Cuteacious

Put your child on the cover

2008-05-18T22:24:00.002-04:00

Of parent magazine that is! Parent is the one child rearing magazine I read and just love. Especially the baby bloopers at the end. And right now they are searching for a cover model. All children between 6 month hand 6 years can enter. I so want to enter Lilly just for kicks. But so far I wasn't able to pick a photo. There are so many cute ones. I actually submit several, so that's what I probably end up doing.
And if you don't want to enter your child, just go and look through the pictures that are already entered. There are soooo many cute babies. My favorite so far is this one here ...

I LOVE packages!

2008-04-25T09:22:00.001-04:00

I finally got a new package from my sister from Germany with all these great new felt building blocks! I'm soooo excited. She really outdid herself this time. There are over 40 swatches with some really cool new designs. I can't wait to make them into fun jewelry. My mind already started racing and I made a few sketches. And since I'm having so much fun with them. I will also list a few just the way they are - as swatches - so someone else can have fun creating with them too!

Meanwhile, I have been working on a little pattern booklet of all the different embroidery designs we have. I thought it would be great to offer a how to on our designs for all of you who like to do it yourself! It will be accompanied by a quick reference on the stitches used and available as PDF. Would anyone be interested in that?

Rainbow, rainbow everywhere

2008-04-20T00:28:00.001-04:00

Can you guess what this is.. Candy, drops, colorful soap?! At least those where the things going through my head when I first saw this picture. But those are actually Rainbow Crayons ! Isn't that the neatest idea to just put all the colors together and make some nice rainbow crayons out of them. These look like they would be so much fun, even I want to take one in my hand right now and let the creative juices flow. Just imaging what your children would say. And I love the idea of using them as party favors. What better thing to give and get! I just had to share these :)

Lilly Updates...about 2 weeks late

2008-04-19T23:10:00.003-04:00

Work is getting the best of me! I'm still trying to get in the groove of things and get back to posting, creating and just having mroe of a routine. But hey, this one is about Lilly. And she is just growing and growing. So cute! About 2 weeks ago she started claping her hands. And it really is just the cutest thing since her arms are so short and so she has to clap right over her chest. Everytime someone sings: "clap, clap, clap you hands" she starts doing it. LOVE her. She also is so stable now pulling herself up on all our furniture and cruising the sofa. She just loves to stand at our coffee table and 'read' through her books. She is so good turning the pages with her tiny fingers. I really can't wait to see her walk. Now that the weather is getting nice, she has to be able to run around in the yard. But for now we just sit on a blanket and she just loves it. Like os many things :)
The best of all things though, is that she is finally back in her crib for a week now. She still wakes up about 4 times during the night to feed, but at least we finally have space again in the bed. I really needed that now that I'm back at work.

American Idol Power Ranking

2008-04-09T10:11:00.000-04:00

It is getting down to the Nitty Gritty. Really all depends now on the songs they choose.

1. Jason Castro: I loved it, loved it, loved it! He is just so different from the other contestant that you can’t really rank him. But he sounds so cool with the songs he picks and you just feel great listening to him.
2. David Archuleta: Surprisingly, this was his best performance in my eyes. I thought that with this theme, he would find a really cheesy song, but it was not. Just nice, great voice, and I liked him at the piano.
3. Michael Johns: This was good. I liked the range he showed in his voice. I’m not sure though about his performance and really, what is up with the scarf.
4. Kristy Lee Cook: I actually really liked it. Nice tone to her voice. She is definitely the one who improved the most on this show. But someone has to go tonight. So it might be her.
5. Brooke White: This was probably my least favorite performance from her. I didn’t think that this was a feel good song at all and she just didn’t catch me with it. It is going to get tough!
6. David Cook: I did not like the way he was singing this song at all!!! And you all know how much I like him otherwise. Really was too dark for me. I hope this won’t put him into jeopardy.
7. Syesha Mercado: I don’t like her style, but of course I can’t say that she was bad. So no comment from me ; )
8. Carly Smithson: I also thought that this was the wrong song to sing for this night. And she really acted like she was mad and didn’t even sing it well. She still doesn’t deserve to go though.

My e-mail got hacked!

2008-04-07T00:16:00.001-04:00

Doesn't that just sound unbelievable! I mean we all know that accounts get hacked into all the time, but actually happen to yourself - I think not.
So what did happened to me was that Friday morning I try to log into my hotmail account and it tells me that I have the wrong password. I try it again and again until I realize that something is wrong. This really is my password and if I didn't change it, who did. Then I try to retrieve it with my secret question. And after 9 years, who knows what that is again. But the questions shows up in Chinese letters and I know there is most definitely something wrong, because even though I have no idea what the questions is that I selected back then, I’m pretty sure it was not in Chinese! So all day my husband tried to contact msn, writing to the support and changing passwords on all the accounts we could think of. Then I had to answer all kinds of questions to the support to verify that I was the rightful owner of my email address. Finally, after 2 long and lonely days, I was able to get in my email. Then came the shock... everything that I had in there - 9 years worth - was totally wiped. All of it gone. snif. All of my contacts, and folders, and other email addresses, too. If I can't get this back, I will have to wait for someone else to write me before I can contact them again. Just unbelievable. One would think that it's just email, so who cares, but that actually has all my passwords and things in it. More importantly, it contains some of my most precious "letters". Or shall I say it did. I still can't believe it. Now I'm looking at my email and it's all empty and in Chinese. Just great!
And you know why they hacked into it? They were trying to list some computers on my eBay account so they could get the money and I the hassle. Luckily eBay somehow realized that it was a third party trying to list these items and stopped them. So at least I don't have to deal with that. I just really hope I can get my information back!
But since that could take some time, could please all of you who wrote me with these cute pictures of your darlings send them to me again?! I really wanted to show one off today but those emails are no more. I really would appreciate some mail. My inbox is so lonely now!

