gingiber on the mini social

Hey all you mommas (and people with kids in your life)!

Have you heard of The Mini Social? Well it is this awesome members only sight where you can buy kids stuff at exclusive prices! Why am I telling you this? Because from now until next Tuesday, you can purchase select Gingiber product for insanely good deals!!!!

It is free to join, and there are so many other cute items on sale, from uber talented designers!Click Here so you can see all the stuff I am selling at discounted rates at the Mini Social!

Okay, sorry for the plug, but I thought some of you might like to know about this!

Stacie

I'm Back With a BIG Announcement!

We are pregnant! Baby Bloomfield is due late November, and we are ecstatic! I am almost 10 weeks along, and am quite ready to be out of the 1st trimester! I really was not all that sick when I was pregnant with Violet, so this has been a complete change!

So, it has been an emotional 1st trimester with lots of twists and turns. We found out that we were pregnant on St. Patrick's Day but felt like we should wait a while before telling people, even our family and friends. About 6 weeks into the pregnancy, I started bleeding, and feared the worst. I went to the hospital and had a 45 minute ultrasound. I waited hours for my Dr. to call us with the results, and was on pins and needles!

That afternoon, my Dr. called and gave us a bombshell: I had a subchoriotic hemorrhage (blood clot) in my placenta which made me high risk. Then, the biggest bombshell of all: the doctor said that I was pregnant with identical twins! We were in shock! How on earth were we going to be able to handle 3 babies, all while Nathan was finishing graduate school? I have to work because I carry the insurance!

A few days later, we got another bit of news: the twins I was carrying were "mono-amniotic" which meant that they were sharing the same sack and placenta. It was incredibly dangerous with a very low chance of survival for both twins. I wont go into the gory details, but if I could make it to 24 weeks, I would be put on bed rest or even made to stay in a hospital for the remainder of my pregnancy, and deliver at 34 weeks.

All of this information was scary, and I honestly could not process it. I was in a state of shock and almost mourning. I really was struggling to keep it together, and have never cried like I did the day I was given this news. I spent all of my free time researching this type of twins. I joined online support groups. Researched means of financial support for our extensive and inevitable hospital stay. Looked into government programs, the works.

A week later, we had another ultrasound to see if my pregnancy would be viable. Nathan came with me, because we were both so frightened and were praying for a miracle for our babies! Before the ultrasound tech even put the wand to my tummy, she revealed to us that she thought that there had been a HUGE mistake with my diagnosis, and believed that I had never been pregnant with twins in the first place! Apparently after my diagnosis was made and sent to my Dr. the rest of the radiologists looked at my film, and no one else saw 2 babies, let alone mono-amniotic twins.

All that worry over nothing!

So here we are, with 1 healthy baby and a subchoriotic hemorrhage that is resolving! I think that what happened to us is a bit crazy, but everything happens for a reason, right? I keep telling myself that!

Thanks for reading, friend! Hopefully I can get back into the blogging groove now that this is all out in the open!

Stacie

Taking a Blogging Break

Friends,

I am taking a little break from blogging. Not sure how long I will be gone, maybe a week or so?  Recently I have not been feeling inspired, and as a consequence don't know what to share on GingiberSnap. All of my personal projects have stalled, and April has been an overall tough month.

Life is pretty crazy right now, what with the house closing soon and other life changes, so I think that I need to take some time to figure out exactly what I am doing and why I am blogging.

I promise I wont be gone too long (so don't go and unsubscribe, pretty please?).

Thanks for reading,

Stacie

Jewelry Post Featuring Pretty Things by Meg

If you know me in person, you might have noticed that I rarely wear jewelry. My ears are not pierced. The only rings I wear are my wedding rings. I used to wear a pearl necklace that Nathan gave to me the night before our wedding, but a year of constant wear resulted in the pearl disappearing one day!

But, I do have an appreciation for jewelry, especially handmade creative pieces. I really really love all of the items that the lovely Megan Lane of Pretty Things by Meg has in her Etsy Shop. 

Linen Ruffle Necklace in Fuschia

Cherry Necklace

Meg is such a sweetheart. She writes a charming blog, Meg's Musings, which I love to read. It is filled to the brim with warm, bright, and inspiring pictures! We both have white pups that I think could be long lost siblings (Wallace and Magglio should definitely meet!).

Be sure to check out Meg's beautifully curated shop, Pretty Things by Meg! She takes a mean product photo! I mean seriously, I would take a product photo class taught by Megan! She is really talented!

Stacie

Shop Update is LIVE

The Shop Update is LIVE!

After weeks of talking about it, I finally have updated the Gingiber Shop! I wanted to have a lot more product in the shop today, but at least 4 new prints and 2 new tote bags are available today!

Please stop by and check it out!

Thanks friends!

Stacie

Etsy Favorite: Groundwork Shop by Danna Ray

Last night it rained and rained in Arkansas. This morning I awoke to gray skies and muddied grass. There is so much beauty after a storm, and these paintings of Danna Ray evoke perfectly the views after a storm.

Intertwined Print

Confetti Print

I sometimes feel that I am slow to learning about great artists on Etsy, and my recent discovery of Danna Ray's work is no exception. She has been a featured seller on Etsy. And, I've seen her recognizable print, "Be Present Every Day" all over the blogosphere over the past year, but never took the time to see who made it.

