The girl who changed my life is now seven years old!

RAINBOW PARTY, part 1:

My daughter, Analise is seven years old. I just can't believe this. I remember the night before her first birthday I was rocking her to sleep in her room. I was singing and talking to her. By the time she was asleep, I was crying. I couldn't believe how fast my time with her was flying past me. I was trying to sneak out of her room and into the bathroom to tidy up my face before my husband saw me, but as luck would have it, he was standing in the hall outside the room. He asked me what was wrong and I lost it. I was sobbing. I told him I only had 17 more years with her and was sad that the first one went so quickly. He, of course, giggled and thought I was cute but there really wasn't anything cute about it. I was serious. These beautiful little creature miraculously flutter into your life and then before you know it they've grown up and they aren't your little snuggle-bunny any longer.

So now she is seven. I'm handling the birthday's a little better. I've convinced her that when she comes home from college that she has to sleep with me at least one night so we can snuggle. She smiles, hugs me, and says, "absolutely." What she doesn't realize is I plan on buying a house in her college town so a few of her girlfriends can live with her and I will be the house momma. Just kidding! I'm not that obsessive about my kiddos, but that does sound like a great idea.

I wanted to share her birthday theme with you. I let her pick the theme each year and she helps with the decorations. We love planning parties with each other and I'm always impressed because she comes up with great ideas.

Happy 7th birthday my sweet girl!

be only briefly envious of a 3 year olds imagination then be grateful that you were given a glimpse!

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I have a 3.5 year old named Lexie. I also have an almost 7 year old (one week away), Analise. When Analise was the exact same age as Lexie is now, Lexie was born. I didn't think I could love another child as much as I loved Analise. I loved everything about her. She had a bigger than life personality that demanded attention (she still does), she had a sense of humor, she was inquisitive about everything, she was already a planner and even tried to keep her daddy organized (none of us have conquered that feat yet), and she was so lovable and cuddly. Then came along Lexie. As I stared down at her sweet, quiet little face I started to worry that she would be super shy.

I remember finally telling my mom that I was worried that Lexie would not have such a big personality like Analise. I worried that she would always be overshadowed by her big sister. Well, if the Gods of Fate were listening, they got a huge chuckle out of that one. Analise and Lexie have the exact outgoing, independent, full of sass personality and I think I'm in a world of trouble when they are both teenagers.

Here are a few pics showing Lexie's personality at our latest photo shoot. You will agree that she is a mess (but I wouldn't change it for the world). And by the way, I'm not sure how it works, but God and/or Mother Nature have a way of letting a mother love their children equally and with every ounce of your heart. I am so blessed.

 

This dress is one of the most versatile and the best buy for your budget. The dress shown is a size 2. Lexie is 3.5 years old so the dress is a little shorter than normal. No problem, we added a pair of capri pants and this will be the second summer she is able to wear the outfit. That's what I'm talkin' about...more bang for your buck!

The dress is made of 100% "year round" combed cotton Interlock and sewn with cotton thread. Rolled and stitched down neckline. Sleeves and dress bottom edge are scalloped and it is soft and cozy!

Visit our ETSY shop for more information on how to purchase the dress or email Jennifer if you have any quesitons.

Thank you for supporting all things handmade.

Have a Silly Nilly Day,

Flashback Friday—The importance of preserving precious first day and last day of school photos

If you have ever met me in person you know that I always have my camera with me, always. I take pictures all the time. It is so common that when I show up at an event the parents look at me and say, "oh good, you have your camera" and proceed to keep their cameras in their bag. Needless to say, when my camera recently broke it sent me in a tizzy. I love my photographs. I sometimes scroll through the hundreds of albums in my iphoto gallery and I can't believe how much my children have grown.

This brings me to the theme of this post. I noticed that the number of unique viewers to my blog is highest when I post personal stories about my family. I, of course could write these posts every day, but didn't think that our readers would be that interested. Well, you proved me wrong which makes me feel kinda special, thank you! So, because of your interest I decided to post a story on Friday's called, Flashback Friday. I will choose a few pics and brag about my girls. Gamie will love this post. She is their number one fan and thinks they are worthy of bragging about every second of the day :)

Since school is about to start I thought I would post our first and last day pics of kindergarten and first grade. Many of you saw the pictures on my personal and SN facebook pages and begged me to remind you to do this for your own children, so here is your reminder....DON'T FORGET TO TAKE A PICTURE OF YOUR CHILD ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL AND THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL so you can compare how much they have changed in one year. The results are amazing.

Here is Analise on her 2nd day of kindergarten (first day to ride the bus) and the last day of school. Look how much both of them have changed. Makes me want to cry all over again.

Here is another example from first grade. As you can see, I planned ahead and had her wear a similar shade/color so when they were side by side they would be more cohesive. I know, I know, I can't help it! But you have to admit, it does make it look a little better, right?

