12.15.2010

A reason to smile...

Today I found several reasons to smile & thought I would take a second to share, because today I truly only feel like I have about 1 second!

I am sure that if you are a MOMI follower you haven't forgotten our sweet Miss Layla Grace who went to heaven to dance with the angels earlier this spring.  It is truly profound how her wonderful mother has taken a "not so favorable situation" & turned it into something so positive, so inspiring, & so thoughtful! To participate & help make a difference in a child's life who is battling cancer visit laylagrace.org to make a donation for the 12 days of Christmas! 

“In helping others, we shall help ourselves, for whatever good we give out completes the circle and comes back to us."
- Flora Edwards

My dear sister should be arriving at our doorstep any moment now from Hawaii! We have not seen her for almost 7 months so we have been anxiously awaiting her arrival & Dave has been cleaning the house top to bottom..I would take credit for some of the cleaning but, it's true, I am just terrible at cleaning & he is SOO darn good at it!
I have appointed him the master fabric organizer & it is upon his request that I MUST have a studio SALE to clear out some of the designs that are so perfectly adding to the gorgeousness in the closet...


Little did Mr. MOMI know when he chose to marry me that someday he would be oh SO lucky to live in a fabric shop! If there is an award for the lady who lives with the most fabric..sign me up because these pics aren't even showing 1/2 of my collection!
Starting NOW ALL items in the READY TO SHIP section of my shop are 25% off of the listed price! Be sure to please enter code: STUDIOSALE25 at checkout for your 25% discount!!  All ready to ship items will be shipped the within 24 hours, or the same day if the post office is still open on the east coast! 
(if you plan to purchase multiple items please checkout with your "ready to ship" items seperately)

 I will be adding quite a bit more items later tonight to the "Ready to Ship" section of my shop.  At this very moment I am headed off to my Best Friend's house up the street to help her make her wedding cake for her wedding on Saturday!! This may be quite the challenge as I must confess again..I can not bake or cook either, I am completely capable of buring a poptart.  Did I mention this is a 4 tiered cake? I like to think that my fancy sewing skills make up for my lack of any other domestic skills you can possibly think of! :) The only thing I am capable of in this situation is to happily offer my moral support & a nice bottle of wine to help alleviate as much stress as I can....and that's what friends are for!

*Cheers

12.13.2010

So proud...

I am OVER THE MOON right now & so extremely proud of a very close friend of mine from Hawaii! She just recently moved with her husband to Oregon (he's a sailor) & she opened her own Spa!! Riki is all around one of the most fabulous people i've ever met & I am so extremely tempted to go to Oregon to let her glam me up before my best friend's wedding I am in on Saturday! She is one of those people that just make you feel gorgeous inside & out.  Riki is my girl & I am just squeeling with delight & so happy that she is making her dreams come true. To see her happy, just makes my day! We always had the best time, all of the time!  She is an amazing makeup artist & would sneek me in the tanning beds where she worked when no one had appointments (I know, it's sad but true, people in hawaii still went to tanning beds).  Now look at me, I moved to Pennsylvania & I am a mess in a dress! I'm lucky if my face sees makeup & my hair gets washed once a week...haha.  I sure could use a little bit of Riki in my life!  If your lucky enough to live in Oregon, you may want to treat yourself to something wonderful over at Malama Day Spa! http://www.malamadayspa.qwestoffice.net/ She does also have a fan page on facebook you can follow HERE!


There is nothing too exciting going on at the house of MOMI.  Just trying to hold it all together, as always!  I am truly beginning to feel like we live in an elf workshop!  My father-in-law had sent a "build it yourself" doll house for the girls a few months ago & Dave has finally found enough time to start bringing this "thing" to life. So while I am upstairs sewing dresses for all of the children of the world, he is down in the basement, like a little elf, building a dollhouse. I tried to convince "Jacob" our "elf on the shelf" that I bought a few weeks back to at least get off his bum & start helping out with these toys but, he's not interested. I am just REALLY hoping that I am allowed to paint this dollhouse when it is complete...preferably a nice pink &green with some classy polka dots, I'm sure that is not what my father in law had in mind but, hopefully I can accomplish this before he drives up next week & shatters my dreams of a pink/green polka dot dollhouse. :)

I hope everyone is having a very happy holiday season!

