Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Tybee Island Vacation

Our vacation last week at Tybee Island, GA was wonderful! Our condo was TINY, but it was right on the beach, so the kids had a great time. We even saw Miss Miley Cyrus who is filming her new movie, "The Last Song" on the island this summer! (My seven year old was so close that she almost could touch her if she had tried.) I've got pictures of her, the movie set, as well as shots of my daughter's meet (she did great!!) that I will post at a later time. Today I wanted to share some BEACH PICTURES. : )
Beach time was so much fun! Tons of crabs though, we even had a few hitchhikers to our room. (Ugh.) One morning shrimp were jumping all over the sand that were left from the high tide. The tides there were crazy. Something was going on astronomically this week, and every night high tide would peak above 10 feet and the highway connecting Savannah with Tybee would flood. We had to stay on top of high tide since it changed every day, and we almost didn't make it back the night of my daughter's meet. Dolphins would swim right outside of our condo every day. (REALLY close to shore!) Shrimp boats were constantly going by our condo and these attracted them. We were also near the mouth of the Savannah River, so we saw HUGE cargo ships coming to and leaving port every day.

A family from our gym stayed at our condo as well, and the kids had a BLAST playing with them every day!

This was the first night at the beach, only steps away from our condo.


Getting some SUN! Silly me, I missed the backs of my legs with our spray on sunscreen and I was hurting the next morning.

We climbed to the top of the Tybee Island Lighthouse, which was beautiful! It is the oldest and tallest lighthouse in Georgia. We also toured the lightkeepers home, which dated back a few hundered years.


Looking down!

This is at the public beach our last night there. The surf was very different...we saw wind surfers which was neat to watch. A few couple got stuck on a sand bar when the tide went up...they finally just jumped in and swam to shore, it was crazy to watch because the currents were so strong they ended up pretty far down the beach.

Daddy and daugher. This is also one of the locations the movie was filmed at. At first they set up a carnival, and then they filmed at a home for a few days. That last night the crews were setting up a new set on the beach. We also went to a Wildlife Center which was enjoyable and a Dolphin Cruise. We ate tons of boiled seafood, and I'm so sick of it now! I guess the "Low Country Boil" is the popular dish around those parts. We went to the Crab Shack one night were we got to feed alligators. We also went to Uncle Bubba's, who is a relative of Paula Dean's. We didn't go to her restruarant in Savannah, but Uncle Bubba's was great! I will post more on our trip and pictures later!

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Go Team Georgia!


This morning was spent away from home and we were so busy. First I took my oldest daughter to get her fingers x-rayed (they are looking good.) I then went to gymnastics, then to Wal-Mart to pick up some tulle I left at check out, then back to gymnastics, then to Hobby Lobby, and then home. I am so incredibly tired! The girls had a picture day for their Nationals. It says "Georgia" on the back of their leotards, but you can't really make it out. I also made their ponytail holders out of tulle and ribbon, and received 2 orders for other teammates this morning. : )



When we returned home I finished this custom order tutu dress. It is for a little girl's 4th birthday pictures, and I think it turned out so well! I also made a matching headband to go with it. I now need to get to the orders I received today...I also want to make matching tutus for my three girls for BEACH pictures this week!

Yes, we are going to the beach in 2 days and I am so excited! We went to the library a few days ago and I picked up several non-fiction books pertaining to the ocean, sea life, etc. to read to the kids. We discussed crustacians and ducks a few days ago along with Georgia's barrier islands. Today we are going to talk about some of the history of Tybee Island. : )

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Sweetwater Creek Summer Festival


My booth set up again!

We spent last weekend at a Craft Fair fairly close to home. The turnout was AWFUL and I was so disappointed! It is difficult to spend so much time creating things, setting up, and sitting at a craft fair all weekend to get poor results. I almost made double my booth fee back, but it just wasn't worth it to me. The kids had a great time because their was a jump castle really close to us that was free so they played in there as much as they wanted. My booth also backed up to a lake, so the kids enjoyed that too. I got a bit of a tan as well. ; ) I did hand out tons of business cards, and all comments were really positive. I made a bunch of clippies on Saturday night to hand out as a freebie on Sunday, and everybody really liked them. Most all of the little girls put them on immediately...it was cute to see all the little girls walking around with the same clippie on. : ) My next fair will hopefully be on the Fourth of July. I have to complete a custom tutu dress before we leave for vaca this weekend! I have been getting a lot of orders for these lately, and I love making them.

The kids and I by the lake.