Thank you for letting me share a moment of my bittersweet bliss. I love my girls. I hope you receive as much enjoyment going through your old photos as I do. Don't be intimidated if you aren't a professional photographer, I'm not either. Do the best that you can do and you will be thrilled at the results.

Thank you for supporting all things handmade.

Have a Silly Nilly Day,

One reason I love working from home!

During the school year my oldest, Analise is away building her "girl brain power." That gives me an opportunity to enjoy my youngest, Lexie who is three. When I am supposed to be on my computer designing I sometimes find myself sitting and watching her. She usually is in my work space so I can listen or see her little imagination flowing freely for me to steal little moments of bliss.

Recently, she has been taking my forms and has me dress them in our sample attire. The most precious thing is that they HAVE to be refered to in their proper gender. If they are wearing a dress, then they are a girl, if they are dressed in blue, then they are the boys. She carries all six of them around from room to room talking to each one. Sometimes she explains the rules of the house, other times she is playing school and they are her students. Occasionally, they get to line up in front of the TV to watch cartoons. Once, one of the boys did something wrong and had to sit in the timeout chair. :) It is a memory I hope will never leave me.

This particular day, I couldn't stand it any longer and had to capture some photos. Don't they just make your heart melt?

After they watched tv they were allowed to go on a field trip (to the front porch!)

She has been doing this "pretend friends" for about five months. If I try to put them in the closet she quietly sneaks them out one at a time until the entire gang is back together again. Needless to say, they are always positioned around my house in the most peculiar places. I sometimes wonder what my neighbors think ;)

 

This is our Avery dress. We have short sleeve dresses ($32.99), long sleeve dresses ($35.99). In the cooler weather I even pair it with a single ruffle pant that matches the letters on the dress ($64.99). The dress comes in a variety of colors. We currently have white, bright pink, teal, sunflower yellow, and pale pink. Check out our ETSY site for information on how to purchase this dress or send me a message. We can custom design one for you. They make excellent birthday dresses.

One of the most fabulous things about this dress is you can wear if for a few years. Once it starts getting too short, just pair it with a pair of ruffle pants and wear it like a shirt. A great value!

Thank you for supporting all things handmade.

Have a Silly Nilly Day,

If you don't ask, you'll never know!

I've recently had numerous emails asking for discounts, free merchandise, even sample sales. I have to admire the directness of these requests. I have a hard time telling the cashier in a store when something doesn't ring up for the correct price so I would never email a company with such confindence to ask for a discount. It reminds me of the saying, "if you don't ask, you'll never know."

So I decided to play along. Yes, we have discounts, free stuff, and contests for you to enjoy.

1. FACEBOOK PHOTOS-This is quite simply the easiest way to get a discount and not any discount, a 20% discount on one item in your next order. All you have to do is post a photo* of your little cutie on our facebook page. I also use these photos in my marketing so you could see them on our blog (like here) or in my email marketing (like this). *One discount per outfit, if you post 4 pics of the same outfit you still receive only 20% off one item in your next order.

2. NEW! REFERRAL PROGRAM-For every 5 friends you refer to SND who make a purchase, large or small, you will receive a $10 credit. This adds up quickly. We recently had a mom receive two matching dresses for her girls for FREE because of all her referrals. Make sure you tell your friends to let us know that you sent them when they check out. Email us and we can sign you up for this program. We will even do an email marketing campaign and a postcard campaign that will go directly to your friends if you are interested.

3. HOST A SHOW-We have two types of shows. The easiest is an online/virtual show. You will email me your list of friend's email address and their physical address. I will send them information on how to participate. You will send reminders and ask them to go online and shop. You will receive 10% CASH from all items sold regardless of show minimum OR $25 credit per $200 in clothing sold to purchase your own outfits.

**The biggest reward and the most fun is to HOST A HOME/TRUNK SHOW. I will do home shows in The Woodlands, Texas or surrounding areas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana and surrounding areas. I bring sample outfits, all of our patterns, fabric choices, and accessories. The fun part of this show is your friends will get to design their own outfit with a little help from me. They could walk away with a one-of-a-kind outfit. How cool is that? You will receive 20% CASH from all items sold regardless of show minimum OR $50 credit per $200 in clothing sold to purchase your own outfits. You will also receive a free accessory just for hosting a home show.

4. FUNDRAISERS-We also do fundraisers with child care centers and schools. We send postcards to the center or school to hand out. For every purchase made using a special code, 10% will be donated.

5. GIVEAWAYS-Once a month, just for fun, I will have a contest on facebook for the most referrals. I will give a SND item away or an item from one of my favorite mom business.

So, let's celebrate the joy of today and all the bonuses you will receive from Silly Nilly Designs.

Thank you for supporting all things handmade,