(This is why I’ve only been in grocery stores so far in 2012!)

So I love the Valentine’s Day goodies and, while I can avoid the stores, I can’t avoid my favorite blogs, Etsy sellers, or Pinterest.

My friends at Sweet Birdie’s Nest have created the cutest Valentine’s Day printable collection and it is geared toward school children. I am so excited that Hudson can pass out Valentine’s at school this year. I’m in charge of the Valentine’s Day party, so I’m really excited about this printable cupcake toppers and goodies for treat bags. They created a boys’ collection and a girls’ collection. Aren’t they cute?

The whole collection is just $5.00!

My favorite fine paper resource, Minted., has some gorgeous Valentine’s Day paper this year.

Minted Classroom Valentine’s Day Cards
The classroom Valentine’s Day cards are small and meant to be handed out. So they actually cannot be mailed.

These Williams Sonoma X and O S’mores are just so cute. If they showed up on my door step around Valentine’s Day I’d be pretty excited!

And these Heart Pie Pops? I love them! They’re just so sweet– and no doubt tasty. These are perfect for a Valentine’s Day evening spent at home.

My blog friend, Sarah, created this printable that I just love! You print it, frame it, grab a dry erase marker, and put it somewhere in your house for you and your honey to write little notes to each other. And it’s FREE!

The link to the printable is on Sarah’s blog!

photo via Life Sweet Life

(if you want to *pin* this, please do it from Sarah’s blog)

I love these personalized pajamas from Chasing Fireflies for a little girl.

I continue to create these posts because the women who have buttons on this blog have become friends of mine and I want all of you to see the great stuff they’re selling and making. Read ahead to see some of my favorite products and find out about deals from each of these fabulous companies!

This month’s new sponsors are Oreck, Thirty-One Gifts from Kodi BeVelle and My Southern Accent by Wendy Woodall.

::Oreck::

What can I say about Oreck? I am the proud owner of a Dual Max Air Purifier and that thing has made such a difference in our home!

My little handheld vacuum is the greatest thing, though. When I need to get into tight spaces to clean up, it’s perfect. Or if I need to get a spill off the couch, it’s perfect. When I took down all of the Christmas decorations, I just went around and cleaned up everything with this great, light weight handheld vacuum. The price is great and the function is unbeatable.

I also have the new Oreck Magnesium upright vacuum and it is truly the greatest vacuum I’ve ever used. I’m so proud to own one! I have a great, trusty older Oreck vacuum model that will not die and still works as great as it did when I first got it. I am an Oreck customer for life.

::My Southern Accent::

My friend, Wendy, started her Etsy shop called My Southern Accent last year. She sells these fantastic print/printables featuring Southern quotes and sayings. I just love them! They are perfect for an office, a creative space, as a reminder hanging on the wall in your closet, in a child’s room. They are just so cute and so creative!

I can’t wait to see what new designs she comes up with.

And Wendy was featured in Southern Living in the December issue for great gift ideas! Isn’t that so exciting? She is super talented and has become a friend of mine over the years. I’m so proud of all of her success and I just love her Etsy shop!

::Thirty-One Gifts with Kodi BeVelle::

Y’all know how much I love a good organizing tool and a great tote bag, right? Thirty-One Gifts is just the latest in amazing organizing gear. And Kodi has become a good friend of mine through blogging and Twitter.

The name is based on the Proverbs 31 woman and I think that is just so great. The company is centered around celebrating, encouraging and rewarding women. How great is that?

I have been drooling over so many of these bags and home organizing products. I love the magazine basket that you can carry from room to room. I love the thermal bags so much. We use them for Hayes’s bottles when we’re out and about and need to keep them warm.

The utility totes are great for transporting yoga gear, clean laundry, dirty laundry, beach supplies, party supplies and casseroles. You name it! I just love all of this stuff so much. I’m in serious need of a rolling duffle. For real. Am I just listing my Christmas wish list.

Check out Kodi’s Thirty-One site and place an order. All you have to do is click on “Place an Order” and click on the party  under Kodi’s name. And get to shopping.