Getting their feet wet and riding a pony. : )

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Randomness


Lately my life is either super busy or slow, and this week has been crazy! We went to the Woodstock Market and Show this weekend, and boy, was it long! All day Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Sales were good on Friday, and surprisingly they slacked off on Saturday and remained the same on Sunday. I met a few really nice ladies in the booth next to mine who were selling Usborne books (which I use through Sonlight) who homeschool! We had a few enjoyable conversations which was nice. A lady there was selling the most beautiful pillowcase dresses/matching doll dresses. My older girls couldn't resist and each purchased one.


The older girls are in swim lessons last week and this week. Yesterday we made a trip to the emergency room because my oldest fractured two of her fingers at gymnastics. : ( This means no more swim lessons and unfortunately, no gymnastics Nationals. We are heading there in 2 weeks, and they are taking place in Savannah. Her coach hopes that she will be able to compete beam, but we aren't sure. I am taking her to an orthopedic at 2 pm today, so we will see what their opinion is.


I will hopefully be able to clean and reorganize our school/play room this week (which is really our dining room). It is such a disaster, and I want it to be really nice for when we start back in August. I just finished three special orders from this weekend yesterday, and it looks like I might be receiving another custom order for a tutu dress, which I love.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Camera Troubles

I am the worst with cameras! My husband gave me one about 4 years ago and it was unusable within about a year. I received another one that lasted a few months. I then "borrowed" my daughter's, and now it won't work! (And digital cameras are not cheap.) So now I have to purchase a new one for myself, and for my daughter. I don't know what my problem is! I do drop them from time to time, but geez! I wasn't able to get any good pictures of my daughter's dance recital this weekend which bummed me out. And I need a camera to take product pictures for my web site. What to do. : )

Friday, May 29, 2009

Burn Out

We have finished our school year, and I for one am so glad! I am beginning to get really burnt out. I might be trying to take on too much...probably am! ; ) Three Little Princesses has really grown in the past 7 months, which is fabulous, but I have a difficult time switching gears to other things. Like right now, I can think of a bajillion things that I need to do for upcoming craft festivals (and I just signed up for another one on the fourth of July that is expecting over 50,000 people). I really need to clean the house instead, but which activity do you think will win out? I am hoping to create A LOT during the summer, and really free myself up for homeschooling in the fall. Every now and then I think about what it would be like to put the kids in public school and maybe even open my own storefront, but I have to remember that God has lead me to homeschool for a reason and I know I need to stay on that path. I know that everything will work out in the end, but for now I'm exhausted!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

1890s Day Jamboree

I thought that I would post some pictures of my kids at the craft fair because I have already bored everybody with my booth. ; ) This is during set-up.
These are the new "princess crowns" that I made.

So sweet, I love this shot!

They were getting ready to watch the parade, and my daughter was trying to make my son look at me lol.

Aw, she was being a daddy's girl!

My oldest daughter seems to be mia from all of my pictures...she had her nose buried in a book all weekend! (She's just like me, I tell you.) It was a really fun weekend. This weekend is recital, and the next one I will be in Woodstock.




Monday, May 25, 2009

Happy Memorial Day Everyone!


So far we have had a fantastic weekend! The craft fair went really well. I made back about 11 times my booth entry fee. The people there were so nice and it only rained for like 2 minutes on Saturday. I also met a really nice crafter next to my booth who is going to email me a list of the really good shows and the shows not to bother with. My kids were also AMAZING!!! We were at the fair for 15 hours, and they behaved so well. They had fun walking around, eating food, riding the blown up slides, and looking at the car show. The comments were all positive, and several people told me that as far as girly stuff goes, my booth was the best. (Aw, so sweet!!) I've now have a lot of work to do to restock for my next show in two weeks! I will post pictures later, my camera is downstairs and I am too lazy to get it lol.



Today I think we are either going to take the kids to Six Flags or to see the new Night at the Museum movie. We will probably end up going to Six Flags...I just hope it isn't completely packed. I usually stay with the little one in Bugs Bunny World which is never unbareably crowded, but the older kids might end up waiting for an hour or more to ride a roller coaster. A new family ride called "Monster Mansion" is open now, and I think everyone will enjoy that.

Friday, May 22, 2009

And to Ringgold we go...

