Fireworks and babies

This little lady had an awesome 4th of July! She tasted her first watermelon and fell in love. Man that stuff is juicy! Good thing she was wearing red. 

We relaxed in the shade...

kissed our friends...

practiced sitting up...

and wrestled over toys. This is their relationship... I didn't realize I only took pics of Myla and her friend Hendrix until I was getting them off of the camera. Oh well, who wants to see grown ups when there are two cute babies to look at?

Before the big firework show we watched a hot dog eating contest, had a picnic by the pond, and fed the ducks! My favorite part was definitely the fireworks though. Myla absolutely loved them! I was a little worried that the loud noises would scare her, but as soon as they started, she couldn't take her eyes off. I don't think she blinked once. She is such an alert and energetic baby. 

Positive thinking: We were lucky enough to have John with us all day yesterday. I think Independence Day should be spent with loved ones and that's exactly what we did. I feel so blessed to have such awesome friends and family. 

Looking forward to: John and I just started the Dave Ramsey total money makeover with the envelope system and I am both nervous and excited to see how it goes. I am making all of my envelopes on monday so I will definitely post pics of them so you can see how cute they turn out.

xoxo, Missy Dorius

Myla month-by-month: 5 months

So I'm like two weeks late on this post but on the 21st of last month, Myla turned 5 months. It's crazy how quickly time is flying. It seems like she has developed a whole new side to her personality since last month and I love it. Here is what she has been up to:

• Still rolling like a steamroller.
• She only sleeps on her tummy now.
• Myla is a growler. Don't know why but she loves to growl.
• This little one loves to be sung to.
• Extremely ticklish in so many places: neck, armpits, tummy, and her cute little thighs.
• Sucks on her tiny thumb.
• She has a tiny little tooth that cut through (ouch), but she took it like a champ.
• Had her first baby food meal of avocado mixed with some delicious breastmilk. She loved it.
• Falls asleep on her own for naps and at night with little to no fuss.

Myla is a petite little girl with a lot of energy and spunk. She smiles at anyone with a face and we couldn't be happier to have her.

Look at those long and skinny feet of hers! They are the cutest! The headband she's wearing can be found in my Etsy shop <here>.

I have been trying to up my photography skills by taking more artistic photographs. In these photos I used a lot of natural light. Whenever I take photos, I turn off the lights, pull up the blinds and start shooting. That sun is seriously one of God's greatest creations. I don't plan to become a photographer but I love the practice. Someday I hope to get an 85mm lens but unfortunately that won't be anytime soon.

Positive thinking: I've been really into vampire diaries lately. I had my reservations (it being about vampires and all), but I really like it! It's more than what I expected it to be. Cleaning is always more exciting while watching Netflix.

Looking forward to: My sister Julie is a presenter for the makeup company Younique. She is doing so good with it too! I have been using their 3D fiber lashes and they are totally different than anything I've ever seen in a mascara. I am doing a tutorial and product review for her and I am so excited to show you this crazy eyelash goodness!

xoxo, Missy Dorius

Diy 01: Knotted sailor headband

The other day I posted a picture of my latest project on Facebook and got a lot of tutorial requests so I decided to give it a whirl! This is a sailor knot headband made out of a t-shirt that always fit me weird. It was surprisingly easy and the headband stays on so well. I always have a problem with headbands slipping off whenever I wear them. I took the pictures out on my patio to take advantage of the awesome sunlight. Light just makes images look so much clearer! So just ignore the cement background.

First I cut 1 1/2-2" strips out of a t-shirt. Don't worry about making them perfect because you won't even be able to notice when it is all finished. For this headband I used four strands. You can do six if you want to make it thicker but it just needs to be an even number.

Then just join your strips into two and follow along step by step.

From here, just pull the ends and tighten. You can make your knot as tight or loose as you would like.

Now if you want to break out the sewing machine here to join the back then go ahead! All I did was take a smaller strip of fabric and tied the two loops together with a simple knot.

And voila! This is super easy to make. Plus it's a great way to recycle unwanted t-shirts! 