Visit from the other land

2008-04-05T00:01:00.001-04:00

So I wanted to talk some more about my cousins visit from Germany...well that was a week ago. That tells you how much time is left for other things when you start going back to work. Even if it is only 3 days a week. So I hope all you Moms out there being able to stay home know how lucky you are. I'm starting to get a bid jealous and I actually *love* my job. It is fun being back designing houses for other people and looking at all the great things out there. But I love my little family even more so and so it is hard. No being at work, but having to do all the cleaning and paperwork and, and, and when I'm home instead of just being able to spend all quality time with my little Lilly. At least she is home with my husband and they are really bonding now. So I'm happy for him.

What did I want to talk about again...right, my cousins visit. Well, it's all a blur now anyway, so here just my favorite picture of that week. Lilly is totally out in her stroller. That never happened before!!! Can imagine how hard she was playing all week with my cousin’s baby. She, on the other hand, was finally up after sleeping in her stroller all the time. Why couldn't they be on the same sleep schedule ;)

American Idol Power Rankings

2008-04-01T22:41:00.000-04:00

Down to 9 for season 7! Sorry I missed last week, but getting back to work is harder than I hoped for. And honestly, I should be sleeping now instead of doing this - but here it comes anyway!

1. David Cook: He is still going strong. I’m starting to think he might be able to win it all. I loved the song, his voice and his performance. I honestly can’t wait for next week and see what he will do then.
2. Brooke White: For me, this was the best song of the night. I do agree with Simon that Brooke did not really connect with it or the audience this time and it seemed like she was rushing through it. Too bad, because otherwise this would a been a fantastic performance.
3. Carly Smithson: I really liked her this time. All in all, she is becoming a better performer for me. And you know, for some reason, she is not my first choice by a long shot. But she is growing on me and so I think she might on others as well.
4. Syesha Mercado: This was probably her best performance in my eyes. Love the song and she is definitely connecting a lot more with the audience. I do, however, see her doing the baby sound now every time I look at her. And that was creepy!
5. Kristy Lee Cook: She really has improved so much in this show. Her voice is sounding better and better and so are her performances. The one thing that is odd though is that she seems to change her looks every time and so it is hard to stay focused on her as a person. And I think that will eventually hurt her.
6. Jason Castro: What can I say – just like his other performances, which I do like. I’m still getting worried though that this will not carry him through much longer. He is very cute and so different to any other past or present contestant, but that won’t help him forever.
7. Michael Johns: I don’t know. I hated the look on his face during his performance and could not believe that he was wearing that type of scarf thing a round his neck. What is he…a playboy! But my Mom actually really liked him this time and she never did before. So you figure out what that could mean.
8. David Archuleta: I guess I’m the only one, but I can hardly see another performance of his. Those foggy eyes – I can not look at it one more time! I do understand that his voice is great, but he is singing the same song over and over again. Honestly, I wish he would go, but I know he won’t.
9. Ramiele Malubay: I’m feeling so sad for Ramiele, but I do believe it’s time for her to go. She just is not growing like the others and actually is doing less memorable performances week to week. And this song was so random that no one will remember it.

Treasury

2008-03-30T01:06:00.000-04:00

My most hearted item on Etsy made it into a treasury! It's my Embroidered Felt Necklace NO. 52. Everybody seems to like this one and it really is so stunning. A very different type of jewelry - fun and comfy to wear. I think I have to make more necklaces in that style. but my sister only gave a few new building blocks for me to work with to my cousin to bring back from Germany. And I already used up all the other ones she made. I guess I have to beg for more! Although I'm excited to see what I can do with the ones that she did give to me. There are some really cool new motives in this batch. BTW, it is going very good with my cousin and her baby being here. They are leaving tonight and I will write all about it tomorrow. Also got some great pictures!

My First Week :(

2008-03-25T17:42:00.001-04:00

I can't believe it has almost been a week without any writing for me!!!!
But life is extremely hectic. First of all, I'm back at work! What a surprise.
This was my first week since Lilly was born. I did not write about it hoping that it would not come true if I wouldn't tell. It did anyway. Luckily, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I had been practicing with Lilly the week before to eat more of solid foods and stuff. She still is not drinking from the bottle - just hates it - so she doesn't get a lot of food during the day and also can't take a good nap without her mommy. Poor child :(
I only need to go 3 days a week. So in reality I'm there more days than I'm not. That is what I keep myself telling to make it through. And the other days she stays home with my husband since he works from home and just has to work around her schedule from now on.
And if that wasn't enough, now my cousin is here for the week with her 6 month old daughter. I am really happy to see them and Lilly loves playing with the baby. Now she is the old one. Hehe. But it's hard having to go to work and all the new changes and having guests at the same time. I already need a vacation.....

American Idol Power Rankings

2008-03-19T11:12:00.003-04:00

This week was odd. I already thought that it was going to be when they said that they would do Beatles week again right the week after. They could have at least done one week of something else in between for the contestants to get a breather and think it over. And then I disagreed with a lot of what Randy, Paula, and Simon said last night. You will see that in this week’s power rankings.

