BooBearyBinks

This n' that

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Looking forward to seeing more blooms. This one is my Pink Lady apple tree, and she's be gorgeous in a week or so!

Prettied up my gardening bench. Now I can see my seeds and actually

remember to plant them all this year!

Isn't this gorgeous? The Hubs made me two of these, with three more on order. His own design, and he even hammered the copper himself! Nothin' sexier than a handy-man with an eye for decorating!

Worked in the garden, which just had some peas, broccoli, radishes, spinach, lettuce and cabbage added to it. You can see the landscaping cloth where the pea-gravel path will go. And right where the path ends, next to the gate, will be the CUTEST little enamel sink I found with plumbing so I can wash my veggies outside!

Sneak peek of the new chest going in Boo's beachy room.

The Hubs has a grandma who passed a while back, and the family has been going through her house. (which is way old and way haunted...I should show you the giant creepy babydoll that Boo brought home) We go up there with intentions of going through stuff in the house, but naturally I was looking for quirky odds n' ends. There is this really deep (20 ft+) creek ditch next to the house and when we looked over the edge we saw this really cool kettle sitting in the creek. I sent the hubs after it, and also had him snag a really awesome wooden ladder that I saw. The little lantern thingy was in the yard. Also scored some old windows for painting on! Seriously, why can my brain not operate like a normal person's?

So what should I do with the kettle and lantern? I know! Add them to my already enormous pile of things I need to re-purpose in the garage! (hehe)

Cherry Mania!

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 00:16:00 +0000

I've been MIA! Visited my little brother, home on leave from Afghanistan, accomplished a lot of yard work, sewed like crazy, and couldn't post any or it because of my camera! Finally figured out it was the finicky battery charger, but it was frustrating to say the least.
Every year the local spring celebration is the Cherry Festival. I love making outfits every year for the parade, and this year I had three to make. I shouldn't wait to the last minute- staying up till midnight for four days is too much!
I really wanted a vintage look to them, so I made peasant bodices and changed up the skirts a bit. Btw, LOVE portabellopixie's patterns! I used the "claire" pattern this time.
Beary's dress has a vintage napkin for an apron with pompom fringe. Boo's has fun cherry appliques on the apron, which is made of an 800tc *gasp* pillow case 'cause I ran out of white fabric! (seriously, how does THAT happen?) Binks was just a simple little ruffle dress. I did try two new techniques this time, with the bias tape on Boo's apron and shirring on Binks dress! Here are some pics! Which are low quality. Thank you dearest Boo-who-is-two and loves to touch buttons on mama's machines. (camera included)

The "Daddy's Girl" top

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 05:01:00 +0000

When I first saw the Ashton top on Brown Paper Packages (love this blog!) I had to make it right away! I picked up the men's shirt for $1.00 at the thrift store. I love the colors on Beary! The tutorial is really simple, and this top only took ONE DAY! I say that with enthusiasm because most things around here seem to sit forever waiting to be finished. Ahh the joys of motherhood. (even the Easter egg Rice Krispie treats didn't get finished until today...) I didn't have any FOE, so I made some simple tie straps out of extra shirt material. If you're liking the look, I cut four straps at 2.25" x 13" and sewed with a 1/4" seam.

See the matching hair ribbons?

I used some of the eyelet from this post.

I also stitched down the middle of the back elastic for more support.

Beary hates when her elastic shifts any!

"Mommy please let me go inside now! It's too cold for pictures!"

Yah, it was only 45 degrees and windy, but the pictures are cute!

And because Beary has requested that you all see her "Post Office" outfit... (that she insisted on wearing to the P.O. today)

And because who can resist a hottie-hubbie holding a baby and a mug of coffee at the playground (where he chased around a busy toddler)...

I'm still here!

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 02:50:00 +0000

I'm still alive! It's been one of those weeks...sick kids, no energy, gloomy weather (SNOW? Seriously...it's snowing right now in Oregon) trying to get ready for Easter (Happy Easter!) and attempting to finish one of the million little projects in my head!