I of course had to make one for Myla too. I just cut the strips in half to do this since her head is obviously smaller. 

Just look at that adorable little face! Thanks for checking out this tutorial. I plan to do more in the future so I would love it if you would follow along!

Positive thinking: When John got home from work last night he took care of Myla so I could go get some groceries. It has been a while since I have ran errands without Myla with me and I was pleasantly surprised that I got hit on by two men. Of course I only have eyes for John but it was flattering that I caught their attention. Thank you random strangers. 

Looking forward to: Last week I caught a little stomach bug. I don't know what it was but it was not very fun. The next day my allergies kicked in and then that evening I got a terrible sore throat. Since then I have been struck with an icky cough for the last three days. I am finally starting to feel better and I cannot wait until I am back to my old healthy self. Fingers crossed for good health!

xoxo, Missy Dorius

Pool time

Yesterday we went over to the William's apartment to have a little pool party! We have a pool at our apartment complex but the Williams have a little kiddie pool area at theirs which is what we wanted. Myla wasn't quite sure about the water at first but I think she really enjoyed it once she got used to it. John and I definitely enjoyed watching her first pool experience (even though she had a blank face through it all). Plus I finally got to put her in her little swimsuit and matching hat!

Of course I forgot to bring my camera so you will have to settle with iphone quality pics (which actually aren't too terrible).

Yes my swimsuit color matches Myla's. Yes I am that kind of mom.

Myla with the William's baby Hendrix. They are dating. Myla is two days older but Hendrix definitely beats her in size. He is super chunky and we love it!

Tana brought out their little floater. Hendrix tried it first and loved it so of course we had to put Myla in it! Well she didn't cry haha. 

Once we put Myla to sleep then we played in the big kid pool. It was so fun to play with John. It was like we were dating again. I fall in love more and more with John every day and I am so lucky to have him in my life. He is a wonderful husband and the greatest father. He absolutely adores Myla and it makes my heart melt to see that.

Afterwards we ordered pizza, pigged out on ice cream floats, and watched Tana and Levi's wedding video! It was like a classic 90s film. My favorite part is when Tana is holding a mini Levi in her hands and looking down at him. It was awesome!

We feel so blessed to have made such awesome friends here in Oklahoma. We are trying to convince Tana and Levi to pack up and move to Washington with us. Why not right?

Positive thinking: I sunburn SO easily, but I am thinking that I might be cut some slack here in Oklahoma. It is extremely humid and the sun is so much further away than the Idaho sun. I will cross my fingers and let you know.

Looking forward to: My friend Lauren over at Fashion Love and Lauren is due with her baby girl in 15 days and I am so excited for her! Lauren and I were roommates in college and we just clicked. Our husbands clicked also (at least that's what we like to think). They live in Seattle and her husband Josh will be starting up dental school in the fall. Spokane is just 4 hours away from them so it will be so great to visit. 

xoxo, Missy Dorius

POPS

Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning I go to a fun little Zumba class and yesterday I came home to a little surprise on our door. John left me a little note.

"Warning!!! This place has been under attack! Through all the mess, I must confess, it won't be easy to find rest through this test. You must find the heart that will give you the clue on what to do! Good luck weary traveler, and may the power of love fuel your next hour on this journey to find out your plans for tonight!"

The apartment was covered in little hearts. There were hearts in drawers, sinks, and even the toilet seat (gross I know). I looked for a while and then got discouraged so John played the hot, cold game with me. He brought me right to him! Myla was asleep in his arms. I carefully undid her onesie and there was a little heart sticker on her tummy with a question on it. "Mommy will you go to POPS with us?" How could I turn her down?? My friend Tana just recommended this place to us and John knows how much I love going out to eat, so I showered, packed up the diaper bag, and we were on our way! 

POPS is a futuristic looking little diner/restaurant along Route 66. They serve burgers, sandwiches, salads, etc., but they are known for carrying hundreds of soda pop flavors. John was such a good sport, he doesn't even like sodas, plus he wasn't feeling too great.