1. David Cook: Loved his performance the most yet again. His voice is just so good and he is looking better and better. I do agree though that he was a bit too sure of himself. So that might have turned some people off.
2. Michael Johns: I really liked this one! I actually heard it twice and it was even better the second time around. These are the kind of songs I like to hear from him. So he was back on top for me.
3. Ramiele Malubay: I was getting all excited when she said that she would sing a fast song… and then it wasn’t really that fast. Still, I did like it a lot – the way she moved, was dressed, and of course her voice. I’m just still hoping she will do a really fast, fun song!
4. Amanda Overmyer: It was a good song choice and great performance. I o agree wit the judges though in that it will get boring after a while. Let’s see of she will change it up next week.
5. Jason Castro: He really was goofy walking around on stage. It seemed like he did not quite know what to do. The song was good, but all in all it was neither here nor there.
6. Brooke White: I loved her Sun dress and didn’t think that she was that awkward. And I did like the darkness in her voice this week. But, of course, last weeks performance was a lot better.
7. Syesha Mercado: Yesterday is one of my favorite Beatles songs. Yet this performance did not move me as much as Syesha would have liked. I thought she put too many runs in it and did not connect enough with the audience.
8. Chikezie: Funny enough, this was his best performance yet for me! I wasn’t sure about the beginning, but I liked the fast part. I also think this would be a great country song.
9. Kristy Lee Cook: My husband liked her performance and especially this song choice. I don’t know what to think. I sure did not like her get up and hair.
10. Carly Smithson: I also did not get this song. It was not really a moving, slow song and definitely not a fast one. And I really did not like her top! So she lost points with me again this week.
11. David Archuleta: I guess I’m the only one, but I could not listen to this performance one more time. It is just too boring for me and I can’t watch when he looks that dreamy or something. So this was not good for me.

It's time...

2008-03-17T08:48:00.001-04:00

for a little update on my baby girl. Wit hall the partying I have neglected to talk about all the GREAT things my little (way too soon to be big) baby girl can do by now. In reality, I’m probably about a month behind on most of these. But my now she can crawl around the house like crazy and actually likes to take off to all the corners she knows not to go. She can also pull herself up to a standing position on almost anything and loves to cruise along the sofa once she does. Even though she gets around by herself pretty easily by now, she loves to take my hands and walk with me. It won’t take too long until she can do it by herself. Already she tries to let go of me and than realizes that she just can’t balance herself out yet. She also started to sing along with us! And that is the cutest when she howls very low at first and then getting higher and higher. It looks (sounds) like she will get a good range in her voice! And she just babbles all day long. It has become apparent that she will be quite a loud kid and probable not the dainty little girl she might look like. We saw a friend today that has a little boy that is just 2 month younger and he is all quiet and nice. Lilly, on the other hand, is moving all the time and let it be known that she is in the house. My cousin in coming from Germany with her youngest daughter in 2 weeks for a visit. She is 3 month younger than Lilly and I can’t wait to see how big or small she is. I have never seen her and we are all excited. Than again, with the 6 hour time difference between Germany and the US, it will be hard getting that baby on a normal sleep schedule. Jetlag must be especially hard on babies. So let’s see if we get any sleep.

And the winner is....

2008-03-15T23:45:00.006-04:00

Melissa from Pink Paper Peppermints!

Lilly finally got to draw a name from her red bowl! She was all excited when I wrote down all the names, folded them, and put them in that bowl. She couldn't believe that I actually gave her the bowl full of pieces of paper to play with and then she really did draw a name. And as I said, Melissa is the one to own the 2 hair clips I especially made for this giveaway. I hope you will like them! Thanks for all of you that have entered the drawing and left such kind comments. It was so much fun that I will surely hold another giveaway soon. I hope you all will join in again!

American Idol Power Ranking Final 12

2008-03-12T00:46:00.004-04:00

Here we are with the final 12 performances of Season 7! It was a great show and I can't believe how strong this bunch is this season. It will be so hard letting someone go each week. Everyone is so unique and different. There are some great performances ahead of us.

1. David Cook: I’m still very excited about him. The beginning was a bit odd, but it got so much better and ended up being a great performance.
2. Brooke White: I’m loving her more and more each week. Maybe my Dad picked another winner! He said from the very beginning that Jordin Sparks would win and this time Brooke is his favorite. So keep on going!
3. Jason Castro: I loved this performance. I liked how it was so subtle and sweet. Like him more and more and can’t wait to see what is to come.
4. Carly Smithson: This one was great! Such a great song, great performance. I did like everything about this one. And you know that I am not a fan of hers, but I have to give it to her this time.
5. Michael Johns: I liked this performance better than last one, but he still is not on top of his game. I can’t wait to hear him sing a fast song again putting his spin on it.
6. Amanda Overmyer: This was the best performance of hers for me so far. I could actually hear that she does have a good range. And I really liked that she showed a lot of emotion, smiled and jumped around. Plus, she is looking better and better. I so liked her hair today. Way to go!
7. Syesha Mercado: I must say that I liked her performance – even her video. Just amazing how things are turned around for me this week. The people I really like did not perform well, while others I normally would not like actually did pretty good.
8. Chikezie: I know that he did a fantastic job with the arrangement and his voice was great. Nonetheless, I still do not like his performances and there is something about him that just does not work out for me.
9. Ramiele Malubay: Again a slow song…I don’t know about this. It is getting old and this one most definitely was borderline boring. It’s breaking my heart because I really like her, but she won’t stay in much longer on those type of songs.
10. David Archuleta: I was glad to see him do a faster song. Just too bad that he was not sure of himself and this song. Really sad that it did not work out for him this week. I just hope that he will still try to pick a fast song next week instead of going back to his familiar slow pieces.
11. Kristy Lee Cook: I don’t think it was a bad idea to sing this as a country song, but it was just too fast. So hard to concentrate on her singing. If she would have slowed it down, it might have worked. Let’s see if she can make it to next week. It will be tough.
12. David Hernandez: This was a pretty weak performance. His voice was so good and deep the last few weeks, but this was just too high and did not stand out. I don’t know if he will make it through this week.

I'm adding a GIVEAWAY to the Party!