Dealing with this (poor crabby Binks):

She just cut her two lower teeth and has a bad cold. Being a NICU graduate and the youngest, she's naturally spoiled rotten, so she's spent most of the last week on my lap. That means no computer time because she tries to bite the keyboard!

Feeling like this:

If You Give a Mom a Muffin

If you give a mom a muffin,

She'll want a cup of coffee to go with it.

She'll pour herself some.

Her three-year-old will spill the coffee.

She'll wipe it up.

Wiping the floor, she'll find dirty socks.

She'll remember she has to do laundry.

When she puts the laundry in the washer,

She'll trip over boots and bump into the freezer.

Bumping into the freezer will remind her

she has to plan for supper.

She will get out a pound of hamburger.

She'll look for her cookbook

("101 Things To Do With a Pound of Hamburger").

The cookbook is setting under a pile of mail.

She will see the phone bill, which is due tomorrow.

She will look for her checkbook.

The check book is in her purse

that is being dumped out by her two-year-old.

She'll smell something funny.

She'll change the two-year-old's diaper.

While she is changing the diaper, the phone will ring.

Her five-year-old will answer and hang up.

She'll remember she wants to phone a friend for coffee.

Thinking of coffee will remind her

that she was going to have a cup.

And chances are... If she has a cup of coffee,

Her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.

~author unknown

And enjoying every minute with this (Say it with me now: "awww"):

Clippies clippies everywhere!

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 15:30:00 +0000

I've been on a roll with the hair clippie making! I got sick of putting boring old clips in the girls' hair so I've been cranking out clip after clip. Here are a few I've made!

With three little girls, I think I need a lot more still!

Shutters for Boo's room

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:30:00 +0000

After I saw this post on The Lettered Cottage I had to have shutters in Boo's beachy room asap. So the next day (seriously) we drove into town to get some fence boards from Home Depot. They were on sale for $1.50 each, and we only needed three! Sweet deal. The boards were really wet, which turned out to be a really good thing after we hung them. The hubs cut the boards to length and sanded them a bit so they weren't shaggy. I then painted on a thin coat of watered down white latex. I wanted the grain and some of the color of the wood to show through a tiny bit so I left it at one coat.

A little glue and some brads (nailed from the back) later and we've got some rockin shutters! We hung them on picture hooks because I don't actually want them to work. (they're in a kids room after all)

Don't they look great?

After they dried on the wall a few days the boards are separating and shrinking and looking awesome!

Before

After

Little Lambie Lovey-face

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 23:51:00 +0000

I've been searching for something Easter-y to make the chicklets for their baskets. I like to try and make something homemade for each major holiday, and this year I'm a bit behind. (although I guess I did make some resurrection eggs the other day...) When I saw this post on MADE (dana always comes through for me!) I knew the little lambs were perfect for Boo. But I wanted something truly special, so I set out to hand sew it last night while watching a movie (not such an impossible feat considering they're basically big ovals!)
So I'm sitting there almost finished with him when Boo wakes up (*sigh* sick kiddos = no sleep...) and toddles downstairs. She took one look at him and proclaimed "Mama? Mine. Baa! Mine." Of course I couldn't turn her down when she's standing there with a lion's mane for hair, snot covering her face and a nasty cough every few seconds. So Mr. Little Lambie Lovey-face has become her best friend, and I'm quite sure he brings her much comfort as he gets covered in *cringe* snot and *gag* germ-infested drool. And now I get to find something else to make...

The Party

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:30:00 +0000

I had good intentions, really! I know I promised to post the details of the party planning as they unfolded, but my camera batteries chose last week to die, so I didn't get any more pictures taken until the party! And OH what a party it was. I discovered my house is way too small for 30 people. But it turned out great, everyone had fun (especially the birthday girl!) and of course all the little details came together perfectly. So here we go:

Hanging "polka dots"

The candy table

mmm...a favorite!

Orange-tinted caramel corn mix from Your Homebased Mom

Pink and orange rice krispies

Found these lanters at the Dollar Tree.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes!

