Decorating Addiction

Weekend Wrap Up

2012-05-14T16:00:00.000-04:00

We've had better weekends . . .

Jason is working on building a new deck, which requires ripping out the old one.

In doing so, this weekend he had a bit of a freak accident. While he was removing the old deck, a nail flew up and hit him in the mouth, shattering one of his front teeth.

Everything is still in place but the tooth has a major crack in it and J is in a lot of pain. The dentist says she thinks there's only a 5% chance they might be able to save the tooth.

We have to wait a few days before we'll know.

Best case scenario: they save the tooth, but it requires a root canal, removing the cracked part and building a crown.

The worst case scenario: the tooth cannot be saved and Jason will need to get an implant (which is a long process and quite expensive).

He is in a lot of pain.

Please keep him in your prayers.

Even with a shattered tooth and the grim outlook from the dentist, we've learned to count our blessings and focus on the positives.

We're grateful the nail didn't hit him in the eye (he's learned to wear protective goggles now at the very least).

Here's our weekend wrap up in pictures:

(Recycled old deck boards for raised garden bed, which is what I wanted for Mother's Day)

Even with a shattered tooth, my husband got up on Mother's Day and surprised me by making strawberry chocolate chip pancakes and eggs (I ate them so quickly I forgot to take a picture). He opened the pool, made me a raised garden bed so I can plant some vegetables this year, took us out to dinner and took us out for ice cream.

Isn't he amazing?

I'd love him even if he were toothless.

Lessons from My Mom

2012-05-14T00:54:00.000-04:00

Treat others how you want to be treated

Always wear clean underwear . . . if you got into a car accident or had an emergency and had to go to the hospital, you wouldn't want to be caught with dirty drawers on.

Kill them with kindness

When you don't know what to do . . . do nothing

In the summertime if it gets too hot, it's okay to eat a banana split for dinner

Deal with everything one day at a time

Pray

You can tell how kind a person is by how they treat animals.

Don't walk too close to vans in parking lots or parking garages

Pick an ugly guy to date - then you don't have to worry about them cheating on you
(I didn't listen . . . Jason isn't ugly . . . but he's not a cheater either!)

Learn how to walk in high heels

Don't wear too much make up

Moisturize your face and wear sunscreen

You can do anything you set your mind to

"I will always love you . . . no matter what you do. Even the most horrific thing you could do would never make me stop loving you."

Trust your gut and go with it

Visit your local health food store

Support your local farmers

Believe in miracles

Don't be afraid of what other's think of you -- even when you're searching for the Loch Ness Monster

"Strung out, higher than a kite, stick it in your ear and turn it to the right"

Leave a note if you're going somewhere to let those who love you know where you are

Don't depend on a man

Always do your best

Grow a garden and eat fresh food

Enjoy nature

Don't judge others who are different from you

Support women

Try new foods

Send letters

Drink tea

Create

Accept people for who they are

Stay up late

Sleep in

Be spontaneous

Go to church

You cannot spoil a baby

Recognize fresh mint - pick it, eat it, cook with it

Don't go to bed mad

FORGIVE

Read

Know how to apply make up so you don't look like a hooker

Take family vacations

If you've got it, flaunt it (but don't look like a hooker)

Have Confidence in Yourself

Laugh a lot

DREAM BIG

It doesn't matter how much your children have, what matters is how much time you spend with them

Don't miss your child's athletic events or school functions

Love your relatives . . . even the whacky ones

No one's life is perfect - even if they present it to you that way

Be thankful

Dress up for Halloween, even as an adult.

Eat dinner as a family

Enjoy winter

You can take the day off on your birthday

Babies are gifts from God - even if the timing wasn't "right." (Thanks Mom)

Advocate for your children

Call and let your mother know you made it in safely (even when you're in your 30s)

When you're sick, drink clear fluids - lots of 'em
(and might I add that my mom gave me a BELL to ring when I was sick and she'd come and find out what I needed?!)

If your gut tells you not to trust someone around your children - don't

Women are just as competent as men - even if society tells you differently

Have manners at the dinner table

Fly a kite on windy days

Learn how to whistle (I still can't do it with my fingers the loud way . . . )

Play in the rain

Rent movies, pop popcorn and have a movie night

Prepare more food than you think you need so no one feels like they can't have seconds

Believe in children

Knit - for yourself and others

Take a class to learn something new (remember pottery?)

Hunt for sea glass at the beach

Feed the birds

Call ANYTIME - even in the middle of the night

If a man really loves you, he will want to spend time with you

Cheer loudly for your team -- even if your "team" is you child's and the cheering might embarrass them.

Pick berries, pick apples, pick pumpkins (but don't pick your nose . . . at least not in public)

Take lots of pictures

Always kiss goodnight

Thank you for having such a positive impact on my life Mom. I love you!

Happy Mother's Day!

Containing Kid Clutter

2012-05-08T21:58:00.001-04:00

I've gotten a lot of requests from people asking how we contain all of the "stuff" that goes along with having kids.

Specifically . . . people want to know what we do with all the PLASTIC that kids play with.

No, we're not one of those Waldorf families that only has their kids play with toys made from natural resources.

I wish we were.

But I can't turn down good, clean, hand-me-down plastic toys.

And my sister-in-law Kim has A LOT of plastic toys that she's so graciously handed over to Noah.

Sure, wood toys look so much nicer, but there are some really cool plastic toys and frankly,
I'm not a toy snob.

Especially when I didn't have to spend a dime.

So how do we manage it all?

Well, like anyone else . . . it accumulates and accumulates and then I take a step back one day and realize my house has become one giant piece of brightly colored plastic that makes lots of obnoxious noises over

and over

again.

I realize that Noah isn't playing with a lot of his plastic either.

And then I decide, enough is enough.

I'm going to get this toy situation under control once and for all.

So first, I pick out ONLY the toys that Noah plays with on a regular basis. I don't spend a whole lot of time hemming and hawing about it. I just grab about 10 toys in his bedroom that he plays with.

I empty out his entire toy box and clean everything off the floor that he doesn't play with and I store it in a plastic bin in his closet. These are toys that I will rotate out when he tires of his "most favorite" toys.

I place the toys I've picked out as his favorites and I put them in his toy chest.

I'm a fan of baskets, bins and things that close to hide the toys.

Choosing only Noah's favorite toys has really been quite refreshing.

He doesn't feel overwhelmed by clutter and has actually sat down and played with his toys for an extended period of time. He also knows where he can find his favorite toys quickly.

I also created a few baskets of some of the toys he plays with.

He has a basket of plastic blocks

And a basket of wood blocks.

A basket of balls (his absolute favorite)

And several baskets of books.

And of course, he has some larger, more obnoxious toys that cannot be stuffed in a box or bin.

And we have a damp, unfinished basement so there is no "play room."

We just put these larger toys off to one side of his room (and yes, he does play with them).

Puzzles are stored under his dresser. You can't see them when you're just hanging out in the room, but Noah knows where to find them.

Making sure everything has its own basket/bin/spot makes it easy for me to clean up quickly before it's time for Noah to go to bed. I don't have eight million toys crammed in eight different places. It's easy: blocks, balls and books each go in their own basket, favorite toys go in the toy chest and puzzles go under the dresser.

Easy enough. And everything looks so nice when it's all stored in its own place.

As for other rooms in the house, Noah has a rocking horse that a friend gave him for his birthday. It's on display in our sitting room and he enjoys riding on it from time to time.

We have a wicker basket with a lid in the living room that again has only a few of his favorite toys. As he gets bored, we will rotate these with the toys that are stored in his closet.
(Don't mind my spindly plant. I'm not sure what we're doing wrong . . . advice is appreciated)

Who would've known that basket houses this

And when you look into our living room, you don't see piles and piles of plastic obnoxiousness.

But behind our piano is a little evidence that there IS a toddler running around. We have another basket of books (I love books and think they should be in every room) and Noah's favorite little toy to push around when he walks.

The kitchen houses one toy, which Noah has almost outgrown. It's what I call his plastic babysitter. We use it when we cook and want him to stay in one place so he doesn't hurt himself.

His other favorite "toys" in the kitchen are pretty simple:

It's true that kids don't NEED all the stuff they have now a days so it's important to simplify . . . but I believe there also needs to be a balance so that we're not so obsessed with keeping thing neat and tidy that we deny our kids an important part of development -- play.

And what's far more important than having a perfect house is having a happy child!

What about you? What's your system for toys?

Weekend Wrap Up

2012-05-07T00:40:00.000-04:00

I've been sick for more than a week but this weekend I was finally able to drag myself out of bed for a busy and fun weekend.

Friday night we had a cook out with a few friends. Since I was just getting over being sick, Jason did all of the cooking because no one wanted to risk getting my germs. He made my signature salad that we always have at barbecues. I'll be sure to post the recipe later this week because every time we make it, someone asks for the recipe.

Saturday was busy. We have several home improvement projects in the works and we're gearing up to get moving on all of them at the same time.

We had a reunion with all of the couples from our birthing class, since all of the babies have turned one now. It was fun to see everyone. We gathered at the Ithaca Farmer's market, which is one of my favorite little excursions in the summer.

Saturday also brought us out to Newfield for Imani's annual solo at NYSSMA.

After the solo, we relaxed on the school's playground for a bit.

And since we were in Newfield, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to stop and see Dick and Jane, although for the first time EVER, we didn't buy anything.

On our way back home we made a stop that is always part of every weekend.

I'm thankful my children know how to have fun no matter where they are because our stops at Lowe's are never as quick as Jason promises.

Saturday night we watched America Idol (we DVR it) and planned to see the super moon, but I took Benadryl Nighttime Cold and fell asleep far earlier than I care to admit.

Sunday we worked on our yard while Imani was at a birthday party.

The weekend also included:

playing catch

trips to Rite Aid (of course! and YES, it should be plural: TRIPS)

making meals together

planting herbs

moving rocks

taking walks.

Hope your weekend was filled with lots of fun.

PS - I start a new job today! Wish me luck.

Shopper's Club Chaos Solved!

2012-05-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

In case you're wondering, Jason, aka "The Coupon Cowboy" is still in full swing. We get free stuff from Rite Aid weekly.

And the Coupon Cowboy was finally successful in lassoing another couponer - his brother Joe. That's right, my brother-in-law has become equally obsessed with Rite Aid deals.

How lucky am I?

And how lucky is my sister-in-law Shannon too?

