Over the Weekend

Happy Tuesday!  I hope you had an fun and relaxing holiday weekend!  I know we did! 

On Saturday we started off by putting the baby down for her morning nap and tackling our overgrown yard.  It has been really rainy here, so the grass was high and the shrubs out of control.  T tackled the lawn while I weeded and tended to the shrubs.  Then I decided to join other countless Americans that keep our health system running on holiday weekends--no I didn't get in a drunk accident at the lake.  I manage to wound myself doing yard work.  So we took a little family trip to the local ER, where I got patched up.  Since they said I couldn't do yard work the rest of the weekend T finished up the yard (and it looks GREAT!)

After cleaning up from yard work we headed over to the family's to swim, cookout and just hang.  Little miss's cousins Will and Sam were in from out of town and so she got a lot of attention from her 2 1/2 year old cousin Sam.  He kept running across the room and saying "I want to hug the baby!" Then he would hug her feet and run off again (Side note, Sam hugs feet because his amazing momma taught him not to touch babies hands or faces, which is super thoughtful).  And of course Adelaide saved her biggest, gummiest grins for Sam.  For dinner the guys grilled the most delicious steaks and we sat around and enjoy each other's company.  

Sunday after going to church we came home and put the little miss down for a nap and this momma got some much needed time by herself.  Then we headed back over to our family's for more time by the pool and this time fajitas on the grill for dinner--yum!  After dinner we all hung by the pool in the cool evening air.  Little miss was per usual an absolutely wonderful little guest and totally happy to hang out with everyone.  

On Monday we decided to pack up and go on a little mini-adventures and take little miss over to Fort Worth to eat at the Star Cafe in the Fort Worth Stockyards.  The food as usual was tasty but the real reason we headed over was so little miss could see Betty again and meet Don.  They own the Star Cafe but they are also dear friends of T and I's and we want the little miss to hang with them as often as she can.  And as with the rest of the weekend she was a total doll and won the hearts of not only Don and Betty but everyone at the Star Cafe.   

We took a little cruise up Main Street in the Stockyards while little miss let the breeze blow through her hairs and take in the sights.  Then we headed back home where we relaxed, napped and soaked up the last of the long weekend together as a family.  I even got a few things done off my list from last week.  

How was your holiday weekend?

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!  We have bunch of plans over here including hanging with family, tackling some projects around the house and doing some relaxing.  Maybe we even have a little mini-adventure planned!  

I am hoping to finish off my list from earlier this week and get some "after" pictures to share with you on Monday in between all the excitement. What do you have planned for the holiday?

Master Bathroom Quick Makeover, Before

It may seem sort of backwards to share about what we've done with the master bath before posting about the master bedroom, but the bathroom is mostly complete, where as the bedroom is still a work in progress and totally a baby explosion these days.  

So without further ado here is our bathroom "before." It was painted a dark chocolate brown like the master bedroom, but luckily unlike the master bedroom the ceilings were left white.  

Aside from being way too dark for our taste, there were a few other things that were driving me bonkers about this space.  Can you spot them?  

Well, I don't want to keep y'all in suspense...There were three different kinds of finishes going on in this one room--NOT including the towel bars and toilet paper holder (they each had their own separate finish).  Can you see the facets were a polished silver, the shower was the builder's standard gold and the lighting fixture above the sink was an oiled bronze.  

Now, I am not saying I am all matchy, matchy, but the three (or five) different finishes were going to drive me crazy.  Plus the finished especially the lighting fixture in its Texas chic style wasn't exactly our style.  And did I mention it was DARK in there?  There is a huge window (4x5) letting in great natural light but it still seemed dark.  Moving from a home built in 1923 to a home built in 2004 one of the major perks was enough bathroom space that T and I didn't crash into each other or have to take turns getting ready.  But with the chocolate brown the bathroom felt just as small and crowded as our old one.  

Want to see how we changed our humble little cave of a bathroom for under $100?

Lunch Lately

I love reading food blogs, gleaning other people's best recipes and tricks for the kitchen.  And for some reason the Food Network is the choice channel for the salons I go to to get pedicures (maybe they teach that in beauty school?  You know, Relaxing Cable Channels 101) and of course T loves watching Man v Food. But sometime I wonder what is so darn interesting with what other people are eating?  