So excited! (Shirt from Carter's, complete with orange buttons)

Painting marshmallows and popcorn with milk paint!

Crown from Dollar Tree.

She loved every minute of it!

Let's not forget the sugar-drugged sister. I think the parents hate me (teehee).

Two.

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 23:38:00 +0000

My baby girl is two today, and I'm not quite sure what to think about that. Two years ago I was holding this chubby little blob (9lbs3oz!), thanking God that she was FINALLY here. It had been a long journey to that point, and I sat there amazed at the little person in my arms. Today I sat across from her at Dairy Queen (daddy and I took her "out") watching her refuse the bib, stealing my chicken, and scowling at daddy if he so much as breathed on her. All I can think is how the heck did she get so big? And how can I make her stop growing?
Happy Birthday Rosie-Posie Puddin' Pie!

Party Planning: the birthday banner

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:33:00 +0000

Party Planning part two: the birthday banner

It might just be me, but I think that every birthday party MUST have a birthday banner. Something big that makes the birthday girl or boy feel extra special. For Boo's banner I wanted something cheery, springy, pink & orange, and fairly quick and easy. Ok, maybe I didn't quite conquer the quick, nor the easy, but if I had a Cricut it would have been! But I don't, so we had to handcut the scalloped circles and the letters by hand. (Thank heavens I have a helpful hubs!)

Paper is the new Flower Shower Spring Stack and I LURVE it! I haven't scrapbooked much in years, but I still see stars over beautiful paper. This stack is just awesome! It brings back memories of childhood, with rainbows, stars, and bright colors (think Rainbow Brite and Care Bears ladies!) And because I do not YET have a Cricut (it was either that or a new house...go figure I chose the latter) I downloaded this awesome dingbat font for my scalloped circles! I'm in love with it! I used either "a" or uppercase "x" for my template...can't remember. Then I painstakingly traced and cut out the letters. Can't ever go easy now, can you Jill? A few hole punches later I threaded it all on a ribbon and ta-da! A great b-day banner for the bestest almost-two-year-old I know.

...stay tuned for more party planning ideas!

Party planning: The tutu

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:00:00 +0000

I've been SO busy getting ready for Ayla's birthday party next weekend! She's going to be two. *sniff* This will be her first big bash, and I want it to be awesome for her! I thought and thought about a theme and what she liked, and a few things really stood out. Polka dots, orange and pink, and CANDY! Girly loves her candy, or "nan-nan" as she calls it. So over the last few months I've been collecting everything orange, pink, polka dot and candy-like that I could. Not so easy in our little bit of no-where!
I'll show you what I've been up to over the next few days, so stay tuned!

Part One: THE TUTU!
'Cause EVERY girl needs her own tutu! I used this video on YouTube, but tied mine around elastic instead. I prefer the wider elastic, I believe mine was 1.5 inch. I also made my strips about 3.5 inches wide. AND I found that four yards for a toddler tutu just wasn't enough. Good thing I had some extra tulle lying around, because Joann's is too far for a quick trip! 5-6 yards of tulle should do it as full as I made. I also tied a bunch of ribbons on with the strips to jazz it up a bit. Make sure you singe the ends with a lighter/candle/match to keep them from fraying! (You could always use Fray-check too, but I'm lazy lol)

I also double-knotted my strips rather than making a slip-knot thingy. The last tutu I made with knotting is coming undone, and I want this to last!

And how lucky was I to find a random spool of pink and orange polka dot ribbon in my ribbon box? I haven't used that stuff in about 3 years!

Looks a little frazzled after big Sis tried it on, but I promise it will look adorable on Boo next Saturday! I even found a pink/white polka dot shirt with orange buttons (gotta love Carter's!) and pink/white polka dot leggings! Score one for mom.

Crack of the week: Caramel apple salad

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 03:29:00 +0000

I love caramel apples! Especially with nuts on them. It's one of those delicious treats that I only make once a year, although I wish I did it a lot more! Have you ever bought those ridiculously overpriced apples from a candy store? My favorite kind, with white chocolate and oreos, is upwards of $6.00! Crazy.