It guess that depends on if you think having an abundance of shampoo and toothpaste is lucky.

I never have to think twice about donating to personal hygiene charity drives.

I actually seek them out now!

Seriously though, I have to admit that I love a good deal just as much as Jason.

In fact, I'm a sucker for store savings cards. Every time I'm at the register and the cashier asks if I want to join some shopper's club, if it's free, I ALWAYS sign up. I like a good deal and most of the stores require you to have their shopper's card to get their in-store deals.

Some have special perks and will send you coupons in the mail depending on how much you shop there, like Best Buy and Dick's Sporting Goods. Even food chains like Panera and Subway now have cards.

The problem with having all of these Shopper's Club cards is that they take up so much room in my wallet. The truth is, I can't even button my wallet closed.

What's worse is that when the cashier asks me if I have a customer loyalty card, I fumble around looking for it. A couple of times, I've actually signed up a second time because I thought I wasn't a member, only to find two cards in my wallet later!

I know that some stores have key tags but I've found that not all stores do and I hate having a million little tags mixed in with my keys.

I once had a million dollar idea to invent a card that would electronically house all other store cards, but I guess I wasn't smart enough to see it to fruition so now it's out there for someone else to invent and make millions.

Instead, I got out my hole puncher and set to work so that my wallet would button closed once again.

Problem solved! Now I have a nice little stack of store loyalty cards conveniently on a key chain in my purse.

And my wallet is happy because it's no longer exposed for the world to see.

I'll let you know how the new system works out. In the meantime, I'd love to hear how you're organizing your store cards -- or if you refuse to sign up all together.

Also - if you have an organizing dilemma - email me or comment below.

Linking up to:

Organzing Drawers

2012-05-03T12:53:00.000-04:00

I'm still trying to figure out how to blog more frequently while holding down a full time job and having a one year old and an eleven year old. If anyone out there has any tips, please let me know. I always think about tons of ideas to share with you all but can't manage to find the time to take pictures, upload them, edit them and write the post.

For those of you who know me, you know I have a lot of hobbies too. Jason and I both love to work out and I enjoy all kinds of crafts -- so balancing everything is a bit overwhelming at times.

But I truly enjoy this blog and all that goes along with it - the creative process, the friendships I've created all over the world, the sharing of ideas so I truly would like to make it a more regular part of my life; I just haven't figured out how.

I admire those who have.

Anyway - I've been trying to get organized around here. I've gotten a lot of questions from people on how to stay organized with kids -- especially with all of the toys and "stuff" they accumulate. I'll try to share some of what's worked for us in the coming weeks.

For those of you who have kids who are a bit older - this post is for you.

Imani is constantly getting her nice clothes dirty by playing outside in them. Don't get me wrong, I want her to have fun and get dirty -- I just don't want her outside in a brand new pair of pants that we bought less than an hour ago sliding in mud (yes, this really happens).

Imani is the kind of girl who defies all gender stereotypes. From the time she was a toddler, I had buckets of Oxyclean around my house with her clothes soaking in them because she found sticks and mud much more interesting than barbies and doll houses. I can't say that I blame her.

My nickname as a child was "Grubby."

Thankfully, I outgrew that.

What makes this more frustrating is that Imani chooses to grub up her clothes and then chooses those exact same ripped jeans and stained shirts to put on before we're about to go to dinner at a friend's house. She has a little bit of trouble determining when it's appropriate to wear stained versus not stained clothes.

So I decided to try to help her with a bit of organization.

I busted out the good ole' label maker.

And labeled her dresser drawers accordingly:

We also labeled the inside of all the play clothes with by writing "PC" on the tags so there wouldn't be any question about what clothes belong where.

Imani usually puts her own laundry away so this makes it much easier for her to know where everything goes - and she knows what clothes to wear depending on what she's going to be doing.

After I finished with Imani's drawers, I realized I wasn't exactly setting a good example with my own disorganized drawers. While I didn't need to use the label maker, I did need a new system. I have a lot of clothes and I tend to just cram them in my drawers.

I've confessed several times that I am not the organized one in the house -- Jason is.

He's the Type- "A" - the one who cleans constantly and makes sure everything is in its place -- the one who neatly puts his clothes away and makes sure every dresser drawer is closed - the one whose hangers and shirt collars are all facing the same direction in the closet.

I'm the free spirit - the one who carelessly crams all of my clothes in my dresser and attempt to shut it with clothes hanging out -- the one who lets my closet become a disaster and then, after about a month of living like a slob - decides its time to get organized.

This was one of those months for me.

I had seen an image on Pinterest that showed clothes stacked or "rolled" rather than folded and stacked. Clearly the traditionally way wasn't working for me.

So I rolled all of my sweaters:

And stacked my t-shirt drawer too:

And after about three weeks, I'm happy to say that my drawers are still (fairly) organized. It makes so much more sense this way because I can see all of my shirts.

What's worked for you to keep your drawers organized? Got any tips? I'd love to hear 'em!

Fun, Fun, Noah Turns One!

2012-04-04T22:20:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, we celebrated Noah's first birthday. I cannot believe a year has already passed! It seems like just yesterday, we were bringing him home from the hospital.

And showering him with kisses.

As much as I wanted to stop time weeks before his birthday, I knew I couldn't. So instead, I channeled my emotion into creating his first birthday party.

I spent many late nights pinning ideas on Pinterest and finally decided to throw Noah a Dr. Seuss-inspired birthday.

I found inspiration from several different websites, including this one at "Hostess with the Mostess" and this one at "Annie's Eats."

Our invitation looked almost identical to the ones at "Annie's Eats" except we changed the wording a little, since it was Noah's first birthday.

I used my Silhouette cutting machine and Jason glued all the pieces together. The invitation read

"It's hard to believe Noah is already turning one!

Come one, come all, and join in the fun!

Whether it rains or if it is sunny, we will have lots of good fun that is funny!

You should not, would not want to miss a birthday celebration quite like this."

The color scheme was similar to that in "The Cat in the Hat." All decorations were red, white and aqua. I used a big piece of red and white polka-dotted fabric that I purchased at JoAnn's Fabric as a tablecloth for the food table.

I also purchased red and white vintage paper straws online.

Dr. Seuss books were placed around the house as part of the decor.

We served food inspired by Dr. Seuss books including Green (deviled) eggs and ham and cheese sliders (which were absolutely delicious!) You can find the recipe for the ham sliders here at "Annie's Eats."

We also served "Oodles of Noodles" (Pasta Salad)

The dessert table featured Oreo truffles, which were not inspired by a Dr. Seuss book but are incredible and were gone in less than 15 minutes.

In addition to the Oreo truffles, the dessert table also had Pink Ink Yink Drink (Lemonade punch),

Truffala Tree Cupcakes (cotton candy on pretzels for the trees),

the Cat in the Hat Cake & Strawberries on sticks (dipped in white chocolate and blue sprinkles).

For favors, guests received "WhoFoo Fluff on a Stick" (marshmallows dipped in blue white chocolate and sprinkles and wrapped in cellophane). These were tied with a string and a note was attached that read:

"Today was good, today was fun! Thank you, thank you, everyone!"

Imani and I made big tissue balls to hang over the dessert table in red, white and aqua (I should have removed the bronze wall hangings . . . oops!)

Noah wore a "One Fish Two Fish" shirt that we found at Target.

I made his party hat using my Silhouette machine.

I also made his birthday banner using the Silhouette.

We made a timeline highlighting pictures from Noah's first year.

There was a table set up that had Dr. Seuss' "Happy Birthday to You" book for guests to write a little birthday message to Noah that he can look back on when he is older.

We only played one game, which was to guess the number of blue gumballs and red sweedish fish in jars. The winners got to take the candies home with them.

Overall, the party was a lot of fun. There is so much you can do with a Dr. Seuss theme and it was hard to narrow down all the ideas online.

Most of all, I think we discovered that Noah loves being the center of attention! I was nervous about how he would sit still opening all of the presents, but he enjoyed every bit of it:

Trying on his first camo hat and making faces for the camera,

and hugging bears in a book.

He especially enjoyed when everyone sang to him and he got to eat his Truffala Tree cupcake!

He even shared with his sister!

Happy Birthday Noah!

Addicted to Pinterest

2012-03-04T20:03:00.001-05:00

I've been totally addicted to Pinterest, as I've mentioned before.

I have so many projects I want to try and the list just keeps getting longer. If I spent half as much time creating as I spend pinning, I'd be a lot more productive.

But last weekend, Imani, her friend and I created a couple of things that were inspired by images on Pinterest.

The first was cookie dough brownies. The cookie dough is made without eggs so it's okay to eat raw. Basically, you make brownies and once they are cooked and cooled, you spread cookie dough (without the egg) batter over them, drizzle chocolate and sprinkle with miniature chocolate chips.

I think I gained 20 pounds last weekend.

The second project we completed were scarves that we made from old t-shirts. Here is Imani modeling hers.

And here I am with mine.

But of course, I wasn't satisfied with just a plain white scarf. I had to attach a pin to give mine a little punch of color.

Isn't it cute?

We made a few in different colors too. Cotton t-shirts without side seams work the best.

For instructions on how to make these scarves or the cookie dough brownies, follow me on Pinterest. When you see a project you like, click on the image and it will take you directly to the website where the project was featured.

Here are a few more Pinterest projects I hope to bring to life.

A framed button monogram.

Source: etsy.com via Stephenie on Pinterest

A bath mat made out of old t-shirts

A vintage jewelry wreath

Source: bhg.com via Stephenie on Pinterest

Picture gift tags

Source: sweetpaul.typepad.com via Stephenie on Pinterest

A bracelet made from nuts

Source: kbshirley.blogspot.com via Stephenie on Pinterest

What's on your Pinterest list?

Crushing on Valentine's

2012-02-14T07:56:00.002-05:00

This is Imani's last year in elementary school, so it will likely be the last time her class has a Valentine's party. We have always made homemade Valentine's and this year I was looking for something extra special, since it might be the last year she actually hands out Valentine's cards to her friends.

I am obsessed with Pinterest and found the cutest idea on there the other day for Valentine's. Do you follow my pins yet? If not, click the button on the top right of my blog! I've been pinning for each room in my home, every holiday, and every craft I hope to do in my lifetime.

Source: designaglow.com via Stephenie on Pinterest

Isn't it super cute? The only problem is that Imani's school would never allow glass bottles in school and I'd feel terrible if a kid accidentally broke it and cut himself so we had to settle for cans.

Admittedly, cans are not as visually appealing- but the idea is still cute nonetheless.

So we bought two twelve-packs of Cherry Crush in cans.

Then I edited Imani's photo using Picnik.

And then we printed them off on regular paper. I didn't have any cute polka dotted paper like the one on Pinterest but I did have an abundance of red card stock from homemade Valentines in the past, so we decided to use that instead of spending more money.

We glued the pictures to the red background.

Next, we hole-punched the photos and tied them onto the can tabs using a ribbon.

And Imani carried a big box to school today. I'm sure her teacher will be thrilled with kids drinking soda along with all of the candy they receive!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Dresser Gets a Face Lift

2012-02-11T23:31:00.000-05:00

After spending my entire birthday on airplanes and in airports, I arrived home a week and a half ago with only ten minutes left before the clock would strike midnight and my special day would be over.

Needless to say, I was exhausted and a bit depressed.

However, walking in to see my dining room not only decorated with streamers, presents, flowers and a cake . . . but also completely transformed was a total surprise. Imani and Jason made the last ten minutes of my day so special and I realized that the best gift was returning home to my family.

I was completely overwhelmed when Jason handed me eleven hand-written pages that would become his first blog post (He didn't know the ins and outs of how to actually go on and post it himself . . . but I will teach him so that he can post again).

And he got my birthday wish, so all of you Giants fans can thank me.

His post was an inspiration for me to set aside time this weekend to blog about a project we finished a while ago, but I just hadn't had the time to write about.

Sometime shortly after New Year's, Jason and I finally got around to giving our bedroom furniture a little face lift.

You might remember we've altered one piece before. Remember last year when Jason cut up a dresser (literally) to make room for a bassinet in our bedroom?! It's definitely one of the crazier projects we've attempted so if you haven't read it, be sure to check it out here.

I've been wanting to get rid of the dark brown furniture for a long time, but we've been on a mission to save money and attempt to be debt-free (remember last year's resolution?) We've done an AMAZING job so far, especially given that Jason is now a stay-at-home dad.

I haven't been happy with the color of the dressers and I hate that it all looks so manufactured. I wanted something that was lighter in color and looked more antique, more worn . . . but purchasing new (or antique) dressers was out of the question. By the way, if you like the look of dark furniture that looks new, you should stop reading NOW because I'm about to share how to make this baby look older and worn.

I've already had some people come over to our house and see our finished product and think we've lost our minds.

stop

reading

you

the

new

"matchy, matchy"

look.

Here is the original dresser, complete with antiqued brass handles.

Many of my followers of this blog suggested Annie Sloan Chalk paint to me and to be honest, I'd never heard of it before.

Image: www.theshabbycreekcottage.com

After a little research, I discovered that Annie Sloan chalk paint is NOT chalkboard paint -- it's TOTALLY different.

Annie Sloan Chalk paint is like magic.

It requires NO primer.

And it can be used on just about any surface.

It's really magical.

So I found a dealer in Upstate New York -- the Purple Painted Lady, located in Palmyra, NY. Tricia was super helpful in teaching me how to apply the paint and how to distress the furniture if that was the look we wanted. If you need to get some Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, check out the Purple Painted Lady online or if you live in Upstate New York, make the drive to the store - it's totally worth it!

I walked out spending roughly $62 with one jar of Paris Grey and one jar of wax.

At first, Jason was skeptical about using a can of paint on manufactured furniture without stripping it, priming it or prepping it in any other way. He also didn't think the small can that Tricia sold to me would be enough to cover a large dresser and nightstand.

But he'd heard me talk about all I'd read about Annie Sloan Chalk paint online and he decided it was worth a try.

So Jason set off to work on the bedroom furniture (sorry for using the flash -- we were working at night and had a very hard time getting the photos right without the flash . . . a year later and I'm still figuring out my DSL camera)

He applied one coat directly to the nightstand.

It looked almost white when it was first applied, but it darkened up after it dried. He didn't even need to add a second coat.

We were amazed that this paint had virtually no smell either (and no, I'm not getting paid for this and I did not receive free paint. We were just amazed by this paint). Jason was painting it in our house at night and I was about to open every window in the house for fear of killing my kids from paint fumes, when I realized it didn't really smell (don't worry, Mom; I did open a window for ventilation so your grand kids were fine).

The Annie Sloan website says this paint gives off extremely low VOC's so it's good for the environment too.

In fact, here are the reason's the paint is so special, according to the Annie Sloan website:

"1. It's the BEST paint for painting furniture by a long way

2. No need to prime or prepare

3.Extremely low VOCs so it is good for the environment

4. You can use it on any surface, indoors and out ( the outside of our shop was painted in it- perfect!)

5. You can use the paint by diluting it with water to make a wash to show the wood grain

6. The colours are mixed intelligently and the web site shows how you can adapt your colours for your use

7. It's a girls' paint, but boys can use it too.

8. It's flexible so you can be creative and change your mind

9. It allows your walls to breathe so it is perfect for cottage walls

10. You can use it as an impasto ( thickly) - leave the lid off to thicken

11. We've been making it since 1990 so it's tried and tested"

After waiting for 24 hours, Jason distressed the dresser using 100 grit sandpaper and then applied a coat of Annie Sloan wax.

After applying the wax, he let it dry for 48 hours and buffed it using an old white t-shirt.

Then, he applied the new hardware I'd purchased at Hobby Lobby (on sale for 50% off).

I'm totally in love with the new look.

And Jason is now obsessed with Annie Sloan Chalk paint. He'll never use primer for furniture again.

Maybe I'll buy him a can for Valentine's Day.

:-)

Dining Room Remodel, aka Jason's First Blog

2012-02-05T13:16:00.002-05:00

I have had a hard time falling asleep the last few months. What has been keeping me awake, you ask? Trying to come up with something really special for Stephenie's birthday -- that and Mayan doomsday prophecies (sometimes I wish the calendar had never been invented) -- Oh and the mysterious powers of the Magic Eraser.

An idea for this year's birthday gift has proven to be so difficult ironically because of my own birthday. Back in September, Stephenie caught me completely off guard with a huge surprise party. Fifty of my closest friends and family members packed my house to help me celebrate #34. I was about three weeks out from the start of my new career as a stay-at-home dad of two (which, by the way, is the best job ever!).

Stephenie planned the whole thing as a way for me to re-connect with all of my friends I might not see on a regular basis given my new path in life. It was amazing and incredibly thoughtful. How do you top that?

I thought about throwing Steph her own surprise party but that seemed like the easy way out and totally unoriginal, and store-bought gifts pale in comparison to the gift of the people you treasure most in life filling up your house. There was only one avenue that I could think of that would come close - I must create something for her.

I thought about all the things she loves.

Our kids. I could put my college education to good use and paint her a portrait of our children. Not a bad idea and a definite possibility.

Shoes. I could get advice from a local cobbler and hand craft a pair of size 7 1/2 stilettos.

Not gonna happen.

Then it hit me . . . I could do a blog post for her.

Stephenie loves to blog and recently hasn't had the time to post all that often. She constantly asks me to write a post -- pretty much weekly for the last two years. I usually come up with a lame excuse or tell her I will one day, but never do.

I do help a lot with the projects you see on this blog, but honestly, I guess I see myself as the man behind the scenes hammering nails and cutting things up with saws. Stephenie is the creative genius and the brains behind this operation we call home improvement. I am content with bringing her vision to life but I guess she thinks I have something to say as well. She won't leave me alone about it, so here goes . . . Happy Birthday Honey.

So I need a project to blog about and the first thing I think of is our dining room. Recently, we sold all of our dining room furniture and purchased an old farm table and chairs from antique shops. Our Raymour and Flabby dining set was the first big purchase we made as a couple.

We were super excited at the time as we jammed it into our small two bedroom apartment. Then we bought a house and started to fix it up and really started to get a sense about what we like and appreciate and the kinds of things we feel good about filling up our house with. The more we worked on our home, the more we grew to dislike our dining set with its factory finish and mass-produced construction.

I love everything about our new table -- its weight, its age -- everything.

Let's celebrate with a dining room makeover!

As you can see, our dining room has a piece of chair rail dividing two different colors.

Steph left last Monday for a business trip to Las Vegas. She comes home on her birthday, Friday, February 3. I am a little nervous about having enough time to finish the project before she returns. It's hard to say how much time I will really have when you factor in the needs of a 10 month old and an 11 year old. Hopefully, Noah will take two good naps during the day and I will be able to get Imani in bed by nine. What I plan to do is install a board and batten trim on the walls of our dining room and hit it up with a fresh coat of paint. I love trim work. LOVE IT. Steph has had to stop me in the past as OCD got its hands on me.

She was finally able to stop me as I finished up the bedroom above. I think what I love the most about trimwork is how it can transform the look of a room for such a small amount of money. The project I am about to embark upon costs less than 200 bucks including paint and a few tools. The two big tools for this job are a mitre saw and a nail gun or a hammer and nail punch. I will need to pick up a new coping saw and a file as well. Those two things combined are like 10 bucks.

I did a little research on board and batten online and found a few photos for inspiration:

Decor Chick

This Old House

The first thing I determined was how high I would like the trim and thought 2/3 of the wall would look nice in a dining room. I also decided on a shelf to cap off the trim. From the photos I looked at online, the shelf provided a nice area for decorating and just gave the trimwork that little something extra.

Next, I measured all of my walls to determine how many vertical boards I would need. I really liked the images that had boards spaced around 12 inches apart. To get the correct even spacing between boards you will need to take into account the width of the vertical boards you will use. I will be using boards that are 2 1/2 inches wide. As an example, the first wall I measured was 113 inches. If I use seven vertical boards I will essentially create 8 uniform panels between the boards. Seven 2 1/2 inch boards = 17.5. If I subtract 17.5 from 113, I get 95.5 inches. 95.5 divided between 8 panels is 11.9375 per panel or 11 15/16. Starting from the right, I mark the wall 11 15/16 from the door railing, then 2 1/2 inches for the width of my board, another 11 15/16 and so on until I reach the end of the wall. Not super complicated and way better than "eyeing" it.

So I packed the kids in the car and headed to Home Depot. I somehow managed to get everything I needed into a Jeep Liberty. This was the first time I really missed my truck since selling it in August.

When we got home, I made dinner, put Noah to sleep and watched a little DVRed American Idol with Imani before reading with her and getting her to bed.

Nine O-Clock and I am ready to roll! I began by removing the chair rail we installed a few years back. I used liquid nails and finishing nails to install it an the liquid nails ripped part of the wall off. Nothing a little spackle can't fix. I still love you liquid nails!!

Liquid nails is one of the most useful products on the planet. I have fixed high heels, created school projects, secured eight miles of trim and used it to stop an air leak once. I firmly believe if the dinosaurs had liquid nails, they would have beaten extinction.

Okay, back to the project. After removing the old trim, I leveled and installed the plate rail and began installing the vertical boards with finishing nails and . . . you guessed it -- Liquid Nails! The liquid nails will give the boards more sticking power as it is unlikely that your finishing nails will always hit a stud.

The first wall went up in about an hour.

My shelf was installed next and is the same 2 1/2 inch board I used for the vertical panels.

Crown molding was then installed under the shelf.

The mitered return is a relatively easy way to give the shelf a finished look.

The next day, I used wood filler on all of my nail holes and hit it up with 100 grit sandpaper as soon as it dried.

After that, I used paintable caulk to hide all cracks and give a seamless finish.

Finally, I used a little spackle to fix any blemishes.

The only tricky part of this entire installation will be the corners for the crown molding, but with the right tools it is not all that bad. I had two inside corners to deal with during my installation. One piece of molding is cut flush and runs directly into the corner. The other piece of molding is cut using the following steps. Place the crown upside down and against the fence and set the angle to the correct 45 degree angle.

Use a coping saw to cut along the profile of crown.

Use a small file to get as close as possible and to clean up your cut.

This piece will now fit over the installed piece to perfection.

So that is pretty much it for install. I just repeated the same process on the other walls.

Time to paint! I love painting. It is right up there with trim for me as an inexpensive way to renew a room. I choose to return the primer you saw in one of the earlier photos and used one gallon of enamel semi-gloss paint/primer by Behr instead. It was a good paint but I still needed three coats in some difficult areas.

The painting was the most time-consuming part of this project. I found my OCD rearing its ugly head as I began painting trim leading out of the room that looked grubby next to the brilliant new white.

I highly recommend picking up some Magic Erasers when using this much white paint. The equation for the number of boxes you will go through in a month goes something like this:

Gallons of white paint times number of infants to the tenth power times age of adolescent in the house divided by showers per week = total.

Using this formula I will be buying about 16 boxes of Magic Erasers in the near future. For any of you that have never used a Magic Eraser, they are amazing and can take any mark off a wall with one swipe. Where it goes, I have no idea. Mr Clean claims it is magic but I think something else is going on here as well. Everyone knows Unicorns are pure magic so in my opinion a sponge could only be like 75% magic, tops. My theory is the other 25% is alien technology found in the Roswell crash.

The final touches for my project are 20 red tulips, Steph's favorite flower, a birthday cake that I did not make, a few antique dishes I picked up at a local store and birthday prizes!!!

I can't wait to see Steph's face. My hope is that she is so overjoyed I will will be able to convince her to use her birthday wish to help my Giants win the Superbowl.

I truly hope you like this gift. I love you Steph.

Happy Birthday.

Always,

Karen's Zen Bathroom

2012-01-25T21:49:00.000-05:00

I received an email not too long ago from Karen, who lives in Zimbabwe. She and her husband Graham are newlyweds, who she explained "instead of taking the easy way out by renting, purchased a 1969-old-Rhodesian house with the intention of introducing it to the 21st Century."

Karen came across my blog post on Zen Bathrooms and asked if I might be able to help come up with a concept for her master bathroom. She and Graham are inclined to go with a Zen theme and wanted me to create a space that blended their cultures. Karen lived in Denmark for four years before moving back to Africa. She is originally from Malaysian Borneo and Graham is Scottish but grew up in Zimbabwe.

Karen and Graham are building an addition that consists of a new master bedroom, walk-in wardrobe and master bathroom. They are also adding two pergolas and a wooden deck leading out to the pool. It sounds absolutely beautiful and I cannot wait to see the finished product. I'm honored to be a part of the process!

First, Jason and I sat down and took a look at the layout. Karen expressed that she wanted it changed so that it would feel more open and so that they wouldn't see the toilet from their bedroom. Can't say I blame her!

She sent me two different layouts. The first is just the bathroom, and as you can see . . . once you open the door, there is a great view of the toilet.

The second layout Karen sent me had a slightly different layout. Karen and Graham have switched the walk in wardrobe and the master bedroom, which makes sense. However, when you look through the door from the bedroom (which is listed as the "New Dressing" room) you have a view of the sinks.

Jason and I felt like the layout could be improved by moving the toilet and tucking it into the wall that is shared by the master bedroom. Additionally, I would build a half wall alongside the toilet to further hide it from view. I would place a series of candles along the top of this half wall.

If space and finances allow, I would also suggest a wooden bench of some sort built in near the windows. In nearly every Zen bathroom I've seen, I've noticed seating areas -- benches, stools, or other areas to sit. Usually these areas have rolled towels or candles nearby.

I would also suggest making the bathtub area a focal point by doing one or more of the following:

* building a platform up to place the tub on with a step or two leading up to the bathtub. By adding varying levels it adds dimension to the space. Take a look at this one;

homedesigning.com

* Adding elements of nature around the bathtub: Think rocks, driftwood, oversized plants or even branches in a massive vase on the floor.

Here are a couple of photos to give the idea I'm going for:

I love the natural stone surrounding this free standing tub. I also like texture of the wooden ceiling.

HGTV pro.com

I love the oversized tree in this bathroom, although you'd need lots of natural light to keep it alive. I'm also digging the tiled wall behind the sink.

dornob.com

And here you can see the driftwood and rocks used as decoration just lying on the floor. You'll also notice the built-in bench behind the tub with towels. I also love the natural waterfall in the corner.

Source: Pinterest

* Tiling the wall behind the bathtub with small tiles or adding an oversized mirror to expand the space (see the first picture above). Here is another example where the wall behind the tub makes the bathtub a focal point. Also notice that the bathtub is placed a level higher than the rest of the bathroom. There is also seating near the windows.

http://www.chictip.com/

Other than making the bathtub a focal point, here is the mood board I created to help Karen and Graham achieve a Zen bathroom that blends their varying cultures and experiences. When I found images of Malaysian Borneo, I was overwhelmed with the natural beauty -- lots of lush green foliage. Zimbabwe offered breathtaking waterfalls.

Here are my suggestions and explanations of the items in the mood board.

1. On the walls, I'd suggest using a neutral color like Plascon's Corinthian Pillar (Y3-E1-4):

This color will make for a smooth transition from the two colors Karen and Graham have already picked for their bedroom, Plascon's Salvador (Y6-D1-2) and Plascon's Saffron Tint (Y5-B2-2).

2. I would also suggest that the walls of the shower be tiled using something similar to the tile in the mood board (right next to the shower in the bottom left).

For absolute luxury, consider using pebbles for the shower floor. Again, these are located in the bottom left of the mood board. These are Solistone Anatolia Rumi 12 in. x 12 in. Natural Stone Pebble Mosaic Floor & Wall Tile and they can be purchased at Home Depot for $11/square foot. Click Here

homedepot.com

We used these in our bathroom for our shower floor and I absolutely LOVE it. Oh, and in case you're wondering, NO the pebbles do not hurt your feet!

3. I am suggesting the floor be a darker brown tile to make the lighter tile for the shower walls stand out more. Take a look at this Zen bathroom for inspiration: Notice there are a few different kinds of tiles to add texture and dimension to the space.

Source: google.com via Stephenie on Pinterest

I also like this one. Again, the tile on the floor and the tile on the walls is different and provides texture and contrast.

Source: google.com via Stephenie on Pinterest

I highly recommend recessed lighting because it won't distract from the space. If you look at the last two images, both used recessed lighting. You can even find recessed lights to go in the shower area. I've shown them in the bottom left of the mood board. They can be found here.

The glass to the shower should be seamless and clear like the one above (and also shown in the mood board). Here is another seamless shower in the celebrity bathroom of filmmaker Michael Bay’s Miami beach home. Also notice the over sized plants.

www.elledecor.com

Karen found a picture of a seamless shower she and Graham liked and I absolutely love how they secured the fixtures to a giant sleeper board. I would love to see something like this in their finished bathroom. Any piece of oversized reclaimed wood would work.

Karen also found a fantastic idea for a vanity in a magazine using a railroad sleeper as well. How cool would this be as their vanity? It's definitely possible and I hope to see it in their final bathroom. Again, any piece of oversized reclaimed wood should work. However, this would be a custom-made piece.

However, since you can't really purchase a giant piece of wood from a retailer, I couldn't really incorporate this idea into the mood board. I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to see this idea transformed in Karen's bathroom. If they cannot make this idea happen, I felt compelled to pick a "traditional" vanity for the mood board ... you know, something they could actually purchase.

Since Karen already selected her sinks and her bathtub, I found a vanity that would go with the theme. The vanity is from Lowes and is by Alan Roth in Espresso. It can be found here. The mirror matches the vanity and is also from Lowes. Click here.

lowes.com

Karen has chosen brushed nickel fixtures so the light fixture I chose in the mood board is similar and is from Decorator's collection. You can see specifics here.

For accessories, I selected items that would create a Zen feel and would compliment Karen's color choice from the master bedroom. Generally, towels in a Zen bathroom are white or neutral color, but I wanted to add a pop of color to brighten up the space and also thought it would be a nice way to tie the Plascon Salvador paint color from the bedroom into the space. It also reminded me of the lush green foliage of Malaysian Borneo.

The monogrammed towels are available at Target. You can shop for them here.

I also wanted to make sure to bring the outdoors in and since I'm not sure if Karen has a green thumb, I added artificial plants. I would suggest setting up a series of three or more identical plants on the bottom row of the shelf. The shelf is by X-Etagere and can be found here. I would roll towels and put them on the middle shelf. The artificial plants are available at Crate and Barrel here.

In sticking with the Zen theme, I also added a Buddha which could be placed on the floor somewhere or on the top shelf. This Buddha is bronze and is available through the Home Decorator's Collection. You can find him here.

Of course no Zen space is complete without candles. I chose glass hurricane lanterns from West Elm, thinking they could either be hung from the ceiling in varying heights, or placed on the shelf. You can find them here. I also found candlesticks in a variety of sizes that could be placed on the floor by the tub or on a small table near the tub. These particular candles are available through Home Decorator's Collection (here) but they are a bit pricey ($239!), so any candlesticks in varying heights would do.

The toothbrush holder, soap dish and trash can are all from the Phuket collection at the Home Decorator's Collection (here.) I thought they were perfect and offered texture to the space.

I also found this great water fountain (bottom center of mood board) and felt it would fit nicely into the theme we were aiming for. It's available through Chiasso and can be found here. I think I want one for my upstairs bathroom! If finances allow, I'd prefer to see a "natural" waterfall, like the one in the fourth bathroom picture above, but if not, I think this little fountain would do the trick.

I searched high and low for a bath mat that had some green in it and found the perfect one at Sears.

Sears.com

You can see pricing and specifics here. What's cool about the zenDeluxe bath mat is that not only is it hand-made by a cooperative village in Java, but it's woven with cotton and vetiver. Vetiver is a naturally aromatic root that has a calming scent. When the rug gets damp, the vetiver releases it's calming aroma. How cool is that?! You can see pricing and specifics here.

I also found a very "Green" bath mat, but it grossed Jason out, so I didn't include it into the design. Check this baby out.

This is a real moss bath mat. When you step onto it, the drips of water from your body water the live plants. It was created by Switzerland-based industrial designer La Chanh Nguyen. I thought it was the coolest thing, but Jason wasn't a fan . . . and I wasn't sure about Karen and Graham, so I left this out of the design. I couldn't resist sharing it as an option though!

Finally, Karen expressed the desire to make her bedroom and bathroom more of one connected space, so rather than a traditional swinging door, I'm suggesting the TRUporte 2240 series from Home Depot (here). These doors would slide across an open entry from the bedroom. I LOVE the design of these doors. The frosted glass and rich finish create an Asian-inspired door that fits right in with the Zen bathroom.

Source: google.com via Stephenie on Pinterest

So to Karen and Graham kudos on renovating an older home and making it your own. I hope you can take the concepts of this design and make it work to create a beautiful, serene space.

We can't wait to see what you come up with!

Psst: All of the links in this post are just links to help you find the items listed in the mood board. I did not receive any payment or incentive to link in this post.

Psst: Do you have a space and need help with the design? Email me and I can create a "virtual" interior design for you too, just like I did here for Karen and Graham.

Holiday Happenings and Decorating

2011-12-30T00:03:00.004-05:00

Happy Holidays . . .

For those of you who think I forgot to send you a Christmas card . . . I promise I didn't. I didn't even get around to sending them this year. I'm contemplating sending a New Year's card, but since New Year's is only a few short days away, I'm not sure that is going to happen either.

I tried to get Imani and Noah's picture in front of the Christmas tree but Noah wasn't exactly feeling the Christmas spirit. He had a nasty Christmas fever so much of our Christmas morning looked like this

Although Imani was all smiles, since Santa brought her an Ipad.

Now that Noah's feeling better, maybe I can capture a cute photo before the tree comes down and wish you all a Happy 2012.

If I don't get around to sending out cards . . . Happy 2012.

Work has been especially busy for me this year, so I haven't been able to post as much as I'd like. I'm still working on convincing Jason to post because there IS a lot going on around this little Cape of ours, but obviously my persuasive skills need improvement.

We didn't have our gingerbread making workshop this year either. In fact, we didn't even make a gingerbread house! You can see last year's here.

Before you think all I did this year was sit around reading "The Hunger Games" and eating bonbons, I shall have you know that we did accomplish quite a bit this holiday season.

For one, we had our big annual Christmas party but we failed to take

one

single

picture.

Trust me. It happened.

It's probably one of my favorite parts of my holiday. I love filling my house with more people than it can hold and spending time with friends and family and watching everyone open somewhat ridiculous gifts at the white elephant gift exchange. Of course the gifts we gave were collections of toothpaste and body wash that the coupon cowboy got for next to nothing at Rite Aid over the course of the year.

We Atkins also joined in over 2,000 other runners to run a 5k together in the Seneca Falls "It's a Wonderful Run." For me, Imani and Noah, it was our first 5k. For Jason, I don't think he counts it because he jogged with Imani and Noah the whole way. For those of you who don't know, Jason is a bit of an extremist with running.

We had so much fun running in 20 degree weather under the Christmas decorations of Seneca Falls, NY hearing the bells jingling on the other 2,000 runners' feet. Thanks to Barb and Andy Reese for encouraging us to participate. It's definitely on our list of things to do in December 2012.

And of course, we also got our annual Griswold family Christmas tree -- one that was far too big to fit through our sliding glass doors, but one that Jason and his brother (this year's unfortunate victim who happens to own a truck) somehow managed to make fit.

I've honestly considered buying an artificial 14ft tree for next year because part of me feels guilty about cutting down not one, but TWO trees every year and part of me knows that it's only a matter of time before our sliding glass doors get broken from trying to cram a ridiculously large tree into our little house.

But once it's in and decorated, it does look beautiful.

Just don't look at it from behind, because there are so many ropes securing it to the wall!

We did manage to get the decorations up. Most are simple, subtle touches throughout the house.

A pointsetta in an old tin bucket.

Christmas balls under a cloche.

Mints in an apothecary jar.

Pine cones with a little sparkle in a big round vase.

Santa's magical key.

We used real pine garland this year too.

I don't know how I would've ever decorated the original staircase in this house. Remember, it once looked like this. For more flashbacks to what our house once was, click the "Our Fixer-Upper" button above.

Thank God Jason learned how to use power tool.

More decorations this year include Jason's latest obsession, "St Nicholas Square," which we bought on clearance at Kohl's last year after Christmas.

In fact, we're going to Kohl's today to see if we can expand our little village.

While some might find these little villages a bit cheesy, we love how they look illuminated at night and we love the little detailed people in the shop windows.

Our nutcracker collection continues to grow each year.

We have a display along the windowsill of our kitchen sink.

And random nutcrackers displayed around our house.

Our tree for our sitting room turned out nicely this year too. Once again, we placed the stand inside an old wash basin.

We made Candy Cane Valleys and Sprinkle Delights again this year.

And of course, we exchanged presents.

I got this awesome ornament from my two nieces.

And Jason and I got matching duck boots.

But my favorite present didn't come on Christmas morning. Jason gave it to me a few weeks before Christmas.

I'd seen a Pottery Barn Santa painting online that I really wanted. A lot of bloggers have replicated it. I showed it to Jason and asked if he could do it.

One night, he came upstairs and told me he had something to show me. When I came down the stairs, here is what I found on my mantel.

I absolutely love it. He insisted I not blog about it because it wasn't a big deal to create and it's not his "original" art. As you can see, I don't listen.

We still made Christmas tags out of old Christmas cards. You can see how here. It is a tradition after all, and we needed some tags for Mr. Noah. It's getting harder to make Christmas tags from cards because so many people send photo cards now. Don't get me wrong . . . I cherish each and every one.

We (finally) moved Noah into our upstairs bedroom and we moved downstairs into the room originally created for him. I'll try to post pictures about that later. I'm happy to report we are all getting more sleep now.

And that, my friends is my Christmas update.

Wasn't that better than a Christmas card?

Christmas Crafts for Procrastinators

2011-12-03T20:48:00.001-05:00

I should probably start Christmas crafts in July or August when I have more time, but I think I've told you before that I'm a bit of a procrastinator, so you would never find me thinking of Christmas in July or August. I've tried to change myself on numerous occasions to be more of a planner . . . and a morning person too . . . but neither has ever worked.

So Christmas crafts come to me in December, when there isn't a lot of time to get them done. In any case, here are a few holiday ideas I came across on Pinterest. I hope to try at least a couple with Imani over the next few weeks. I hope you find something here that will raise your Christmas spirits.

These little bottle cap art are adorable. I would turn them into a magnet or a necklace. I love that you can use patterned paper or fingerprint sized art.

Source: urbancomfort.typepad.com via Stephenie on Pinterest

I've seen a lot of these little trees in stores and on the Internet. Some are made with feathers or other materials. This one is made with wax paper and is super cute. I would do a couple in different sizes and put them on an end table or mantel display.

Source: bowerpowerblog.com via Stephenie on Pinterest

Love these simple ornaments with black lettering. Super easy; super cute.

Source: bowerpowerblog.com via Stephenie on Pinterest

What little kid doesn't love any craft with candy?

Source: marthastewart.com via Stephenie on Pinterest

Turn them into an ornament, magnet or pin. Whatever you decide to do, these little button snowmen are whimsical, fun and simple.

Source: urbanpaisley.blogspot.com via Stephenie on Pinterest

I love that these are natural and organic.

You could use them indoors or outside as a treat for your furry or feathered friends.

Source: onepartsunshine.com via Stephenie on Pinterest

I love texture and these twine covered ornaments will add an old-fashioned feel to any tree.

Source: bowerpowerblog.com via Stephenie on Pinterest

Every year I plan to make an advent calendar and every year I fail to do it. I love this one and hope to make it a reality . . . maybe if I start in July or August next year?

Source: bowerpowerblog.com via Stephenie on Pinterest

I love the monogrammed ornament and the bubble ornament. Again, these are really easy to make and would make a great gift.

Source: bowerpowerblog.com via Stephenie on Pinterest

So there you have it . . . a few quick and easy holiday crafts to inspire you if you're a procrastinator like me. Let me know if you make any of these or if you have any to add!

Decorating Walls

2011-11-30T00:29:00.000-05:00

I used to have a lot of pictures on my walls -- pictures of my family and pictures of Imani but when we moved into our house, Jason and I decided that tons of pictures all over the walls just didn't look classy.

In fact, I believe Jason said if the frames don't match, it's white trash.

I probably just offended half of my readers and all of my family members.

But take that up with Jason. I didn't say it. I have a whole other list of things I think are white trash that nobody else does . . . you'd have to ask my sister if you're curious because it's an ongoing list and I haven't ever written it down.

But I will tell you that 99.9% of the things on the list I have done . . . so in my opinion that makes it okay to classify it as white trash.

Anyway . . . we basically don't have any photos on our walls as a result of this conversation from so many years ago.

In fact, we have one photo of Imani framed at the top of our stairs

and one frame that was once an old window and now holds several pictures from our wedding.

Jason gave it to me as a gift and it's one of my favorite items in my house.

So everyone who has told me I appear to be a perfect home decorator or a perfect mom can rest assured I am NOT. What kind of mother doesn't have pictures of her children on her walls, especially now with all of the cool canvas options that are available?. I haven't purchased one, but I always think they look so nice, modern and clean.

Source: houzz.com via Stephenie on Pinterest

In some ways, our house looks like a model home that is going on the market to be sold.

We have a few framed photos on our dressers and night stands but something feels WRONG about not featuring your family in your home in some way, especially when you have a new baby!

And I am not a fan of digital photo frames. I know there are a lot of digital photo frame lovers out there, and that's fine but it's just not me. I don't like a lot of electronics in my house and to me, a digital photo frame is just another black plastic electronic eyesore.

So we've been wondering what to do with the wall going up the staircase.

We thought about lininig it with botanical prints something like this.

Source: decorpad.com via Stephenie on Pinterest

But that wouldn't help me get photos on the walls.

And then we were inspired by the staircases of people who framed lots of black and white photos with white frames. Take a look.

Source: philigry.blogspot.com via Stephenie on Pinterest

Source: houzz.com via Stephenie on Pinterest

I even like this one, which is just a bunch of empty frames but my goal is to get more pictures of my family up on the walls.

Source: blog.hannamac.com via Stephenie on Pinterest

Uh oh. I think I might need to find one of those fancy "&" symbols.

So all summer we were on a mission to find cool picture frames (think antique) and Jason's been busy painting them white to prepare for our staircase gallery of our family.

We found some random frames at antique stores, garage sales and TJ Maxx.

I cannot wait to put it all together. . . but don't get too excited. It might take us a year to finish!

Living in Dracula's Dungeon

2011-10-31T13:38:00.002-04:00

Another advantage of Jason staying at home is that he was able to take over the Halloween decorating this year.

He did a great job. Imani told me numerous times that she thought he was a "really, really good decorator."

He definitely goes a little more for the gory in his decorating than I usually do and he sure knows how to spook up a house. Imagine eating dinner with this on your cake plate.

We still had some of the whimsical decorations out too - like my favorite little tree with these fun characters we bought at Pier1 Imports last year.

Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures at night, but he changed out nearly EVERY light bulb in our house with an orange, red or black bulb. It is pretty creepy. I've felt like I live in a dungeon.

We still had the mice up the stairs, like last year. This is one of my favorite decorations and Jason traced and cut each and every one. I think we found the template on Marthastewart.com If you're feeling like splurging, you can buy them at Michael's too, but they will cost you far more than if you take the time to make them yourself.

Every day, I would come home and more of my house had been spun into a web.

See those creepy guys peering out from behind my curtains? I almost freaked one night when I first noticed them.

Everywhere you turn, there is a monster peeking out from a corner. I'm surprised Imani doesn't have nightmares.

This year, our mantel remained decorated as it has been, except Jason spun it up in his web and added some gourds and a tombstone that we bought at Rite Aid (our favorite store). There are eerie lights that run behind the window to spook up the mantel at night.

Of course we put out our frames with spooky text too.

I think Jason was extra inspired because he just finished reading Dracula. This, coupled with my love of the Twilight series, dictated our costumes this year.

We really get into Halloween every year. If you missed my post highlighting all of our costumes over the years, you can check it out here.

Nope, no fuzzy bear costume for Noah. He was a little vampire too.

Even Maggie has a costume and I must say, it's quite appropriate.

Happy Halloween, from our dungeon to yours!

Living the Dream

2011-10-01T13:16:00.000-04:00

So much has happened in the past few months since I last blogged. Last summer, when I took a hiatus from writing, I came back announcing I was pregnant.

Well, this year . . . I'm not pregnant.

And I'm still fully employed.

In fact, not only did I return to my full time job, but I also signed up as a stylist for Stella & Dot. I'm having so much fun selling this fabulous line of jewelry and handbags. You can check out my online store at http://www.stelladot.com/stephatkins

Before you think I'm a complete slacker, I did guest blog for Grace at Sense and Simplicity once. You can read it here (there's even a video of Noah).

But why haven't I blogged regularly? For one, I've been stressed out and busy! For two, every moment I'm not working or having a trunk show for Stella & Dot, I'm spending time with my children.

But recently, a decision in our family has put my mind at ease and allowed for less stress.

Jason and I have decided that Jason would become a stay at home dad.

Yes, you read that right - Jason left his office job at Cornell, where he worked for 12 years, to stay home full time with Noah and Imani.

I couldn't be more thrilled.

Before you think I'm making gobs of money in my full time sales job, let me just tell you that this decision will force us to follow a budget -- something we started doing with this year's New Year's Resolution, but something we had the luxury of breaking when we really wanted to make a big purchase.

It's requiring some sacrifices like selling Jason's shiny, big pick up truck and cutting back on Direct TV.

When we've told people of our decision, we've received a variety of reactions. Some guys have told Jason that they're jealous -- that they'd love to stay home and have their wives provide financially for their families. Others have questioned our decision and Jason's manhood.

Even some women who I've told have said it's "crazy" and they couldn't imagine their husbands staying at home. When we've explained that the cost of daycare for two children makes Jason's take home pay seem meager, it doesn't matter. For some, working for a paycheck -- no matter how small -- defines you.

These reactions always trouble me. I can't believe we, as a society, value money more than we value our children. What job is more important than raising a good, kind, healthy human being?

And what have we been smoking to believe it's healthier to send our kids off to daycare to be raised by a stranger so we can make a small salary just to say that we work?

Don't get me wrong. I completely understand the need for daycare for many families. I've been there. As a single mom with Imani, I didn't have a choice but to send her to daycare while I worked. And I understand that for some families, both parents must work to make ends meet.

I get it.

But I have been utterly shocked by the response in saying my husband is staying home. I know if it had been I who had chosen to stay home, the response from many would have been different.

To be honest, when I was pregnant and the topic of Jason staying home came up, I was adamantly opposed. "'It would be terrible for our marriage" I'd tell people flatly. I thought I'd be jealous.

But when Jason took his four week's of paternity leave, I left the house each day happy, confident and focused on my work. I didn't worry about Imani and Noah because I knew they were in loving hands. When I came home each day, the kids were happy -- Imani had adventures to tell me about and Noah's smile told my heart his day was good.

What's more . . . my house was spotless (have I mentioned Jason has OCD?), the laundry was done and each day I would walk in to the aroma of dinner on the table.

All I had to focus on was spending time with my children.

Did you know that there were roughly 158,000 stay at home dads in the US in 2010 compared to 5.3 million stay at home moms? The trend for stay at home dads is growing though. Fortune Magazine reported that over a third of its “50 Most Powerful Women in Business” had a stay-at-home spouse.

I'm blessed to have a husband who is man enough not to measure his worth by his paycheck and who is confident enough to break societal norms to do what we feel is right for our family.

I'm also blessed to have a job that pays well that I actually enjoy (most of the time) .

Jason has mentioned his desire to contribute financially in some way. I've suggested he start his own blog on being a stay at home dad but he didn't seem interested.

I've urged him to become a regular writer for Decorating Addiction, but still no response there.

He might pursue artwork (since that's what he went to school for), but he's not sure.

He could always flip houses, or help others with their renovations.

But for now, I'm happy with him just playing 500 Rummy with Imani and changing Noah's diapers.

And don't forget - the man can practically make up his salary in his weekly coupon savings.

My next blog post might be about how we built an addition on our house out of boxes of toothpaste.

Did you think the couponing had slowed because a baby was born?

Think again . . . he's only gotten better at his skill! Yes, this sexy man still holds the title of the Coupon Cowboy. How lucky am I?

So yeah, we're living the dream -- but this dream isn't about how much money we're making.

We're sacrificing a pick up truck in exchange for not missing out on Noah's first steps.

I might not be able to buy a new pair of heels in two different colors so that Imani can ride the bus home and complete homework in her own house with a dad who cares rather than at an after school program with 50 other kids. She gets to spend time with her baby brother too.

I have a feeling none of us will ever regret it.

Innocent Determination

2011-06-09T10:49:00.000-04:00

There have been so many times when I've questioned my ability as a mother.

These are the times when I wait until Imani goes to bed and I call my own mom and cry, wishing I could quit this job called motherhood.

And then there are times when I know I've done something right and I wouldn't trade this job for anything else in the world.

My sister's friend Dre is a person who Imani has always really liked. What's not to like -- she's fun and energetic and a genuinely good person. She's spent a few holidays with my family, since she's from the West Coast and couldn't always make it home for holidays. I remember one time Dre came to visit us for Halloween. I was throwing a Halloween party for Imani and Dre dressed as a witch and played games with all of the kids. She was a big hit.

Imani was sad when Dre moved back to the West Coast several years ago. But thanks to social networking like Facebook, we can see how Dre is doing.

Imani was extremely shocked and upset when she read on Facebook that Dre's brother, Matt, was diagnosed with cancer. She saw that Dre had set up an online drive to raise money to help Matt B. with his expenses.

She saw that we donated for the cause.

She saw that my sister donated for the cause.

She said nothing.

But instead of using her online time to play "Club Penguin," she began using her online time to check the Matt B vs Cancer website to see if he had reached his goal. Matt B. needed to raise $83,000 to cover his medical expenses, and although the donations were coming in, Imani was noticing that the donation bar was still far from reaching the goal at the top.

She started mentioning Matt B. almost daily, despite the fact that she'd never met him. She read his online biography and discovered that he was blind at 22 months old yet still went on to be a music major in college and play the guitar.

Image: Mattbvscancer.com

Imani wanted to help Matt B reach his goal. She tried to put together a fundraising effort for her school where each grade would bring in change and compete to fill up a jar. Whichever grade raised the most money would win a pizza party.

But her principal wouldn't let her hold the fundraiser because no one knew Matt and it wasn't relevant for the whole school.

So Imani went back to the drawing board. Several of her friends gave her money and she made a jar in her room where she put their donations. She started putting her own money in the jar too.

Meanwhile, Jason and I were busy preparing for Noah's arrival and we thought maybe Imani's determination would pass. After all, we had already given a donation and Imani didn't really know Matt B. personally. It's not that we didn't want to help. We just didn't realize she was all that serious.

But our 10 year old had something to teach us -- that being passionate about helping someone doesn't stop at one donation. It doesn't stop when someone tells you you cannot conduct a fundraiser in their school. And it doesn't stop when your parents are preoccupied with a pregnancy.

Imani called Aunt D to find out what she could do to raise money for Matt B. Aunt D sent a myriad of ideas, most of which involved dance parties, pool parties, or other large groups of kids at my house -- to which I said:

"Bad Idea."

"Bad idea."

Hmmmmm . . . . "Bad idea."

But one idea struck Imani and was acceptable to both of her parents: a benefit concert.

So while Jason and I were busy picking out baby names and putting together a nursery, Imani continued to save her pennies in a jar in her bedroom for Matt B.

But she also started planning a concert. She put together a list of songs she'd play on the violin and she asked her violin teacher if she would accompany her on the piano.

She started creating a program for the concert even though she didn't have a venue at which to play.

Months passed. The jar continued to get heavier with change.

My belly continued to grow.

On the other side of the country Matt B. continued treatments for cancer.

Image: Mattbvscancer.com

And the donation bar on Matt B's fundraising website still looked far away from $83,000.

Imani started asking me questions -- serious questions, like what happened to Matt B if he didn't get the money he needed? Was there any other way she could help him?

I saw her passion and dedication and I knew I had to help her wrap up those final details so that the concert could take place.

I reached out to our church to see if they would allow us to use the sanctuary for the benefit concert.

They generously waived the $700 space rental fee.

I helped Imani finalize the program and we called a local newspaper to get an ad placed to announce the concert. I was shocked when, instead of an ad, the newspaper decided to do a story on the concert. It made the front page! You can read about it here.

We sent out emails to the PTA list serv, Imani's violin school list serv, and we created an "event" on Facebook.

Imani asked a couple of her friends to play songs on piano for the concert too. One little girl agreed and this Saturday, she will join Imani in her concert titled "Healing Through Music" in an effort to raise money for someone they have never met.

Imani has been practicing every day; she's playing more than a dozen songs at the event.

Image: IthacaJournal.com

I know she doesn't feel like practicing every day, especially when the weather is hot and there is a pool in her backyard.

I watch her with the violin held high;

I look at the signs she created by hand that aren't as neat as I'd like but were created with great thought and detail nonetheless

and I look at that jar in her bedroom filling up with change

and I know that as a mom, I've done something right.

For more information on Matt B. or to make a donation, visit http://www.mattbvscancer.com/ and click on the PayPal button.

Learning to Plant

2011-06-06T14:33:00.000-04:00

We've been busy here trying to get our landscaping under control. In the past few years of fixing up this little Cape, we haven't even begun to address the yard until this year (unless you count putting mulch around trees).

Part of the problem is that neither Jason nor I really know what we're doing. A couple of years ago we went out and bought a whole bunch of shrubs and plants in an effort to give our home a little more curb appeal.

Imagine our horror when we woke up and found nearly all of the plants had been eaten by the deer that roam our neighborhood.

We did learn that deer don't like peonies.

Or Irises

So this year, now that we have our pool fenced in, we figured we could plant some things that aren't deer resistant with the hope that the deer won't jump our small fence.

We enlisted the help of our friend Kelby, who once worked for his father's landscaping company. Maybe you remember Kelby . . . he's the guy who knows how to do EVERYTHING and has helped teach Jason every step of the way in our remodeling our home.

We owe him our next child.

Seriously.

Kelby helped us pick out plants and then showed us where we should plant them. That, to me, is the hardest part of landscaping. I know what plants I like but then when we plant them, they don't look right. They look like a bunch of random plants stuck in the ground in no particular order. I've discovered there is a real art to where and how to arrange plants.

And we're still not good at it, so anyone with any advice . . . let us have it!

Anyway, Jason's been busy trying to get all of the plants in the ground around the pool and then filling the area with stone. I can't wait to show you all the work when it's finished.

In this quest for landscaping around our pool, we came up short on plants, even though we spent a small fortune . . . as in $1000 on plants . . .

So I did what any logical woman would do . . . I started asking friends for plants and I posted an ad on Freecycle. (Do you have a freecycle.org where you live? It's an AMAZING service!)

I've discovered that gardeners are some of the most generous people I've ever come across. I've been amazed by all of the plants people are willing to divide up and donate to our yard.

And although I'm getting a hodgepodge of plants and I have no idea how to arrange any of them, I like knowing that they came from someone else's hands, someone who cared enough to share them with us. They are an extension of strangers and friends whose soil nourished them from seedlings.

And now we will plant them in our yard for the next journey of their lives and (hopefully) watch them thrive so that we can one day divide them and give life to other barren yards.

I'm still figuring out what must be planted within the fenced area of the pool, and what will be safe outside of the fence where the deer roam freely.

Other than landscaping, Jason is still busy clipping coupons. For those of you who thought the baby would slow him down, you were incredibly wrong. I received a text today from Jason that said,
"I figured out the Rite Aid deal and we can get all that stuff for -$3.51!"

Nope, Baby Noah hasn't slowed the Coupon Cowboy down not one little bit. Can you say name brand diapers for next to nothing?

I have been busy trying to get back into shape and I'm happy to say that my battle with the treadmill has been paying off. I fit into my skinny jeans again! Enough said.

Imani has been busy planning a benefit concert for a dear friend's brother who was diagnosed with cancer. Although Imani's never met our friend's brother (they live on the West Coast), his battle with cancer has touched Imani's young heart so she has been busily preparing flyers, a program and working out other details for her violin concert this Saturday. I'll post more about that later.

And Noah? He's busy doing what babies do: soaking up all that is around him and winning everyone over with his precious smile.

Out with the Mold

2011-05-16T14:03:00.005-04:00

Remember when Jason smelled mold in our bedroom and he ripped apart the entire wall to address the problem only a month before I was due to have Noah? If you missed it, you can read about it here. For a short time, my bedroom looked like this:

and I was just praying that Noah wouldn't decide to arrive early and this would be his welcome to our home.

Thankfully, he was late like his parents.

Instead of just replacing the insulation, fixing the window and re-sheetrocking the wall, we figured it would be a nice time to change things up a bit.

Yes, we tend to take on big projects during monumental events in our lives.

Like the time we gutted our entire kitchen only weeks before our wedding. In fact, I was so sick of doing dishes in the bathroom and cooking outside on the grill that our honeymoon was more than just a honeymoon . . . it was an escape from the chaos of my kitchen. While we were away, our countertops were installed so that when we returned, Jason could finish up the kitchen.

What can I say? We love stress.

Anyway . . . back to the story at hand.

I had been wanting to give our bedroom more of a cottage feel, since it is such a small space. I really love the horizontal plank walls that I've seen in Pottery Barn, Country Living and over at The Lettered Cottage.

The good news is that I didn't have to sell Jason on the idea. He actually welcomed it, since he hates to tape and spackle sheet rock.

Perhaps you remember our bedroom originally looked like this.

And then we got rid of the king sized bed and I had Jason cut our dresser so that it could be moved to make room for the bassinet. If you missed that crazy adventure, you can read about it here.

That brought our bedroom to this.

We moved the jewelry armoire and mirror to make room for the beautiful PB bassinet that was a gift from my mother in law and her boyfriend. Remember the sketch she did of the bassinet because it wasn't going to arrive in time for my shower? You know, the one that hangs in Noah's room as a piece of art on the wall?

Well the bassinet arrived in time for Noah and it looks great in the space we created. .

Did you notice the switches up on the wall? Well, I've always wanted lights on either side of the bed for reading. I'm not a Kindle kind of girl . . . I like good ol' fashioned pages to turn, which means I need a light so that I can read at night. And I'm not much into little book lights. They fall off my book, run out of batteries and generally aggravate me.

So my husband who spoils me installed two lights - one on either side of the bed and each light has its own switch. Once Noah was born, Jason took the lights one step further and installed a dimmer switch so that we could get up to tend to Noah in the middle of the night without flipping on a bright light.

It all came together really nicely and I'm growing to really love my slanted ceilings and small bedroom. I never thought I would, but it's become my little cozy haven.

We both hated the color of the walls so we figured that while we were installing the plank wall, we might as well update the color too. We used white on the planked wall and went with Sherwin William's "Blue Hubbard" for the side walls (a color I'll admit I snagged from The Lettered Cottage's design).

We I still have a few things ~~we'd~~ I'd like to do in this room. As you know from reading my blog, I hate the color of the dressers and night stand. I'd like to try to refinish them in a lighter color. Originally, I wanted to paint them white, but now I'm hoping to go with a distressed gray like much of the furniture in Restoration Hardware.

I also want to get a new light fixture. I'd love a chandelier, but our ceilings are so low, I don't think it would look right. I've been looking around but haven't found anything that speaks to me yet. Any suggestions?

Finally, I want to get rid of the towering fan on the night stand and update it with a smaller, silver more industrial looking fan. Getting rid of the fan is not an option, as you might remember from my post Finding Sleep with a Fan. While the current fan we have is a huge upgrade from the old boxed fan we used to use, it looks Victorian, and just doesn't go with the room anymore.

I also want to ditch the old-school electric alarm clock. You know how much I hate the look of electronics so I want to hide our alarm clock somehow. I thought of using a classic looking alarm clock (you know the ones that have a little device that hits two bells at the top?) but Jason says he doesn't want to wake up to such a loud alarm in the morning. I've also considered just using our cell phones as alarm clocks, but J likes to see the time in the middle of the night so maybe a cell phone docking station would work?

I'm still figuring it out.

So there you have it . . . our lighter, brighter and mold-free bedroom.

Linking to:

Zen Bathroom Inspiration

2011-05-11T12:13:00.000-04:00

Have you ever had relatives tell you so much about their friends that you feel like you're friends with these people too?

This seems to happen a lot with my sister's friends. She has several friends who I consider my friends, yet I've never met them and most I've never even spoken to. Sometimes I forget I haven't actually met these people because I feel like I've known them for a long time. I've seen pictures of them; they've seen pictures of me. I know about their jobs, they know about my kids. We're often friends on Facebook.

One time, one of my sister's friends -- Peter -- actually asked me on the phone, "Wait . . . have we ever actually met?" He was serious. And I actually had to stop for a minute and think about if we had ever met.
We hadn't.
Are we odd . . . or have you had this experience too?

Anyway, I got a text from my sister the other day asking if I could send her some Zen bathroom pictures. Apparently, one of her friends, who I feel like I've met but I haven't, is re-designing her bathroom and wants it Zen-inspired.

So here's to the friend of my sister who I've never met but I feel like I have . .

So what makes a "Zen" bathroom?