I don't really know, but I do know that the most helpful food posts I have read lately have come from other new moms.  What the heck can you throw together either with one hand or in a small window of time, while doing laundry and other things?  You know, besides a handful of goldfish and a glass of water.  Actually, looking back I should have been reading those posts pre-baby because eating healthy when I have limited time has always been a challenge.  

Anyhow, summer is here and so I have thrown one of my favorite, quick salads into the mix. I can toss it together quickly, eat it while I am checking e-mails and it gives me good energy for the day.  

Here's the ingredients:

Mixed greens

Baby spinach

Sliced Tomato

Fresh mozzarella 

Finely chopped fresh basil

Fresh ground pepper

EVO

Balsamic Vinegar 

Add if I need the protein I add Sunflower Seeds

Basically I throw all of it in a bowl and toss it lightly with the EVO and BV.  Easy, simple, yummy and fresh.  

 

Other new moms or women on the go--what is your go-to meal of choice lately?  

Tuesday Crafties

We were going through our six week growth spurt over here last week, even though for those of you keeping track that's about 2 weeks late.  As my doctor said, "She's hasn't read the books, so she doesn't know she's supposed to follow them!"  So our cute, tiny, grouch insomniac has had other plans for her momma's time.  And when you are tired sometimes you lack inspiration and motivation to get those little projects done.  So last week I didn't get much done in the craft department.  However, I do have something to share this week.  

Last month I was invited to be a part of a new online community called Made This/Love This started by Austin blogger Indiana Adams.  The idea is that being crafty and creative is best done with friends to give you ideas, share tips, encourage you to try something new or just get that project done!  It is the perfect project motivator whether you are a novice or veteran crafter.  And the best part is that not only do you have very little experience doing creative things, but most projects don't take much time at all to whip up and all of them are practical, fashion related projects you can actually wear and use and mostly made out of things you already have!  I am hoping to tackle the t-shirt upcycled to a scarf soon.  

Hop on over there and check it out!

This Week

Good morning!  Hope your week is off to a good start!  We are rockin' and rollin' with one sock on, one sock off and our rock hand up.  We had an awesome weekend but it has left me with plenty to do around the house this week.  I am loving staying at home and me and the little miss are starting to get into our own little rhythm, which means this momma can start thinking about more than just the basics. For fun and for the sake of accountability (and because I love a good list), here's what I would like to get done above and beyond the usual grind this week between naps...

1. Unpack from our trip and put up the suitcases
2. Finish baby gift thank you's (we have been blessed with a flood of gifts and I am embarrassingly behind)
3. Finish unpacking china and putting it in our sideboard table
4. Figure out what kind of light bulb we need for our front light and go buy it
5. Change out said front light after bulb has been purchased
6. Pull together a few crafty gifts to send to a few friends and pen pals and get them in the mail  
7. Plant the basil plant I bought two weeks ago in a pot before it get too root bound in its container
8. Paint the frame of the mirror I bought at Trade Days in Behr's Steam White  
9. Hand the above mirror up in its new home
10. Trim out the guest bathroom so it can be rollered
11. Pull weeds from beds and yard

We'll see on Friday if I have been too ambitious. What do you have lined up to get done this week?

Adelaide's Nursery Reveal, Part Two

Today we are continuing with our little miss's nursery reveal.  If you haven't gotten the chance check out the before and what we did with her sleeping area.  Today I want to show you her changing and play area.  First up her changing area.  

We decided after reading reviews and feedback to not go with a traditional changing table.  Why spend money on a piece of furniture you only use for about 6 months?  Instead we opted for a dresser with a changing pad on top--when she gets big enough we will remove the pad and ta-da a regular dresser!  I think this is pretty common practice now a days so we are not design geniuses or anything.

For the art work I wanted to work with the same concept as over the crib.  I wanted to support handmade artist and purchase prints that reflect our family's values.  I also wanted to create a collection that could be added to and there is definitely space on the wall to add more art work.  Both prints are from Sugar Fresh and you can find these prints and more in Sugar Fresh's esty shop. I love everything in this shop, so you can plan to see more things pop up in the little miss's room from there.  Since the ceilings are so tall in here I am hoping to build the art collage on the wall upward to really take advantage of the height.  

