Much Love Illy Giveaway

{closed, but we still love comments}

Much Love Illy Giveaway

{and a discount}

Need a little somethin' somethin' to spice up your spring wardrobe?

You're in luck! One of our favorite Etsy shops,

Much Love Illy, is sponsoring a giveaway to one lucky Little Miss Momma reader.

The winner will receive not one, but TWO fabulous items from the Much Love Illy shop.

ANY POPPY Headband{1-3 poppies}

AND

any adorable ACCESSORY of their choice

{ring, hair clips, etc}

Much Love Illy will also be offering a 10% DISCOUNT to ALL Little Miss Momma readers!

*Put Little Miss Momma in the note to seller box at check out to receive 10% off before the cost of shipping*

And just to remind you how cutey-patootie everything is, here are a few of my personal favorites--but don't take my word for it, go see for yourself.

ACCESSORIES:

Ready to enter the giveaway?

Here's how:

You can enter up to 7 times for this giveaway:

1. MANDATORY! Head over to the the Much Love Illy Shop and let me know which items are your favorite!

Sample comment: My favorite is the Nautical Adventures headband

2. Become a public blog follower of Little Miss Momma

Sample comment: I am a blog follower of LMM

3. Become a facebook fan of LMM

Sample comment: I am a facebook fan of LMM under the name Jane Doe

4. Follow LMM on twitter

Sample comment: I follow your tweets under the name JaneDoe

5. Blog about this giveaway. (leave a link)

Sample comment: I blogged about this giveaway at janedoe.blogspot.com

6. Link to this giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter (leave a link)

Sample comment: I facebook/tweeted a link to this giveaway at this link: http://janedoefacebook

7. Add the Little Miss Momma Button to your blog.

Sample comment: I added the LMM button to my blog at janedoe.blogspot.com

*Please leave a separate comment for each thing you do.*

Don't forget to leave your email so I can contact you!!

Good Luck!

Contest will end Tuesday June 8th at 11:59 pm (MST)

Winner will be announced Wednesday June 9th, 2010

Doctor's Orders

Baby W had his 10 month check up the other day.

That day, I went through my usual pre-doctor routine: give Lil W an extra long bath, q-tip his ears, brush his teeth, apply smell-good baby lotion to every surface of his body, put fresh baby powder around his bummy and pick out the most adorable outfit--all to prove to his pediatrician that I am the best mommy out of all his patients.

Pathetic, I know.

At every appointment, I half-expect the doctor to walk in the room, hand me a trophy and say, "On behalf of Pediatricians across America, we want to award YOU with this Momma-of-the-Year trophy--because your baby has the cleanest ears we've ever seen".

Because for some reason, it's as if the doctor's opinion of my mothering skills serves as a confirmation that I am not messing up at this whole parenting business, a confirmation that I am learning to be the best momma my little guy could hope for.

As if a 20 minute doc appointment can illustrate the immeasurable love, pride, anxiety, worry and hope I have for Baby W.

That being said...This day's trip to the doctor would be a bit different than past visits, and I found that I was a bit anxious.  You see, this was the longest gap we had ever had between visits {2.5 months}, and I knew my calm little infant had turned into a bouncing-off-the-walls baby...

and I feared what my doctor would think.

So the hubby, baby and I headed off to our appointment with our fingers crossed.  Imagine our excitement when Baby W was on his absolute BEST behavior throughout the whole appointment.  As we were putting his cute little outfit back on him, I was smiling to myself.

 "See Ashley, he's not that out of control", I told myself.

And then, just as I was about to give myself a literal pat on the back, Dr. B broke the news to us as gently as he could:

"You have a very difficult baby".

I was stunned.  But why? I knew this already. In fact, these were the exact words I had been telling everyone and their mother.  Yet, for some reason, it stung hearing the words from someone else's mouth {and a doctor nonetheless}.

The hubby and I exchanged concerned glances and then proceeded to take mental notes of all the advice he began giving us about how to regain control of our child.  And this coming from Dr. B's opinion of Baby W on his BEST behavior {which I decided not to mention to him}.

A bit disheartened, but armed with a plethora of doctor tips to give us hope, we left the doc's office and headed home to put those tips into action.