We both got burgers and they were pretty good, but let me tell you about these sodas! We filled our six pack with some pretty crazy flavors. Grand Teton grape was pretty tasty. To be honest we just picked it out because of our Northwest pride. Then there's bacon soda. Wow, it tasted exactly like bacon and that is not a good thing. We love, love, LOVE bacon, but we are not so crazy about drinking it. John picked out a blue raspberry soda as a more normal, yet still new to us flavor and that was really yummy. It reminded me of blue raspberry shaved ice. Yum. Chocolate soda? Hmmm as yummy as chocolate is, it was still pretty weird in soda form. Not too bad though. Next was banana! You know how there's the banana flavor and then the taste of an actual banana? Well I expected this to taste like the flavor (laffy taffys, snow cone syrup, etc.) but it tasted like an actual banana! And for those of you who know me, I do not like bananas, so this was interesting. I picked out the butterscotch root beer for something tasty. Unfortunately it was diet and I didn't realize it until I started drinking it. Who likes diet right?... Well it was still delicious but I know I would have liked it more if it wasn't diet.

They have a giant soda pop bottle out front so of course we had to take pictures with it. This was actually Myla's first real experience out in the sun. I wasn't planning on it though or else I would have brought her little hat and some sunscreen. Unfortunately I think she has my delicate skin. Just look at how white she is! 

I am so grateful to have such a wonderful, loving husband. John is the best. Seriously ladies, you should all be jealous! Plus isn't he just so good looking?

Positive thinking: My friend Tana is such a great influence on me! I seriously love her. She is doing a positive thinking challenge right now and it inspired me to do my own little positive thinking. From this point on, whenever I post I am going to write something positive. So here goes! When we first moved to Oklahoma, I was a little anxious to get out, but now I am so grateful for this experience we are having. I wouldn't change it for anything. We have made some good friends and good memories. Although we are excited to move to Washington in September, I will definitely miss this place. Thank you to all of those who have made living here so enjoyable!

Looking forward to: I bought some fabric and materials to make a bumper pad for Myla's crib. She moves a lot in her sleep and sometimes gets her feet caught between the bars so it is time. I cannot wait to get it all started and finished so we can all sleep a little more soundly at night.

xoxo, Missy Dorius

Myla month-by-month: 4 months

Myla hit the four month mark on Wednesday! She is growing so quickly and I am loving it. It is so fun to see her develop such a fun personality. Here is what she is doing:

• Rolling from her back onto her tummy, to her back, to her tummy, back, tummy, back...
• Talking, smiling, and laughing more and more
• She growls when she's frustrated
• She gets all sorts of mad because she can't fit her whole fist in her mouth
• Her hairline is no longer "receding"
• Mornings are the best time of day for her
• Sometimes she gets tastes of mom's morning green smoothies and she loves it

John and I absolutely adore this little munchkin. Yesterday we were lucky enough to spend the whole day together since John had the day off. It was so great. We started off the morning right by going to iHop. Super classy I know. It was very delicious and put me in the right mood to take a nap. John was kind enough to let me take a nap while he and Myla ran a few errands together. 

We had leftover home-made pizzas for lunch and they were delicious. After that we decided to go out and have some fun! The science museum has been calling our name ever since we got here. Myla slept through most of it but John and I still enjoyed ourselves. There were so many neat things to do. It was awesome. Sometimes I still feel like a kid at heart and today was definitely one of those times. 

John has been dying to try this seoul food restaurant here for some time but its hours are really weird so we have never had a chance. But today was the day! Mama E's is the place and oh man, I have never felt so white in my life. It was awesome. Of course we got the classic chicken 'n waffles and we drank our super sugary kool-aid. It was all super delicious and definitely a new culture experience. 

On a separate note, I have been playing around with my wacom tablet and photoshop. Hopefully I can show off some projects soon for you all. We have been in this apartment for almost 9 months now and our walls are pretty bare, so I'm working on some artwork to spice things up a little. I will definitely share pics.

xoxo, Missy Dorius