Oh.....HELLO.

I said before that there would be some big changes around here.  We said good-bye to Camille in the last post (sniff, sniff) and now we get to say "HELLO" to Brittany!  I'm so excited for you to get to know her a little better.

 

(I love this picture of her...she was "modeling" for my etsy shop years ago.)

Do you remember her?  Remember this post?

Let me tell you a bit more:

Fun Fact #1: 

Brittany is essentially the one who brought my husband Jeff and me together.  When she was thirteen, she had a friend she was bringing to church who is deaf and needed an interpreter.  As fate would have it, I had just moved back to Reno and had just finished a job working with deaf children. So, when I overheard her mom (my future mother-in-law) tell someone she was looking for an interpreter, I volunteered!  I still remember the first time I met Brittany, I was so impressed.  She is a natural leader in all things good and worthy.  She has a passion for life and loves her family dearly (lucky us!).  

Aunt Brittany with baby Laurel

Fun Fact #2:  

Coming from a family of "left-brainers" Brittany is the creative one of the bunch. She plays the piano and viola very well and sings beautifully. She is also a great artist.  She dreams of writing and illustrating a children's book series one day (maybe we can get her to share some of her work with us?).  

She also has plenty of the Stevenson "left brain" to stay organized and (clearing throat) graduate from college two years earlier than her class. Such a smarty pants!

Fun Fact #3:

Brittany was born eleven years after Jeff (the youngest before her, she stole his title)...the caboose of the family.  For our first six years of marriage we lived just 8 miles away so I got to enjoy knowing her through braces and high school proms then on to college graduation....

And then there's THIS guy.  Her new husband, Ethan (who by-the-way is ready and very willing to share some French pastry tips with us in the future)! I love to watch them interact with each other.  They are the sweetest couple!

And they know how to eat a cannoli...am I right?  (Man, what I wouldn't give for a cannoli right now!) :)

Funnest Fact of All: They are expecting a baby GIRL in January! I can't wait to meet this little baby and to see these two be parents!


Brittany + Lily&Thistle = A fresh and energetic vision and some great goals for Lily&Thistle.  She is getting me organized and giving me a little kick in the toosh to get going again.  Tune in Monday for a whole new schedule for the blog which will include weekly giveaways and some other really fun themes!

Until then, wanna welcome her?

Doll Diaries... Brittany announces a Winner!

Brittany here again, ready and excited to announce two wonderful things.  Not only will I be presenting the winner for Tuesday's giveaway, BUT, I will be doing so through a new weekly series called "Doll Diaries," starting with my MiniMe Paper Doll, Brittany!  Hannah and I are excited to feature the adventures and activities of girls and their dolls from all around the world-and yes, that means each of you have a chance to be featured and win a new doll friend and outfits to go on your adventures! (See later for details!)

 In any case, we shall begin our day with my doll, Brittany.  

Some days, you just need to get things done.  What's the best way to do that?  With my lovely pink planner (I happened to purchase this the day before I found out I was having a girl... I think I was on to something!).  

Looks like we need to prepare and send some packages, and pick a winner for the giveaway. 

 Off to work!

Overseeing printing here can sometimes get crazy!  

Today, thankfully, everything goes just according to schedule.  We're ready to begin packaging!

Packaging these dolls really is an art.  Each doll has her own outfits ready to go, and it's time to wrap them up to be sent to friends around the world.  These dolls we are packaging today are headed to a birthday party in North Carolina!  I love imagining all of the fun they will have at their party!  I wish I had a party like that when I was younger-but who says it is too late?!

Now that the orders are all taken care of, it is time to pick a WINNER for Tuesday's Giveaway Day... Backyard Edition! 

When choosing winners, there's really only one thing you can do-grab a hat and draw a name!  

The anticipation was almost too much to bear... 

Drumroll, please!

Nicole B. will be receiving a FREE Print It Yourself doll and outfit line of her choice.  Thanks to everyone who commented for the fun backyard activities!  I know what I'll be doing this weekend!

Thank you all for joining us for Doll Diaries!  I wonder who will be featured next!

 Would you like to be featured with your doll in next week's Doll Diaries, and receive a new doll friend and outfits to go along for FREE?  

  

Email lilyandthistle2@gmail.com with subject line: SPOTLIGHT with your doll’s name, photos of your doll (no more than 5 images, please), and a short description/narrative/explanation of you and your doll’s adventures.  If your doll is spotlighted, you will get a free printable doll and outfit line to go on more fun adventures with your doll!

A New Little Life...Meet Adeline

"Aside from new babies,

new mothers must be the most 

beautiful creatures on earth."

-Terri Guillemets

My dear sis-in-law/assistant extraordinaire and her husband Ethan do good work wouldn't you say? Meet Adeline!  January 15th is a special day. Both Adeline and the Twins' birthday.  Five years apart. I love that  Brittany and I get to celebrate the day we became mothers for the first time on the same day. :)

We live hours away and it is killing me not to get to hold this sweet little bundle but I'm so proud of Brittany (almost two days of labor!) and Ethan. 

 Well deserved rest for both of them....

She already loves to look at Daddy.

 This picture brought a tear to my eye.  Nothing like these perfect moments.

Congratulations on the start of a new, hard, sticky, wonderful journey!
Love you guys.

  

Shiny Happy Laurel and A Winner

You be the Sun,

I'll be the Moon -

Just let your light

Come shining through

And when the night comes,

Just like the Moon,

I'll shine the light right back to you.

- Source

Thanks for lighting up my life over here with all of your fun comments.  I think we could have been friends growing up! I loved all dolls and loved to color. Then there were my brothers (four of them) who kept my sister and I very active outside playing in the hot Arizona sun.