::Polka Dot Posies::

I’m a boy mom, so I don’t buy bows, but I do love some bows on some little girls! Polka Dot Posies has the cutest and most affordable options for bows. Really, you cannot beat their prices. All of the bows and stocked and ready to ship so there’s no wait time to receive the bow.  I just think they are so cute! And, really. $4.00 for a bow? Can’t beat it. They also have hats, headbands and other accessories.

::BarBelles at Home and BarBellies at Home::

This is, without a doubt, the most unique sponsor on my blog, but I am SO excited to know about the blog and what it offers.

::Monogram Chick::

Oh my goodness, do I love the Monogram Chick. I recently ordered that gorgeous white, waffle weave, ruffle robe with my monogram on it. I am in love. I also recently ordered the 24 oz tumbler in a great purple color with a white decal with my monogram. I have used it so much!

Monogram Chick has the most wonderful gift selections and I have gone to her website time and time again looking for the perfect gift for every occasion. Monogram Chick is an extensive selection of fabulously unique products including gifts for bridesmaids, hostesses, sorority, housewarmings, children and babies. I have gotten so many of my favorite baby gifts and personalized items for myself and my children from Sarah, the Monogram Chick. She has items for every budget and no matter your budget, your gift will be personalized and meaningful to the recipient!

::Willow House with Callie Parker::

I am obsessed with Willow House. I’d buy everything from the catalog if I could afford it. My friend, Callie, sells these gorgeous products and a few months ago I hosted a party. For hosting the party, I was able to get some gorgeous things for some fabulous prices. I stocked up on some amazing entertaining pieces. The collage above shows some of the things I have and some of the things on my wish list, including the Nola Party Bucket and the Christmas card display holder.

Have you always wanted the Savannah Beverage Server? They’re back for a limited time and at 40% off! I have three of these and love them for parties. Click here to order yours!

And visit Callie’s Harvest Sale!

If you’re interested in hosting a Willow House party or purchasing anything, contact Callie at willowhousemom@gmail.com.

::Stella & Dot::

I absolutely love Stella & Dot jewelry. I love that it is stylish and affordable. Each season, they have the greatest pieces that fit with the latest trends and I always look for something to fit every outfit. Stella & Dot offers some of the most attractive, trendy jewelry I have seen in years. I have quite a few pieces and I wear at least one thing every day. Whether you are a stay at home mom, working mom, on the go, or going out on the town Stella & Dot has just the piece for you. Check our Karah’s site and see if you find something that fits your style and your budget!

::Sweet Birdie’s Nest::

Any time someone asks me who to use for a great birthday invitation for their child or who to use to get all the extra fun birthday accessories for their party, I recommend Sweet Birdie’s Nest. Sweet Birdie’s Nest is two sisters who make sure everyone has whimsical, beautiful and personalized stationery and party invitations.  These girls create invitations and details for bridal and baby showers, Christmas cards, birth announcements, and Baptisms.  They created all of the invitations, banners, cupcake toppers, party circles, and favor tags for Hudson’s second birthday this year.

This month, Sweet Birdie’s Nest is offering an adorable Valentine’s Day printable for school age kids! I’m so excited about it and can’t wait to show you more!

::Southern Tots::

Southern Tots has every single one of my favorite brands for kiddos. My favorite smocked and applique styles are there and Ashley also creates custom pieces for parties and occasions.

Southern Tots has Facebook sales almost every day of the week! You can go on Facebook on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to buy great smocked and appliquéd outfits for your little ones!

Their spring collections are on the website now and they are c-ute! You can always find something new for your little boy or girl when you visit www.southerntots.com!  Find them on Facebook as Southern Tots.

::Ashley Brooke Designs::

Ashley Brooke Designs is one of my absolute favorite gems that I’ve found through blogging. Her one-of-a-kind designs have found a place in our home as I’ve had stationery created for our family, for Hudson, for Hayes, given custom stationery as gifts, and used Ashley Brooke’s designs for invitations! Ashley Brooke Designs is a luxury paper company where Ashley creates hand-drawn fashion sketches from scratch.  She creates blog headers, invitations, personal stationery, announcements, and holiday cards. She works one on one with clients to design exactly what they’re looking for.  The designs are available on everything from stationery to coffee mugs to tote bags.

