Dear Vera,

Well it’s nearly your 28th month already and I’m just now getting around to writing your 27 month letter. Life gets busy.

It is a little hard for me to recall what happened before vs. after your month b-day, so I’ll just write what I do remember and I’m sure that will do.

You’ve been so funny and talkative lately. You’re obsessed with chewing gum. You love watching Daniel Tiger on the computer while I get dressed for work in the mornings. You like to snuggle in bed with us.

Probably the biggest development since last letter is that you are potty-trained now! You’ve been doing a great job. A few snags here and there, but overall you picked it up really quickly and I am so proud of you!

Your hair is finally starting to really come in too. You look like you actually have a style! Haha. Your eyes are still that mysterious gray that seems to change daily – sometimes looking more blue, sometimes hazel brown.

You can be shy at times, but overall are very friendly. When you’re in your best moods, you will say hi to anyone you see and give that cute smile and wave of yours. You’re also very polite, saying please and thank you and excuse me when you pass someone.

It amazes me how smart you are sometimes. You recognize letters, can count almost to 20 and constantly use phrases that I didn’t know you knew. It cracks me up. The other day I called for you and you responded with “Yeah mom? You got a idea?” I laughed so hard.

That little personality is my favorite thing these days. You make me laugh all the time. You can have a real phone conversation now too, and that’s been fun to see. You are very independent at times, insisting that you climb into the car seat by yourself instead of being lifted in, and that you carry your own little bag, but other times you are shy and insist that I hold you or do things for you.

I hope that sticks around for a while. I like them both.

Love you so much!

Love, Mom

PS- See all Vera’s monthly photos here!

On to one of those projects now! When we bought this house, it had nearly everything on my wish list. Nearly. One thing I had always dreamed of though, was a big beautiful front porch. Somewhere we could lounge and watch kids play outside. Or sit on a porch swing and watch rain storms like I did with my dad when I was little.

Well, all we have is a tiny portico. But that’s not a great reason to not buy a house that you otherwise love, right? Right. It still has always bothered me though, that we don’t have anywhere to sit out front, especially since we live on a cul-de-sac (circle drive), which means Vera is always out front playing in the circle with the neighbor kids. Seriously, every day the weather is even remotely fair enough to step outside.

Given that, I’ve been dreaming of adding on a porch since the day we made an offer almost four years ago (4! Really?!), but that is obviously a huge undertaking that may never happen. And if it does, it won’t be anytime soon, as there are several other essential projects that precede it in order of necessity. But a girl can dream right?

Since I’m a strategist though, I can’t just leave things alone. I chew on them over and over until a solution comes to me. Hence, our new front rock patio. :)

I know that a porch isn’t in the cards for this house, at least for the foreseeable future, so I came up with what I consider the next best option. We’ve spent the past several weekends doing a little landscaping out front and created a nice little rock patio using what we already had, just moving things around.

Here’s what it looked like when we started. Extra bad since we hadn’t cleaned up from winter yet. It will make the after look even shinier. Trust me. Don’t you love the Christmas trees on the porch? Did I mention this was taken just a few weeks ago?

First, we dug up the retaining wall in front, dug a new trench several feet out, and put it all back down in its new spot. While this was going on, I also laid new weed block paper down over as much of the area as possible. This was probably my least favorite part, because it involved moving away all the mulch and rocks that were already there, but so worth it not to have to pull weeds all summer long.

Then I marked out my little patio area, and we went about the ever so tedious task of relocating all the rock from around the tree area over to the new patio spot.

I should stop here to explain. The strange division between mulch and patio that’s visible right behind the tree in the before photos has always driven me crazy. Crazy! Not only is there no purpose for it, but having rock right next to the portico and sidewalk (and not anywhere else) visually blended into the cement and just didn’t provide the pop of contrast I would have chosen.

So my new plan involved moving all the randomly placed rock into a little patio area and surrounding it with deep black mulch and pretty plants for contrast. Perennials of course, because I have a black thumb and they stand a better chance of making it more than a week.

I really can’t describe how tedious this was. Brett doesn’t do well with tasks like this, so I did most of it on my own, with some help from my dad (and Vera of course). But I’m sure our neighbors wondered what the heck we were doing over here, because it looked a fright for weeks while I took multi-day sanity breaks from filling bucket after bucket with rocks.

Finally though, I got it done! Yip yip!! And then came the fun part. Pouring new mulch is one of the most rewarding instant gratification activities out there. In a matter of minutes, your yard turns from blah to ta-dah with minimal effort. Besides that, I stumbled across this awesome patio set from World Market that was unbelievably priced. If you’ve ever shopped for patio furniture you know that it can get very pricy. This four piece set was only $199 – which is about the price of a single chair other places I was looking.

I know what you’re thinking, because I thought it too. What’s the catch? But no. I read 25 reviews and they were all great. It’s made out of solid wood, it’s easy to put together, it’s not child sized. There is no catch. Some reviewers commented that the cushions aren’t the best quality, and I guess the aren’t as thick as some I’ve seen, but I actually prefer it that way- it looks sleek and clean. Honestly, you could use the set with no cushions at all and it’s still just as beautiful. Or I suppose you could buy replacement cushions if it really bothered you or the provided ones wore out – it would definitely still be cheaper than any other option I’ve found out there. Can you tell I’m in love?

We decided to break up the set a bit, using just the two chairs out front and the bench and table on the deck. I did purchase these two decorative pillows for the chairs (from Target) too, and I love the way they add a nice pop of color and bring the red from the planters down to the patio.

Other than that, I moved around some plants – adding two shade-loving hostas to the front porch pots (moving the same ones I planted way back when), since nothing else will grow there, and moving two large rocks from behind the tree to out in front where they can actually be seen. I also bought a few of those pretty perennials I mentioned earlier. Don’t ask me what they’re called – plants aren’t my thing and I can’t remember. I just picked ones I liked and made sure they would live in the sunny area I planned to put them.

And there you have it. A brand new rock patio with minimal spend. I’d still like to get a nice little garden stool or table to set between the chairs for drinks, books, etc, but I’m in the shopping phase. Which could take a while. So far though, we’ve already used our new patio about 80 times. That’s an exaggeration, but you get the idea. We’re loving it! (Even if it’s not a real porch.)

Scarf: American Eagle
Earrings: American Eagle
Top: Old Navy
Tank: Old Navy
Cords: American Eagle
Shoes: Target

When I wore this outfit a week or so ago it was freezing, and I felt like color would just be too cheery. How can you be cheery when it’s frigid in May? You can’t. So I was all anti-color and wore every shade of black, white and gray in my closet. But for reals, I do like this outfit. This scarf from American Eagle is so pretty and I had to find something to let it stand out. Hence the real reason for lack of color.

Luckily it has warmed up significantly today and looks good for the rest of the week at least. So maybe next time I wear this scarf it will be with something light and bright. :) Hope your week is off to a great start!

Dear Vera,

It’s been quite the big month for you, big girl. Not only are you looking more and more like a little girl all the time, instead of a baby, but you’re acting like one too. This month you moved out of your crib and into a toddler bed. You’ve done so well with it! Surprisingly so. It makes me so happy to check on you and find you snuggled up under your covers. I have plans for a real twin sized bed for you later this year, but for now, we’re all happy with the toddler bed and how well you’ve adapted to it. I think it helps that it’s really your old crib, converted into a bed. It seems familiar to you.

This month we also finally got your little ears pierced. And they look adorable! You seem to really like them too, except when it’s time to clean them… that’s another story. It’s funny to me though, how you immediately recognize when I get the cleaning solution out. You run to your bed laughing with your hands in little fists covering your ears. Then it’s a game of “Where’s your ear hiding??” while you giggle and squirm.

Your manners continue to get better and better. You’re saying please more often now (thank you almost all the time), and you’ve recently started saying ‘no thank you’, and ‘bless you’ when anyone sneezes. Including yourself, haha. Speaking of things you’re saying, we’ve had a few nice days lately and you’ve gotten to start playing outside again. The neighborhood kids who haven’t seen you in a while are all fascinated by your big vocabulary. My favorite thing is watching you learn words and what they mean. The other day you were looking so sleepy, so I asked if you were ready to lay down for a nap. You told me “No, I still playin, Mama.” I responded “Are you sure? Your eyes are looking pretty heavy.” Which prompted “Yeah, my eyes too big.” I couldn’t stop laughing. :)

Your favorite games right now are coloring in your coloring books and hide and seek. You’re a terrible hider, but it’s really cute. (I have a video of this, but I think it’s on my old phone, so I’ll have to search for it and hopefully add it later…)

We gave you another little hair cut this past month and it’s finally starting to look almost like a style- pixie cut! The front is coming in more and more, and soon we’ll have to worry about actually fixing your hair to keep it out of your face. Not yet though. So I guess maybe you’re not too big yet after all. :)

Love you so much V,
Mom

PS- See all Vera’s monthly photos here!

I realize I didn’t get Vera’s 26 month post up on the 25th, so that is on its way this week instead. And we’ve been working on some landscaping over the past few weekends, so if we don’t get the snow that’s predicted this week (yes, I realize it is May! Apparently Mother Nature didn’t get that memo…) I’ll hopefully be able to show that to you in the next week or so too.

Oh and before I get into today’s actual post, I have to give some quick love to the hub. It’s our third wedding anniversary today and I do love that kid. :)

And now… over two months later, I thought it was about time for me to get a post up about Vera’s second birthday party. It’s probably safe to say that it snuck up on me and I didn’t do nearly as much, decor wise, as I did last year. Which turned out to be just fine in the end, even if a little mom guilt (or maybe creative guilt) trickled in.

What I did do was run to Costco the morning of the party and pick up food and cake. And my biggest whoops was spending all year taking monthly photos, only to forget to print them out for the party (smh). Oh well. It turned out to be a fun day nonetheless, and Vera will never know the difference. Unless she happens to read this one day… Well on to the party!

It started with aunt Dania coming over early to help me clean up and get V all prettified for her big day. She felt so special!

After that, we welcomed a whole bunch more family over (we kept it to family since that alone fills up our house!) and had the usual birthday rundown of socializing, eating, singing, and gift opening.

Vera’s present from Mom, Dad and Grandpa this year was her own little kitchen, and she loves it:

She even got matching food, pots and pans from Aunt Dania and Uncle Chad and Uncle Cody (aka Uncle Taco). She has been having a blast with it and uses it every day.

She also got her own little recliner from Grandma and Grandpa Sailors, which she loves, and too many other toys and gifts to count! Including an adorable wooden makeup set and her own little pink rain boots which she’d wear everyday if I’d let her. :)

We were so grateful to everyone who could make it to celebrate with us! It was a wonderful day.

Sweater: Kohl’s
Scarf: Gap
Jeans: American Eagle
Shoes: Gap Outlet

Pretty much everyone in our neck of the woods is really really tired of cold weather and so ready for the warm up that we usually have had by now. I am no exception. We’ve had a few nice days here and there, but when they’re a week or more apart, it’s such a tease. :(

There’s a saying that if you don’t like the weather in Nebraska, you just have to wait 10 minutes and it will change (we really can have 70° on Monday and snow on Wednesday), so hopefully soon we’ll start a real spring, but until then, I’m trying to trying to pretend its warm with fresh spring scented candles lit around the house, and denim espadrilles on my feet.

I felt like there was a lot of blue going on in this outfit, but I’m ok with that. I’ll just call it simple and monochrome. :)

Hope you had a great (springy) weekend!

This is one of my favorite blogs so it was a huge honor when I saw traffic coming from a new source and hopped over to find my kitchen counter makeover project (from a year and a half ago) featured in her Best of DIY Project Gallery under the kitchen upgrades section. Seriously, you have no idea. Not to mention I’m hardly worthy to be listed alongside the other awesome projects in the collection. Thanks Kate!!

Hope you guys are having a great week!

It pretty much was already there, since we’ve grown from two bookshelves:

(Yes I like to throw in that pic of Brett whenever possible) to three bookshelves:

But it just wasn’t quite that wall-o-books I dream of at night. So what’s a girl to do? Go for bookshelf no. 4 of course.

Yep, I went ahead and purchased the same bookshelf we already have three of (after 3-ish years I’ve been really happy with them so far) and expanded my library wall.