Tonight I wanted an apple salad. I broke away from my stand-by waldorf variety and went with something new! What could be better than a caramel apple that's not only easy, but GOOD for you? This also makes a great potluck dish!

Caramel Apple Salad

-4 apples, diced

-1/2 cup peanuts (unsalted is best)

-1/2 cup golden raisins (these are optional, but I like the texture they give. You could also use regular raisins)

-2 Tbsp caramel sundae topping, plus extra to drizzle on top

-3/4 tub of frozen whipped topping, thawed (We use fat-free to make it not-so-terrible!)

Combine first four ingredients in large bowl and mix together. Fold in whipped topping, then drizzle extra caramel sauce over the top! Mmmm!

Boo's room almost done!

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 05:39:00 +0000

Boo's room is almost done! I went with a shabby beach-cottage theme this time, and I'm loving the look of it! I still have a few small things to do, but it's coming together nicely. The wall color is Sherwin William's "pearl onion". The bedding and flag bunting are from the Simply Shabby Chic collection at Target. The only thing we have to do in here is replace the dresser, which I don't like at all. And I think I'll add some airy curtains this spring, along with some beachy accents we pick up on our vacation to the coast this summer. I have some more frames to hang, but I'm not sure exactly what I'm going to put in them yet. Maybe something like this and this or a sand written message, maybe one that says Rosie?

Here is the room. I've got a few more things to put up on the walls, and the three-sisters print above her bed will be moving across the room soon. I'm hoping to find an old paned window frame to go above the bed instead.

The old nightstand I picked up at the thrift store for $6! It's gorgeous! I repainted it and then just sanded it down in a few spots. I was going to replace the knob with a glass one, but this one has a rose on it and Boo's most-used nickname is Rosie. So it stays for now!

Here is the frame around the sisters' print above her bed. I got it for $1 and just painted on a really light layer of robin's egg acrylic paint, then another layer of watered down off-white acrylic. I think it looks great, and you can't beat the price! I love the print too- I found it at the thrift store shortly after I found out we were having a third girl.

I found this adorable little shelf at a yard sale about two years ago. The lady was selling this awesome shabby-chic stuff, which is almost impossible to find around here! I think I paid $2 for it! The only thing we did to it was pop off the shelf that was originally on it as it was too narrow. Then the hubs put in some 1x4s and made a simple shelf to hold more books. A light coat of white & antique white spray paint (my ingenious hubs thought of layering them all on his own!) made it look original!

Here is the shelf we ripped off of the bookshelf. We painted the raw edges and it was good to go!

Only a few more little details and the room will feel complete. Then it's on to Binks room!

Linking up to Disney's giveaway at Ruffles & Stuff!

Looking forward to...

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:44:00 +0000

...spring. I love spring! I'm a gardener-at-heart, and by the time April rolls around my hands are itching to dig into the moist, cool soil. And this year, we have a brand new yard to create from scratch. We've already been busy outside (I'm sure you've noticed the lack of posts!) moving rocks, creating beds, planting trees. But I'm so eager to see the first emergence of my lovelies! I've noticed the daffodils starting to peek out from their shadowy spots, and the lilac buds are starting to stand tall. Just a few more months and my yard will be in full bloom. (these pics were all taken at our last place two years ago)

What are you looking forward to the most this spring?

Crack of the week: Salami & Artichoke Pizza

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:42:00 +0000

Mmmm. We love our homemade pizzas around here. In fact, tomorrow morning I'm including them in a demonstration at my local MOPS group. Usually we make our own whole-wheat crust, but today I was craving a crusty, rich, artisan-type bread. I believe this one is potato-rosemary. They were out of roasted garlic, which makes the BEST pizza crust with it's yummy whole garlic cloves.

We don't ever use a recipe when making our pizzas. The beauty of them is that they are never the same. Tonight we used the following ingredients:

*1 loaf potato-rosemary artisan bread (cut in half lengthwise)
*handful of cremini mushrooms, chopped
*sliced salami, halved
*big handful of fresh spinach, chopped
*1 jar artichoke hearts, chopped
*1 recipe homemade pizza sauce (below)
*mozzarella cheese

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Mmm...

