The Loves of Molly: 2009

The question

How am I doing....this is the question I get asked daily. How am I doing? Hmmm, good question.

I am doing OK. I suppose maybe better than expected, I am hanging in there. My anniversary is New Years Eve, funny huh? Four years. Why? Seemed like such a perfect date, but now, I don't know. It just rubs it in even more. I remember our wedding, I remember two years of pure happiness, but the other two constantly wondering what was really happening. I spent an entire year picking out my wedding details, now it just seems like nonsense. Is it bad that I still remember it like yesterday, my dress, my cake, my first dance? It has ONLY been four years.

Christmas was great. My family came down, and it really was such a great weekend. However, reality isn't far off in my thoughts. I pray, pray, pray. I am convinced that there must be something out there that is so fabulous, so mind-blowing, because no person should have to go through this. There has to be.....

All I know is that I am thankful. My family, my friends, I couldn't do it without them. Honestly, I don't know what I would do. Right now, I am alone, but i'm OK because I have them. My healthy baby is asleep in her bed, and that is my gift. I am blessed in so many ways, yes, my life is changing, but I am so blessed. Just look at that blue eyed angel, and you will see my joy. But the question remains....how do you heal your heart?

I have been with Clint since I was 18, I am now 27. I don't know why this happened, why people do the things they do, and I could go around and around in my head....but it won't matter. I suppose I will never understand. And truth be told, i've accepted that. All I can do is look towards the future, 2010. It has to be better, it must. I want happiness, a life of love, trust, and no deceit and lies. 2010 has to have it, or at least some sort of sign that it exists. I have faith that it will.

I know my blog is private now, which I hate, but I hope that every one of you had a great holiday. I hope that every day you look at what you have and thank your lucky stars. I certainly do. God is so great. He can work miracles, I am waiting on one, and I know he will show me soon. I wish all of you a blessed, happy 2010. I hope all your resolutions come true and you fulfill all your wishes. I am certainly working on mine!

Check it out!!

Hello blogger friends....

I now have a Website, yay!!! It is just in the beginning stages, but I am so excited.

www.dotsandbirdie.com

I have so much fun new spring stuff to put up for little girls so look for that coming soon!

Songs can heal the heart.

I call, you hear me

i've lost it all

And it's more than I can bear

I feel so empty

You're strong

I'm weary

I'm holdin' on

But I feel like givin' in

But still you're with me

And even though i'm walking through

the valley of the shadow

I will hold tight to the hand of Him

Whose love will comfort me

And when all hope is gone

And i've been wounded in the battle

He is all the strength that I will

ever need

And he will carry me

I know i'm broken

But You alone

Can mend this heart of mine

You're always with me

And even though I feel so lonely

Like I have never been before

You never said it would be easy

But you said you'd see me through

the storm

And even though i'm walking through

the valley of the shadow

I will hold tight to the hand of Him

Whose love will comfort me

And when all hope is gone

And i've been wounded in the battle

He is all the strength that I will

Ever need

And he will carry me.

Mark Schultz, He will carry me

MAKE THESE!!!

Calling all wanna be cooks like me, this is super easy and sooooooo delicious! I tried one and i'm telling ya it's make you slap your momma good! HA!! Plus, it's a super easy recipe, i'm all about easy fun these days! Here it is, get a pen, write it down, make them tonight, and thank me later....

Peanuty butterscotch mounds
1 entire jar of smuckers all natural peanut butter, stirred well
1 bag butterscotch chips
1 bag white chocolate chips
1 small bag of chopped nuts
3 bags crushed ramen noodles

Over medium heat, combine the peanut butter, butterscotch, and white chocolate. Melt and stir well. Be careful, don't burn it. Add in the chopped nuts, stir. Add in ramens, about one bag at a time. Combine well.

Spoon small mounds on wax paper. They take a while to mold, but sticking them in the fridge helps.

YOUR WELCOME PEOPLE!!!!!!!

Manly Christmas

I just made these Christmas onesies for a friend's sister who has triplet little boys! I think they turned out sooooo stinkin cute. These are three month onesies, but I can do the appliques on any size. I do have some extra fabric and I can ship before Christmas too!

New holiday tradition

My mom got Lilly and I a gingerbread house to make this year, and she loved it!! I was really unsure how she would do, due to her low attention span, but she did great!! I did most of the decorating then she went back and added her own candies. I think she ate most of them!

Here's the finished product!! It will probably get stolen, along with her santa pics....

Lilly and mommy.

Another OSU grad!!

This Saturday my little sister graduated from OSU!! I couldn't be prouder! So now that makes three family OSU grads, well four actually....me, Nick, Lauren (she's practically family!), and now Emma! It was a really special day and Lilly was a perfect angel.