Now Ashley has an amazing online shop that includes beautiful stationery that is already made and ready to go. These are some of the most adorable notepads, moving announcements, thank you cards and “just because” notes I’ve seen!

Contact Ashley at info@ashleybrookedesigns.com!

::Penny Lane Designs::

Marina of Penny Lane Designs creates the best blog designs, hands down! I have used Marina from Penny Lane Designs to create my blog design twice now. When I had my original blog, she created an adorable design there, and she created the one I have now. I always recommend her to everyone because I believe she is the best of the best. She offers pre-fab layouts and custom blog headers. Each custom header is truly original and she helps your blog brand itself. I love working with her! Click here to place your order.

::Kelly Moore Bag::

Kelly Moore is one of the best in the business when it comes to photography. She has amazing style and a gift of working with people and making everyone feel beautiful. She shot my wedding, engagement, and bridal photos and she happens to be an old friend of mine. She also has this amazing line of camera bags. I have the B-Hobo bag and carry it on every single vacation. It holds my big camera and I don’t look like a tourist carrying it! Her bags are absolutely beautiful and I love to carry mine even when there isn’t a camera in it!

::Minted. The Freshest Designs on Paper::

Minted has some of the best designs you’ve ever seen for stationery, invitations, calling cards, birth announcements, Christmas cards… you name it! The best part is that they’re easily accessible to everyone. The ordering process is so easy and simple and the designs are adorable.

Minted just release their 2011 Holiday Card Collection that you absolutely must check out! Everything is so cute!

Y’all have got to see Minted’s new children’s photo stationery line. Minted Children’s Photo Stationery These cards can have your child’s photo on them and can be used as a thank you note for your kids, notes to grandparents, or whatever you want! I think they’re absolutely precious. Take a look at all of the designs!

Look at the designs here: Minted Children’s Photo Stationery

For more information on advertising or sponsoring on Blue-Eyed Bride, please contact me at eeakin11{at}gmail{dot}com.

The next sponsor post will go up in mid-February, but ads can be placed at any time.

On Saturday morning, my friends and I hosted a fun “little man” shower for our friend, Julie. Julie and Matt are having their little boy in just a few weeks and we’re so excited for them! (I left all the hostess pictures off the blog because I didn’t ask their permission if I could post it. Ha!)

Between all the six hostesses we put together a yummy brunch spread. Todd was kind enough to let us use his office (an old home) for the shower.

We had banana bread, key lime cupcakes, pistachio pineapple salad, sausage and egg casserole, cinnamon rolls, veggies and mini ham biscuits. It was a delicious brunch and I am seriously impressed with my friends’ culinary abilities.

The talented girls at Sweet Birdie’s Nest created the fun “little man” paper collection for us. Once again, the paper quality is great and the designs are adorable. And they are so easy to work with!

And my friend, Lulu McGee made the fun little tie and bow tie onesies for Baby Matthew.

My friend (and co-host) Rachel, brought the most fun game to play. I’d never played it before, but really enjoyed it! She played a CD where every song had the word “babe” or “baby” in the title. The guests had to write down the name of the song after hearing 30 seconds of the song and name the song artist. It was lots of fun!

Julie got some wonderful gifts and it was a fun morning with friends.

Todd and I are on a mission (I guess I’m on a mission and Todd is along for the ride) to see all of the Best Picture nominees before the Academy Awards.

We’ve seen The Help, War Horse, Moneyball, Midnight in Paris and we saw The Descendants this weekend. I have really loved all of the movies I’ve seen so far! We have The Tree of Life coming via Netflix this week and I’ve been warned that it’s a little bit “different.” I can’t wait to see!

I’m not hosting a party this year, but I’ll definitely have my popcorn and ballott ready on Oscar night!

Y’all, I am just so excited that my boys are starting to interact with each other. Hudson asks to sit next to Hayes in the little chair a couple of times a day. In some way, I think he knows he’s getting his picture taken, even though he refuses to look at the camera, but he likes sitting by his brother.

He also likes to get in the crib with Hayes to play just about every day. Sometimes they laugh and sometimes they fight over a toy. Hudson actually did try to hit Hayes once, but I figure that’s the first of many times that will happen. But I’m just so excited that they’re laughing together and that Hudson is talking to Hayes.

