Just in case you were wondering...

What have I been up to lately?

Take a look.

A little bit of this...
(Apron for Mom's birthday present)


and this...
(Apron for my sis-in-law Christine's Birthday present)

The beautiful Birthday Girl herself modeling her sassy birthday apron.
Doesn't she look smashing?!

some of this...
(A little Valentine's Day Decor lovin' of tissue pom pom flowers...)

...some more Valentine's Day decor seen here

a splash of this...
(Mini heart flower bouquet)


(another view)

And I'm only getting started. So many more projects.

Yes, I WILL craft myself into a coma.

A comfy coma.
And I will love it.

My Almost One-Year-Old

This is my favorite picture of Ruby lately. It makes me giggle every time I look at it. I found her cute little green jacket at Target the other day for $4.98. Doesn't get any better than that. I put it on her every chance I get.

I can't believe Ruby is going to be one in a little over a month! I am mind blown at how fast this first year of her life has flown. She will be 11 months old on February 16th.

Finally. I caught it on camera! This is the face she pulls constantly-- the underbite with her two bottom teeth. It makes her look like a troll or something. Hilarious.

Couldn't resist this rear view.

Playing with a new toy Nick's Aunt Brenda gave us. She can't get enough of this thing. And NO. She's not standing up by herself... she's just lucky she can push her belly against the table for a few minutes to brace herself. She isn't even officially crawling yet, which I'm fine with. Postponing of the baby proofing. She scoots around everywhere, so she'll figure it out soon.

Happy Birthday Grandma Giles!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Here is a little birthday love from Ruby. We love you and hope you have the best day ever!



Love, Carrie, Nick & Ruby

Desert Island

Alright. Let's play Desert Island (any Office fans out there?). One item you couldn't live an hour without.

BURT'S BEES CHAPSTICK.

This stuff is magical. A real necessity. I MUST have at least 3 sticks at all times. One in my purse, diaper bag, and a back up if for some reason Nick has used one and I can't locate it. I seriously start having anxiety when I can't find it or run out. I have been known to apply it for probably 30 seconds straight. It tingles. It's smooth. Your lips will never be the same.

What is YOUR item?

The NEW Rules...

I'm reading a Marketing/PR book called "The New Rules of Marketing & PR" by David Meerman Scott and it is fascinating thus far. I highly recommend it. Having graduated in Marketing & Advertising going on 4 years ago, I realized I'm a little rusty as to new technology and positioning. Since I've been dubbed the Marketing Director for Full Throttle Recreation Club (by The Boss himself), I thought I should get cracking.

This book has been extremely insightful to me since the used-to-be-mainstream forms of advertising just don't work for a lot of businesses, like us. I'm talking about TV, radio, magazines, newspaper, billboards... even online ads. The web has changed everything. I just never realized how powerful it really is to reach your target. Already I've come up with a lot of new ideas on how to more effectively market Full Throttle without spending any $ at all-- and I'm still in the first half of the book! The book focuses on using news releases, blogs, web content, etc. to reach your buyer directly. I highly recommend it!

(Check out Full Throttle's Blog here and Full Throttle's website here. We would LOVE any feedback you have for us, so check it out!)

Fancy & Funk

Here is Ruby in her Christmas dress that Grandma Giles sent her (thanks again, Mom!). She looked absolutely beautiful! I couldn't take my eyes off her. She wore it to church a week late, since the Sunday before I was sick. Nothing says "Merry Christmas" quite like puking your guts out all night after a ward potluck dinner. Never again. I don't care who's offended. Either I'll eat beforehand or I'll bring my own sack lunch.
Can I get a witness on this one?

Merry Christmas a few days late...

Yay! Christmas is finally over! Don't get me wrong-- I LOOOVVVEEE me some Christmas. But I am so relieved that it's over so I can semi relax. December has been one crazy month--especially the last two weeks. First was Sarah's passing (this is a whole other post) and a 15+ hour drive to Utah for the family memorial service and burial, 15+ hour drive back, friends coming to stay, Christmas shopping (that really didn't begin or finish until about December 23), vomiting all night, and trying to finish projects, projects, projects!


My BIG project this year was Christmas stockings. You're saying, "Big project???" Yes. They were extremely time consuming, but all worth it. I wanted to make three, but only finished two. Good thing Ruby doesn't know better so she wasn't disappointed. These puppies got finished just minutes before Christmas Eve dinner. It was a close one.

(Notice the fabulous velvet Ric Rac ribbon on the top)

My Mom told me I should make some more and sell them next year for Christmas. NOT gonna happen for a few reasons. (1) They take wayyyy too much time, so to make it worth my while they would end up selling for at least $50 each. I wouldn't pay $50 for a stocking, would you ? (2) By the time I finish them I'm so giddy and want to just stare at them all day. I think they are Carrie originals and sticking in the fam. If you like them, maybe you can bribe my kids some day to hand them over. But good luck. This may be the only thing they get when I die.

Then there were the Christmas jammies! It's a Christmas Eve tradition in the Giles fam to open new jammies (usually sewn by Rita herself...sometimes complete with slippers!) so I made pj pants for myself and Nick. Too bad the "ho ho ho" on the front was upside down. Oops... Grandma Giles sent Ruby her Christmas jammies.

Christmas Eve at Nick's Uncle Greg & Aunt Cheryl's house for dinner

Ruby with Daddy flashing her "Merry Christmas" smile
(Notice her top 3 teeth? That makes 5 total!)

Then there were the projects like a table runner, an apron for a friend, a wreath that didn't even get started, and just general holiday decor like these chair wreaths and bows. My color scheme was red & gold this year.

This year Christmas was a blast with Ruby. We saved all the wrapping paper from our gifts and put it in a big pile in the middle of the floor. She went to town. So cute.

She also learned how to clap on Christmas! I still can't get enough.



We bought Rockband 2 for Nick's family for Christmas. We figured this would be hilarious for everyone to rock out. And we women in the Warner family don't hate the Xbox anymore. But only because we are amazing at this game. My personal favorite is the drums, but I also had a blast doing vocals for Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer" and Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger." You will have to imagine this because thankfully, I have no photo documentation.

Hope you all had a VERY Merry Christmas!