The Christmas Baby

If you look at a pregnancy test long enough, turn it toward the light and squint your eyes, you can almost see that second pink line . . . even if it isn't there.

I am convinced there are two types of women in this world: (1) those who are nodding their heads in complete agreement, and (2) everyone else.

I asked God for a baby for Christmas. A baby the size of a grain of sand was my wish.  But the test was definitive.  I turned it toward the light.  I squinted.  I could almost see it . . . but almost wasn't enough.  In the place of a second pink line there was a space of white emptiness.  Do you know that space?

I spent advent weeks considering that vast whiteness;  reconsidering it's emptiness. God whispered truth to my heart:  I asked God for a baby for Christmas and the test said no, but God said yes.

Two years ago, he said yes.  And everyday since, I have felt his will in my little one's grasp: "yes, beloved, yes."  Oh how I longed for my baby Wynn.  How I long for him still. An hour apart is too long.  And tonight I rock my toddler boy beside the Christmas tree.  I drink in the smell of his still-baby skin.  I nuzzle his sweet neck.  And like the creak of the rocker on old wood floor, the benediction I hear again is  "yes . . . " (rock). . . yes . . ."(rock) . . . yes."

I look up to twinkling lights of a cottage Christmas tree, to the place where a westward--leading star belongs.  I rock and snuggle him.  My heart in worship  "yes . . ."(rock) . . . " yes . . . ." (rock) . . . yes. . . "

Two thousand years ago, so very long before I prayed for a Christmas baby, the Lord answered my prayer.  So great is He.  So faithful.  He knew that I would need a baby.

And so He came himself.

I asked God for a baby for Christmas.  Listen and hear how great our God is.  If you are a captive, run to Him and be set free. Whatever you are waiting for, it has already come in Christ Jesus.

"Are you there, my Lord?"  I breathe into my toddler boy's neck.  And I rock . . . "Oh come, oh come, Emmanuel . . . "

"Yes . . ." (rock) . . ."yes. . ." (rock) . . . "yes . . . "

Introducing Wynnbaby.com!

This is what a dream come true looks like:

Some two years ago, pregnant and nesting, 

wishing and dreaming, 

I envisioned a line of baby linens and nursery lovelies that would be:

100% handmade

upcycled from vintage materials

high-style married with childhood whimsy

I envisioned breatheable bumpers that were truly beautiful (not plastic mesh) . . .

vintage sheets in forgotten colors . . . .

I envisioned vintage fabrics quilted together into heirlooms

Crib sets that would be one-of-a-kind and not a duplicate of a friend or neighbor's or from a page in a catalog . . . 

I envisioned handmade and made at home . . . not mass-produced overseas.

. . . I saw great style for little boys {and their style-loving mamas!}

I dreamed of mobiles made from vintage quilt stars, dancing in the sun

and hand-embroidery

and sophisticated fabrics with whimsical pom pom accents

. 

. . . vintage quilts upcycled into the sweetest baby bumpers

 

I envisioned all of these things.  I dreamed of sweet dreams for my tiny dreamer

Today we are celebrating, my Wynnbaby and I.  Because after days of dreaming that became weeks of planning and weeks of planning that became months and then years of hard work, my dream has come true.  

You can now shop my 100% handmade, vintage-inspired baby linens and other fine nursery lovelies at  

www.wynnbaby.com 

Would you become a friend of Wynnbaby on Facebook?
I am proud to call you friend, dear reader.

Today is a day of celebration and I thank you for sharing this joy with me.

{Special thanks to Amanda Reynolds Photography for helping this dream come true}

Wynn's Beach Cottage Bedroom {December 2011}

Welcome to Wynn's little corner of our beach cottage!  Thank you so much for visiting! 

