Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Tuesday Guest Day...

Today I have the pleasure of introducing Nic!  Take a peek at her blog and enjoy the adorable pictures of her kids...you'll be happy you did! :) :)

Hey friends! My name is Mama Nic.  It is so nice to meet you.  Katie was kind enough to have me over today to introduce myself to you all.



That's me with my littlest one.  We love to hike.

I am the blogger behind Embracing A Life Unexpected.  That carefully chosen title, means exactly what it says.  I started writing the blog when I found out I was pregnant for the third time and wanted to share my story.  That pregnancy was a surprise, (a slight understatement!) because I was at the time, using the Mirena IUD.  I made a choice (although it for me was never really a choice) to take the risk and try to carry this wonderful gift.  It wasn’t easy.  I wanted to write and share my pregnancy which was complicated emotionally, and physically.  I scoured the internet for someone going through what I was, so that I could maybe know what to expect and to feel like I wasn’t alone.  I found nothing.  I knew for a fact from being on forums and such, that there were other women going through similar situations, but nobody that I had found, had shared their story on a blog.  My baby and I were at risk the entire time because the Mirena could not be removed.  I carried her (yes, her!  I had a girl! That is her in the above picture.) with the IUD still embedded into my uterus.  So the title to me, beautifully expresses my feelings of embracing my daughter’s life, and along that journey of becoming a mother of three, I was left feeling like I have a brand new life to live as well!  I live with much more of an urgency and gratitude for life now, and will do all I can to live out my dream for our family.  Hop on over to follow our story and to find posts on fashion, pregnancy topics, struggles as a Mama, DIY projects, our plan to relocate a family of five, and more.  I hope these stories are relatable to you in some way, and they leave you feeling inspired.  The point of this blog for me was to make a connection to you.  Maybe I can bring you some peace or at least make you smile.....make you realize that you are not alone.



Other than writing, I am a Mother of three young souls, whom I refer to as Bubba, Marmalade and Chica in my blog. My husband and I try to raise this little tribe the best we know how.  We are still learning everyday.  I think it will always be like that. 

And last but not least, I would like to share that I am the designer behind My Sweet Marmalade.  I sew teeny tiny dresses and find so much joy in doing it.  After my first daughter was born (nicknamed Marmalade), I wanted to get back to my roots of Fashion and also needed an outlet for my creativity.  I kept seeing dresses online and thought, hey, I could sew that.  From there, my Etsy shop was born.  I try to design items that are functional, economical, eco-friendly, and of course high on the sweetness scale.  If you need something for that little lady in your life, click on over to the shop.



Having children sometimes sparks a hidden passion!


Marmalade shows off her one-of-a-kind Birthday dress.


I am lucky enough to have lots of cute models to design for now.




My special boy even gets some custom threads on occasion.


Thanks again Katie, for letting me have a spot today.  I hope to get to know you all a little more.

Love, Peace, and Sandy Feet,
Mama Nic


This post was written and submitted by Mama Nic.  To connect with her click on her blog, Embracing A Life Unexpected, follow her on Pinterest, Facebook, or send off an email at mysweetmarmalade.etsy.com. 

Friday, June 7, 2013

Father's Day Is Coming!

Since Lily was born I find that each year I get really excited about Father's Day.  Possibly even more excited than Mother's Day (kind of weird right?).  I love making my DH feel special and dedicating a day just for him.  His day will most likely involve a round of golf with his father and friends, but as a family we always celebrate and enjoy the day.

I've been trying to find a few gifts that will really top off the day.  Here's are my 2013 Father's Day Gift Ideas:

5. Wood Pellet Smoker

Source: http://www.bbqfans.com
This baby is nearly $1K so I think we'll skip this model, but I've seen others that are much more reasonable.  My husband LOVES smoked pork chops, salmon and chicken.  I think he would smoke his salads if he could.  This would be a great addition to our grill gear.

4.  Artwork from Lily

I saw this piece on Etsy but I swear Lily and I could create this ourselves.  This is actually a greeting card, but I can envision creating it on a canvas.  It would be a perfect addition for his office, and I think he would love it.  



3.  New Money Clip

A new fresh way to hold his money is always appreciated.  I particularly like this one because of the golf theme and it's relatively inexpensive at $79.95 at redenvelope.com


2. Breakfast in Bed

This goes without saying.  My husband will get his favorite- two eggs over easy with raisin toast and extra crispy bacon in bed.  Black coffee and orange juice.  Done and done!

1.  A Hammock
This is a family beneficial gift that we could all enjoy.  We have a fairly large backyard and a hammock would fit perfectly.  My in-laws have a hammock and I've caught them napping when I make visits :)  They're incredibly comfortable and I think Lily would get a kick out of it too.  

Source: http://pawleysislandhammocks.com/
Even thought Father's Day is still a few days away, I hope these ideas help inspire!