2008-03-11T00:10:00.012-04:00

I have had so much fun the last few days partying and seeing all the other cute blogs out there. And quite a few of these blogs have a giveaway for this week and I already one something at one of them!!! All of this got me so excited that I just couldn't wait to host a giveaway myself.

So here it is :)

I am giving away 2 of my felted hair clips. One is a tiny clip perfect for small strands of hair in a leave pattern. The other one is round with a string alligator clip. These are not only great for little girls hair, but are fun in Mommy's hair or on a sweater, purse,... You name it. All you have to do to enter is go to my Kaleidoscope Style Shop here I have more hair clips and other fun felted accessories to show. Browse a bit and come back here to leave a comment on what you think about my pieces. Any favorites, thing you like to see more of,... I'm curious to see what everybody thinks. I will have Lilly draw a winner on the 15th of March, so leave an email to contact you.
This is only the first giveaway of many to come. I'm already having lots of fun!

Something NEW for my Shop

2008-03-09T00:04:00.004-05:00

With all the crafting and jewelry making I already do, I just had to pick up one more thing. That's how it is when you love to create and work with your hands - working in just one area of it is just not enough. Looking around on Etsy (just too addictive) I have become enthralled with all the different things that can be done with crochet. Finally, I had to ask my Mom how it works and off I went. This here is one of my first rings I made. I'm so happy with the result and Lilly loves the bright colors too. And I'm happy that i can sort of let her play with it because it is not a metal ring where I would have to worry that she would swallow a piece. So this ring is a nice way to keep her occupied when we are out and about and she gets bored. I'm working on a few more rings and also bangle bracelets that I will post as I finish them. This all is soooo much fun!!! As always, my imagination is getting ahead of myself. So I am sketching everything I can down to work on later. This is so exciting! So much to do and so little time!!!!

Welcome to the Ultimate Blog Party!!!!!

2008-03-07T22:35:00.005-05:00

I had been waiting for weeks for this party hosted by 5 minutes for mom and now I almost forgot! Fancy that. But I'm happy to finally got on with the partying. The house is all decked and ready for the guests. So come on in and have a good time. Lilly and I sure will have one all week long.

For those of you that are new, a little bid about myself and this, my very own, blog.
I'm a stay at home mom with my cuteacious little baby girl Lilly. She just turned 8 months and is lot's of fun. I'm also a jewelry designer and my jewelry is available at Etsy. Just recently I also started doing some fun, felted, colorful accessories with my sister. Lot's of fun working together with her. And those pieces are great for all ages - Moms, teens, little girls. So soft and easy to wear. But I'm getting off track here.

This blog is dedicated to all the cuteacious babies out there and if you would like to see your child featured here, I would love to see her/ his picture or even space. I'm also interested in hearing fun stories of what your children blur out. Lilly doesn't talk yet, but I know that once she does, it will be lots of fun! I also like to introduce cool things for mommy and baby. So look around and see what you can find and drop me a note if you would like to contribute to any of my regular posts.

Most of all --- have FUN!!!!!!!!!!

American Idol Power Rankings

2008-03-06T00:17:00.000-05:00

I’m getting nervous waiting for the results this week. I think it will be a tough call wit everything a bit shuffled around. And there are so many really good singers this year – especially with the men. It will be a great top 12! But first, my power rakings for this week.

1. Brooke White: This again was a fantastic performance. I love how she made the song different and her own. I totally have to agree with Simon Cowell on this one. And I thought she was the best, by far, this week.
2. Ramiele Malubay: I really do love watching her sing these slow songs. But I am starting to wish to see her do a really fast, fun song. And I really didn’t like the skirt. So, even though she is still second place, she did loose some of her sparkle for me this week. Hope she is doing better next week!
3. Kristy Lee Cook: She is getting better and better and really taking in the criticism and using it to her advantage. I really liked the country twist on this song. She really sounded good and I think that she suddenly got herself in the top 12 after being in the bottom in the early days.
4. Carly Smithson: So yes, she was good, but I did not like the song. So just al right for me. And I know those pants are in right now, but they just do not make one look.
5. Amanda Overmyer: She looked much better this week and sounded great. Totally different than anyone else on the show, but also fun. Let’s see if she can make it to the next round. And I also hope that she will lighten up on stage and when talking to the judges. ; )
6. Asia'h Epperson: She was back today as normal self. Still, when I first saw it, I didn’t know what to think. After seeing everyone else and her clip again, I did like it better and I hope that she will make it though to the next round. And I got to say that her pants were even worse than Carly’s.
7. Kady Malloy: Her voice is very nice, but the performance was not and I don’t see her being able to improve that. So I think she might be gone this week based on that.
8. Syesha Mercado: I got correct what I said last week. I actually like her less than Carly. I know she has a good voice, but it’s just not my style and if it was up to me (I sure know it is not) she would be the first to go this week.

1. David Cook: I LOVED this song, the performance, his arrangement,…just everything. I even got a little crush on him the way he was singing it and I did not particularly like him before. I’m really impressed and thought that this was the best performance of the guys by a long shot.
2. Jason Castro: I really liked the song he picked and what he did with it. And you should have seen my mom go crazy over this one! So I’m sure this saved him to go on to the next round.
3. David Hernandez: Again, he chose a great song and did a really nice job with it.
4. Michael Johns: Again, not my favorite performance of his. I love that song and I did like his version, but it is just not as good as his very early times on stage. Let’s see what he will do next week.
5. David Archuleta: He is so good rearranging the songs he picks. It just seemed like this song always should have been sung the way he did. So he is a natural with that and his voice really is fantastic. I must, however, agree with Simon in that David should better pick a fast and fun song next week. He is starting to get gloomy and I would like to see him having a real good time on stage.
6. Danny Noriega: I’m so said to say that I did not really like him this week. My heart is breaking, but that w as just too much hip bobbing and not enough voice. I still hope he will make it, but the guys are so strong this season 7.
7. Chikezie: I did not like the song or the performance. This was too weak to go on to the next round, but let’s see what the voters thought.
8. Luke Menard: If he isn’t gone this week than I just don’t know what is going on. I thought that it very hard this week to say who will be out and who will be in, but I’m pretty sure about him not making it. The song was odd and his voice way too high and girly. I can’t imagine too many women really liking this.

