Christmas in January

It is finally time for us to go home for Christmas! We always make the trek towards the end of January, since the holidays are a no vacation time zone for Jeremy. I am so excited to take Amelia home to visit with everyone. We haven't been back since early November and she has changed so much since then!

I am also very excited about the fact that my parents don't have WiFi. That seems crazy, right? But, it allows us to really focus on family time and put our phones down for awhile. That being said, I won't be updating the blog at all next week. I'm sure I will have lots to post when we get back though.

Maybe, I'll have some good toddler car trip advice by then. That little munchkin turns this 6 hour drive into something closer to 7 or 8 hours. Not exactly fun, but totally worth it.

Do you guys have any tips or tricks that you use to keep your little ones happy in the car?

Commissioned Artwork - Oscar

A photo posted by Gloria Aitken (@gloriaaitken) on Jan 21, 2016 at 6:32pm PST

My latest piece of artwork was a commission for a friend. As I'm sure most of you have gathered, I normal just draw female faces. It is sort of my go to theme whenever I pick up a pencil.

I really enjoyed working on this because its subject matter is a bit out of my comfort zone. It was especially challenging because it is supposed to be her cat, Oscar. It is hard for me to stick to reality in my artwork and actually pick up the personality of the subject. Obviously, I was super stoked to hear that she thought the work was spot on.

Her original vision for the work was something a little more dark, but as we started discussing colors it evolved into what you see now. I am over the moon, pun intended, with the colors in this piece. They really pop and play off of each other. I am a big fan of this color combo for sure.

If any of you are interested in purchasing a commissioned piece, contact me on my Facebook page!

Amelia in Wonderland

Back in November, we went home to have Amelia's first birthday party a little early. The theme was Alice in Wonderland, but with a vintage twist that felt more like a baby's party. I made the invites myself in Photoshop and had them printed by Shutterfly. I then cut the corners in the shape of a tea bag, punched a hole in the top and tied a piece of bakers twine through it, they were precious!

Anyone who has ever helped my plan anything knows I get a bit obsessive over little details.Which, lets face it, can be super annoying.  I had to really learn to let people help me. Trying to take care of a baby and put on a great party is not an easy task. 

For months, I had been dropping by craft stores and picking up all sorts of little things and in the end, I was just lucky that most of it went together. I had a lot of help from my family and friends to really make it work and I'm super thankful for that. 

I made all of the decorations, her "high chair" banner, drew the little framed pictures, and did the cakes. This mama was exhausted! We even bought a nicely bound copy of Alice in Wonderland and had the first empty page signed as a guest book. I wanted her to have a keepsake that she would actually want later. I plan to do this for all of her birthday parties. 

The menu was as follows:

Chicken Salad Croissants
Pimento Cheese Finger Sandwiches
Fruit and Veggie Trays
Heart Shaped PB&J
Cucumber Open Faced Sandwiches
Meat and Cheese Tray
Chips and Pretzels in Cupcake Liners
Spinach Dip and French Onion Dip served from Tea Cups

There of course was a sweets table, complete with cake, cookies, pastries, and a candy buffet. I hand stamped the brown favor bags with an "A" and displayed them in a teacup planter. The cakes were based off designs seen here and here.

I have definitely learned a lot so far being a mom, but one of the most important things so far is to just let people help you. They really want to make things easier on you and it can be important to let go of that control sometimes. I let go and got to really enjoy my daughter's first birthday! Instead of being so wrapped up in the details of the party, I got to enjoy the little moments with her that are only going to happen once in a lifetime! Celebrations should bring joy, not stress. Let loose and live a little. 

Beard Balm-Citrus Woods

A photo posted by Gloria Aitken (@gloriaaitken) on Jan 12, 2016 at 4:54pm PST

My husband loves his beard and I have definitely grown to love it too! So, when he was talking about wanting some beard balm the other day, I took to the kitchen and whipped some up! We already had everything I needed from the last time I made a batch of beard oil and it turned out perfect. He has been using it in his beard everyday since. The balm helps to keep his beard tame, as well as acting as leave in conditioner. It had improved the luster and feel of his beard for sure!

The initial investment in ingredients and supplies for this type of thing is totally worth it. It has become very hip to produce and sell products like these and therefore it's often pretty costly to buy them already made. I for one don't want to shell out $30+ dollars every time my husband runs out of this stuff. It is much more cost effective to make it myself. Plus, it is pretty fun too.

I found the recipe here. She gives a great run down of all the components and the purpose they serve within the balm. I tweaked it to go with what I had on hand and added more of the essential oils, because my hubby and I like for the scent to really come through. Here is my take.

Beard Balm: Citrus Woods

Makes around 8 oz.

•  1/2  cup of coconut oil
• 4 tablespoons of grated beeswax
• 1 tablespoon of sweet almond oil 
• 1 teaspoon jojoba oil
• 4-5 drops of sweet orange essential oil
• 4-5 drops of cedarwood essential oil
• 9-10 drops of pine essential oil
• small glass jar

1. Melt grated beeswax and coconut oil over low heat using double boiler method. 

2.  Once completely melted, remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients. 

3.  Poor into glass container and allow to cool completely. 

4. Enjoy! 

Time for Blogging

I really wanted this blog thing to work! Man, but with my baby girl, who is 14 months old now and my mission to detox myself from all this tech, things have been looking grim! I've started to have a brief amount of time during the day where it seems possible to do this again. I really hope I can find the time to make it work.

Like I mentioned above, I've been on a tech detox of sorts. I've been keeping the TV off  more during the day and uninstalling apps that kill time (besides Pinterest, because obviously I'm an addict). It has really made a change in my life for the better. We all get so wrapped up in our phones and what have you, that it takes away a lot of our real life experiences and replaces them with virtual ones. I have been a more effective wife and mother since I started to let go of these habits and overall I think I'm happier.

I find myself in front of the computer during my daughter's nap. She's a co-sleeper. I've come to terms with that. I hated it at first, but it's what she wants and I really do love the cuddles. So, when she settles down for her midday nap, I'm stuck in bed with nothing to do. I often browse the web and find new recipes and projects during this time, but I miss writing. I miss it with a passion. Not that I ever really did much with it. I just enjoy having a creative outlet and it's not like I can sketch with one arm stuck under a sleeping baby.

I'm going to make a real effort this time to keep this blog updated. Even if it's only with Instagram photos of my many random projects and adventures. Not everything has to be perfect all of the time. I am so glad my brain is finally starting to accept that notion and I can live in the moment more and worry less.