Wow, 2 years have already passed since the day I started my humble little blog dramafilledmama.com.  I started as a way to research blogging tools for work and get acclimated with the usability of online blogging systems out there.  Well two years later I have explore 100s of topics, products, trends and more and have had an amazing time doing it and my favorite part is hearing feedback from you, my readers! So I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for reading my rants and being interested in what I have to say…it means more than you know!

Year 2′s most popular posts:

5.  Pretty Little Liars – Aria Amazing Leopard Cardigan

4.  How to Wear Spring’s Hottest Color – CORAL

3.  Delicious Lasagna Recipe 8 Points Plus per serving

2.  Barely There Makeup Tutorial

1.  To Die for…Elliot Lucca Handbags as seen on Pretty Little Liars

Fashion, Makeup, Food, Trends & Teen TV Dramas! These are a few of my readers’ favorite things! Hey they are my faves too, why else would I be writing about them.

My favorite posts include Luna’s 2nd birthday breakdown with prices, ideas and more as well as my “How to Rock” series which features trends like Statement Necklaces, colored denim and more.  I also love Lunch Break Shopping and getting to confess my shopaholic tenancies during my lunch break.

THE REASON I AM A “DRAMA FILLED MAMA”

Things to look forward in year 3

• Garage to Living Room Remodel
• More Sewing/Refashion Tutorials
• Adventures in Upholstering (we will see how this goes)
• More Fashion
• More Fitness/Health/Recipes
• More Kid Drama

What was your favorite moment of year 2 of Dramafilledmama.com? What would you like to see in Year 3? Send your suggestions my way @mallory.acrey@gmail.com or on Facebook or tweet them to me.

-Drama mama out

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I love refashioning, taking something that already exists and getting at it with my seam ripper and making something from the pieces.  Not only is it rewarding but it helps with new sewers, you are able to reuse things that you are not good at yet, like hems, collars etc.

Little Boys Button Down to Toddler Tie Top – My son Bailor just made six, so he has a closet full of button down shirts that may have been worn 2 times each that are too small.  I used my seam ripper to take off the collar/top part of the shirt and the sleeves.  I ironed down an inch/inch and a quarter seam across the top of the back and front of the shirt.  I stiched up that seam and finished up the armholes with some biastape.  Last step is to make/thread the ribbon through the top pocket.  I used a basic cotton in a solid fabric but you could easily use ribbon as well.

To make the tie I took a long strip of the fabric probably about 4 inches wide and stiched up 2 of the 3 sides.  I turned it right side out then stitched up the end and threaded it through the top with a safety pin.  TaDa! There you have it, a new little top for Luna to wear with skinnies or leggings that will look so cute this spring and summer.  I will defeintely be making more of these out the outgrown shirts we have!

Little Boys Button Down to Patchwork Bubble Dress

The best thing about making clothes for a tiny girl is the fact that you don’t need much fabric! With the leftovers of this 4T button down (the sleeves mainly) and the left over purple fabric I used as the tie I was able to make an entirely different dress for Luna to wear.  I started with the long sleeve of the plaid button down with the cuff cut off.  I placed the button of the sleeve at the top to create a cute little V neck with button look.

I surrounded the sleeve panel in the front with two purple strips for the left and right of the front piece. I created a similar back piece in the oposite pattern, purple in the middle, plaid ont eh sides.  to finish up the top, I sewed a pocket to the top of the front and back pieces for my tie to go through and hemmed up the armholes and the sides.

Next I created a super easy bubble hem skirt by folding my purple fabric in half and stitching up the top seam with elastic thread.

Lastly I sewed the skirt to the top (be careful not to sew one piece inside out….I did this ) and create your tie or even use a ribbon to connect the top together.

Two new items for summer/spring out of one old button down and 1 yard of $2 fabric!

What do you think of the looks? Is this something you will try? If you do make sure and post a link to your photo/project in the comments or tweet/facebook/pintrest me about it!

-Drama mama out

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If you are not familiar with the Duggar family you probably don’t have TLC so I’ll fill you in.  They are a family that practices as conservative Baptists, this means that they educate their family at home, they don’t allow their girls (& boys) to date, wear makeup or pants etc.  They main claim to fame is the size of their family, they have 19 children and Michelle, the mother (45 years old) just suffered a miscarriage.

This is where the online controversy comes in.  Since the family has a reality TV show they are in the public eye and shared their loss with the world.  They did so through a ceremony a series of photos of the child’s hands and feet.  I think there are two sides to this story and why people feel as they do.

1.  Miscarriage and stillbirth are normally very private thing. Many people act like the family has not suffered a loss b/c it wasn’t a “real” baby at this point.  While everyone is entitled to their own opinions or beliefs, I have suffered a miscarriage and no matter how far along your pregnancy is there is a loss there. I think becuase of the normally private nature of such occurences many people feel uncomfortable with the photos.