This makes such an eye-pleasing pizza!

Homemade pizza sauce:

*1 small can tomato paste

*garlic, basil, thyme, oregano, salt

*water

Place tomato sauce in bowl and add small amounts of water at a time until you get the right consistency for pizza sauce. Add spices as desired. I honestly don't measure these, I just kind of toss in what "looks right"

Beary's room update

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 01:56:00 +0000

I *think* Beary's room is almost done! We got rid of an old, boring bunkbed and made her this bed from knockoffwood's plans. It was fairly easy, although we ran into some problems. We couldn't find quality lumber at our Home Depot (small store) so ran into some issues sanding down the stuff we could find. It's a little rough in spots, but we put those towards the back or inside. And in our haste, we decided to paint in a 35 degree garage. Not.a.good.idea. Seriously, the paint was getting thicker by the second! Soooo...we'll be more patient on our next project.

Almost finished! We added metal brackets to the inside corners of the frame to solidify it more. Also, we fit dowel ends into the screw holes for a more finished look. (and to prevent random little toys from getting shoved in the holes)

This is a heavy, substantial bed!

Doesn't the princess canopy from this post look darling?

I also added some embroidery hoop art to the big empty wall, although I think I'll try to find some custom art soonish.

She loves it!

Up next is this nightstand, that I got at a yard sale for $5. It was black with metal drawer insets. Ick! We painted it white for the moment, but I'm going to add beadboard to the drawer fronts. There is a big gap between the drawer front and the drawer trim, and it looks weird!

Linking up to my dear friend Nicole of Frontier Dreams giveaway. If you haven't seen her blog, go take a peek! She is simply amazing. And I'm so glad she's on my side of the nation now!

CHEAP floor pillows!

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:23:00 +0000

My friend Charlotte and I were in IKEA Portland a week or so ago, and were perusing the as-is section. (OMG how did I not know this existed before?!) They had this huge bin of what I can assume were the slipcovers from display couches and chairs. They were marked $2.00 and $3.00! I picked up three of the couch cushion covers in a durable cotton canvas, not quite sure what I was going to do with them. I do this all the time, and it drives the Hubs crazy! I have a huge pile of what I call my "recycled fabric" that is basically just random bits of clothing, sheets, scarves, etc. that I feel *may* inspire me someday.

So last night we're watching a movie and I go to get some nasty old pillows (you know you have some in your closet!) to lay on, and it hits me! HELLO! What better way to make floor pillows than stuffing these IKEA cushion covers with the stuffing from all of my old, lumpy pillows! The whole reason we have don't have a bunch of floor pillows is because I'm too ~~cheap~~ frugal to buy the fill to make them. (Gosh I can be so incredibly c~~heap~~ FRUGAL about certain things--stuffing material being one of them.)

So, move your tushes to IKEA (or that couch in your garage?) Wash those cushion covers, pull out your old pillows and get rolling! Fluffing up that old matted pillow fill is a great thing for bored kiddos to do. Just close your eyes and don't see the mess (if you're type A like me). Then stuff!

The girls' love these. They're squishy and big, and they can fit their whole bodies on them!

The itsy-bitsy spider...

Honestly, why wouldn't you do it? I got three huge floor pillows for a grand total of $7.00.

Organize your pantry!

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 01:48:00 +0000

I picked up these spice jars and quart jars at IKEA a few weeks ago, with the intentions of making my pantry matchy-matchy. (Oh Lordy I need to ease up on this coordinating OCD, don't I?) I'd had all of my bulk goods in mason jars, and the spices were in their original plastic containers. I hated opening the cupboard and seeing masking-tape labeled jars with rusting metal bands and lids that said something like "applesauce 2004" on them. I know what you're thinking: "Buy new bands and lids Jill!" But that wouldn't be as cute, or as matchy! So I transfer everything to the shiny new jars and then stand back to look at it all. Huh. Is that whole-wheat pastry flour or cornmeal? And are those cranberries or raisins? (no, I ain't blind! But in a dark cupboard they all looked alike!) I needed labels. The wheels starting turning, and I remember I still have some chalkboard spray paint in the garage! I'll make some adorable little matching chalkboards right on the jars. Piece of cake, right?