I can't wait to watch Lilly graduate hopefully from here someday! She's already got her pistols firing and loves singing about her cowboys! Here is she in my medal that I received when I graduated. Little cutie....

"You better watch out..."

"You better not cry (ok...well I guess you are allowed to cry when you're two years old on santa's lap) cause Santa Claus is coming to town!!!!"
Lilly girl doesn't quite get it yet....this man brings you lots of presents, cheer up little one! How freaking hilarious is this pic!! May be the Christmas card, haven't quite gotten that far yet!

Ryder Man clearly does a little better, but not Lilly Poo...

I can not believe how big these kiddos are getting!!! What a blessing it is for Lilly to have this little manly man in her life. Now that our life is changing, it is so nice for her to have her little lover around all the time.

I kind if like him too, just a little....he melts my heart...

An update.

As many of you have heard, I am unfortunately going through a divorce.

I choose happiness.

I choose no lies, no betrayal.

I choose no more deception, no more hurt.

I choose a life full of promise, trust, honesty, and love.

As the holidays approach, Lilly and I need your prayers more than ever. I pray every night with her, but any added prayers and thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

We are blessed to have each other and know the future is bright. I am going private for sure and changing the blog very soon. Please email me your information asap....molly.dunbar@hotmail.com.

I know a lot of you may have questions, and I will tell you the the TRUTH. Thank you for your love and support...it means the world to me.

OK....

I will be back soon, I promise.

I will try.....

To never forget how precious my Lilly has been these past couple of nights. Every night we read a couple of books....her favorites right now are "little pea" and "home for a bunny." But after that I usually turn off the night, give her kisses, say our prayers, then I go downstairs. The past couple of nights I have stayed up there and we have talked, Lilly has given me lots of tickles, played with my hair, just given me the most sweetness I ever imagined. Tonight we sang some songs, and she gave me plenty of snuggles.....oh she is so precious to me. I can't even put into words how beautiful and sweet she is. She is perfect to me, full of life, innocence, and love. What a complete blessing God has given me by allowing me to be her mommy.

I just hope I never forget these past few nights. Those face to face giggles and snuggles with blankie and Lucy. Those kisses on those chubby cheeks. Those piggies snuggling under her blankie. Those whispers. The way she goes though her list of everyone in her life and tells them night night in a little whisper. The little paddy game that is saved only for mommy. The "hold-do." Silky side up on her blankie. The way she runs her fingers down the edges of her blankie for a little comfort. The pink jammies with brown polka dots. The smell of Johnsons and Johnsons baby wash in her wet hair. The way she so freely throws her arms around me when she thinks im asleep. How she makes the most perfect spoon. My little lovey.
There are so many memories that I hope I never forget, sometimes you just need to write them down. Being a mommy those memories come every single day. I am actually terrified that I will not remember. Maybe I wont, but at least I have this blog to look back on and remember.

Pumpkin patch!

Yesterday was the first day in a long time that it actually stopped pouring for once! My Lord, every single day rain, rain, and more rain! Lilly's new Dora bike is more like a permanent fixture on our garage floor than a fun toy to play with in beautiful fall weather! So anyways, I got her all dolled up and headed over to our church pumpkin patch. Lilly was in a funk, like she tends to be every year around Halloween.....last year she got her MMR shot and got very sick from it, this year she is working on her two year molars, poor baby love. Can't a girl get a break and enjoy Halloween? Anways, her outfit looks a little different as you can tell. At MDO last Thursday, Lilly's teacher put her down and she didn't nap but rested quietly. When nap time was over, the teacher found a little stash of all the perfect little yoyos mommy had so nicely attached to the collar of her Halloween shirt. I thought about putting them back on, but nope, not even going to go there. She looked precious nonetheless!

Poor baby with her fingers in her mouth.....thank goodness we forget the teething pain, must be awful!

Lilly kept giving the pumpkins kisses and hugs, so sweet.

Is this clippie not the cutest? This was the first one I made and I thought it looked darling on her. I am learning to make big fabric flowers for clippies and headbands. They are going to be sooooooo stinking cute, on ladies too!

Ready to go home!

So besides the fussiness and non-smiling, little love had a good time. It was seriously muddy so we didn't stay long. Tomorrow at school is Halloween jammie day, cute!

On another note, moms go get this, NOW!

My bestie turned me on to this and let me tell you it is A-MAZING!! My hair is getting super long an it takes forever to blow dry so this is just perfect if I want to skip a hair wash for a day. I lift sections and spray it on my roots and then do my makeup....so wait about 5-10 min. Then blow dry with a round brush the way you normally do and your hair looks awesome!! My hair gets light and fluffy and gets that volume that I always want! I have only seen it at Walgreens so go get yourself some! NOW!!

Weekend fun!

