short break from reprimanding her, especially at around the 2 o'clock hour, when my energy level dips to dangerously low levels.  I also enjoy being able to get a smidgeon of housework or Fancy work done while she naps, but that seems to be a thing of the past.  I've heard plenty of people suggest it's ok if she doesn't nap, as long as she has some quiet time in her room to give Mommy a break.  Fair enough, but this is what happens during "quiet time:"

After hearing the pitter patter of little feet for about 10 minutes, I go upstairs to check Camryn's bedroom, only to find an empty bed.

I take a peek in Brynn's room and find her hamper (of clean, folded clothes, mind you) has been ransacked, despite Brynn being downstairs with me the whole time.  Hmmmm...

I hear some commotion coming from my bathroom and nudge the door open, armed with my camera, to find this:

She's got guilt written all over her edible little face!  Apparently, Camryn's beloved purple teddy had a boo boo, so she pulled the potty over to the linen closet to try to get some band aids.  By the way, this is not the dress she was wearing when I put her down for her nap.  She typically has her own private fashion show for herself when she's supposed to be napping.

Lucky for me, it was 80+ degrees and sunny, so I said screw the nap, we're going to the beach:

There.  Problem solved.  Well, the problem of Camryn not napping is not really solved at all, but going to the beach improved my mood tremendously, which solves a lot of other problems in the meantime!  Spring, the timing of your arrival is impeccable! 

Project 52: Week 11 - "Is Florida that way?"

"Goodbye, see ya later, don't be sad."  ~the gang from Yo Gabba Gabba

It's been about 8 1/2 years since I packed up my life in my little Rav4 and moved from the place I was born and raised to the place I am now raising my own kids.  Until tonight, that was the last time I had to say goodbye to people I adore.  And I liked it that way.  

Our neighbors left for their new home in Florida tonight, and while I've put on a brave face for them the past few weeks, I'm crushed and literally wiping away tears as I type this.  Korrin, Sean, and Ayden are such a remarkable little family, and we've been so lucky to have them a few doors down from us for the past four years.  It isn't all that often that I meet people I really, really click with, so it was pretty heart wrenching to watch them drive away for good.  Throw in the fact that Brynn's best friend will no longer be down the street, and you've got one hot mess of a mama!  It totally sucks that I'm losing my daytime drinking buddy, but we truly squeezed every last second out of them that we could tonight.  I give you the love fest:

Brynn drew a picture and a note and put it in the piggy bank we made for Ayden.

Three amigos sharing a drink

Chillin, one last time.

 A silly picture first...

 

Then this is what I got when I asked for a nice picture.  Butts.

Best buds.

I'm pretty sure Brynn doesn't get the gravity of Ayden moving away...she very innocently asked if Florida was "that way" as she pointed in the direction of Korrin's car as they were driving away.  I'm sure when she realizes Ayden's not around to hang out at a moment's notice, it will start to sink in.  We wish our friends the best of luck in their new home, and we hope they know they always have friends in Virginia Beach.  That being said, there's a great house for rent right down the street from us...won't you be my neighbor?  Just know you can't leave until we do...this goodbye stuff is tough on the ticker! 

Luck o' the Irish

While I failed to come up with a special for the entire month of March, I cannot let this month go by without a treat for my loyal Fancy Fans.  It is the month of St. Patrick's Day, afterall, and with a grandmother whose maiden name was Mary Margaret Sullivan, I am obliged to celebrate the holiday where everyone wants to be Irish for the day.  I feel luck and good fortune have more often than not been on my side, so I'm sharing the wealth of this (mostly) Irish girl's pot of gold by giving you 17% off all orders placed between today (March 12th) and St. Patrick's Day.  

Here are a few Fancy things I've been working on this week:

A sea creature piggy so Nina in Michigan will always know she has friends at the beach :)

The next piggy doesn't have a name, but I drew inspiration from the Boppy slipcover on his mom's registry:

Piggy banks like the two shown above are the large size and can be purchased for $25, plus tax and shipping where applicable.  Medium piggies are also available for $15.  Find me on Facebook or email me at karen.psimas@yahoo.com with orders and questions.

Project 52: Week 10 - Rainy Day Women

The past two days have given me a glimpse of how much fun this spring and summer are going to be.  The girls are getting older and will be able to spend an entire day on the beach, instead of leaving at noon for naps.  There are a plethora of playgrounds within a five mile radius that will serve as alternatives to the beach.  Heck, there are even playgrounds ON the beach if we're feeling so inclined to have the best of both worlds.  The fresh air and sunshine do wonders for everyone's spirits, and if by wearing those kids out I wear myself out in the process, going to bed early will certainly do me some good.  

Before we had these gloriously sunny days, we suffered through several days of rain.  Steady, soaking, what-on-earth-are-we-going-to-do-today rain.  You do what it takes to keep from going insane, that's what you do!  Here are some suggestions:

Play dress up.  This particular look is called the "Bad Bad Brynn Bandit." 

Take a shower, even if you're not particularly dirty.  I've got first dibs on those cheeks, in case you're wanting a bite. 

Turn Mommy's closet into a reading nook/pillow fort/stuffed animal pet shop/wrestling venue. 

Go bowling.  Get beaten by your 2 year old sister, who happens to be a bowling phenom.

Snuggle with your best bud.  

So there you are...armed and ready for your next rainy day, courtesy of Fancy Fonts!