Hayes in his funny “baby legs.” (He spends most of his time in plain onesies or pajamas, so we have to warm up his little legs.)

Hudson didn’t nap for three days last week. He actually did fine when he wasn’t napping. He stayed in his room and played very quietly. The lights were still out and his white noise was still playing, but he just never went to sleep. He just played and sang songs and talked to his stuffed animals.

But when 5:30 or 6:00 came around and before TC got home, he began to melt down. Crying at the drop of a hat. Screaming when he didn’t get his way or if Hayes looked at him funny.

It was clear that I had to stay consistent with enforcing nap time and that, hopefully, he would actually sleep during nap time again someday.

I discovered that to push through the tantrums in the “witching hour” every night, we had to get creative. I had to come up with a way to get his mind off of how tired and cranky he was and make him laugh.

And that’s where Adam Levine and Maroon 5 come in. (We can also thank our friends at Disney, Elizabeth Mitchell and Oh Susanna, and Bob Marley.)

But this week it was Moves Like Jagger.

We had our living room dance party and waved our hands in the air. And waved ‘em like we just don’t care.

I showed Hudson my moves and he showed me his.

He has no idea who Mick Jagger is or what Jagger’s moves are.

In fact, he call him “Dragger.” He asks, “Dance to ‘Dragger’?” So we do. We listen to the song on repeat for about 20 minutes every night. And Hudson loves it!

I even taught him how to do “the swim” and he sings along while holding his nose and waving his arms in the air.

So that’s our little gimmick. It’s a distraction for all of us and it carries us over into bath time and bed time. Thank goodness for edited/toddler-appropriate versions of pop songs!

Our new night time routine includes supper, “Moves Like Dragger,” bath time, books, and bed.

*P.S. If it weren’t for Glee I wouldn’t even know about this song. Our music choices in the car are limited to Disney tunes and whatever I’m working on for children’s choir. Thank you, Glee, for helping me stay with it.

Last night I was reading in my archives around the months right before Hudson was born. I mentioned our anniversary trip to Savannah, but never blogged about the actual trip or posted any pictures. I think that’s mostly because I was 36 weeks pregnant on our first anniversary and I am almost positive I didn’t want to have my picture taken.

Since Etta James died last week, I’ve been humming the song “At Last” to myself a lot. Todd has always been confused by that song. He never could figure out why they sing it as the first dance song at many weddings. When I asked him why, he said, “The words say, ‘At last, my love has come and gone.’ I mean, how depressing is that for a first dance?”

I laughed and clued him in to the actual lyrics. (“My love has come along.”)

And then we laughed and remembered the night of our first wedding anniversary.

We went to eat at the Olde Pink House in Savannah. It’s one of the more popular restaurants in Savannah and they give a really good Southern dining experience.

I guess when Todd made our reservations for that night he mentioned that it was our first anniversary, as any proud groom would do!

So we got to the restaurant and we were enjoying a wonderful, quiet meal. I was large and I was hungry.

All of a sudden, Etta James’s doppleganger walks over and says, “Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Carroll. Happy anniversary.”

We thanked her for being so kind and then, without warning, she steps back and sings,

“Aaaat Laaaaaast!”

And she proceeded to sing “At Last” in its entirety at full volume to us.

We were in a very small dining room with many other patrons, who were looking on. We were all enjoying the entertainment. But I really do not like public attention and I am very easily embarrassed. My face turns bright red and is flaming hot when I know a bunch of people are looking at us.

And here we were, really enjoying her voice, but not really sure if we were supposed to look at her. Or look at each other? Or smile or cry?

So now every time I hear that song, I get this really nervous feeling as I remember that night and the really nice lady who serenaded us, but embarrassed me to death.

My friend, Catherine, is a rep for Blessed Be The Name and I wanted to help her by showing all of you what adorable clothes she is selling.

Email Catherine@pinkpeeps.com for information on sizing and prices!

View the Blessed Be The Name Spring/Summer Line Album Here

I love Blessed Be The Name kids clothes. They are so comfortable looking and just so classic. They’re easy and made to sustain lots of play, lots of wear, and lots of washes.

This sweet baby boy’s outfit is just calling my name for little Hayes.