Wordless Wednesday: Lilly and I love to party with balloons!

2008-03-05T00:19:00.000-05:00

Fun Art for your cutie pie's room

2008-03-02T00:01:00.001-05:00

I got so excited when I saw these prints for the first time! The pastel colors are so pleasing and just perfect for a nursery. They are hand printed, limited addition artworks by Nate Duval. I love how much fun she puts in her subject matter and how each of the prints are so detailed that your child will be staring at these for hours! These are not only great for children, but also for any fun room. So even when your children grow older, they can still enjoy these prints. Liven up your rooms with some artwork!

Cuteacious Faces: Eleanor

2008-02-29T09:07:00.003-05:00

This is cute little Eleanor. She is 13 month old, so maybe not that little anymore. I love her smile! I automatically have to grin every time I look at this picture. Not sure though if she is just being friendly or if she's a little trickster! Would have to ask her Mom about that :)

I had posted this earlier, but I just realized yesterday that only I could see the picture on my computer. So to give Eleanor the attention she deserves, I'm posting it today again.

American Idol Follow Up

2008-02-29T09:07:00.001-05:00

Well, I am getting better. 2 out of 4 this time! And all that matters to me is that Jason Yaeger is out. Sorry, but he was not for me.

Wordless Wednesday: One of Lilly's toys Photoshop enhanced. What do you think?

2008-02-27T13:46:00.004-05:00

Featured at Cuteable!

2008-02-26T09:11:00.001-05:00

I'm so excited! On of my creations for Kaleidoscope Style has been featured on www.cuteable.com. I could not believe when I saw it and now I have to share it with everyone. This here is the item they chose to feature. I loved making it using wet and needle felting techniques. To me they look like flower pods, but to the people at Cuteable, they look like Easter eggs in a basket. What do you see?!

A great place for all the binkies and teeth and things

2008-02-23T00:15:00.001-05:00

I think these Binkie Baskets are a great idea! Back when Lilly was using a pacifier, we started using our cereal bowls to stash all of hers in. And of course that did not look too good and were never in the right place. These would have been really helpful. Hanging them on their backside ribbon from the crib or changing table. Perfect! And then they are not only practical, but also really cute. There are so many animals to choose from. So your child will love them too! The animals are stuffed and sewn together by hand. Then the basket is hand sewn to the arms and belly with two ribbons sewn to the back. The creative mind behind these treasures explains how versatile these are. They can not only be used as Binkie holder, but also as baby tooth holder awaiting the tooth fairy, barrette holder or anything else normally cluttering the children's room. Now if I could only decide which one to take!

Lilly's Milestones

2008-02-22T00:17:00.000-05:00

Lilly really is blossoming this week. She is becoming more and more aware of everything around her. Tuesday, she started playing peek-a-boo! It is the cutest thing. How she throws her sweater up over her eyes with her little pudgy arms and waits for me to ask where she is. Then she pulls it down with a big smile on her face and I have to say peek-a-boo. She loves this game and could do it over and over. And of course I love it too! She also started dancing with me and always wants to walk by herself holding my hand. She even tries to stand by herself, but just can't quite balance out yet. And then today, she really took off crawling. Very coordinated with her arms and legs. Really, I'm not just saying that because I'm her Mom ; )
She is also listening more closely to everything that is said to her now. I'm from Germany, so I try to speak as much German to her as possible. I really hope she will be able to grow up speaking both languages. That is supposed to be so good for the brain. So now I'll make sure to tell her everything we do in each language at least once. But since my husband only speaks English, I should stick to the German as much as possible. I can't wait for her to talk back. At the moment, she says baba and dada when she is just happily babbling to herself. But when she is upset, she cries mamama. I never heard her say that when she was happy! It's so funny.

American Idol Follow up

2008-02-22T00:16:00.000-05:00

So I got 1 out of 4. Better then nothing, but I still can't believe that Colton Berry got less people to vote for him than Jason Yeager! Well let's see how it goes next time.

American Idol Round Up

2008-02-21T00:33:00.007-05:00

I know this is off topic, but I just have to write this down. I, my husband, and my parents chose our favorites tonight and now we see who will win. This will be lots of fun! We never really got into watching American Idol until last season. So it's still all new and exciting for us! So from the men, I like Michael Johns the best. He is like the only real man on the show this season. But I also really like Danny Noriega. He is so much fun and I just love how he moves around franticly. He will be great to watch and I hope he will stay on for a while. And I think that's really it for me and the guys. I mean, Colton Berry and David Hernandez aren't bad either and of course David Archuleta can really sing well. But I could take or leave them at this point. The 2 guys I think should be out this week are Chikezie and Jason Yeager. Let's see if that will happen. My Mom likes Jason Castro the best! That's all she said about the men. Now with the women I have 2 favorites as well. No, actually 3. And those are Brooke White, because she sort of reminds me of myself, and hey, she is a nanny. And then there is Asia'h Epperson who is quite cute and so friendly. But the one I absolutely adore is Ramiele Malubay! She is sooooo cute! Almost about to put her picture up under cuteacious faces! And the way she moves, smiles, and talks. Oh and she really can sing. Love that voice. I think my husband likes Amanda Overmyer a lot and my Dad is going with Asia'h. But we all agreed that Amy Davis and Kristy Lee Cook should be out of the game this week. Those were awful performances. Well, I guess that's all I have to say about this today. Let's see how well I can pick the contestants that have to leave the show each week.