This weekend my mom came down to TX to watch Lilly girl so we could go to a fun Halloween party. We went with some of our besties, the Mix's, and had wayyyyyy too much fun. I haven't been to a costume party in forever and everyone had such great costumes there. Sarah went as a cat, I did the face paint, Austin was DJ Lance from Yo Gabba Gabba, I was a peacock, and Clint's costume shall remain nameless.

I made my costume too and it was so fun to wear! My cousins are having a party this weekend so maybe if we get to go I will get to wear it again. After trick or treating with Lilly though, of course! Can't wait for that!
It is still raining here!! I swear, we get little glimpses of sun, then its gone for another two days. Lilly is supposed to go to the pumpkin patch tomorrow, so hopefully it clears up for that! It's also chilly, which I love! I could eat soups all day long and this weather if perfect for that! Tonight i'm making a super easy one that is a favorite of Clints. Here is the recipe...

Corn and potato chowder

1 onion, chopped

4 slices of bacon, chopped

1 one pound can of potatoes, rinsed and drained

1 16 oz. can undrained corn

1 16 oz. can creamed corn

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 t. seasoned salt

2 c. milk

1 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese

In a large pot, saute onion and bacon until onion is soft.

Add potatoes, corn, milk, and soup. Bring to a boil.

Reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in cheese.

YUM!

Can't wait for that tonight, maybe a movie is in order too! My house is really starting to look like a sweatshop these days. I have moved both of my sewing machines downstairs to the kitchen table so I can work more often on all my orders. I have most of the skirts done, now it's on to the shirts, but that shouldn't take too long. Can't wait to send them off and see the pics of all the little cuties wearing them! I also can't wait to move them back upstairs so my house doesn't look like such a train wreck. Lots of little strings everywhere, a major clean will be necessary!! Hope everyone had a great weekend, we sure did!

Fall mission accomplished!

So I posted a while ago about how I am obsessed with all things fall and about my front porch. Here is the final product....

I think it all turned out really cute! Clint got the hay for me and picked out all my pumpkins, and even got me the mums. I love fall so much, I wish I could keep this $4.00 Joanns scarecrow out all year long, Lilly loves him! The weather has been so beautiful the past couple of days! Perfect for playing outside on Lilly's new big wheel...

It has also been the perfect weather for soups and stews! Tonight I made Jamie Deens chili, OH MY LORD, best ever!!! Definitely ate a ton and we will be eating off of it for the entire week. Thanks Laura for posting it, yum! I could seriously live off of soups every night! Here is a recipe that I always make in the fall/winter when Clint is out of town because he wont eat it. It really sounds like nothing, but it is so yummy and very low cal, try it...

Beans and Greens
-1 can white beans, rinsed and drained (may use two)
-2-3 cans low sodium chicken broth
-1 large bag of fresh spinach
-garlic
-EVOO
-salt and pepper

Add EVOO to a large pot and let simmer over medium heat. Add about a tablespoon of garlic, more of less depending on taste. Let that cook for about two minutes. Add the entire bag of spinach....sounds like a lot but it shrinks down to nothing. Cook to desired doneness....I like mine still very green, not so mushy. Add the beans and the broth. Let simmer for 30 min and serve with shredded parmesan on top. Crusty bread is nice too!

I almost always have these things in my fridge/pantry so when Clint's gone it is easy enough for me to whip up and eat!

Lilly Grace you are 2!!!

Oh my goodness, my baby is two, well as of yesterday at 10:37 pm! I can not believe that my little love is becoming such a big girl and growing up so quickly right before our eyes! It seems like yesterday we were bringing her home, having sleepless nights, rolling over, blowing raspberries....breaks my heart that it is going to quick, but i'm so proud of our little lady for who she is becoming! I just wanted to write a little about Lilly so she can read back and see all the fun things she was doing and just how much she was loved....