Most important, our pediatrician told us, was to allow Baby W to learn to be content in his play pen while I worked around the house.

  Past experience setting Lil W in his play pen has resulted in severe back arching, tearless crying, and a momma frantically scooping up her baby to give our home some peace and quiet.

This time, I was told not to pick him up.

As hard as it was to endure his screeching cries, eventually Baby W realized that I would not be succumbing to his tantrum--and so he became

his own version of content in his play pen.

You mean you're not going to pick me up and get me outta here?

Well then, maybe if I push really hard I can get out myself.

I guess I will just have to climb my way out with my teeth.

I don't imagine this was the kind of "content in his play pen" the doc was referring to, but its as good as we're going to get.

And that's kinda become my motto with this whole "difficult baby" situation. Yes, I realize that much of his behavior is in my control, but sometimes, just sometimes, this is really just as good as its gonna get.

And I'm okay with that.

Meet Much Love Illy {{and a discount}}

Have you heard of Much Love Illy?

Because, trust me, you're gonna love this shop as much as I do

{and that's a whole bunch}!

Ilene {aka Illy--cute, right} is the talented designer behind these fabulous accessories that I am literally obsessed with--I want them ALL.

See the awesomeness for yourself:

Meet one of my favorites: Tangerine Delight

Is this not the most glorious classic poppy headband ever? Answer: YES!

Timeless Poppy Trio

{Perfect for little chicas too}

Loving this total vintage-inspired chic rosette ring

{In fact, loving it so much, I just may need to head over a buy one for myself this weekend}

And that's just scratching the surface of all the great things you will find in her shop.So you can see why I was so excited when I discovered this gem-of-an-Etsy-shop!

And even more excited when my very own

Much Love Illy design arrived in the mail.

Here is my preciously packaged headband before I ripped it open with excitement {have I mentioned I love getting packages?}:

Perfectly simple.

And here is what was inside:

A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

I already knew I loved Illy's accessories when I browsed drooled over her shop. But can I tell you that when this little puppy arrived in the mail I fell in love even more!

Her craftsmanship is impeccable and the quality of these headbands is superb with each poppy hand stitched to a super comfy headband

{yes, I said hand stitched}.

I loved them so much I rushed outside to take some more awkward "modeling" pics {lol}--at least the headband looks good. 

One of my BF's pups wanted in on the action.

So are you ready to get to know

Much Love Illy better?

Then head over to her wonderful shop

and then

her super fun blog!

And when you visit her, be sure to let her know that LMM thinks she rocks!

UPDATE: This just in!! Much Love Illy will be offering a 10% discount to ALL Little Miss Momma readers!

*Just put Little Miss Momma in the note to seller box to receive 10% off your order before the cost of shipping*

Discount valid through June 10th, 2010

Happy Shopping!

Spring Fashion Tips

Guest Blogger: Fashionista On A Dime

I am super excited about today's guest blogger, the expert fashionista, Amanda.  For those of you who didn't already know, I love to shop--I mean love to shop!

Yet, just because I love to shop doesn't mean I am really good at it. 

Case in point: It's Spring, and my wardrobe could really use a "colorful" and "bright" revamp--yet, when I head out to shop I only come home with gray and black--not cool, and certainly not colorful.

ENTER Fashionista on a Dime, with a solution to inability to create a "spring" style. So now I will hand you over to Amanda {you'll love her}.

Hello Ladies, Amanda from Fashionista On A Dime here! I'm thrilled to guest blog at Little Miss Momma today! Ashley so graciously let me guest blog about my favorite topic: fashion.

To me, fashion means finding the right clothes that work for you without breaking the bank. It also means understanding what works for your shape and playing up your features.  Clothes don't have to be expensive to look fabulous on you!

 

Now that we've established my fashion philosophy let’s move forward! Ashley brought an important topic to my attention that is unique and probably something you were curious about too.

How does one dress season-appropriate?

More specifically, how does one determine what to remove and add to their wardrobe in order to look fashionable for summer? Such a great question! Good News: Only a few tweaks are required to freshen up your look!

1. Tops….Examine your tops and blouses. Do any of them have a heavy knits? Like, sweaters or turtlenecks? Pack! Add tops that show off your shoulders like razorback tunic tanks.