I have to share from the get-go that Wynn's "room" is currently the right side of our "master" bedroom.  The beach cottage has 3 bedrooms.  Two bedrooms are upstairs (currently an office and a to-be bunk room for our children) and one bedroom (that we are currently sleeping in) is downstairs.  It made the task of renovating seem more manageable mentally if I could concentrate my energy on the downstairs first before addressing the upstairs.  For this reason and also because we have been happy co-sleepers since Wynn was a newborn, we set up his little toddler bed next to our bed and I decorated his little side of the room.  I would call it whimisical beach vintage . . .

This is a jenny lind style toddler bed that I handpainted in 5 different shades of turquoise and blue and then distressed.  I call it his Cloud Nine bed.  Love, love, love this bed, where he currently sleeps about 50% of the time :)

Want a Cloud Nine bed of your own?  Visit my Etsy shop!

Some Christmas decorations mixed in for seasonal fun.

galvanized buckets with aqua blue handles tied to the footboard of his bed for matchbox car {and apparently elephant} storage.

I made this chain out of houndstooth felt using my hot glue gun.  It defines his space and is just fun.

Little lambs on a Wynnbaby crib mobile hanging above his bead.

Wynn's "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree we dug up on my parent's 40 acres.  I made a miniature pennant banner out of houndstooth felt and baker's twine.  Those numbers are actually house numbers from Home Depot that I haven't gotten around to using in another project yet . . . perfect for a child's tree and less expensive than most ornaments.

Pages from "A Day at the Seashore" {vintage golden book} mounted on canvas.

Burlap ribbon adds texture and a neutral color to an otherwise orange plastic bucket.

Pom poms I borrowed from my sewing stash.  Much easier than stringing popcorn with a similar whimsical effect.

Heart pine floors we worked so hard to unearth under layers of carpet and glue.

 I wish I was better able to show "full room" shots of this cute space.  I've mentioned this before but the only lens I have for my dslr camera is a 50mm 1.8 which is awful for interior shots.  Does anyone have any suggestions for a lens that takes good interior pictures that doesn't cost as much as the average mortgage payment??   The cost of lenses scares me!

Hope everyone is having a nice week.  Nothing but rain here so far but snow is in the forecast!  Still dreamin' of my white Christmas . . .

I {heart} family photos on canvas

I seriously love the look of family photos printed on canvas.  Canvas is classic, beautiful and artful.  No expensive framing needed, canvas is, in my opinion, a standout on its own with simple clean lines.  I received the best early Christmas present when a company called Easy Canvas Prints contacted me several weeks ago asking if I would like to have one of their canvas prints to review it here on my blog.   Well, yes, yes I would, Mr. Easy Canvas. :)  And a Merry Christmas to you! :)

So here is the scoop.  I ordered an 11x14 canvas, pictured below, of a picture I took of Wynn last winter on his vintage-inspired speedster (which was a one-of-a kind find when I found it at a mom and pop toy store but has since been picked up by Land of Nod-drat!)  Anyway, love this picture and the mix of blue and red and his little aviator hat (an etsy find). 

Look how beautiful it is on canvas, just love it. 

Gallery-wrapped and displayed in his beach cottage bedroom (more on that tomorrow, promise). 

Now I would feel like a bad person if I wrote a blog post about this fab freebie and linked you to costly canvas prints (most canvas prints are costly!!)  But hold the phone because I researched the company before accepting their exchange (honest I did) and I felt comfortable recommending them because their prices are affordable (!!!) and they also run great sales!  For instance, if you like them on facebook (here) you receive 50% off your order plus free shipping. Which means you can get a 11x14 canvas print of your own for $23 shipped!!  Trust me, that is a VERY VERY good deal for photos on canvas.   

Looks lovely in vintage, too :)

 I'll be blogging about the rest of wynn's beach bedroom tomorrow.  

Love to all. 

Welcome, December

Bring us your heavenly peace.

and blanket us in the beauty of the Christ child.

Sing over us your silent nights.

Usher into our hearts the sacred Trinity.

A standing ovation, Mr. December. 

Yours are the days of holy wonder.