Cute little hair clips!

2008-02-20T01:20:00.003-05:00

I just started making these adorable tiny Hair Clips with my sister for our Kaleidoscope Style shop on Etsy. I love making these and Lilly just looks soooooo cute in them. People used to ask if she is a boy or a girl even though she is totally dressed in pink. Hello?! PINK! But with one of these clips, that does not happen anymore. They are perfect for any type of hair. Not just in Lilly's, but also in my own hair. Another great way to wear them is as pins in sweaters or on the sleeve. Really adds another dimension and style to any knit top and is easier to put on and take out then a pin. I always have one on my sweater and then I can take it off to put in Lilly's hair to show of my GIRL.

Birthday Weekend

2008-02-19T00:45:00.001-05:00

Lilly's big cousin was in town this weekend for her own Birthday. She turned 3! So we went to the party yesterday and it was so much fun. My sister-in-law's 2 sisters with her babies were there as well. They both have boys and they are 5 and 6 months. Now Lilly is 7 month, but she looks sooooooo much bigger then the 2 of them. They still look like babies - she does not! So the doctor really wasn't kidding when he said that Lilly is the size of an average 10 months old. If that keeps up, she will be bossing them around when they are older ;) They even took a picture with all 3 of them laying in a row in the playpen. I wish I had that one to show here, but they haven't sent it yet. Maybe later. Can’t wait to see myself! Then the other thing was, that Lilly is all shy and got totally upset when someone wanted to hold or even hug her. She does not like it crowded and needs time to get to know someone. The 2 boys, on the other hand, didn't care who was holding them or how loud it was. And I don't think it's just because Lilly is in her clingy phase now. Both I and my husband are not the party starters, so why should she be! But she still had a great time. She also played well once she had more space and people just watched her instead of getting in her face. Can't wait for the next get-together!

Monkeys, monkeys everywhere!

2008-02-17T13:03:00.001-05:00

These cute little Baby Monkeys are from The Monkey Shop. I love sock monkeys and I really love the idea of little baby sock monkeys. These just look so soft and cuddly! And the little tag of 'giggles' and 'hugs' are a great idea. So cute! They even let you personalize the little tag. So I could have a little Lilly Monkey. That would be cool!
Dulce, the creative woman behind this shop, told me that she is currently working on 70 monkeys as favors for a wedding! The bride and groom love sock monkeys and wanted to share that love with everyone at their wedding. When Dulce asked the bride why she chose her monkeys, she replied: "The faces on your monkeys were so cute! The faces are very important, because each monkey has their own personality that you will have to live with forever. And sometimes, to me, when people make monkeys they can turn out to look more like cows, but all of yours really look to me like monkeys. And I like the colors you use and your style. And each one looks a little different". If you want to read more about this wedding and see all the cute monkeys Dulce already made for it, go to http://dulcescreations.blogspot.com/.

Cuteacious Faces: Lilly

2008-02-16T00:07:00.001-05:00

As promised, a photo of my Lilly! It's actually a funny story. We went to take pictures at Babies'r'us with her cousin over the holidays. Now, I went into the store the other day with Lilly. There, the photographer came up to us to ask if we wanted to take more pictures for free. She remembered us from that last photo shoot! The two of them left quite an impression. So we got this photo for free and I just LOVE it! And Lilly had so much fun! She really is the cutest! (I'm biased, I know)

Parent to be? - you got to read these!

2008-02-15T16:57:00.000-05:00

I do not belong to those parents who read every book out there on parenting so they know what to expect. I just figured I go with it and will know what to do. Nevertheless, I did receive several books from friends and family that they have read. From all of those, I found that only 2 were really helpful. The Nursing Mother's Companion I actually read while I was pregnant, because I knew that I wanted to breastfeed, but I was nervous if it would work out. I tried reading a few of the other books on the subject I received, but this one was by far the best one. Really told it all without any fuzz and I felt a lot more confidant afterwards. The other book I'm reading up on all the time is Your Baby's First Year Week by Week. It really gives the most important milestones of each week for the first year. So I can compare in what Lilly is ahead or behind. I really like this one and now I see they also have that book for your pregnancy. I think that would have been very helpful as well. The other thing I enjoy reading is the Parents magazine. I will definitely extent that subscription! It has stories and tips on different age groups. So I can look ahead and see what to expect. They also have great reviews, games, and just a lot of useful information. If you are interested in these books, I have a direct link to these books from Amazon on my sidebar. Happy Reading!

My Valentine

2008-02-14T16:53:00.000-05:00

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!!!!

We are still so crazy with Lilly that we didn't do anything this Valentine. Then I realized that these earrings, I got myself on Etsy the other day, would be perfect for today. So I just showed them to my husband and thanked him for this wonderful Valentine's Day present. All he said was 'You are welcome!' Then he went to Home Depot and came back with some tools and said that I got him those for Valentine's Day. I looked at him with surprise and then he said if I didn't remember that he got me that necklace. Earrings, I said, earrings!

Hope you had as much to laugh about as we did today!

Cuteacious Faces: Maggie

2008-02-13T21:52:00.001-05:00

Here is the cute little daughter Maggie of fellow Etsian and Shop owner Brannock Arts. Her shop has very cute felt flower hairclips for little girls!
Maggie just looks like she has so much fun in her tub. I love pictures of babies taking their bath! They just look so comfy. I can't wait for Lilly to play in the big tub. Now, she is still in a small plastic tub, but she does have lots of fun in that one and is splashing around. Got to take pictures of her next time!

Bibs for all!