Yesterday seemed like a big rushed blur trying to prepare for the craft fair today. I made a few more tutus, and "princess crowns" (what I'm calling them), which is really an inexpensive item that little girls love. I can't tell you the number of times that a momma is ready to purchase an item, but the little girl would rather have a toy at another booth. We ran to Michaels, Hobby Lobby, and dance in the rain which was absolutely no fun! This morning I'm going to try to make a tutu for my youngest, two new crayon roll-ups, as well as pack for our overnight stay. We will leave at around lunchtime, stop by Wal-Mart to pick up a *tan* wall pack for my tent, and then be on our way to check into our hotel. The craft fair goes from 6-9 this evening, and then again from 9-9 tomorrow. I better get busy!

Besides all of this craft stuff, I have been LOVING looking at the new curriculum for next year as it has been arriving! I hope that this excitement carries on for the entire year lol.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Gymnastics Banquet 2009

Monday night was Awards Night for the girl's gymnastics team. The food was great and the girls had a wonderful time. This is their team:

The awards given were "most improved" awards. Our oldest was awarded Most Improved on Floor Exercise. Great job!!

Our middle child was awarded Most Improved Over All for Level 4, and it was announced that she is going to skip the next level next year. Good job sweetheart!


After the awards, the girls had some fun dancing. Our 3-year-old was dying to participate. (Oh, and I made that dress and the older girl's shirts with my new sewing machine.) : )

She finally got the nerve up to join in and she was hilarious!! They were doing line dance style dancing to all the popular songs of that style (I of course do not remember the names.)


Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Spring Craft Fair Pictures

These are a few pictures of my booth at the uneventful craft fair last weekend. ; )






I love these new hair bow holders...so girly!

An overview of my booth. I think I would like butterflies to hang from the ceiling.

And...I purchased a sewing machine 2 days ago, so I might be adding a few new things to my product line! Hopefully I will be able to bring a few crayon caddies to Ringgold.

Monday, May 18, 2009

$20!

The craft fair this weekend was a total bummer. : ( The rain held off until around 1:00 thankfully, but when it came it poured. We were really quick and saved all of my products before they became wet, but all the vendors left at that point. Not like there were any customers beforehand lol. I saw maybe 20 people meandering around, most of which were church members who just socialized. I sold a grand total of 2 tutus to other vendors. I was really disappointed, but this whole thing is a learning experience for me, so I guess I'll live and learn. I sold about 40 things at the last craft fair, so I thought I would do better than I did.
My mother DID sell $7 worth of clippies at her church yesterday, and they are interested in my bag tags for a nursery system, so that brightened my weekend a little. And I'm counting internet sales from Friday into my weekend total to boost my spirits. : D I will post pictures of my booth later. : )

Friday, May 15, 2009

In Desperate Need of *White* Canopy Walls


Tomorrow has a stinky weather forecast, and it is craft fair day. : ( This is my husband's day off, so we have been searching far and wide for canopy sides to go on my canopy which is white. We have found tan and blue, but no white. I am praying very hard for a nice day (because who is going to walk around a craft fair in the rain, right?) The reason that we need the canopy walls is to protect my products from water damage if a storm pops up.
Right now my lovely husband is vacuuming out the van so we can load all of my stuff inside. I'm excited because at this craft fair I will be able to accept credit cards, which I hope will boost sales (if it doesn't rain!!!)
My 7-year-old will be accompanying us, along with my mother and husband. The other kids have opted to stay home. (Can't blame them. : )) There will be a petting zoo as well, so hopefully my daughter will have a good time.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Let's Play Craft Fair!

Ok, when I'm getting ready to go to a craft fair, my house is a disaster area. (Thanks to my husband and kids for putting up with me!!) This is ONE of my tables that I have set up in the living room for preparations. The girls decided that they wanted to "play" craft fair yesterday, and I think they did a good job with their booths! ; )

My oldest used a tablecloth and notice the bags behind her to be used when someone purchased an item.

My middle daughter chose to display purses at her booth.


My youngest daughter was quite happy with her booth set-up, and loved the dress she had purchased earlier.

Winder Craft Fair is 2 days and counting. I HOPE I am ready! (Well, I'll be ready, I'm just not sure that I will have everything that I "think" needs to be done accomplished!)

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Sonlight Catalog Day

Yesterday I FINALLY received my Sonlight Catalog in the mail. I really love this curriculum, although I don't use it for everything. This year I am utilizing Sonlight readers, read-alouds, science, social studies, and math. I love the program, but for next year I think I'm going to only use their math, readers, and possibly read-alouds and social studies (with the social studies being supplimental.) The content is so rich, but I want a program where I can "test" the children in content more easily. When my oldest daughter took her 3rd grade standardized test I was a little nervous, because we have been studying world history this year, and she was being tested on American history. She ended up doing really well, which I guess shows she IS learning and retaining things that I haven't gone over time and again, but I want to make sure I'm covering the basics more thoroughly, kwim?
I was so excited, while looking through it yesterday. It takes me months to read because I like to read every little testimonial that they list. Although we have basically finished school for the year, today I'm going to pick up with a few science experiments we missed due to lack of time. The kids don't know about this yet, and it should be fun.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

3-year-old Check-up

Yesterday I took my "baby" to the doctor for a well check. I was unsure if we were going to make it because my oldest was sick up until 9 am. She is SO sensitive to germs, and will get sick either during or immediately after almost every vacation we have ever taken. Anyway, she seemed to be alright so we headed to the doctor after lunch. My, has my youngest grown! She has always been in the 10% percentile, but yesterday she reached the 50% percentile for both weight and height! : ) Everything else looked good, my only concerns were that she has been constipated lately and she CANNOT stop biting her fingernails. We were perscribed Miralax, but I was not given much information about the nail-biting problem.

I also questioned the doctor about the hemangioma (birthmark) on her upper lip. As a baby, we thought surgery might have to be performed, but we decided to wait it out, because these types of birthmarks shrink on their own. The doctor confimed that we will probably have to do some sort of laser surgery when she is around 4. I am so glad that we have left it alone for now, because it has improved SO MUCH on it's own.

Monday, May 11, 2009

What a great Mother's Day ; )

This year for Mother's Day, my "present" was a trip to Gatlinburg. Yes, it was the only weekend we had free, but I chose where we were going and what we did. I was thinking about the beach, but was afraid of rain. (It turned out to be beautiful, oh well.) The day started with us visiting "Flapjacks," which was so yummy! The older girls made me "perfume" and a book. I received handmade cards from everybody, and my husband gave me a card he made on his computer. (These are my favorite.) I also received a lovely black and pink polka dotted carry on-type bag.

One of the best parts of the day occurred once we returned home. I absolutely love the Duggars and their show, "18 Kids and Counting," so a few weeks ago I sent off several products to them. When I checked our mail box, I discovered a thank you card from Michelle Duggar...I was so excited! To receive a card from such an amazing mother on Mother's Day just topped off the day perfectly!


Later on I have to take my 3-year-old to her 3 year check-up. I hope she behaves. : )

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Our Gatlinburg Vaca! : )

It had been some time since we have been on a vacation, because we stay so tied up by the kids activities. This weekend was free, and it was a winner! We traveled to Gatlinburg and stayed in a condo at The Summit, which was ON TOP of a mountain. (Seriously was scared while we were driving up the initial time.) It was lovely, and the best part was it was a 2-bedroom, which meant we had space. We visited Cades Cove on the way and saw tons of deer. The kids mined for gemstones and had a blast! On Saturday we visited the Knoxville Zoo because we are Zoo Atlanta members and the membership is reciprocal. (LOVED it.) The black bear exhibit was so much fun, and the children's section was phenominal. It began to rain halfway through our trip, so were unable to see the big cats up close. This morning we went to an awesome Pancake house before heading home. It was a great trip and I hate that it's over. : (


Cades Cove!


Milking Cow at Knoxville Zoo!


Playing in water at Knoxville Zoo.


Knoxville Zoo in the rain.


Newfound Gap.

Hi there!

Hi, I'm Nicole, momma to 4, wife and homeschooler. I am also a craft addict and I LOVE to blog. I have been blogging for quite some time over at www.homeschoolblogger.com/nicolec. At this point I have decided to make the switch to blogger...I have found that homeschoolblogger has run out of picture space for me! ( I love to post pictures. : )) In my spare time (lol) I run my homebased business, called Three Little Princesses. I LOVE what I do!! Making hair bows, tutus, hair bow holders, etc. for little girls is so much fun! I am also so blessed to be able to stay at home with my children and homeschool them.

A little background...I was born in Indiana, but moved to Georgia at the age of 6. I have lived here ever since. I married my high school sweetheart, only to find out how different we really were once it was too late. I had 3 children during this marriage, and when he was 22 he died by living a harsh lifestyle. I met my current husband a little after a year later, and he is my HERO. I am so blessed that God would place him in my life. After marrying in March 2005, we had our youngest child in April 2006. I LOVE my family beyond words. My husband adopted my oldest three children late last year, and we are doing great!

I'm excited about sharing my life here! I love comments, so please feel free to write your thoughts!