11.27.2010

Thank you & Thank you again!

a huge THANK YOU to all who have referred friends, placed holiday orders, & uploaded gorgeous pics of their MOMI girls!! My huge thank you is not even enough, as I could never express how grateful I am to have some of the most gorgeous children out there sporting my designs & the most awesome MOMI shoppers a girl could ask for! Now if I could just ship in some elves from the North Pole to help me sew up all of these dresses, I might be in good shape! Unfortunately, Mr. Momi has still not mastered the craft. I think I will spare him that domestic skill. I do believe that cooking, cleaning, raising the children, & doing the laundry on top of packaging & ironing is just about as far as he is going to let me take it.  No New Holland Toyota you can not have him back no matter how many times you call & ask & no matter how many different manager positions you offer him! :) MOMI boutique REALLY needs him. We always have a good chuckle because I honestly do not think that I had received so many compliments on how nicely my items were packaged, until he started packaging them.  Now at least once a week someone comments on it & I am always sure to let him know. He just smiles. I guess this is my first baby step in letting go and realizing that I may not be the best person for every single little thing that goes into making MOMI boutique keep spinning.  

I will be closed through tomorrow, which disappointingly means no sister set sunday but, I will be diligently working on all recent orders & hopefully have them out by the end of the week!

If you would like to be WOWed pop on over to my facebook fan page, click the "like" button & prepare to be dazzled by all of the MOMI girls in their MOMI gear. I couldn't even pick a few pictures to post on my blog because they are all just so precious!

*Thank you & thank you again to all of my loyal MOMI fans!*

10.22.2010

Fall Festival SALE at MOMI boutique



* * 15% off + FREE shipping on your ENTIRE purchase when you purchase 1 or more items from the SALE SALE SALE section of my etsy shop* *

Friday, Saturday, & Sunday only (10/22-10/24)
*please message me for a private listing with a complete list of your desired items or I will refund your discount within 24 hours after paypment is received*


*please note: Free shipping applies to domestic shipping only. Discount does not apply to previous purchased or unpaid items*

* For every friend you refer to MOMI boutique, who makes a purchase during this SALE & is a new customer, you will receive $15 in MOMI money! (please have your friend state your name at checkout)


*as a side note: all brown/brown, brown/green, orange/white, wide green/white striped pants are SOLD OUT & will not be restocked*
*my sizes range from 6 month - girl's size 6. I can not accomodate larger sizes in my knit, velour, & select dresses. If you are requesting a size larger than a 6 in a dress, top, or cotton pants there is an additional charge for the larger size if I can accomodate your request
*I am NOT taking special requests during this sale. All items are as pictured. No fabric changes or style changes please*
*All private listings will be set up on my personal website*
*My turn around time is currently 2 weeks once payment & sizing info is received. This may change depending on the amount of orders received at any given time*

 
                                     *Thank you for spreading the word & Happy Shopping!*

9.30.2010

it's just about time!

MOMI boutique is 123 fans away from 3,000! When MOMI hits 3000 fans the holiday/winter 2010 collection will be listed in my etsy shop! Be sure to "share" this post on your page & suggest to all of your friends! Thank you for your support & enthusiasm for my holiday line!



9.28.2010

Coming soon


Holiday/Winter 2010 coming soon to MOMI boutique


9.26.2010

Beach Bound

I am SO excited to be back down at the beach visiting family, friends, & have a little time away from the sewing machine!  I contemplated packing it in the car but, after looking over the LARGE amount of Holiday/winter designs that I have been so diligently working on for the past week....I know that I already have my work cut out for me...to say the least!  Mr. Momi tried to convince me  to model all of the clothes on my "headless horseman child" in our own yard before we leave so we don't have to pack the outfits in the car.  I was appalled haha I would rather walk over burning coals then photograph these designs on our headless horseman child, especially since we have 2 little girls who can bring these outfits to life! I finally eased his pain, pulled a Lollipop bride out of my pocket & Leah to the side door. Here is the cooperation I received in return....
But, for a rookie...I have to say she isn't half bad!


MOMI's holiday/winter collection will make it's way into my etsy shop & http://www.momiboutique.com/ by October 10th at the latest.  I still have a large amount of pieces to photograph & I plan to photograph most of them at a new location here in NC!  Although beach modeling would be much more convenient since all we have to do it step outside the house...it wasn't my vision of holiday & winter! 

