Monday, April 30, 2012

happy 1st anniversary, laura and eric!!!!!

can't believe it's been a year!!!!!





first cousins picture
didn't know it yet...
but maddy was making her way!

Sunday, April 29, 2012

lazy saturday

pete was out of town again this past weekend, so i enjoyed a very lazy saturday with my two kiddos.  we picked up breakfast at a little shop on the way to my parents' house, took a long walk and played frisbee, stopped for strawberries and strawberry ice cream at the local stands, spent the afternoon in the backyard enjoying the sun, checked out unc david's house (about a year after he bought it - bad sister!), had fro-yo with grandpa (just jack, actually), watched cars, and conked out on the couch.  it was lovely!!!













Saturday, April 28, 2012

maddy's nursery


entry view
plantation shutters arriving soon - YAY for darker naps!
alphabet wall, newly painted desktop, glimpse of drawers
diapers, nighttime turtle, fresh roses from our garden
changing table, nursing rocker, poms-galore
homemade art, mobile
there are plans for a vinyl saying across the top.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Thursday, April 26, 2012

how to take a love for tissue poms to a whole new level

1. collect poms from your house, parties people throw for you, and order new ones.
2. buy a 10' section of lattice 'cause you don't know how long you'll need for the extreme number of tissue poms on-hand.
3. venture outside on the hottest day of the year and start tying.
4. crawl under lattice/poms to evaluate progress.
5. tie more.
6. add in lanterns.
7. watch neighbors give you weird looks  {only 'cause i doubt they've ever seen tissue poms, except for those in my front window}  especially as they watch you climb under and photograph the 'project'.
8. arrange/add/be happy at the obscene number of tissue poms you managed to squeeze on a lattice fence section.
9. realize you need to saw off the remainder of the lattice fence.  {grunt}
10.  attach twine to frame and eye-hooks to ceiling. hang.
11.  add garland, because you love garland almost as much as you love tissue poms, and baby maddy needs to have all of your obsessions represented in her room.
12. revel in the fact that you have a baby GIRL to craft for!!!!!!!!!!!!!
{13. upload 500 pictures of it into a blog post - sorry!}

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

updating hardware

i updated maddy's hardware with an oil rubbed bronze spray paint, found here, and probably at your local hardware store.  i was skeptical when laura repainted all of the knobs in her (and eric)'s new pad, but they turned out so nice, i decided it was time to try it out myself!

although i don't hate the color of the original pulls, it didn't go well (what really does?) with the ombre drawer colors i chose.  (sidenote:  not too sure about them now that all is said and done.  the middle one is a little too purple for my liking and they are bright!  we are getting plantation shutters in a couple weeks, which may help tone down the brightness by diverting the sun.  i'll make a decision then!)

anyway, the paint is so easy to use.  it dries to the touch in 10 minutes, completely in 30, and you can re-coat 'anytime'.  makes for quite a quick update for the hardware you just don't want to (or can't - $$$) change out.




the paint has neat little gold flecks - i love it!

i'm working up to posting maddy's nursery pictures, including alphabet wall, this week!  stay tuned to see how it all came together :).

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

how to improve laminate

i'm not a fan of laminate.  it reminds me of the 80s, processed shleving, ikea, offices, and classrooms.  it's great to wipe off, keep clean, but i don't like having it in my home.  we have laminate destops in the kids' rooms.  jack's is white, and he's pretty rough with it, so i've let it be.  maddy's, however, is DARK blue.  or should i say was dark blue.  now?  it's off white!

how to improve laminate:

step one.  take a before pic:
gross.

step two. scuff and scratch shiny surface with rough sanding block:
enjoy chubby hand

step three.  'prime' with shellac:
super professional over-spray protection here.

step three.  paint, two coats needed here, with annie sloan chalk paint.  see post here for more on my LOVE affair.

step four.  admire your new desktop!
need to remember same angle before/afters!


Saturday, April 14, 2012

soccer mom.

take two on the soccer thing 'round here.  i searched last year through-and-through and didn't notice a blog post about last year's attempt at soccer.  it was horrible.  we signed up for lessons, went to the first, and jack didn't play.  we had a switch in venue and time (the first was around nap time).  we thought the new time would work better.  no go.  i even played again and again - picture me with 2-3yos :) - jack wouldn't join me.  i insisted that we don't quit and took him back for the remaining lessons to watch ME play with the other kids.  so not fun.

here jack is last year, looking like a pro, but not participating at all!!!!




this makes me a little sad, poor kiddo was shy.
but liked hanging with his mommy!
 and this is tonight.  he's wearing a striped green and white shirt.  you can barely see him, but this was all i could catch with a sleeping baby in my wrap.  and the fact that i was enjoying every minute of him having fun!  i got smart and asked a preschool friend's mom if she was planning on signing up her son, donovan.  we picked a time and day that would work for both of us.  jack was so excited, he couldn't WAIT until 4:15.  it was amazing!
check out the ominous clouds - we've been having thunder/lighting storms!
jack is by the goal
it was freezing - maddy was in a snow suit!
the girl coach is craaaaazy for wearing a t-shirt!
using his arm to keep his balance
no hands on the ball at all :)
coach al has the kids put their arms out like airplanes to fly back to him
for the next drill instructions.  he's a cool dude.