Dear Lilly Grace,

You are officially two and you have officially stolen our hearts. You are the sweetest, cutest little girly girl around and you have developed quite the personality. You are very strong willed, very stubborn, but also very carefree and easy going at the same time. You are a typical girl with your little moods and mannerisms. You love your mommy and daddy so much, however, you still have a little separation anxiety with mommy. You just want me around all the time, and I must say that I want to be around you all the time too! You love your babies, you have a new found love of barbies and dress up, which may be the cutest thing ever. You want to wear similar outfits to mommy at all times and love being in mommy's shoes and jewelry. You love helping with laundry, but hate when we have to wash your "binty"....your blankie, and you love cleaning too. You are sleeping in your big girl bed now and we are so proud of how easy your transition was. You go to bed around 8:30 and sleep until 9, but you play upstairs in your room until 10. Mommy loves this since she is completely not a morning person! We have not started potty training, you really are not interested yet, and you still love your paddy (passy). We are thinking it will be going to paddy heaven sooner rather than later. However, recently you only want a certain one, which can be a little stressful at times trying to find this, but you only use them at bedtime so that's ok. You are still kind of a picky eater and dinner time is usually a struggle for mommy and daddy. Basically you could live off cheese and dill pickles and be a happy camper. Sometimes you even will want a pickle for dessert! Your favorite veggie is lima beans and peas, your favorite meat is chicken or ham, your favorite fruit is bananas, mandarin oranges, and apples, and your favorite candy is kit kat. You love your cow boots, your rain boots, and your fuggs, and you love hats and accessories. You absolutely adore your Pixi and Poppa, Gee and NoNo, Emma, Gay and Shell, Ry Ry, Miss Sarah, CoCo, Petty, and Dottie Sue. You are currently in Mother's day out every Thursday and love it, except when you get dropped off. You do not like it when mommy holds other babies, but daddy can. Your favorite show right now is Caillou and Yo Gabba Gabba. You also love Sesame Street, Dora, and Teletubbies on Pixi's computer. You are talking up a storm and can you know every letter in the alphabet. You love to dance and twirl. Your favorite song is "she wolf" by Shakira and "party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus, HA! You still have to sleep with Po, Lala, and Lucy every night. You are wearing 2T, sometimes 3. You are taller than a lot of three year olds and still have all that baby chub that mommy loves so much! I just cant get enough of those pudgy piggies and chunky legs. :-) You love being outside and going to the park too, and you love wearing your bathing suit and tutu.

You are the most beautiful little thing i've ever seen! You still have that blonde hair and those grey eyes that melts our hearts. I wish that you could see someday just how precious you were today. Always remember, that no one is going to love you more than mommy and daddy. You are our greatest gift, the highlight of each day, our sweat our tears, our joy and blessing. Sweet baby angel we love you so....we can't wait to see how you grow each day into this little lady!

xoxoxoxox,
Mommy, Daddy, and Dottie SUE!

Here are some pics from your second birthday party....

Yesterday we went to McKinney to get fabric, I have been absolutely slammed with orders lately! Since it was Lilly's birthday, Clint decided to come too to help watch her while I bought my supplies and go out to lunch with us. We went to a cute little restaurant downtown, but what was even cuter was Lilly's Halloween/birthday outfit! She was the talk of the town and everyone could not get over how adorable she looked....makes a mommy and daddy so proud, and a mommy extra proud because I made her outfit, HA!! Look at cute...we're going to the pumpkin patch later this week so hopefully I will get a few better ones in this outfit.

Please vote!

Since I have been getting a lot of orders on Facebook and word of mouth, I really need to nail down a company name so I can get business cards, labels, ya know all that fun stuff! I have all of these printed out in really cute fonts and they all look so cute, I have no idea what to pic. Please give me some feedback.....

Dots and Birdie

The Pink Poppy

The Lilly Bee

Baby Bee Vintage

Petite Pixie

The Posh Peony

I really want to incorporate that French style of blue and make it very shabby chic. Love the french bee that is so popular these days also. The Dots and Birdie will be a little scottie dog theme.....

Comment or email me at molly.dunbar@hotmail.com

Thank you!

Fun stuff!

So I just made these adorable outfits for two adorable girls, Mackenzie and Macayla. I think they will be so cute during the holidays! Had to share....

The response on Facebook for these has been HUGE! Can not wait to make more! I also made these for a cousin to take to a shower, super cute....

And of course....21 and 22 months....

Like mother, like daughter

Some of Lilly's most favorite people just happen to be her Uncle Gee and Aunt NoNo (Uncle Nick and Aunt Lauren.) These just happen to be some of the most stylish people I know and usually I copy Lauren on about 90% of everything she buys, and I love her because she doesn't care! She just goes shopping more and finds the best things ever! For example the jeggings that I posted about recently.....aka my new best friend! I love these and can't get enough! So it only fit for them to find baby jeggings for Lilly's birthday, but Levi jeggings at that! They look so stinkin cute on little miss, especially with her fuggs!

Now, granted these are not her fuggs, they are some slippers she got as another birthday gift, you get the idea. Totally cute! Love that little diaper booty! I can't wait for her to wear these all the time with chunky sweaters and hats!

On another note, Michael Buble has a new album out and I LOVE him!! I went to see him last year in OKC and her was amazing, so adorable and charming! One of the songs on his new album is called "Crazy Love" and that was our first dance song at our wedding. We danced to it by Van Morrison, but it was so hard to understand. If you know Morrison you know what I mean. I am so heartbroken that now Michael Buble has come out with this sweet song....I would have danced to him in a heartbeat! Boo....

Go buy his album, I love it.

18, 19, 20....

Clearly we had a very busy weekend with Lilly's birthday party, which was too much fun! I completely forgot to do my birthday countdown posting....i'll keep this one short....
18 months...