But, I do believe Lily pulled it off pretty well for the few designs we decided to shoot today.
Holiday/winter collection COMING SOON to MOMI boutique!
*keep posted here or at www.facebook.com/momiboutique for the exact date!

9.14.2010

Rock Star

Ladies & Gentlemen....today I feel accomplished :)
Lily is a huge Olivia fan..I've had to remind her several times that her teachers' name is not going to be Mrs. Hogenmiller.  She chose to wear her Olivia rock star shirt on her first day of preschool & I mananged to convince her to wear the cinnamon strips ..it was a fairly easy task once I pointed out that Olivia had the very same pants on!   She told Mr. MOMI this afternoon that they are not her pants, they are her lucky tights..
Here, in all of her goofiness, is my little preschool rock star....


*congrats Lil' you have officially pulled off Valentine colors in September.

9.13.2010

A chip off the Old block

My mom was sitting in my living room the other day & out of nowhere stated the obvious..."You haven't blogged in awhile"....don't worry mom, my time lately has been well spent trying to convnice a 3 year old to wear a dress to school. When I was younger I honestly thought that I would probably become a writer someday. You know, something along the lines of a Carrie Bradshaw in NYC but, before I knew it I was on a plane to Hawaii, got stary eyed over a boy, had some beautiful babes, &started sewing dresses.  Little did I know my  friends & family would line up to read my blog....well, here's to you Mom..the moment you have been waiting for since I was 4 years old...my payback has finally come!

Chapter 45: The ugly side of custom boutique

 It's been a mysterious wonder to me how I ever ended up having my world completely revolve around dresses, children's clothing, &coordinating fabrics.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE what I do & wouldn't want it any other way. But, here is something that may just make you go..hmmm....

It seems that some girls want to wear dresses every single day when they are little & some girls are on the polar opposite end of the spectrum. Chalk me & Lily up on the anti dress list.

Age 4-13: I wanted absolutely NOTHING to do with a dress....and no one in the world was going to convince me to wear one.  I remember many, many temper tantrums in my parents bathroom when I was very young as we were trying to get ready for important events. By junior high I just made the executive decision to completely avoid all formal events where a dress was required.  I'm not really sure what the turning point was..possibly when I made the cheerleading squad, I'm pretty sure they didn't allow non skirt wearers on the team so, the spell was broken. Hallelujah!

Age:14-?: I could not match....anything...ever. My sister would get very irritated at me every morning coming into her room.."does this match?, does this match?"...I will use my non matching ways to my complete advantage & maybe that is my little secret behind MOMI that I shouldn't have leaked out :)....

It is quite amazing to me that I basically sit around everyday matching fabrics & sewing dresses. 

Now in a perfect world my daughter would be nothing like me, she would LOVE dresses, she would be the little MOMI girl walking through the preschool door everyday in her new MOMI dress...sigh.  You would think from the pics that that was the gist of the story here because she usually pulls it off so well...errr, wrong, think again!


Not my little apple that fell 1 centimeter from the tree, she wants NOTHING to do with a dress....these are the disturbing words that I hear coming from her little 3 year old mouth..."I do not want to wear a Beeeaauutiful dress, I want to wear ugly clothes"..."I want to wear boy tshirts, I'm a rockstar"..."I don't want my pink cool shoes, I want to wear my tennis shoes"..."I want to wear the boy shirts from uncle j"....someone please save my soul!   On the bright side, she sure does provide for some great inspiration for me to have to keep thinking outside the box. Now if I can at least get her in a tshirt & ruffle pants on her first day of preschool tomorrow....I will feel truly accompolished.
I guess I know who may take on the role of designing MOMI's boy line...you may just have to wait about 22 years :)

Cheers!

8.06.2010

Fall has arrived at MOMI boutique *SALE*


* * 15% off + FREE shipping on your ENTIRE purchase * *

Friday, Saturday, & Sunday only (8/6-8/8)

*please message me for a private listing with a complete list of your desired items or I will refund your discount within 24 hours after paypment is received*



*please note: Free shipping applies to domestic shipping only. Discount does not apply to previous purchased or unpaid items*



* For every friend you refer to MOMI boutique, who makes a purchase during this SALE, you will receive $15 in MOMI money!