2008-02-12T23:30:00.000-05:00

Lilly is now eating real food for about a month and I just have to get more bibs. She also loves her food so much that she can't wait to get it in her mouth. So when I saw these bibs, I new they would be perfect for her. Got a little monster at home as well? Get it a bib to go! These are so cute and adorable. Just make you smile! They are available at Chocolate Lollipop. They are a "baby clothing and accessories company located in Canada that offers high quality goodies for style conscious parents". In her profile, it stats that she loves "to take boring baby basics and give them my unique twist to make them as functional as they are fancy". That certainly is the case with these monster bibs. They also have an inner soak proof lining that I know Lilly desperately needs. They also have other great baby items such as Onesies and Ribbon Lovey Blanket. So much to choose from!

Love to flickr?!

2008-02-11T20:58:00.000-05:00

I just opened up a cuteacious group on flickr so everyone can upload all their cute pictures to this group. I will be checking this group to find the cutest faces, spaces and products to feature on this blog. So keep adding pictures to the group. All photos with children and their rooms are allowed. You can also add your cute products to this group if they are children and parents related. I will be looking in the group as well to find cool new products to feature.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/cuteacious/

Lilly's First Playdate!

2008-02-10T22:46:00.000-05:00

Well, it was more of a playdate for Mommy ;) We were invited to a little get together and there were 8 girls and one boy. Those children were between 2 and 5. So Lilly was the youngest. It was her first time being around so many kids and she actually liked watching them. First time she was interested in seeing what they were doing. She even padded the boy on the cheeks and gave one of the 2 year old girls a goodbye kiss. She also set with them and played a bit. She is becoming a big girl!

Cuteacious Spaces: Helena's

2008-02-10T00:21:00.000-05:00

Isn't this the best hangout ever! This picture comes from my cousin in Germany. She created this special space for her daughter Helena. First of all, I love the swing that Helena is in. I have never seen such a thing here and I wish I would have had one for Lilly. Now I have to wait until the summer and hope that she will be ready to use one at the playground. I love swings, so I hope she will too.
The most striking part about this space is the tree that my cousin drew on the wall. It looks as if you need to be a painter to do this, but it is actually really easy and fun. All you need is some really nice napkins with leaves, butterflies, and other animals and you can recreate this. She just painted the hill and tree trunk on the wall and then used the decoupage method to bring life to it. She cut out some really nice motifs from various napkins and attached them to the wall with decoupage glue. That glue is easily found in an arts and crafts store or you can order it through my link on the side from Amazon. There, I also recommended a book on decoupage and it's many uses. Kids love to do it, too!
Since the napkins are so thin, it will look as if you actually painted all these things on the wall. And if you look closely, you can see that she even put some hooks up to hang Helena's Teddy Bears on the wall. Just look at how excited Helena is about her tree!

Cool Hoops!

2008-02-09T00:00:00.000-05:00

I came across these colorful hoops and just had to share them! They are crocheted and can come in many colors. Right now, I very much love the idea of colorful, soft jewelry. I think it has something to do with the winter weather here in New England where the snow just does not want to stop coming down this year. These will add some pizzazz to your outfit without being difficult. And they are also child-friendly and easy to wear. They are available at www.CamilleMarie.etsy.com.

Cuteacious Faces: Olivia Joy

2008-02-06T22:57:00.000-05:00

I saw this picture of cute little Olivia on Tara's Blog and just had to ask to show off this photo over here. I love how she is helping her Mom Tara blog away, being all serious about it. She is just 14 month old and look a bit like my little girl. Maybe that's why I find her so cute! Lilly even has those 2 front teeth! How cute is that.

Kaleidoscope Style

2008-02-05T21:29:00.001-05:00

These are the most fun and colorful Felted Accessories! They are great for yourself to add some color and fun to your outfit. Your kids won't call you boring with these on! And if you have small children like my baby girl, this is all you want to wear. Lilly always tries to rip off the metal jewelry I wear or she bangs her head agains it. So I had to stop wearing them to protect her (and my jewelry). Now I wear these felt acccessories and Lilly loves it. She can hold them and look at the pretty patterns (she loves patterns) and I don't have to worry that she can hurt herself or that she would break it. Plus it's so easy to wear. They are light weight, soft, comfy, and add color to my outfits.
But they are cute to wear for your children of any age as well for the same reasons. So go get some!

Through my daugthers eyes...

2008-02-02T22:37:00.001-05:00

I got this great idea about taking pictures of my daughter’s toys from her perspective - close up and from the ground that is - from another blog. The pictures that http://coochooloodesigns.blogspot.com/ took where so beautiful that I thought I give it a try. So here are my best ones. I think they would be great blown up and hung in her room. If you have older kids, you can even ask them what their favorite toys are and take photos of those. Then, if they outgrow them or they break, your children will have a keepsake of their beloved toy hanging on the wall. Plus, they add color to the room without having to invest in expensive artwork. Just love it.
Lilly was so funny when I took these pictures. She kept on looking at me like, why are you playing with my toys? I want them now! And she was wondering why I wasn't taking pictures of her! She is so used to looking in the camera that I actually had to take pictures of her in between to keep her happy.

Cuteacious Faces

2008-02-01T22:35:00.003-05:00

This is Lilly with her big cousin! It's such a cute picture. Her cousin loves her so much and always says: "Lilly is my favorite cousin!" In this picture they are reading together and she shows Lilly how it's done.

Call for Entries!!!!!!!
I am really interested in seeing everyone else’s cuteacious little ones. So if you would like to have your favorite featured here, please email it to me at cuteacious1@hotmail.com or add them to the cuteacious flickr group at http://www.flickr.com/groups/cuteacious/. Can't wait to see!

