holler-back girl

is anyone reading this dusty old blog anymore? like, seriously. because i know i personally, used to read TONS of blogs. i LOVED it. come to think of it, i'm actually not sure how i read so many blogs back then. {oh wait, i didn't have kids}. when i stopped reading blogs, i stopped BLOGGING. it's a world i haven't been a part of for a loooooong time. and i used to have some good ole faithful readers here, back when it was rae events. but now i find myself wondering if i am typing to myself. {THAT'S always fun. although, i'm not gonna lie, i'm an external processor, so even if this is just to myself, it's therapy. and it's free.}

i'm realizing now, that after billions of days have gone by none-blogging, i may have lost all the (what, 30?) readers that i once had. i also realize that i don't have the time (nor the energy) i once had to read 50 blogs a day, and comment, and all that goes with that, in order to GAIN readers. and if I don't have the time, lord knows you don't either. {although i'm not really sure who "you" is at this moment.....} the point is, if i had a giveaway would there be any readers to enter said giveaway? because if i won a giveaway that i hosted, it may be a little strange.

if you are alive. and breathing. and happen to read this. you can give me a holler-back. and maybe i'll host a giveaway. if not, i'll just keep talking to myself.

{all photos are random. and basically because i like them}

snow? winter?

 is it just me or has it JUST started to feel like winter? i LOVE it. and i'm not gonna lie. there is a slight fear in me that our winter is going to last for all but a week and i'll be stuck with my 37 scarves having only worn 3. plllllease winter, last until june. 

so, while it's been a LITTLE cold, i've been sitting by the fire, crafting up some more wintery bloomers (while my kids throw gold fish & cheerios at me). check out the shoppe to see what's available!  

new at the shoppe!

sweet love lacey bloom, $8
headband, pin or clip

 winter dream, $11
1 lacey lady filled with pearls
1 rosette & 1 felt bow

 triple mum, $10

the wren, $12
3 raw silk rosettes (steel blue/purple)
with pearl embellishments 

winter spiral $8
woven cream cotton with gold & silver intertwined
3 pearls & feathers (optional)
(approx. 3")

THE WINTER BEACH

one of our favorite bloomers yet... the winter beach! a woven cotton, intertwined with gold & silver foil, filled with layers of multi-colored pearls. this is an absolute beauty. adorned with two white feathers. wear it on a scarf, cardigan or in your hair! $10 want one? check out the shoppe!

winter ONEderland

 on december 30, 2010 i had two babies. my life changed forever (everyone always says that). and on january 7, 2012 we celebrated their first birthday. i realized half way through planning their party (back in november?), that it was really more for me than them. i like parties. i love planning. details. pretty things. crafting. and well, lincoln & wren? let's be honest. they could have cared less. they did enjoy their cakes (more like, lincoln enjoyed his cake), but the decorations and hoopla? i'm sure they could have passed on all that. but for me, it was a part of processing this whole big year of change. accomplishment. joy. love. challenge. LIFE. and so i continued on with the party planning. by the time the party actually got here, i decided next year we'll be having their party at chuck-e-cheese. yum. 

 okay, so on to the fun stuff. decor, crafts & CUPCAKES. woodland creatures. snow. and stumps. if you have ever read my blog, you know winter is one of my favorite things in life. thank the lord my babies were born in december. sure makes it easy for me to decorate their party. especially after having my wedding in january. basically, everything was borrowed from my wedding or my mom's, sister's or my christmas stuff. except the cupcakes. those were fresh. i love FREE stuff.

a bloomers wreath!

 lincoln's one-year banner. i love this idea. each baby had a banner on both sides of the fireplace. thank goodness there's two!

 a wintery table full of tasty treats...

 

and lots of critters!

 cream cheese, peppermint & buttercream frosting. don't think it gets much better.

 first birthday cakes with mini-buntings. my favorite thing.

seriously... snow man milks? thank you pinterest for that.

little buntings all over the house. in all, i think i made 8 banners for this party. that's a lot of paper.

i used a screen from our old house, backed with chicken wire to display photos of the babies throughout the year. a lot of photos were involved with this party.

who doesn't love hot cocoa bars?

 

  i'm so glad i hung the high-chair buntings straight. honestly.

he really loved his cake this much.... he really enjoyed ripping the bunting off his tray. and i let him. after all, it was HIS party. not mine. (i think.)

she could have cared less. clearly, does NOT take after her mom.

 

and the only picture of the two of them, sans high chairs. how lovely. 

wren wasn't appreciating picture time with the cousins...

i can't believe i have 1 year olds. wow.

BLOOMERS

some fresh bloomers in the shoppe!

 the mermaid $7

 fresh cut $7

the purple jewel $8

visit us at the shoppe!

from one season to the next

6 months

how do you catch up after it feels like YEARS have gone by? well, i don't think you can completely. and i really don't think one can ever catch up in this world of mommy-hood so i won't even begin to try. but i will say this. i thought planning parties was fun. or that planning weddings gave me an adrenaline rush. i thought checking-off my to-do list was satisfying. well, i had no clue what was ahead. december 30th of 2010, lincoln & wren were born. the sweetest, most perfect, precious, satisfying, adrenaline-rushing things ever given to me. oh, and the most exhausting.

i haven't been planning parties. or weddings. or showers. i haven't even really been decorating. i've been mommy-ing. and it's the most complicated, beautiful, rich & satisfying job i've ever had. over a year has gone by and i haven't even glanced at this blog. cause it hasn't mattered really. i've cared more about feeding, diapering & playing with my babies than writing on my blog. and let's be honest, i've been more worried about my hot cup of coffee in the morning and wondering if i'll get a shower that day than coming up with some snappy post.

after 10 months though, i'm feeling a little more rested. a little more like MYSELF. and i've started crafting again. and boy does it feel good! i love DOING things! i also love PLANNING things. (duh). but it's different after having kids. planning weddings & parties requires all. your. attention. anyone who's been to a wedding can attest to the detail & planning it takes to pull it off. i don't have the same drive in planning someones party because i know what it takes. it requires too much of me right now. and quite honestly, i don't WANT to do it (for a living, that is). perhaps i'll wear that hat again some day down the road, but for now, it's sitting nicely on my shelf.

because i naturally like to be busy, i have found something else to fill my time (if having twins wasn't enough, huh?). and that's what this post here is all about. transitioning from one thing to the next. rae events was good & fun & satisfying for my creative a-type personality these last few years. but i am even more excited about this next little adventure. because it's creative. fun. pretty. i get to be home with my kids. and it's FOR my kids.

although i never thought i'd be a headband-flower-adorning mom with my daughter, i am. (let us not get confused with the large bows & over-sized silk flowers). and i never knew how much fun it would be to make her precious creations for her sweet little head. but i've had a BLAST. and so i've started selling my creations. they're nothing new really. especially in the pinterest world. but not everyone actually has time to make the things they WANT to make. i'm not in this to make it BIG. i'm having fun & possibly making a few bucks while i'm at it. over the coming weeks, rae events will transition to BLOOMERS SHOPPE, where you can see and/or purchase handmade felt, lace, burlap and other flowers. and of course this blog will always remain a place where i talk about life & things that i like. if you're still interested, i'm happy for you to stick around. :) perhaps there will be more interaction in this coming year than there was in the last! here's a little peak inside bloomers shoppe...

 burlap & lace $6

 poofy bloom $7

 bloomer bands $6

  and my little bloomer-inspiration- wren taylor

and lastly, can i just say there is nothing more fun than crafting, playing with your kids & listening to christmas music? holy cow. i feel so blessed

rachel <3