What's On The Needles

First off, before I get to knitting, did I ever tell you that I wanted a nickname for my baby? I do. It might be silly, but I have this strong desire to have a little pet name for my little guy that only I (and Aaron if he wants) call him. I don't know, I just feel like having a cute little name that I refer to him as while I'm snuggling with him, playing with him, or even just blogging about him. After a ton of debating with myself, I finally thought of something I like.

He's my "little cub".

That being said, I cannot wait to start knitting for my little cub! Think. of. all. the. cute. little. things. he. can. wear! So to be able to buy all the yarn I need for these projects, I'm currently trying to work my way through my current stash (of all girly colored yarn) and am making things for my nieces.


Matching cardigans for both girls.


More slippers for my sister's youngest


And for myself, I'm still working on that shrug.
Soon though, I'll be out shopping for yarn for him and I'll be posting billions of pics of the cute things I make him. I'll do my best to hurry so you can see them. *^_^*

My Baby Bump Part 2

My first update about my growing baby bump was three months ago. I can hardly believe it! That was so long ago! I've grown so much since then. Dean is making sure I feel every move of his now, haha!


Week 18


Week 20


Week 22


Week 24


Week 26


Week 28


Week 29 ~ This week


Jeez, I sure do wear a lot of blue, gray, and black. Oh well, haha! This whole pregnancy I've made it a point to not give in to any laziness as far as my appearance goes. Well, I did give in to leggings and a hoodie at work once, and I haven't shaved in a few days, but other than that I've made sure to make myself a priority. Just because my body is going crazy making a baby, that doesn't mean I can't still take pride in myself. I'm worth it! (I'm also the face of my store so I need to be presentable) d^_^b

13 Things I'm Happy About

It's Monday, and it's such a good day. Why's that? No reason in particular, other than because I said so. Which is a pretty darn good reason in my opinion. Why NOT have a good Monday?! There's so many things to be happy about! That's why I decided to blog about what makes me happy today.

Are you ready?

1. I get to wake up and spend every day with this guy

2. My new mousse and curling iron make getting ready in the morning so much faster and easier.
3. I can't wait to work more on this bolero. Have absolutely no idea what I'm going to wear with it, but I really can't wait to wear it!
4. Before I started that I knitted myself a new beanie (shown below).

5. Hazelnut Macchiatos are back on the menu at Starbucks. It's easily the best tasting soy latte you can get!
6. I sent out little packages to both my little sisters, and to a friend who's currently living in Japan.
7. These are the hats I knitted for Matt. They're so bright and happy! They're for his all time fave group AKB48, which is also a group Aaron and I enjoy a ton. The group is made up of 48 girls and then into 4 teams. I made him a hat for each team.

8. I just hit third trimester and I'm feeling great! And I feel like I look great. My body is still foreign and weird and I'm not 100% used to it (at all) but I can say I'm not unhappy when I see my reflection. #selflove!!

9. My little guy was kicking my side while I was taking those pictures. I love how he's been so active lately! He's been a little boxing fiend the past few days. He's growing a lot right now and it's just so great!
10. Rinoa has been hanging out a lot with me lately while I'm on the couch, and I can't wait to come home tonight and snuggle with her. (I have no idea what she was glaring at in this pic but I looked up from knitting and saw her like this so I just HAD to snap a picture lol!)

11. Every time we go to Atomic Ale for dinner they make me an extra special hot chocolate. They're so nice!

12. Excited for a double date on Friday (probably to Atomic) so I have good company and yummy hot chocolate to look forward too.
13. Going to work is something I get to do, as opposed to have to do. I'm so lucky to be doing what I want for a living. It makes every day I work that much easier and more fun.
What are you happy about today? Let me know!! ♥

New Items On TheFoxShop

Hey everyone!  Happy Saturday!  Who's watching the Seahawks game??  Not us~ we're cheering for our Seahawks, but we actually don't care about football. At all.  Now baseball and the Mariners~ THAT is what we're excited for!!

Anyways!  Yesterday I listed 6 new items on my Etsy shop.  4 cowls and 2 beanies.  Please chek 'em out!

thefoxshop.etsy.com

My Current Makeup Faves

No secret, makeup is one of my hobbies~ I love collecting it. All those bright colors. I just want them all!

Since I've been pregnant I've been trying to be as time and effort efficient as possible, while still sporting fun looks. My endurance just isn't what it was before, so I have no desire to spend more than 5-10 minutes on my face in the morning.