Thank you for spreading the word & Happy Shopping!

7.31.2010

GIVEAWAY on MOMI's Facebook page

It's time for a GIVEAWAY & MOMI is giving away a "She's a MOMI dress" or "Mini MOMI dress, your choice!

How to win:

*Suggest MOMI boutique fan page to your friends & have them post a comment on here with your first & last name!

*you will receive 1 point for each referred friend

Contest ends at 11:00 pmEST Sunday night!

www.facebook.com/momiboutique

7.19.2010

Pretty Poster Child

Tonight I had a chuckle..I have a few new flower girl/pageant/party dresses making there way into MOMI boutique & I've been ho-huming around about "the look" I want for these pictures. I'm not usually that narotic when it comes to pictures but, there was a pretty particular look I had in mind for this Chocolate dream dress..tree lined railroad tracks, a little girl with ringlet curls, & a nice vintage touch. Needless to say I stepped Lily up to bat since she is easy access & typically cooperative with just a $1 bribe.  Not today ladies & gentlemen!  The ringlet curls were all beautifully in place & we headed out to the tracks only to have her fall asleep in the car..no biggie. The sun was blasting & I can't make a picture look good to save my soul when there is blasting sun.  
A few hours later I tried to bribe Lily while she was "working", so she proclaimed, helping Mr. MOMI dig a garden. I tried to bribe her with $1..not a chance..this little garden digger was not budging. Can I really blame her?..no..she's been modeling basically every MOMI design since the beginning of MOMI..that would put her at exactly 3 months old..poor little girl couldn't even sit up on her own but, we managed. I finally sealed the deal with $5 for a pair of roller skates but, then she shouted at me.."but I need one for the other foot!". Little did I know my 3 year old is smart enough to know that roller skates do not cost $5. To top it off, she tried to convince me to let her hold her pink shovel as she modeled the dress...not a chance lady!

If you would like to bid on Monday's MOMI Melting Pot Swing Top please go to www.facebook.com/momiboutique! Auction will start at 8:30 pm EST tonight & end at 8:30pm EST tomorrow (7/20/10)
I decided to borrow the daughter of the headless horseman for this shot..she has no opinion & can't be bribed with ice cream!
Here is a little sneak peek!

7.13.2010

MOMI's Melting Pot swing top

Don't miss out on this OOAK MOMI Melting Pot swing Top!  You can bid on it here at ...

Bidding ends tonight at 9pm EST!  Winner will be announced Wednesday 7/14!

This dress remains nameless because between 3 grown adults we could not decide the most appropriate name for this little beauty but, after alot of laughs here were the top 3 picks:

1.  Melting Milkshake
2. Heffer Splash (a heffer is actually a cow!)
3. Eat more Chicken

*Cheers*

7.10.2010

What's in a name?

Today I had a semi embarrassing/"Duh Rachel" moment and of course since I hold nothing back....how could I keep this from you!  I received a message from a sweet lady on etsy this morning stating that my shop was just lovely & this dress (pictured above & below) had quite a unique name which caught her attention.  She perceded to tell me that Californication is the combination of the two words California & fornication & she would hate for me to lose any customers due to the name being inappropriate. 

 So, I thought to myself..what?.. did my college education really do nothing for my vocabulary because I have absolutely no idea, still, why someone would be offended by this name.  Oh cheese & rice...I'm from Pennsylvania...what do I know about Californication!!?? I thought it was just a rockin' way of saying someone was turning into a Hollywood Blvd babe...star studded glitz & glam, sunkissed skin, golden locks. How could I not help thinking California babe after looking at the pics I took of Lily in these rad little edgy sunshine dresses?!   I quick googled the lyrics to Red hot chili peppers "californication" & pulled up the trusty online webster dictionary.  Sure enough I was WAY off!! Etsy should have shut me down.. haha. NO, MOMI boutique is NOT selling Californication..EVER. Mr. Momi commented this past week that everything I make is soft & sweet & told me I had to make at least one dress with NO pink. Little did I know I was starting a MOMI boutique controversy by the name I chose.  As if this whole designing clothes/owning a business thing isn't hard enough.. I guess I need to start having a screening process for the naming of my dresses.  Mr. Momi..looks like you just earned a new job responsibility!
p.s. Sorry if I offended anyone else in my name selection..I really had no such intentions!!

7.03.2010

Firecracker Frenzy SALE...July 3rd-5th...

* * Saturday, Sunday, & Monday* *

NEW 20% & 30% off sections at MOMI boutique!

FREE shipping when you spend $200 or more!

**** prices are NOT marked. The percentage will be taken off the marked price after checkout. Please wait for a revised invoice after checkout or message me with the items you desire & I will set up a private listing to reflect the discounted prices! ***
(sections can be found on the right side bar at http://www.momiboutique.etsy.com/)

6.28.2010

MOMI's Melting Pot Monday


Majesty of the Sea....the majestic mermaid.
This is a first ever FACEOOK auction!

*RULES* (who likes rules!)
-you are welcome to bid as many times as you desire
-bidding ends at 8:30pm EST 6/29/10 
- please bid in .25 increments or higher
-you must bid higher than the person who bid before u for your bid to count!
 Highest bidder WINS & will be invoiced for that amount...GOOD LUCK!

Be sture to visit me at www.facebook.com/momiboutique to place your bid!


An eclectic little mix that will rock their socks off.  This OOAK piece is appropriate for any climate, any season, & any time of the year! Can be worn on it's own or layered with an array of colors. This dress has straps that criss cross through a shirred back for the perfect "grow with her" fit! 



Measurements: 18" under arm to hem, 17-26" chest
Best to fit size 2T as dress, 3T/4T/5T as a long top


MOMI boutique's definition of .......OOAK (one of a kind):
Will NEVER be recreated/duplicated/your daughter will be the only one in the world to own this fab little piece by: Momi boutique!


place your bids here... www.facebook.com/momiboutique
 
GOOD LUCK!

6.21.2010

The Dark side of the Moon

It's been over a month since I've blogged....I've held out on you.  I've been told to watch my P's, Q's, &every comma in between...and that's not really easy for me so I figured silence is golden. I'm a good rambler & I can go off in every direction..I'm sure you can tell that just by looking at the clothes I design!  My personal life has been nothing short of a nightmare....
My life is running pretty much parrallel to that of Sandra Bullock's.  Tis true that I woke up exactly a month ago, to this day, to find out that the man I married, who I thought to be a four star general turned out to actually be a Russian spy. (not literally)  Little did I know that I've been sleeping with the enemy. (Actually, my gut knew..a woman's intuition never fails)  I'm sure you are following what I'm trying to say.  I have never felt such utter humiliation or lifeless in all of my life.  I've spent my days walking through a tunnel with absolutely no way of knowing if there is a light at the end, a sign that says "do not pass go, do not collect $200", or if I'm going to take a slight detour of my own & run for the hills.  It's dishearting, to say the least, finding out that when you gave it your all, your best was never good enough. That's the stage I'm in at this moment & my emotions are like an automobile engine idling on high. Unlike Miss Bullock, I took the road less traveled & decided to work through the tough times....after I heard alot of apologies & crying eyes, of course. 
So, like a smart woman, since I had to make him quit his job, obviously, (45 minutes away & 13 hour days amongst the scandal itself, not in my lifetime!) I put him to work! Mr. MOMI has truly become Mr. MOMi.  He might quite possibly be the best employee I could have asked for.  I don't think I've changed a diaper in a week & I feel fabulous :)


So that spur of the moment, random beach vacation that I took 4 weeks ago with no modeling involved was a much needed getaway since my sanity was at stake!
p.s. If I close shop & start working for the FBI don't be surprised....I can catch a liar like no other! However, an NYPD interigation officer if not my cup of tea...I played that role for a week & it is truly draining.
Cheers!... & if you ever find yourself walking in my shoes..I have the perfect book to recommend, that is, until I write one of my own ;)

6.09.2010

Match me MOMI

10 things that make MOMI boutique's 1st ever "mom" dress so appealing!
*machine washable & does not shrink

*does not wrinkle which makes for a perfect pack me in the suitcase & take me away dress

*the first white dress you will own that you can not see through when it gets wet!

*it will fit you even if you do get pregnant again..it can grow with you in ANY direction :) p.s. "feeding" your baby just got easier in this dress!
* flatters every bust size..jackpot!

