My vision for the nursery started with this image. I loved the combination of colors and that they weren’t too babyish. Kumquat’s nursery still has to function as a guest room so I didn’t want it too be covered in animals or trucks or bugs or anything like that. Those patterns are cute and fine and all, just not me. You can check out my Pinterest board to see how I’ve gone about pulling ideas together.

My goal is to do this room on a budget so I created a spreadsheet (yes, a spreadsheet with formulas) to track the projects I am working on myself. That way I can keep an eye on what I am spending for fabric and supplies for each thing. It’s way cool. And when I compare it with what I would have spent had I bought it outright….let’s just say I jump for joy. Who needs an entire crib bedding set anyway? And for $300+? Heck no.

To start at the beginning, the guest room had a full bed, headboard, bedside table, bookcase and desk. The bed was the only thing that stayed. The headboard went to Goodwill, the bookcase and desk went into the office for me and the bedside table is in limbo. We were incredibly blessed that the Ikea dresser and rocking chair were gifts as well as the crib. That was huge for our budget! We bought the mattress and cover ourselves.

Last Friday morning my sister, Jessica came over and spent some time with me rearranging and organizing the room and closet. She was a huge help because she has a good eye for organizing and we came up with a plan for the room layout that really works. It felt like wall to wall furniture before.

Oh, here are a few photos of James assembling the dresser and rocker.

Now that the room is in order, I am able to focus on sewing projects. Here is my list:

• Crib skirt
• Throw pillows (instead of a bumper, easy to remove)
• Footstool/pouf for the rocking chair
• Nursing Cover
• Reversible Sling
• Hamper – something that hangs since we don’t have a lot of floor space
• Quilt – small one
• Wall Art

I’ve already bought a majority of the supplies needed for these projects or have things on hand already that I’ll put to use in the room. Another way to save money!

I can mark one item off my list – the crib skirt! I actually shied away from working on this because I thought it would be the most labor intensive but it wasn’t. Oh my goodness, so easy!

I found the aqua chevron material at BabyBedding.com for $7.50 a yard and bought 3 yards. I bought that much thinking I was going with this one skirt tutorial, until I stumbled upon another that was much easier. You definitely need to check out the video tutorial from Sherry on Young House Love. I pretty much followed her instructions except I sewed my hems instead of using the hem tape. I also cheated a bit and did mini-skirts for the crib ends since there aren’t rails, it’s solid. I also only skirted one long side instead of both because the crib is pushed against the wall.

Start by measuring your crib to get the dimensions for your material. Add at least an inch for seam allowance on all sides. I originally thought I’d only do my skirt length to match the lowest mattress setting but then James made a good point. With my ‘cheats’ I have plenty of fabric to do the full length and it’ll provide coverage for the storage space under the bed.

Once you have your dimensions, cut your fabric to size. Press the seam allowances (I do a rolled hem) and stitch (or stick) in place. Instead of a hem along the top, I just did a zig zag stitch so the extra inch there would wrap over the metal base.You could also use a serger if you have one.

We placed about 6, 1-2″ pieces of velcro along the metal base and attached the long skirt. As the mattress is lowered over time, we just have to pull the crib skirt up under the mattress. I think the mattress would hold it in place fairly well but we can always add another row of velcro to secure it in place if needed.

Here you can see that the ends of the crib are solid so making a mini-skirt was James’ idea. The velcro on this piece is attached just an inch above the base on the inside. The two pieces for the ends were really only about 5″ tall. These will never have to move or change even if the mattress does.

And here you can see a finished side with the mattress in place. This same tutorial could be used if you wanted a fancier skirt too….a center pleat, ruffles, two tier….anything!

You can see all my pillow forms in this shot, waiting to be covered. I only registered for white crib sheets because I want all the pattern to be in the pillows and skirt and what I put on the wall. I’ll also add white curtains and use some of the extra chevron material to embellish the tops.

So of the 3 yards of chevron material I ordered, I probably used about a yard. Maybe a little over.

• Fabric used: ~$10
• Velcro: $6
• Total for an awesome crib skirt: $16

The time investment was a little over 2 hours, including installation which James helped with (my belly gets in the way). In my hunt for this fabric, I came across a lot of chevron skirts that ranged from $80 to $100. I’d say this DIY was worth it. I am also stoked that I have plenty of material left over to use in other areas of the room.

My instructions for this project are pretty rough so be sure to watch Sherry’s video for better guidelines. You can always email or comment here too if you want to attempt this and have questions. I am happy to help!

This got me really excited to do more sewing so I am looking forward to my next projects….a nursing cover and reversible sling. Coming soon!

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Our Kumquat isn’t a kumquat any longer….I am told he is more the size of a head of cabbage now…about 3 pounds. Even though I know I have gained weight, I don’t feel all that large most of the time. Only when I try to get off the couch, out of bed or turn over in bed do I realize how big I am. I am truly thankful that so far I have had a wonderful pregnancy. The 2nd trimester was great. I had a lot of energy, got back to living and not just sleeping and really enjoyed the holidays with family. I did have a cough and some congestion for quite a while though that made things difficult. Can’t really blame that on the pregnancy too much other than not being able to take all that much to nip it in the bud. It’s 99% gone now and I am so grateful. I hate trying to sleep sitting up.

Last week, during our Christmas break, James and I made a quick trip to Buy Buy Baby to finish up the registry. Oh my goodness….too many cute things. I was trying to be practical and not select too much stuff or things I felt I wouldn’t use or need right away. I think I added too many clothes though….oops. I am open to suggestions on must have items or things you may have found indispensable.

My other goal for the 3rd trimester, besides ‘nesting’, is eating better and working out for as long as I can. I’ve been ok on both these points so far but being pregnant during the holidays is HARD. I was not very good with my sugar intake so I want to curb that to make sure I don’t gain unnecessary weight. Yes, I know I will gain more weight in the next 10 weeks and that I need to, so it’s not a diet. It’s just self-control. I want to eat the right things for both me and little man and gain weight in a good way. My friend Sarah encouraged me to just take one day at a time, not a whole week or month (which I am wont to do). So that’s my goal….take one day at a time and do what I can and don’t beat myself up when I fail.

I really have enjoyed being pregnant, more than I thought I would. There are things I’ll miss and not miss at all though. I will not miss the constant trips to the bathroom. I will not miss maternity jeans and a small wardrobe to choose from. I will not miss not being able to sleep on my stomach. I will not miss the sore hips and lower back.

I will definitely miss feeling him move around in side of me. I’ll miss staring at my belly watching his movements in amazement. It’s such an sweet feeling. I love it when James and I just watch and feel and talk to him. I don’t care that here lately he is getting pretty rough and I feel a little sore from his dance moves. Or that he decides to be the most active when I am trying to go to sleep. I love knowing that he is there, alive and well. That I will miss.

I know the next few weeks will fly by and instead of watching his movements in my belly, I’ll be putting him in these adorable shoes! I can’t wait! His shoe collection had just better not out number mine! James is warning me against making our son a ‘dress up doll’. Who? Me? Hehe….so many cute clothes, so little time. Oh the pictures I’ll take too! I promise to be good, James.

We are getting the name question a lot too. Do we have a name? An idea? Well, the answer is yes and no. We have a general idea and will have a couple options but won’t decide or share until after he arrives. Not even family will know until then. I think I’ll always call him Kumquat though. Well, at least until he protests.

The countdown has begun….March 8 or whatever day he decides to arrive will be here before we know it. Holding my sister’s new baby girl, makes me so excited about holding our own baby and finally having him here. I love seeing James just as excited too. He is always rubbing my belly, talking to him and is really the best hubby a girl could have. He takes such good care of both of us. I know some days I am probably quite the pill but he is just as sweet as can be and lets me sit on the couch for as long as I need to. Haha! I am so thankful and so blessed! He is going to be an awesome father and I can’t wait to see him holding our son in his arms.

2012 is going to be quite the year for us. I think I am ready!

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I hadn’t made these before so I picked up the wrong burp cloths but I still think they will serve their purpose. Embellished with some fun material, they will make even the messiest messes not so bad.

This project was more for my sister than my niece. It’s a nursing cover. I have made this before and loved choosing the fabrics for it – I really like the combination.

I was really excited about completing this one. I have never completed a quilt in my entire life. I have another one in pieces that I doubt I’ll ever put together. But this one was the right size and fun to work on. We found the robot material online so I ordered a yard. The other materials I found at Joann’s. I had other plans for the robot material but felt it was too busy for those ideas and then I saw this post on Think Liz. I thought, hey, why not a small quilt? For my first attempt I have to say it was fairly easy. The only part that gave me problems was the binding but it won’t keep me from making more….well at least 2 more. Not sure after that. Haha! I do still have some of the robot material left and plan on making a couple more things with it.

Now that these are wrapped up, I can start planning what projects I’ll do for my little man. I have a few months left!

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I made these Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies a couple weeks ago to go along with a fish taco dinner we were having at my sister’s house. They were slightly crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. They have a tiny bit of bite to them due to the chipotle powder but I love it! Really enhances the chocolate flavor. Recipe found here.

We’ve been eating more steak lately…I blame it on the pregnancy completely because I am typically not a big red meat eater. We usually stick to chicken, fish or ground turkey. Well, those haven’t been sounding too great to me or maybe I am just bored with what I am doing with them. Anyway, I wanted to do something different with the steak so I found a recipe from the Pioneer Woman online for her chicken friend steak and went for it. Complete with smashed red potatoes which I boiled first and then browned in a pan with butter, olive oil, salt and pepper and garlic. Then I smashed them so they aren’t completely mashed. Finished the plate off with some roasted broccoli and of course, gravy. People, it was seriously good.

This past Saturday my aunt, mom and sisters got together to try our hands at tamale making. My aunt really deserves all the credit for these. She did a lot of research and was totally on the ball all day making masa. My mom and sisters did most of the work spreading masa and filling with meat, then rolling in shucks. I helped a little and was the official event photographer. Haven’t tasted any of them yet but I hear they are good! Can’t wait! I hope this becomes an annual tradition for the holidays.

That same Saturday after a good nap and some dinner, I got back into the kitchen to make some cookies for our church potluck the next day. My goal for the cookies and the side dish I was taking (macaroni and cheese) was to use what I already had in the house. I also didn’t want to go to the grocery store….So, Soft and Chewy Pumpkin cookies were made! I seriously love anything with pumpkin, just ask James. These were perfect…the batter was almost like cake batter so I was a little hesitant to bake with the first batch but they came out great and didn’t spread much at all. They really are like eating little cakes. I didn’t get a picture of the macaroni and cheese but it was also quite tasty and not a bit was left after the potluck.

Since I was on a roll baking, I decided to try out a recipe for cookie dough balls that were safe to eat raw. James loves frozen cookie dough so I made these especially for him to store in the freezer. You are actually supposed to mix in chocolate chips but he wanted them without. You basically substitute the eggs in the recipe for applesauce, peanut butter or Greek yogurt. I went with the applesauce which you can’t even taste. Oh, she mentions mixing butter and sugar together but there isn’t butter in the recipe list so I just added a stick.

Last night for dinner I tried out this recipe for Baked Eggplant Pizzas. They were tasty and low carb. I topped ours with sauce, Canadian bacon, fresh basil and mozzarella cheese. They were super easy to make and I liked that it wasn’t a heavy meal but still filling. I made a simple side salad of romaine, tomatoes and mozzarella.

Tomorrow I’ll be back in the kitchen making sweet potatoes, rolls, pumpkin pie and maybe cake balls. All for Thanksgiving. I really am so excited about spending the day with family and friends and eating good food.

Let me know if you try out any of these recipes and what you think! Happy eating!

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I realized I was pregnant on James’ birthday, July 8th. What a great present, right? We confirmed it two days later with a home pregnancy test and then another one two days after that. I just had to be sure. Even after two, I wasn’t quite convinced. All the signs were there and even before I realized I was pregnant, some of my ‘non-normal, Elizabeth behavior’ should have clued me in. Yes, I had suspicions but just didn’t think it was possible to happen so fast.

I was around 6 weeks pregnant when we did the home pregnancy tests. It was a week later when we told my mom and sisters and their spouses during a family dinner. What’s really cool too, is that my older sister, Adriana is also pregnant. She is about a trimester ahead of me and due in December. It’s been great sharing this experience with her. A couple days after we told them, we got James’ parents on Skype. They thought we just wanted to say hi and catch up a bit before our beach vacation, but really we wanted to let them know to be planning a trip here in March to meet their grandbaby. Their response was great, I think his mom almost fell out of her chair.

We decided not to tell too many more people until after the first trimester. It was a hard secret to keep and I am pretty sure a few people guessed something was up. On August 11th, we did a quick tour of a local birthing center. I had been there a few months before when my sister toured it and absolutely loved it. Touring it again was for James’ benefit. A week later I had my first prenatal at the center with a midwife. A week after that, an early-dating ultrasound to determine how far along I was and a due date. At that point I was almost 12 weeks with a due date of early March.

I’ve had a lot of people ask me how I felt during the first trimester. To be honest, I don’t remember much near the end of July or first part of August. I was soooo sleepy. All the time. I’d sleep all night, wake up around 8 or 9 and then I’d be ready for a nap by 11am and again at 1pm and 5pm. I had a little bit of sickness but it wasn’t in the morning so much as it would just happen randomly during the day. And it was fairly mild. I’d have to make myself eat even if I didn’t want to because that would help the nauseousness go away. I ate a lot of soup and oatmeal. By the end of August, I was feeling much better, still sleepy sometimes and just waiting for my energy to come back.

The second trimester has definitely been a lot better in terms of energy. I am interested in work again and doing my normal things and going out in the evenings. I know James is glad to have his wife back that cooks and cleans and not just lays on the couch. Other second trimester highlights- finally looking more pregnant, finding out it’s a boy and feeling him move and kick inside me. The movements are awesome. Even as I am working on this post, he is bumping around inside me. I wonder what it is he is doing in there. Feeling him move for the first time was about as huge as hearing his heartbeat during that first prenatal. So amazing. James has even been able to feel the bumps too. I love that he is able to already connect with his son.

I am finally getting to the point where I am going to have to go shopping for some maternity clothes. I was able to wear a lot of my own things until just this week with the help of a Bella Band. Dresses are great though and my new best friend. Oh and stretchy pants. I’ll never turn down a reason to shop though and I am excited it’ll be cooler weather clothes too!

This week we started birthing or centering classes at the center and I think I am going to like them. We meet every two weeks with 5 other couples that are due at the same time, so it’s more of an open forum. A midwife facilitates it but we are all welcome to bring our concerns and questions to discuss. Of course, there are certain topics each time and it’s educational….I totally expect to be watching the much dreaded birth videos very soon. Haha!

I was thinking this week about being pregnant and what I’ve been experiencing and what it’s been like. I am not sure I ever had expectations or even knew what to expect but I definitely had an idea of what I wanted to look like, be like and how I wanted to handle this whole new adventure. Some of you will laugh when you read this thought. I always told myself I’d never have morning sickness when I was pregnant. I just wouldn’t allow it. Funny, right? Well, maybe it worked a little….I am pretty good at bossing myself around at times. I also knew I didn’t want to gain more weight than necessary. Yes, it sounds vain but I really want to have a healthy pregnancy and bounce back quickly after the birth. I am pushing myself to yoga classes and the gym. I don’t succeed all the time but I’ll keep at it. Being the organizer, planner that I am I also wanted to be on top of things during my pregnancy and be 100% ready when the baby arrives. To do lists done, baby room decorated and in perfect order, meals in the freezer, baby clothes made, that sort of thing. Well, those are great goals and we are only halfway but I am realizing I can’t be the pefect preggo. With the holidays coming up, I don’t think a lot of my to dos will get done and I need to be ok with that. The important things will get done and no one will think less of me if my garage is still not organized before March.

Wow, this post is getting really long. Who’s still with me? I’ll wrap it up with a thought that has been with me since the beginning of this- what an amazing God we serve. This life growing inside of me is a daily reminder of just how great He is and that it’s no small miracle that is taking place. I thank Him for this little man and can’t wait to meet our son!

Thank you James for braving an overgrown field with me to take my 20 week photos. Love you!

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Due March 8, 2012!

We are both so amazed and excited about this next adventure in our life. The realness of it has yet to sink in!

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I stumbled upon this one on CraigsList – a West Elm rug, only a year old for $150. You can still buy it at West Elm for about $300 so we definitely got a good deal especially since she came down $25. Score!

Sorry for the bad iPhone pic…..

So now that I have the rug that works great with the couch and my new curtains….I think it’s time to change the pillows again. I still like them but I don’t think they go so well with the rug. I know that I want them to have color but maybe a different pattern – botanical or geometric. The question though is make them? Or buy them?

I started looking online and instantly went to Etsy. Here are a few that I like….You can click on the image to go to the shop.

I like this design but wish it was more color.

I love the design because it’s a little botanical and a little geometric still, not too busy. And the colors in my house are there, just a little muted.

I love the colors in this one.

I think I like this one more than the last but maybe they could even work mixed together which I would love to do. Mix patterns and colors.

I also like the idea of using burlap or even something with text. There are just too many options really and I see SO much that I like. I’ll probably check out some online fabric stores and some here in town as well to see what I can find. But I have a rug!!

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Better update my passport….

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I do love these wedges though.

And these D’Orsay ankle strap flats….divine.

I would use this clutch on a daily basis.

Now I get that these are designer shoes made for Payless and most likely gobs cheaper than the real thing. But really? I don’t think I’d ever spend that much on one pair of shoes at Payless. You?

{Click each image for source.}

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