My skin type has changed a bit so I've been buying new products to try and keep up with that. Because of that, I have found some new favorites that I can see myself buying long after my baby comes. I wanted to spend a few mins talking about these items.

What I've Been Wearing Most Days

1. Aveno Tinted Moisturizer (Fair to Light) // 2. L'Oreal B.B. Cream (Fair)
3. Physicians Formula Mineral Glow Pearls Powder Palette (Light Bronze)
4. Revlon Colorstay Smoky Eyecolor Stick (Torch)
5. Avon Glimmerstick Eyeliner (Cosmic Brown) // 6. Maybelline Mega Plush Mascara (Brown Black)

Other Items I've Been Wearing

1. Revlon Photoready BB Cream or Maybelline FitMe Foundation Stick
2. Revlon Photoready Color Correcting Primer // 3. Benefit Dandelion blush
4. Too Faced Jingle All The Way pallet // 5. Maybelline Baby Lips or Smith's Rosebud Lipbalm

My skin tone has never been one solid color. It's always been every shade of red and peach, with LARGE pores. That's where the tinted moisturizer and the BB creams come in. Immediately after I get out of the show I put on the Aveno tinted moisturizer. Then once I'm dressed I'll put on some BB cream. This L'Oreal Magic BB cream is the first product I've found to really even out my skin tone and even fill in my pores quite a bit. My skin has dry patches randomly so a tend to no wear powders but the Physicians Formula bronzer is so sheer that it doesn't look like I'm caking on makeup. I've been sick a lot lately so I wanted a bronzer to bring some color back to my cheeks. As far as eyes go, this Revlon stick is perfect. Pink over the eyelid and brown for light but thick eyeliner- bam! A little eyeliner on the outer corner of my eyes and a baby bit of mascara and DONE! Five, maybe seven minutes, tops.

When I'm feeling frisky, or have more time, I'll put on the other products. Depending on if I want more coverage on my face, I'll put on the Revlon Photoready cream or the Maybelline foundation stick. If my skin is dry I'll use the cream, and if it's normal I'll use the stick. The Revlon Photoready color correcting cream is something I LOVE but ran out of and haven't found it on sale to buy it again, but I'm pining for more. The Too Faced pallet was something I got from my Mom for Christmas and am having so much fun with it! I'll add a teeny bit of it's bronzer or blush with the other one I've been wearing just for fun. The eyeshadows are super great! I've worn then all at least once since Christmas. The two lip balms I pictured have gotten me through two sinus infections and a couple head colds. I NEED these guys.


This is my outfit today and for makeup and I used everything in the first picture except I used the two matte eyeshadows and then the sparkly black for eyeliner, instead of using the Revlon eyeshadow stick. And no lipbalm because I forgot lol!

Anyways, that's about it for that. Do you have a favorite set of items you use everyday? Or one in particular you can't live without? ♥

Fave Blogs of 2013

Hey everyone and happy Friday! Hope everyone is ready for a great first weekend of the year. I am~ wooo!!

Over the last year I found tons projects and people that inspire me so much I just have to share it you all! One of my goals for 2014 is to share with you more often all the things like blogs, music, tutorials, crafty ideas, fashion-y ideas, food stuffs, and everything in between that inspire me.

Today I want to start off with some awesome bloggers that kept me coming back for more over the course of last year. Their hearts, passion, faith, desire, and drive are nothing short of awesome. The way they write their blogs is endearing and inviting~ it's something I strive for and really want to learn how to do with my blog. These gals all have a fun and happy space on the internet and I want you all to see it. :D

Without further adieu, here they are~

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Contemplating Beauty



What I love about this blog is Gina's self-reflection and courage to face every day fighting. Her kind words always seem to speak to me and her wisdom I take right to my heart. She is madly in love with her family and you can just feel it by reading her writing. She gives encouragement and advice, and embodies grace and kindness. Every time I'm on her blog I feel like I just plopped down on her couch with a blanket and a cup of coffee and made myself at home.

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Lovely Little Whimsy



Carina's blog is full of pictures of her family of 7, faith, food, and fun. She just recently welcomed their fifth baby into the world and so she's full of little tidbits, thoughts, and ideas of being a parent. Her grounded look on love, family, and balancing life is something that I look up to and want to emulate when I become a mom.

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Love Sparkle Pretty




Kayla's blog is full of beautiful items she makes for her shop, as well as DIY's, blogging/photography tips, and her thoughts about life. Sometimes I take blogging way too seriously and her blog reminds me to relax, keep my goal in mind, and carry on. I always leave her blog with a smile and determination.

cute 'N' roll



Cute 'N' Roll is an Italian blog full of super cute outfits, adorable little dogs, and make up reviews. Alice's outfits are fun and playful, and so many of them I want to try and replicate once the weather gets warmer. Her hair style is gorgeous, which I just love it and must learn how to do it!

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Even Artichokes Have Hearts



I keep coming back to this blog for the sewing and gluten-free baking DIY's. Her sewing style is fun but simple, creative but not intimidating. And her baking tutorials are delicious! These Easy Peasy Biscuits do me in every time. And I am pining over the stamps for these cookies she made. Who would have thought of stamps on cookies? Gah I love this blog!

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Much Love Illy



This daily fashion blog I found a few years ago while knitting blog hopping. Illy was modeling a cowl she received from a gal and it was then and there I was 100% sold on cowls. Illy's easy style, friendly smile, and overall cuteness made her blog such a fun and inspiring place to return to regularly. The way she shares so much of herself on her blog makes it easy to feel like you're friends ready to go on a coffee date, or go watch movies together in pj's. Her blog encapsulates FUN and that inspires me so much to make my blog a fun place also.

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The Marvelous Flight of Cara



Cara's enthusiasm and gung-ho attitude in her writing is infectious and I love it. I feel like each time she sits down to write a blog she just dives right in with all the of joy and happiness in her body. You can tell there's a fire burning inside her and it's just bursting to get out. I absolutely love it. It's inspiring and just makes me love blogs and blogging that much more.

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Hima Hearts



Hima Hearts is a cute little blog I found through blog hopping before the holidays. Hima is nothing but smiles in every blog post~ whether it's holiday related or school finals. She seems to do everything wholeheartedly and with this beautiful smile on her face. She was inspired to blog after reading The Happiness Project and so she fills with things that make her happy. Hima Heart's is a joy to read and I look forward to reading more throughout 2014!

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Definitely take a second or two to check these gal's blogs out~ you won't be disappointed. What blog(s) were your favorite last year? Are there any that you would recommend I check out? ♥

One Little Word 2014

The other day I ran into the concept of One Little Word over at Whimsical Poppysmic. She was going to pick one word to follow her through the year~ a word to hold on to, a word to learn from, a word to own. Having read more about it here I've decided I'm going to join in and have my own little word.


Grace. It's something I've struggled with a bunch last year, and it's something I want to overcome this year. More specifically, I want to be more graceful when I talk to people.

Working in retail for any length of time can make you jaded, which is sad. While I'm not jaded, there are definitely times that it seems that way. When my mouth starts talking before my brain or my heart has had a moment to take things in.

Some instances I struggle with:
■ customers who don't understand our return policy
■ the customer just assumes that they're right and I'm wrong
■ they don't bother to listen to me, which creates problems later on

There are other instances that are more complicated and sensitive than those:
■ people who are socially inept
■ people who struggle with anxiety
■ people who are, in my opinion, willingly closed minded
■ people who won't help themselves
■ people who trap themselves in labels that they themselves or people they surround themselves by create

These are all things I deal with on a weekly, if not daily, basis and SHOULD be able to handle them with more grace than I am.

Maybe it's because I was raised to be a strong, independent, pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps, tape-it-and-go sort of person that I do not fundamentally understand people who are different. I want to understand them though. I want to empathize with these people and see where they are coming from. I want to be able to talk to them and for them to see respect, trust, and genuineness in me. Whether it's over a transaction or a fun chit chat, I want people to leave their conversation with me a happier, more positive person than before.

Maybe that's arrogant or me to say? Or of me to want? I just really want to leave this world a better place, and I feel that in my situation as a store owner, I can do that by my daily interactions with people. But I cannot do that if I let my mouth run off without my head and heart.

That's why I will do my best every day of 2014 to be mindful of the word grace. To keep it close to my heart and see if I can stubble and fall a lot less than I did last year.

Do you have any advice for me on how to live with grace more each day? Are there any tricks or tips you have that keep your mouth from running off when you don't mean to? I'd really appreciate any thoughts from others in Blogland! ♥