Be sure to check out Danna's Shop, Groundwork. I think you will fall in love with her art.

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Top 3 Shabby Apple Dresses

I love a pretty, flirty, girly dress! I really don't enjoy wearing jeans all that much. That is why I truly adore Shabby Apples selection of classic dresses that seem like they could accommodate an average (sized 12) woman's figure! Here are my top 3 favorites currently:

1. Pina Colada Dress, 2. Gondola Dress, 3. Sheep Meadow Dress

Which dress is your favorite?

Stacie

Random Talking

Random Talking by Valentina Ramos

Don't you just love Valentina Ramos' illustrations? I adore this print in particular! It is so ornate and lovely! I digress......

Happy Sunday to you all! I just woke up from a lovey nap, and feel a bit energized! I've not had the most productive weekend, but the entire family was able to go out and have some family pictures made by my friend, Amber. Afterwords, we used up some Sonic gift cards for cherry limeades, followed by a lovely visit at the grand reopening of the Heartwood Art Gallery here in Fayetteville! The weather was hot and windy, but I rarely go outdoors, so this was a special treat!

I have several half finished art and decorating projects just waiting for a little attention! I cannot wait to finish some of them to share with you! Do you ever find yourself knee deep in too many projects? I need to streamline and focus!

Now I think that I am going to make the most of the rest of my Sunday and listen to some music while I doodle!

Ta ta!

Stacie

The Tote Bags Are Coming!

Hello! Sneak peak #2 at some new Gingber Products! I had some beautiful cotton Gingiber Tote Bags printed up with a cute Owl illustration! They will be available in the shop NEXT WEEK! And available in 3 colors: black, yellow, and dark pink (pictured above).

Sorry I haven't even ironed these yet, but I couldn't wait to share with you the cute tote bags! I am in LOVE with them!

Stacie

Trust Your Instincts

Trust Your Instincts by AshleyG

Recently I have felt anything but focused. In fact, I have been sleeping most of my non-working hours and weekends away. Yet I still have not felt refreshed or energized! I've been lethargic, pale, and just plain dull! It has seeped into my blogging and my business. Something told me that a trip to the doctor was in order.

I don't think that I have ever shared this on the blog before, but about 5 months after Violet was born I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism (meaning my thyroid is way slow). Like most moms of newborns, I was tired ALL of the time. I just couldn't keep it together, and I wasn't loosing any pregnancy weight (which was totally discouraging). I finally went to the doctor where they did some blood work and lo and behold, my thyroid was slow! A simple daily dose of synthroid (literally a synthetic thyroid booster) has has made all of the difference. 

Hypothyroidism can vary in levels of severity (fortunately mine has never been too extreme). But I have been suffering from the following symptoms for at least the past 2 months:

Symptoms of Hypothyroidism

• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight
• Coarse, dry hair
• Dry, rough pale skin
• Cold intolerance (you can't tolerate cold temperatures like those around you)
• Muscle cramps and frequent muscle aches
• Depression
• Irritability
• Memory loss

I don't know why I didn't put 2 and 2 together, but of course my sleepy unfocused self was a result of my hypothyroidism being out of whack again. I will be starting a new higher dose of medicine this week, and honestly I am really excited to see if it helps! I am ready to be back in the game, focused, and recharged!

Do any of you suffer from a thyroid disorder? Or know someone who does? How do they handle it?


Hope you don't mind my non-artsy, non-creative blog posts, but I like sharing about my life on my blog! 

Thanks for reading, friends,

Stacie

Fill in the Blank

Hello! I thought I'd try blogging a little differently today, a la fill in the blank!

• The best meal I had this weekend: was homemade burgers and homemade strawberry shortcake

• Sometimes I wish: that macaroni and cheese where a part of the food pyramid (not even joking here, folks)

• The most interesting thing that happened today was: that I shut my toe in a door and yelled a certain questionable word in front of my impressionable daughter!

• My favorite person to share a cup of coffee with: is either my sweet sister or my little kumquat Jenna, who is currently in London!

• I used to be a morning person: until I discovered that my daughter is also a morning person.....

• My goal for the month of April: is to draw something just for me!

• The best part of blogging is: the ability to be yourself and connect with people who like you just the way you are!

Feel free to fill in your own blanks in the comments section! Looking forward to a fabulously productive week!

Stacie

Sold! (Almost)

Hello! Just a quick Saturday hello to tell you that we had some great news this week: Someone put an offer on our little Springfield house that has been on the market!

I don't have to tell you how thankful we are for this! There are still a lot of things that have to happen before the house is officially out of our hands (successful home inspection, paperwork, etc) but come May we might be rid of this little house (and our second mortgage).

Thanks for all of your kind thoughts towards our home selling. Just trying to be patient until the deal is completely done! But this is a huge relief, especially with the housing market the way it is right now.

-Stacie

Customer Photo Project!

Recently I received an email from a happy customer, Melissa, who purchased one of my Gingiber Owl Calendars. She is using every month to document the growth of her ADORABLE daughter! When she sent me the pictures I asked her if I could share them with you!

Isn't this little "Button" the sweetest little baby girl? (and I cannot lie that I love seeing her holding a Gingiber calendar)

Be sure to check out Melissa's blog, My Bug and Button, so see more of her lovely photos!

Thanks again, Melissa!