[happy]

HALLOWEEN!

Look at those cute trick-or-treaters.

This was my first year, as an adult, getting dressed up for Halloween. And I gotta say it was a lot of fun. And all because Mod Cloth sent me the wrong dress. And then let me keep it. For free! {thanks Mod Cloth!} Might branch out next year and actually be something. The kids didn't think wearing orange and black counted...baby steps, children. Baby steps.

Anyways hope you all had a fun, not too scary Halloween too!

<3 Lindsey

[friendly reminder]

You know, since my old post about this went bye-bye.

This Thursday @ 5:30 I'm teaching another wreath class at ETC. This month it's all about Fall!

Supplies are included [just need scissors, glue gun, and disappearing ink pen or, my favorite, a Frixion pen!]

And the chalkboard banner is completely customizeable!

Only 10 spots left, so SIGN UP HERE if you want to come! And save 10% on the class when you do!

<3 Lindsey

p.s. If you don't come for the wreath, then you gotta come for my Twix brownies! ; )

[embroidery project] make believe

So just a refresher, I was on Pinterest the other day month and saw this print...

Let me back track by saying I'm sorta obsessed with embroidery lately and really really wanted to learn how to do it.

So after seeing this print, and realizing for the 100th time that I STILL had Easter decorations hanging up by our bookcases in September, I decided this would be the perfect replacement. So I made this...

An embroidery pattern! [Feel free to upload this and use it as a pattern too!]

And just a fyi, I used the light box method and traced the pattern on scrap fabric I had on hand from my Granny aka Great Gramma using a Frixion pen. [if you don't have a Frixion pen, I highly recommend buying one! You can buy them at ETC or an office supply store] 

Here are some other methods for transferring embroidery patterns and also a video for different embroidery stitches. They were both very helpful while working on this! 

It was definitely more tedious than I thought it would be. And probably not the best beginniner project. But I eventually finished it. And I am so happy with how it turned out. 

I love how well it coordinates with the fabric I had on hand. And it makes me super happy that it has sentimental meaning too. I never met my Granny, but I know just based on her taste in fabric we would have gotten along really well and I would have learned so much from her. I also have an incomplete quilt from her that I'm kinda intimidated, but mostly excited to finish. Hopefully I'll have a post about that in the near future...

And "make believe" by our bookcases?? Totally perfect. I love to read, so making that area an even happier place by adding these embroidery hoops just makes me the most excited dork on Earth. 

<3 Lindsey

[my miracle day]

It's probably about time I did this post.

Today I celebrate my sweet girl, Emersynn's, 9th birthday.

And I consider it a miracle that I'm here to celebrate it with her.

I'll try not to make this a novel, but 9 years ago immediately after giving birth to Emersynn, I started to hemorrhage.

Which wasn't a huge surprise for me since I hemorrhaged after having my second child, Kellan, too.

But this time was way worse.

Laying in the hospital bed [my mom and husband beside me while Emersynn was being examined by the nurses] my doctor was busy trying to stop the bleeding. She realized quickly that while trying to remove my placenta that my uterus was attached to it.

The bleeding got worse.

So before I knew it, the nurses made my husband and mom leave and I was wheeled to an OR room. Barely conscience by that point because of how much blood I had lost.

I ended up being in the operating room for over four hours.

My doctor couldn't find blood that matched mine.

It had to be flown in and police escorted to the hospital.

Where an IV was then placed in my neck because that was the quickest way the blood could get to my heart and save me.

My body had gone into shock while I was waiting and I had to be resuscitated for 8 minutes.

A chaplin had gone out to the waiting room to tell my husband, friends, and family I might not make it.

I ended up recieving 16 units of blood total.

My doctor also ended up doing an emergency partial hysterectomy to save me. I have a 6" long scar to prove it!

Most moms that bleed that much, either don't make it or suffer from brain damage afterwards.

[Still debating some days whether or not my brain was effected from it! <Mostly> kidding! ; )]

By the grace of God and those donors, I'm here 9 years later.

100% healthy.

And funny story, afterwards while in ICU and sedated, the doctors knew I was going to be just fine after I removed my own breathing tube not once but twice.

[Nolan with Emersynn while I was in the OR]

Before I had Emersynn I never thought about donating blood. Or why it was important.

I actually had the opportunity to donate my senior year in highschool and didn't because I was afraid of needles!

I feel like this happened to me, so I could share why it is not only so important, but one of the greatest gifts you can give to someone.

While sharing my story is sometimes difficult, I try to do it as much as possible. Even doing speaking events (eek!) at United Blood Service events.

[Me and my blood buddy, Gerry, at one of those speaking events. He's one of my 16 donors]

So yeah, today is more than just my little girl's birthday. It's a day to celebrate second chances. And being thankful for all this time God has given me. A day not to think about what could have been, but be thankful for what I have.

[so blessed]

<3 Lindsey

P.S. Go donate blood!

[bummer city]

So you may notice that the blog has a new look.

I guess you could say it was a happy (?) accident.

While trying to edit the settings on Google+, I accidentally deleted ALL the photos on my blog.

And there was nothing I could do to get them back.

I had the option to either upload them all over again OR start over.

For the time being, I'm starting over.

Thought I'd even give the blog a new look while I was at it.

(Hope you approve!)

After I get over this depressing realization, I plan to very slowly get all the old posts back up.

Till then, it's a brand new start to Very Truly Me.

Sometimes that's a good thing.

<3 Lindsey