I used a dry erase marker to mark the lines where the masking tape will go. (measure first or you'll end up off-center!) Make sure you push the tape down really well!

Spray a couple of coats. Remove the tape and use a fingernail or razor blade to scratch off any over-spray. (Umm...I think I need to do a better masking job next time. THREE hours later my labels are "square") Don't forget to prime your "chalkboards" by rubbing a piece of chalk sideways all over it then wiping off.

Enjoy your new matching pantry! Oh, and yes, that is supposed to be a chicken. You know: chicken bouillon?

The Hubs said his "favorite" was the quick oats. Huh? Why? Don't ask me. He's a dork.

Wowsers, I need to invest in some normal size chalk! Sidewalk chalk does not make it easy to write neatly!

I still have a lot more to do, but I love opening the cupboard and seeing all my little jars lined up in a row. We do what we can to bring order in the chaos that is motherhood!

Stay tuned to see the other projects I've been working on!

Lazy Days

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 05:18:00 +0000

It's hard to focus on all the projects on my list when I'm so busy enjoying life! I had to take a break from all of our "garage" projects to focus on other things. V-day, a little trip to the city, the hubs b-day, and a few gorgeous days outside adding to our little piece on earth. It was all worth it of course (especially those aspen trees), but I'm pooped! And really, how could I accomplish anything when all of this was tempting me:

"weeding"

...all followed by a long, leisurely walk around town with my family and dogs. I think days like these are God's little reminders of how incredibly lucky I am.

Project get 'er done: Part Four

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 20:48:00 +0000

Project four: The doghouse

The kennel is right outside the back door, but in the winter I really don't like going out there to let the dogs in and out. Maybe that's a bit lazy, but I hate the cold! I had this idea, and my awesome Hubs not only did it exactly like I envisioned, but he made it like twenty times better. The kennel backs the garage, and I thought that if somehow we could cut a hole through the siding into the garage, they could have an interior doghouse. This would be doubly useful: I wouldn't have to go outside to let them in, and they would stay much warmer out of the elements. We have large shelving all along the wall that backs the kennel, so we decided to build the "doghouse" under one portion of the shelving. Here's a pic of it finished (minus paint)

He added a window so they could see into the garage, and the spoiled rotten brats even have double-thick carpet in there. I figured that there would be some sort of tunnel going between the kennel and the garage, but Hubs used some extra siding and shingles to make a faux doghouse front! How FREAKING CUTE is that?!

That step you see up is the foundation. And we had to put something down on the little patch of dirt between the kennel and the foundation because Gus (the 90lb puppy) somehow found a way to dig. He has also chewed a bunch on the framing of the doghouse. The solution? Chunks of log to chew instead. LOL!

Lucky dogs!

Project get 'er done: Part Three

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 20:34:00 +0000

Part three actually happened during the Superbowl. I am one of those people that CANNOT sit still and just enjoy myself- my hands must be busy at all times. I've been wanting to practice with Bakerella's cupcake pops for a few weeks now. I plan on making them in Boo's favorite flavors for her b-day party next month. These I made with an almost-expired spice cake and cream cheese frosting, which was ok, but I'm a chocoholic, so I think I was a bit biased.

They were actually quite easy! I think anyone could do it if they had a bit of free time. I did find that letting the top frosting color rest a bit after melting is key, because it's way to runny right out of the microwave and when you flip your cupcake pop back over it all runs down the sides. Bummer.

Hehe. I have way too much fun during naptime.

What I'll try next time:
Brownie pops instead of cake, and dark chocolate fudge frosting. Mmmmm.
German Chocolate cake with coconut pecan frosting. Oh gracious Ayla will love those! She loves coconut! And naturally, they will be hot pink and orange, because her party is going to be covered in hot pink and orange polka dots.