*you will never look more stylish matching your little one

* house/errand dress by day, casual dining/party dress by night*

*makes for amazing portrait opportunities & easy to match the men

*the perfect palette for every season

* I promise you will want to sleep in this one! *
 
Get your matching dresses today at http://www.momiboutique.etsy.com/ and receive special pre-order pricing + FREE shipping on your entire purchase!

5.18.2010

If I only knew then, what I know now!

Honest injun....I secretly need/want to get back in my sewing room at this moment & have a midnight randevous with my sewing machine.  But, if I do not hold myself hostage to this computer right now the extremely entertaining days of my life will go on & on without a blog post & surely I will forget everything humorous!

The past few days I have spent more time consoling in my fashion mentor/pattern maker/sample maker/saving grace & taking 5 minutes for myself to mentaly prepare rather than sitting with my sewing hat on...but, it is all for good reason!  It is part of my "Grand" plan.  You see somewhere over the rainbow there will be Pink momi, Blue momi, Momi MOMI, and little Momi shoes.
 
When I think back I can't really recall anything in my life that hasn't been a "fly by the seat of your pants" moment.  When things happen for me it's usually fast & furious & thank goodness for that because my patience is just about non exsistant.  The only thing that seems to have not happened fast & furiously is MOMI boutique.  Everyday I wake up I feel like I'm climbing up the steepest mountain.  There are roadblocks, there are people cheering me on, people who secretly hope I never make it, people who follow in every footstep I take which is just plain annoying, and people who shine a light & give me a little nudge to take me higher.  They say slow & steady wins the race but, I am not convinced.....so, today I broke the mold.  I did what I feel needed to be done.  When it comes down to it I'm still growing, still learning, still trying to really figure things out.  You can call me an expert, a master of my craft but, i'm not sure I am where I need to be.  For the moment it works but, it's a far cry from where I hope to be.  I will get where I need to be...and today I took my first leap of faith.
 
Mr. Momi & I drove 19 bolts of fabric (that's about 460 yards of fabric) to a manufacturer, along with my pattern & everything I thought/knew I needed to make this happen.  Thankfully when I walked in the door they didn't look at me like I had 10 heads...pure success in my mind.  I tried to sound like I knew exactly what I was talking about...did I really? that's half debatable.  Mr. Momi started bringing in the fabric & then it happened.....we were doomed.  doomed....doomed.  Apparently, in the world of manufacturing they don't work with bolts...they only work with rolls (of fabric)....I never got the memo.  Little did we know that we were in for a real treat.  We spent over an hour & a half shut in the back room of this manufacturing location unfolding bolts onto a 20 yard table, spreading fabric, & rolling my fabric onto these huge rolls.  It was absolutely the most hilarious time I have had in probably all of my working days of MOMI boutique.  I could not stop laughing the entire time.  To top it off...my shoe broke.  I'm getting there but, from the outside looking in..I'm still a mess in a dress.  I thank my lucky stars for having a meek man and for as long as I live, even if I do end up meeting Al Z. Heimer...I will surely NEVER forget that moment.  Priceless.  It's only the first baby step but, I can already say...
If I only knew then what I know now!

5.15.2010

* *Sister Set SALE Saturday & Sunday* *



In celebration of my fabulous sister who celebrated her birthday this weekend I am having a

* * *Sister Set Sale* * *

30% off all identical sister sets (purchase 2 or more of the SAME item)

25% off when you purchase 2 or more items that use at least ONE of the same fabric.

Happy MOMI month!

*your refund will be issued after paypal payment or please wait for a revised invoice! Thank you!
 
 

5.04.2010

Does your heart belong to MOMI?

Our hearts are gushing....May is...


May 2nd - 10th
*20% off all items in the "SALE" section of the shop 
*FREE shipping when you purchase 3 or more items in the "SALE" section!

(please wait for a revised invoice after checkout or a refund will be sent to you through paypal after purchase)


*Stay tuned all all month long for special savings!
Savings & giveaways will be posted on my Facebook fan page  &  MOMI boutique's blog.



4.30.2010

MOMI's sweet Moon Beam

Moon Beam is a Limited Edition swing top & there are only 4 available for purchase. You can find your complete set here HERE or individual pieces HERE

I will have a few new designs making their way into the shop this weekend! Some are also VERY limited editions (think 3 or 4 of each piece) so don't hesitate to grab yourself a peek if you have a spare moment!

