The Pack Place — life in the wolf pack
I can't say exactly WHAT made Heartcease Higgin's house my favorite place in the world... It could have been her bathroom: pearly pink bathtub, frilly curtains with eyelet trim, magical oil-filled melting balls in translucent shades of red and blue, soaps in happy shapes of birds and seashells; the scent of lilac... Maybe it was her kitchen: sun streaming through lace curtains; caramel cooking on the stove; dining table squeezed next to a mirrored folding door that concealed a washer, dryer and countless art supplies; the scent of slightly burned pie crust in the oven...
Who is your hero? I met mine in May of 1998. He was fresh from Basic Training and I was coming out of my freshman year at LSU. A series of odd events brought him to my dorm room on the very day I was packing up for the summer. It took one afternoon to convince me that I'd found "the one". I have really great instincts. We were married in September of 2003, had our first baby in September of 2004 during flight school in Fort Rucker, AL.
Long time, no see! Let's start the new year with a new party dress--perfect for any celebration your imagination can concoct! 
And of course we have so many other exciting things in the works this year! We are getting ORGANIZED the old-fashioned way (pen & ink) thanks to this blog post by Val Marie Paper... We bought the Emily Ley Life Binders (below): 
And the 2014 Power Sheets by Lara Casey. Shannon and I are so excited about the future of this company- we have been so blessed (we have to pinch ourselves daily) by our AMAZING customers and the crazy growth spurt we had in 2013. Please follow us on facebook to keep tabs on our secret sales & giveaways- you all know how quickly the dresses go once they're loaded! Right now we have a share-to-win featuring our Joyce Party Dress, 25 custom thank-you cards, and a darling cowl by Well Dressed Toddlers! 
Promise to blog more this year! XO~ Sarah
And of course we have so many other exciting things in the works this year! We are getting ORGANIZED the old-fashioned way (pen & ink) thanks to this blog post by Val Marie Paper... We bought the Emily Ley Life Binders (below): And the 2014 Power Sheets by Lara Casey. Shannon and I are so excited about the future of this company- we have been so blessed (we have to pinch ourselves daily) by our AMAZING customers and the crazy growth spurt we had in 2013. Please follow us on facebook to keep tabs on our secret sales & giveaways- you all know how quickly the dresses go once they're loaded! Right now we have a share-to-win featuring our Joyce Party Dress, 25 custom thank-you cards, and a darling cowl by Well Dressed Toddlers! Promise to blog more this year! XO~ Sarah
A break from our regular children's programming to discuss home decor! We are planning to break ground on our new home THIS MONTH! That means I need to get my creative home decor juices flowing. I'm the creative type, but my husband can't even pretend to share my enthusiasm without a real visual aid, so here's what I've got in the works: custom ivory cabinets (floor to ceiling), Virginia Mist brushed/honed granite (that looks just like soapstone), two banks of windows for plenty of natural light, an eat-in farmhouse table/island with loads of seating, stainless appliances, grey/green trim, microwave cabinet and island base. Oh-- and three custom pendant lights with mercury glass shades, antique brass fittings and reproduction copper twisted cord (AMAZING!). The lighting will allow me to more comfortably mix metals (appliances, faucet and farmhouse sink in stainless; cabinet pulls and hinges in antique brass). Now I am excited.
Who wants to help me name my little girl? Shannon doesn't need the help, of course. She has pretty much decided on a name and once she makes up her mind- it's all over but the crying. Not true for me. This time around, I am wobbling and wavering all over the place- with a new favorite each morning! My naming style has consistently been "old-fashioned". I tend to avoid trendy names and unusual spellings. As of late, I seem to favor less popular (possibly even less attractive) names that only become precious when given to a real, live baby (much less so on paper). While I love Lily & Jack (the names of number 1 and 2), they've gotten uncomfortably over-used for my taste. I don't think I will ever have that problem with Abram & Alice (number 3 & 4). Having said that, picking number 5 is making me crazy! For some fun (at Shannon's suggestion), I sent a request to Swistle:Baby Names to get her take on my dilemma. May I just say if you are having similar issues, I 100% recommend her services! After reading hundreds of submitted questions and answers, I have concluded that "Swistle" is a baby-naming-genius (and her fans give equally thoughtful suggestions and advice). She has posted her reply to my question and a poll on the right side of her page with the semi-finalists on my list (this week, at least). If you get a chance, swing over there and let us know what you think. If you are searching for a name, too, you can also swing by Nameberry, Baby Name Wizard, and the Social Security Administration. Designmom also has a great post about baby naming here. On that note, she also has an older series featuring real-life birth stories (the top picture was taken from my very own birth story for number 3, found here). Only 17.5 more weeks to flip and flop on baby name number 5... I'll keep you posted. XO- Sarah