Project get 'er done: Part Two

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:15:00 +0000

Part two of project get 'er done is painting some little things I've had laying around forever! Do you ever buy something (or find something!) with intentions of re-purposing it or painting it immediately, but find that three months later it's still sitting in your closet? I do this all the time, and I'm so sick of unfinished projects!

I've had these little things for Boo's room for a while, and because I am currently re-doing her room in a shabby beach theme, I decided to paint them in vintage whites and sea-glass blues. There is also a picture frame that somehow didn't make the pictures. I recently picked up a Simply Shabby Chic bed-in-a-bag from Target (along with the matching flag banner!) on clearance. LOVE it, and the colors are slightly more vibrant that they show online. They look great with her faded green walls (think really pale sea-glass green) and the new matching accessories match perfectly!

This little caddy will hold the tea set she'll get for her birthday next month.

Gotta love these paper mache letters!

While I was at it, I painted another letter I had sitting around, this one to liven up our kitchen/dining area. I used raw umber underneath and some aqua tinted with Christmas green on top. Beary likes to "remind" me that our "wast name" starts with M! I'm considering buying two slightly smaller m's to spell "Mmm" as it sits in the kitchen window. But that could be another of Jill's dorky ideas!

Project get 'er done: Part One

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 03:14:00 +0000

Sorry it's been so long since my last post! It's been a crazy few days around here. You see, the way that the hubs and I operate is that we'll get an idea, or seven, in our heads and we absolutely HAVE to do it as soon as humanly possible. Which means the two days we get together are filled with never-ending projects. (I call this the DIY'ers curse) Over the next few days I'll post what we've been up to.

In our head the last few weeks:

Photos courtesy of potterybarn.com

Feast your eyes on the Brady locker system from Pottery Barn. We needed these for the garage (times three), and Knockoffwood had posted plans for them. (I seriously love this woman) Because they are *just* for the garage to hold coats, boots and the random handfuls of gravel and weeds, we made them from cheap plywood rather than dimensional lumber. And of course, we couldn't exactly afford the $2400 price tag to have them shipped from good ol' PB.

Here is what one half of our garage looks like. There is shelving all along the right side, but we're seriously needing some coat/shoe/dead flower/rock/bug storage!

So after....

I then...

Finally...

Hooray!

And they are currently getting a nice monotonous coat of "garage grey"

We changed a few things to minimize cutting the plywood, including making the back one piece rather than three individual pieces like she calls for in the plans. We also made them only 48" rather than the 50" she had because we could cut a sheet of plywood much more easily that way. And because we were using cheap plywood for the lockers, we added additional 1x2 trim to all visible edges. Now I've just got to find some hooks and we're good to go! For about $2300 less than PB.

Memories of an angel

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:50:00 +0000

This will be a hard post to write. But sometimes these kind of posts touch people in ways you'd never expect, and I hope that it somehow can make a difference.
One year ago today, an angel went back to heaven after a very brief visit on earth. His name was Nathan, and was (IS!) my nephew. He was only 3.5 months old, and he died of SIDS. SIDS is an ugly, heart-wrenching, scary subject to discuss, but it's so very important for parents to be informed! In Nathan's case, there wasn't anything anyone could do...his parents did everything right and he was still taken. But it pays to be informed, doesn't it? I'll end the post with some links about SIDS.
Nathan was born October 21, 2008. He was the miracle baby--the one that surprised us all. (especially his parents!) It was Blake & Sara's first pregnancy, and it was such a joy watching their excitement as she got bigger, and the look on the proud daddy's face when they found out he was a boy! (The hubs was VERY jealous! His lovely brother once upon a time cursed us with all girls!) When the time arrived for him to be born, mama was VERY ready. She's a tiny thing and by the end it looked like she couldn't possibly get any bigger! Of course she was all belly, not an ounce of fat on her! One of those women that looked gorgeous pregnant, very much unlike myself. We got the call that he had been born, after a grueling labor and delivery--kudos to Sara, who worked so hard! I had tears in my eyes, knowing the overwhelming joy they were feeling. I, too had been through infertility struggles and I knew just how precious that baby was to them. It's different when you've waited for so long--it's like that little ball of stress just melts away the minute you hold your child. And I knew that's how they must be feeling.