These pair great with leggings or denim Capri's.

2. Cardigans….These work for both winter and spring. However, dark colors like maroon, gray, or black- should be saved for winter {sorry Ashley}. Replace them with lighter hues and fun prints. This looks refreshing with a summer dress.

3. Scarves…heavy knits and dark colors like black, gray, and maroon are reminiscent to winter. Put them away! Replace them with light cotton and linen scarves. Opt for vibrant, bold or pastel colors- even with a jazzy print- are so appropriate and fun!

4. Shoes…Say hello to Flip flops, gladiator sandals, open-toed heels and flats! Kiss your boots goodbye. You’ll see them next winter.

5. Pants…it’s definitely time to incorporate Bermuda shorts, Capri pants and lots of shorts. Be sure to add white denim jeans to your wardrobe. Nothing says 'hello' to summer fashion like white!

6. Hair Accessories...Let's not forget about hair accessories! Since we're putting up our hair, we should use fun and vibrant pretty little clips.  This is the least expensive way to start updating your wardrobe for summer.

The bottom line is to lighten up on color and fabric for your summer wardrobe.  It makes sense to do this because it's getting warmer outside, right.

Remember you don't have to spend endless amounts of money to update your wardrobe. If you're tight on cash, update what is necessary and you're all set! Thank you for reading! 

**Ashley here again, go visit

Amanda @ Fashionista On a Dime 

and show her some love!**

Button Round Up

Button Round Up

A little ode to buttons, if you will.

I thought it was time to revisit some of the results of my button obsession and pay homage to other creative button designers out there.  In this round up edition, you will find a link list to all Little Miss Momma button-inspired tutorials as well as clever button tutorials from other bloggers I {love}!

Button Push Pin Tutorial

{here I used unique buttons to create funky cork board push pins}

The Button Bracelet Tutorial

{and how-to make a lobster clasp}

The Button Earring Tutorial

The Button Earring Baby Shower Party Favor

"Cute as a button"

The Button Headband Tutorial

And now, for the FEATURED button tutorials from super crafty ladies I {heart}:

Button Art

by Mod Podge Rocks

 And a Button Stool Tutorial

by Mod Podge Rocks

 

The 5 Minute Button Ring Tutorial

by Linda @ Craftaholics Anonymous

Button Necklace Tutorial

by Made From Way Over Here

Button Shoe Adornment

by Life, and All That Comes With It

 

How button-tastic are all these projects, right!

{Feel free to link up any of your "button" projects,

I would love to see (and feature) your creations}

Happy Crafting!

GIVEAWAY Round Up

The GIVEAWAY ROUND UP:

While I am away I have scheduled THREE very fabulous giveaways to take place.  Check them out and ENTER to WIN

STUD MUFFINS GIVEAWAY

{4 pairs of your fav's}

the PRETTY PEARL GIVEAWAY

{two custom wooden hangers of your choice}

MOODY MAMAS DESIGNER TANK GIVEAWAY

{it's a boy, or it's a girl--$40 value}

I {heart} free stuff, don't you?!

CBC and a Round Up

This week I am super excited to be headed to my
very first blog conference!

I'll get to meet many faces behind the blogs I obsess over--so many of these women are like celebrities to me {I better not embarrass myself when I meet them}.  I admire their creativity, their passion, their writing style, their dedication--and this week I am off to CBC so that some of their awesomeness can rub off on ME!

I didn't want to leave you without any Little Miss Momma goodness so I have put together a series of posts that I will call my Round Ups. 

And the first RU...

 Baby W Round Up

Most of my followers are fairly new, and I figure haven't really gotten the chance to know Little Miss Momma--so here's your chance.

Here is a round up of my favorite posts about the most important person in my life right now {tied with the hubby, of course}--my little stinker, Baby W!

Looking Back and Remembering When

Lessons Learned as a New Mommy

{3 weeks old and cranky}

I Should Be Doing Laundry

I HATE Needles

{there is a story behind those band aids}

The Week of Curious Crawling

Vacation with a Monster Baby

Check back tomorrow for my Button Round Up

{with features from some of our favorite bloggers}