2.  The photos show a “real” baby. Once again no matter what your beliefs the termination of a pregnancy this country allows abortions to happen through the 2nd trimester of a pregnancy or up to 24 weeks.  Each state has their own regulations for when, how long, where etc these procedures can take place but ultimately abortion is legal until 24 weeks.  The Duggar baby miscarried at 19 weeks gestation.  I think this photo makes many people uncomfortable becuase you can see that its a “real” baby with hands, fingers, feet, toes etc and its gestational age is 5 weeks younger than when an abortion can legally occur.

3.  Exploitation of the Duggar children.  I think many people are outraged by the photos b/c it seems as just another way for this family to gain success and or fame off of their children and lifestyle and beliefs.  While this may be true the family is considered public figures which means they are not guaranteed the same privacies we all are.  REleasing these photos may have been their way of getting them out of their own terms before a tabloid could do it.

4. Why choose to capture that horrific moment in a photo? Many people don’t understand why a family would want a photo of a lost child during pregnancy or shortly after due to the horrible memories it would bring up.  Once again everyone feels and grieves differently but families that have miscarried or lost a child often have little to no mementos of their life or time with them.  I think having photos made of your child at any stage is your right as a parent.  Just as we have rights to do what we wish with our bodies, as mothers we have a right to do what we wish with our children as long as no one is harmed.

All in all I can sympathize with the Duggar family because I too know how this loss can feel especially when so many discredit your loss.  Regardless of beliefs I feel that the family has the right to photograph their baby and distribute them as they wish. I do understand why some people are uncomfortable with the photos because it is something they don’t understand or because it seems as though it is another way for their TLC show to gain ratings.

Miscarriage and still birth is a horrible tragedy that happens to so many and ultimately cannot be stopped.  Odds are you know at least one woman who has suffered this type of loss and you don’t know it.

What do you think? Are the photos inappropriate? How do you feel?

Drama mama out

Related Articles

• Coping With Pregnancy Loss (Copyright © Mayo Foundation)  — Pregnancy loss can be a very difficult situation to handle. This publication discusses pregnancy loss and ways in which women and the people in their lives can grieve, but move forward with the future.
• Loss and grief: Most common questions (Copyright © March of Dimes)  — Many women may have mixed thoughts after the loss of a baby. They might not want children or they may be ready to try pregnancy again. This publication discusses the emotional and physical factors of pregnancy loss and what women can do if they want to give pregnancy another try.
• Miscarriage (Copyright © Mayo Foundation)  — This publication explains the details of miscarriage, including the symptoms, causes, and risk factors.

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My mother always told me “As long as you have one child just like you I will be happy” Apparently I was a rambunctious child that

hid in cabinets, never took naps and talked ALL the time, so of course my mother wanted me to have a “taste of my own medicine” in the parenting department.

In 2006 when my son Bailor was born I was flabbergasted as this little personality forming within him, he was nothing like me.  He was super cautious, always wanted to be at home and was completely content playing by himself.  As he has grown into a sweet little boy he has picked up some of my traits like super talkativity ( I know that is not a word) and lots of questions.

Now my daughter, Luna Jane, 19 months old is another story.  She is everything like me.  She is loud, adventurous, moody, attention hogging, dramatic etc.  I’m not sure if this little personality comes from the fact that she is the baby of the family as am I but we could be personality twins.

For two kids from the same parents they couldn’t be more different.  Bailor, a direct copy of his dad and Luna a copy of myself.  The funny thing is that because they are just like us they compliment each other so well, they will probably look for partners similar to the other to keep this compliment going and that is a cool thought, that their personalities will most probably pave their path in life.  A trait that I as a parent has passed on may determine what my little girl chooses to take up as a hobby, what kind of boyfriend

(or girlfriend) she chooses to fall in love with, what type of job she will have, how many times she changes her major, etc.

All I have to say is good luck to my little girl with a fiery personality, some will love you for it, some will hate you for it.  Its a tough job being a diva but someone’s gotta do it and you have all the skills little one.

-Drama mama out

As fearless as can be...balancing on the head of a gator!

Roaring at the camera...are you afraid??

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I am normally the person criticizing people who let their children play with their phones but recently Luna is obsessed with my iphone.  I have oodles of old cells that I allow her to play with along with baby “play” phones but she is no dummy.  She wants a phone that she can press buttons and see a reaction.

Fisher Price will be soon releasing a toy called the Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Baby iCan Play Case for iPhone which allows parents to insert their phone into to protect it from drops, butt dials and drooling.  The case includes large handles making it easy for baby to get a grip on the phone while playing. The case also blocks the home button so that baby doesn’t get frustrated by getting themselves out of the app by clicking the home button.

What do you guys think of this? Too much or super convenient.

Be on the lookout for this item late summer/early fall retailing for $14.99

Would you buy this item?

-Drama mama out

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