It's a gorgeous day where we are & I hope you are enjoying the same!

4.21.2010

April Showers bring May Flowers!

If you don't have anything nice to say...don't say anything at all.. Isn't that how the story goes?
Truth be told...it has been a long, LONG time since I actually took a moment to blog. I know it has come as a disappointment to family & friends who frequent my blog during their boredom at work & keep looking & looking for a witty little story. haha  Forgive me friends for I have failed you.

For the past month I felt as if my life was a whirlwind, to say the least, & I don't think I have been the most positive petunia in the patch so I figured..better to leave it all unsaid.  Here's a shortened version for your entertainment purposes now that my train is back on track & I can look back & laugh!

When we arrived home from our beach vacation, over a month ago,I decided it was time to finally start planning me & Mr. Momi's wedding.  Yes...wedding. We've been legally married for 1.5 years but still no white dress, no vows, no photographs, no rings.....just a few pretty little girls, a house, & a whole lot of love.  I guess that is all one really needs but, I always feel in my heart that the biggest regret that I will have in life & the thing that will eat away at me when I'm 75 & sitting in my rocker is that I never had a wedding.  Not that I was ever one to fantasize about a fancy white dress & all that hoopla..quite frankly, when I was a little girl...(close your ears)...I hated dresses.  I would throw an all out kicking & screaming fit if I was made to wear a dress.  Anyhow, September 5th is our actual wedding date on paper so, to make it all legit & cut down on confusion, I really wanted to have our wedding ceremony on September 5th.  I don't think it occured to me until we started receiving "Save the Date" magnets in the mail for all of the upcoming weddings on labor day weekend, that THIS was the year to have a wedding, this was the ONLY year to have a wedding because if I didn't have it now, I was going to be waiting another 6 years until September 5th wrapped back around & fell on a weekend. So I started thinking...beach..Vegas...beach..Vegas??  My brain was consumed with thoughts of a wedding.  I weighed all the options, contacted the "Important" people that would be in the wedding & I felt like I was running in circles, getting nowhere fast. I thought to myself 100 times, this is too much, this is too much, I really don't have time for this.  Did you know that elopement is the #1 type of wedding ceremony?  Why am I absolutely NOT surprised!?  Wedding planning is definately NOT a job for a lady with a 1 & a 3 year old, a 90 hour a week business, and a husband that is barely home.  I slowly gave up. I didn't pass the duty to someone else, I just plain quit!  By the end of it I was no longer thinking..beach..vegas..beach..vegas...I was thinking..who is moving out? you or me? I definately slowly drove myself & Mr. Momi up a wall & thank goodness I quit before I completely fell off the edge.  I firmly believe that everyone has a unique series of events that happens in their life for a reason.  So in my life oopsie daisy #1 & #2 came along before a wedding ceremony.....I always say to Mr. Momi that things didn't happen in the "right way, the right order", maybe I'm just looking for some reassurance that we are still "normal"  & his reply is always..."the right way according to who?".  Ah yes, maybe one day I will get that beach wedding.


In the midst of it all my body was not functioning well with these outlandish wedding thoughts & it slowly started to let me know. I became nauseous around 1pm every single day for a month. Although I knew I was not pregnant, the thought crossed my mind that I might be the next contestant on the "I didn't know I was pregnant" show & my favorite mistake #3 was going to just suddenly make her way into the world without my prior knowledge.  I traded my coffee pot for green tea & substituted my cans of coke for a bottle of h2o. The nausea stopped & suddenly I was having these upper abdominal contractions/pain that took me down to my knees. I would lay in my sewing room and cry & cry.  Mr. Momi would say to me...just tell your customers your sick, people do understand those kind of things. I shot down my voice of reason & kept at it.  Actually, I did close my shop one Friday morning because it occured to me...what if I am a goner? What if my body is just breaking down & I'm done?  I surely thought I was going to lose an organ or be given the diagnosis of stomach cancer. I was in & out of doctors & had every test up & down the chart performed.  At the end of my rope I was given the diagnosis of crazy.  Personally, I will take crazy over cancer ANY day of the week! (for the record, my doctor did not actually say I was crazy, he said they found nothing of concern & since the pain subsided he was not going to order anymore tests) Hallelujiah!!!  Almost the day after I had closure in that department I came down with a nasty 104.1 fever/virus to prolong my no blogging, no working schedule...and then...to top it all off! the straw that broke the camels back was dropped in regards to the girls daycare situation so, I took then completely back into my care 24/7 ....fantastic!  I get a second shot at motherhood!  On the flip side, I am grateful it all came down to this. They expressed many times that they are happy to be home with mommy & I'm happy to feel that my days are a little more balanced.  Needless to say, the coffee pot is back on the counter & the fridge is filled with cans of coke to get me through the days of my life.  With the girls home with me I am now given no choice but to stop & smell the roses...I guess that is why even though I managed to neglect & kill 3 hanging baskets over the course of a month last spring....I found ambition in me this spring to plant what seemed like hundreds of flower seeds...I guess only time will tell if my garden will grow!
All we can hope for are little April Showers to bring us someMay flowers!
Now through the end of April when you buy the complete Little April Showers set from MOMI boutique, enjoy 35% off any floral dress of your choice!  You will also be rewarded a $15 Momi boutique GC for use on a future purchase!
(*while supplies last, floral dress must be a MOMI boutique design & can not be a "special requested" item, can not be combined with any other Momi "code" discount, refund will be sent through paypal after transaction is complete)