Our lamps all came from Target and go with the clean, simple, modern look and were really affordable.  Truth be told I struggle with lighting anyways. I am not very good at picking out lamps and they are so pricey for a very basic feature, but I know they can finish off the room. Sigh!

The owl is actually one of a pair of book ends (you can spot the other one a few pictures down) that I found when I was out shopping with my aunt last fall in Dallas.   I was at the end of my first trimester and found these little guys in Coldwater Creek of all places!  My aunt was really worried that the owls would scare the baby but I bought them anyways and I think they are cute!  You may remember them from another post because for a while I used them in our dining room at our old house while we were for little miss to arrive.  

For the big wall we wanted to create a book wall, because reading was so important to me as a child and we want her to grow up learning to love books.  Plus it was a really inexpensive way to decorate a huge wall, since most of the book were either my childhood books or gifts from a few amazing friends.  We purchased the picture ledges from Ikea.  They were really easy to level and mount compared to shelves I have bought from other stores.  

A couple of special things about this area.  The bookcase you see there to house toys and books and such is a bookcase we already owned. It was one of those hand-me-down pieces that T had in his apartments in college, that he brought into our marriage.  It moved with us from each house and with each move we would have the same conversation, "do we really want this ugly thing?  It doesn't go with our house at all...but its solid wood and they just don't make them like that any more..."  I wanted a shelf area for toys that was low enough I could set a glass of water on it while rocking our little miss to sleep and so when we moved yet again into this house and were having that same conversation about the bookshelf I had an "ah, ha!"  Why not have T paint it white to go in the nursery?  We already had the white paint left over from another project and with just 10 minutes each night after work a few nights in a row T put a couple of coats of paint on it and ta-da!  The total cost for her perfect little bookshelf/side table is free!  Got to love it!

Also, if you remember I had been debating whether or not to purchase the large letter A from Antropologie.  Well I finally decided to take the plunge.  I was explaining to a friend of mine how I wanted it but it was pricey and she said, "Well, its really hip and modern and neutral and since your daughter's initial will be the same her whole life, its a piece you can incorporate into each of her rooms as she grows."  Sold.  In fact, under that logic it made more sense to buy that than the bedding :)

The other special piece is the Raggedy Ann doll that a dear friend of mine hand made as a gift for our little miss.  She had heard me share once that my childhood room was decorated in Raggedy Ann that my mother sewed together and so wanted to make my little girl a doll that connected her childhood to mine.  Is that so thoughtful?

She loves laying on the floor of her room and staring at her wall of books.  She as even smiled at them a couple of times and I am just going to pretend that its not gas and that she really likes the room we created for her!  

Want to see the whole room? I'll be back next week with a final post so you can see the layout and a few other details!   

Over the Weekend

This weekend was just what our little family needed--a chance to get out of town and see the people we love and relax!

Our weekend started off with an extra special package in the mail to our little miss from her cousin Norah.  We scored some seriously cute duds...now we just have to grow a bit to fit into them!  There was also a special outfit in there that we will be wearing and sharing here on on the blog soon.  Sorry about the lame iPhone photos, but rest assured when we wear our special outfit it will be in full HD.

On Saturday we met up with some friends of ours from Indianapolis who recently moved to Tulsa.  We met in OKC and took all our little kiddos to the Oklahoma City Zoo.  Adelaide got to see the seals and the hippos and by see I mean she slept in her stroller the whole time.  It was a beautiful day and T and I had a great time catching up and of course playing proud parents as we introduced Adelaide! 

To round it all off there was some golf, lots of home cooked meals and plenty of snuggling with the little miss to make our weekend great!  of course we were so busy having fun that I forgot to snap pictures.

We had a great weekend, how about you?

Internet Love

Happy Friday all! We have a great weekend planned to enjoy this nice spring weather, stretch our muscles a bit, see some family and meet up with some long distance friends.

Here are a few things I am really digging out on the internet this week:

• Although redoing the kitchen is way down on our list (because its way up in price) Apartment Therapy's article about creating glass front cabinets out of existing suburban cabinets really got me thinking

• My flea market hunt was so successful that I am now on the hunt for a cabinet to go in that awkward space between our laundry room and back door and am loving this one by Shannon Fricke via decor8.  I love the legs, the large open space that would be perfect storage for the stuff that comes in and out our back door and I love the wallpaper interior!

• Since we bought our new camera I have been slowly trying to learn to take better pictures.  Honey We're Home's post was super helpful, not because its new but because it pulled all the info together.  

Hope you enjoy!

Adelaide's Nursery Reveal, Part One

I am really pleased with how the nursery turned out.  As I already shared I wanted a room that was light and airy, that was a peaceful place I would want to hang out in those first few months and that she would want to spend time in and retreat to sleep and be calm.  I am really please with how it turned out and will only have a few plans to tweak it as she grows and her little personality starts to show.  First is her sleeping area:

I wanted a sort of collection of art work for over her bed and changing table that reflected our family values and that I could add pieces to as she grew and as I found the right pieces in our travels and adventures (and etsy trolling).  I am really pleased with how it turned out for now.

Clockwise starting on the far left: Love Spoken Here print found here, hand stitched Some See Weeds Others See Wishes done by yours truly, and Alphabet Print found here.  I am hoping to add a few more prints and a few photos of our family there as well.  

Our bedding as I already shared I found via Dwell Studios but pick up via a online store that had it discounted.  The sheets were a bit of a pleasant surprise. They were supposed to be a small polka dot but instead they all came in this modern floral print.  I would have sent them back except I liked the mistake better than what I thought I was getting!  I really like that its not traditional pink and that its not a pink explosion.  Its sweet and subtle and modern.*

Want to see what we did with her changing/play area?  Stay tuned!  

*And before I go down as the worst mom ever...yes, that's a bumper.  Yes, I know that they are now deemed a safety hazard.  I put it in crib while the nursery was set up and until she actually sleeps in her bed.  Once she starts sleeping in her bed and/or starts moving in her sleep it will be removed.  But until then I am going to enjoy the way it looks and check the ties regularly for security.  

Tuesday Crafties

I have a serious paper addiction. My mother would joke that as a kid you could always find me by following the little trail of paper scraps and clippings through the house.  So no surprise that I love scrapbooking.  There is something really gratifying about it for me--you get to reflect on good memories, be creative and have a moment to yourself.  But I knew when Adelaide came along I wouldn't have as much time to scrapbook but I still wanted a place to jot down firsts, quick thoughts and whatnot. Plus I wanted something I could GIVE my daughter about her live besides a USB stick (although she will get one of those too). I wanted a good old fashion baby book but as I did my research I realized with the dawn of digital that paper was going by the wayside.  There weren't very many choices and attractive choices were even fewer.  So I found one that was as neutral as possible and brought it home, planning that I would just jot down things and then use it as the basis for my scrapbook when I got around to it. Here's what I chose:

Not too offensive, right? But definitely not cute or modern.

But a week or two after Adelaide was born I had a brain storm.  Instead of using this oh so uninspiring book as a temporary holding place I spruced it up a bit?  With some baby scrapbook paper I already had and my flower punches I was able de-blah the book and make it look more like what I would chose for my little miss.  Take a look:

Pretty cute right?  Or at least better than generic and uninspiring onesies!

Over the Weekend

We had a great weekend spending most of it with family and friends relaxing and enjoying the unseasonably cool weather here in Texas.  Of course, we were too busy having fun to take any pictures!  But luckily I can share some pictures of the aftermath of our Sunday adventure.  After a delicious breakfast with family on Sunday T and I load up little miss and headed out the Third Mondays Trade Days in McKinney, Texas for an hour or so.  I used to trek out to First Monday Trade Days in Canton, TX with a girlfriend of mine back in college.  Not only are there all kinds of vintage pieces to be discovered and refurbished but the people watching is superb.  T had never been to a Trade Days but being the American Pickers and Pawn Stars junkie that he is he has been dying to go.  And since we have a new home to decorate on a tight budget I was happy to go and begin to hunt down the pieces we need for a few spots in the house.

The afternoon was cool and breezy and little miss was happy to nap in her stroller so we scoped out the goods.  About midway through our search I found a beautiful, but worn vintage bed frame for a full sized bed and a rather large mirror.  The woman selling them was eager to make a deal, but I declined and said I would need to think about it and maybe we would be back.  Still only being 6-weeks after the little miss arrived, I get tired sort of easy and it really affects my decision making ability.  Just ask T--I drive him crazy trying to make simple decisions like what to cook for dinner.  So I was tired and not so sure about the bed.  It would need love and paint--two things of which I have and it would need time and energy--two things of which I have very little currently.  T was ready to put his months of watching Mike Wolf to use to negotiate the pieces for me but my fuzzy brain decided to pass.