And you know, I love it. So much so, that I think I’m finally ready to call this room done. (for now) It may not come across as a huge change in the photos, but when you stand in the room now, it feels so much more cozy and substantial. Of course we need to finish those pesky baseboards that are still the bane of my existence, and I may get around to adding a little art work on some bare wall space above the shelves (to give the illusion that they are floor to ceiling) but overall I am really happy with where this room is at. In fact, I think I would go so far as to call it my favorite room in the house. Yep. Favorite.

(In case you’re wondering, we didn’t get rid of the old door I inherited from my Dad’s house that is in the photos above. It’s been relocated to our master bedroom for use in a future project… but more on that when there’s more to tell.)

It’s really amazing how much time we spend in here everyday now, considering way back when we never set foot in the space. And that is the definition of a good makeover in my book. Turning something useless into something we couldn’t live without. It feels like home!

Ok, so it wasn’t really scary at all. For me or (thankfully) for Vera. In fact, it’s safe to say she LOVES her new ‘big girl bed’. Like a lot. In case you’re new to the party, here’s what her room used to look like:

You can probably tell it’s the same bed, but last Friday, I spent a good portion of my afternoon off disassembling her crib and turning it into a bed, complete with sheets and a new comforter and pillow. One of the reasons we decided it was time for the switch up was that the little beast had started waking up several times a night asking to be covered up. You can imagine how fun that was for me. She used to never want covers on, preferring to be free to move around the crib, but since she suddenly changed her tune, I thought it was a good sign that she was ready for real sheets and blankets. Another sign for us was that she had started using one of her stuffed animals as a pillow every night. My little girl is growing up. :)

So while V was at daycare, I ran to 4 different Target’s in town to find the perfect sheets and comforter. And ok a few dozen other things because I can’t go to Target without finding a few things I didn’t know I needed. But regardless of the extra purchases, I did finally end up with a cute little combo of this gray, aqua and yellow chevron comforter, and these adorable pink polka dot sheets. And the colors match her room so perfectly.

I went ahead and bought regular twin size bedding, even though it is way too big for the toddler bed right now. Sometime in the not-so-distant future I plan to move her to a real twin bed, and I’m not about buying two new sets of bedding. So instead, I just folded the sheets in half before making the bed, and tucked the extra lengths under the little mattress. It works for now.

I wish I would have filmed her reaction when she first saw it, but it’s safe to say she loved it. She laid down and told me to turn off the light and cover her up. Then she got up and put all her babies to bed. Then she took them all out and laid down again. Oh the mind of a toddler.

So far she’s been doing great at night too. She doesn’t get up and wander around and really loves having real blankets and a pillow. The other night she even put herself to bed when she thought I was taking too long. She said she was going to take a nap, then went in her room, crawled in bed and yelled at me to come turn off her light. So I did and she went right to sleep. I should have done this months ago. Haha. (Knock on wood that it continues!)

Oh before I sign off, I almost forgot that besides her new bed, Vera also got something else new last weekend. Earrings!

It’s something I’ve wanted to get done since she was tiny, but we held off because Brett wasn’t so sure yet. She constantly wants to wear my earrings though, and finally Saturday I decided it was time to go through with it. She took it like a champ too! After the first one she wasn’t thrilled about having to do it again, but she held pretty still and only cried for a minute. As soon as they were done, she wanted to look in the mirror and show them off. And they look adorable! Plus now you can actually tell she’s a girl since she still has limited hair growth. :) No more ‘Oh he’s so cute!’ when we’re out and about. :)

So that was our big weekend. This weekend I think we’ll play it low key and just do some yard work. It’s that time of year, and I am determined to make this year the year I follow through on my plans to make this year the year I make the yard pretty. (Did that make any sense at all??) So hopefully I’ll have some fun stuff to show off next week.

Sweater: Forever 21
Tank: Old Navy
Jeans: American Eagle
Boots: Madden Girl via DSW

This is my new favorite sweater. Although I think I said that about my last outfit of the day… but this time I mean it. I am so obsessed with black and white and triangles right now. The print is just so beautiful to me. Plus it’s super warm and cozy. Just in time for spring. I know. But I got it on clearance and, I mean, just look at it. It was a necessity. :)

Hope your week is off to a great start friends! I’ve been in the best spring-cleaning mood lately, and have been making a lot of little updates around here that I can’t wait to share with you. Till next time!