4.16.2010

* * MOMI boutique Spring SALE * *


* * 2 day Spring SALE * *

Friday 4/16 & Saturday 4/17
*20% off your entire purchase of $30 or more
(before shipping charges)

*FREE shipping when your order totals $100 or more!

Shop the following locations:

Etsy shops:
MOMI boutique, Pink MOMI

If you choose to place your purchase through http://www.momiboutique.com/ you can enter the code: SPRINGMB at checkout & your 20% will automatically be deducted before you proceed to paypal.

*All etsy shop purchases will be refunded the discount through paypal within 24 hours.

*If you qualify for FREE shipping, your shipping charges will be refunded to you through paypal within 24 hours.
*Please be sure to state sizes or desired measurements at checkout to allow for a faster turnaround time! Thank you!

(discount does not apply to previously purchased items & can not be combined with any other MOMI boutique "code" offer, discount will NOT be appllied to special requested items)


*Thank you for choosing MOMI boutique*







3.09.2010

3/9/10 O baby baby it's a wild world...it's hard to get by just upon a smile....


Things have been fairly quiet here at Momi boutique...except for the sound of my sewing machine of course. I believe most of the world knows I've been gearing up to go out of town in 2 days. We are oh So very excited to go see our family in North Carolina and beach modeling can absolutely not be beat..it's complete cooperation from every angle & pure natural beauty....


I believe I have cut & sewed over 50 different pieces over the past 5 days.  Alot of time spent at the sewing machine equals ALOT of caffeine, sleepless nights, & checking messages & tweets on my phone. 
5 days, one case of Coke & a box of girl scout cookies later I believed I had about enough of the sewing room. I went in to grab my phone off my desk today, updated my twitter and there it was....the tweet that I had been dreading for the past 10 months. 

My heart got heavy & sank right down to my feet..the same way it had when I first heard the word "neuroblastoma" come from Shanna. I actually knew exactly what neuroblastoma was when she told me. 

Coincidentaly, about a month or so before Layla was diagnosed, I was aimlessly browsing the web one night & ended up stumbling on a blog of an etsy shop owner who was raising money to fund a memorial for her little girl who became an angel much too soon. There was to be a playground built in her honor and it was called Cora's playground project. http://themcclenahans.blogspot.com/2009/02/coras-story.html  I found this blog just about a month or so after she passed & spent until 4 am reading & weeping..or should I say sobbing.  I kept thinking..oh please, oh please Mr. Momi do not wake up, you will surely think I have completely lost my marbles sitting up at 4 am balling my eyes out at the computer.  After that I do believe I slowly became a hypochondriac with my children, always feeling for bumpy bellies or any slight sign of something out of the ordinary. 
I never EVER thought it would come to this.  I always thought that there was just NO WAY layla was going to go.  I really was hoping for a miracle, a simple twist of fate for Layla Grace.  Please keep her family in your thoughts during this trying time. Her spirit will forever live on & her captivating smile will never be forgotten.   I hope you find something beautiful beyond the gates of heaven....rest beautifully....angel face...sweet Layla Grace. 11/26/2007 - 3/9/2010