So we meandered around the market a bit longer and then headed home to feed the little miss.  After we got home I took a rest and a shower--but I couldn't get that bed out of my mind.  I knew it was just like a few vintage ones I had seen online that would go well in our guest room.  And the mirror was large and priced well and we have more than a few spots for it to go in our new home.  Sigh.

By this time T had gone to run a few errands and I texted him that I was having second thoughts and that I couldn't get the pieces out of my mind--something I have learned to trust as part of my gut.  There is nothing worse than thinking about something you should have pounced on for days or weeks to come--am I the only one that does that?  Probably not.  Anyhow with only an hour til the flea market closed T dashed back over there, bargained the lady down and brought home the two pieces (little miss and I stayed home--we are not exactly fast acting companions these days).

Here they are:

My apologies for the not so glamorous photos but you can see the mirror is probably 4-foot by 3-foot and the bed will look great after some love and a coat or two of paint.  And even though this little mama is running on an average of 3 hours of sleep to keep this sweet little house and family going, a girl can dream.  Plus T was happy because his newly acquired bargaining skills paid off!

Adelaide's Nursery Reveal, Before

As you may remember from these posts here, here and here we had already begun pulling together our nursery in Indianapolis, before we got the news that we were Texas bound.

So we packed up the nursery our little girl would never see but was none the less planned in love and brought it to Texas, where we added, tweaked and made it the perfect place.  All in less that a month too!

First, the before.  I have yet to post all the "before" pictures of our house.  I figured as we tackled each project I would post them along side the "afters" or more realistically the "in progress" pictures.  But let's just say this.  The house we bought was well cared for, loved and decorated--just not in our style.  But you know I love a good home project especially anything that involves a fresh coat of paint.

So the little girl's room like most of the rest of the house was painted yellow.  Event he vaulted ceiling was painted yellow.  You can see it here:

Since we closed on our new house and moved when I was 36 weeks pregnant my family rallied and came to help us unpack and paint--they were amazing! We tackled the nursery and the master bedroom (more on that later) as our top priorities.  My brother and his fiance painted the nursery and did an amazing job.  I chose Behr's Chocolate Froth for her walls because its a nice light, airy neutral with a pink tint and it has this fabulous way of changing colors in different lights.  The ceiling we brought back to a standard ceiling white, which really lifted the height of the room and brought more light in, since you can see, there is just the one, small, south facing window.  For fun, here are my two painters for the nursery:

So her room was yellow, dark and just didn't feel like "our" house.  Want to see what we did?  Stay tuned!

Tuesday Crafties

I loved playing with paper dolls and finger puppets when I was little.  My mom had this whole stash of paper finger puppets that were vintage from her childhood that I loved getting out and telling little stories with.  Such a great way to get little imaginations going!

During nap time last week I managed to whip these felt finger puppets together:

I used part of my felt stash, free handed the design and hand sewed them together.  I just love the way the teal rabbit and pink owl turned out!  Now they are wrapped, boxed up and in the mail to a very special little girl to enjoy.  Maybe if little miss naps well all week I can whip some up for her to enjoy when she is a bit bigger!

What are some of your favorite childhood toys?

Internet Love

Sorry for the silence over here on the blog we have been busy falling in love with our little miss.

In the mean time here are some of the things out here in blogland that have been helpful and/or inspiring:

• Nicole's Nursing Fashion Guide has been hugely helpful as this mama has been adjusting her wardrobe to her new role

• While we are talking post-partum I have also loved this post on post-partum life

• I love this mobile for little miss's nursery--maybe if I have time during a nap I could bust out the scrapbooking paper and the sewing machine make something similar, no?

• These suggestions on how to be a good new baby visitor is dead on and a must read and/or pass along.  

• Ben's story is really touching, but I think what moved me the most was how his mom talked about her faith journey in the process.  

• If you need a good laugh check out our cousin's blog.  Her daughter Norah says some of the funniest things.  Seriously, sometimes I bookmark the post in case I need a good laugh.  

• And I hope our little miss learns to dance to her daddy's music the way little miss Everly Veda dances to her daddy's.

Hope you enjoy!