I love their easy separates. Skirt, shorts and pants for girls can be easily paired with one of their adorable tops.

And there are sweet appliqués for boys. Appliqued tees are my favorite thing for Hudson to wear.

Blessed Be The Name clothes cannot be purchased online. But Catherine has put together a really great album of all of the clothes from this season’s line. She can answer all of your questions about sizing and how to order, if you’re interested.

Take a look at the album she put together so you can browse all the clothes.

Blessed Be The Name Spring/Summer Album

Email Catherine at Catherine@pinkpeeps.com for information on sizing and prices!

I like change. I’m just one of those people that grew up with change, so I like it as an adult.

But we don’t have any changes on the horizon. No job changes, no school changes, no additions to the family or plans to renovate or even buy some furniture. We’ve thrown around the idea of putting our house on the market to see what happens, but that seems like a shot in the dark. This is our normal. We are settled.

And that is a weird feeling.

It’s strange to be at an age where things are set. We have a routine and that routine won’t be changing any time soon. We have excitement and laughter and there are definitely things to look forward to. But it is such a strange feeling to know that we’re in a place where we’ll do the same things tomorrow that we did today (give or take a meeting, event or unexpected circumstance) and that will last for the next few years.

I can stop waiting. I wake up and enjoy these sweet years with these little people and my best friend. And pray through the struggles and praise for the joy.

Is this like “Deep Thoughts with Jack Handy” and this is the most random thought ever? Or have any of you ever felt that way?

It is fantastic and foreign to be at a point in your life where you think, “Okay. I’m settled now. I’m content and I’m done with waiting for something big to happen.”

• So storms swept through the South last night. And I guess they’re still rolling along. After last April, this terrifies me. Even though I knew that Columbia wasn’t in the path of the storm, I woke up a lot last night checking my phone so I could check the weather where my friends live. It’s terrifying.
• I was also awake a lot during the night- or I guess really early morning. Hayes had a late supper last night– around 5:30 or 6:00. I had mentioned that we had moved his “supper” to 4:00-4:30 because he kept waking up in the night with a diaper issue. So moving his supper totally solved that problem. And last night’s late supper had him awake in the middle of the night, so we were awake in the night tending to Hayes. Changing him and settling him back down only took about 15 minutes, but I was wide awake after that.
• In super-awesome Hayes news… He likes food now! Baby food, finger food, yucky food, good food. He loves it all! Yay, Hayes!
• Though we didn’t get bad storms, we still got rain. So the ground is all wet. Don’t you hate it when you have to get out in the rain and your pants drag through puddles? Then the bottoms of your pants are soaking wet? Really, this is one of my least favorite things. A wet pant leg is like a wet sock.
• I think we’ve only seen the sun in our area once in the last two weeks. It’s just so gloomy. And one day it’s humid and warm and the next day it’s freezing and raining. The gorgeous Japanese magnolia tree next door is blooming. It’s January! It’s too early! It’s so confusing in the south. I love it in late February when that tree starts to bloom and it is gorgeous in March. I’m afraid that it’ll bloom and one big storm will cause all the blooms to fall off. These are the things I worry about when I look out my kitchen window.
• You would not believe the amount of money we have saved this month by eliminating Starbucks visits from our lives. I love Starbucks. So, so much. But now I have my Keurig. And I also have Starbucks K-Cups. Starbucks at home? It’s the best!

That photographer’s name was Tracy Turpen.

She came to Columbia when Hudson was 5 months old and it was one of the greatest experiences. Sometimes spending an afternoon with a photographer can be tiring and when a child is involved, it can be frustrating. But this was so much fun! We had a blast. And we left feeling relaxed and like we had not only had our photos taken, but we had made memories in the process.

Tracy was so relaxed and she just let us do what we wanted while she did her thing. We fell in love with the photos. She captured so much emotion and we were blown away by the vibrancy of each photo.

We worked with Tracy two more times; once when Hudson turned a year old and then again when Hayes was born. We trusted her and always knew that she was going to just capture the moments and the photos were going to be real. I can’t even find the words for what she’s able to do with light and color because I’m not a photographer. But I can find the words to tell you about how kind and patient she was. How she just wanted to be there to have fun and find the beauty in every tiny little detail. And that is what we love so much about the photos.