First, think minimalist, clean lines, neutrals and natural/organic colors and textures.

interiordesignonadime.com

Many of the Zen bathrooms have natural/organic elements such as bamboo flooring, organic woven rugs, rocks or pebbles, and bamboo plants. Bringing these elements into the design helps to create the Zen bathroom.

chictip.com

Most of the bathrooms also feel very spa-like. To re-create this feeling at home, select towels that match the wall color, or are in the same color family. The towels are often rolled and stacked in the Zen bathroom. The other option is to just use all white towels to create a spa-like feeling.

housebliss.wordpress.com

Use as much natural light as possible. Install lots of windows or skylights and bring elements of the outdoors in. For example, use pebble flooring for the shower or bring plants into the bathroom. Common plants used in Zen design include bamboo and orchids.

www.arsitekturmedia.com

Leave the walls plain,or hang a few floral paintings or oriental designs. Another option is to hang candle sconces.

homedesigning.com

Vessel sinks and seamless glass showers also seem to be very common elements in the modern Zen bathroom.

In the end, the key to the Zen bathroom is creating a feeling of peace and serenity.

So to the friend I've never met . . . I hope this helps! When you finish your bathroom, we'd love to see pictures!

To everyone else - if you're planning a re-design and would like me to find inspiration pictures for you, shoot me an email. I'll create a post showing you what pictures inspire me for your re-design.

Garbage Pickers

2011-05-03T15:57:00.000-04:00

I had this vision when I was working that when I was on maternity leave I would do a ton of home improvement and decorating projects and I'd post on my blog daily.

But then Noah was born and maternity leave started . . . and reality kicked in.

I'm exhausted.

I don't know where the hours in the day go -- I spend time with Noah, nap, clean the house, cook and then Imani is home on the bus. We do homework and practice violin and then Jason is home. The day is over and I don't know how it went by so fast.

When the weather cooperates, Imani and I go for walks with Noah and Maggie. One day a few weeks ago when we were on one of our walks, Imani asked me if we could pick up trash in the neighborhood. She had spotted a muddy grocery bag tangled in a shrub.

"No Imani. Don't touch it. It's full of germs and you don't know who touched it last" I said.

I realized I was saying this to a child who is constantly on the look out for treasures on the streets of New York city when we go to visit Aunt D. I also realized it didn't go along with the "green" messages Imani had received in her elementary school.

I was just feeling lazy and crabby and I didn't want to pick up garbage.

Of course, Imani was disappointed.

"How about we pick up trash on Earth Day. We could wear gloves," she pleaded.

"Sure. Earth day. That sounds like a great idea."

I had no idea when Earth Day was this year . . . and I was hoping Imani didn't either.

And then one afternoon after school Imani and I decided to watch the Ellen DeGeneres show and lo and behold, Ellen spilled the news.

"Happy Earth Day" she announced as she gave everyone in the audience an abundance of green gifts.

"NO!!!" I wanted to shout. It was rainy and cold outside my window and I certainly didn't feel like schlepping around picking up trash.

Maybe, just maybe, Imani had been daydreaming and didn't hear Ellen's announcement.

"Mom! Did you hear Ellen! Remember we are going to pick up trash on Earth Day!" Imani said with enthusiasm.

"Oh honey, Mommy is exhausted and it's so rainy and cold. Maybe Jason will pick up trash with you when he gets home."

I'm a terrible mother. I couldn't believe I was bailing on the trash pick up promise.

"Well could you do it with me another day?" Imani asked.

"Definitely. I promise when the weather is nicer, we will pick up trash together" I said with certainty.

Of course Jason pulled through for me and picked up trash with Imani on the cold and rainy Earth Day 2011.

But I wasn't off the hook. This weekend, the weather was nice and guess what Imani reminded me I had promised I would do?

I put Noah in the Moby wrap (which he LOVES btw. For those of you with newborns, I highly recommend them . . . Noah falls asleep in less than five minutes when he's in the Moby), put on my rain boots because it was so muddy, Imani grabbed a bucket and we were off to pick up garbage.

I tried to convince her that we could just pick up trash in our own yard, but she insisted we needed to clean the neighborhood.

"I want people who drive through to know that this is a clean community" she explained. I couldn't believe her determination to clean the sidewalks, yards of apartments and other people's yards.

We found lots of trash and even when I told Imani something was too gross to pick up, she picked it up anyway . . . like a dirty sock.

At the end of our walk, we had half a bucket of trash and the neighborhood did look cleaner. I felt good that I had finally fulfilled my promise, but I felt even better that my child found joy in cleaning the Earth. She could be inside glued to the TV or Wii, but instead she wanted to pick up trash.

Oh and we forgot our gloves . . but don't worry. We washed our hands when we got home.

Before she went to bed that night Imani said "Thanks for picking up trash with me mom. Wasn't it fun? Maybe we could do it again sometime."

Yes . . . maybe we will.

Barney Room to Baby Room

2011-04-27T19:38:00.001-04:00

I realize I never showed you the entire nursery. I had intentions to but then Noah was born.

For those of you who know me and Jason, you know that we're procrastinators. We're very last minute. It's something I've been working on.

Oh, and we're rarely on time . . . which is why I was so surprised when my friends and family all guessed Noah would arrive early.

Anyway, we waited until the last minute to finish Noah's nursery and he was ~~late just like his parents~~ kind enough to hold out entering the world until the last detail was complete.

The room used to be our spare bedroom. Once upon a time, it had bright purple and dark green walls (think Barney). That's how it was when we first bought the house. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of it in its former glory, but trust me when I say that it could have been the set for the Barney cartoon.

When we first bought our house, it was in such disarray that Jason, Imani and I all slept in the same bedroom. We plopped two beds in there and had what Imani thought was the coolest three month sleepover. She was devastated when Jason announced that he had finished her bedroom and she could move upstairs.

Then this bedroom had just a single bed with Dora the Explorer bedding on it because it's all I had to fit a single bed. It matched the purple walls nicely. This was the decor when I offered the room up for a colleague and dear friend of mine who was going through a divorce with her crazy husband.

She took me up on it and the "Dora room" became her room for the month she hid out at our house so her crazy husband wouldn't find her.

After she moved out, the room got a fresh coat of paint, a full bed, some boxed-trim moulding, and some new decor.

And then last year, I wanted to lighten it up again so we bought new bedding, painted the bed and got some new fixtures:

And now, just one year later, it has come full circle. What was once the shared bedroom of me, Jason and Imani, is now the bedroom of the newest member of our family.

You'll notice we kept the paint color and the chandelier. All we really did was change the furniture. I opted not to have an official changing table and just used the dresser instead. When I had Imani, I found the changing table to be a big space waster.

So Jason secured the changing pad to the top of the dresser instead.

Jason also stenciled some trees on the wall just above the crib. We splurged and bought the Pottery Barn "Little Lamb" bedding for the crib (and received some of the accessories from our wonderful friends to match).

Target pulled through for me with their cushy rocker-glider. It's been a perfect place for Noah and I to relax. We found the table at Big Lots and the mirror was purchased at TJ Maxx.

As a former English teacher, I'm a big believer in books (I'm one of the pregos who read to Noah and Imani in utero), so in addition to the giant bin of books that's tucked away in the closet, we placed a basket with some of our favorite board books next to the rocker.

In addition to the mirror and the stenciled branches, we decorated the walls with a few pieces that we created ourselves.

The shelf with the knobs that match the dresser pulls:

The ABC art I created with my Silhouette.

Noah's name on the wall, which I also created with my Silhouette.

And the drawing my mother-in-law made of Noah's bassinet.

We also made the curtains and the chandelier over the changing area
(which I'm happy to report little Noah loves).

Oh and I can't forget the closet. Back in the room's Dora days, it was a catch all for everything. It looked like this:

And then Jason wallpapered it and created shelving. Now Noah has this beautiful closet:

Oh and I cannot forget the super comfy rug I scored at Home Goods. Everyone who visits comments on how comfortable the rug is . . . even Jason's manly friends. In fact, our good friends just went to Lowes and ordered carpeting for their bedrooms in something very similar to the area rug in Noah's room.

More importantly, Noah loves the rug too.

And so does Maggie, and for those of you who are wondering Noah and Maggie have become good friends.

We're really happy with how the whole thing turned out. It's a nice, peaceful place where we all enjoy spending time. In fact, sometimes before Imani goes to bed, we all sit in Noah's room and read.

Here's the breakdown of where we got everything and how much we spent:

Delta convertible crib in cherry-- Target $249.99
Delta children's dresser in cherry --Target $249.99
Sealy Mattress -- Target $77.99
Rocker Glider - Target $399.99
Shelf - AC Moore $7.99
Curtains fabric, rods, clips and stitch witchery: Hobby Lobby $95
Drawer Pulls for dresser and shelf- Hobby Lobby $27
Picture Frames for wall art - Target $15
Rug - Home Goods - $199
Closet wood, rods wall paper and baskets - Lowes $100
Table next to chair - Big Lots - $39
Mirror on wall - TJ Maxx $15
Chandelier supplies - AC Moore $20
Lamb bean bag chair - Pottery Barn Kids$100 (big splurge)
Lamb Crib Bedding -- Pottery Barn Kids(second big splurge) $220

Everything else in the room we either had or was given to us. That brings the grand total for the room re-design to $1,815.95.

Not bad, considering I wanted to spend over $1000 on the Pottery Barn rocker glider alone.

So that's how the Barney room came to be Noah's room.

He's Arrived!

2011-04-12T11:10:00.001-04:00

Please excuse my absence over the last few weeks. We've been a bit preoccupied with our latest love.

Noah Joseph Atkins was born Tuesday, March 29, weighing 7 pounds 13 oz.

I'll do my best to get some posts up .. . in between lots of cuddling with this little miracle.

Thank you for all of the thoughtful comments and emails over the last couple of weeks!

Decorating Addiction

Weekend Wrap Up

Lessons from My Mom

Containing Kid Clutter

Weekend Wrap Up

Shopper's Club Chaos Solved!

Organzing Drawers

Fun, Fun, Noah Turns One!

Addicted to Pinterest

Crushing on Valentine's

Dresser Gets a Face Lift

Dining Room Remodel, aka Jason's First Blog

Karen's Zen Bathroom

Top Posts of 2011

Holiday Happenings and Decorating

Christmas Crafts for Procrastinators

Decorating Walls

Living in Dracula's Dungeon

Living the Dream

Innocent Determination

Learning to Plant

Out with the Mold

Zen Bathroom Inspiration

Garbage Pickers

Barney Room to Baby Room

He's Arrived!