The Winner of the Paper Doll Coloring Book is:

Stray 

she said:  "I loved colouring in, I still do, if the kids leave the colouring books out I can't resist just doing one page."

I think you'll love the coloring book Stray!  Please email Brittany at lilyandthistle2@gmail. com to claim your prize! :)

Come back next Tuesday for another fun giveaway!

Making a Mess and a Winner

 Another Table Time favorite:

 For practicing letters

 Making some pictures

 Or just making a mess!

Ingredients:

* Cheap shaving cream

*Table

And we have a winner!!!!

JAN MASON

Thanks for all of your comments...you confirmed my love for all things Fall! 

P.S. Call for Doll Diary entries.  If you send us a few pictures of your child's paper doll doing things around the house or around town, you will get a free doll package!  Just email your entry to Brittany at lilyandthistle2@gmail.com.

Laptops

Norah loves Auntie Brittany's laptop

"All children need a laptop.  Not a computer, but a human laptop.  Moms, dads, grannies and grandpas, aunts, uncles - someone to hold them, read to them, teach them.  Loved ones who will embrace them and pass on the experience, rituals and knowledge of a hundred previous generations.  Loved ones who will pass to the next generation their expectations of them, their  hopes, and their dreams." 

~General Colin Powel

The Dollhouse and a Tour of The Girl's Room aka Playroom

I have been waiting to post about the girls' doll house but have been waiting until I'm "finished" with it.  Well, I have decided that it is finished (for now at least!) because it has made it to the bottom of the list of to-do's. Maybe I'll really finish it when the girls are in high school or something! :)

A dear friend gave us the house because it had been a "to-do someday" project for her for 15+ years and she thought I could do something with it.  I wish I had "before" pictures (I probably do, but I'm too lazy right now to find them).  My sister-in-law and love, Brittany (remember her?) helped me get the inside walls painted late into the night before the twins' birthday and Jeff and his Dad did all of the roof work (not an easy job...thanks guys!)

Watching these two play was so fun...I am trying to imagine Ollie's view...it must seem massive to him.

Here's some roof detail...

Would you like a quick tour of the playroom/girls room?  I think Ollie would be happy to oblige...

Love it when the room is clean and everything is neatly organized in our IKEA storage unit (sadly that is RARE...hence the pictures this day).

Moving on, Big window at the end of the room...you can kind of see the play kitchen to the left...there's a little table there too...

The girls' poor beds...I still have not committed to a color sceme for this room or to blankets for their "big" beds.  The room is large enough that all three beds fit on the right side of the wall.  Someday, I want to have small walls built in-between each bed with bookshelves, lamps, etc. so they have a little bit of privacy...this works for now though...and we may decide they won't all be together here forever.

 found here

The closet.  This is a "bonus room" so the closet isn't as big as some of the bed rooms...but it works and is bigger than where we came from.  

And that completes our random tour of the playroom/girls bedroom.  Anyone have any decorating ideas for this space?  Oh wait, I've already pinned like 500! :)

P.S. It's my birthday today!  To celebrate I'm offering Buy1 Get 1 Free on all Print-it-Yourself PDF's today.  Just purchase your first item and message me with the other you'd like for free. :) Enjoy!

To Get the Full Value of Joy...

You must have someone to divide it with.

-Mark Twain

I thought this would be appropriate for Valentines Month.

My beautiful little sister-in-law (in law and love) just married a great guy named Ethan.  They are an adorable couple. They are so excited to share their lives with each other.  I know they will do great things together...they are a power house of optimism, strength and smarts!

I snapped some shots of their day and with their permission, I thought I'd share a few with you.  

Such a big day ahead!

Mother of the Bride

Cozette's Fascinator

The twins were calling Brittney a "Princess" all day (and Ethan is still called "Brittany's Prince").  The Temple, a Castle. 

 Here's a shot you might enjoy. :)  Everyone was so tired and cold...at least I'm smiling!

Time to CELEBRATE!  

Before most of the guests came, our immediate family had the dance floor to ourselves!  Daddy Daughter dancing...so sweet.  I love the one of Jeff dancing with both of the twins at once.

 Getting in some quality cousin time!

 Loved this one of Jeff's brother Phillip and his wife, Rebecca.  Expecting their second after 10 years!

 Two of my favorite guys!

 Wanna know why Ashton is smiling so big?  He just stole a kiss from his cousin Maisy! :)

 This one made me cry...Jerry, my father-in-law watching his baby girl dance with her new husband...such a sweet moment.  I can't imagine the feelings.  Bittersweet I'm sure.

I love...love.

And I thought I'd leave you with this closing shot.  Seriously THE hardest time of the day and of course that's what time pictures were for us. :)  This was the best shot we got...the rest, the girls were literally screaming. :)

Giveaway Day...Backyard Edition!

Oh.... Hello!  It's Brittany here, ready to post today's giveaway!  While I tell you about free stuff, Hannah and family are working like crazy on their backyard.  Here are a few photos she shared with me:

In honor of Hannah and Jeff's hard work in their backyard, I thought it would be fun to think of all the backyard fun they'll be able to have once their work is done.  

Which brings me to today's 

Tuesday GIVEAWAY!  

To be entered into the competition for today's giveaway, all you need to do is leave a comment about one of your favorite backyard activities (we're talking foot races all the way down to making mud pies).    

One lucky backyard-lover will receive a FREE (I just love that word) Print It Yourself Paper Doll and Outfit Line of their choice.

Who will it be? The results will be posted Thursday!