The Dandelion Lane Update

I thought it was high time I did a little update on my Etsy Shop, The Dandelion Lane.  I opened it almost a year ago and have done rather well for something that I have only sometimes put a lot of time and energy in to.

I lost some major motivation in the winter months after a rather busy summer/fall season and then with morning sickness due to baby #2, I lost even more motivation.  However, I have since picked it up again and have been sewing like crazy trying to add new designs and patterns to the shop.  I'd be lying if I didn't say that I pretty much want to keep every single item I make for Ryan or her sister to wear, but alas, I try to limit myself a tad.  I am, however, definitely anxious to create some matching sister outfits in the future!

Here are some examples of my newer listings:

 I can even get Ryan to be my little model sometimes. Though it typically requires M&M's as a bribe for pictures.  A mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do!

I still take custom orders if there are color schemes or a specific look you are going for.  Please check out my shop and share it with your friends and family!

Moving East

Have you ever had periods in your life that you want to speed up yet slow down simultaneously?

For instance, as a Mom, I feel like I am constantly anxious to get to the next "phase" of baby hood, always urging Ryan to do the next big thing, crawl, talk, eat, walk, etc.  I couldn't wait to have her sleep through the night, nurse a little less often, entertain herself a little bit more.  It's hard in the midst of the newborn stage to not wish for time to speed up, especially when you haven't had a shower in three days and the most solid meal you've had to date is half of a PB&J.  And yet, you want to keep them your little baby forever and you know you will miss the days when you can't just hold them in the crook of your arm.

Well that's how things are right now.  I want time to speed up and slow down.  We are moving to Massachusetts.  In fact, we moved out of our apartment in Redlands over the weekend and Ryan and I are currently shacking up at Grammy and Grampy Fairman's house.  As I type, my Dad and Josh are more than half way done with their cross-country trek via car.  Last I was told they are somewhere in Illinois.  Ryan and I fly East to meet Josh on Saturday.

Moving Day

Hitting the road!

I am ready for our things to arrive and to get settled in Worcester (apparently pronounced Wustah).  I'm anxious for the solo 5+ hour plane ride with a 10 month old to be over and of course ready to reunite with Josh and begin our new adventure in residency as East coasters.  It's hard for a type A person like me to be living in limbo land.

But, I also want time to slow down.  I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about living so far away from our friends and family.  Sure, we've lived in the UK and the Caribbean and so this should seem like nothing, but we didn't have Ryan then.  I haven't yet done the Mom thing in a place where I have little to no outside support.  And obviously, we are going to miss having our families in Ryan's life tremendously!

So, that's my dilemma, not totally ready to move forward and not necessarily wanting time to stand still.

In other exciting and noteworthy Scurlock family news, Josh received his diploma in the mail the other day.  Like he is for-realsies a doctor and we couldn't be more proud.  I probably should stop saying things like "for-realsies" now that I'm a doctor's wife. Oops!

And not to be one upped by my doctor husband, I've had a few Etsy sales since opening my shop The Dandelion Lane on May 1.  How exciting is that?!?!  If the doctor thing doesn't work out, at least we can count on my savvy business skills to keep us afloat, obviously. ;)

New Etsy Shop

So, after much debate, I've decided to take the plunge and open my own Etsy shop!  I've always enjoyed creating and crafting and have been told a number of different times that I should try selling some of my products, so Etsy it is!

The past few months, I've gotten really into sewing and quilting and so I've opened a shop called The Dandelion Lane that sells quilts, baby dresses, and hopefully much more.  I'm definitely excited and also a bit nervous about taking the plunge into the online business world, but I figure that as a stay-at-home Mama, it's always nice to make some extra money.  Plus, with Josh getting ready to start his residency in surgery, I'm giving myself something to do for the days weeks months years that I'm sure to be spending alone.

Check out my shop, The Dandelion Lane, HERE!

Also, my BFF Julie opened her own Etsy shop too! She's selling handmade baby headbands.  And we all know how much I love me some baby headbands.  Take a look at her shop, Ryleigh and Rue, HERE!
 

Ryan's First Easter

This past weekend was Easter Sunday and while it was definitely a lot of fun to have a baby to celebrate the holiday with, I also spent some time reflecting back on the past year and where my heart and my life were on Easter Sunday in 2013.

It is crazy and amazing to think about what has changed and where my life is heading now in 2014 as compared to this time in 2013.  All of the blessings in my life this past year are from God and I promise I haven't lost sight of that.  During the hardest times of life, it is easy to have a clouded mind and to think that it will never get better, but with the passing of time, comes perspective.  It is during the storms of life that we grow the most.  Boy have I grown.

Our family of three drove into Bakersfield for the weekend.  It is the last time that we will be there before we move out of our apartment in Redlands (which is only a mere 3 weeks away).  We enjoyed spending time with both of our families and were so excited that my sister Rachel got to fly in from Arizona, where she's almost done with year one of physician assistant school, to see us one last time before we move East to Massachusetts.  Speaking of MA, they have a high of 45 degrees this week.  Um, we are in the upper 80's here in Southern CA.  I may die.  Fair warning.

Anyway, back to Easter.  I had a lot of fun with my Mom doing a mini photo shoot of Ryan with the "Easter Bunny."

Mom Confession #1:  I didn't take Ryan to see the real Easter bunny.  I kind of forgot and then it was too late and I really didn't want to pay $22.99 for a picture of my kid screaming after I forced her to sit on the oversized, hairy, scary bunny from hell.   I mean come on. The child sleeps through the night.  Do I really want to mess that up with nightmares of freaky looking bunny monsters?  Nope.

I had a lot of fun on Easter Eve getting Ryan and Josh's baskets ready, even if I had to run out to Target for some last minute additions to the baskets.  Which for the record, don't go to Target at 9pm on Easter Eve thinking that it will be empty.  It was anything but.  In fact, you'd have thought Armageddon was coming the way people were running all over scrounging for last minute bags of jelly beans and chocolate bunnies.  Here's the finished product.



 

In Ryan's basket:  The Velveteen Rabbit, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Bunny PJ's, Jellycat Bunny, plastic eggs filled with puffs (her favorite of everything in her basket), and a "big girl" set of dishes.

 



Dad's "Man" basket



  On Easter, we enjoyed church, time with our families, good food, and just being together. 

Easter Sunday 2014

By the way, Ryan's Easter dress....I made it!  And I'm opening an Etsy shop here soon called The Dandelion Lane complete with baby dresses, quilts, and more.  I can't wait to try my hand at running a business. :)

Mom Confession #2: I have no idea how to run a business and be a mom at the same time. Really I'm not sure how to do either one by itself, BUT I bought a book called How to Make Money on Etsy and I have plenty of books on raising kids so I should be good to go right?!?!