Nathan was a beautiful little guy. Look at that fur! His skin was soft as silk.

I've never see two people come alive more than Blake & Sara after he was born. There was a softness in their eyes, and they were naturals at parenting. When he was just a little over a month old, they got these amazing portraits taken. What beautiful memories to cherish.

You can tell just how much he adored his mom & dad.

His eyes were always smiling, and he was the most alert baby I'd ever seen! He made his mama work too-he rolled over at around six weeks old. Crazy! The picture below was taken at 5:20 in the morning. Sleep is overrated, right?

Nathan was loved so much by his parents. Every time they looked at him they couldn't help but smile! He completed them, and will forever fill up those holes in the heart that only a child can.

He was, and forever will be, loved so much by so many. He touched our lives and made us appreciate each minute that we have, especially with our children. Sara asks that we "Please spend an extra 10 minutes with your kids everyday for me. Love them, hug them, and make wonderful memories that you can treasure for a life time. They grow and change so fast, and you never know what tomorrow will bring." I live by those words everyday. In fact, I put it as the banner on my phone.
We miss him dearly, and are so thankful for the ways he touched our hearts. He will forever remain a presence in our lives, and even though he's with God now, I know he will always be right there with us. I can still see his impact on his parents'; that softness hasn't left, and they have graciously turned that towards our children when we needed them last year. I can't thank them enough for being selfless and taking over the hubs and I's roles when we needed them to last summer. Nathan made them parents for life!

Miss you and love you always little man.

SIDS links:

The latest research: Serotonin deficit is linked to SIDS (brand new!)

Ways to help prevent SIDS

More on SIDS prevention from babycenter.com

Ultimate resource center for SIDS

Firstcandle.org

Firstcandle.org resources for family and friends

What to do if a friend or relative loses their baby:

First, visit Firstcandle.org for Do's and Don'ts. Don't be afraid to talk about their baby. They need to know that s/he was cherished and loved, and will be remembered. Share fond memories when the time is right. Call often. If you have any pictures of their baby, make a little album, with a copy of the pictures on cd for them. Most importantly, allow them to grieve. There is nothing more devastating on earth than the loss of a child, and it will take time to heal. Let them do that, and be there to lift them up when they need it. Don't have any expectations of them, especially that things will be "normal" again. It won't. They lost their child, how can it be?

If you can, donate to SIDS research. The more money they get, the higher the chance that they will discover the cause of SIDS and the more likely they can find a solution. Firstcandle.org is a reputable company to donate through. A link to their donation page can be found HERE.

Please keep Blake & Sara and all of those other parents that have ever lost a child to SIDS in your thoughts today. And if you know one of them, call them today just to say you're thinking about them, and love them.

(Love you guys!)

Thrifting finds: vintage lace

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 05:53:00 +0000

Twice a week while Beary is in preschool, the littles and I get to head to our favorite thrift stores to see what's new. There usually isn't much, as the town only has 13,000 people and we only have two major thrift stores. And the prices! PUHlease. I once found a Mrs. Butterworth syrup jar, cleaned out and label removed, marked at $2.99. Serious! But occasionally I find some great deals on truly amazing things. This happened on Tuesday when I found yards and yards of vintage lace for under a dollar a bag, AND it was 40% off day!

There was some really wide stuff in the bag, perfect I think for making some ruffly lace pillows for Boo's room (shabby chic theme) And do you see that beautiful red heart piece on top?

Perfect for v-day! (if I can kick this sinus infection with enough time to create!)

Love the scallops on the one above. It may end up in some form on an Easter dress. (ok, totally off topic, but I am SO excited to have three little girls to sew coordinating dresses for!)

Lots and lots of this blue stretch lace. It reminds of me of something you'd make a garter belt out for your wedding day. Any ideas as to what I should use it for?

Here's a bit of sunshine to brighten your day: