Its back...

For those of you desperate to take on my "DIY Hood to Hoodrest Tutorial" good news for you, its back! I temporarily removed the tutorial after it was brought to my attention by countless individuals concerned that the tutorial was being plagiarized for profit. This tutorial is meant for PERSONAL USE ONLY. If you are interested in purchasing a carrier like the one listed in this tutorial and not interested in sewing one, you may contact me directly via email.

Thank you so much for everyone's support and kind words about the tutorial.

In the meantime, those of you who love this tutorial will be happy to know I am working on a very in depth buckle carrier tutorial.

Happy Sewing!

Brooke

PS As always, if you have any questions about the tutorial, my carriers, or my personal creation-the one and only Mei-la Wrap, don't hesitate to contact me via email.

Mei-la Wraps:

Computer, you complete me...

I came to the realization over the past 2 weeks that I am half human, half robot. I learned this after finding it extremely difficult to function as a human without my computer. Yes, I am that lame.

2 weeks ago my computer suffered a stroke and died. Cause of death? Undetermined. It is still too painful and too fresh to go through all the details. All I know is my computer completely shut down, I panicked, tried to shock it-well not really, that would likely result in a fire-but I practically gave it mouth to mouth while screaming, "Don't give up on me...I love you!" Ok, that might be a slight exaggeration, however this tragedy occurred at roughly 1:25am (Eastern time) and there were no conscious witnesses.

I spent HOURS the next day on the phone with I kid you not, THIRTEEN different HP/Tech/Tormentors. I was at about my breaking point when this conversation ensued:

(After already being forced by one phone tech to attempt to do open heart surgery on the computer tower, 10 techs later, and 6 hours later...)

*This conversation is real and actually occurred as stated below.

Tormentor: "Ma'am, please try to unscrew the screws that are attached to the side panel of the tower-"

Me: "NO!!!! I am NOT going through THAT again! No! I do not want to take apart the tower, that makes me feel very uncomfortable, I have a warranty!"

Tormentor: "Ma'am I need you to first-"

Me: "NO! The other guy already made me do that. He had me unscrew the panel, look inside and try to remove parts that would NOT come out. I do not have a screw driver that small! I am not a computer technician, I have a warranty! Why can't someone else take care of this problem!?"

Tormentor: "Ma'am I am trying to help you with this problem, but first I need you to tell me what you saw when you opened up the computer. What did you do?"

Me: Large Sigh. "Fine. I..." Told him everything I did.

At this point, Akael got sneaky, he started asking me if I did this or that when the tower was open...and, could I try to trace the bundle of wires attached to the mother board?

Wait! WHAT THE? He was trying to get me to take parts out of the computer again? I felt like I was in some sort of weird technology horror movie. I could just see all the bored computer technicians gathered around Akael's computer screen laughing hysterically at my almost mental breakdown. "Tell her to gently pop out the fan! Haha! Its screwed in! Haha! She'll feel like a dumb ass! Haha! Tell her to put her computer in the toilette! Haha..."

Although I was VERY near jumping off a cliff...or the couch, I indulged Akael as he gave me a crash course in mother board 101, computer lingo, and the hard wiring of a HP Pavilion Slimline. I could really give a sh** about all that, but if it got me to that beautiful point in the conversation where he would ask me for my warranty info I would endure.

I will spare you the gruesome details and the horrific things he made me do with the wires..unlatching wires..reattaching wires...all sorts of mad scientist stuff. I'll just bring you in to the end of the conversation, otherwise known as my full technology mental breakdown.

Me: "I CANNOT DO THIS ANYMORE!!! I HAVE BEEN ON THE PHONE FOR HOURS AND TALKED TO EVERYONE WHO WORKS AT HP! I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT! I DO NOT WANT TO DO THIS! I HAVE A WARRANTY! WHY ARE YOU MAKING ME TRY TO REPAIR MY COMPUTER. IT DIED ALL THE WAY LAST NIGHT. THERE IS NO GREEN LIGHT OR YELLOW LIGHT ANYWHERE!!! AND I FEEL VERY UNCOMFORTABLE LOOKING INSIDE MY COMPUTER! I DON'T EVEN THINK WE ARE LOOKING AT THE SAME COMPUTER!! I CANNOT TAKE THIS ANYMORE! I HAVE A WARRANTY!!!!!

Akael the Tormentor: With a slight chuckle-no exaggeration.

Me: "I am not an idiot! I actually know how to use a computer pretty well. But there are major idiots out there who own computers! And I do not believe you make all of them open up their computers and take out parts. Half of those idiots don't probably even own a screw driver or know how to use one. Why are you making me do this? AHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Akael the Tormentor: Pleased that he had seen me crack. "OK Ma'am. I just need you to do one more thing for me. Screw the side panel back on and reattach the computer to the monitor and the power source and try to turn it on."

Me: WTF? You have GOT to be kidding me? Is that all? "Oh, is that all? Then what?"

Akael the Tormentor: Please Ma'am, can you do this for me and then tell me what happens.

After indulging Akael, I attempted to turn on the computer. Guess what happened? NOTHING!!! Just like I knew was going to happen roughly seven hours before that. When you see your own computer die before your own eyes, you know when its dead and its not coming back.

Akael's response to this: "OK, so it appears there is in fact something wrong with the town and it is not the monitor. I will now take down your information and someone will call you in the next 24 hours with further instructions. A box will most likely be shipped to you and you will mail in your computer tower in this box for repair."

What is this, mission impossible? At this point I was able to step away from the ledge. It only look 7 and a half hours and 13 people to get to the warranty info. I looked at my "HP care pack services" packet and now understood what the "In-home repair service" meant. I also scoffed at the picture on the cover with a grandfatherly man helping a family understand their computer problem.

Long story short:
Our computer is home safe-after being delivered in a not so safe box with little explanation of anything. I do know he had a heart transplant-AKA-the hard drive was replaced. On the plus side, I am thankful we actually had a warranty and did not have to buy a new computer. Although, I was seconds away from shouting, "Screw you Akael! I am going to the Apple Store! Take your HP Slimline and shove it!" On the minus side, I am very sad that none of our pictures, music, or documents could be recovered...or so they say. They are tormentors over at HP so who knows...

I don't know that I will ever get that image out of my head of my computer fully open and exposed, mother board and all, but I will try to heal and back up everything while I am at it! Oh, wait I currently have nothing to back up.

Me: Fists raised and on my knees "HP!!!"

Going for the dramatic finish.

PS: I have also learned I do not need a computer to complete me.

ret·ro·spect [ réttrə spèkt ]

Just 24 days shy of four years old, Aislynn loves life.

Today in the car she announced, " I am SO excited!" full of anticipation about the playdate we were driving to, and the new friends we would meet. She actually had no idea what we would be doing or who we would be doing it with.

"How many friends will there be?" she asked.

"I don't know," I said.

She followed up, "What will their names be?"

"We'll just have to wait and see," I responded.

On arriving to our playdate with some new moms we were meeting, all but one for the first time, Aislynn was beaming. "Ooo..they have a park in their back yard!" she announced.

Park, swing set, what's the difference right? Aislynn proceeded to play, greet some of the children, wave at the moms, and even serenade some of them with her rendition of Amazing Grace.

One of the moms asked me, "Has she always been this friendly?"

And there it was, the question I never dreamed I would be asked in regards to this little girl. It was a question I only dreamed, hoped, and prayed a little less than 2 years ago that I might be asked someday.

I responded to the mom's question, and gave a mini synopsis of Aislynn's 180 degree turn around trip from anti-social, to social extremist. The mom of course, was very surprised by my response based on Aislynn's current extremely happy and social demeanor.

On the way home I started to think back. It was one of those retrospective moments. A moment where you are outside of a particular situation and you actually have some perspective, Rays of light finally shine through. You actually find some light at the end of an endless dark tunnel. You need those moments to give you hope for the other tunnels you still might find yourself in.

And so I realized that everyone we meet and have met in our new home in Bloomington Indiana will meet my extremely friendly, sweet, smart, kind and outgoing little girl.

They will never know that this same little girl who runs right up to people eager to introduce herself, used to freeze like a deer in the headlights when other children her same age approached. They will never know that she used to refuse to acknowledge other children and actually ran away from them.

This little lover of all new experiences and people used to cry when things were not "just so" or when new people were in the mix. I even remember the Christmas after she turned 2, celebrating Christmas at my in-laws when she refused to sit at the table with her aunt, uncle, and cousins the first night we arrived. She barely made it into the house. It was so extreme, we had to eat in the other room away from everyone else that first night. Those were some dark moments.

And once again I remember dreaming, hoping, and praying that someday, someday she might become more social. I dreamed, hoped, and prayed that she would find a way to enjoy other people, tolerate new experiences, love life, and tell me all her little ponderings while eating more than 5 foods. Many days, it seemed like an unattainable goal, and merely a dream.

But hope never died. We pressed on through the sometimes very dark tunnel because we knew there would be light at the end if we could hold on to hope. Life is not perfect. Aislynn is not prefect. But she is a dream come true.

________________________________

NEVER would have happened 2 years ago. Now a reality...

Reading to little sis...


Hugging little sis...even though little sis is turning out to be quite the little bully...


Fireworks, loud noises...


Trying and LOVING new things...


Loving friends, being a friend.

"One Buddy a Night"

The story of the "One Buddy a Night" Rule.

Every night at the Fullers we embark on a journey through Aislynn's bedtime routine. It begins with a story and the extremely important choosing of a buddy.

Once upon a time when we were idiots, Andy and I lined up about 15 tiny stuffed animals on a long rainbow colored worm in Aislynn's bed as we embarked on "The Routine."

As time went on, the line up became increasingly large and insane. The "little buddies" soon required a specific order, a certain type of positioning, chaos erupted if a "buddy" fell off the worm or heaven forbid-fell on the floor!

Ever night I would think, this is insane! Why have we become slaves to this tiny little girl, the Little Einsteins, the entire Mickey Mouse Club House, Magenta, Valentine Bear, Lovey Puppy, as well as some stragglers? I couldn't take it any longer. Goofy refused to sit up straight. I never liked Goofy. I will not be Goofy's b**** any longer!

Then there was puke-LOTS of it.

One day in the town of Bloomington, Aislynn became the sickest I have ever seen her in her almost 4 years of life. She threw up intensely on 14 of the 15 buddies. It was a sad day at Mickey's Club House, particularly for Mickey. Genius finally struck when I realized that my child did not need to sleep with 15 tiny stuffed animals in a row on a large worm. Cleaning up 14 casualties from the puking incident really clarified my resolution.

So we implemented a "one buddy a night" rule when Aislynn recovered from an eternity of the flu variety show. She would be allowed to choose one special sleepover"buddy" a night. No entourage, no clubs, or gangs permitted-one lone character as a sleeping companion. I thought she would protest, I thought for sure she would fight for the WHOLE Club House. No fight, little protest, I think the causalities of the flu disturbed everyone including Aislynn.

I still shudder thinking about the implications of that flu.

Rainbow worm, may you rest in peace.

se·cret

It was not too long ago that I wrote about the first in a series of unfortunate events, the lost wedding ring-specifically MY lost wedding ring. I have a confession to make. I lost my wedding ring AGAIN. I know! I can already feel people shouting at me, "How did you manage that...why do you take it off at all...didn't you learn your lesson...why don't you have a safe place to put it...are you an idiot..." I KNOW. AH! I have no good reason, excuse, or explanation. I am a self-proclaimed repeat offender with a horrible habit of taking my ring off numerous times throughout my day. After I find my ring, I swear I am going to kick this habit! OK...probably shouldn't swear...just to be on the safe side.

So now you know. I am truly ridiculous and thankfully married to an easy going guy who refrains from finger pointing every time I lose my ring. I made my confession, how about you?

A couple months ago, my bff sent me a message asking me if I "posted a secret." She was sure that one of the "secrets" was mine. My mind drew a blank. I hoped I didn't have any secrets floating around being posted in random locations! I clicked on the link she included in her message. It took me here. I scrolled through anonymous, postcard size images, each revealing a secret, confession, or unspoken thought. Intrigued, I briefly read post after post-or secret after secret. I scrolled through humor, regret, anger, anguish, joy, indifference, bias, happiness, excitement, etc. You name the emotion and there was a secret to go with it.

Do you know there are 12 definitions for the word "secret?" That's a whole lot of defining for a one little word. This post is not meant to analyze my secrets, your secrets, or secrets on a deeper level. I just thought you might like to get a little something off your chest in an anonymous sort of way, because everyone likes to be anonymous sometimes.

If you have a secret or unspoken thought you'd like to get off your chest just leave it as a comment on this post and click "anonymous." Maybe speaking the unspoken might just lighten your week a bit.

A series of unfortunate events...

One of the worst weeks of my life probably occurred in 1998. Here’s how that week played out: Tuesday, get rear ended (passenger) and a nice case of whiplash. Thursday, get in second car accident as the passenger, fun, fun, fun! Friday, go to the ER with high fever, severe pain, and possible appendicitis. Saturday, receive Crohns disease diagnosis. No doubt about it, pretty bad week.

Over the past 2 weeks, I experienced a series of unfortunate events that pale in comparison to the events in my “one of the worst weeks ever” file, but these events were nonetheless, unfortunate.

Event Number 1: The lost ring.

If a wedding ring had nine lives, mine is on life number 5. Last week in a joyous reunion, I found my wedding ring crammed under the leg of the dresser in Isla’s room. I scooped up the ring, embraced-a beautiful moment. Before that joyous reunion, my wedding ring had gone MIA for approximately 2 weeks. Every single day I scoured a new quadrant of the house like an episode of CSI. Everyday I announced to Andy, “If I can’t find my ring I am going to go insane! Seriously, I am going to FLIP OUT.” To which he replied, “I kind of thing that already happened…” To which I replied, “Oh no, this is not flipping out, if I can’t find my ring you’ll see flipping out. Ah!!!” I think it’s safe to say that Andy too, felt extreme relief for a variety of reasons after my ring returned safely to my finger.

After the whole ordeal I reminisced about the other close calls: The time it went through the washer, the time it almost went through the washer at my in-laws’ house and fell onto the basement floor, the time I left in the GAP dressing room in December, the time it ended up in the dress up clothes courtesy of someone small, and all the times I placed it in spots I did not remember placing it.

Now I know you might be judging me right now, I would probably judge. Don’t get me wrong, I love being married. I love strolling through Target with my wedding ring properly in place as a sign of my love and commitment, and also a sign of my claim on the cute guy walking next to me. But for some reason I find it extremely difficult to complete many household tasks while wearing my ring, it’s a little loose, so I inevitably take it off and place it in a variety of semi-regular hangout spots for safe keeping…or not so safe keeping.

I wish I could promise to never lose it again. Believe me; I will TRY VERY HARD, all caps. If all else fails, I only used about 5 lives so far, so I'd say we've got 4 to go!

(More unfortunate events to come…)

Tease...

So I have been on hiatus/vacation/visiting family which explains my lack of blogging. My husband, a former news anchor, taught me that a "tease" in the news biz, is that that highlight they show at the start of the news cast about a story that's eventually coming-that quick clip they show in between commercials, previewing the upcoming story, to get your attention and keep you from channel surfing.

In the spirit of "teasing," I thought I would do so about my upcoming blogging activity. Hopefully blogging tomorrow will fall somewhere after laundry, paying bills, catching up on life, and ballet class. We shall see!

So here's my tease:
It's coming...

Title: A series of unfortunate events...
1. Wedding ring lost (breathe) and found
2. Getting on the wrong train...out of Chicago
3. Shutting the trunk of our Saturn Vue on my face

All unfortunate. All blogworthy. Stay tuned.