Olivia Joy

Maggie

Cute Baby Toys

2008-01-31T22:22:00.000-05:00

Lilly has this little musical frog that I got her when she was still in my tummy. I used to play it to her and she still loves it. Now I wanted to find more musical toys because she just can't get enough of all of that. But all I could find are those critter toys. That's no fun! So I finally looked online and found the company of our frog - Rich Frog. How fitting! And they have the cutest website with the cutest items. I could buy everything they have and there is so much to choose from. Situated in a 19th century textile mill in Burlington, Vermont, there is no worry about items being made in China. The fabrics are so soft and colorful, you will want to have it for yourself. The bunny squeaker is one of Lilly's favorites. It's easy for her to make it squeak and it can be manipulated to give out several different squeaks. I end up playing with it myself once in a while. She also loves to chew on its ears. See how used they are already. I think I have to get more...

Cuteacious Spaces

2008-01-30T22:44:00.003-05:00

This is Lilly's little crib in our bedroom right now. It has her favorite mobile hanging over and this colorful underwater quilt. She loves this quilt! My mother made it especially for this space. Lilly's crib stands against a window and now in the winter, the cold was really coming in. So we hung the quilt in front of it! It keeps the cold and the light out, while at the same time adding color and warmth to the area. It also keeps her from getting to the window. You never know, so the quilt adds another barrier. I have a degree in Interior Design and naturally enjoy beautiful spaces. Right now, I love to see nurseries. Not just because they can be so cute, but also because they can be really inspiring. We are still using Lilly's room as a guestroom/craftroom. So I am looking for ideas to makeover her room.

Call for Entries!!!!!!!
I am really interested in seeing other cute nurseries and children’s rooms. Maybe I can pick up a trick or two! So if you would like to have yours featured here, please email me a picture at cuteacious1@hotmail.com or add them to the cuteacious flickr group at http://www.flickr.com/groups/cuteacious/. Can't wait to see!

Helena's

Contact

2008-01-30T22:44:00.001-05:00

To contact Cuteacious about general or press inquiries, questions and ideas, please send an email to cuteacious1@hotmail.com.

For Advertisement, please see the information on the advertising page or email directly to cuteacious1@hotmail.com.

Cuteacious Phrases

2008-01-30T11:22:00.000-05:00

Lilly just started saying Mama, Dada, and Baba. We went crazy the first time she said Mama and, of course, we even hear her say Hi, Hello and I love you. Hey, that babbling could mean anything! I can't wait for her to start talking more and I know there will be a time when she just won't stop. I also heard some fun stories of what children were saying and I'd love to hear some more and share them here.

Call for Entries!!!!!!!
I am really interested in hearing fun and cuteacious stories of how your children experiencing the world and what they have to say to it. So if you would like to have yours featured here, please email me a picture at cuteacious1@hotmail.com. I will get back to you if I can feature you. Can't wait to see!

6 Month check up!

2008-01-29T14:45:00.000-05:00

So we went to the doctor this morning for the 6 month check up. Lilly is almost 20 pounds and 28 inches. That's in the 93% and 96% respectively! I'm so proud of her being so tall, but the the nurse said to Lilly: "you are really not giving your Mommy enough baby time when you grow that fast." And so I got thinking 'That's right! She'll be big soon :('. According to the doctor, she is already the height of an average 10 month old. That's amazing. Even the nurse said that she looks as if she will walk out of here. Lilly even took the 3 shots pretty good. Stopped crying as soon as I lifted her up and was a happy baby all day long. Let's see how she will do tomorrow.

Submissions

2008-01-28T23:25:00.000-05:00

If you have the cuteacious little critter, perfect little space or would like to share that cuteacious thing your little one did or said the other day and have it featured in my blog, please email me with a picture and description at cuteacious1@hotmail.com.

I also welcome submissions from artists and crafters creating handmade items that would be relevant to my readers. Please email me at cuteacious1@hotmail.com if you would like to be considered for a feature on your art and talent.

Advertising

2008-01-28T23:19:00.000-05:00

Like to advertise on this blog? Starting rate is $5 per month.
I also offer to showcase sponsors in my blog body for additional exposure.
Please contact me at cuteacious1@hotmail.com for more information.

Grocery Shopping

2008-01-28T23:05:00.000-05:00

Lilly has been a happy baby today. She really is most of the time. So she, her grandpa and I went to the supermarket. She does love it there as long as you show her all the goodies they have. That place should feel like a second home to her by now. I forgot to bring my baby-wrap-carry thing and so grandpa had to carry her in his arms the entire time. she is getting so heavy! tomorrow morning we have to go to her 6 months check up. Can't wait to see how much she really weights and how tall she is. I actually enjoy hearing what percentile she is in. Let's see. Then again, I realized the other day that it won't be quite true this time because she is almost 7 month by now. So she definitely will be larger then the usual 6 months baby.

My Little Girl

2008-01-27T18:19:00.000-05:00

We have a totally cuteacious little girl. Her name is Lilly - Lilly Rose. She is so cute that me and my husband can't stand it! Everyone always says that having children is the greatest, but you don't know how true that is until you have your own. Now that we do, we are amazed every day at how much fun she is. Now I realize she is growing so fast and I should have started a blog right on the first day (well, once we got out of the hospital)on what she is doing everyday and how much she is growing. Again, it's just amazing! So now that she turned 6 months, I finally get around to start it.
I'm excited to share her growth and to hear from others and see how their children are doing. Let's have fun together!

About

2008-01-26T22:46:00.000-05:00

Right now, I'm a stay at home Mom with a gorgeous little baby girl. And since everyone keeps telling me to write every milestone Lilly masters down, I thought what better way as to write it all down in a blog.

Then I realized that there are also products for kids and parents to review and other cute and contagious little babies and children to see. So this is a spot to showcase all of it and have fun on the way.