2013 in review.

2013 in review from Paige Brunt on Vimeo.

this year really was a magical one.

hazel vid.

time for a hazel and maisy video!  ready, set, go!

IMG 8038 from Paige Brunt on Vimeo.

diy instagram magnets.

please notice: fetus hazel, bottom right.

have you ever heard of sticky gram?  well, i kept seeing advertisements for it and although they were cute, i was really frustrated to discover that it's $15 for just 9 magnets!  so i decided to make my own.  it's actually really easy if you are somewhat photo-editor savvy.

supplies:
1.  your photos:  i sized 6 instagram photos to 2x2in apiece and put them in a 4x6 photo.  (note: make sure your photos are at least 200ppi, preferably 400 or else you will get a pixelated photo.) then i sent the 4x6 prints to costco.
2. sticky magnetic sheets:  can be found at most craft stores.  i got mine at hobby lobby - $2.99  for four 4x6in sheets.
3. modge podge dimensional magic
4. scissors

steps:
1. gather supplies
2. pull sticky backing off magnetic sheet
3. center photo on magnet and press down firmly
4. cut out each individual magnet
5. cover with modge podge dimensional magic
6. let dry 3 hours

this was seriously one of my favorite projects ever!  the magnets turned out so cute.  i hope you enjoy it too.  happy crafting!

christmas morning!

merry christmas.  here's a little video of our hectic morning ;)

christmas morning mayhem. from Paige Brunt on Vimeo.

like lightning.

some instas.

1. we were christmas tree shopping with my fam.

2. hazel has to be walking all waking hours of the day.  fortunately for my back, she will use the walker on occasion instead of my hands to steady herself!

3. hazel's quiet book, really coming together.

4. a sleep-deprived john during finals week.

5. andy's baptism!

6. aaaand hazel has been using her christmas present a little early.  do you think she likes it? ;)

happy birthday, john brunt!

my man turns 29 today.  happy birthday, my man!  there are lots of things i love about you, and i'm sure i could name many more than i did in this sappy post three years ago.  but now we have a baby(thanks for her, by the way ;), and although she's asleep in bed and although it's only 8:30pm i can hardly keep my eyes open.  and i know that's no excuse for not listing how many more things i love about you now than i did on that day.  but what i did want to do is wish you a very happy birthday, and tell you that my love for you has grown.  and every day as we live our life together, i am happier than the last.  oh, i love you.  and i'm so glad your mine.  happy 29.

hazel's quiet book, part 1.

there have been some requests among friends and family that i should post my patterns for hazel's quiet book.  i've probably spent fifty hours on this beauty so far - and while it has many imperfections, i love it anyway.

the title page has letters that stick on with velcro so hazel can "spell" her name:

the lion's mouth opens and closes.

the ballerina's shoes can be untied and tied.

the flowers snap into place and can be put on different stems:

the barn page with doors that open and close and finger puppets inside!

and finally, the under the sea page, with a pocket for all the sea creatures:

patterns:  i started by cutting out the largest piece first, and then cutting smaller and smaller pieces as i went.  that way, i didn't have to print a ton of pages.  felt usually comes in 9x12in and i centered the pages on the far right or left of each piece (depending on what side of the page it was going on).  For example, my book cover is on the right of the felt because the binding is on the left of it.  my lion was on the left on the page because he was going on the back of the first page.  when it came to putting the book together, i used a zig-zag stitch to sew the two pages together in a square.  then, just to the left of that stitch about 1/2in i stitched a straight line and then another straight line just to the left of that.  and then i cut the extra felt off.  so by the end i have a page that is about 9in tall and 9.75in wide.  this blog has a decent picture tutorial on the process, although i did mine a little differently.  next time i make a page i will take pictures along the way and post again.  

homemade by jill has some great flower and finger-puppet patterns.  

i used hers for the barn animal finger-puppets.

pho.

the three of us tried a new pho noodle house last week.  although i we didn't like it as much as our orem pho place, it was still delicious.  hazel even had a few bites!  i love little spontaneous dates.  

i basically feel like hazel is an extension of me.  when i'm not with her, {when she's napping or the rare occasion that i work}, i feel like part of me is missing.  i feel not quite complete.  of course it's nice to catch a break to get things done while she's napping, nevertheless, i really really miss her.

i've been thinking about this a lot lately.  how as i go about my day, hazel is just an extension of my own body.  not as close to me or compact as she once was, but still very much nearby and connected.  when i go to the store, i put her in the cart.  taking care of her intermediately while i shop doesn't feel like i'm taking care of her at all.  it feels more like i am just doing what needs to be done and what i did before she came.  which i know, is simply not true.  because before i had her, i didn't have a her to take care of.  but still, i feel like my life has changed in so many thousands of ways and yet... i have stayed exactly the same.  motherhood isn't a burden, it's like a logical transition.  at the time hazel was born it didn't feel smooth.  but now, i feel like each day i become more used to having this tiny human with me and depending on me for everything.  without her, i would be nothing.

a dark, low-quality video. you're welcome.

stop getting big from Paige Brunt on Vimeo.

some things!

oh heyyy there blog.  it's been awhile.  are we still friends?

it's the holiday season, and that means i have been so busy that i don't even know what to do with myself.  {i haven't even gotten much for hazel yet!  mostly because i am waiting to find the perfect few gifts to give her....} and i'm making hazel a quiet book which has to be done by the 19th so i can let her open it on christmas day, and i need a sewing machine to complete it and i have probably spent over 30 hours on this dang quiet book so far.  but anyways, it is 2am and i'm working a full shift and i figure hey - i should document what's been going on in our lives lately.

-  we have gotten gobs {is gobs a word?} of snow over the past few days, and as i was shoveling our driveway one morning before hazel and i ran out to get some christmas shopping done {in high-heeled boots no less} one student walking home literally begged me to let him shovel my walk.  i didn't succumb to his wishes and i'm not sure why.  pride?  determination?  feminism?  {winky-face}

-  hazel has started walking with her walker and standing up for a minute at a time on her own.  rude.  also, she weighs 20lbs 8oz and is 29in long!  aaaaaand her legs really hurt, especially the left from the pneumococcal vaccine.  it's the worst!

-  john saying to me last night:  "when i close my eyes, i see call of duty.  it's awesome."

-  i loved witnessing the other day:  a man trying to push his car through an intersection when it went dead, and seeing three young student jump out of their separate cars to help him.  there is good in the world, i tell you.

and what would a meaningless blog post be without a pic of hazel therese?

"here hazel, you play right here with these christmas lights so i can get something done."