Pixie dust, princesses, and pigskin

The Chinese claim 2012 is the year of the dragon, but for Fancy Fonts so far, it has been the year of the pig!  I've completed three more in the last couple of weeks, and I have another two on deck.  They make a great gift for just about any occasion...who wouldn't benefit from saving some pennies, right?  


I'll start off with Jaylee's piggy, which was a first for Fancy Fonts.  I was told Jaylee's room was being done in a Tinkerbell theme, and I was excited to get to work.  It wasn't until I sat down with a pencil and paper that I realized drawing Tink herself just wasn't gonna happen.  Faces ain't my forte, especially those of the Disney variety!  Thankfully, the customer was ok with a Tinkerbell-inspired piggy, and there was much rejoicing!

Ears the color of pixie dust and shoes just like Tinkerbell's 

I kinda made up this font as I went along.  Seemed fairy-ish. 

Tink's magic wand 

Pretty purple flowers


Next up is Miss Chloe.  Chloe's mom gave me two ideas - princess theme or Littlest Pet Shop.  Since my goal is to make my gifts timeless whenever possible, we went with princesses.  I've made a few princess piggies in the past, so I tried to give this one a style all her own, just like Chloe herself.

Polka dot ears and bejeweled slippers 

You may remember another piggy (and plate set, actually) for another Chloe that had the same font.  I just couldn't help myself...I love how the letters look together!  I should rename it the Chloe font.

Mirror, mirror and magic wand 

Just a frog...for now!


And last but not least, we have a piggy that is more ELIte than Fancy.  My parents' friends are expecting a grandson this summer, and their son is a huge New York Giants fan.  I was more than excited to honor Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning with a piggy donning his jersey.  And see?  You don't even need to know the kid's name to give him some Fancy!

 Facemask!  Note the turf toe as well.

Between this piggy bank and my brother's body, I'm getting a lot of practice painting this NY logo!

Can't spell elite without E-L-I! 

Let's go Giants!


All three piggies above are the large size, and are available for $25, plus tax and shipping where applicable.  Find me on Facebook or email me at karen.psimas@yahoo.com with questions and orders.  As I bust my butt to catch up on orders, I'm also trying to come up with a new product for Easter.  Hoping I can get them into the Fancy Fonts family this year instead of next, so stay tuned!  

Project 52: Week 9 - The Pskiing and Psnowboarding Psimases

As much as I hate handing my Fancy/babysitting/subbing money over to Ryan when it comes in, it's for the best because he is waaaaaaaay better at saving it than I am.  Because of Ryan's financial discipline, we were able to go on our first ski trip together.  Well, almost together...we left Camryn with Ryan's parents because she is too young to get on skis right now.  The trip could not have come at a better time, with Camryn taking me to my wit's end on a daily basis.  It was so great to be able to focus on Brynn for three whole days, and the trip confirmed my belief that Brynn is definitely the coolest kid I know.  And also that Camryn is off her rocker, but that's neither here nor there.

Here are a few (ok, more than a few) photos from our trip to Massanutten:


On our way...Massanutten or bust!

Since we arrived in Harrisonburg a bit earlier than anticipated and saw the next day's horrendous weather forecast, we hit the slopes for a few hours while the sun was shining:

Daddy tried his best to give Brynn her first ski lesson and me some snowboarding tips all at the same time:

The original plan was to have Brynn go to ski school all morning on Wednesday, giving Ryan and me some time to snowboard on our own before joining up with Brynn in the afternoon.  Steady, soaking rain and thunderstorms made us go to Plan B, which started off with a pancake breakfast at our hotel:

Followed by a swim in the hotel pool:

And then some antiquing (or as Brynn put it, looking at lots of "old junk") and shopping at a quirky local shop:

We used an Applebee's gift card for lunch, where Ryan ordered the all you can eat soup and salad.  Six salads and five bowls of soup later, we were on our way back to the hotel for some more fun in the pool and thunderstorm watching.  We had a pizza pajama party in the hotel for dinner, and hit the sack early in preparation for our make up ski school session in the morning.


What a difference a day makes!  We had gorgeous sunshine and warm temps Thursday morning, so we got bagels and coffee from a local bagel joint and headed to the mountain.  We got Brynn enrolled in class and geared up for her first official ski lesson:

Thankfully, Brynn wasn't in the same group as the kid who started every sentence with "And guess what?" but instead paired up with one other little girl and the instructor.  Ryan and I wished Brynn well and went off on our own for a while.  Massanutten wasn't exactly what you would call a winter wonderland right now, but the views were nice regardless:

I had a great time learning how to snowboard, despite my 2 for 20 record of staying on my feet while dismounting the ski lift.  I took a quick break to look for Brynn, who by 11am was on the lift herself and skiing down the mountain.  So impressive!  

Brynn's class ended around 2pm, and we picked her up and said goodbye to Massanutten until next time:

Yes, Ryan and I were snowboarding in our t-shirts by noon.  My kind of winter sport!  The trip must have worn Brynn out, because she was hiding under Daddy's sweatshirt for a nap before we were even off the mountain:

I wasn't far behind.  We got back to Hampton Roads, picked up the little nugget from Grandmommy and Granddaddy's house, returned our rentals, went home, and crashed.  We were back to reality by 6:30 this morning.  


I loved showering Brynn with my undivided attention, as she rarely gets any at home these days.  Knowing she's off to kindergarten in September puts me on a race against the clock to squeeze as much fun out of her days off as I can, and with the warm weather approaching, that won't be hard to do.  So if I'm MIA on Facebook or don't get to my phone as often as I used to, it's because I'm busy soaking up my little sunshines.