She was with us the first time Hudson put his toes in the ocean.

We can see our family’s personalities in each photo and I’m just so grateful.

She gave me a gift just by getting pictures of me with my kids. As the one who is always behind the camera taking pictures of my kids and their daddy, I am thankful to Tracy for capturing some of the tender moments with my boys.

…And the fun moments with my boys.

I was so sad to find out on Thursday that at 27 years old, Tracy passed away. She was a mother to a little boy who isn’t much older than Hudson. She had a fiancé who loved her endlessly. And she was an incredible talent and businesswoman. She had accomplished so much in her short life and brought unspeakable joy to so many lives. She is the reason that we have some of our most precious memories preserved so beautifully.

She was kind, generous, loving and unbelievably happy.

Though I only spent three days with her over the last three years, I considered her a friend because she knew our family so well. I’m deeply saddened over this loss. Her beautiful images will be a constant reminder of how much talent she had.

I don’t know the details of her passing and I never like to ask “why” when someone so young is taken from us. Her family and close friends are in my prayers.

I will continue to visit her website and blog to be reminded of her very special talent that I loved so much. It was a hobby of mine just to check her blog to see her latest, beautiful work.

This unexpected loss has reminded me to let those that I admire and appreciate know just how much they mean. It has reminded me to be patient and loving to the most important people in my life. It has also reminded me of the importance of sharing my faith whenever I can and to pray for opportunities to do so.

My sweet little baby. You are growing up so quickly. I just can’t believe how quickly the time flies.

You still like to sit in your exersaucer occasionally. Now you’re loving your Jump ‘n Go door hanger, too. You love playing with your little Baby Einstein music box and your Melissa and Doug soft stacking rings. Sometimes Hudson even lets your play with some of his toys. But you mostly just chew on them.

the most yellow picture on the planet. i’m no photographer.

You’ve had quite a few ear infections in the last month, but we think you’re on the mend. We’re also prepared to hear the news that you need to have tubes- and that’s okay as long as it makes you feel lots better. Hudson had them and I had them as a baby, and we know they work. Hopefully you won’t need them.

You’ve been doing a much better job with eating. You like the things that I make for you as long as I make them chunkier. You love squash, sweet potatoes, peaches, bananas and green beans. I’ve also given you pieces of pancakes, tiny bites of steamed broccoli, cauliflower and banana. You love the freedom to feed yourself. Peas are your favorite. I’m so happy you’re doing so much better because this has been a big source of worry for me.

Hayes, you’re such a content little guy. I say it every month, but it’s true. You are happy to just sit and watch. You’re never super eager to go anywhere or do anything. You definitely got your daddy’s laid back personality.

You’re still not crawling, but you’re trying so hard. You can move from a seated position to all fours. Then you rock back and forth on all fours or crawl backwards. Then you can move from all fours to a seated position. I think you’ll be so much less frustrated once you start crawling.

You love to hug. When I go to pick you up, you reach up for me and then put your arms around my neck when I hold you. Please don’t ever grow up.

You love for us to read to you. You like to sit in our laps and just look at the pictures. Sometimes you’ll turn around and look back at me and smile, which always makes me laugh, but you do love to read.

You also love music. If there’s music playing then you’re smiling. And you love for us to sing to you.

You’re waking up around 7:30 a.m. and eating breakfast and getting a bottle. We put you back down for a nap around 9:30 and you sleep for an hour. (We have to wait to get home from taking Hudson to school before you can take this morning nap.)

We feed you again a bottle at 10:30 and then you go back down for a nap around noon. (You actually fall asleep in the car when we go to pick up Hudson.)

You get another bottle at 1:30 and go back down at 2:30 for your long nap. You’re up at 4:30 for your supper. We get you good and full so you can go until 7:00-ish before your bed time bottle. You’re in bed, asleep by 7:30 p.m.

We love you, little Hayes. You’ve blessed our lives in so many ways we can’t even count.

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Stats

Weight: 23 lb 12 oz

Height: Unknown

Diaper: Size 4 during the day and size 5 at night

Clothes: 12 month

a rare picture of Hudson and Hayes. Hudson actually asked to sit next to Hayes to take a picture.